Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
In the special 50th episode of YarnCraft, our bi-weekly podcast, Liz and Zontee answer your questions! From entrelac to invisible seaming, this episode is full of great tips you don’t want to miss.
This episode’s Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life features lots of one-ball projects, perfect for fast gifts or stash-busting. Here are five fast patterns to get your fall crafting started:
To listen to the entire episode, click here [MP3]. For more information about the podcast or this episode, visit the YarnCraft blog. Join the YarnCraft ladies next week for an all-new episode featuring fantastic fall and Halloween crafts.
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, YarnCraft Podcast | Leave a comment »
Last week we attended an awards luncheon because YarnCraft was nominated for an award for best podcast/videocast, by PR News, the trade publication for the PR industry. It was a real thrill when they announced that we won and we’re especially proud of the two hosts of the show, Liz and Zontee.
If you haven’t had a chance to hear the podcast yet, you can listen to it from our website or download episodes on iTunes. We’ve been broadcasting for almost exactly a year and there are 26 half-hour shows including features on yarn crafting with kids, using looms, holiday gift giving and decorating, and interviews with yarn crafting celebrities and authors including Vanna White.
Posted in Lion Staff | 5 Comments »
Before working at Lion Brand, I only had limited experiences with handknit items. A friend of mine knit me a beautiful ribbed red scarf when I was in college, (It wasn’t until working at Lion Brand that I realized that the yarn used was Wool-Ease Thick & Quick) and later in college, my girlfriend knit me a scarf with Homespun. I kept thinking about how beautiful and amazing hand-knit pieces were, but could never wrap my head around the idea that two long cylindrical objects (needles) could take a piece of yarn and create something wearable. It was a task that I considered far too difficult for my clumsy, maladroit hands.
Not two weeks into working at Lion Brand, however, I noticed the incredible knitting and crocheting culture here. From Zontee (of the YarnCraft podcast) to Jackie and Karen (of the Design Department), I had a number of people telling me that knitting wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought. So one day after work, I sat down with Zontee and was ready to learn. She taught me how to cast on and how to knit. That night I knit a number of rows, and came back to work ready for something new.
After work that next day, Zontee was ready to teach me how to purl. A few rows later, I was knitting a stockinette stitch, and was excited to start my first real project. Looking for a fairly simple project that could help me hone my newly found knitting and purling abilities, the people in our Design Department found a great, easy 2 and 1/2 Hour Scarf for me to complete. This would be a little bit more complex, and used three strands weaved in as one, but was an exciting first project. The first day I was ready to choose my yarn. With the expertise of our creative director, Karen, I picked out three beautiful colors of Vanna’s Choice, and I was ready to go. Once again, Zontee helped me cast on and watched me knit my first few rows.
For the next few days, I could be found at home, on the train and after work working on this scarf. This was during NFL playoffs as well, so I was knitting while watching the Giants play – something that I would have never anticipated. The first few rows started off a little shaky (as you can see on the left side of the scarf), but after that, it was four and a half feet of pretty smooth sailing. When I got into trouble toward the end, Zontee also helped me to fix a stitch I’d dropped.
Truthfully, it was fun, exciting and really not as hard as I’d originally imagined. Though the “2 and 1/2 hour” label given to me probably did not take into account the fact that I had knitting growing pains, it still was a fairly quick project to do. With a little bit of help from everyone here, I now have a scarf that I’m proud to say I knit! I’ll admit though, it’s easier to knit a beautiful scarf when you’re surrounded by fantastic knitters.
Do you or someone you know want to learn to knit or crochet? Check out our Learn to Knit Guide and our Learn to Crochet Guide.
Posted in Knitting, Lion Staff | 4 Comments »
We had a lot of fun visiting Etsy a month ago. David, Zontee, Liz and I went to their offices, located in a beautiful building called the Clocktower in an one of the many areas of New York named with an acronym: Dumbo. That stands for down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass.
Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling anything handmade. We did a podcast while we were there and interviewed some of the staff about this phenomenon. We found a very creative group of people and a devotion to customer satisfaction that was impressive. Their site is fun to look at and as crafters, we particularly value anything made by hand.
Etsy featured an exclusive interview with Vanna for their web site.
After our visit, we enjoyed an over-the-top lunch at the famous Junior’s Restaurant.
Posted in On The Road | 5 Comments »
In each episode of our podcast, YarnCraft, we feature a segment called “Stash This–Ideas for Your Crafting Life.” It’s a chance for me and my co-host Liz from our Design Department to share with you some interesting tips about knitting, crocheting, and yarncrafting.
In podcast episode about “Selling Your Knit/Crochet Items on Etsy & Tips on Customizing with Color,” our “Stash This” was about working with color, the meaning of colors, and personalizing patterns. Here are five tips from episode #12:
For more ideas, check out the podcast every other Tuesday by visiting YarnCraft.LionBrand.com, and tell us what are some ways you’ve used colors to personalize a project!
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Tips & How To, YarnCraft Podcast | 2 Comments »
