Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
We craft to inject the personal into the day-to-day and to infuse our lives meaning. The yarn we choose speaks to us because we can instantly visualize it as a sweater or a scarf or an afghan, or simply because we like the color. Color also speaks to us on a more mystical level – often symbolizing deeper meanings: red for love and passion; white for purity; yellow for cheerfulness, to name a few.
Lion Brand’s Design team takes this concept further with it’s Zodiac scarves collection. Colors from the Vanna’s Choice collection were chosen to represent attributes related to each astrological sign. We thought you might be interested in learning what each of the colors we chose represents.
Make one for yourself or make one for a friend. As with all of Lion Brand’s designs, our Zodiac scarves are a craft that encourages the personal to shine through.
 |
Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19 Knit or Crochet |
 |
Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20 Knit or Crochet |
| Purple – Independence Dusty Purple – Inventiveness Charcoal Grey – Practicality Eggplant – Respect |
Dusty Blue – Devotion Kelly Green – Patience Dusty Green – Adaptibility Silver Blue – Intuition |
||
 |
Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20 Knit or Crochet |
 |
Taurus Apr 21 – May 20 Knit or Crochet |
| Linen – Idealistic Scarlet – Instinctive Black – Adventurous Cranberry – Passion |
Toffee – Sensibility Chocolate – Loyalty Radiant Lime – Generosity Kelly Green – Patience |
Posted in Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 1 Comment » Comments
This story is from our newletters called Pattern Journal which brings a warm-hearted, wholesome story to your inbox to read every month. We’re sharing the most recent story here in the blog. If you enjoy it and would like to subscribe, click here.
Some garments just call out to you, and this Raglan Sleeve Topper was one of them, Rose thought. But “raglan sleeve topper”was too modest a title for something so beautiful. To Rose it seemed a magical wrap that transformed the wearer into the best she could possibly be. It was obvious that your natural attributes—whether you were willowy or full-figured, long-or short-haired, enthusiastic or reserved—would be optimized by the form and colors of the gently curving sweater.
Rose didn’t believe in love at first sight, but her attraction to the design she saw online was close to that. The more she studied the image, the more she felt compelled. This was a must-do project. Yet there was some half-completed knitting that should take precedence: two baby gifts, an almost- done afghan, a hat for Dad’s birthday…
Uncharacteristically, she wasn’t dissuaded. She knew those things would be finished eventually, and…she really needed a sweater.
Actually…honestly…she really wanted to knit something just for herself.
Posted in Lion Staff, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 1 Comment » Comments
Our LB Collection® Cotton Bamboo yarn is a luxury fiber, now on sale at a bargain price. Available exclusively from Lion Brand, this yarn is ideal for making garments that you can wear all year round.
The patterns shown below for Cotton Bamboo are some of our most highly rated patterns, and range from beginner to experienced. Best of all, they can be made for as little as about $10.
The blend of Bamboo and Cotton create a light and luscious fiber that has the soft, beautiful drape of bamboo rayon and the wearable comfort and lightweight warmth of cotton. If you haven’t tried this yarn, now’s your chance to make something for yourself or a new baby expected to arrive this spring or summer.
 |
 |
 |
| Crochet Everyday Cardi | Knit Eyelet Cardi | Crochet Cheerful Squares Baby Throw |
 |
 |
 |
| Knit Mitered Ridges Top | Crochet Serene Shell | Knit Echo Lake Shawl |
Posted in Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | Leave a comment » Comments
At the Craft and Hobby Association tradeshow earlier this year Lion Brand unveiled its “7 Wonders of the Yarn World,” a larger-than-life art installation, designed and created by fiber artist Nathan Vincent. The response was wild – people loved it!
Then we went for the old one-two punch with a runway show to spotlight our newest line of knit and crochet fashions. Our lovely spokesperson Vanna White was on hand and people went crazy for the sweater she was wearing. Across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – people wanted to know, “where can I find that pattern?”
Well we have good news! We’re so pleased to be able to share the pattern for our Stained Glass Sweater with you now. The dramatic use of Vanna’s Glamour® and a metallic colorway of Bonbons make the alternating chevrons on this piece really stand out against the black background.
This sweater is also very versatile – you can wear it to the office during the day and leave it on for a fancy dinner that evening. It’s the perfect outfit sweater – dress it up, dress it down – wear it the way you feel best.
We’d like to say a special thanks to our fabulous Design team for the amazing details this sweater boasts – right down to the embroidered cuffs and collar – they did a fab job!
