| September 29, 2024

šŸ§¶Revive your whole wardrobe

BY SHELLEY BRANDER

Carolyn

Happy Sunday!

Is there one compliment you love getting more than any other kind?

Over the past 9 years of producing Knit Stars Masterclasses, thereā€™s one customer comment thatā€™s my absolute favorite to readā€¦

ā€œThis workshop alone was worth the price of admission for the whole Season!ā€

And of course I feel that way about every workshop in Season 9 šŸ’–ā€¦

But Iā€™ve gotta say, this next Season 9 Masterclass that weā€™re releasing early stands a very good chance of bringing in loads of ā€œworth the price of admissionā€ comments.

Not only because this lovely lady is going to blow peopleā€™s minds with this technique sheā€™s invented, that can be worked on both knit and crochetā€¦

But also because itā€™s going to make you look at your entire wardrobe with new eyes. Youā€™ll be digging out old machine-made pieces you havenā€™t worn in ages, eyeing your yarn stash and seeing all kinds of new possibilities!

Carolyn Bloomā€™s Season 9 Masterclass will early-release October 6th. Sheā€™ll teach you the simple technique, step by step, to add a custom touch to any piece (knit, crocheted or store-bought) by embroidering with yarn!

To celebrate the early release, Carolyn and I are doing a FREE live webinar together this coming Wednesday, October 2nd at 1pm Central called ā€œValuing Your Makes.ā€

In the one-hour webinar, weā€™ll give you a sneak peek at Carolynā€™s Knit Stars class, plus walk you through how to properly value your handmakes. Whether or not you ever plan to sell them, this is a great exercise in appreciating your own value as a maker! Carolyn herself has started to sell some of her pieces online and has great insight to share.

You can sign up for the free webinar here and get reminders. Make sure to register even if you canā€™t attend so you get the replay (but come live if you can, to have a chance at prizes!) And feel free to forward this to your friends!

Hereā€™s a little tip from Carolyn to whet your webinar whistle!

I hope this webinar gets your creative juices flowing like it did mine when I filmed with Carolyn!

xoxo,

 

 

P.S. Weā€™ve opened the cart on Season 9 so you can jump in and be a part of the Early Release excitement! Itā€™s your last chance to save $20 with coupon code EMBROIDER24. Enroll in Season 9 here.

 

This week I finished my Ochre Cardigan by Ambah Oā€™Brien. For years Iā€™ve planned to make another lacy cardi using ā€œSparrowā€ 100% linen from Quince + Co. because my most-worn me-made sweater by far is my ā€œLizzieā€ cardi made with Sparrow.

I love how this cropped cutie turned out!

So now, with this project complete and fall approaching, Iā€™ve started eyeing my next project (or 3)! Iā€™ve got a couple crochet projects in progress but somehow, when I finish one project, I feel compelled to add 5 more.

Sound familiar? šŸ˜‰

 

So here are a few projects that have been rising to the top of temptations of late.

Veronika Lindberg has really dominated the Ravelry ā€œHot Right Nowā€ lately – her sweaters are to die for! I just love the elevated ā€œsamplerā€ vibe of her ā€œSalty Daysā€ sweater (above). And for my warm-weather friends, her ā€œLove Letter Topā€ is perfectly beach-able.

Then, of course, everyone seems to be casting on a ā€œHey Sailor!ā€ by Andrea Mowry. This is not only a new, fresh vibe from this Season 2 Knit Starā€¦itā€™s also a phrase that my dear, late friend and Loops Troops member Pat would often use with her signature wink, and leave us all in a puddle of laughter. šŸ„¹

And next is a great wardrobe builder from Sonder Yarn Co (plus itā€™s a free pattern, at least as of this writing!).

I love the name, ā€œLa RentrĆ©eā€…to celebrate the returns of fall. Return to school, work and the rhythm of daily life. A perfect transitional sweater for those that have all the seasons.

Lately, Iā€™ve been feeling curious about Tunisian Crochet, and of course, Toni Lipsey is the queen! So Iā€™m eyeing her ā€œLamia Wrapā€ which she says is a great beginner Tunisian project (and she provides tutorials, too!)

And I canā€™t forget the sock lovers!

These ā€œLovers Gonna Loveā€ socks by greenermakes are an adorable way to celebrate the worldā€™s most wonderful feeling. šŸ’•

And oh yes that reminds me, a quick shout-out to those of you whoā€™ve written in, inquiring about my love life. Luke and I are still together, and loving life by the sea with the new love of our lives, Charles Barkley. šŸ¶ā¤ļø

Photo and Recipe courtesy of HalfBaked Harvest

Chili Cheese Meatballs

Iā€™m a sucker for a great meatball recipe, and this new one from Half-Baked Harvest has me feeling all the fall feels. Thereā€™s even a bonus Beer Bread recipe baked inside the full recipe, here. But for now, Iā€™ll just get to the meat of the matter. Enjoy, and thanks for reading. See you next week!

P.S. If you love this newsletter, please forward it to a friend and encourage them to subscribe!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ground beef or chicken
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold salted butter, sliced
  • 1 can (28 ounce) fire-roasted dice tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1 poblano pepper, chopped
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeƱos, chopped
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450Ā° F. Rub a baking sheet with oil or butter.
  2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, panko, egg, onion, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Roll the meat into large tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the butter around the meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside, but not yet cooked through on the inside.
  3. While the meatballs are cooking, mix the tomatoes, tomato paste, poblano pepper, black beans, and pickled jalapeƱos in a bowlā€”season with salt.
  4. Remove the meatballs from the oven, pour over the sauce, and add the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, 15 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite chili toppings: cilantro, scallions, avocado, yogurt – and beer bread!

 

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