“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 this your official invitation to the party! 💃🏻🕺🎉

We’re still a ways out from when the fifteen new Stars of Season X announce who they are, where they’re located, what they’ll be teaching, who their dyer-partner is, and which nonprofit their involvement will benefit…

That magical announcement day will be April 13th, 2025. That’s also when Earlybird enrollment goes on sale. And if you’re paying close attention to Instagram the week before that, you’ll see the Stars start to do their little teasers that have become a Knit Stars tradition.

But in the meantime, we thought we’d have a little fun!

So we’ve put together this preview page where you can:

🍿 Watch a trailer about Season X.

👀 See the reveal of three “hint” videos that will roll out weekly in March.

🤩 Opt in for Season X updates and get a Guessing Game form to submit your guess of who our 15 Stars will be! You can submit your guess anytime between now and April 9th, but I suggest waiting to see the hints first. 🤩

😎 Whoever gets the most guesses right wins this prize package of Season 9 kits and Joji bags valued at over $1300! There will be two smaller prizes as well. In the event of a tie, the winner will be selected at random.

Once you’re on the preview page, be sure to click the big gold button that says “Click here to join the insider list, get your game card ,and make your guess!” then follow the prompts.

We’ll let you know when each new hint video is released. Here are a few sneak peeks from the hint videos our upcoming Season X Stars filmed on their phones!

Thank you for being along on this journey with me…celebrating not only 10 years of Knit Stars, but 20 years since opening my first little yarn store. I know many of you have been reading this newsletter every week for 20 years! Your readership, replies, and love absolutely mean the world to me.

xoxo,

Last week, I promised to tell you about something really special I am involved in. I’m going to start the story this week, and finish it up next week…

Because in between, I’m headed to New York City, where I hope to take lots more pictures to share with you!

So a couple of months ago, my BFF Sarah reached out with a surprise. We go all the way back to elementary, when she befriended my awkward 5th-grade self when my family moved and I transferred to her school.

Since marrying a Spanish pilot and moving to Madrid back in our 20s, Sarah has accomplished amazing things. She’s been a CEO, headed up LinkedIn in Spain and Portugal, and was even named as one of the most 100 influential women in Spain.

All of that said, her email still took me by surprise! Through a wild series of events, Sarah is helping to produce Redwood, Idina Menzel’s new Broadway musical.

So I’m headed to New York to celebrate opening night with her and even attend the after-party. 🤯

No, I still don’t know what I’m going to wear (my package from Rent the Runway just arrived while I was writing this sentence!).

But I’ll have a lot more to share in next week’s newsletter, including the incredible coincidence dating back to 2004 that makes this a full-circle, HECK YEAH moment for me. See you then!💖

“Halda” design and photograph by Audrey Borrego.

This week I went to check out Ravelry’s Hot Right Now and couldn’t believe my eyes…in the #1 position was Stephen West (OG Knit Star from Season 1, no surprise!) but positions #2 through #20 were held by a name I didn’t know…and wow!

I went down the rabbit hole looking at all the designs by Audrey Borrego, including the “Halda” scarf above and the “Atlantica” sweater below.

Her Ravelry username is @yarnflakes and she’s a knitwear designer from the south of France. Both of the patterns shown here are free of this writing, and all of her work is detailed and beautiful. Check her out!

“Atlantica” by Audrey Borrego. Photo by Lydia Gluck.

Photo and Recipe credit: The Simple Veganista

West African Peanut Stew

This week, Beth on the Knit Stars team (@adaptiveknitter) made this stew from the Simple Veganista. “I added a can of coconut milk but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it was 💥💥💥!” Beth said. “Mike and I are trying some new recipes now that it’s just the two of us.  I think I need to learn how to cook for only two. 😂 Oh well, there will be plenty to freeze for quick meals in the next few weeks!”

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/3 cup water (for water saute)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 – 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 – 3 tablespoons ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 – 2 chili peppers (jalapeno, serrano, scotch bonnet or habanero peppers), diced*
• 2 – 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 can (15oz.) diced tomatoes, with juices
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water (or combo)
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or smooth)
• 5 oz. fresh spinach, chopped if not using baby spinach**
• 2 small lemons, juice of
• mineral salt & pepper, to taste
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• peanuts, crushed or whole
• dash of hot sauce (sriracha, franks hot sauce or red pepper flakes), optional
• grain of choice (rice, quinoa or couscous), optional

Instructions:

1. Saute: In a large pot, heat oil or water over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers and saute for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
2. Boil and simmer: Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spices and liquids, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
3. Add final ingredients: Turn off heat and stir in the peanut butter, and finish with the spinach and lemon juice. Soup will thicken upon cooling. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
4. Serve in individual bowls with optional grain of choice (this cilantro lime rice would be great) and garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Soup pairs wonderfully with naan bread for soaking and dipping!