KNIT STARS BLOG!

šŸ§¶Catching the Doodle bug

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. ā€œWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
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šŸ§¶Something new is bloomingā€¦

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youā€™re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youā€™re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
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šŸ§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā€¦

TW: ThisĀ weekā€™sĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā  ā€œI 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

šŸ§¶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, Howā€™s 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 Iā€™m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Gratitude – in any language

Toto, weā€™re not at the beach house anymore. Weā€™re near the ā€˜beech 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 Fellerā€™s house in Cork, Ireland. Every Knit Stars Season is a wonderful adventure, and this year…
Read More

šŸ§¶Now heā€™s dancing with his fingers

We talk a lot around here about how yarn can change lives. Weā€™ve seen it in action a million times over, in small ways and bigger ways. But this weekā€™s storyā€¦well, this one hits differently. Yarn didnā€™t just change Thomas Gregoryā€™s life. It saved it. Thomas Gregory (@gregorystitch) came to my awareness last year by…
Read More

šŸ§¶Behold, the future of patterns

Are you a sticky notes knitter? A highlighter hooker? Or maybe youā€™re a washi-tape wonder? šŸ¤© At various points in my 4 decades as a Yarnie, Iā€™ve been all of the above. As Iā€™ve progressed (and my eyesight has regressed) I find myself using all kinds of tricks to keep my place and track the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Whatā€™s your big Y?

This week I invite you to ponder a simple question: Whatā€™s your Big Y? Iā€™ve 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 peopleā€™s big…
Read More

šŸ§¶Join the easiest, breeziest make-along

Tan and Tipsy Topā€ by Knitting Tipsy Yā€™all know Iā€™ve always been a fan of summer knitting. First to get through the scorching Oklahoma summers, and in the beachy Florida scene year-round! šŸŒž So when I saw that Season 8 Knit Star Chelsea (@knittingtipsy) and Bri (@thelittlewolfknits) were starting up their popular Hot Stitch Makealong…
Read More

šŸ§¶A shine challenge for you

The Shiftā€ by Andrea Mowry. I have to confess, Iā€™ve been holding out a little on you. By now youā€™ve seen that our theme for Knit Stars Season 9 is ā€œPermission to Shine.ā€ What I havenā€™t shared is the story behind the story of the theme. And this week, when Gabi made this post in…
Read More

šŸ§¶An ode to Brad

You know the old Irish blessing, right? ā€œMay the road rise up to meet youā€¦ā€ Well when youā€™re 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

šŸ§¶The ultimate eye candy edition

Whatā€™s almost as exciting as learning who your Stars will be for an upcoming Knit Stars Season Premiere? (Well okay, maybe even more exciting?) Itā€™s finding out which amazing makers our Stars have chosen to partner with, and the exclusive yarns, kits, and bags (yes I said bags, PLURAL šŸ‘œšŸ‘œšŸ’ƒšŸ½šŸŽ‰) that our Earlybird enrollees get…
Read More

šŸ§¶Meet your shiny new 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 theyā€™re teaching in Season 9: Permission to Shine! šŸ’«šŸŽ‰šŸ’ƒšŸ½šŸ•ŗšŸ§¶ This…
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Stick with us (a gift :-)

I have a confessionā€¦ Iā€™m a little obsessed with stickers. šŸ¤“ Ever since I saw Gaye ā€œGGā€ 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, Iā€™ve resisted buying stickers for myself. It may sound silly,…
Read More

šŸ§¶A new twist from Joji

I hope youā€™re having a fabulous week and making some time just for you – to make, to watch Knit Stars videos, or simply to relax. šŸ˜Œ 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

šŸ§¶Jeanette, beaded colorwork and second chances

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? Thatā€™s 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

šŸ§¶ Shelleyā€™s nine notables

This last week I celebrated my 56th trip around the sun. Part of my gift was that my cake had the wrong yearā€¦so Iā€™m 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 Iā€™m…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Seamless and fearless

Every one of ƅsa Sƶdermanā€™s personal emails have the same closingā€¦ Knit with abandon. If youā€™ve been lucky enough to take an in-person class with ƅsa, you know she exudes this philosophy. Fearlessness. Adventure. Abandon. ā€œWhen I do workshops I find so many people donā€™t trust themselves. They often follow the pattern too closely. I…
Read More

šŸ§¶Meet the maker: Mitzi

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. šŸ˜œ You see, today Mitzi is one of the most prolific textile…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Your blue ribbon awaits…

Happy first week of March, ! Itā€™s my birthday month and everyoneā€™s been asking what I want. I know this is kind of a mom answer but when I say ā€œnothingā€ 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

šŸ§¶Catching the Doodle bug

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. ā€œWe all got sent home, and I was on Teams calls all day every day. I have ADHD so I was struggling to…
Read More

