From Our Newsletter Archives: Tips from Our Design Department on Adding Color to Your Project
April 24th, 2013
Hand-knit and hand-crocheted items make great gifts to be treasured and loved. Make them even more special by making them unique. Pick colors special to you or your recipient and you’re sure to please, says Jackie Smyth, our technical editor. In this interview, Jackie shares more great tips.
Knitting and crocheting are great for handmade gifts that really reflect the giver or the recipient. What’s a simple recommendation about how to customize a project?
One word—COLOR. The great thing about patterns is that it’s easy to choose other colors in the same yarns and get a totally different look. To make a pattern really personal, choose colors that you like or that have representative meanings to the recipient. Perhaps they love autumn colors or spring colors. The right colors can add a lot of depth to a project.
What if you are nervous about choosing colors that will go together?
Going with a yarn that has a great color range is often a good place to start. The Lion Brand Design team works to create yarn collections that are designed that coordinate beautifully.
What’s a yarn you might recommend for someone looking for easy-to-match yarns?
Vanna’s Choice is a great yarn for mixing and matching colors. All of the solid colors in this collection are designed to match and coordinate. You could use three colors in one family—say, Dusty Rose, Rose, and Antique Rose—to get a light-to-dark effect, or you could pick a few contrasting colors like Purple, Chocolate, Pea Green, and Rust that will really pop against each other.
It’s good to look for inspiration from the things around you. Flowers are one place to find unexpected but beautiful contrasting colors. Fashion and architecture are other places to draw inspiration.
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| Crocheted Not-Your-Average Granny Scarf |
Crocheted Squares Afghan | Knit Boy’s Striped Cardigan |
Would you recommend a few colorful patterns for our readers?
For a simple project, I like the Not-Your-Average-Granny Scarf pattern. We’ve carefully plotted the colors for each square, so that it’s an exciting color journey, but I would encourage you to be playful and experiment with your own color combinations. Feel free to exchange the colors between squares–have fun!
Next, I like the Squares Afghan. I think it’s just stunning in the palette we chose, but you can choose also choose colors that go with your own home décor.
My third recommendation, the little Boy’s Striped Cardigan, is a wonderful example of how just a shot of color can spice up a wardrobe basic. It shows that you can add a few or many colorful jolts of color with simple stripes that are easy to incorporate into any pattern.
Don’t be afraid to change the colors in a pattern to suit you better. That’s the great thing about knitting and crocheting; you can really make every item your own.
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A version of this article first ran in The Weekly Stitch newsletter in August 2007. Click here to sign up for the newsletter and get articles, free patterns, and exclusive offers in your inbox each week.
Zpagetti is Back–Just in Time for Earth Month!
April 23rd, 2013
Our hugely popular yarn, Zpagetti, is finally back in stock after blowing off the shelves and selling out several weeks ago. And just in time! Earth Day may have been yesterday, but all of April is Earth Month, and every day is a great opportunity to be eco-friendly. As many Zpagetti enthusiasts already know, this unique yarn is made with remnants of jersey fabric used to create garments. The remnants would otherwise be discarded, so we’re thrilled to breathe a little new life into this special fiber. In honor of its (re-)arrival, I’ve rounded up a handful of the great items you can knit, crochet or craft with this yarn. Click here to learn more about Zpagetti, browse colors and place your order today!
New Giveaway Alert: Vanna’s Choice Baby Yarns and 2 Fiskars Scissors for a Baby Afghan!
April 23rd, 2013
In continuation of celebrating spring here on the blog, I have a new giveaway that I’m excited to announce. One lucky winner will have the chance to win a set of 5 Vanna’s Choice® Baby yarns, and 2 pairs of scissors, courtesy of Fiskars (The World’s #1 Scissor Brand™): The Original Orange-Handled Scissors™ and the 4″ Folding Scissors™ to make the Bright Stripes Baby Afghan (Crochet Pattern).
The Vanna’s Choice Baby colors included in the giveaway are sure reminders of the beautiful flowers and blooms currently decorating gardens and yards. This afghan will be a pleasure to make, especially if you sit outside and enjoy nature as you work!
