In a recent essay in our newsletter, The Weekly Stitch,  Michelle Edwards, author of A Knitter’s Home Companion, discusses project sustainability. Michelle writes, “Sustainability is about working a project from the first to last stitch, sewing it up, and weaving in loose ends. Blocking it, if needed.” Her essay discusses the importance of managing your…

Do you ever seen an amazing pattern and think, “Wow, I love that, but I wish it were made in a different yarn”? Substituting a different yarn is an easy way to make a pattern truly unique. There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a different yarn. Let’s use the Inishturk…

Hi, everyone. Today I’m going to be talking about the final stages of making your sweater, and how you can keep on adding design elements even after all the knitting is complete! Once you’ve picked up the bands and sewn the sleeve seams and woven in all those ends, there’s still things you can do…

Hi everyone! This week is going to be all about sleeves. In this pattern, the sleeves are put on hold until the body is completed. Then, the sleeve stitches are slipped back on the needle, and the ribbed border is started for short, t-shirt-length sleeves. Lengthening the Sleeves I decided that I’d like to do…

Last week, I discussed directional decreases for knitting. Of course, there are also many types of increases you can use to create shaping. Let’s go over the increases, starting with the bottom. The yarn over (yo) increase is a great decorative option that works well on either side of your work. Keep in mind that…

When I knit my first hat, I noticed that the decreases on the top swirled to the right. This is because knitted single decreases slant to the left or the right. The most common decrease, knit 2 together (k2tog), leans to the right. Of course, there will be times that you need your knitting to…

A few weeks ago, I shared a Customer Tip of the Week in our Weekly Stitch newsletter from Elaine B., who said: “I only just realized that at the bottom of each yarn’s detail page on LionBrand.com, there is a section called “Patterns for this Yarn.” This is VERY helpful to someone like me who…

Dyeing your own yarn is the perfect way to customize your yarncrafting project, but not all dyes will work on every fiber. Before you begin, it’s critical to make sure you use the correct dye to ensure that your color comes out great. Consider this your cheat sheet for which common dyes will work with…

If you’re thinking about starting projects for spring, then you’re probably leaning towards using a cotton yarn.  Cotton is an extremely popular knit and crochet yarn for spring and summer because of its durability, easy care, and breathability.  Cotton is a versatile yarn that can be used for a range of projects; but there are…

Just like the tags on your clothing, yarn labels contain value information. From fiber content to laundering information, the label includes so many details to consider. There’s a wealth of content on each tiny label, so here’s a little cheat sheet for how to read the label. Keep in mind that not all yarn labels…