I have a confession…

I’m a little obsessed with stickers. 🤓

Ever since I saw Gaye “GG” Glasspie posting about how she collects stickers and uses them in her journal each day…I thought, what a fun way to jazz up my planner!

And yet somehow, I’ve resisted buying stickers for myself. It may sound silly, but I can give myself permission to put them somewhere “permanent” – like my laptop or water bottle – but putting them in the pages of my journal has felt too indulgent.

Well, that stops now! Because really…what a tiny treat to give yourself, and it can bring so much joy.

Kind of like…YARN! 🧶🎁💃🏽🕺

So this week, I’m gifting you a printable sheet full of stickers we’ve created to help you celebrate your amazing Yarnie superpowers. And it’s even got companion journal pages – one for each sticker – so you can easily get started in the habit of adding a sticker to your journal each day, using the message as a prompt to write down your thoughts about your creative life, your life-life, whatever!

For extra support, all this week we’ll be posting about each sticker’s message on our Instagram and Facebook @knitstars …. Please follow along and if you feel so led, post on your own social tagging us @knitstars and using #PermissionToShine ✨

Remember, when we shine unapologetically, we unconsciously give others permission to shine, too!

Click here to download your free sticker sheet and journal.

*Helpful hints: Print your stickers onto 8.5 x 11” sticker paper – glossy, waterproof sticker paper is best if you’re going to put them on a laptop or water bottle. Sticker paper is available on Amazon or most office supply stores. Alternatively, you can print on regular paper and get crafty with glue sticks!

xoxo,

xoxo,

Hint from upcoming Season 9…

👀 It’s almost time!!! 👀

Keep an eye on the yarn-o-sphere (especially Instagram) this coming week because…shhhhhh…the Stars of our upcoming Knit Stars Masterclass Premiere are about to reveal that they’re teaching in Season 9!

Our Earlybird signup period opens April 24th, and this year we’re doing something really new and different: We’re calling it the Earlybird Experience.

As soon as you sign up at the special Earlybird price, you’ll get access to the Earlybird Experience in your portal, including:
✅ Monthly behind the scenes updates,
✅ Surprise updates from our filming trips,
✅ Early access to order the special yarns, kits and bags (see next article for sneak peek!), and
✅ Early releases of 5 workshops – one each month starting in July!

To make sure you don’t miss out on the Earlybird Experience, click here to get on our Insider List for insider updates!

Hint from upcoming Season 9…

Hint from upcoming Season 9…

💫 The Joji interview, Part 2 💫

Last week we shared Part 1 of our extended interview with beloved, uber-talented designer, Joji Locatelli. (If you missed Part 1, you can find that on our blog, here.)

But first, the sneak peeks I promised you above…

Prototype in progress on a convertible phone/notions case.

We’re working with Joji + team on not one, but TWO exclusive bags to celebrate the Knit Stars Season 9 Premiere! Here are two sneak peek photos…more to come as we get closer to our Earlybird Yarn + Kit sale in May…

The limited-edition Joji + Co platinum color is so perfect for our Season 9: Permission to Shine theme! It will be re-interpreted for the first time into the exclusive, ultra-roomy Santa Cruz Tote.

Now without further ado…Part 2 of my interview with Joji!

Shelley Q: What juicy tidbits can you give us about what you have coming up later in 2024 – in your fiber business, in your bag business, and personally?

Joji A: 2024 finds me incredibly busy, which is always a good thing, of course! There are many work-related trips and many workshops to be taught all over the world, and it will be a great challenge to keep the businesses running as usual. But we’ll try!

I don’t like to schedule my pattern releases unless a company I am working on requires me to, so… So I can’t say exactly when, but my next pattern should be “Emery”, a gorgeous cabled design with a vest and a pullover version.

As for my bag business, Joji & Co., we have new products every single week! New colors of Pampa, or Santa Cruz, a new collaboration with the Grocery Girls, La Bien Aimée, Knit Stars, and more!