«Contest is now closed»
Please note: Comments left on this blog post do NOT count as entries. Please click on the link above to enter.
*Update 5/3/2013*: Congratulations to Eva Yee who has won this wonderful prize!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Recycled Cotton!
April 18th, 2013
Earth Day is less than a week away, and that means sustainability, eco-friendliness, and recycling is at the forefront of many people’s minds. While crafting is by definition the creation of something new, there’s no reason not to be sustainable while doing so! Lion Brand has an array of different fibers that are eco-friendly, whether that means all-natural, organic fibers or recycled materials. I’ll be featuring all of these great green products over the next week. Today, let’s take a look at Recycled Cotton! This worsted weight blend is made with 72% recycled cotton that is sorted by color to minimize the amount of dye needed to churn out the finished product. The cotton comes from leftover fabric from the production of tee shirts that would otherwise be discarded, much like our Zpagetti yarn. Ready to get started? Here’s a round up of my top ten favorite patterns using Recycled Cotton.
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| Crochet Driftwood Pullover | Knit Spring Essential Top |
On Trend: 6 Knit & Crochet Patterns in Spring Pastels
April 17th, 2013
Spring has finally sprung, and it feels great to transition into a different wardrobe. Spring is a fun season because you can show off multiple pieces with layered outfits, play around with bright and bold colors, or add just a touch of color with soft and sophisticated pastels. Pastel colors aren’t just for babies, as they have become quite popular this season, and they’re an easy family of colors to incorporate into your knitwear.
Pastels add classic sophistication to an outfit, and they pair great with neutrals like gray, white and beige. Below, I’ve gathered a few patterns already knit or crocheted in pastel colors to help you determine what kind of pastel piece you’d like to add to your wardrobe. I personally love the Eyelet Swing Cardi in LB Collection Cotton Bamboo; it would pair very nicely with slim fitting khaki pants and a white top/tank. Take a look at some of the options below for more pastel inspiration (click on the photos to access the patterns on LionBrand.com):
 Knit Ballet Wrap Superwash Merino Cashmere: Seafoam |
 Crochet Spring Pastel Scarf Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton: Petits Fours |
 Crochet Modern Lace Shawl Martha Stewart CraftsTM/MC Extra Soft Wool Blend: Gerbera Daisy |
 Crochet Pearl’s Cardigan Microspun: Blush |
 Crochet Beach Cover Up Cotton-Ease: Seaspray |
 Knit Eyelet Swing Cardi LB Collection Cotton Bamboo: Gardenia |
*For more pastel palettes, check out the colors in: LB Collection Angora Merino, Baby’s First and Babysoft
Thinking of incorporating a pastel piece into your knitwear? Share your thoughts on what type of pastel project you’d like to work on in the comments!
Related Links:
- Introducing Emerald as the 2013 Color of the Year!
- Hot New Trend: Matching Accessory Projects and Manicures!
- How to Determine Your “Season” Color Palette
A Good Read: Identifying Your Stitches
April 16th, 2013
Designer and teacher Heather Lodinsky joins us to share tips on reading your knitting.
For the last two decades, I have been a freelance designer writing patterns for knitters and crocheters. For just as long, I have taught knitting at my local yarn shop three times a week here in Buffalo, New York. These two jobs of mine have always complemented each other. Knitters (and want-to-be knitters) walk in for instruction and help with their projects. I always want the knitters that come to my class to be happy with their knitting and not feel the urge to throw their projects in the back of a closet to become a so-called “UFO” (Unfinished Object). From the very start, I like to get students familiar with “reading” their knitting, so that they can identify what stitches they are working, understand what they have already done and know where they are going with their knitting. Think of this “reading” or identifying your stitches as your own knitting “GPS”…or compass for those of us “pre-techies”.
Probably the most amazing revelation for me as a knitter was when I realized (after many years of knitting) that the knit stitch and the purl stitch are the exact same stitch—but they are done on the opposite sides of the fabric. We are taught as knitters that if you knit every row you will get that wonderful, reversible ridge fabric named “garter” stitch—shown below.
So, what happens when we purl every row? Garter Stitch again!
