Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
We received this photo and letter from Irene in New Jersey, about a pattern she made for her grand-dog, Zevi. She is a serious Yankees fan who buys Yankees clothes for everyone on her gift lists but there was nothing available for this Boston Terrier, so she modified a pattern designed for Martha Stewart’s dogs, which are French Bulldogs. The colors in Vanna’s Choice are Sapphire and White.
“It took 2 days working several hours each to make this sweater. I used Vanna’s Choice instead of the yarn in the pattern. I had to make a small back and a large bottom. The back was made in two parts, white and navy, and then sewn together. I also eliminated the second button because he did not have enough room for his front legs. I tried the sweater on many times to get the fit right but he was so good about it. He is a terrific dog. We just adore him. Amazingly he really likes wearing it. He actually grabbed it back after I took it off.”
Posted in Knitting | 2 Comments »
Twins Erika and Monika Simmons show you how to make fun, stylish clothing on their web series Double Stitch: It’s Not Your Grandma’s Crochet. This week’s episode shows you how to make versatile striped leg covers made of Vanna’s Choice and Lion Suede. Get step-by-step directions and styling tips. Click here to watch the episode and learn more about Double Stitch!
Posted in Crocheting | 5 Comments »
We found this post by a young mom who did some informal marketing research with her daughters to find out if they liked Giovanna’s cardi. The test market in question responded by squealing! This adorable cardigan was designed for Vanna White’s daughter, Giovanna.
Posted in Crocheting, Yarns | 4 Comments »
Vanna’s Choice Baby is our collection of newest colors in the same weight and make-up as original Vanna’s Choice. When we introduced Vanna’s Choice, we heard from so many fans–including Vanna herself–who were using it for baby and children’s projects. People loved the weight, softness, and easy-care of the yarn, but were looking for additional kid-friendly colors. Our design team got to work creating a palette of fresh colors that complements trends in contemporary children’s fashion and furnishings. Brighter shades (like Cheery Cherry, Berrylicious, and Aqua) with unexpected accents (Chocolate Cake, anyone?) are the look of the day for even the littlest kids.
The colors are great for kid projects–as the name implies–but they were developed to coordinate with the ‘regular’ Vanna’s Choice colors, too. Since Vanna’s Choice Baby is the same weight and fiber content as Vanna’s Choice, you can substitute colors from either in patterns, or even combine them into one project. The Hipster Sweater is a great example of the striking results you can get with all the colors now available. Between Vanna’s Choice Baby and all of the Vanna’s Choice solids, prints, and mists there are 63 interchangeable colors!
Keep an eye on the website for new patterns in Vanna’s Choice Baby. We know people love the yarn for quick-to-finish afghans and toys, so there are some adorable projects in the works. The fall Lion Design catalog and the upcoming Giggles & Grins book, being published by Leisure Arts, will also feature great ideas and patterns for this fun yarn.
Posted in Yarns | 2 Comments »
In last week’s post I talked about how we design based on experimenting with swatching. Last week I shared a peek into the process by which we decide on color sequencing.
Here is the afghan we created with the new Vanna’s Choice colors that was based on that swatch.
Posted in Tips & How To, Yarns | 1 Comment »
The Knitted Mile is a project created by fiber artist, Robyn Love, for the exhibition Gestures of Resistance. The exhibition was held at in Dallas Texas, from February 20th to March 22nd.Robyn worked with fifty volunteers to knit a mile-long yellow stripe that was installed in the center of a road in Dallas. The concept was that a knitted median line on a highway interrupts the daily fast-paced movement of life with a lovingly handmade element. Hand-knitting and crafts in general, involve taking ones time and creating one-of-a-kind objects that express our individuality. The exhibition showed that this is an option to mass production, instant gratification and uniformity. The road stripe was knit in garter stitch, 4 inches wide in Vanna’s Choice, mustard color yarn provided by Lion Brand Yarn Company.
Posted in Knitting, Yarniverse | 13 Comments »
