Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
In honor of our newsletter’s new Tip of the Week, we’re having a Twitter contest! Simply tweet your favorite knitting, crocheting, or yarn-related tip @LionBrandYarn by Friday, August 28th. Be sure to use the #LionTip hash tag to make it easy to spot. Only one entry per person, please. Our favorite will win a $50 gift certificate to the LionBrand.com store. What are you waiting for? Start tweeting!
Not a member of Twitter? Don’t worry. We’ll be having another contest soon, so keep an eye on our blog for more chances to win.
You can also always share your knit and crochet tips on LionBrand.com by clicking here.
**Only tweets (Twitter posts) are eligible. Tweets must be up by 11:59:59 pm EST Friday, August 28th.
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Tips & How To, Yarns | 10 Comments »
Over the past few weeks, you’ve made some fantastic pledges to charities and have (hopefully) finished up some projects. Here are a few helpful hints to make sending your donations as easy as possible:
1. Double-check that your item meets the charity’s requirements. If your item is complete but fails to meet specifications, consider donating it to a different charity, hospital, or shelter.
2. If you are washing an item before sending, make sure to use a frangrance-free detergent. This is to prevent any potential allergy issues or skin sensitivities.
3. Include your yarn label or a note specifying fiber content and yarn care instructions. This will help the charity if they have any yarn requirements, and it will help recipient keep the item in great shape.
4. Place your item in a plastic bag. This will keep your work clean and dry, even if you’re delivering the item by hand.
5. Deliver or send your item! Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishment. You’ve done a fantastic job.
Are you finished with your donation? Leave us a comment to tell us about your progress and share your final donation!
Related links:
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Crocheting, Knit-Along, Knitting | 6 Comments »
This week we want to extend a big thank you with everyone who is crafting for charity. It’s been great reading about your projects and organizations. Here are a few comments we’d like to share:
Pam Says: I decided to take on a summer charity project early in June, so I am a bit ahead of the game. I have been knitting baby blankets for the Ronald McDonald House in my area. My goal is to complete one a month for June, July and August. I am about to complete my second blanket. I am using the Lion Brand Pound of Love.
Tammy Says: I regularly knit for charity. I have some leftover wool in the approved colors and am knitting helmetliners for our troops. I found out about the charity on this site. I have one done and would like to finish the one in progress before the end of summer. I calculated that with the yarn I have I can do a total of 7 or 8 altogether.
Sonja S Says: Thanks so much for motivating us! I have been telling myself for some time that I was going to knit something to impact someone’s life and I love the idea of a knit/crochet a long. So I pledge to make at least 6 knitted cotton washcloths to put into Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. And since I just joined Monthly Dischcloth knitalong I can do two KAL’s at once! =0) I’ll just do washcloths instead of dishcloths for the pattern.
Keep up the fantastic work, everyone! Be sure to share your progress with us in the comments, on Facebook, and on Twitter. If you’re still looking for a pattern, don’t fret. Here are some recommendations based upon your area of interest:
Preemie Hats
Afghans (for the Warm Up America! Foundation)
Chemo Caps
Prayer Shawls
Related links:
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Knit-Along | 5 Comments »
Now that you’ve started your project, why not connect with others locally? A charity group is a great way to share your love of crafting and keep each other motivated.
First, find out if there is a local chapter of your charity. There may also be a local group that generally crafts for any charity. Use your charity’s website or the Lion Brand Charity Connection to search for such meetings.
If no local groups already exist, make your own! Invite friends and relatives to join you at a set time and location. Many groups meet in casual locations, such as a member’s house or a coffee shop. You may also consider contacting local community centers or churches to see if you can use a meeting space, especially if you need to accommodate a larger number of people.
The most important part of crafting with a group is staying positive and motivated. Bring in your finished items, and ask others to do the same. Viewing your collective work acts as a reinforcement of your progress.
Share your progress in our comments section! We want to hear about your projects and your groups. Keep up the great work!
Related links:
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Knit-Along | 12 Comments »
Last week we discussed selecting a charity. Click here to read the post if you missed it. Now it’s time to collect supplies and begin your charity projects! First, select the pattern you wish to make. Many charities use their own patterns for consistency, but others allow you to use virtually any pattern. Use our Pattern Finder to help find ideas that meet your charity’s needs. Some of our charity patterns include chemo caps, preemie items, Warm Up America! blankets, and the SHIPS Project hat.
