Knit Stars 10 is coming: Be eXtraordinary.

Hello, how are you? There is much to tell you but today I’m just popping in with a timely announcement.

In my last newsletter I mentioned that this year Knit Stars are running a super fun contest wherein you can win a massive prize package worth $1300 by correctly guessing who the Knit Stars are for Season 10. The contest is open to all. Find the contest and helpful hint videos here. Today’s the last day to enter; the contest closes at midnight PT, April 9th. So if prizes and guessing games are your thing, click here without delay and come back when you’re done.

Once the contest closes, a scavenger hunt style event is going to unfold all over the Internet, and you’ll soon find out – or guess from online clues – whom, among your favourite knitting, crochet, wool and fibre friends, will be teaching Masterclasses at this year’s fantastic Be eXtraordinary online event.

I’ve got big love for Knit Stars. Here are reasons why:

• Accessibility. Teaching online enables me to teach within my own limitations as a disabled person. Also, back in the early 2010s, I was asked by a disabled knitter if I could give her a 1:1 online lesson – an email that really made me think. Knit Stars opens the world of high-quality teaching and learning up for anyone who struggles with travel and crowds; needs to pace themselves; needs extra processing time; and anyone comfiest working at home.
• Quality. The filming quality is beautiful. The work that goes into making the Masterclasses personal, accessible, clear, inviting and really valuable is frankly amazing. As someone who makes video content now, it is wonderful to witness the level of craft that goes into producing Knit Stars Masterclasses. It’s also glorious to see fibre artistry celebrated and represented at this level of production.
• Discovery. Every single season, I find more people whose work I didn’t know about through their beautiful Knit Stars Masterclasses. I love the focus on celebrating the diversity and richness of the fibre community.
• Support. Shelley and the Knit Stars team are so supportive. Shelley helped me promote two major projects over the last few years – Yarnadelic Remixes 0.1 and Colour at Play – through the Yarniverse and her legendary Sunday newsletter. And Shelley helped me because that is what she does.
• Business model. Shelley and the Knit Stars team are committed to compensating fibre artists and makers for our work and creativity. Knit Stars affiliate payments have been a saving grace for KNITSONIK these past few years. A great moment for me was visiting the John Arbon Textiles Mill and learning that orders for Knit Stars kits to go with my Masterclass spurred on the creation of a special mini-skeins winder called Piglet, and also created a dedicated position at the mill. You can’t argue with that.
• Knit Stars give back. If Knit Stars reach their target this year of 10,000 sign-ups this year, they are going to celebrate with the biggest give-back in the history of Knit Stars. Instead of giving $1,000 dollars to each of the charities nominated by this years’ Knit Stars, they will give $10,000 making this the biggest giveback in Yarnie history.

This was an amazing worksheet pinned to the wall of the mill when I visited back in 2021. It says Daily target = 500, 12 minis / kit… and then there is a big spreadsheet with all the colours on it, the name of the kit for which each mini-skein is destined, and the quantity required.

If you’ve never had to think about the logistics of making up hundreds of kits, each containing 12 mini-skeins, here’s your opportunity to see what that looks like!

Here is Piglet – the dedicated mini-skein winder that enabled several hundred sets of 12 mini-skeins to be purchased by knitters everywhere who wanted to make my special Knit Stars project.

Hurrah for Piglet and the amazing staff at John Arbon Textiles! Without them, hundreds of knitters would not have been able to recreate the Think Like an Artist Cowl I designed for Season 6 of Knit Stars.

Related: I have uncovered a number of the special enamel pins that I designed and produced as part of the Knit Stars kits in a box in my studio; you’ll be able to buy the limited edition pins soon in my online shop.

In the meantime, don’t forget the contest.

More soon,

Yours in I heart Knit Stars and I hope that you do too,

Felix x

PS – drop your knit stars questions in the comments.

PPS – throughout this post, I am using my Knit Stars affiliate link. This means that if you make a purchase as a result of clicking through from here, I will earn commission. Thank you for supporting my business in this way.