KNIT STARS BLOG!
š§¶Catching the Doodle bug
Knit Stars
|Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. āWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More š§¶Something new is bloomingā¦
Knit Stars
|Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youāre scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youāre ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More š§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā¦
Knit Stars
|TW: ThisĀ weekāsĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā āI had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.ā These are the wise words of…
Read More š§¶Back in the saddle
Knit Stars
|Hello dear reader, Howās it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means Iām up in the air, upside down,…
Read More š§¶ Gratitude – in any language
Knit Stars
|Toto, weāre not at the beach house anymore. Weāre near the ābeech houseā in Cork, Ireland! I snapped a pic of this charming home with a spectacular garden, just up the road from Knit Stars Season 9 Star Carol Fellerās house in Cork, Ireland. Every Knit Stars Season is a wonderful adventure, and this year…
Read More š§¶Now heās dancing with his fingers
Knit Stars
|We talk a lot around here about how yarn can change lives. Weāve seen it in action a million times over, in small ways and bigger ways. But this weekās storyā¦well, this one hits differently. Yarn didnāt just change Thomas Gregoryās life. It saved it. Thomas Gregory (@gregorystitch) came to my awareness last year by…
Read More š§¶Behold, the future of patterns
Knit Stars
|Are you a sticky notes knitter? A highlighter hooker? Or maybe youāre a washi-tape wonder? š¤© At various points in my 4 decades as a Yarnie, Iāve been all of the above. As Iāve progressed (and my eyesight has regressed) I find myself using all kinds of tricks to keep my place and track the…
Read More š§¶Whatās your big Y?
Knit Stars
|This week I invite you to ponder a simple question: Whatās your Big Y? Iāve been thinking about this a lot lately. I know that yarn, creativity, and connection are important to me. Some days, it feels more important than food or even air. But WHY? And how does that intersect with other peopleās big…
Read More š§¶Join the easiest, breeziest make-along
Knit Stars
|Tan and Tipsy Topā by Knitting Tipsy Yāall know Iāve always been a fan of summer knitting. First to get through the scorching Oklahoma summers, and in the beachy Florida scene year-round! š So when I saw that Season 8 Knit Star Chelsea (@knittingtipsy) and Bri (@thelittlewolfknits) were starting up their popular Hot Stitch Makealong…
Read More š§¶A shine challenge for you
Knit Stars
|The Shiftā by Andrea Mowry. I have to confess, Iāve been holding out a little on you. By now youāve seen that our theme for Knit Stars Season 9 is āPermission to Shine.ā What I havenāt shared is the story behind the story of the theme. And this week, when Gabi made this post in…
Read More š§¶An ode to Brad
Knit Stars
|You know the old Irish blessing, right? āMay the road rise up to meet youā¦ā Well when youāre traveling and filming for Knit Stars, sometimes the road does rise up to meet you. Other times, it roars up and rears back like a giant hissing snake and bites you in the butt. And that, my…
Read More š§¶The ultimate eye candy edition
Knit Stars
|Whatās almost as exciting as learning who your Stars will be for an upcoming Knit Stars Season Premiere? (Well okay, maybe even more exciting?) Itās finding out which amazing makers our Stars have chosen to partner with, and the exclusive yarns, kits, and bags (yes I said bags, PLURAL šššš½š) that our Earlybird enrollees get…
Read More š§¶Meet your shiny new Stars!
