The pieces to my Inishturk sweater are looking good with the front and back done and the sleeves still coming along.  Some of you have finished (congrats!) and some have just begun (welcome!), but most of us are still “in progress.”  Many times, when I sew together a sweater, I just lay the pieces out…

One of the many things I enjoy about both knitting and crocheting is that they both tend to be fairly straightforward. You start with X number of stitches, work them in stitch pattern Y, and when you’re done, you have project Z completed. Except sometimes, it’s not all that straightforward. There are increases and decreases…

The Inishturk Sweater is certainly a cabled sweater of “Olympic” proportions!  I know I’m not the only one having fun knitting it while watching the 2010 Winter Games.  One reason this sweater is a great project to work with cables is because there is very little shaping in this sweater.  However, we do have necks…

Every year, color authority Pantone reports on color trends. This year, it has revealed turquoise as its color of the year. This cheerful shade of blue is popping up everywhere, from home decor to clothing and accessories. Turquoise is versatile because it can be bright and bold or calm and soothing. Here are some turquoise-inspired…

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to write this particular post. You see, I really, really like talking to you all and helping you with your knitting and crochet questions. I like hearing about the project you’re making for your son on the East Coast, or your daughter in the Coast Guard.…

A site we like called Everyday Health, promotes knitting and crocheting for health reasons alongside some better-known stress reduction techniques.  This article talks about the health benefits of the crafts that we love. Here is another article that points to the impact of expressing your creativity on your health and also mentions knitting and crocheting.…

It has been great reading how many unique ways we all keep track of those cable patterns while making the Inishturk Sweater.  So, whether you’re reading the row by row instructions, working charts, using your computer or index cards to keep things straight, it’s all good! Now here’s some very good news for all you…

Over the last decade, we’ve collected many of the common questions we’ve gotten from yarncrafters like you and created a useful database. Our Frequently Asked Questions section (LionBrand.com > Learning Center > FAQ) is a great resource for most of the basic questions that crocheters and knitters have about yarn, projects, techniques, and even our…

Every once in a while, I find myself working happily along on a pattern when I’m suddenly confronted with an instruction or abbreviation that completely throws me. It’s not too bad if it’s something I can work out and then continue on, but occasionally I find that I’ve worked past a certain point where I…

Lion Brand unveiled a giant menagerie of exotic animals made of yarn at the Craft and Hobby Association convention in Anaheim, California last week. These one-of-a-kind animals were created from a variety of our yarns available at Wal-Mart and retail craft chains including Jo-Ann and Michaels. The yarns, including Homespun, Fishermen’s Wool, Vanna’s Choice and…