Love is an Open Door

Wait, what? 

"More doors?"  

"I thought doors were a major part of last year's theme."  

Just bear with me, because, once you see this year's collection, you will fall instantly in love!  First things first.  Let's talk about the gorgeousness of this year's project bag.

Once again, Amanda from YBSquare has created a stunning project bag for this year's collection.  Fully reversible, this project bag is ready for any adventure, allowing you to decide which side you wish to show the world on any given day. Measuring 3 3/4 x 6 1/2 boxed bottom; 11 1/2 inches tall and 20 3/4" around, they are just the right size to pop into your backpack or satchel while you brave an icy force both foul and fair, and it is loaded with amazing features.  

From the Artist:

There is so much to work with in this movie; castles, seasons, ice monsters, snowmen, reindeer, ice blocks, boats, fabric motifs, sleighs, rock trolls, funny themes, serious themes...After thinking on our overall theme for this year, I went more subtle.  It's always fun to find fabrics that are on-theme, but don't give away the theme at first glance.

The clothing designs in Frozen were full of detail and warmth.  To highlight that, I was able to find a fabric design that was inspired by one of Ana's dresses, so that side of the project bag is for her.  Ela's ice is the major player in the story, so for her side, we have a variety of sharp but soft ice diamonds with motifs in them that echo motifs from hers and Anna's clothing.  ~~Amanda 

Use the cotton webbing wrist handle to dangle it from your wrist, or the carabiner to attach it to your beltloop while you're making your way to a forest trading post to lay in provisions.  The silk locking-toggled drawstring will ensure that nothing escapes while careening down icy roads and outrunning packs of hungry wolves, or climbing up the icy side of the North Mountain.  And when you reach the top and just want to take a moment to rest and soak in the view, the rectangular base allows you to keep on stitching without worry that the bag will topple over.

These project bags will be produced in a limited number and will be available for pre-order once the entire collection has been introduced.  Don't venture too far, there' more to come!  

And if you haven't done so already, please hit that subscribe button over there on the right and hit up all our socials by visiting this post for links and follow, like, and/or subscribe so you won't miss a single juicy detail!

There's beauty and there's danger here...

...Split the Ice Apart...

Beware the Frozen Heart

We are thrilled to announce that this year's theme is none other than Disney's 2013 blockbuster smash "Frozen"!  I've been wanting to do "Frozen" for quite some time now, and let me tell you, we have some exciting things in store for you all.

We are almost done with the finishing touches, and soon we'll be throwing open the gates on this year's collection, designs, event and park excursion details.  So don't stray too far!  You won't want to miss a thing!

Almost There!

 It feels like it's been forever since Stitch the Magic 2025!  Things are staring to get interesting here at StM Central! But before we throw open the floodgates of fun for this year's event (and believe me, we've got plenty!) we thought we'd give you a little clue to this year's theme (psssst, it's the graphic).  Enter your guesses in the comments, who knows, if you don't guess correctly, you may just give us ideas for future event themes!

While you're waiting, have you subscribed, followed, friended or liked all of our Socials?  Here's a list to make sure you get all the latest, because you really don't want to miss a thing!

Facebook

Instagram

Tik Tok One of these days we may actually post some content here!

Beach Bunny Facebook

Beach Bunny Instagram

Beach Bunny Tik Tok

Dizzy Blonde Studios Facebook

Dizzy Blonde Studios Instagram

Dizzy Blonde Studios Tik Tok

YBSquare Facebook

YBSquare Instagram

It's Almost Time to Stitch Some More Magic!

Hey everybody!  Fall’s finally here and Florida is slooooowly cooling down.  Hope you had a great time in the summer sun letting off steam, but now it’s time to get ready for Stitch the Magic 2026!  January will be here before you know it, so Dizzy Blonde and Beach Bunny are hard at work dyeing up the special colors for the event.  Wait…what’s the movie theme for this year, you ask?  Well, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer but we promise, it’ll be really cool!

Save the date, Saturday January 31st for the Stitch the Magic meetup at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.  Like last year, we’ll have fun games and prizes and there’ll be actual real live people.  On Sunday the 1st of February we’ll do a group theme park excursion at EPCOT!  

So get ready, we’ll announce the movie theme and colorways in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

Save the Date!

 

Hello again, Disney Stitchers!  Mark your calendars for the 2026 Stitch the Magic event.

January 31-February 1, 2026

Keep following us for more details.  We can't wait to see you there!

Local Yarn Store Day!

Did the Easter Bunny forget to put yarn in your basket?  We've got a solution for you.  Hop on over to Knit & Stitch Boutique this Saturday (April 26) and check out the Beach Bunny Yarns Trunk show with all their scrumptious yarns, including the 100% Mulberry Silk!  And you don't want to miss the exclusive LYS Day colorway.  Stock is limited, so get there early.