Knit Stars
|Did you catch it, ? That subtle shift in the energy of the yarn worldā¦ ā¦the sun breaking through the cloudsā¦ ā¦the stars shining a little more brightly in the skyā¦? You guessed it! The Stars of our upcoming Knit Stars Premiere Season have announced theyāre teaching in Season 9: Permission to Shine! š«ššš½šŗš§¶ This…
Read More Stick with us (a gift :-)
Knit Stars
|I have a confessionā¦ Iām a little obsessed with stickers. š¤ Ever since I saw Gaye āGGā Glasspie posting about how she collects stickers and uses them in her journal each dayā¦I thought, what a fun way to jazz up my planner! And yet somehow, Iāve resisted buying stickers for myself. It may sound silly,…
Read More š§¶A new twist from Joji
Knit Stars
|I hope youāre having a fabulous week and making some time just for you – to make, to watch Knit Stars videos, or simply to relax. š This week I have a special treat for you. I caught up with Joji Locatelli. ā¤ļø She and I had been going back and forth, doing some secret…
Read More š§¶Jeanette, beaded colorwork and second chances
Knit Stars
|They say when opportunity knocks, you should always answer. But what if, right when that knock comes, you get knocked down by a tragedy you never saw coming? Thatās what happened to Knit Star Jeanette Sloan right after filming her Beaded Colorwork masterclass for Season 6. I caught up with Jeanette this past week, on…
Read More š§¶ Shelleyās nine notables
Knit Stars
|This last week I celebrated my 56th trip around the sun. Part of my gift was that my cake had the wrong yearā¦so Iām officially aging backwards! In celebration of the occasion and our upcoming 9th Premiere Season of Knit Stars, I thought it would be fun to share 9 notables with youā¦nine things Iām…
Read More š§¶ Seamless and fearless
Knit Stars
|Every one of Ć
sa Sƶdermanās personal emails have the same closingā¦ Knit with abandon. If youāve been lucky enough to take an in-person class with Ć
sa, you know she exudes this philosophy. Fearlessness. Adventure. Abandon. āWhen I do workshops I find so many people donāt trust themselves. They often follow the pattern too closely. I…
Read More š§¶Meet the maker: Mitzi
Knit Stars
|I first met Mitzi when she would come into our second location in South Tulsa, back in 2015. I remember what first struck me most about her was a) her bright smile, b) her cheerful energy, and c) the chip on her shoulder. š You see, today Mitzi is one of the most prolific textile…
Read More š§¶ Your blue ribbon awaits…
Knit Stars
|Happy first week of March, ! Itās my birthday month and everyoneās been asking what I want. I know this is kind of a mom answer but when I say ānothingā I really mean it. I have my health. Lord knows I have plenty of yarn (hello, S.A.B.L.E.!) And best of all, I am so…
Read More š§¶Catching the Doodle bug
Knit Stars
|Jamie Lomax took up knitting in 2020 as a COVID hobby. She was working as a senior project manager for a large retail and food service company in Seattle at the time. āWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More š§¶Something new is bloomingā¦
Knit Stars
|Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youāre scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youāre ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More š§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā¦
Knit Stars
|TW: ThisĀ weekāsĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā āI had two options. I could either let it wreck me and disrupt my life, or I could inspire myself and others, share my story, and use it to help raise awareness.ā These are the wise words of…
Read More š§¶Back in the saddle
Knit Stars
|Hello dear reader, Howās it going in your creative world? These past few weeks have been even more whirlwind-y than usual for me, as Knit Stars Season 9 filming has kicked into high gear. I made a commitment to go to all the filmings this year, which means Iām up in the air, upside down,…
Read More š§¶ Gratitude – in any language
Knit Stars
|Toto, weāre not at the beach house anymore. Weāre near the ābeech houseā in Cork, Ireland! I snapped a pic of this charming home with a spectacular garden, just up the road from Knit Stars Season 9 Star Carol Fellerās house in Cork, Ireland. Every Knit Stars Season is a wonderful adventure, and this year…
Read More š§¶Now heās dancing with his fingers
Knit Stars
|We talk a lot around here about how yarn can change lives. Weāve seen it in action a million times over, in small ways and bigger ways. But this weekās storyā¦well, this one hits differently. Yarn didnāt just change Thomas Gregoryās life. It saved it. Thomas Gregory (@gregorystitch) came to my awareness last year by…
Read More š§¶Behold, the future of patterns
Knit Stars
|Are you a sticky notes knitter? A highlighter hooker? Or maybe youāre a washi-tape wonder? š¤© At various points in my 4 decades as a Yarnie, Iāve been all of the above. As Iāve progressed (and my eyesight has regressed) I find myself using all kinds of tricks to keep my place and track the…
Read More š§¶Whatās your big Y?
