Writer/illustrator/knitter Franklin Habit joins us for his monthly column on the life of a yarn crafter. I was at a yarn shop a few weeks ago, troubleshooting a thumb gusset in the company of those who understand the importance of good thumb gussets, when the topic of steeks came up. A steek, in case you…

Writer/illustrator/knitter Franklin Habit welcomes spring with a humorous take on two of his favorite hobbies in this month’s column. A month since I last wrote, and a world of difference outside. The change has only come in the past day or so, and it’s precarious change, but it looks as though we may yet have…

Franklin Habit returns to share his unique and humorous take on the life of a yarncrafter.  Things that are sure to happen every January: white sales, credit card bills, and some perky knitter chirping, “Ooooooooooooh, I love these cold, snowy days! Nothing’s better than sitting inside, cozily knitting by the fireplace!” This always brings forth…

Editor’s Note: It’s that time of month! Knit-wit Franklin Habit joins us for his regular column. At odd moments throughout her otherwise pleasant life, my mother has been confronted by the sight of me, her only son, with my pants on backwards; with my fingers stuck together by glue; trapped in the bathroom by an…

Editor’s Note: We’re excited to introduce Franklin Habit’s monthly column for our Weekly Stitch Newsletter as a regular feature here on the Lion Brand Notebook. Stay tuned for stories, insights, and laughs. My grandmother, a mostly sensible woman who nonetheless cultivated a small garden of superstitions, taught me early that to begin a new year…

I’ve noticed that in December knit and crochet types divide naturally into two camps: Those who have finished their gift-making. Those who have not. If you’re in Camp One, congratulations. You might want to keep quiet. If you’re in Camp Two, what are you doing reading this? Have you looked at the calendar? The calendar…

1. Guest list. Fifteen. 2. Dining room chairs. Eight. 3. Chair deficit. Seven. 4. Number of guests who will not be horribly put out if asked to eat turkey while sitting on milk crates.Two. 5. Chair deficit. Five. 6. Number of guests who will likely not attend due to influenza, based on World Health Organization’s seasonal forecast. One. 7. Number…

Writer, illustrator, and knitter Franklin Habit joins us for his monthly column featuring humor and insights into a yarncrafter’s life. You might think a nervous type like me, who has palpitations during especially intense action sequences on Curious George, might shy away from the shrieking tomfoolery associated with Halloween. But you would be terribly, terribly wrong.…

When I lived in Boston I held among my acquaintances a heavily starched woman who, in the best New England fashion, lived for eighty-six years without ever once moving her upper lip or her eyebrows. She didn’t need to. Surprise and enthusiasm had been carefully bred out of her in childhood, so the entire universe…

My knitting is sticking to my fingers. As I write this, it’s ninety-four balmy degrees outside the workroom. The plants in the window box are rioting–I abandoned judicious pruning in mid-July–and just below so is a gaggle of inebriated baseball fans, lurching homeward en masse after an afternoon game at nearby Wrigley Field. Sure signs of high…