It’s almost my favorite time of the year.

Not the holidays exactly…but the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

I’ve come to think of it as the Golden Hour of the year.

That magical time, just before the sun sets on the year that’s just passed. Time feels suspended, spacious. There’s magic star dust in the air. Room to breathe and plan and dream for what may lie ahead. ✨

So this week, I invite you to lean into that Golden Hour week, and create a little spaciousness of your own. Time to reflect on all that’s good in your world. Maybe journal, maybe knit or crochet, marinate in your passions.

I was trying to think of a way to enrich your Golden Hour week, and I came up with two ideas.

One, some pretty golden project eye candy (coming up in the next section).

And two, a golden opportunity in the form of a special holiday Golden Ticket offer. 

If you’re missing any Knit Stars Masterclass Seasons from your library (anywhere from one to ten Seasons), this is a great chance to complete your collection in one go, at significant savings.

And with a Golden Ticket comes instant All-Star Status, including access to the Knit Stars All Star portal, bonus content, and this special All-Star pin we’re creating to celebration our upcoming 10th anniversary called Season X.

(And yes, if you’re already an All-Star enrolled in Season X, the pin will also be coming your way, in spring 2025!)

Here are the special prices for this limited-time Golden Ticket offer:

To get your Golden Ticket, become an instant All-Star and have a treasure trove of fiber films to watch through your Golden Hour week and beyond, click here to email Mandy and let her know you’d like the holiday Golden Ticket. We’ll handle your request, personal-concierge style based on the Seasons you are missing.

Stay golden, my friend. 💛

xoxo,

P.S. The Knit Stars Needle Keeper systems have arrived at the warehouse and will ship the first week of January! There are still some available if you’d like to grab one and get super-organized in the New Year. Our holiday offer includes a free set of blocking mats and digital copy of Untangled, too. Click here to shop.

Now here’s some golden project inspo to possibly inspire your next cast-on…

The “Gold Leaf Scarf” by Simone Clark (shown above) is a small project with a chic result. Perfect for that special skein or half-skein of fingering that’s languishing in your stash.

The “Fool’s Gold Throw” by Esme Crick is based on Middle Eastern tiles, made with mosaic crochet. Suitable for beginners and a stunner for your home.

Brienne Moody designed this “Gold Shoulder Sweater” to celebrate Magpie Fibers’ 10th anniversary. A modern classic!

“Irish Gold” by Joji Locatelli takes the simplest of shapes and transforms it with delicate lace columns and a rich, golden fiber.

“The Golden Hour” by Andrea Mowry is still one of my most satisfying knits, ever. A combination of mosaic colorwork, bobbles and eyelets keep it fun but it’s surprisingly simple to make.

Some more crochet love for this “Golden Hour Cape” by CJ Design. Quick to make in bulky-weight, affordable “Hue + Me” from Lion Brand. The golden hue gives it a luxe touch!

Perfect Pot Roast
SpendWithPennies.com

I’ve been making pot roast all my life, but this weekend Luke made this recipe he found with a simple google search, and oh…my. I’m not sure exactly what makes it so good, but it is soooooooo good! Luke did make a few adjustments, substituting parsnips for potatoes, adding an 8 oz package of mushrooms and a dash of worcestershire at the add-onions stage, and omitting the gravy.

The other great thing about this recipe is you can prep it all in 25 minutes, then you get 4 hours of oven time to work on your current project. And your house smells amazing! For extra credit, make soup the next day. Just chunk up the leftover roast and veggies, add them back into the pot with the leftover juices, add a bag of frozen mixed veggies, a can of stewed tomatoes, and a little more Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, simmer 1-2 hours, and enjoy all week!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast or rump roast
• 1 large onion chopped, or two small onions
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 ribs celery cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• 1 pound baby potatoes or chopped red potatoes
• 2 cups beef broth or as needed
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf

For the Gravy

• flour or cornstarch
• butter optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Season roast with salt and pepper.
3. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on each side until browned, about 4 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.
4. Arrange onions around the roast. Combine broth, wine, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Pour over the roast. Add bay leaf.
5. Bring just to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the broth is simmering, cover and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
6. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and cook an additional 2 hours (for a 4 lb. roast) or until the roast and potatoes are fork-tender.
7. Discard bay leaf. Gently pull beef into large pieces with a fork or slice into thick pieces. Serve with juices or make gravy if desired.