Posted in Lion Staff, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 1 Comment » Comments
One of our most popular yarns in the exclusive LB Collection is Silk Mohair. This lightweight, lofty combination of two luxury fibers–70% Super Kid Mohair, 30% Silk–will help you create beautiful lace, elegant accessories and lightweight garments. The yarn comes in 6 vibrant fashion colors that are flattering to wear.
Now, for a limited time, you can buy this seemingly indulgent yarn for the reasonable price of $7 per ball for 251 yards. Here are a few patterns to inspire you. The yarn has a subtle halo around it and when you give a gift made with Silk Mohair, so will you!
 |
 |
 |
| Crochet South Bay Shawlette | Knit Luxe Lace Pullover | Crochet Featherweight Granny Scarf |
 |
 |
 |
| Knit Berkley Cardigan | Crochet Wild Flower Shawl | Knit Safran Shrug |
NOTE: The LB Collection is exclusively available through Lion Brand via LionBrand.com, the Lion Design catalog, the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York City, and the Lion Brand Yarn Outlet in Carlstadt, New Jersey. Because these yarns are specially made in small batches, these yarns are not available through any other retailer.
Posted in Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | Leave a comment » Comments
At the beginning of every year Pantone appoints one color to inspire world trends for the months ahead. A regular practice since 2000, Pantone recently announced this year’s color: “Radiant Orchid.” According to the leading color authority, Radiant Orchid “inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health,” and was chosen to influence fashion, personal style and all creative matters in 2014.
Purple is a color that’s often associated with encouraging individual creativity and used in meditation to help visualize a harmonious, spiritual balance. Expect to see this purple popping up on inspiration and mood boards everywhere—and of course yarn projects.
With personalization becoming a bigger aspect in fashion this year, we find that purple a great color to work with because of its complexity. While it is a simple combination of blue and red, the variety of shades you choose to use in a project can vary, depending on the mood you wish to reflect.
 |
 |
 |
| Crochet Two Tone Mobius Cowl in Homespun® Thick and Quick® in Mixed Berries and Claret |
Knit Lace Beret in Vanna’s Sequins in Merlot |
Crochet Easy Peasy Hat and Scarf Set in Tweed Stripes in Orchid |
Posted in Fashion & Style, Yarns | 8 Comments » Comments
| If you love knitting or crocheting hats for children or just love seeing the bright-eyed look children have when giving them the latest “it” accessory, you’ll love our latest addition to Lion Brand.
Keppi is a our newest yarn; made up of bright pastels and candy-like colors, it’s the perfect yarn for a child’s or even an adult-sized Small hat. This yarn is not only multicolored but multitextured, made to look like you’ve used several different types and colors of yarn. Keppi is just one continuous strand, no changing colors or yarn. It comes in 8 fun, exciting, Hello Kitty cute colors like Rainbow Cupcake, Orange Fizz, Taffy, etc. Plus every ball of yarn is topped with a matching colored pompom, like the cherry on a sundae. Whether you knit or crochet a hat for the kid who wants the new “it” accessory or a children’s charity project to bring a smile to someone’s face, using Keppi will be fun to make, fun to wear, and fun to touch! |
 |
| Featuring Rose Garden (#302) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Sparkle Crochet Hat in Grape Jelly |
Jazzy Knit Hat in Cotton Candy Pink |
Sparkle Knit Hat in Rainbow Cupcake |
Jazzy Crochet Hat in Taffy |
Posted in Products, Yarns | 17 Comments » Comments
A lot of my projects often are related to food because I’m inspired by a concept I like to call “good enough to eat.” I’ve made berets that look like strawberries and pancakes and recently I crocheted a beret that looks like a “Jammie Dodger,” a jam -filled sandwich cookie.
Posted in Lion Staff, Yarns | 3 Comments » Comments
Homespun® and Homespun® Thick & Quick® have become two of our most popular yarns because of their softness, colorways, and versatility. Whether it is the unique painterly shades or the bouclé texture, people are just drawn to it. Before trying out a new yarn it’s always good to know the best ways to use it in order to create amazing projects. Here are some things that we at Lion Brand think you should know when it comes to handling this plush yarn
Posted in Yarns | 16 Comments » Comments
Working at Lion Brand allows me to go through thousands of interesting patterns in PatternFinder, our online pattern directory. I love doing this because I get to discover all of the different patterns Lion Brand has to offer. Of course, this also means that I have a never-ending list of projects that I’ll never get to soon enough!
For those curious about the LB Collection itself, here are some of my favorite patterns:
 |
|
 |
| Crochet Cardiff Cowl in LB Collection® Baby Alpaca |
Knit Luxe Lace Pullover in LB Collection® Silk Mohair |
Crochet Natalia Scarf in LB Collection® Angora Merino |
Posted in Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 4 Comments » Comments