And as a friend put it, "you don't have to wait until January to get some bunny yarn!"  See you soon!

Ron’s Top Ten Tips for Beginner Knitters

 

I’m not just a dyer; I’ve been teaching knitting for more than seven years now.  In that time, I’ve seen quite a few beginner knitters.  Here’s what I’ve learned and what I think a beginner knitter needs to know besides just how to knit and purl.  There’s no order to these tips, but the last one in the list is the most important in my mind and will absolutely define you and your knitting journey.  So read on!

1. Relax, it’s not a death match between you and the yarn!  If your knuckles are turning white and you’ve cut off the circulation to your fingers from wrapping the yarn like a mutant cat’s cradle, you need to relax!  Besides, tight stitches make the next row of stitches even harder to knit.  Consciously ease back on the tension and you’ll find a point that gives you control of the yarn without strain.
   
   
2. Use good needles.  I recommend this for so many reasons.  First, good needles will not catch or snag the yarn but will have some friction to help you control the yarn and stitches.  They’ll also feel better in your hands and reduce pressure points and cramping.  Don’t be afraid to try different styles of needles to find what works for you.  There are a lot of options on the market and twice as many opinions as to which ones are the best.  The best needles are the ones that feel good in your hands and make your knitting easier!
   
   
3. Use good yarn.  Ok, one shameless plug per blog post, I think Beach Bunny Yarns makes the best yarn because I won’t dye something I’m not happy knitting for myself.  That said, there’s a lot of good yarns at various price points for you to use while building your knitting skills.  I recommend using SuperWash wool, preferably in sport, DK, or worsted weight.  If it’s a wool and nylon blend, that’s ok.  Don’t attempt to learn with cotton, linen, or silk as they have no springiness and aren’t forgiving.
   
   
4. Be patient with the learning process and yourself.  It’s not a race and you won’t master a new skill overnight.  Take your time and think about each stitch and each movement.  Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent.  So, make sure you’re practicing with thoughtful intent.  With careful and deliberate practice, you’ll soon find your knitting groove.
   
   
5. Don’t stop in the middle of a row.  I tell my beginner students that unless the house is on fire, do not stop until you get to the end of the row.  Stopping in the middle of a row is the cause of most beginner problems because the beginner will inevitably restart the knitting in the wrong direction.  This is great for short rows, but not so much for a new knitter.  Always finish your rows.
   
   
6. Count!  As a beginner, count your stitches in each row.  This helps you by ensuring that you have the expected number of stitches on the needle.  If not, you know you have a problem in the row you just knit.  It’s a good habit to get into and even experienced knitters get burned by not counting stitches on each row and will have to “tink” (unknit) several rows to correct the problem.
   
   
7. Learn to read stitches.  As a beginner, understanding what a knit and a purl stitch look like on the needles will be a huge boost to your knitting skill.  This is literally the, “see Spot run,” of the knit world.
   
   
8. Swatch and block, it’s worth it.  As a beginner, you’ll be making swatches for practice anyway, so get into the habit of blocking them.  Why?  Well, all patterns give you a gauge of stitches per inch to knit.  That gauge is usually measured after blocking.  When you wet a knit fabric swatch and pin it out flat to dry, it will grow and the stitches per inch will be different than the unblocked gauge.  Trying to guesstimate that difference is far too risky when making a garment, so get used to making swatches and blocking them.  You can quickly build a set of reference swatches for each needle size and yarn type that you like to use.
   
   
9. There’s not one perfect way to knit.  In your knitting journey, I can almost guarantee that you’ll run into someone that just has to tell you that you’re not knitting correctly.  If you are making knits and purls consistently and the finished fabric is correct, ignore them.  You’ll hear terms like English, Continental, picking, flicking, throwing, etc. and opinions on what’s best.  What’s best is what works for you!  Seriously, if your finished stitches are correct, how you got there doesn’t matter and I’m happy for you!
   
   
10. Here’s the big one and it has nothing to do with the mechanics of knitting at all.  Are you ready?  Here goes.  Don’t say, “I could never do that.”  Arrrrrgh!  That phrase makes me so mad.  That’s giving up before you even try!  Try!  Challenge yourself to do better and learn something new!  You couldn’t knit or purl until you tried, right?  So why are cables or stranded colorwork or lace any different?  Because they look hard?  So what?  Just try it!  Now I’m not saying that you must love mosaic colorwork or brioche or bobbles, but you should try new techniques and styles to find out if you like doing it or not.  Thinking negatively about your abilities is a sure way to limit your skill future.  Replace “I could never” with “I’ll try” and you’ll find so much more joy to knitting!

Whether you are a brand-new beginner or experienced knitter, I hope you get some mileage out of these tips.  If you’d like to add to my list of beginner tips, please leave a comment below!  

Knit Happy!

-- Ron