Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
BK4K is our monthly kids’ newsletter that’s perfect for kids and the adults that craft with them, from parents and grandparents to teachers and scout leaders.
In this past month’s issue of BK4K we were inspired by summer picnics and the fun of make-believe. We shared patterns for a sandwich with knitted, crocheted, and spool-knitted “ingredients,” as well as a crafted drink can that you can personalize and fast to make carrot sticks.
Want more sandwich options? You can make all sorts of cold cuts and veggies for your sandwich simply by knitting or crocheting rectangles or circles in the colors you want and embroidering or using duplicate stitch to add details such as the seeds on a “hamburger bun.” Combine these items with our egg pattern and bacon pattern. If you like these patterns, look out for even more yarn foods later this fall!
For more great kid-friendly ideas each month, subscribe to BK4K. If you already have a Lion Brand account, you can simply add it by clicking on “My LBY”, and selecting it under “My Subscriptions.”
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Tips & How To | 2 Comments »
Visit CNN.com for a great story on how a busy mom was able to better handle the stresses of life.
As the writer says in the article, “The sound of the needles had a metronomic quality, a calming pace that automatically slowed my thoughts. And the feel of the wool sliding through my fingers was almost like a caress”
And maybe it’s not just the knitting that helps to make you feel better. Here’s an article referenced in the CNN article that talks about how color can boost your mood.
How about you? Is knitting, crochet or color a path to inner peace?
Posted in Knitting, Yarniverse | 3 Comments »
Last week, Jack and I drove up to Manchester, New Hampshire, for the Knit & Crochet Show and the Crochet Guild of America’s Chain Link Conference. We arrived on Tuesday evening and took in a baseball game–the local minor league team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats were playing the Trenton Thunder.
On Wednesday, the CGOA hosted Professional Development Day for crocheters who are or want to work in the field. Lion Brand was proud to sponsor this event, and I had a great time meeting crocheters from all over the country, and fans of the YarnCraft podcast, including one all the way from San Juan, Puerto Rico! Speaking of YarnCraft, while there, I interviewed Drew Emborsky (also known as the Crochet Dude), a designer and all around great guy who you’ll hear in our latest episode. I also interviewed quite a few other writers and designers–including Lily Chin, Margaret Hubert, Jean Leinhauser, and more. Interviews to follow in upcoming episodes.
Jack and I also went up to the mill that makes Homespun yarn, as it was pretty close to the convention center. In fact, the whole area used to have yarn and textile mills all over! The restaurant off of the convention center, JD’s Restaurant, actually had spinning wheels and old spools from the old mills. There’s even a mill museum in Manchester.
The Homespun mill is housed in a building that was built in 1864! (That’s it on the left.) It’s really amazing to see the various raw fibers and colors being spun into our various shades of Homespun. We’re really proud of the fact that Homespun is made in America in a place steeped with such a strong yarn history.
Back at the Knit & Crochet show, we walked the Market Preview, and I even appeared as a guest on writer and yarncrafter Mary Beth Temple’s podcast, Getting Loopy!
All in all, a great time. Want to check out the next Knit & Crochet Show, taking place in Portland, OR, in September? Maybe we’ll see you there!
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, On The Road, YarnCraft Podcast | 3 Comments »
One of our associates, Lisa, in Accounting, collects Barbie Dolls and has this vintage “Knitting Barbie” in her office.
If you have Barbie dolls and would like to knit for them, pick up a copy of our friend, Nicky Epstein’s book.
Posted in Knitting, Lion Staff | 4 Comments »
Today I knitted the final Tulip-Bud Border repeat and sewed it in place. What a sense of accomplishment. The project took 2 months and had some challenging parts that improved my knitting and pattern reading skills. I’m glad to move on to a new project finally, but I had a great time knitting it.
The Tulip-Bud Border itself is really a great finishing touch. The minute I sewed it on, the afghan just looked amazing. The pattern is an 18 row repeat done on 2 needles so it went very quickly, and after a dozen or so repeats I was able to work without following the pattern, which just made it go faster. There are 2 ways to handle the border. You can knit the full length and then sew it onto the afghan, or sew it into place as you go. I liked the idea of knitting a few repeats and then sewing it in place as I went, since I wasn’t sure how many repeats were needed (and it felt like I was getting more done), but in the end, I chose to knit the full length and sew it on later, simply because this made the project portable. It’s so small that it’s a perfect project to work on during my daily commute. (In case you decide to do the border this way, the total number of repeats I needed was 77.)
I was also inspired, while doing the border, to use this same pattern as a border for the hem of a skirt. The only thing to change would be to use smaller needles and a thinner, finer yarn. I can’t wait!
I truly hope you all enjoyed this project, and that you all enjoy the finished product whether it is a gift or for your own home. I decided that mine would make the perfect engagement gift for my dear friends who are moving to a new home. There’s nothing like a handmade gift and this afghan and the intertwining trees just seemed perfect for a couple of great people who decided to share their lives (and their space) with each other. Maybe I’ll even wear a dress with a tulip bud hem to the wedding.
All the best, and Happy Knitting!
Corinna
Posted in Knit-Along, Knitting | 15 Comments »
In addition to our weekly e-newsletter, we also have a monthly newsletter for kids and the adults who craft with them. It’s a great source of ideas and inspiration for kids, teens, parents, girl- and boy scout leaders, camp counselors, teachers, and more. BK4K (By Kids for Kids) features knit, crochet, and craft patterns that are all beginner or easy-level.
