Articles & Resources to Fuel Your Love for Knitting

Lizzie Shriner, owner of The Mermaid’s Purl in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, wearing her “Girdwood” design by Caitlin Hunter. As you probably know, last year after almost 20 years of owning a yarn shop, I shifted my focus from “selling yarns” to “telling yarns” full-time. I am so grateful to get to live my dream…

Sherry, mom and rancHER of Mitchell Wool Co pictured with Luke, her son and “lifter of heavy things” at their family farm   Imagine this… You’re chugging along nicely with life when you read a book. And this one book makes such a huge impression on you that you decide to make a radical change and…

This past week, I flew to New York City to attend opening night of “Redwood,” the new Broadway musical starring Idina Menzel. The show was memorable in so many ways, from the groundbreaking technology used to create an immersive forest experience, to the airborne choreography – Idina was trained by Bandaloop, the same group that…

“Have a little fun every day.” My dear friend Karen’s husband, Rick, had this famous catchphrase. But it was more than a motto. By all accounts, he lived it – in the biggest and best possible way. I’m bringing this same energy into this year-long celebration of Season X: Be eXtraordinary. And you can consider…

I just finished listening to the book “Let Them” by Mel Robbins. While there were lots of great insights and “aha’s” for me in the book, only once did it move me to tears – at the very end of the book. After explaining in detail how to let other people be who they are,…

You probably know dopamine as the happy chemical messenger in your brain that affects movement, motivation, mood and memory. But did you know that anytime you check something off your to-do list, you get a natural dose of dopamine? Which instantly lifts your mood and motivates you to move forward to the next thing? When…

I have a confession. 😅 I’ve been a sweater knitter from day one. Literally, the day I learned to knit, I picked out a pink cabled sweater as my first project – and yes, I did finish it! But I never wore it. Sadly, it ended up like far too many of my other hand-knit…

Has this ever happened to you? Is there someone in your life you love so much, you’d give them the shirt off your back? Or even the handknit cashmere scarf right off your neck? As we embark on this 10th anniversary year of Knit Stars (and our 20th year in business), I’m sharing some of…

Last Sunday, I declared 2025 my year of JOY. No punishing, restrictive resolutions. No stash guilt. No WIP guilt. Instead, I’m simply leaning into the people, places, and activities that give me joy. Since it’s our 10th anniversary Season for Knit Stars masterclasses, and the 20th year in business since opening one little, joyful yarn…

At first, it seemed like such a silly word to choose. Top obvious. Too common. Too…selfish? This past week, as I journeyed through the process of reflecting on the past year and dreaming about a personal theme for the year ahead, the word that kept popping up for me was… JOY. Even as it kept…

The best gift – a photo with all 3 grown-up Brander kids! And no, I didn’t make my sweater – but I could have! 😅 ‘Twas the day after Christmas, And all through the land, The Yarnies were finally Resting their hands. The knit gifts were nestled atop lucky heads. “Hatch Hat” from Clinton Hill…

It’s almost my favorite time of the year. Not the holidays exactly…but the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I’ve come to think of it as the Golden Hour of the year. That magical time, just before the sun sets on the year that’s just passed. Time feels suspended, spacious. There’s magic star dust in…