If you’re like me and most knitters I know, you don’t really need “resolutions.”

We’re already driven. Goal-oriented. Productive. And often, more than a little hard on ourselves.

Sound about right?

So instead, I’m going to suggest that we begin this year a different way…

Let’s start with a Party…and Possibilities 🥳

This Friday, January 8th at 5pm Central, join me and some of your favorite Knit Stars for a FREE, LIVE Book Premiere Party over Zoom!

Together, we’ll talk about strategies for getting our needles moving and putting our passions first in 2021…

• Real talk about personal goals, knitting goals, biz goals and how they can co-exist

• Speed-knitting secrets of the “stitch and famous” 😉 – Gaye “GG” Glasspie, Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne of Modern Daily Knitting, Amy Small of Knit Collage, and Felicia Eve of String Thing Studio!

• A special tour of our knitting closets and how we store our needles / tools!

And since it’s a Premiere Party, how about some swag? 💫
When you sign up for the event, you’ll see an option to buy a Premiere Party Pack, which includes a hardcover book + a free audio book plus other bonuses! We just got special permission from the publisher to offer this package, which will only be good for 48 hours, starting at 5pm January 8th!

To join the FREE event (and have the option to Purchase the Premiere Party Pack), click here.

See you then!

A key component of our mission to Knit the World Together™ is supporting indie dyers, small businesses, and creatives around the world. One of our New Year’s resolutions is to bring new fiber artists to you in a monthly “pop-up shop”…

We are super excited for Walk Collection to be our first pop-up for 2021! These yarns are lovingly hand dyed in Germany and we couldn’t wait to bring them to you.

Walk Collection is a five member team founded by Cathrin Walk. As a biologist and high- fashion tailor trained in business administration, Cathrin brings a unique knowledge and creativity to her hand-dyes. Quality, sustainability, and superb design are the top values of Walk Collection.

And so we present to you…10 unique hues of Walk’s Cozy Silk single-ply fingering – a Mulesing-free Merino/Silk blend with tonals, speckles, and a hint of shine!

Loretta used one skein each of Loops custom colors “Verbena” and “Enchanted Forest” on US size 6 needles to knit “Shawl Florette” by Millestrick.

“Shawl Florette” features a simple lace pattern, a single-color slipped-stitch pattern and some simple color work. What a fabulous way to start the year – an original, hand-dyed 2-skein shawl!

All pattern repeats are quite simple and regular, so you can watch your favorite TV series while knitting.

Shop our Walk Collection Pop-Up Shop here! (Or come feel the fibers in-person!) 💙

“Knotty But Nice” is our newest Loops Luxe pattern pairing – a fun and simple shawl with a little flair at the end. Cozy. Comfy. Snuggle-able. It’s one of those patterns that you can knit over and over again with any yarn you choose!

We’ve curated special Knotty But Nice kits with four total skeins of Loops Luxe – three skeins for the body, plus one skein of your contrast color. Ev used Size 11 needles for her shawl.

Click here to pick your favorite Knotty But Nice kit.

This “grown up” mac and cheese recipe from Half Baked Harvest takes just one pot on the stove and one pan in the oven!

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese has a rich Ritz cracker crust and might be your new “go to” family comfort-food recipe! Deeeee-licious.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
1 (1-pound) box short-cut pasta, such as macaroni
2 cups whole milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Ground cayenne pepper
2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 (8-ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
1½ cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve)
¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Stir in the milk and cream cheese and cook until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes more.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheddar and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in the spinach and artichokes. If the sauce feels too thick, add ¼ cup of milk or water to thin it.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar.

5. In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers, the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and the garlic powder. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the mac and cheese.

6. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.