In this past month’s issue, we were inspired by the great summer weather. We featured the Super Summer Backpack (shown above), an adorable Posy Belt, and matching Flip-Flops. Easy and fun, these projects are a great way to practice various knit and crochet stitches. They are also stylish items for the beach, amusement park, or just hanging out with friends.
For more great kid-friendly ideas each month, subscribe to BK4K. If you already have a Lion Brand account, you can simply add it by clicking on “My LBY”, and selecting it under “My Subscriptions.”
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Tips & How To | 2 Comments »
The YarnCraft podcast is a half-hour radio show in which my co-host Liz and I share pattern recommendations, crafting ideas, stories, and interviews on all things knitting, crocheting, loom-knitting, crafting and more. Every two weeks, we come to you from the Lion Brand Design Center in New York with a new episode, but you can download and listen to each episode anytime you want from the YarnCraft blog.
In episode #18, “Knitting & Crocheting on the Go”, our Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life segment concentrated on washcloths and dishcloths–those easy-to-make, travel-friendly projects that never go out of style. Listen to the episode [mp3] for pattern recommendations, and in the meantime, here are just a few tips:
Want to get YarnCraft in your e-mail or on iTunes? Visit our How to Subscribe page for more information, or visit the YarnCraft blog for the latest episodes.
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Tips & How To, YarnCraft Podcast | 1 Comment »
Before working at Lion Brand, I only had limited experiences with handknit items. A friend of mine knit me a beautiful ribbed red scarf when I was in college, (It wasn’t until working at Lion Brand that I realized that the yarn used was Wool-Ease Thick & Quick) and later in college, my girlfriend knit me a scarf with Homespun. I kept thinking about how beautiful and amazing hand-knit pieces were, but could never wrap my head around the idea that two long cylindrical objects (needles) could take a piece of yarn and create something wearable. It was a task that I considered far too difficult for my clumsy, maladroit hands.
Not two weeks into working at Lion Brand, however, I noticed the incredible knitting and crocheting culture here. From Zontee (of the YarnCraft podcast) to Jackie and Karen (of the Design Department), I had a number of people telling me that knitting wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought. So one day after work, I sat down with Zontee and was ready to learn. She taught me how to cast on and how to knit. That night I knit a number of rows, and came back to work ready for something new.
After work that next day, Zontee was ready to teach me how to purl. A few rows later, I was knitting a stockinette stitch, and was excited to start my first real project. Looking for a fairly simple project that could help me hone my newly found knitting and purling abilities, the people in our Design Department found a great, easy 2 and 1/2 Hour Scarf for me to complete. This would be a little bit more complex, and used three strands weaved in as one, but was an exciting first project. The first day I was ready to choose my yarn. With the expertise of our creative director, Karen, I picked out three beautiful colors of Vanna’s Choice, and I was ready to go. Once again, Zontee helped me cast on and watched me knit my first few rows.
For the next few days, I could be found at home, on the train and after work working on this scarf. This was during NFL playoffs as well, so I was knitting while watching the Giants play – something that I would have never anticipated. The first few rows started off a little shaky (as you can see on the left side of the scarf), but after that, it was four and a half feet of pretty smooth sailing. When I got into trouble toward the end, Zontee also helped me to fix a stitch I’d dropped.
Truthfully, it was fun, exciting and really not as hard as I’d originally imagined. Though the “2 and 1/2 hour” label given to me probably did not take into account the fact that I had knitting growing pains, it still was a fairly quick project to do. With a little bit of help from everyone here, I now have a scarf that I’m proud to say I knit! I’ll admit though, it’s easier to knit a beautiful scarf when you’re surrounded by fantastic knitters.
Do you or someone you know want to learn to knit or crochet? Check out our Learn to Knit Guide and our Learn to Crochet Guide.
Posted in Knitting, Lion Staff | 3 Comments »
With the 4th of July on the horizon, it seems appropriate to talk about America’s favorite pastime (other than knitting and crochet, of course).
Combining two great traditions, the National NeedleArts Association’s Stitch N’ Pitch series is all about taking your knitting, crocheting and other needle arts out to baseball games all around the U.S. and Canada. Meet other yarncrafters and work on your latest project, while cheering on your favorite team. It’s a great activity for the whole family! Check their website for more upcoming dates and to purchase tickets.
July 9 - Milwaukee Brewers
July 10 - Cleveland Indians
July 13 - Pittsburgh Pirates
July 19 - Baltimore Orioles
July 19 - Cincinnati Reds
July 20 - Minnesota Twins
July 22 - San Francisco Giants
August 5 - Philadelphia Phillies
August 5 - Toronto Blue Jays
August 6 - Chicago White Sox
August 7 - Seattle Mariners
August 9 - Colorado Rockies
August 10 - Detroit Tigers
August 24 - Arizona Diamondbacks
September 7 - Kansas City Royals
September 14 - Oakland Athletics
September 14 - Los Angeles Angels
September 25 - New York Mets
For more yarn-related events throughout the year, check out our Events Calendar.
Posted in Community, Crocheting, Knitting | 2 Comments »
We were recently contacted by a blogger from Spain named Ariel, who authored a post about how to knit (como tejer in Spanish) over 2 years ago. Since he thought our own learn-to-knit instructions were very useful, he linked back to our website as a graphical resource that he found and used for these instructions, which are also available in Spanish.
All the content on LionBrand.com is provided to help you to grow as a crafter, whether that entails learning new stitches from the StitchFinder, discover more with YarnCraft, or connect with our Notebook. The great thing about the internet is that it is vast, yet completely interconnected - if you find something of ours that is useful, feel free to link to it and share with your friends or family! I hope you’re enjoying this journey as much as we are!
Posted in Community, Knitting, Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
