Fun
Kaffe Fassett Is Coming!
Dear one and all,
Picture this: Inverness, Scotland, 1968. A young painter spots someone knitting and thinks, “I could do that.” By evening, he’s bought 20 colors of Shetland yarn and learned to knit on the train back to London. Just like that, the textile world has gained its most audacious color evangelist. This wasn’t just learning to knit—this was the start of a revolution.
He looked at traditional colorwork and asked, “What if we made this more intense?” More vibrant. More unexpected. In knitting, quilting, and needlepoint, he has explored color in the most exuberant, irresistible way.
Now, after 50 years of legendary work, Kaffe Fassett is coming to Nashville.
October 4 is going to be such a joyous day: a visit by Kaffe to Modern Daily Knitting World Headquarters.
We invite you to join us in Nashville for what will be our most festive celebration yet—a Saturday where we all have the rare chance to gather, meet this legendary designer, and draw inspiration from his richly illustrated talk. We’ll have time to visit, to listen, to see, to celebrate the gorgeous designs.
Bountiful snacks and drinks will of course be a part of the party. Seating is limited; tickets are available here.
Or Join Us Via the Livestream
If you’ll be at home, we’ll have an exclusive livestream of this day for you, professionally produced, to enjoy for up to 48 hours afterward. Sign up for the livestream here.
(And yes, MDK Society members save 10% with the member coupon code.)
Come to Nashville
For folks thinking of a weekend trip to Nashville, we’ve set up a discounted-rate block of rooms at The Gilmore, a brand-new boutique hotel in the vibrant 12South neighborhood. The hotel has kitchens in each room and great spaces for knitters to hang out. We’ll have a discount code for MDK folks with a really good rate for October 3, 4, and 5—watch for it in Snippets this Saturday, or in this post if we have it ready for you before then.
We are always eager to make our events as inclusive as possible. We hope you’ll join us live or online to share in this opportunity to celebrate a true genius.
A Bit of History
What makes Kaffe unique? His painter’s eye sees what we’ve been trained to miss.
Those “clashing” combinations aren’t clashing at all; they’re having conversations.
Joyful, captivating conversations.
Surprises at every turn.
What He Teaches Us
More than thirty books later, Kaffe has created more than patterns—he’s built a color curriculum. Each design teaches through making. He doesn’t simply tell us which yarn to buy; he teaches us to see, to understand why that shocking pink amplifies the purple, why that mustard yellow transforms everything around it.
But here’s what matters most: Kaffe doesn’t want us to replicate his designs exactly. He wants us to interpret them, to develop courage to trust our instincts, to embrace the unexpected results, to see our variations as discoveries.
Beyond Craft, Into Art
While others debated whether knitting belonged in galleries, Kaffe settled the question by exhibiting there. Kaffe took no notice of the boundaries others had drawn.
He didn’t just cross the line between craft and art; he erased it.
The Legacy Continues
Kaffe continues to push boundaries.
But perhaps his greatest achievement isn’t any single design or technique—it’s the community of bold colorists he’s created. Every knitter who’s ever looked at a skein of shocking pink and thought “yes” owes something to Kaffe’s example.
The Real Lesson
Kaffe Fassett’s story isn’t really about knitting, or even about color. It’s about permission. Permission to be bold, to experiment, to see the world not as it is but as it can be—more vibrant, more joyful, more alive.
In a world that often feels muted, Kaffe Fassett reminds us that we have access to the entire spectrum. We just need to be brave enough to use it.
Don’t Miss This: Kaffe Live at MDK
Next time you’re in a yarn shop, holding that skein of impossible orange, ask yourself: What would Kaffe do? Then do that. And on October 4, you can ask him yourself.
If you can’t tell, we’re overjoyed to be hosting Kaffe Fassett in Nashville. We hope to see you there, online or in Nashville!
Love,
Ann and Kay
PS These images are from the two Field Guides we have had the joy to publish with Kaffe Fassett, still very much in print for you: Field Guide No. 13: Master Class and Field Guide No. 16: Painterly.
And up top, dazzlingly, is glimpse of Kaffe’s work in fabric, quilting, and needlepoint.
So intrigued at Kaffe’s adventure of combining yarn and graphic art! Looking forward to the field guides when they’re available!
(was happy to meet you both last fall at Rhinebeck)
@Char Those two Kaffe Fassett field guides are available! See the links above (at the bottom of this article).
For a fascinating look into his background and history read ‘Dreaming in Color’.
Yes! It’s such a fascinating memoir.
Absolutely. Don’t miss it!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to see Kaffe again! Nashville here we come! I have many of his quilting books, discovering his knitting later. What a great talent, thanks for hosting MDK!
Wow!
Only $35 US for the on-line streaming version? That’s a great price!
Thank you MDK!!
<3
Signed up and can’t wait!!! Thank you so much for doing this ❤️❤️❤️
I love Kaffe’s color combinations and am looking forward to the live stream!
I have always admired Kaffe Fassett. I hope I can join you on October 4.
Kaffe’s autobiography, Dreaming In Color, is a must read if you’re a Kaffe fan. And what dyed-in-the-wool knitter isn’t?!
About 20 years ago I decided to try my hand (literally) at tapestry and bought a kit from Erhman Tapestry. I was drawn to many explosively bright designs. The scrolling photos at the top of this article triggered that memory and, sure enough, Mr. Fassett was the designer! I just grabbed my MDK field guide #13 Master Class and am jumping in.
So flipping excited to visit Nashville again!! Cannot wait… checking my airline countdown widget every day!!
So excited you’re coming! It’s going to be such a joy to be with you.
Love Kaffe Fassett. I have several of his needlepoint books when I did needlepoint regularly. This article shows the beauty of his color palette.
Truly getting an itch for his needlepoint as we dive into his work, thinking about this visit. It just looks like fun to play with all those colors on a very geometrical grid.
Years ago I heard Kaffe speak here in Albuquerque NM. I’ll never forget when he said about color “anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” We can all be bold, yes!
Love this!
I have purchased the stream and am so EXCITED! As a knitter and quilter, lover of vibrant color, and art, Kaffe has been a long-time hero of mine! His work has pushed me to explore color and toss out some of those old fashioned knitting/colorwork rules on construction, color, etc. He is fearless and I am in HEAVEN about joining the Livestream. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Wasn’t he born and raised in California by or near a national park on the coast? He learned his love of color and artistry in the USA as it was explained to me years ago.
Yes! It was Big Sur. He grew up at Nepenthe, the legendary restaurant on the coast run by his family. The restaurant is still there, with Kaffe things to discover in the gift shop.
I remember when my mom bought me one of Kaffe’s quilting books for Christmas. She had no clue who he was but saw it and thought I would like it. I was never been more seen by my mom than in that exact moment. The year of his stranded MDK booklet I knit coin cowls for everyone and the colors were glorious.
Kaffe Fassett has inspired me fir years by his use of mutli-colours, both bright and muted, in his projects. To see his work is to drink in true magic and I look in awe and wonder. His work is so amazing. Just love it and it’s inspired me to do some projects that in the past, I might have thought ……… could I …….. of course! Explore colour, let the creativity flow. Thank you so much for your inspiration.
Knitting Art, take a look!
Just by chance, is he also planning a West Coast event?