The other day, I had just finished writing in my planner, “do more journaling…”

When I picked up my phone and started scrolling (thinking “I should be journaling instead” 😅)

And there it was. Felicity “Felix” Ford of Knit Stars Season 6 fame was in my phone, telling me she has a new membership called “Journal With Me.”

I took Felix’ wildly popular bullet journaling course a couple years ago, on the advice of MDK’s Kay Gardiner. It was so freeing. I loved the focus on play and having fun, rather than following a strict regimen. But lately I’ve fallen back into my old habit of just listing my to-dos, rather than making space for creative journaling.

So when I found out Felix had a new membership that builds on her bullet journaling course, I couldn’t hit “add to cart” fast enough. Then I reached out to Felix and asked her, what motivated her to make a membership?

“The bullet journaling course is included in the membership and is its foundation,” Felix explained. “The idea is that you do the course and then use all the extras to build your journaling practice. So the membership adds live classes, a dedicated mailing list, a lively forum, and a strong sense of community.”

“When I began bullet journaling in 2015, I felt I was ‘failing’ the official system,” Felix continued.  “But once I drew on my experiences of keeping artist’s sketchbooks and work notebooks – books that were always messy, creative, and practical – everything clicked.”

“Leaning into the joy has happened by making the mindset shift from ‘my journal should be a certain way’ to ‘my journal is my friend, my home and my support.’”

“Like a friend, it needs to feel kind, encouraging and forgiving. It’s there whether I need to play, to rant, or to plan. To-do lists nestle between drawings, collages, notes, dreams, plans, packing-lists and stuck-in ephemera. Decorating plans, recipes, gardens, meeting-notes – it’s all there together, all of my humble messy life, and I find that so comforting.”

“The course aims to liberate people from the idea that there’s a right way to journal. Needs and time change constantly, and I feel our journaling practices need to flex with us – and support us through life’s changes.”

Next I asked Felix, what do you say to Yarnies who feel guilty taking time to journal, when they could be knitting?

“If knitting is your priority, I would ask ‘how can your journal support that activity?” she said.

“Because knitting involves so much more than knitting, doesn’t it? Choosing colours, prioritizing projects, organizing supplies, remembering to pack the right needles in your knitting bag, scheduling time to watch an online class we purchased (I’m looking at you, Knit Stars Season owners!). Journaling helps with all of that.”

“During a tough project, I made a cheerleading page by printing out the chart and sticking it in my journal. I marked my process on the chart daily. Seeing progress kept me going; when I finally finished (just in time for a book photoshoot) I celebrated with a gold star.”

“I did the same when I was working on my Knit Stars Masterclass pattern, cheering myself on in the margins beside each chart. It sounds little, but these tiny moments – glimmers – can make a big difference to our morale and knitting speed.”

“The cheerleading aspect of my journal is also incredibly helpful for my knitting. I remember working on the massive semi-circular shawl for my Playbook and the last section of that shawl is 576 stitches around. The photoshoot date was approaching and I was losing heart! I swiftly set up a cheerleading page for myself in my journal. I printed out the chart and, whenever I was working on the shawl, I’d mark where I’d got to.

“The shawl was pinned out and blocking when my brother arrived for the photoshoot, but I got it done in time thanks only to my amazing journal page. I stuck in a massive gold sticker at the end. If you’re knitting to a deadline, I can’t recommend a visual aid to cheerlead your progress enough!”

You can join Felix’ “Journal With Me” membership here.

And surprise! We’ve just released Felix’ Masterclass from Knit Stars Season 6 as a Single! You can get it now for the intro price of just $67 here and start enjoying right away.

xoxo,

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Some praise for Felix’ Knit Stars Masterclass:

“I’ve watched her videos three times now, and keep getting more out of them. I am inspired to choose my own colors and customize the designs for my next color work project.” – Louise D.

“I am so inspired by her approach to celebrating the artists she admires! I’ve taken lots of photos of the autumn colors here in my gorgeous Pembrokeshire garden and intend to design them into a project to celebrate nature.” – Lu T.

“This has been a hell of a year for me. I was so tired that I haven’t touched my knitting in 4 months. Last night I watched Felix’s videos and I started to feel good. I smiled. And then this morning I looked out of the window and enjoyed the color of the orange leaves against the blue sky. I feel like “me” is starting to come back. Thank you Felicity Ford for giving me hope and inspiration. You make a difference.” – Ruth C.

To celebrate the release of “Season X,” Star Guide Amber Harrison designed this “Beanie Extraordinaire” and just released it on Ravelry, here.

“You are the star of your knitting” Amber says, “And thus X marks the spot when wearing your finished beanie. As knitters, we learn that illusion knitting is a series of loops, but to those who don’t know, the finished product is magical. This pattern was created as a tribute to Knit Stars Season 10: Be eXtraordinary.”
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The beanie is a nod to Franklin Habit’s Season 10 masterclass on illusion knitting, an often overlooked but fascinating technique! Thank you, Amber, for celebrating this milestone Season with us!

Last week, Charles Barkley and I flew to Denver to visit my daughter, Mallory, and her boyfriend, who’ve been living there the past year. I finished the little project I brought with me, and – gasp – needed more yarn. So we popped into Mallory’s nearest yarn shop called “Lamb Shoppe.”
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What a lovely surprise to find that the staff were big Knit Stars fans! And in a crazy coincidence, Deb (second from left in photo, above) was wearing her “Rising Scarf” that I designed. She said she just pulled it out that morning (after not wearing it for a year) and decided to put it on. As luck would have it, my Rising Scarf was the only one I brought to Denver. Serendipity!

While at Lamb Shoppe, I picked up a couple of skeins of Malabrigo Rasta to make “A New Leaf Beanie” by Karysha. It’s a super fun and quick pattern! Should have it done by next week’s newsletter.

Caption: Recipe and photo credit: The Kitchn

Pecan Pie Baked Oatmeal

Every once in awhile, I get in a bit of an “egg rut” and need to mix it up for breakfast. So when I stumbled across this recipe from The Kitchn that promises a pecan pie experience for breakfast? Well, say no more.

OK I’ll say just a little bit more…to avoid a mid-morning carb crash, I made a few substitutions: Almond milk instead of whole milk, sugar-free keto syrup, and sugar-free whipped cream (lots of it!). The recipe came out perfectly despite the subs. So feel free to play around with it! Bonus: The house smelled amazing the rest of the day.

Ingredients:
For the Oats

• 2 cups  old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Topping 

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla yogurt or whipped cream, for serving (optional)  

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon together in an 8×8-inch or 2-quart baking dish.
2. Whisk 2 cups whole milk, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl. Pour into the oatmeal mixture and stir to combine; spread into an even layer.
3.  Heat 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the syrup thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the pecan topping evenly over the oatmeal mixture.
4. Bake until the edges are golden-brown and the oatmeal is cooked through and puffed slightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm with more maple syrup and vanilla yogurt or whipped cream if desired.