Knit Stars Scoop

This is the “do what the Knit Star says, not what I do” edition. 🙃In Season 3, Knit Star Andrea Rangel shared some simple, but critical stranded colorwork tips. Watch this 2-minute clip for her “stop and spread,” “block before you judge” and most importantly, “colorwork gauge” tips.In my defense, I did swatch before starting “The Owen Hat” by Jill Zielinski with 4 our Loops Luxe Chunky. I was just a little lazy and swatched in stockinette, instead of in the colorwork pattern. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: Big mistake. BIG mistake. 😬 And as Andrea explains in the clip, you often need to...

As beginners, we’re often drawn to bulky yarn.We love the look. Even more, we love the idea of speed. “I’ve got a shot at actually finishing this project!” we think.But I’ve noticed, as we progress in our journeys, we can tend to leave bulkies behind. Thinking they look too beginner or even too “homemade.”Here’s the thing: With the right stitch and pattern, bulkies can be hot! And I don’t mean warm-hot. I mean va-va-va-voom! 🔥This week’s Knit Stars video tip is from Season 4. The ladies of Manos del Uruguay show how to create a simple woven stitch, here. It’s especially...

I finished a thing!Well, almost finished.🥴 I still need to close up those little underarm holes on my new Sipila sweater. But the timing is perfect! Because this week’s Knit Stars video tip comes from Masterclass Season #2 Star Alexa Ludeman of Tin Can Knits. It’s a one-minute fix for neatly sewing up those pesky holes that are a common occurrence when making a top-down sweater. Check it out! I’m not sure what I loved more about this project - making it, or the finished product! “Sipila” by Caitlin Hunter is named for her Finnish grandmother. It has short- and long-sleeved options. I went...

Through the years, our Knit Stars have survived some pretty intense filming conditions. But so far, I think Martha Wissing takes the cake!We filmed Martha’s Knit Stars workshop at 15,000 feet, at the Pacomarca sustainable alpaca network HQ. If you own Season 4 of our Masterclass series, watch Martha’s segment closely. You’ll hear the wind whipping all around us as we hung off the side of the mountain, trying to capture Martha’s words along with the majestic landscape and thousands of alpacas all around us!In this clip from Martha’s workshop, we’ve (mercifully) moved inside a small, simple building where the...

You may have heard that, when we created the first Knit Stars Masterclass 7 years ago, I was afraid to fly. Especially over the ocean.But ever since that first trip to Amsterdam to film Nancy Marchant, making her tuck stitch brilliance accessible to our Masterclass students around the world…I haven’t been able to stop. Of course, the pandemic had its impact. In 2020, instead of the planned production trips to Japan, Australia and Mallorca, it was car trips to deserted beaches. But still…always masked up and loaded up with vitamin C…I kept packing that suitcase.Was it wanderlust? Was I looking...

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a cable project, on the go, and without a cable needle?Sure, in a pinch you can use a paper clip, double-pointed needle or even a pencil. But what if you could work your cables with just your fingers?It’s the knitter’s equivalent of a flying trapeze without a net. Or is it?Watch this quick clip from Vincent Williams’ Season 6 workshop to learn how to fly through most any cable project just a little bit faster. Now, how about a great project to try out your new cabling trick on? When Star Trooper Mitzi...