Have you ever snuck away to a hiding place to knit, dear reader? The car…the craft closet…maybe even the bathroom? When my kids were small, I would make deals with myself. I’d allow myself to knit after all the laundry was done (but is laundry really ever done???) or if I got the kids in bed by 8 (but then I was so exhausted, I often fell asleep before I could finish a row!) Why do we do these things? And what will it take for the makers of the world - especially women - to prioritize our making as the superpower and necessary self-care it truly is? Giving you permission to make and perm ..read more

A few months ago, Sophie took the world by storm. It was easy to see why.  She was classically chic. Feminine. And simple, in the best possible way. Photo by PetiteKnit The Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit is worked back and forth from tip to tip, in simple garter stitch (all knit stitches) with an easy, built-in i-cord edge that gives it a polished look. I’ve seen Sophie made up in all kind of yarns, from speckles to self-striping and beyond. But in my humble opinion, she’s made for a classic neutral, in the softest and most luxurious fiber possible. And that’s where Vicuña yarn comes in ..read more

Hello dear reader, This is so embarrassing! After 30 years of knitting sweaters - due to an absolute brain fart - I made a rookie mistake and had to completely start over on my Balloon Cardigan. ?‍♀️ I know a bunch of you have cast on to make your own beautiful Balloon Cardi along with me…so I promise to “lift my skirt up” and unpack my mistake in just a minute, in hopes of saving you from a similar fate. But first, let me put off that moment just a little longer and share another make-along idea with you! Around the Knit Stars Flagship Store, we’ve been hearing that many of you are feeli ..read more

What’s on your summer reading list right now? I just finished up “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus which was a fun and feminist beach-read break from my usual nonfiction reads. To me, the long, lazier days of summer are a great time to depart from the norm and read something you wouldn’t usually have time for. Which brings me to this week’s pre-order opportunity. Recently in the Yarniverse, our special guest was Jake of Kenyarn fame. Maybe you remember the amazing yarn he dyed for Masterclass Season 7? Well, Jake recently decided to pivot from dyeing yarn and has been focusing on his ..read more

Hot Luke and I are not moving to Montana, y’all.  Not that there’s anything wrong with Montana.  It’s just that, for more than a year, we’ve lived in a 300-sq-ft temporary space in South Florida where I didn’t know a soul, and he left each morning before sunrise and returned after sunset from the same high-risk, high-stress job that had kept him from having a real home for more than 30 years.  And every moment we longed to be at our home by the sea that sat empty, 500 miles away. When that job wound up last month, his boss told us we were moving to Montana. And yet here we ..read more

If you take nothing else away from this week’s newsletter, let it be this: Go follow the fabulous Nancy Ricci @gettingpurlywithit. This woman knows how to squeeze the most juice out of life! For the online debut of the new Hot Loops Wall collection last week, Nancy put on a knockout black gown and mixed herself a cocktail.  Then she shared her play-by-play with the world on Instagram, lifting up Rachelle of Moondrake (our featured dyer) and each of the designers we spotlighted. What an absolutely class act! And how lucky are we all that she’ll be teaching in Knit Stars Season 8?  ..read more

It all started 18 years ago this week, with a dream and an idea. A dream to build a more modern, friendlier yarn shop. And an idea to build a whole wall of yarn where you could find a great project, fast. Last night we debuted our 35th Hot Loops Wall. And thanks to the modern magic of zoom, we had more than 1,000 yarn lovers around the world online to celebrate (and shop!) together.  Gaye Glasspie @ggmadeit flew in to host, alongside our featured dyer, Rachelle of Moondrake Co. Throughout the event, several of the designers of our chosen patterns made surprise appearances, too - shari ..read more

This week, as we’re scurrying around preparing to reveal our 37th Hot Loops project wall… The “OG” Hot Loops model is graduating from college. Since we opened the doors of our first yarn store in 2005, you’ve watched my youngest, Mallory, grow up. Funny story: Mal has always been a bit of a reluctant model. At the photo shoot for the very first Hot Loops Wall, she got annoyed and stuck her tongue out. We instantly knew we had the perfect photo for our store banner! But she knew it, too - and renegotiated on the spot to double her fee.  Is it any wonder she’s graduating with a m ..read more

Hello fellow Yarnie!  I hope this week’s newsletter finds you well and ensconced in at least one delicious project.  Personally, I must confess I’ve made exactly zero stitches this week. The reason… Last week, Hot Luke and I packed up and moved from South Florida to Northwest Florida, and this week, his boss wants us packing and moving again - to Montana!!? ? I always say, the higher the stress, the more we need our yarn. So I promise to try my best to pick that Trinigan Cardigan or Sliding Is Fun blanket back up this week… Meanwhile we have 3 HUGE t ..read more

This past week Instagram has been abuzz as the yet-to-be revealed Knit Stars Masterclass Season 8 Stars dropped cryptic hints on their feeds. Did you catch any of them? It’s been sooo delightfully difficult to keep it all under wraps for the better part of a year - all the hush-hush planning, the squeals of delight, and the excited conversations about how we’re making THIS year’s Season the best one yet.  We’ve announced the theme for this year and opened up Earlybird Signups for the Season 8 Premiere- click here to get the Earlybird rate (and first chance at the special ..read more