šŸ§¶Something new is bloomingā€¦

Happy Sunday, beautiful reader! Do you ever have those moments like I do, when youā€™re scrolling social media, and an image makes you stop and audibly gasp – causing anyone else in your household to run in and see if youā€™re ok? This past week I had one of those moments, and (after assuring said…
Read More

šŸ§¶Sprinkle that stuff on everythingā€¦

TW: ThisĀ weekā€™sĀ newsletter includesĀ sensitive mental health topics. Sending all of our love our beautiful readers, family and friendsĀ ā¤ļø.Ā  ā€œI 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

šŸ§¶Back in the saddle

Hello dear reader, Howā€™s 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 Iā€™m up in the air, upside down,…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Gratitude – in any language

Toto, weā€™re not at the beach house anymore. Weā€™re near the ā€˜beech 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 Fellerā€™s house in Cork, Ireland. Every Knit Stars Season is a wonderful adventure, and this year…
Read More

šŸ§¶Now heā€™s dancing with his fingers

We talk a lot around here about how yarn can change lives. Weā€™ve seen it in action a million times over, in small ways and bigger ways. But this weekā€™s storyā€¦well, this one hits differently. Yarn didnā€™t just change Thomas Gregoryā€™s life. It saved it. Thomas Gregory (@gregorystitch) came to my awareness last year by…
Read More

šŸ§¶Behold, the future of patterns

Are you a sticky notes knitter? A highlighter hooker? Or maybe youā€™re a washi-tape wonder? šŸ¤© At various points in my 4 decades as a Yarnie, Iā€™ve been all of the above. As Iā€™ve progressed (and my eyesight has regressed) I find myself using all kinds of tricks to keep my place and track the…
Read More

šŸ§¶Whatā€™s your big Y?

This week I invite you to ponder a simple question: Whatā€™s your Big Y? Iā€™ve 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 peopleā€™s big…
Read More

šŸ§¶Join the easiest, breeziest make-along

Tan and Tipsy Topā€ by Knitting Tipsy Yā€™all know Iā€™ve always been a fan of summer knitting. First to get through the scorching Oklahoma summers, and in the beachy Florida scene year-round! šŸŒž So when I saw that Season 8 Knit Star Chelsea (@knittingtipsy) and Bri (@thelittlewolfknits) were starting up their popular Hot Stitch Makealong…
Read More

šŸ§¶A shine challenge for you

The Shiftā€ by Andrea Mowry. I have to confess, Iā€™ve been holding out a little on you. By now youā€™ve seen that our theme for Knit Stars Season 9 is ā€œPermission to Shine.ā€ What I havenā€™t shared is the story behind the story of the theme. And this week, when Gabi made this post in…
Read More

šŸ§¶An ode to Brad

You know the old Irish blessing, right? ā€œMay the road rise up to meet youā€¦ā€ Well when youā€™re 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

šŸ§¶The ultimate eye candy edition

Whatā€™s almost as exciting as learning who your Stars will be for an upcoming Knit Stars Season Premiere? (Well okay, maybe even more exciting?) Itā€™s finding out which amazing makers our Stars have chosen to partner with, and the exclusive yarns, kits, and bags (yes I said bags, PLURAL šŸ‘œšŸ‘œšŸ’ƒšŸ½šŸŽ‰) that our Earlybird enrollees get…
Read More

šŸ§¶Meet your shiny new 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 theyā€™re teaching in Season 9: Permission to Shine! šŸ’«šŸŽ‰šŸ’ƒšŸ½šŸ•ŗšŸ§¶ This…
Read More

Stick with us (a gift :-)

I have a confessionā€¦ Iā€™m a little obsessed with stickers. šŸ¤“ Ever since I saw Gaye ā€œGGā€ 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, Iā€™ve resisted buying stickers for myself. It may sound silly,…
Read More

šŸ§¶A new twist from Joji

I hope youā€™re having a fabulous week and making some time just for you – to make, to watch Knit Stars videos, or simply to relax. šŸ˜Œ 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

šŸ§¶Jeanette, beaded colorwork and second chances

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? Thatā€™s 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

šŸ§¶ Shelleyā€™s nine notables

This last week I celebrated my 56th trip around the sun. Part of my gift was that my cake had the wrong yearā€¦so Iā€™m 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 Iā€™m…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Seamless and fearless

Every one of ƅsa Sƶdermanā€™s personal emails have the same closingā€¦ Knit with abandon. If youā€™ve been lucky enough to take an in-person class with ƅsa, you know she exudes this philosophy. Fearlessness. Adventure. Abandon. ā€œWhen I do workshops I find so many people donā€™t trust themselves. They often follow the pattern too closely. I…
Read More

šŸ§¶Meet the maker: Mitzi

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. šŸ˜œ You see, today Mitzi is one of the most prolific textile…
Read More