Enter Our Giveaway: Vanna’s Choice Yarn for a Baby Afghan and 2 Fiskars Scissors!
April 12th, 2013
It’s the beginning of spring, and we’re celebrating this joyous season on the blog with topics related to babies, nature, and more. Today, you’ll have the chance to enter our giveaway, where you could win 5 different color skeins to make the beautiful, pastel toned Summer Stripes Baby Afghan.
Thanks to Fiskars (The World’s #1 Scissor Brand™), we’re also providing you with scissors to cut your yarn as you move on to the next color. You’ll get the chance to win The Original Orange-Handled Scissors™, which is great for cutting yarn and fabric; and the 4″ Folding Scissors™ for crafting on the go (which I personally have and LOVE).
Summer Stripes Afghan: Vanna’s Choice® and Fiskars® Scissors Giveaway
« Contest is now closed »
ONE LUCKY WINNER will receive this prize; Good luck! Contest ends on Friday, April 19 at 5:00 p.m. EST
Please note: Comments left on this blog post do NOT count as entries. Please click on the link above to enter.
*Update 4/22/13: This contest is now closed, and the lucky winner is Sandra McClain!
Knitting with Big Needles: Tips and Tricks
April 11th, 2013
| Author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Knitting & Crocheting Barbara Breiter joins us for her monthly column on techniques that people frequently ask about.
For super quick projects, nothing beats knitting (or crocheting!) with thick yarn or multiple strands and big needles. You can knit up an afghan in a fraction of the time it would take to make with worsted weight yarn and, for example, size 8 needles. Larger needles are considered to be US sizes 15, 17, 19, 35, and 50. Particularly with the largest of needles, you may find them cumbersome at first…but remember how awkward knitting with any size needle was when you first began? With a bit of practice, you’ll be handling these jumbo size needles just like smaller ones. Because of the heft, size 35 and 50 are almost always plastic, but as with any needle size, you’ll find different options out on the market. |
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| Knit 2 Hour Tweed Scarf |
6 Different Ways to Knit a Sweater
April 11th, 2013
Have you ever noticed just how many different ways there are to make a sweater? You could make it in one-piece from the top-down or bottom-up. You could make it piecemeal with a front, back, and sleeves. You could knit it from sleeve to sleeve. You could even make it in many modular pieces!
For those who are new to the world of garment-making, a great place to start is a baby sweater. They’re small, so they don’t take a lot of yarn or time commitment (and babies don’t mind a mistake in the knitting here or there). Here are just a few of the different sweaters that we’ve designed–and if you click through to view their schematics, you’ll get a sense of just how differently each one is made! Make one (or make them all) and get some practice so that you feel ready to take on an adult sweater of your own!
6 Baby Sweaters Featuring Different Construction Methods
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| Sunrise Stripes Pullover Features a classic raglan construction, where you knit from the top-down, dividing for the bodies and sleeves. |
One-Piece Baby Pullover This sweater is created from the lower edge of the front, knit up to the top of the neck and sleeves and back down to the bottom of the back. |
We Want You! (To Pick Our Spring Knit-Along Project!)
April 10th, 2013
The holidays are over and your hand-knitted gifts (yes, even the stragglers) are all done. If you’re like us, you can use some inspiration for a new knitting project. That’s why we’re kicking off our Spring 2013 Knit-Along! Help us choose the winning pattern and we’ll work on it together, step-by-step, throughout the spring.
« Click here to vote. »
Vote by April 21, 11:59 pm Eastern. Remember, you must submit your vote through SurveyMonkey for it to count!
Want a sneak peek at the patterns? Click these links for the patterns shown above, clockwise from top left: Slip Stitch Sampler Throw, Tranquil Green Tank Top, Fireside Patchwork Afghan and Ginger Sweater.
We’ll announce the winner here on Thursday, April 25th. We’re excited to have our friend Heather Lodinsky hosting. We can’t wait to see what the winning project will be!
New to knit-alongs? Check out our guide to knit/crochet-alongs for some helpful advice. Crocheters, we’ll be having another crochet-along in the coming months, so keep an eye out for an announcement.
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