This past couple of weeks, the knitting world fell in love with Tom Daley, the Olympic gold medalist and British diver who knits to calm his nerves between dives.

At about the same time that Tom’s story went viral, I was in Atlanta filming with another Knit Star on the rise – Vincent Williams, the visionary behind Visuvio’s Crafts. So it seems like a great time to share a sneak peek behind the scenes of his Knit Stars Season 6 masterclass.

Vincent is a multi-talented, multi-crafter with many dreams who’s working toward becoming a veterinarian, specializing in equine therapy. When he was younger, he would rise before the sun and head to his nearby equine center, to tend to the horses.

“Carrying the buckets of water for the horses in the winter, so early in the morning, I was always freezing cold,” Vincent said. “So I went shopping for a scarf to keep me warm, but I couldn’t find any that suited my height or my aesthetic.”

So he decided to make one – a 10-foot long, rust-colored, intricately cabled wrap! And a lifelong passion for both knit and crochet was born.

It didn’t take long for Vincent to start creating his own designs. Naturally curious and inventive, for a school science fair, Vincent once invented a high-speed train concept powered by magnetic fields! And just like that model train, his design career has taken off like a rocket.

In his workshop for Knit Stars Season 6, Vincent will do a deep-dive into creative cabling, including knitted, multi-color Intarsia Cables and an ingenious technique he created for crochet cables. And rumor has it, Vincent’s workshop will feature the first-ever surprise cameo appearance by another fiber superstar 😉💫

To join the waitlist for the next Masterclass Event signup period, go to KnitStars.com.

So, we know that the holidays are (seemingly) far away. We’re just getting kids off to school and seizing the last days of summer.

But when hand-dyed, merino/silk yarn is involved, it’s never too early to look ahead to the holidays!

Pre-orders just opened for the “Smalliday” holiday countdown calendar from Emma’s Yarns. Unwrap a little bit of Florida sunshine-y goodness each day in the form of 25 crazy-beautiful Emma’s Yarn Smalls.

Each Smalliday Set will come in an adorable Emma’s Yarn project bag, and will include 25 individually wrapped Super Silky Smalls hand-dyed merino/silk yarn in surprise colors, a Love + Leche Little Bee lotion bar, and an insert with suggested knit and crochet patterns.

Click here to preorder!

Sometimes, a little interest and a whole lot of wow can be created with just two colors. And if you’ve always wanted to try colorwork, but have been a bit intimidated, a 2-color mosaic piece is a great place to start!

The “Emiliana” shawl by Lisa Hannes is perfect for our two custom colors of supersoft and lofty Loops Gusto – “Red River” and “Gray Day.” The mosaic motif is an easy-to-knit pattern using slipped stitches and only one color per row. A fascinating effect of reversing the colors provides some extra interest.

This large and cozy shawl will keep you warm and add an eye-catching, elegant item to your wardrobe.

The pattern is on Ravelry, and you’ll need 2 skeins each of Red River and Gray Day, plus US #5 and #6 needles (we went down slightly on the needle size since Gusto is light sport weight).

Click here to shop our custom Gusto colors.

Gearing up for back to school means gearing up for quick + easy (but also good-for-you) snacks that you can grab on the way out the door. Here’s a recipe from Gimme Some Oven for no bake energy bites that are super easy to customize, create, and toss to the kids as they hop in the carpool!

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
– Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
– Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled. (This will help the mixture stick together more easily.)
– Roll into balls. Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.

Serve and enjoy immediately! Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.