šŸ§¶ Your blue ribbon awaits…

Happy first week of March, ! Itā€™s my birthday month and everyoneā€™s been asking what I want. I know this is kind of a mom answer but when I say ā€œnothingā€ 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

šŸ§¶ From our family to you

ā€œMy favorite project I made this year was the Brookline Blouse by Kate (@mezzomakes) inĀ Loops Luxe Plant-Based Princess in the colorway Cottonwood.ā€Ā 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,…
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šŸ§¶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, weā€™d heard it was back luck. Superstitions like this abound in knitting. Thereā€™s even a book…
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šŸ§¶The gift of a lifeline

Isnā€™t it interesting how much beginners can teachĀ us? Iā€™m reading Michelle Obamaā€™s newest book, ā€œThe Light We Carry.ā€ Or to be more specificā€¦Iā€™m listening to her read the book on my morning walks, then running back home to highlight my hard copy. Even if she didnā€™t talk about knitting and how it helped her through…
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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. Iā€™ve 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.…
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šŸ§¶ New genius needles šŸ’”

Since many of us are all hanging out in a turkey tryptophan hazeā€¦ I decided to start out this weekā€™s 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? šŸ¤Ŗ Enjoy watching the 3-minute clip above, where I…
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šŸ§¶ 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. Weā€™ve 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…
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šŸ§¶Making peace with your yarn

ā€œWispy Hazeā€ shawl in custom colorwayĀ ā€œCayanneā€™s Weddingā€ This week I finished one of the most joyful projects Iā€™ve ever madeā€¦ But it didnā€™t start out that way. My niece Cayanne was married this weekend in the Bahamas. I wasnā€™t there, but I can imagine how stunning she looked walking along that Bahamian blue water, wrapping…
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šŸ§¶ Knitting at 32,000 feet āœˆļø

Writing this newsletter at the ATL airport enroute from the beach to TUL. Right now, if it canā€™t be knit at 32,000 feet, itā€™s not going on my needles. Iā€™ve always loved ā€œairplane knittingā€ – the portable, meditative projects that donā€™t require a lot of concentrationā€¦ (read: can be worked while sipping a Delta bloody…
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šŸ§¶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 itā€™s true, the usual thing when making for charity is to use a basic pattern and stash yarn and knock them out ā€œon repeatā€ā€¦ But…
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šŸ§¶Did I ever tell you youā€™re my hero

Make the Ena Pullover with our exclusive colors ofĀ LolaBean Cool Beans Sport. Itā€™s a funny thingā€¦ As makers, sometimes we get so busy making things, we donā€™t even realize how much impact weā€™re having on the wider world. Our amazing readers helped make a heroic difference last week – and at first I didnā€™t even…
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šŸŒŸYouā€™ve earned it

This week Iā€™ve been thinking a lot about what it means to ā€œdeserveā€ something. Hereā€™s why.Ā  Tomorrow is the last chance to sign up for ourĀ 7th Masterclass Event called Texture + Wonder. And all week, Iā€™ve been in the comments online, listening as knitters and crocheters all over the world angst over whether to invest…
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šŸ§¶How did I get here?

CLICK HEREĀ to listen to an audio version of this newsletter These days weā€™re all moving so fastā€¦ Many of us live in such a constant state of fight or flight, we actually become accustomed to fighting against whatā€™s possible. When challenges pop up, we tell ourselves ā€œI canā€™tā€ over and over. And then one day,…
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šŸ§¶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 Iā€™m grateful to our amazing team and our loyal…
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šŸ§¶Steady through the storm

Iā€™m writing this weekā€™s 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…
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šŸ§¶Hot off the runway šŸ”„

Itā€™s 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…
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šŸ§¶Making of a custom color šŸŽØ

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, Iā€™m sharing a couple behind-the-scenes stories of two very different,…
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From Paris with loveā€¦and yarn šŸ’›

Yā€™all 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…
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šŸ§¶ A one-sock confession šŸ˜³

Urthā€™s Uneek self-striping sock kitĀ in colorway ā€œoranGGe.ā€ Pattern is ā€œMagnolia Socksā€ by Helen Stewart. This week, Iā€™m on the confession couchā€¦ Iā€™ve 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,…
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šŸ§¶Top 12 ideas for our #1 yarn šŸ†

ā€œMs. Harrison, did you knit your shirt?ā€ ā€œYes! Yes, I did!ā€ Is there any better feeling in the world than having someone notice your knits? Especially if youā€™re a teacher and itā€™s one of your favorite students on the first day back to school? šŸ„° Star Guide and high school teacher Amber, pictured above,Ā wearing her…
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šŸ§¶ Diane Ivey’s First Project

Do you still have the first thing you ever knit? To this day, I donā€™t 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…
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