“Emery” by Joji Locatelli

Shelley Q: This year in our Yarniverse membership we’re putting a monthly focus on frogging – normalizing ripping back and re-making something new – both in yarn and in life. What’s something big that you have “frogged” recently, and what are you making in its place?

Joji A: Oh, I frog all the time, it’s part of the process. And sometimes, even if I am not frogging, I have to re-knit.

I recently finished a whole shawl I was designing for a special collaboration. It was finished and it used two colors. I decided to block it, I soaked it for 30’ while I walked my dog. I did the usual, just added a bit of soap. When I came back, the water was almost black and my shawl was completely dyed solid in the darkest color. There were no more stripes, no signs that it ever existed with a second color.

I took my head in my hands, watching in disbelief how my 2 weeks’ work was ruined. Then I took a deep breath and started to ponder the consequences, and possible solutions (I had to be re-knitted in time, and I didn’t have any yarn)… I talked to the dyer, I talked to a friend who sample knits, I walked with my dog to get it all out…

And then I got to work again, ready to plan a solution. The dyer identified where the error in the dying was, my friend knitted the shawl again in time, and I’ll probably never let a 2 color piece soak on its own ever again. But nothing major happened! And the same goes for any piece of knitting, you can always frog and re-knit!

“The Book Club Shawl” by Gavriella Treminio.

Continuing our new Project Watch feature…

We love a relaxed, meditative shawl project for spring!

To knit: Sunnie on the Knit Stars team is eyeing The Book Club Shawl by Gavriella Treminio. The designer writes:

“The Book Club Shawl is knit from one corner of the wingspan to the other with a subtle i-cord edge as you increase and decrease stitches. 

One of my passions outside of knitting is reading. I find myself switching between physical books and sometimes audiobooks when I need to tune the world out and sit with my stitches. The Book Club shawl was designed to bring you joy through each stitch with its repetitive nature and endless adventure of happiness.

Whatever kind of reader you are, I hope this shawl takes you on an exploration of stitches as you find comfort within the pages of your next story.”

Need an audiobook to listen to as you stitch? I just finished The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. Or if you haven’t listened yet, there’s always my best-selling business-book-meets-memoire audiobook:  “Move the Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur.”

And to crochet: Karen is queuing up “Devol Wrap” by Naomi Dillon.

The designer says…

“The Devol Wrap features an elegant mix of texture and mesh. It’s lightweight enough for the spring and fall, yet cozy enough to layer up and style for winter. As a modern take on a classic piece, you’ll want to make one in just about every color and fiber!”

“Devo Wrap” by Naomi Dillon

By BrownEyedBaker.com, adapted from David Lebovitz.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

In keeping with this week’s Sticker theme, I went looking for a recipe for one of my favorite treats, Sticky Toffee Pudding. I first fell in love with this dessert when I discovered “Whiskey Cakes” restaurant in the Dallas area. Admittedly, this is not a super-quick thing to make. But you will get some knitting time while it’s baking! And it’s oh-so-worth the effort…just like YOU are!  ❤️

For the Toffee Sauce:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2½ tablespoons golden syrup or molasses
• Pinch salt

For the Pudding:

• 6 ounces pitted dates chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter an 8½-inch porcelain soufflé dish (or similar-sized baking dish).
2. Make the toffee sauce by bringing the cream, dark brown sugar, golden syrup (or molasses) and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to melt the sugar.
3. Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and coats the spoon. Pour half the sauce into the prepared soufflé dish and place the dish in the freezer, and reserve the other half for serving.
4. To make the pudding, in a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water. Once the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside, but keep it slightly warm.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. (Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit curdled.)
7. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture until just mixed. Don’t overbeat the batter.
8. Remove the soufflé dish from the freezer and scrape the batter into the soufflé dish and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
9. Remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving. Spoon portions of the cake into serving bowls and douse with additional warm toffee sauce. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments, although I enjoy it just as it is.