Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
It’s almost March, which means St. Patrick’s Day is upon us! Whether you want to celebrate the holiday with fun shamrock designs, or you’d rather channel the more traditional spirit of the Irish with Celtic knots and Irish crochet, I’ve rounded up a few patterns to get you in the spirit. So break out some green yarn and get a head start on some small projects for the festive holiday!
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You don’t need any knitting or crochet experience to craft this fun and festive Shamrock Pin, made with Vanna’s Choice yarn in Kelly Green and Fern. Just one skein will outfit a whole group of little leprechauns! |
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Posted in Pattern Recommendations | 1 Comment » Comments
I’ve gotten to those years in my life–my mid-twenties–when it seems like everybody I know is about to get married or have a baby! I’ve been busy crocheting baby blankets for every new arrival among my friends and family for at least the last year and a half, trying out a variety of patterns, color schemes and yarn choices. Pound of Love is often my go-to, because I know just one skein will make me a beautiful, soft and delicate blanket. Sometimes, I end up buying an odd skein here and there, to finish a project or just because I like the color. That’s how this blanket came about.
When I heard about the arrival of baby Adriana, I saw I had skeins I had picked out while planning my creations for baby Mitchell, born just a few weeks ago, baby Kiera, born in 2012, and Mackenzie, who would definitely be mad if I called her a baby, since she’s already about to turn six! I pulled together this palette of Babysoft in pastel pink and pink lemonade and Pound of Love in pastel green to create this blanket that looks to me like a field full of strawberries. The pattern I used, our Ocean Waves Baby Afghan pattern, originally called for Cotton-Ease, but given that gauge isn’t as crucial for a blanket as it is for a garment, it was an easy substitution for my stash yarn. I wanted to add some frills to the border and make the bright pink pop, so I improvised a simple, lacy V-stitch border for a few rows until I was satisfied.
Do you have one type of project that you make over and over again? For yourself, gifts, or the local craft show? Share your favorite projects to make over and over again in the comments!
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Posted in Crocheting, Pattern Recommendations | 24 Comments » Comments
Lion Brand has a huge variety of yarns spanning the spectrum of colors, fibers and textures, but the one that is the most intriguing to me is our LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel. It’s about what you might expect it to be from its name: 75% wool, 25% stainless steel. In a yarn! Crazy, right? It’s lace-weight, so you can make really intricate openwork, but the tiny steel thread gives it dimensional body and weight you wouldn’t find in a different fiber makeup. It’s an obvious choice for crocheted jewelry or knitted lace shawls, but the options are truly endless, especially when used double-stranded or in conjunction with other yarns. Take a look at some of the inspiration I’ve found on Ravelry!
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 3 Comments » Comments
It’s almost here. The coveted three-day weekend. The opportunity to get that extra day you feel you need every weekend to get those extra household chores done, spend more time recharging, or take a mini road trip. No matter what your plans for the long weekend, one thing is for sure: it’s a perfect opportunity to use some extra downtime finish (or start!) some outstanding projects.
If you don’t already have a great project on your hook or needles, I’ve rounded up a collection of fun, quick-to-knit or -crochet patterns that you’ll be able to cast on and bind off in just one (long) weekend!
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| Knit Fast Finish Throw | Braided Rug | Crochet 5 1/2 Hour Throw |
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations | Leave a comment » Comments
This Sunday, February 10, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. This lunar new year celebration, which represents the Year of the Snake and year 4711 on the Chinese calendar, will continue for 15 days. If you’re anything like me, those two weeks sound like the perfect opportunity to get creative and ring in the year of the snake, so I’ve rounded up some of the best snake patterns to knit and crochet.
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| Crochet Sssandy the Snake | Crochet Coral Snake |
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations | 4 Comments » Comments
Winter in New York City can get sort of dreary with all the neutral-toned outerwear shrouding the fashion sense that the city is known for. So I decided to infuse my winter look with some color to lift my spirits! I fell in love with the vibrant hues of our Bonbons yarn and thought that a colorwork project would be perfect to showcase it.
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Posted in Fashion & Style, Pattern Recommendations | 7 Comments » Comments
Valentine’s Day is next week, and there’s still plenty of time to whip up some nice, thoughtful gifts to show people in your life you were thinking of them. Below, I’ve highlighted some patterns that are fun and simple; one can even be made by the whole family!
Knit Soft Lace ScarfThis lace scarf only requires one skein of Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend. This pattern showcases a beautiful stitch definition, and makes for a nice transitional scarf. The Soft Lace scarf is a perfect gift for mom, grandma and even friends. |
Crochet All Season WristerWristers are a great unisex gift for anyone you know; they might also make a great gift for that picky man or son in your life. These wristers made in Sock-Ease come in fun stripes as well as solids. For more knit & crochet wristers, click here. |
Posted in Events, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 4 Comments » Comments
Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and the colors that mark Fat Tuesday are starting to pop up everywhere. If you still want to show off some Mardi Gras spirit, there is plenty of time for quick-to-knit or crochet projects, striped with some of these great color combinations below:
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For the boldest, most traditional version of the carnival colors, Vanna’s Choice in Kelly Green, Mustard and Eggplant packs a serious punch. If you really want to make a statement (and stay warm!) on Mardi Gras, I recommend the “Geaux Tigers Hat” pattern, substituting Kelly Green for the Purple colorway. Click here for the pattern. You can also make wrapped bangle bracelets in minutes flat and be ready to go whenever the celebration takes you. Find the pattern for wrapped bangles here. |
| If you’re looking for a slightly earthier version of the traditional tones and the opportunity to work some wool into the mix, Wool-Ease in Cilantro, Mustard and Eggplant will do the trick. Even a beginner knitter will be able to come up with a beautiful, festive creation with the easy Cold Harbor Scarf pattern featured here. Want to crochet instead? A quick and easy striped crochet scarf pattern can be found here. |  |
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations | 2 Comments » Comments
The new year is the perfect time to learn a new skill, and colorwork is a great place to start. Fair Isle knitting, also known as stranded knitting, is my favorite technique for adding colorwork to a project. With this technique, you carry your unworked yarn behind your working yarn to create floats. Click here to find out more about Fair Isle knitting.
Looking for more Fair Isle inspiration? Click here to view all of our Fair Isle patterns. Happy knitting!
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Posted in Pattern Recommendations | 1 Comment » Comments
It’s the beginning of a new year, which means that millions of us are making resolutions, hoping to make changes big and small to our lives. If you’ve got a resolution, why not support it by pairing it with your favorite hobbies of knitting & crochet?
Here are some projects inspired by some of the most popular resolutions:
Eat HealthierBringing your lunch is a great way to have more control over what goes into what you’re eating. Make it easier with a lunch bag like our crochet Greenmarket Lunch Bag or knit Felted Lunch Bag. |
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Posted in Pattern Recommendations, Tips & How To | 3 Comments » Comments