Knit Stars
|This week I invite you to ponder a simple question: Whatās your Big Y? Iāve been thinking about this a lot lately. I know that yarn, creativity, and connection are important to me. Some days, it feels more important than food or even air. But WHY? And how does that intersect with other peopleās big…
Read More š§¶Join the easiest, breeziest make-along
Knit Stars
|Tan and Tipsy Topā by Knitting Tipsy Yāall know Iāve always been a fan of summer knitting. First to get through the scorching Oklahoma summers, and in the beachy Florida scene year-round! š So when I saw that Season 8 Knit Star Chelsea (@knittingtipsy) and Bri (@thelittlewolfknits) were starting up their popular Hot Stitch Makealong…
Read More š§¶A shine challenge for you
Knit Stars
|The Shiftā by Andrea Mowry. I have to confess, Iāve been holding out a little on you. By now youāve seen that our theme for Knit Stars Season 9 is āPermission to Shine.ā What I havenāt shared is the story behind the story of the theme. And this week, when Gabi made this post in…
Read More š§¶An ode to Brad
Knit Stars
|You know the old Irish blessing, right? āMay the road rise up to meet youā¦ā Well when youāre traveling and filming for Knit Stars, sometimes the road does rise up to meet you. Other times, it roars up and rears back like a giant hissing snake and bites you in the butt. And that, my…
Read More š§¶The ultimate eye candy edition
Knit Stars
|Whatās almost as exciting as learning who your Stars will be for an upcoming Knit Stars Season Premiere? (Well okay, maybe even more exciting?) Itās finding out which amazing makers our Stars have chosen to partner with, and the exclusive yarns, kits, and bags (yes I said bags, PLURAL šššš½š) that our Earlybird enrollees get…
Read More š§¶Meet your shiny new Stars!
Knit Stars
|Did you catch it, ? That subtle shift in the energy of the yarn worldā¦ ā¦the sun breaking through the cloudsā¦ ā¦the stars shining a little more brightly in the skyā¦? You guessed it! The Stars of our upcoming Knit Stars Premiere Season have announced theyāre teaching in Season 9: Permission to Shine! š«ššš½šŗš§¶ This…
Read More Stick with us (a gift :-)
Knit Stars
|I have a confessionā¦ Iām a little obsessed with stickers. š¤ Ever since I saw Gaye āGGā Glasspie posting about how she collects stickers and uses them in her journal each dayā¦I thought, what a fun way to jazz up my planner! And yet somehow, Iāve resisted buying stickers for myself. It may sound silly,…
Read More š§¶A new twist from Joji
Knit Stars
|I hope youāre having a fabulous week and making some time just for you – to make, to watch Knit Stars videos, or simply to relax. š This week I have a special treat for you. I caught up with Joji Locatelli. ā¤ļø She and I had been going back and forth, doing some secret…
Read More š§¶Jeanette, beaded colorwork and second chances
Knit Stars
|They say when opportunity knocks, you should always answer. But what if, right when that knock comes, you get knocked down by a tragedy you never saw coming? Thatās what happened to Knit Star Jeanette Sloan right after filming her Beaded Colorwork masterclass for Season 6. I caught up with Jeanette this past week, on…
Read More š§¶ Shelleyās nine notables
Knit Stars
|This last week I celebrated my 56th trip around the sun. Part of my gift was that my cake had the wrong yearā¦so Iām officially aging backwards! In celebration of the occasion and our upcoming 9th Premiere Season of Knit Stars, I thought it would be fun to share 9 notables with youā¦nine things Iām…
Read More š§¶ Seamless and fearless
Knit Stars
|Every one of Ć
sa Sƶdermanās personal emails have the same closingā¦ Knit with abandon. If youāve been lucky enough to take an in-person class with Ć
sa, you know she exudes this philosophy. Fearlessness. Adventure. Abandon. āWhen I do workshops I find so many people donāt trust themselves. They often follow the pattern too closely. I…
Read More š§¶Meet the maker: Mitzi
Knit Stars
|I first met Mitzi when she would come into our second location in South Tulsa, back in 2015. I remember what first struck me most about her was a) her bright smile, b) her cheerful energy, and c) the chip on her shoulder. š You see, today Mitzi is one of the most prolific textile…
