Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Knitting and crochet aren’t just crafts for the fall and winter; when you choose the right yarns and projects, you can keep right on crafting in the hotter months of the year! With these 5 tips on choosing the perfect yarn for your spring and summer projects, you’ll be comfortable making and wearing your crafts throughout the warmer seasons.
Think animal fibers for winter, plant fibers for summer.
Animal fiber yarns like thick wools, fluffy angoras and snuggly alpacas keep us warm when it’s chilly, and when it comes to staying cool, plant fibers can help. Yarns and blends with cotton or bamboo are best for projects that will be comfortable to work on and you’ll be able to wear or use right away. Many of the yarns we love for the cooler months feel heavy or sticky in the heat, so choose something with a cool hand like Cotton-Ease for crafting in the summer.
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I’m almost positive that this spring of 2012 is baby season. I personally know a few people who are currently pregnant and a few who just had babies, so I thought I’d share some patterns to get you thinking about yarn-crafting a special hand-made gift for a special little person you may know (or who’s on the way!).
I’ve included knit and crochet patterns made with yarns that are most suitable for warmer weather, from super soft cottons like Nature’s Choice Organic and Baby’s First— to the brightly colored, and easy care of Vanna’s Choice Baby.
(pattern in image: Soft and Sweet Baby Blocks)
 (Knit) Sunshine Day Baby Throw in Vanna’s Choice Baby & Cotton-Ease |
 (Knit) Baby Booties in Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton (Click here for hat pattern) |
 (Crochet) Baby Hat with Flower in Vanna’s Choice Baby |
 (Crochet) Baby Blocks Throw in Babysoft |
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 4 Comments » Comments
Making Easter basket grass yourself is a great idea; it’s a simple, fun activity you can do with kids, and helps get everyone into the holiday spirit with egg-hunt anticipation.
Making your own out of yarn secured inside the basket also means you’ll have a lush, great-looking basket and no more plastic grass all over your house or yard. This easy tutorial will show you how to create a festive Easter basket in any color.
What you’ll need:
Posted in Crafting, Tips & How To, Yarns | 4 Comments » Comments
Do you ever seen an amazing pattern and think, “Wow, I love that, but I wish it were made in a different yarn”? Substituting a different yarn is an easy way to make a pattern truly unique. There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a different yarn. Let’s use the Inishturk Sweater as an example to illustrate each of these tips.
1. Check your gauge. You’ll get the best results when you substitute a yarn with the same or similar gauge. But what if you’re browsing yarn in a store? You can’t just pull out your hooks and needles and do a gauge swatch without buying the yarn! In this case, look for a yarn within the same weight category, and then gauge swatch after your purchase. In our example, the Inishturk Sweater is knit in Fishermen’s Wool, which is a worsted weight yarn, so you could consider substitution yarns like Amazing, Vanna’s Choice, Cotton-Ease, and more. If you really want to use a yarn with a different gauge, you’ll need to do some math. Click here for a blog post all about substituting different yarn weights.
Posted in Did You Know . . . ?, Tips & How To, Yarns | 21 Comments » Comments
Fall and Winter are busy seasons for knitting and crochet; after all, we’d be pretty chilly without the hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters, and cowls that we make every year!
But what about crafting when it’s warm outside?
These simple tips will help you pick the patterns you’d try this spring and summer, choose the perfect yarns for your projects, inspire you with some new techniques to try and (most importantly) get you ready to enjoy the warm weather headed your way! (Want to make the flowers in this picture? Click here for the patterns from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet by Lesley Stanfield.)
Posted in Community, Yarns | 9 Comments » Comments
| If you’re thinking about starting projects for spring, then you’re probably leaning towards using a cotton yarn. Cotton is an extremely popular knit and crochet yarn for spring and summer because of its durability, easy care, and breathability. Cotton is a versatile yarn that can be used for a range of projects; but there are different types of cotton yarns, so it’s best to know which one suits your project needs best.
