Lion Brand Notebook

Archive for the 'Tips & How To' Category

How to Knit Along with Us

May 15th, 2008 by Zontee

We’re so excited that over 25,000 of you have read about our first knit-along of the Tree of Life Afghan and that over 200 of you have commented. Since many people have mentioned that they are new to knit-alongs, we wanted to go over some basics of the knit-along with you.

So how do I join the knit-along?
Just download the pattern (currently free!), pick up your supplies either at your local store or on our website, and start knitting! No need to sign up or anything. Just read the posts and share your thoughts with other participants.

How often will you update?
For this knit-along, Corinna will be updating the community every two weeks on her progress, but you can knit at your own pace! Knit-alongs are all about helping each other through a project, so we want to hear from you!

How do I share my thoughts or questions?
As you’re working, share your questions with other knitters by adding a comment (click on the “comments” button at the bottom of each post), and if you have an answer for someone else, a suggestion, or just an anecdote, share it with us too! If you’re responding to someone else’s comment, it’s helpful to include their name and/or comment number, so we know what you’re referring to.

Please read others’ comments! Someone might have already asked/answered the question you have, or maybe you can answer someone else’s question! It’s all about helping each other!

How do I share photos of my progress?
If you have a blog or an account on a photo service, feel free to store your pictures there and just include a link to your photos in a comment. If you are a Flickr user, tag your photos “lion brand,” “tree of life” and join our Flickr pool! Flickr has a great explanation of how to add your photo to a photo pool. (Note: all links appear in orange on the Lion Brand Notebook, so if something is orange, you can click on it!)

Can I invite my knitting group to join?
Absolutely! This knit-along is all about building community. Feel free to invite your friends. If you have a blog, pick up the badge above (Right-click the badge and “Save image as” to save it to your computer — Ctrl+click and “Save image as” on Macs) and add it to your blog, so that your friends can see it too.

Again, I just want to welcome everyone who’s participating! See you next Wednesday for Corinna’s next post!

Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting, Tips & How To | Leave a comment »

Question and Answer - Substituting Yarn

May 2nd, 2008 by Ilana

Q - I found a pattern that I love but it is designed with Wool-Ease and I’m giving it as a gift to someone who is highly allergic to wool. Can you please suggest an alternate yarn that will work with this pattern?

A - You can find a list of yarns that can be substituted for any Lion Brand yarn on our Substitution Chart. In this case, you may want to substitute Lion Organic Cotton or Nature’s Choice (both organic) or you might choose Cotton-Ease or Vanna’s Choice, all completely wool-free. Keep in mind that the importance of creating a gauge swatch before starting most projects, is especially important when you are substituting yarn.

Posted in Tips & How To, Yarns | Leave a comment »

Q & A

April 30th, 2008 by Ilana

This is our first Q & A post so we’d like to share how the questions come to us. Lion Brand customer service associates answer questions by phone and email. We respond to over 12,000 email questions each month. This Q & A feature is culled from the most commonly asked questions. If you would like to submit a question, kindly do so in any of the following ways, rather than through this blog:

You may email it to support@lionbrand.com. For questions about an order you already placed, you may email or call 800-661-7551. If you need phone support to help you work through a pattern, you may call 800-705-8636. Keep in mind that these phone numbers are available only weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Q - I’m trying to find an crochet afghan in Vanna’s Choice that is easy enough for someone who knows simple stitch patterns.

A - The best way to find just what you are looking for is to use our Pattern Finder. With over 1,900 patterns to choose from (and growing daily), this great tool will save you lots of time. We used the pull-down menus to select “crochet” as the craft, “Vanna’s Choice” for the yarn, “easy” for the skill level and “afghans/throws/blankets” for the item type. The Pattern Finder located 14 afghans for you.

Try this with any requirement you have. Whether you looking for a baby blanket in Babysoft, a sweater in Wool-Ease or a scarf in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, the Pattern Finder is the shortest route to get to those patterns.

If you want to fill in the search bar instead of using the drop-down menus, you can enter words describing what you want. The results will not be as accurate as they are when you use the drop-down menus, but if you prefer this method, use what works for you!

Give the Pattern Finder a try and let us know how it works or if you have any questions about it.

Posted in Tips & How To | 1 Comment »

5 Tips for Crafting with Kids from YarnCraft Episode #13

April 29th, 2008 by Zontee

In each episode of our podcast, YarnCraft, my co-host Liz from our Design Department and I like to share some interesting tips about knitting, crocheting, and yarncrafting.

In the podcast episode, “Yarncrafting with Kids,” we were joined by technical editor Jackie from the Design Department to talk about teaching kids. Here are five tips:

Yarncrafting is more than just knitting & crocheting. Pom poms, tassles, and craft projects are a good way to get even young children experimenting with yarn. Check out our craft patterns for more ideas.
Think about the materials. Children (as well as most beginners) will knit/crochet tightly, so you may want to give them needles/hooks that are a little bit larger than what is normally recommended for the yarn. Pick needles/hooks that are an easy to work with size (Speed Stix & Speed Hook may be too big for kids!) and yarn that is light in color so that it’s easy to see individual stitches. Variegated yarn can be helpful so that you can point out individual stitches by color — Jiffy Thick & Quick can be a good choice for kids.
Don’t worry about what they’re making. Let them knit, crochet, loom-knit, or weave for a little bit. That rectangle of material can be sewn up into a coin purse, used as a trivet, given to a doll as a blanket. Even just making chains can be a really satisfying experience for kids.
Help them start the project. Casting on or working into the first chain are some of the most difficult skills for beginners, so you may want to do the first row for them both to demonstrate the skill, and also so they don’t get frustrated.
Get to know their learning styles. While some children may learn better watching, others learn better with diagrams, while others learn better by listening to explanations. Getting a feel for their learning styles will make it easier for you to explain things in the most effective way.

For more ideas, check out the podcast every other Tuesday by visiting YarnCraft.LionBrand.com or sign up for BK4K, our monthly newsletter for kids and those who yarncraft with them!

Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Tips & How To, YarnCraft Podcast | 1 Comment »

Five Tips from YarnCraft Podcast #12

April 15th, 2008 by Zontee

In each episode of our podcast, YarnCraft, we feature a segment called “Stash This–Ideas for Your Crafting Life.” It’s a chance for me and my co-host Liz from our Design Department to share with you some interesting tips about knitting, crocheting, and yarncrafting.

In podcast episode about “Selling Your Knit/Crochet Items on Etsy & Tips on Customizing with Color,” our “Stash This” was about working with color, the meaning of colors, and personalizing patterns. Here are five tips from episode #12:

Don’t be afraid to swap out colors in patterns. Make yourself a chart, noting which color you’ve used for each letter. For example, I might be making the Simple Earthy Squares Afghan, but want to swap out some of the colors. I would write at the top of my pattern to help me remember: Color A = Wood, Color B = Barley, etc.
Choose colors that have personal or cultural meaning for you or your recipient (for example green is always popular for St. Patrick’s Day; red is considered lucky in many Asian cultures), and include a note with gifts that explains the color choices.
Think about colors that look good with your skin-tone or your recipient’s skin-tone. Are you an “autumn” or a “spring”?
A wonderful gift is a birthstone-colored afghan. Homespun is a great yarn for this purpose, because of its jewel-like tones. Take a simple afghan, perhaps one of our 5 1/2 hour afghans, and make it in a color that coordinates with your gift-recipient’s birth month.
Personalize a project by making it in your or your gift recipient’s school or sports team colors.

For more ideas, check out the podcast every other Tuesday by visiting YarnCraft.LionBrand.com, and tell us what are some ways you’ve used colors to personalize a project!