Ever thought about making your own dish cloths? With summer heating up, it’s time to break out the fast-finish super-portable projects.  Dish cloths are lightweight, quick to make and easy to carry with you on vacation, to the beach or even on your commute. You can use a finished dishcloth right away in any season,…

Everyone needs a great pair of comfy slippers, and summer is a great season to make some! Slippers and slipper socks make great portable projects, and are excellent items to have on hand once the weather begins to get cooler.  Here are 5 of great patterns to make a pair of these must haves! These Scrunchy, Slouchy Slipper Socks can be…

Think you don’t need to know how to work increases and decreases because you only want to make blankets and scarves? Think again–lots of beautiful patterning is created with increases and decreases in both crochet and knitting. Ripple patterns, lace patterns, even some cable patterns will require you to increase and decrease. I wrote about…

Make a beautiful day even more personal by making bridesmaids gifts yourself! Making gifts for bridesmaids is a great way to give a thoughtful gift that is also economical and practical. These gifts won’t take too long to make, and could fit in nicely at the wedding ceremony! Knitted shawls, like the Sweetheart Shawl to the…

Bold, colorful stripes are everywhere this summer, from the catwalk to home furnishings. To help you take advantage of this trend, we’ve picked out 4 patterns to add a jolt of color to your home. [As always, photos and highlighted text are clickable.] Crochet Whimsy Stripes Rug Contrasting colors plus stripes that get thicker and…

World Wide Knit in Public Day is nearly upon us! World Wide Knit in Public Day (June 11th, with celebrations all week long) is a holiday when knitters, crocheters, and all lovers of yarn are encouraged to take their crafting with them out into public. Here are 3 great ways to celebrate this yarncraft holiday: 1)…

In recent months at the Lion Brand Yarn Company offices, we’ve had three new births! We couldn’t be more excited for these new mommies, and to celebrate, we’re sharing our favorite baby bootie crochet patterns. They’re fun and fast to make for beginners and experts alike! Easy Booties The color possibilities are endless for this…

Crafters everywhere know the importance of being focused while you work – but many of us like to have a little something interesting on in the background. Podcasts are a great source of entertainment, and can even help you with your crafting! One of the many free goodies on the Lion Brand website is our…

Unless you are making a one-ball scarf or hat, there is going to come a point in your knitting (probably several, actually) when you will need to join a new ball of yarn. The absolute best way to do this is to join the new ball at the edge, as this avoids messy or gapped…

Want to add a touch of whimsy to any project? Whip up a few crocheted flowers! These small, portable projects are also a great way to use up yarn scraps. Here are five of my favorite crochet flower patterns: Top row: Mother’s Day Flower (left), Tradescantia (right) Middle row: Narcissus Bottom row: Irish Rose (left),…