Many people love all natural fibers, but did you know that there are some really good benefits to working with cotton/synthetic blends as well? |
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Posted in Did You Know . . . ?, Tips & How To, Yarns | 11 Comments » Comments
Beautiful fibers come from all over the world, so we at Lion Brand travel the world to bring you fibers that you’ll love. We bring you Superwash Merino Cashmere and LB Collection® Cashmere from Italy, whose mills are known for luxurious yarns and fabrics. We bring you LB Collection® Baby Alpaca from Peru, where they’ve been raising them for thousands of years, and also LB Collection® Wool Stainless Steel from Japan, where the yarn culture is always cutting edge.
But did you know that some of our most popular yarns like Homespun and Hometown USA are made in the USA? In fact, the mill that makes Homespun and Holiday Homespun is a wonderful, historic facility in New Hampshire that was built in 1864 and running on hydroelectric power since 1915. I’ve visited the mill a few times myself, and you can read about one of my visits by clicking here.
In addition to those yarn lines, we also make the following yarns in the USA (and we’re adding more in the coming year):
We have two more USA-made lines coming out in the spring, so look out for announcements about them too!
There are so many wonderful fibers from so many incredible yarn cultures, but for those of you who are looking for USA-made products, we hope that you’ll consider these yarn lines.
The pattern shown above is the knit Lion Country Afghan; click here to see the pattern on LionBrand.com.
Posted in Did You Know . . . ?, Products, Yarns | 26 Comments » Comments
When choosing the best yarn for a project, there are a few different factors that come into play. You need to consider what you want the focus of your project to be; will it focus on stitch definition, color or texture? For instance, if you’re working on a complicated lace stitch, you will probably work with a solid color yarn (preferably a lighter color), so your beautiful stitch work isn’t overlooked by a self striping or variegated effect of a yarn. If you work with a bulkier or bouclé style yarn, you can whip up a fast project with a simple stitch that still looks amazing. A heavily textured bouclé yarn hides stitches, so it’s great for an advanced beginner who wants to stick to basic patterns, but can handle navigating through the loops and bumps. Below are some examples to demonstrate how the interaction of color and texture affect your final project.
 Moon Rock Hat |
 Moon Pebble Hat |
The pattern featured on the far left is the Moon Rock Hat, crocheted in Amazing; and the pattern to the right of it is the Moon Pebble Hat crocheted in Homespun. Due to the color variegation of the Amazing yarn, the individual bobbles on this hat seem to stand out more because they’re different colors. Since the Moon Pebble Hat is crocheted in one color of Homespun, your focus is solely on the hat itself, and the bobbles become more of a “feature”, not the main attraction. |
 Sunny Diagonal Blankie |
 Summery Diagonal Blankie |
When I think about how to make my simple stitch project look more than “simple”, self striping yarns are my yarn of choice. I love how the diagonal stitch plus the self striping effect of the Nature’s Choice Organic gives this blanket a completely new look. Since the Summery Diagonal Blankie is done in a solid color of Jamie, it isn’t as obvious that this pattern uses the same diagonal pattern; but it has more of a classic feel, and it won’t hide stitch mistakes (a side note for those who hate to frog!). |
 Raglan Sleeve Topper |
 Raglan Sleeve Topper |
The Raglan Sleeve Topper on the far left is knit in the Natural shade of Fishermen’s Wool, a nice off-white color that truly enhances the stitch definition of this pattern. The Raglan Sleeve Topper on the right is knit in the same pattern, but has a different look to it because it was knit in the self-striping Amazing. In Amazing, the Topper has more of a fun, attention grabbing feel to it, while the Topper in Fishermen’s Wool provides a more classic, timeless look to the piece. |
 Zig Zag Pillow |
 Herringbone Stitch Pillow |
These pillows are a great example of how color and texture affect a stitch pattern. The Zig Zag pillow was crocheted with Homespun, a bouclé yarn with subtle painterly effects. The stitch pattern itself creates the zig zag effect while the bouclé style adds more texture. The Herringbone Stitch Pillow to the right was knit in the Linen color of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick; a great yarn to showcase this particular stitch because its bulkiness adds more texture, and the light color helps make the stitches pop. |
 Cushy Knit Cowl |
 Stockinette Cowl |
Both cowls are knit in the stockinette stitch, but have very different looks because of the yarn. The Cushy Knit Cowl was knit in Luxe Fur, a cat. 6 super bulky yarn, while the Stockinette Cowl was knit in Martha Stewart CraftsTM/MC Extra Soft Wool Blend, a cat. 4 worsted weight yarn. The Extra Soft Wool Blend provides more drape, and the individual stitches stand out more than the stitches on the Cushy Knit Cowl. The cowl in Luxe Fur makes you think more about the functionality of the piece, as opposed to the aesthetics of the stitch-work; you’re more likely to wear it on a cold winter day. |
What techniques do you use to enhance your projects? Textured yarns with simple stitches, light weight yarns for complicated stitches, a little bit of both? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below.
