Lion Brand Notebook ®
When you ask a non-crafter to imagine someone knitting or crocheting, what do they picture? Probably an older gal, grandmother-age, sitting quietly with a cup of tea. And they aren’t entirely wrong! Plenty of yarn-lovers are older women who fell in love with crafting in their youth. And plenty of us enjoy a warm beverage while we craft! But that picture isn’t entirely right, either. As Lion Brand is always working to break the mold, with new yarns, colors and patterns for crafters to love, we appreciate crafters who are breaking the mold, too.
Vincent Green-Hite of Knot Bad
Crafting, and yarn arts in particular, are seeing a resurgence in recent years. More people in their 20s and 30s are picking up needles and hooks, and embracing a ‘slow fashion’ attitude. With an uptick in Instagram accounts and Etsy shops dedicated to hand-crafted projects, it’s clear that a new generation of crafters are here.
Our Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC has long-hosted a monthly Men’s Night, and it’s been well-attended. While we’ve always known that anybody can pick up a skein and whip up something great, social media is putting these crafters in the spotlight. We’ve even had a few visit for Tea with Shira, and share their unique perspectives!
You may have read our previous blog about Louis Boria, who’s changing the knitting game with his positive message. Louis is the creator of Brooklyn Boy Knits, and rose to social media fame after a Broadway star snapped a photo of him knitting on the subway. Louis is candid in his belief that nobody should feel nervous about taking up crafting, no matter what the stereotypes say. He visited for an episode of Tea with Shira – check out the video below:
When Kai Port found out about Louis and Brooklyn Boy Knits, he found a role model. His mom encouraged him to start a project, and they got one of Brooklyn Boy Knits kits. She shared a photo of him crafting on Instagram, and Louis responded! Below are some photos of Kai on a shopping trip for more crafting supplies.
The two are now collaborating on knitting classes for young people, and Kai has embarked on a crafting adventure all his own. Louis and Kai want to offer beginner classes to boys and girls, anybody interested in picking up a new hobby, to continue breaking down the stereotypes that say crafting is only for the ladies. Seeing someone like him following his creative dream gave Kai the inspiration to explore a new passion, and the avenues keep opening up for him.
Kai & Louis Meet
Josh Bennett visited our NYC headquarters recently to sip some Tea with Shira, and share his inspirations for the knitwear in Marvel phenomenon ‘Black Panther’. He is also responsible for the amazing knitwear featured in ‘Thor’! His worked has graced high-fashion runways, and he sells his patterns online. He is an NYC-based crafter who has made a career out of his commitment to crafting excellence. While crafting on this level might not be in the cards for everyone, it’s inspiring to see just how far anyone can take their passion, when they aren’t afraid to break the mold.
Another pesky stereotype about those who spend their time in the yarniverse is that they’re… well… boring. We know nothing could be farther from the truth, but this idea has persisted despite all evidence to the contrary. Crafting is all about expressing your personal style, and it gets more fun the more you bring yourself to it!
Knot Bad’s Vincent Green-Hite in the yarn aisle.
Vincent Green-Hite is the brains & hands behind Knot Bad, making awesome amigurumi, among other things. His adorable projects and fearless photoshoots are bringing a new life to knitting and crocheting in the Pacific Northwest.
For an ami plate of hotdogs, he slathered his face in ketchup and mustard and boasts a big grin! When he whipped up a cute ami caramel apple? His photo shows him holding his project, wearing a bright green tee-shirt, head dripping with caramel! His inspirations are drawn from pop culture, social issues, and a desire to provoke laughter.
You can follow along for all the fun here. Find his patterns for amigurumi and wearables here, and check out his Ravelry here.
Vincent’s dramatic mohawk, heavy-metal listening, and quirky creations put to bed any lasting notions about crafting being limited to just one type of creator.
Jessica Carey of Hook Nook
Jessica Carey, creator of The Hook Nook, crafts with a powerful message:
I am so proud to be here today, to have been supported by all of you for all of this time, and to finally be able to give back to not only the Makers that encouraged me, but I’m also excited to announce that a portion of the website proceeds are also being given to local charities (such as the Liberty House located in Salem, OR) to benefit children who are facing dark times and deserve to be shown that there ARE good people in this world and they ARE deserving to experience love, compassion and care.
Visit her website to read more about her remarkable journey overcoming traumas of her past to create a space for makers like her to celebrate vulnerability and the undeniable value of every person. You can also follow her on Instagram to enjoy photos of her process, projects, and occasionally a new tattoo.
Chantal Miyagishima of Knitatude celebrates beautiful knits, and calls herself “a sassy chick with ever-changing hair.” She writes with humor about the cold paranoia of pattern-writing, and the ups and downs of making a living as a social-media-based knitwear designer. Keeping it real is definitely necessary to this new breed of crafters! Abby & Lindsay, two of Lion Brand’s social media goddesses, are also amplifying this younger generation of crafters. They share their crafting wisdom and insights as they create with Lion Brand every day, and we are lucky to have them in the family!
Here at Lion Brand, we celebrate all kinds of crafters, and are always excited to welcome new knitters and crocheters to our crafting family! We can’t wait to see what you whip up.
You must be <a href="https://blog.lionbrand.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.lionbrand.com%2Fbreak-the-mold%2F">logged in</a> to post a comment.
