Well, the sun is beginning to set on the epic filming adventures of Knit Stars Season 10.

I’m freshly back from my first-ever trip to Maine, where I spent time with Alicia Plummer, Clara Parkes, Brad, and lots and lots of lobster.

First, a fun fact: Remember earlier this year, when I teased that Season 10 would feature a Star who said no the first time I asked them…way back for Season 1?

Well, there are actually two that fall into this dubiously prestigious category – Alicia and Clara! 😅😅

So this whole trip felt like a full-circle moment. And given my recent and sudden bout with a kidney-bladder-UTI infection, I felt especially grateful to make the trip.

The day we flew in, we met up with Alicia at one of her favorite rocky beaches near her coastal Maine home. To all of our delight, the water was teeming with hermit crabs!

Alicia’s husband, Justin, drove over after work, and Brad quickly put him to work as Sound Man.

In our calls preparing for Alicia’s masterclass, she shared something serious and sobering that she has since announced on her social media: She is dealing with a serious chronic illness called MCAS. It involves extreme fatigue and reactions to everything she eats, so she’s on a special hypoallergenic amino formula that’s super expensive. She has spoken openly about trialing 27 different medications, being forced to slow down, and embracing every moment of connection with Justin, her two teenage daughters, and her three dogs.

I asked her why she said yes to Knit Stars this time – ten years later. First, since she’s unable to travel to teach, she wanted to embrace the opportunity to reach her followers far and wide.

And second, while she used to feel shy about allowing us into her home, she has lately been shedding all her fears about what others might think and judge…and leaning into her full, authentic self.

Which I love. ❤️

The next morning, we arrive at Alicia’s home, where we are heartily greeted by her three dogs. Two are whisked away to grandma’s house for the day, but her black lab, Cody, stays behind…and is determined to photobomb every shot.

I can’t help but pet her, even though I know Charles Barkley will smell Cody on me when I return home (“Traitor!” I can already imagine him thinking 🤣).

Alicia’s Season 10 masterclass will be a long-requested Knit Stars first: It’s all about fixing mistakes. I learned so much, just by watching! I can’t wait to share it with you this fall.

(If you’re not yet enrolled for Season 10, you can click here to join the waitlist.)

After we wrapped Alicia’s filming, I headed out in search of some authentic Maine lobster…and boy, did I find some!

Turns out, it was the first of many Maine lobster moments. More to come in next week’s picture postcard, with the legendary Clara Parkes.

xoxo,

Last week, we put our Knit Stars blocking mats on sale, and y’all snapped them up! So we decided to keep the summer clearance vibes going, and put our Knit Stars Needle Keeper systems on sale, too.

I invented this system after years of retrofitting a Bass Pro “Bait Bag” to hold my circulars. There still isn’t anything like this on the market. It’s a game-changer!

Get your Needle Keeper on sale here.

When you hear the name Alicia Plummer, you probably think of her viral “Campside” pattern series of textural accessories and sweaters.

But I invite you to take a spin through her 300+ patterns on Ravelry, and take note of how her newer patterns feel somehow more real, more true, more raw.

Take “Finest Kind,” Alicia’s 2025 Rhinebeck sweater.

“It’s for every single body,” she writes. “Wearing it is as relaxing as a best friend who has just slung their arm around your shoulder. It is uncontrollable laughter and cheap coffee at the edge of campfire – the kind that warms your soul. It is bare feet, rolled jeans, and no pretenses.”

And then there’s her “SOTE” sweater, which stands for Salt of the Earth.

“We all have a Salt of the Earth person in our lives,” she writes.

“SOTE is a classic Maine phrase typically reserved for someone who is genuine, trustworthy, and who puts the people around them first. Someone SOTE is hardworking, gives you the shirt off their back, does good things for the sake of goodness, because to them, there is no other option. People who are salt of the earth are complimentary to everyone around them and restore our faith in humanity.”

If you’d like to try a lower-commitment project, check out Alicia’s “60 Degree Mitts.” A great little giftable pattern that comes with a sweet bonus headband pattern, too.

I don’t usually do this, but as a personal favor, I invite you to purchase 1, 2, or even 10 of Alicia’s patterns, here. Even if you don’t plan to make them anytime soon – they are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to read. She’s facing some pretty daunting medical bills right now, and this small step could make a big difference for her and her family. Thank you. ✨

Lazy Lobster
Recipe courtesy of Jameson Tavern. Photo credit: The Food Network

I love lobster, but I don’t really love the cooking, cracking and picking apart. Enter “Lazy Lobster.” This dish requires the splurge of purchasing fresh lobster meat, so it’s obviously not an everyday indulgence. But it’s a deliciously simple way to prepare and enjoy this gift of the sea. Enjoy!

P.S. I tweaked the recipe title because it’s not just for lazy men! The rest of us deserve to be lazy sometimes, too. 🤣

Ingredients:  

• 1 tablespoon garlic herb butter
• Meat from 1 (1 1/2 pound) fresh Maine lobster
• Splash sherry, for deglazing pan
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Serving suggestion: Toast points

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the lobster meat and saute until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add sherry, and stir to deglaze the pan, carefully scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the heavy cream and heat until it just reaches boiling. Remove from the pan and place in an individual-size casserole dish for serving. Serve hot with the toast points.