After a somewhat gloomy start to the week here in NYC, I really started to crave spring and things that were bright and cheery.  I also began to think about what my next project will be now that the weather is slowly warming up; so I decided to search for some bright patterns that were…

Okay, so maybe you haven’t heard of National Ear Muff Day, which just passed yesterday, but if you’ve been anywhere near a secondary school math classroom in the last decade–or have math nerd friends like I do–you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Pi Day. The Reader’s Digest Version? It’s March 14–3/14–and Pi, the…

Knitting teacher and author Heather Lodinsky joins us for another article on the wonderful world of cables. Click here to read her previous blog post on knitting cables. Creating cables with yarn may conjure thoughts of knitting—but did you know that this magic twisting of stitches can be worked in crochet?  Last month, we explored how cables in…

In celebration of National Crochet Month, I’ll be featuring advanced crochet techniques each Monday on the Notebook. Missed last week’s feature on Tunisian crochet? Check it out here. No matter what you call it–colorwork, tapestry crochet, fair isle, intarsia, jacquard or otherwise–the art of working a design into the fabric of a crocheted product simply…

As we head into spring, there are more days when you need to start and end the day with a light sweater, but you may want it to be something easy to throw on and off as necessary. That, to me, is quintessential shrug weather. Relatively quick to knit or crochet, they’re great projects for…

This is a guest post from Vanna White. I imagine that most people think my everyday life is glamorous because I’m on TV six days a week wearing beautiful gowns.  But the fact is that my days are typically devoted to my two teenage children and doing errands like shopping for yarn (yes, I like…

It’s National Crochet Month, and I’m going to be highlighting some advanced crochet techniques on the blog every Monday in March. Today, I wanted to take a look at some great patterns that utilize the afghan stitch or Tunisian crochet. If you’ve never heard of Tunisian crochet before, you might be surprised by the technique.…

I’ve gotten to those years in my life–my mid-twenties–when it seems like everybody I know is about to get married or have a baby! I’ve been busy crocheting baby blankets for every new arrival among my friends and family for at least the last year and a half, trying out a variety of patterns, color…

Has crafting ever brought you out of a tough time? Often, the meditative and creative aspects of yarn crafts can be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to coping with grief, depression, or that funk you just haven’t been able to emerge from. Though knitting and crochet are often looked at as lighthearted,…

Lion Brand has a huge variety of yarns spanning the spectrum of colors, fibers and textures, but the one that is the most intriguing to me is our LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel. It’s about what you might expect it to be from its name: 75% wool, 25% stainless steel. In a yarn! Crazy, right?…