Next, choose the appropriate yarn. Many charities only accept certain yarns for projects; for example, charities for deployed troops often require items to be made of wool, as it is naturally flame retardant, while many children’s charities request machine-washable yarns. Some charities also require newly purchased yarn due to allergies. Always check your charity’s website for fiber, washability, color, and yarn weight requirements prior to purchasing materials. If you cannot find any guidelines, it never hurts to ask a charity’s organizer or chapter leader.
After finding any requirements, gather your yarn! When purchasing new yarn, remember to keep your receipts; the cost of yarn for any donation you make to a 501(c)(3) charity will be tax deductible. You can also check your own yarn collection, as many small items can be made from leftovers from completed projects. Ask friends if they have any extra yarn they would like to donate to your project. You can also find deals at thrift stores and yard sales. If you cannot afford new yarn, some charities have supplies that members may use; inquire with your organization for more details. Remember that it is very important to know your fiber content to comply with any charity requirements.
So now that you have your pattern and your yarn, gather your hook or needles and start yarncrafting! What will you be making? Comment to let us know about your charity, your items, and your yarn. Be sure to share your tips, your charity stories, and your progress!
Related links:
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Knit-Along | 22 Comments »
For Lion Brand, charity is a part of what we do and we know it is part of your lives as well. Instead of the regular knit and crochet-alongs, this summer, we have decided to try something different — we want to encourage you in joining us in giving back to others in a charity knit & crochet-along.
In the next five weeks, join us as you:
Please comment on this post and make a promise to make something for charity by the end of this summer. When you name the charity, please tell us why they have touched you. If you need help finding a local/national/ international organization, click here to use our Charity Connection.
Join us next Thursday, and every Thursday for the next few weeks, for new ideas, stories shared, and more.
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Crocheting, Knit-Along, Knitting, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, Lion Staff, Tips & How To | 130 Comments »
Thanks to everyone who has participated in our Textured Circle Shrug KAL! We’re so impressed by your finished garments that we want to show them off. Here are some fantastic examples:
Vivette’s shrug in Vanna’s Choice
Mary Jo’s shrug in Cotton-Ease
roocmc’s shrug in Cotton-Ease
jellycat’s shrug in Cotton-Ease
Congratulations to everyone who has finished so far. If you’re still working on yours, keep up the great work! Feel free to share your pictures and ask questions in our Textured Circle Shrug KAL Ravelry group. Don’t forget that we’ll be starting a charity KAL/CAL later this summer!
Related links:
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting | 1 Comment »
Hi Everyone! It’s been fun knitting with you these past few weeks! Time really flies!
Today’s post is my last, and will focus on the second round of increases, casting off, and sharing an FO (finished object in knit-speak)! My FO is a little bit lopsided, since I added about 10 stitches to only one sleeve (so that I could show you how that looks), but I still think it looks awesome and will actually wear it! (You can’t even tell that one sleeve is about an inch wider!)
Increase round 2 is performed much like increase round 1. It just brings us back to k1 p1 ribbing. You simply work a M1P (Click here for a video for M1, but instead of knitting the bar between the stitch just knit and the next stitch on the needle, you’d purl it.) between the two knit stitches in every wide rib between the sleeve markers.
Then, for the finale, we switch to seed stitch (also called moss stitch in the UK) and work a few rounds, then cast off. I recommend casting off in stitch pattern (if you are supposed to purl, purl, then pass the cast-off loop over, and vice versa if you’re supposed to knit.) Click here for a video. This will create a more elastic cast-off edge. I also recommend casting off with a needle size that’s 2 sizes (1 whole mm) larger than the needle you used for the rib…so…use your “body” needle to cast off. I cast off my shrug a few rows early, your seed stitch border will be a few rows wider than mine.
When your shrug comes off the needle, the seed stich border may seem a little bit wavy. You’ll just want to lightly steam this edge, so that it will lay flat. If you find that your edging seems too loose (this may be the case if you’ve added a large number of stitches at the under arm) your best bet is to mist the ribbing lightly with water and stretch it lengthwise. Let it dry like this, and it will be tighter and less floppy.