Read More š§¶ Your blue ribbon awaits…
Knit Stars
|Happy first week of March, ! Itās my birthday month and everyoneās been asking what I want. I know this is kind of a mom answer but when I say ānothingā I really mean it. I have my health. Lord knows I have plenty of yarn (hello, S.A.B.L.E.!) And best of all, I am so…
Read More Posts
š§¶ From our family to you
āMy favorite project I made this year was the Brookline Blouse by Kate (@mezzomakes) inĀ Loops Luxe Plant-Based Princess in the colorway Cottonwood.āĀ This project kept my mind calm and hands busy in the days following a bad car accident. It was also my first non-wool project and kept me stylish all summer long. -Sunnie Operations Manager,…
Read More š§¶Curse schmurse
This week I have a bit of a different story for you. Back when I was dating in my 20s, my friend Kristy and I made a pact: to never knit for our partners. Why? Somewhere along the way, weād heard it was back luck. Superstitions like this abound in knitting. Thereās even a book…
Read More š§¶The gift of a lifeline
Isnāt it interesting how much beginners can teachĀ us? Iām reading Michelle Obamaās newest book, āThe Light We Carry.ā Or to be more specificā¦Iām listening to her read the book on my morning walks, then running back home to highlight my hard copy. Even if she didnāt talk about knitting and how it helped her through…
Read More Zero pressure gift knitting
My latest WIP: “Strata” hat by Tif Neilan from “Worsted” by AimĆ©e Gille, made with LolaBean Cool Beans Worsted.Ā Kits here. Iāve noticed a trend the past few yearsā¦ More and more people seem to be swearing off holiday gift making. Maybe it was the pandemic, that made people re-evaluate how they spent their free time.…
Read More š§¶ New genius needles š”
Since many of us are all hanging out in a turkey tryptophan hazeā¦ I decided to start out this weekās newsletter with an ode to the premiere of our 7th Masterclass Season, which just finished premiering last week. And what better ode than a blooper reel? š¤Ŗ Enjoy watching the 3-minute clip above, where I…
Read More š§¶ Sweaters, socks and freebies oh my
Paper clips. Safety pins. Yarn scraps. Dental floss. Ever used any of these things as a stitch marker in a pinch? I sure have. Weāve all found ourselves stuck without a stitch marker right when we need it, digging in the couch cushions while lifting up a silent prayer to the notions godsā¦ Amiright? But…
Read More š§¶Making peace with your yarn
āWispy Hazeā shawl in custom colorwayĀ āCayanneās Weddingā This week I finished one of the most joyful projects Iāve ever madeā¦ But it didnāt start out that way. My niece Cayanne was married this weekend in the Bahamas. I wasnāt there, but I can imagine how stunning she looked walking along that Bahamian blue water, wrapping…
Read More š§¶ Knitting at 32,000 feet āļø
Writing this newsletter at the ATL airport enroute from the beach to TUL. Right now, if it canāt be knit at 32,000 feet, itās not going on my needles. Iāve always loved āairplane knittingā – the portable, meditative projects that donāt require a lot of concentrationā¦ (read: can be worked while sipping a Delta bloody…
Read More š§¶An extra-special hat
Last week we told you about our project manager Sunnie and her Noodlyknits Hat Drive benefiting patients at the cancer treatment hospital her uncle runs in Gwangju, South Korea. Now itās true, the usual thing when making for charity is to use a basic pattern and stash yarn and knock them out āon repeatāā¦ But…
Read More š§¶Did I ever tell you youāre my hero
Make the Ena Pullover with our exclusive colors ofĀ LolaBean Cool Beans Sport. Itās a funny thingā¦ As makers, sometimes we get so busy making things, we donāt even realize how much impact weāre having on the wider world. Our amazing readers helped make a heroic difference last week – and at first I didnāt even…
Read More šYouāve earned it
This week Iāve been thinking a lot about what it means to ādeserveā something. Hereās why.Ā Tomorrow is the last chance to sign up for ourĀ 7th Masterclass Event called Texture + Wonder. And all week, Iāve been in the comments online, listening as knitters and crocheters all over the world angst over whether to invest…
Read More š§¶How did I get here?
