“I label myself as a maker. It’s more than just yarn, it’s more than just knitting and baking. It's anything where I can make the product from the beginning. I’ve always been that kind of person"

I sat at my computer hitting the refresh button over and over. My nails have basically been bitten down too far for it to still be an enjoyable pastime. I was anxiously waiting for an email from a potential client. I had worked really hard on crafting the perfect introduction email and I felt pretty confident when I pressed send. Finally, a new message popped up in my inbox. “We’ve decided to go in a different direction”. As a small business owner, you learn to build up a thick skin. I told myself what I always tell myself at moments like this, “It’s fine. At least you can be proud of what you did. There are so many fish in the sea. Dust yourself off and move on”. Just as I was beginning to believe my hype my eye noticed that the quoted text in the subject line was from a Rob, but the email came from a Susan (names have been changed).



My gut told me not to look any further. But I rarely listen to that old thing anyway so I clicked on the three “see more” dots on the bottom of the email…

“I went from working a fitting room at Anthropologie to designing for Anthropologie in one step”

September was a fantastic month for new WIP inspiration. So many talented makers are putting out new kits, patterns, yarn, and books for the first time. Which is not an easy thing to do. You have to come up with the idea and get it ready for other people to test it. But beyond that, you have to overcome the doubts that can hold a lot of makers back from ever releasing patterns of their own.
I was thrilled to find out that several of the makers that are featured in this month’s Ur FOs decided to overcome this doubt. Many of the makers on this list made their patterns or hand-dyed the yarns that they used and the results are fantastic. The good news is that there are new makers for you to shop and admire on this list. The less great news is that your shopping list might have just doubled in size. Don’t blame me, blame them for being so talented!
I'm sad to see September go, but I’m glad that I get to send it off with such an incredibly special group of makers. So get ready to be inspi…

“When you feel that you are the reason someone else succeeded in learning something that could take him/her to another place it’s a huge reward"

“In that way, I feel that creativity is more than a static attribute that you can have and I see it more like a living thing”

I've been lucky enough to meet some incredibly special crafters over the last year. But some have stood out from the rest and made a real impact on me. Luckily, many of those people have new books coming out this fall. Over the next few months, I'm going to dive into my favorites and give you my reviews. I'm only going to be reviewing products and books that I truly love. If I don't like something you won't see it here. There's enough negativity in this world. I only want to focus my attention on the positive. So I guess you can say that this is less of a review series and more of an Oprah's book club-style celebration of awesome creatives. But that's just not as catchy as calling it a book review. First up is Oejong Kim's new book Loopy Mango Knitting.


Last January I decided to host a panel discussion during VKL NY. I was still super new to hosting events but I decided to reach out to companies that I loved to see if anyone would be interested in pa…

“Put on a sweater and really great sneakers with a big scarf, and you'll look so stylish. For me, they are an everyday essential." -HRH The Duchess of Sussex

I had to pause for a minute before I sat down to write this. I was shocked that this hasn't already happened on the blog. All I can say is I'm sorry. I feel like I've been remiss in my duties. If you've been following me for a while then you already know that I'm a MAJOR fan of HRH! She is absolutely fabulous and there is very little that could be done to convince me otherwise. I just picked up a copy of her British Vogue September issue and she is currently on tour with her beautiful family. So now seemed like as good a time as any to break down the collection of gorgeous knitwear she has in her closet.
Luckily, I'm not alone in my Meghan obsession and there are several websites dedicated to breaking down her charity work, speeches, and fashion choices. One of my personal favorite websites for all …

“I always like to think of embroidery like coloring with thread”

“Ifirst learned to knit when I was a freshman in college...I made a striped scarf with my neon colors and it was hideously wonderful"

I feel like I’m in a period of mourning for summer. It’s not so much the change in the weather. It’s more so about the freedom and possibilities that summer stands for. I’ve never been very good at living in the moment. During the summer I find myself waiting for fall leaves, lattes, and layering. In the fall I miss the long summer nights. I spend the spring putting memories of past holidays on a pedestal. Winter seems to come and go all while I think about the past year and what the next one holds. That’s something that I should probably work on… but that’s a problem for another day. Today I want to indulge this bad habit and let my mind drift back to the fifth of May. Let’s talk about a little place called The Met.

“As with everything, finding balance is (and will always be) a WIP... I am working on compartmentalizing and focusing, in all areas of life.”

We need to talk about The Bradigan! This is hands down my new favorite viral moment. It had all of my favorite things: knitwear, a celebrity that I love, and New York as the backdrop. Last week Katie Holmes stepped out in the most perfect breakup outfit and the internet collectively lost their minds.

Every year New Yorkers face a dilemma. What do you wear in September? It’s not quite cold enough to pull out your fall layers, but it’s also not warm enough in the morning to get away with your summer tanks anymore. Usually this results in a hit or miss outfit. You can choose to be cozy in the morning but drenched in sweat by noon. Or you can freeze on your way to work and in the still air conditioned offices, but feel like a weather psychic when you run out for lunch.

Katie Holmes has found the answer. She is the new queen of September and we should all bow while thanking her for solving this problem. The Telegraph dubbed this, now sold out bra and cardigan set by New York brand Khaite, Th…