Welcome to your first Shelley’s Sunday Yarns of 2026. Some of you have been reading this newsletter for the past 20 years. How amazing is that? And while so many of those years have flown by in an absolute blur of projects and filming and family and growth… This year I’d like to start out…

This is my actual face right before I got on a call with my original knitting idol… And then I asked her to be in Knit Stars: Your Season of Genius for 2026. 😱 I cannot express what a terrifying and yet full-circle moment this was for me. When I first learned to knit at…

I’m writing to you on Monday morning, the day after a series of unimaginably terrible events in Australia, Syria, and here in the U.S., at Brown University and in Los Angeles. My heart hurts so much for all of the victims, and for our world. And when my heart is hurting…when as Wadsworth wrote, “the…

Photo credit: A. H. Shepard Saturday in yoga class, my teacher Shannon shared a ssweet story I’d like to pass on to you, because I think it could be super helpful for us to hear as makers at this time of year. I’ve searched and searched for the original story and can’t find it, so…

I keep seeing a similar sentiment popping up everywhere lately. It goes something like this: “Wow, 2025 has been crazy.” “I’m just exhausted.” “I’m so ready to put this year behind me.” If you’re feeling this way, I see you. My year has had its ups and downs, too. And certainly there are days when…

We all have that one creative friend. We see them, painting or drawing or sculpting or dressing so easily, so intuitively. “You’re so creative!” we say. “I wish I could be like you.” 😔 And this, my friend, is where we get it wrong. Because “we” are them. Humans are creative beings. If you are…

This morning I was in the shower and, as often happens, I got an unexpected “download from the universe” – a thought, seemingly out of the blue. (Is this where your big ideas happen, too?) It’s a little bit embarrassing to confess, but I’m going to confess it anyway, because there’s an important point underneath…

The other day, I had just finished writing in my planner, “do more journaling…” When I picked up my phone and started scrolling (thinking “I should be journaling instead” 😅) And there it was. Felicity “Felix” Ford of Knit Stars Season 6 fame was in my phone, telling me she has a new membership called…

This week has been so incredibly fulfilling…like watching a ten-year dream come to life. Inside our Knit Stars Season 10 community, we’ve been releasing and new masterclass every day, and the feedback has made every mile, every zoom meeting, and even the kidney infection worthwhile. 😅 I know it may sound a little cheesy, but…

Today’s the day! Knit Stars Season 10 premieres today, starting with Cecilia Losada’s masterclass. 🎉🎉🎉 It’s wild to think of all of the collective work, all of the rolls of film, all of those Delta miles and all of the stitches that went into the making of this mega Season. It feels so amazing, knowing…

This week’s story is tiny but oh so powerful. Most people that know me well, know I’m not a bird lover. Birds actually kind of terrify me. BUT I recently learned about the ruby-throated hummingbird of eastern North America, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Every year, these teensy creatures begin storing up calories…

I’d almost forgotten what this feels like. The unadulterated thrill of holding a freshly-minted pattern book in my hands. Not just a pdf printout or a leaflet, mind you, but an honest-to-goodness book. A full three hundred and sixteen pages, no less. Don’t get me wrong. I love the digital age. I love the instant…