Posts Tagged: 'lion brand yarn'

Making Kitchen Cleaning Fun Again

August 6, 2014   |   23 Comments

Confession: I enjoy cleaning. I treasure tidying. Putting possessions in their proper places provides a domestic bliss I have savored for years.

But the kitchen? After several hours of cooking – or even a quick dinner of tacos or spaghetti – how much to charge for cleaning is what leaves on everyone’s mind. It leaves something to be desired. The spills and splatters that adorn our kitchen counter (check the Renew here), cabinets, and (yes) the floor require a Herculean strength … especially on weeknights.

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Cleaning with something pretty and charming, in bright colors and soft textures, can lighten my stress of keeping our kitchen clean. Which is why, after discovering Lion Brand Yarn’s Kitchen Cotton, I spent a recent weekend knitting a handful of washcloths.

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You have to keep your kitchen beautiful after getting it renovated by a renovation company. With my trusty US 10 knitting needles and around forty stitches (or so) to start, I knitted at a relaxed and casual pace. I used some of my (well-worn) washcloths as a guide on size. In just a few hours’ time, I had a new set of colorful, handmade washcloths that are easy to use, delightful to display, and make for great gifts.

They wash up beautifully and are ideal for all the cleaning that comes with the kitchen. And the cotton yarn is a much better choice versus its wool counterparts.

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Our good friends, Lowell and Diane of St. Joseph, Missouri, recently hosted our extended family for an overnight’s stay. What better way to thank them for their hospitality and truly SPECTACULAR wine selection than with a knitted washcloth of their very own.

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Editor’s note: This blog post was published in collaboration with Lion Brand Yarn. Follow Lion Brand Yarn on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more knitting inspiration. 

Light, Warmth of Heartland Yarn

January 26, 2014   |   2 Comments

So long as the howling winds and sub-zero wind chills of this Nebraska winter stick around, my knitting needles remain full and in motion. While I’m drawn to the pastel hues of pinks and yellows, an obvious eagerness for spring, there’s still a satisfying comfort with countless cozy yarns.

 

Last month I shared the results of using Lion Brand Yarn’s newest yarn, Unique. And although we’re already a month out from Christmas, I wanted to share one of my most favorite gifted items of this past holiday season: a blue scarf for my brother-in-law Ben.

 

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As I hinted around for Ben’s Christmas list, he mentioned that he needed a new scarf. Given the fact that I’m an avid knitter (taught to knit, as luck would have it, by Ben’s mom), I was more than happy to craft a warm scarf in his favorite color: blue.

 

It would be my first time using Lion Brand’s Heartland yarn (I picked a very pretty and very patriotic color: Olympic) and I was curious about the final product. The lighter weight allowed for a more detailed scarf, showing off the dazzling blues throughout the piece.

 

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I have taken for granted the quickness with which I can knit a basic scarf using a thicker yarn (hence the name, Wool-Ease Thick & Quick). The Heartland yarn takes a bit longer to knit, but the scarf is no less lovely (if I do say so myself).

 

Just ask Ben, who so kindly agreed to show off his Christmas gift before we took down our tree earlier this month.

 

Anyone who knows Ben knows that he just loves the camera, as you
can so easily tell. His expressions are truly priceless!

 

Is it any wonder he and Matt are radio personalities and comedians? We spend a considerable amount of time in stitches (pun intended!), as you might imagine.

 

But back to the yarn: I could easily envision using several skeins of colorful Heartland yarn to knit a blanket or oversized throw. It would be great to have in the winter, but also during the warmer months when a lighter blanket will do.

 

The best part of knitting and crafting in general: my to-do list continually grows!

 

One of the other knitting highlights of the holidays was a handmade gift I received from my equally creative husband, Matt. We call it the Yarn Barn: a wooden box designed to hold my knitting projects and needles while effortlessly feed the yarn I’m using. I can easily work on two projects at once without the hassle of yarns getting tangled. And when I’m ready to take a break? I simply close the lid.

 

Every knitter needs a Yarn Barn!

 

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Editor’s note: This blog post was published in collaboration with Lion Brand Yarn. Follow Lion Brand Yarn on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more knitting inspiration. 

 

 

Colorful Stitches for Christmas

December 20, 2013   |   No Comments

Since learning to knit late last year, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to begin knitting pieces for family and friends. (Well, OK. Let me stop right there. Even more exciting than knitting is shopping for yarn. Am I right? So many colors! And textures! And weights! Honestly, my head becomes a just a little dizzy thinking about it.)

 

But back to the knitting. By the time I mastered the standard knit stitch, it was nearly Valentine’s Day, which meant any knitted gifts for Christmas would have to wait another ten months. So I perfected the basics and my technique, stockpiled yarn to the point of hoarding, subscribed to a million knitting blogs and email newsletters, and yes, even opened the virtual doors to a modest online shop through Etsy.

 

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Fellow knitters, crafters, and DIY-ers can understand my delight when, earlier this year as July became August and the days grew longer, I slowly began planning my knitted gifts for the Christmas season. Given the fact that Christmas is only five days away and I’m fairly certain the recipients of my handiwork read my blog, I’ll keep my lips sealed on the details of the aforementioned gifts. (For now.)

 

However, I can tell you that after grabbing my eyeglasses each morning I immediately reach for my knitting needles. The past few weeks they’ve rarely been empty. When I’m not knitting, I find myself thinking about knitting.

 

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It’s a wonderful way to relax, unwind, and ignite my creativity. Just shopping for yarn provides enough motivation that I often leave Hancock Fabrics, Michel’s, Hobby Lobby, and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft with multiple projects on my to-knit list. When I learned about Lion Brand Yarn’s new Unique yarn, I was drawn by the variety of color and pattern just one skien effortlessly provides.

 

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I began experimenting with a basic scarf. The Unique yarn provided a lighter weight than my trusted Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, but with a gorgeous variety of hues. Rarely have I knitted with needles smaller than US 11, so I was skeptical how the final product would look. Now that my Unique (pun intended) scarf is complete, I couldn’t be happier. The ombre effect is beautiful, the texture is soft, the weight is light, and the stitches are flawless. The red/maroon/navy combination is perfect for the bolder colors of winter; however, I’m eager to try Unique’s other colors in the coming months.

 

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Next month I’ll provide an overview of Lion Brand’s other newer yarn, Heartland.

What’s on your crafting table in these final days before Christmas?

 

Editor’s note: This blog post was published in collaboration with Lion Brand Yarn. Follow Lion Brand Yarn on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more knitting inspiration.