CLICK HEREĀ to listen to an audio version of this newsletter These days weāre all moving so fastā¦ Many of us live in such a constant state of fight or flight, we actually become accustomed to fighting against whatās possible. When challenges pop up, we tell ourselves āI canātā over and over. And then one day,…
Read More š§¶Before and after
This past week, we debuted the newĀ Hot Loops Project WallĀ that we curated with AimĆ©e from La Bien AimĆ©e hand-dyed yarns. Apparently, this is what happens when you get a hot indie dyer, a bunch of awesome designers and 1,500 yarn lovers onĀ ZoomĀ all at once: To say Iām grateful to our amazing team and our loyal…
Read More š§¶Steady through the storm
Iām writing this weekās newsletter by candlelight, looking out onto the south Florida sea as Hurricane Ian huffs and puffs out my window. When I moved a few months ago, I thought I was trading a lifetime of Oklahoma tornadoes for a hurricane or two here and there. Silly me! Last night Ian served up…
Read More š§¶Hot off the runway š„
Itās here! Last night, we revealed ourĀ 36th Hot Loops Wall. What started as my antidote to the frustration I experienced as a younger knitter – always struggling to find a cute pattern paired with the perfect yarn – has evolved into a sort of New York Fashion Week for yarn. On a live, global Zoom…
Read More š§¶Making of a custom color šØ
Have you ever wondered how a custom color is born? I get this question a lot, actually. People wonder how we work with indie dyers to develop our custom yarn colors. And the truth is, every collaboration is a little bit different. So this week, Iām sharing a couple behind-the-scenes stories of two very different,…
Read More From Paris with loveā¦and yarn š
Yāall I am soooooo excited! Ahem, I meanā¦ Je suie ravie!!! I could not be more thrilled to announce that our featured Fall Hot Loops Wall dyer is none other thanĀ La Bien AimĆ©e! I met AimĆ©e for the first time back in 2017 when my daughter Mallory and I were in Europe filming Knit Stars…
Read More š§¶ A one-sock confession š³
Urthās Uneek self-striping sock kitĀ in colorway āoranGGe.ā Pattern is āMagnolia Socksā by Helen Stewart. This week, Iām on the confession couchā¦ Iāve only ever knitted one sock. Not oneĀ pairĀ of socks, mind you. One. Single. Sock. I needed to know I could do it, and it was fun to makeā¦but the whole time I kept thinking,…
Read More š§¶Top 12 ideas for our #1 yarn š
āMs. Harrison, did you knit your shirt?ā āYes! Yes, I did!ā Is there any better feeling in the world than having someone notice your knits? Especially if youāre a teacher and itās one of your favorite students on the first day back to school? š„° Star Guide and high school teacher Amber, pictured above,Ā wearing her…
Read More š§¶ Diane Ivey’s First Project
Do you still have the first thing you ever knit? To this day, I donāt know what happened to that pink cable sweater made with scratchy wool that I cobbled together on a road trip at the age of 16. I hope that out there somewhere, someone in a really cold place with unusually long…
Read More