We go behind the seams with professionalnomadic knitter Krista Ann upon her visit to Raleigh.
What do an RV, Europe and an aquarium have in common? … Knit a clue? Well, they’re all places where nationally renowned professional knitter Krista Ann (also known by the handle @explorewithknitsy) has worked remotely. And, now, she’s added Raleigh to that list with a pop-up at a Clayton campground through Jan. 17 before she heads to Charlotte and then Florida.
The skilled seamstress left LA to hit the road for good in August 2019 after over three years of sitting on pins and needles (read: running the numbers and convincing her husband, Garner, to get on board); packing up their cat, Phinny; and pulling an RV behind them.
“I didn’t want to work to live, work to explore, work to adventure, work to travel,” shares Krista of the motives behind her leap of faith. “I wanted to work while I did all those things.”
Since then, Krista has knitted across seven continents (bravo!), with stops at such mega landmarks as the Roman Colosseum and snowcapped Antarctica in below freezing temps—and home is now wherever she may roam. But, despite her nomadic lifestyle, Krista has lent a hand crafting costumes for fan-fave shows and movies like Stranger Things, The Mindy Project, Hocus Pocus 2 and iCarly.
She also launched an app in 2023, appropriately titled The Knitting Rockstar Academy, that is full of fibery fun and “unlike anything else out there.” Knitting Across America, a course included within the app, features conversations with independent yarn dyers and a look into U.S. yarn shops.
Up next, the caravanning couple plans to visit 15 states this year as part of their ultimate goal to hit all 50. When she’s not fast and furiously knitting her next big feature—it’s all hush-hush under an NDA, so stay tuned—Krista is exploring all there is to do and see where she’s staying.
Her Raleigh stops included a Canes game and a visit to the Warm ’n Fuzzy knit shop in Cary for her stitch fix. To boot, she met up with Kemper Wray, a Garner local who owns and operates Junkyarn, an online hand-dyed yarn business. Clearly, knit happens!
Tap into your Fitzgerald flair in the new year via Redbud Writing Project’s local classes.
New Year’s resolution season is upon us! And if you’ve long, well, longed to finally pen that first chapter to free your inner Hemingway, Redbud Writing Project is here for it.
Co-founded by NCSU Creative Writing MFAs Emily Cataneo and Arshia Simkins and nestled beneath So & So Books on Person Street (with additional Triangle outposts to boot), the Triangle’s only adult writing school for aspiring and lapsed writers provides just the confidence and mojo needed to put pen to page—er, fingertips to keyboard.
Served up in a welcoming workshop environment, early 2024 classes range from fiction and nonfiction to poetry courses—plus manuscript consultations and retreats. First chapter(s) already in the books? Tap into Redbud’s yearlong Novel Intensive program, designed specifically for advanced writers working on a book.Essentially, it’s like a cozy coop for creatives and community. … And what better place to spark your imagination than within a welcoming indie bookstore? Flip the page—er, keep scrolling!—to school yourself on the best landing page for you.
Pencil It In
Commit to that 2024 ✍️ resolution via six-week immersions in Redbud’s various local courses.
~ Fiction I: Beginners, this one’s for you. Immerse yourself in fiction fundamentals and the collaborative workshopping experience via this class at Golden Fig Books in Carrboro. StartsJan. 17,weekly on Wednesdays ~Writing the Novel: This course at So & So Books and culminates with the completion of that first chapter you’ve been penning—plus the confidence to carry on. Starts Jan. 14, weekly on Sundays ~ Writing the Body: Everyone has a unique story—and the same goes for all written works. Craft a powerful narrative true to you during the writing school’s six-week course, kicking off Jan. 17 at Letters Bookshop in Durham. Starts Jan. 17, weekly on Wednesdays ~ Writing Peace and Protest: All genres are welcome at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill to explore topics of peace and protest—and why penning them is more important than ever. Starts Jan. 15, weekly on Mondays
