8 Things We’ve Been Doing (Besides Knitting and Crocheting!)

Here in the marketing department at Lion Brand, we talk a lot about knitting and crocheting and yarn and magic loops and swatches and yarn weights (we know our DK from our super bulky) and and and … bottom line is that we’re all experts in one way or another when it comes yarn. We can talk about it all day — and we do! You may however be surprised to know that we’re also fairly well-rounded with an excess of interests, hobbies and obsessions that go beyond the hooks and needles.

We thought you might enjoy a peek into our inner worlds. Have fun and please share some of your own personal interests outside of knitting and crocheting in the comments below.

Zoe: I am planning a trip to Scandinavia with stops in Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen. Stockholm is one of my all-time favorite cities, so I’m getting ready by learning some Swedish with Duolingo! Jag älskar Sverige! I’m also a big fan of Slow TV, so I’m super excited to ride the Bergen Line and experience the journey made famous by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. You can watch a recording of the broadcast here, but perhaps you’d prefer to watch 12 hours of non-stop knitting – 1 million people tuned in for National Knitting Night when it was originally broadcast in 2013!

Sarah: I’m still a novice sewist but I’ve just tackled my toughest project yet! I made the Alder Shirtdress which was a big challenge since I’ve never attached a collar before. After spending some quality time with the seam ripper, I have an even deeper appreciation for the work that went into each piece of store-bought clothing I own! This dress doesn’t fit perfectly and the seams are uneven but I learned so much and built a lot of confidence making this garment!

Danielle: I recently went to see Yoko Ono’s “Ono Woman Show” at the Museum of Modern Art here in New York. It was a larger retrospective than I expected and it did a fine job of showing her long history as a provocative artist across so many mediums — she’s even been known to crochet! Some people also don’t know that she was already fairly well-known before she met John Lennon. In fact, it was through her work as an artist that the two were connected in the mid-1960s. My school-aged son really enjoyed the music room, he insisted on listening to everything – I was really surprised! I definitely recommend seeing this show and you have lots of time, it’s on through to September 7th. Tip: stay for the mini-doc about her 1971 MOMA exhibition, also called “Yoko Ono: One Woman Show” – the show’s subversive nature and subsequent person-on-the-street interviews are a riot.

Margaux: I’m currently reading Patti Smith’s memoir, Just Kids. I really love getting in this arty though sometimes disturbing atmosphere. It’s fascinating to imagine New York in the 1970’s, when it was becoming the culture capital. Red Hook being my favorite place, I make sure I go every weekend. Last Saturday was the Red Hook Fest where we could watch great dance performances while wandering on the water front. There is so much going on in New York over the summer, it’s hard to make choices but I will definitely check one or two concerts out at the Prospect Park Bandshell.

Brandyce: Summer in NYC is amazing, so lately I’ve been trying to do as many outdoor activities as possible. I recently went exploring the Brooklyn Bridge Park for Jeppe Hein’s “Please Touch The Art” exhibit. The park has 6 piers on the Hudson River waterfront, and there are fun interactive art exhibits in each of the pier parks. I had the most fun in the Appearing Rooms section at Pier 1. In this exhibit, you stand on a platform, and water jets sprouts up from the floor and disappear – which turns your space into a room with water walls – but you never get wet! (okay, maybe a few sprinkles). You can run from “room” to room, hoping that the water doesn’t appear again as you transition. There’s so much to do at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, so if you’re in the area, I highly suggest you check it out.

Ilana: Since I found myself on airplanes more than usual in the last month, I’ve had a chance to read more fiction than  usual. It’s hard to find the perfect summer read but when you do, you know you’ll be transported to another world and never bored as long as you’re reading.  I particularly enjoyed a book by  Haruki Murakami called Colorless Tsukuru and His Years Of Pilgrimage.  The book had just come out in paperback but was first released last year, when it sold 1 million copies in its first week out in Japan.  What’s great about finding this book is that Murakami, the author has written several much-loved books and now I’ve got a great list of follow-up reads for the summer.  It’s a coming of age novel that’s a page-turner.  All loose ends are not tied up by the conclusion of the book but that’s the way life really is.

Lorena: My friend Jared and I are film buffs to the max — so much so that our friends opt out of seeing movies with us due to our post-viewing discussions about story, cinematography, narrative structure… all the “nerdy” things film lovers chat about. That being said, we recently saw Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. It was sweet, witty, and had us laughing out loud in the theater. If you’re looking to opt out of summer block busters (I can’t say I did; I also saw Jurassic World a couple of days before,) this is one to catch.

Shira: Working in New York City, while very cool, sometimes you just need to get away.  I find myself escaping to Upstate NY better known as Woodstock to many for some weekends.  My family has a house up there and there is something so nice about just getting away and “being one with nature.”  Sometimes I go up with friends,with family or even bring Psy and Thai (my cats) it’ s just such a special place- it’s so quiet, phones don’t work, for two days you are disconnected and I am totally ok with it because it is so beautiful.  With all the travel that I am doing lately sometimes it nice to take a minute and — no need for a sound machine —  just open my window in my room upstate and ta-dah: Nature!