In my photos, I’m wearing my shrug pinned at the front to show what this looks like, since we’ve had a few questions about adding a button. If you want to add a buttonhole to the front edge, a good point to do that is in the first few rows of the seed stitch border. You could just do a “yo k2tog” which will make a small hole.
Here’s the back. My husband took the photo and didn’t tell me that the collar wasn’t lying exactly flat…but you get the idea! :) I could block this so that the back is flat, but I like the ribs that the Textured Stripe pattern creates, so I’ll probably leave it like this.
This has been a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see all of your FO shots in our Flickr Group! Or share them with us in the Customer Gallery (like this one from Mary Jo).
Look out later this summer for our charity KAL/CAL!
Related links:
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting | 31 Comments »
Hi Everyone! I hope you’re having a great week!
In our last installment of the Textured Circle Shrug KAL, we picked up all around the neck opening and started working on our ribbing.
In this installment, we will proceed to Increase Round 1. In this round, we work a few RLI (in every other knit rib) between the markers that we placed to denote each “sleeve” portion of the shrug. (The pink arrows in the picture below show the stitches over which the increases are worked.)
You work your ribbing from the beginning of round marker to your sleeve marker, then begin the increases. Work increases all the way around to the second marker. Then, work normal ribbing across the top / back neck of the shrug, all the way to the second sleeve. You’ll work increases all the way across this second sleeve section, and then work regular ribbing across the back.
I talked a little bit about the RLI at the end of last week’s post, if you’re just joining us, be sure to check it out.
Here, again, is the link to the video on www.knittinghelp.com that shows how to do a RLI. In this pattern, RLI means to knit into the right leg of the stitch below the next one on the left hand needle, and then knit the next stitch.
I took some photos of how this looks in our shrug:
Here is how the stitch pattern starts out, with a k1 p1
Next, we knit into the right leg of the stitch below the next one on the needle:
Next, knit into the next stitch on the needle. (Once you do this a few times, this step will become very fluid.)
Here is what the ribbing looks like after this step. Every OTHER knit rib (between the markers that denote our sleeve sections) has two knit stitches.
Now, just proceed in this new rib stitch until we get to Increase Round 2. Next week, we will work this second round of increases and FINISH THE SHRUG!
How are you coming along with your shrug? Where are you up to? Let us know!
And, for those of you who are finished already, share your project with us in the Customer Gallery.
Related links:
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting | 46 Comments »
Hi Everyone!
I’ve been on the road teaching a workshop for the last few days, so I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos in today’s post. Since I was teaching all day, most of these were taken at night in the hotel.
Thank you to everyone who stepped up to answer questions since the last post! I was traveling and didn’t have my laptop, so I really appreciate it.
Today’s post will focus on picking up stitches and knitting the ribbing along the neckline of the shrug.
I tried to get some good photos of where / how I picked up my stitches, but this is actually a very individual process. (Here is a video from www.knittinghelp.com that shows how to pick up stitches.)
I tend to use the stitches along the outermost edge of the knitted fabric, while some teachers will tell you to pick up a little farther into the fabric. Wherever you choose to pick your stitches up, you’ll be fine, as long as you pick up the number of stitches recommended by the pattern. The two kinds of stitches that you will find at the edge of the fabric are what look like bumps (first arrow) and lines (second arrow.) You can pick up into either of these.
You just insert the needle into the fabric and draw the working yarn through the loop that you’ve created.
Begin picking up stitches at the right back section, and continue around the right front.
At the cast-on edge, you just pick up one stitch for every cast on stitch, and then continue down the left front, and end at the left back right at the spot that your stitches are waiting for you on the scrap yarn.
Transfer these stitches to the needle. Now you’re ready to work your ribbing in the round.
For people who have added stitches at the under arm, you will fold the little flap of extra stitches up, and pick up sts along that top/cast on edge.
Place markers like I have in the photo below, so that you remember which sts are added, and which are part of the original pattern. This way, you can still follow the original pattern instructions for your size when you are ready to do your increases.
The pattern instructions themselves are fine, but the way that RLI is described in the pattern notes makes the increase section not quite work out.
My next post will describe the increase section in detail.
Related links:
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting, Tips & How To | 46 Comments »
