A craft fair is an amazing way to connect to other crafters. Not only do you get to support the local economy, but you get the chance to bond with fellow crafters and artisans. Here at Lion Brand, we really enjoy both visiting and sponsoring local events. The Lion Brand Yarn Studio recently had the…

Looking at yarn requirements for a pattern can be confusing and, especially if you need to substitute yarns, trying to decide how much yarn you will need can be overwhelming. Often a pattern will call for a number of balls of a particular yarn and may or may not include additional information about those balls,…

Robyn Chachula is a crochet designer, whose new book, Baby Blueprint Crochet, came out earlier this month. To celebrate, we’re pleased to present an exclusive free pattern from Robyn, available on LionBrand.com–click here to view it! I had the pleasure of interviewing Robyn on the December 7th episode of YarnCraft (our online radio-style show), during…

It’s getting very close to the holidays. If you’re like me, then you’ve purchased all of your large gifts, but you still have to pick up a few stocking stuffers and small gifts. Here are 6 easy ideas that you can pick up almost anywhere. 1. Tape measure. Crafters can never have too many measuring…

Decorating with yarn is fun and easy!  No matter what style your home is decorated in, homemade items add a special touch.  Whether you follow patterns or create your own designs to match your decor, here are 5 great ideas for decorating your home. 1. Pillows: You can never have too many throw pillows!  Pillows…

For every knitter & crocheter, every project brings with it a couple of basic needs: the right size hook/needle, rows to count and keep track of, and of course, ends to weave in. To help you with these basics, here are 4 essential tools that you will want to keep in your project bag (I…

I finished my brown, short-sleeved Pearl’s Cardigan! The modifications I added are perfect for my climate (living in southwest Florida) as I have many more opportunities to wear a vest than a long-sleeved sweater. Adding ease in the hips instead of side vents was not necessarily an important modification, but I thought it would be…

Before we begin with today’s blog post, I want to share a video with you. There have been a lot of questions about how to work the clusters, so I decided to make a video demonstrating how to work the clusters sideways by working them into the side of the previous single crochet. In the…

I’m so excited to share this week’s blog with you because I want to share with you how to customize this pattern to your size–not necessarily one of the sizes written in the pattern. This cardigan is a formula-based top-down construction that I developed over the last few years and one I turn to every…

Regular readers of the Lion Brand Notebook might have noticed that I love sports and sports memorabilia. Recently I attended a sports card show, and through a sea of sports collectibles, I noticed a woman selling knitted scarves at her husband’s booth. It just goes to show you, that you never know where yarn might…