I first saw Emma Fassio’s name many years ago, on a pattern my friend Gina Hills was working on.

Many of you might remember Gina, a manager at our Loops stores for more than a decade. Gina was (still is) a style inspiration of mine, a big fan of iconic Italian fashion houses like Missoni. She loved designing her own take on the latest Italian runway looks, reinterpreting their chic knitwear looks into hand-knittable patterns.

(Side note: I remember when another Italian designer came out with a $750 cabled cowl that was all over the internet…and seemingly overnight, Gina designed the “Snooty Snood.” We must’ve sold thousands of skeins of alpaca to make that pattern!)

So when Gina was all of a sudden making pattern after pattern by this person named Emma, I (along with all the other Loops ladies and customers) took notice. 👀

Fast forward a decade…and when it occurred to me that Knit Stars has not yet filmed with an Italian Star, guess who came to mind?

From the moment I connected with Emma Fassio over our first Zoom call, I knew right away what had drawn Gina in.

Emma is, for lack of a better phrase, an absolute joy-bomb.

She talks joyfully. She smiles joyfully. She dresses joyfully. Being in her presence, you can’t help but shine right alongside her.

Emma’s workshop for Knit Stars Season 9 officially early-releases on Tuesday…but since you’re a newsletter subscriber, I pulled some strings to sneak you in early. 😉

If you’re not already enrolled in Season 9, click here. This is Emma’s affiliate link, so by signing up through this link you’ll also be supporting her.

When you sign up, you’ll get instant access to Carol Feller’s Celtic Cable workshop that already early-released last month…access to the Season 9 community…Emma’s workshop releasing Tuesday…and access to the other upcoming 8 workshops.

Along with getting to know Emma, you’ll get her brand-new Knit Stars exclusive “Optical” patterns, in two versions and with endless customization options. Like so many of Emma’s designs, it’s made to easily modify to your own shape and taste.

Lately I’ve been thinking, with all of the stress in the world, Knit Stars offers a double “escape” – the stress relief that making offers, alongside the cinematic escape into another world.

Emma’s workshop offers this in abundance. You’ll be transported to the magical city of Torino – a place I hope to live for an extended period one day.

(It’s become a goal of mine to live more immersively in different parts of the world each year).

Another magical component of my time in Torino, Italy were the many moments spent with family. My daughter Mallory and her boyfriend, Lawson, flew over to join us for the filming before embarking on their own European mini-adventure.

And when we filmed with Emma in her home and studio, we got to break bread with her hilarious and charming husband, Marco, and their two lovely daughters, Matilde and Rachele. (Oh, and Teo the husky and Marshmallow the very fluffy kitty!)

One of the best surprises of the day was discovering that Rachele is also a designer, with 12 published designs on Ravelry!

And yes, she has a ways to go before she matches her mom’s 247 designs on Ravelry, and counting – but just look at this adorable “Kelda” sweater she was wearing, and just published!

And when I got back from my filming trip, look what was waiting for me…the exact color of Emma’s yarn to make the sweater. ❤️

Oh and get this…Emma and Matilde have matching tattoos…

North Stars.

If ever it were written in the stars that someone would become a Knit Star, it’s Emma Fassio.

Join Knit Stars Season 9 through Emma’s affiliate link here.
Explore Emma’s Ravelry designs here.
Explore Rachele’s Ravelry designs here.

And thank you, as always, for your support – of Knit Stars, of all the Stars, and of our shared mission to Knit and Crochet the World Together.

xoxo,

One of Rachele’s most popular Ravelry designs to date is the adorable Olimpia Vest.

It’s worked with circular knitting needles bottom up, at first in the round for the body and then in rows for bust part, after having divided in half the number of stitches.

At first the back is worked, by creating the armhole with decreases, afterward the front, worked the same. The cowl part is worked in the round on the stitches of the back and front part. At the end the armhole borders are worked in the round.

It calls for an aran-weight merino…maybe the perfect yarn is already in your stash?

Find the details and specs here.

Image and recipe from Giallo Zafferano.

Caprese Bruschetta

“Bruschetta is something special and so easy to make!” Emma enthused. She shared this one with us – an interesting twist on the classic.

Ingredients:

• Cherry tomatoes 10
• Basil 8 leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Fine salt to taste
• Black olives 12
• Garlic 1 clove
• Mozzarella di bufala cheese 8.8 oz (250 g)
• Homemade bread 4 slices
• Oregano 2 pinches

Instructions:

1. To prepare Caprese bruschetta, cut 4 slices of bread about 3/4 inch thick
2. Toast them on both sides under the oven grill or on a non-stick pan
3. When they are golden, take each slice of toasted bread and rub a clove of garlic on them (one clove should be enough for all 4 slices of bread).
4. Once you have prepared the bread slices, set them aside and prepare the ingredients for the Caprese bruschetta topping. Drain the buffalo mozzarella well and cut it into small cubes
5. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters as well
6. In a bowl, combine the mozzarella, black olives, and quartered tomatoes
7. Add the basil broken by hand, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt (7-8).
8. Mix well to blend the flavors.
9. Place the toasted bread slices on a serving plate and top them with the prepared mixture, divided equally among the slices
10. Drizzle the Caprese bruschetta with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve.