This is my actual face right before I got on a call with my original knitting idol…

And then I asked her to be in Knit Stars: Your Season of Genius for 2026. 😱

I cannot express what a terrifying and yet full-circle moment this was for me.

When I first learned to knit at age 16, I felt so alone. My friends teased me. Yarn shop clerks ignored me. I soldiered on in isolation for years – no, decades – not really knowing what I was doing.

But there was one designer I admired so deeply, and felt she somehow “got me.” I collected all her books. Made her sweater designs for me, and her baby sweaters for all my children.

And when I decided to open a yarn shop, hers was the yarn line I had to carry.

It took me 11 years to work up the confidence to ask her to be a Knit Star.

So imagine my freakout when she not only agreed to a meeting…but also said HECK YEAH to becoming a Knit Star? 🤩

And then just imagine my feelings of overwhelming joy and belonging when this Star and all the other 2026 Stars got to zoom and meet each other for the first time?

It was just such a palpable reminder that your wildest dreams actually can come true.

So for 2026, my next dream is to help you tap into your own creative genius, re-imagining what is possible for you in your making and in your life. It’s my way of giving back to this making world that has given me so much.

I’m so passionate about this, I’ve decided to re-open our SuperEarlybird enrollment for one week only.

If you haven’t already, enroll in Knit Stars: Your Season of Genius for just $247 here. You have the choice to sign up for just 2026, or lock in your SuperEarlybird discount for 3 years.

Here’s to making big dreams come true together in the New Year. 🥳🎉🎊

xoxo

​​​P.S. To help support your creative journey next Season, we’re working with our upcoming Stars to develop a printable journal that will be included with your enrollment. Here’s a sneak peek at the cover 👀 

It’s that magic day again…Golden Hour is back!

Golden Hour is actually 24 hours…a whole day when you can get a Knit Stars Golden Ticket at 1/3 off.

Like Willie Wonka’s rare metallic ticket stashed inside a chocolate bar…the Golden Ticket is your fast pass directly to owning all the Knit Stars Seasons (and becoming an instant All Star, with all the special access and bonus content that entails) at significant savings.

You can purchase the Golden Ticket and complete your collection no matter how many you’re missing – from one Season up to ALL the Seasons, all at big savings during Golden Hour.

And for this special holiday edition of the Golden Hour, you can get all 11 Seasons, including our upcoming 2026 Season of Genius, for just $1999. That’s a whopping $3,171 off the regular full price!

Go here and purchase before midnight Monday, December 29th.

After all the holiday madness, it’s a great time to settle in with a sweet little project for yourself. I found this “Tiny Gifts” pattern by Caro in the City is free on Ravelry, and a great way to use up small bits from your stash.

You start with an easy garter base mosaic design, using only one color per row. Then the fun continues with log cabin-style garter stitch borders in your main color.

Find the pattern free on Ravelry here.

Photo credit: NY Times Cooking

Citrus-Soy Chicken Ramen
By Christian Reynoso for New York Times Cooking

If you’re like me and always feel guilty throwing out the bones from your store-bought rotisserie chickens, I’ve got a delicious, efficient and budget-friendly soup recipe for you. The author promises it’s superfast, yet tastes as if you’ve spent hours simmering it. And who could resist a soup that “wakes your palate like a sunbeam streaming through the curtains on a lazy morning in bed”??!

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-pound) rotisserie chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or other oil of your choice
• 3 heads garlic, halved crosswise
• 2 large yellow onions (about 1 pound), unpeeled, quartered
• 1 small bunch cilantro, thick stems cut off and reserved
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving
• 6 to 8 ounces thin dried noodles (such as ramen, lo mein or soba)
• 2 limes, cut in half
• 2 lemons, cut in half
• Sesame seeds or toasted sesame oil, for serving

Instructions:

1. Pick and shred the meat off the chicken (you should have about 3½ cups), season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside; save the bones and skin.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken bones and skin, cilantro stems, soy sauce and 8½ cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer, and let cook until flavorful with a distinct chicken essence, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a spider or fine-mesh sieve, lift or strain out the vegetables and chicken pieces and discard.
3. Bring the broth back up to a simmer. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions, then turn off heat.
4. To serve, ladle the broth into bowls (tongs work well for the noodles) and add as much chicken as you’d like. Squeeze in lime and lemon juice to taste, then, if you like, toss in the spent citrus halves to let the oils from the peels subtly infuse the broth. Top with cilantro leaves and tender stems, along with sesame seeds or sesame oil and more soy sauce, if desired.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​