Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
The film Julie and Julia has inspired one knitter to take her own challenge: knit and blog about all 48 projects from Nicky Epstein’s Knitting on Top of the World. Beginning in January, Mary will knit one garment per month in the order that they appear in the book. She’ll be tracking her progress on her blog. Until then, Mary is preparing by purchasing yarn and supplies, making gauge swatches, and choosing the perfect color combination. It’s an enormous and inspiring task. Best of luck, Mary!
Want to join Mary’s knit-a-thon? Simply purchase your copy of Knitting on Top of the World and join her Yahoo group by clicking here.
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Posted in Community, Knitting, Yarniverse | 5 Comments »
I always find it inspirational to see what’s happening with the world of fiber arts. I spotted this giant wall installation by Craftwork on MoCo Loco. Made with wool and aluminum, Craftwork describes this 2-piece series, Wool Works:
Using aluminum and natural wool top slivers, each screen is a collection of long hanks of wool hand made and twisted into rope. These rope strands are bound together by combining knotting and held in place with powder coated / mirrored aluminum tubes. Craftwork signature Pompoms punctuate and locate the macrame knots woven through. In these beautiful works, there is a strong visual interplay between graphics, materials and textures whilst fusing large scale textile design with jewelry.
It reminds me (of course) of yarn, but it also has a beautiful, modern, architectural quality to it. A very cool piece that any fiber lover will enjoy.
Via MoCo Loco.
Posted in Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
Our friends over at Craft are hosting Cozy Up to Yarn Month on their website, featuring great knit, crochet, and yarn craft projects throughout the month of September. They are also featuring an adorable fuzzy panda amigurumi crochet-along. Click here to check out the first crochet-along post!
Click here to check out a preview of all that this month has in store, and be sure to bookmark Craftzine.com so you can check back often during the month of September, where yarn lovers will find lots of inspiration.
To spot all the yarny goodness, look for this banner:
Related links:
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
On the latest episode of YarnCraft, my co-host Liz and I explore the topics of yarn as art (and even yarn as graffiti), and what it means to express yourself through the creation of objects as an artist and as a community.
We talk about groups like Knitta Please, artists like Robyn Love and some of the great fiber arts exhibits that have been taking place around the country, as well as organizations like Keep the Fleece, whose longest scarf project supports Heifer International, a non-profit aiming to end world hunger through self-reliance and sustainability. Since yarncrafts are most often thought of as home-arts suitable for making useable projects, it was interesting for us to think about yarn as a means to express oneself. In this episode, we also interview Brooklyn Tweed’s Jared Flood about blog as a vehicle of expressing himself through his knitting and photography. Click here to listen to this episode now [MP3].
We have previously featured art projects here on the Lion Brand Notebook, and it’s always interesting to see what people have to say. What do you think? Is there value to yarn used purely for art? Or do you feel that yarn should be used solely for things like garments? Share your thoughts here in the comments.
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Posted in Community, Crocheting, Knitting, YarnCraft Podcast, Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
Recently, we spoke with our friends at afghans for Afghans at the Knit & Crochet Show in Portland. This incredible non-profit organization collects handmade sweaters and garments for Afghan children and people in need, and works with organizations to distribute them in Afghanistan.
Their most recent project has been very special. American and Canadian volunteers made shawls for the 91 women in Afghanistan’s parliament, as a show of support for these courageous women. The following is information from their website:
The afghans for Afghans project presented a gift of a tea party and new wool shawl to each of the 91 women members of the Afghan Parliament in Kabul. These beautiful, lovingly made shawls were hand-knit or crocheted by American and Canadian women to show support and admiration for the women leaders of Afghanistan. We wanted to salute the courage of the women members of Parliament, bolster their souls, and warm their hearts. We wanted to do something special for these women leaders working very hard to serve their people, rebuild their war-torn country, and role model for girls.
These shawls, along with letters of support from American female politicians like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were then presented to the women by teacher and afghans for Afghans volunteer, Elsie de Laere, in a special ceremony.
Click here to see a video and read the article on ABC’s site about this special event.
Want to know more about afghans for Afghans? Listen to the interview with the great volunteers and founder Ann Rubin from the Knit & Crochet show on our podcast, YarnCraft. Click here to listen [MP3].
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Posted in Community, YarnCraft Podcast, Yarniverse | 2 Comments »
I got some great comments on my earlier Cary Grant knitting blog post that suggested I highlight one of the great professional football players, Rosey Grier. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Rosey, he was three times All Pro and played for both the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. Grier was also apart of the “Fearsome Foursome” which is one of the greatest defensive lines in the sport’s history.
Not only is he an athlete, he is known for his needlepoint and has always been associated with that image. Rosey even wrote a book call Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint for Men which consists of projects which are all geared toward men. Although he doesn’t knit or crochet this shows how even a professional football player can be involved in needlecraft. I hope you all find this inspiring.
Related link:
Posted in Yarniverse | 8 Comments »
It’s amazing how creative (and sometimes kooky) people get with knitting and crochet. At this past Maker Faire, we ran into a guy with a full crochet mustache and beard, given to him by his girlfriend because he couldn’t grow his own.
Now, knitters can get in on the action too! Our friends at Craft Magazine point us to a fun project: click here for directions for a knitted mustache from Instructables user Holly2.
It might be a great way to get a jump start on your Halloween costume!
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Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
Recently I have been noticing a trend of people going back to when things were simpler. It seems that the state of the economy is forcing people to realize that it is truly the little things in life that are the most important. I recently came across an article called “Why We Party Like It’s 1959” that I feel describes this trend perfectly. In the article it explains how today’s youth seems to be gravitating back toward the simplicity of things, such as knitting clubs, homemade baked goods, and dinner dances. Even thought we live in a world full of excessive internet-use and text messaging, there is a growing number of young people who seeking more human interaction and simple fun. The article explains how inexpensive activities like knitting are calming and meditative experiences and can help alleviate the stress that these hard times have brought to everyone’s daily lives.
I came across a book the other day called The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts which is comprised of various craft projects from the Fifties and Sixties. I feel that this book is a perfect response to this retro movement. All of the projects in the book are inexpensive and easy to make. With the summer quickly approaching, these cute creations such as the Merry Monsters and Powder Room Poodles (both fun, yarn creations), would be perfect for summer projects.
Related links:
Posted in Yarniverse | 3 Comments »
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Posted in Yarniverse | Leave a comment »
After posting the wonderful picture of FDR knitting I have been on the hunt to find more pictures of other famous men knitting. I find it very inspiring to see men knitting and crocheting because unfortunately it isn’t something you see very often. During my research I came across another great picture of one of the great actors of all time, Cary Grant, knitting. This photograph was taken during the filming of the movie Mr. Lucky. I love how this picture illustrates his intensity for the craft. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as the last one.
Related links:
Posted in Yarniverse | 7 Comments »