Posted in Crocheting, Did You Know . . . ?, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 1 Comment » Comments
Pantone, the “world renowned authority on color” and provider of color systems throughout a variety of industries, has announced the 2012 color of the year; Tangerine Tango. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute stated,“sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it.” Tangerine Tango is supposed to help you feel inspired and energized. Even though some hues may be brighter than others, it’s friendly enough to include in home decor. If you’re interested in seeing how Tangerine Tango inspired knitwear will make you feel, browse through the selection of orange yarn hues below (please note that colors may vary slightly depending on screen monitor settings; if you’re interested in getting color card samples before investing in your yarn purchase, click here).
 Tweed Stripes Wild Fire |
 LB Collection Cotton Bamboo Persimmon |
 LB Collection Cashmere Terracotta |
 Quick & Cozy Paprika |
 Lion Cotton Paprika |
 Martha Stewart CraftsTM/MC Cotton Hemp Clementine |
 Hometown USA Syracuse Orange |
 Cotton-Ease Terracotta |
 Sock-Ease Circus Peanut |
 Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Apricot |
 Jiffy Paprika |
 Silky Twist Tangerine |
 Homespun Saffron |
 Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Pumpkin |
 Wool-Ease Paprika |
 Vanna’s Choice Terracotta |
Do you think you’ll be adding a Tangerine Tango inspired piece to your project queue (if you don’t already have one)? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Posted in Did You Know . . . ?, Yarns | 59 Comments » Comments
Now that the holidays are over, many of you are probably working on or thinking of projects for yourself. Why don’t you treat yourself to a knit/crochet project with a yarn from our exclusive LB Collection. The LB Collection is a premium line of Lion Brand yarns featuring 100% natural fiber yarns and natural fiber blends. LB Collection can only be found on LionBrand.com, the Lion Brand Studio, Lion Brand Outlet and our catalog.
 Cables and Lace Hat |
 Our 100% roving Pure Wool is undyed and spun in the USA from the fibers of American raised sheep. This yarn is a great deal because for $5 you get 180 yd of pure wool which is also great for felting and hand dying. |
 Cottage Wrist Warmers |
One skein of this Baby Alpaca DK weight yarn can work into a soft luxurious set of wrist warmers. Every stitch that you knit or crochet will feel like eating your favorite dessert; it’s that good! Baby Alpaca is available in 6 natural colors for your warm and sophisticated projects. |
 Angora Tam |
Angora Merino is a soft and fluffy yarn that makes me feel like I’m holding a piece of a cloud in my hand. Comprised of 80% extra fine merino and 20% angora, this yarn will add a touch of delicacy and warmth to any garment or accessory. |
 Angora Lace Scarf |
The Angora Lace scarf is another project which only requires one skein of Angora Merino that I had to share with you. Knit in the vibrant Sangria color, this makes a great transitional scarf; the color palette will surely make you think of Spring. You’ll love how it feels as it works up; you’ll probably knit it fast so you can wear it sooner. |
 Hazy Blue Lace Scarf |
If you’re into lace work, you’ll love Silk Mohair; a fingering weight yarn that practically glides through your hands as you work. A lace project in Silk Mohair is sure to add a bit of classic sophistication to your ensemble. I could see this scarf pairing nicely with a business casual outfit. You could also pair Silk Mohair with a thicker yarn for extra warmth. |
For over 100 knit & crochet patterns featuring our LB collection yarns, click here.
Have you ever tried working with the LB Collection? If so, which yarns are your favorite? If not, which yarn seems to speak to you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Pattern Recommendations, Yarns | 53 Comments » Comments
(image courtesy of 
