YarnCraft Episode 01 :: Yarn Enthusiasts Online

16 Oct

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The knitting and crochet online community is a thriving place, full of chances to connect with other yarncrafters and great content. Lion Brand is excited to be part of this space. Thank you for joining us!

In our first podcast, meet Jessica Abo, and join her as she visits the Lion Brand Design Center in New York City. She interviews Ilana Rabinowitz, V.P. of Marketing, and finds out why we’ve created this podcast and what we’re looking forward to.
The pink dress made by Jessica’s grandmother for her

Jessica also asks Zontee Hou, who edits our newsletter and online content, and Liz Shaw, from our design department, about the surprising results of our recent podcast survey, the online knitting and crochet community and their favorite — and your favorite — blogs.

In the survey, we learned that communities that you are a part of include Ravelry and Crochetville. We also learned that your favorite podcasts include:

Lime and Violet
Cast on
Stash and Burn
Sticks and Strings
Ready Set Knit
It’s a Purl, Man
CraftLit

…And that some of your favorite blogs include:

Yarn Harlot
Crazy Aunt Purl
Mason-Dixon Knitting
Crochet Dude

To leave your comments, email to yarncraft [at] lionbrand [dot] com or post a message to the blog. For our next two episodes, tell us what inspires you to knit or crochet, or about the best (or worst) knit or crochet gift that you’ve given or received.

Direct Download

Transcript

Look for YarnCraft on Blubrry.com.

Theme music is “Boy with a Coin” by Iron and Wine, from the PodSafe Music Network.

Show Notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:41 Introduction of show host, Jessica Abo
01:43 Interview with Ilana Rabinowitz
03:51 Ilana explains why and how Lion Brand decided to podcast
04:51 Ilana explains the name YarnCraft
05:30 Goals for the YarnCraft podcast
06:23 Interview with Zontee Hou and Liz Shaw of Lion Brand Yarn
08:06 Introduction of the survey
08:20 Zontee discusses interesting survey findings
08:35 Goals for the survey
08:52 Zontee and Jessica talk about Ravelry and other knitting/crocheting communities
09:42 Liz discusses her favorite yarn and gives advice to new knitters
11:58 Liz shares what YarnCraft means to her
13:34 Liz discusses Ravelry and other social network groups
14:10 Liz’s picks for favorite blogs and podcasts
15:58 Community favorites
16:40 Thanks to listeners and Lion Brand team
17:04 Preview of next episode: What inspires you to knit or crochet?

  • Elisabeth

    I can’t seem to get the podcast to download to my iTunes to put it on my iPod. Can you tell me how I can do this? Thanks.

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com Zontee Hou

    Hi Elisabeth,

    To subscribe to the podcast in iTunes now, please do the following:

    1. Copy the feed URL – http://feeds.feedburner.com/YarnCraft
    2. Open iTunes
    3. Click the ‘Advanced’ tab on the menu at the top of the iTunes player
    4. Select ‘Subscribe to Podcast’
    5. Paste (or type in) the URL above (http://feeds.feedburner.com/YarnCraft)
    6. Click ‘OK’

    Then you’ll be subscribed! It’s just that easy, but please let us know if you have any other problems. Thanks for asking!

  • http://grrlgenius.diaryland.com Trish

    I think this is really cool. This is only my second craft podcast I’ve listened to. The first is craftzine which I got to through the Make site.

    So far, so good. Thanks!

  • http://littlehouseintheprairie.blogspot.com Karen

    Thank you for doing this! I’m listening to this podcast as I work today, and I’m really enjoying it. Also, I love your Lion Brand website and the free crochet and knitting patterns. Thanks for doing all that you’re doing to support and encourage yarn crafts!

  • http://www.crazycatknitter.com Alex

    Love it!

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Thanks for listening and leaving your comments! We really appreciate it!

  • Ann

    How can I turn the podcast off? I want to listen to this later. I clicked on the link at Lion Craft Yarn & out came ths sound. I don’t see any type of player to turn on/off. Please help. Thanks.

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Ann,

    Apologies for any confusion. If you’d like to listen to the episode later, we recommend clicking “Download” at the middle of this post (just above the time codes) and saving it on your computer, that way you can listen to it any time. You can also click “Play in Popup” which will open it in another window, with a playback bar that you can pause. Hope that helps and thanks for listening!

  • Ana

    Hi, I really enjoyed listening to the podcast. It was the first I ever listened. I would like to ask Jessica Abo to talk a little slower, so people that speak English as a second language could catch it better. Hugs from Brazil.

  • http://hennasplace.wordpress.com Sheri Maple

    Hello:

    I really enjoyed the first podcast the other day and to my surprise Zontee commented on my blog. It’s good that Lionbrand decided to do a podcast in addition to the newsletter. I get to hear how the company create ideas for new patterns and yarns. I look forward to hearing future podcasts. Thanks!

  • LeeAnnG

    Loved the podcast! Will there be a podcast button available for those of us that want to add it to our blogs?

  • http://www.thecrochetside.com Brianna

    It’s great to see Lion Brand jump on the podcast bandwagon, so to speak.

    A great first episode. I look forward to hearing more from YarnCraft in the future.

  • Lauren

    Looking forward to both the blog and future podcasts. But, you can’t tempt us with such a cute knitted dress and not tell us where we could get a copy of the pattern!! Please share…

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    LeeAnn, we’re currently working on a button to add to blogs and webpages! Look out in the upcoming weeks!

    Lauren, we’re so glad that you like the dress! Unfortunately, since it was made by Jessica’s grandmother who passed away many years ago, we don’t have a pattern for it. Very very sorry!

    Thanks again to everyone for listening and commenting! Don’t forget to tell us what inspires you to knit/crochet/craft–your comment might be featured on our next episode!

  • http://www.CrochetingWithDee.com Dee Stanziano

    I enjoyed listening to your first podcast; it was great to hear about the inner-workings of LB!

    I want to also thank all those who participated in your poll and listed my blog as one of their favorites in visiting.

    In the event any of your listeners are looking for it, they may reach it by visiting http://www.CrochetingWithDee.com

    Thanks again for a great podcast; I’m looking forward to listening to more in the near future! :)
    Sincerely,
    Dee Stanziano

  • http://yarntoknit.blogspot.com Holly

    I really enjoyed the podcast. I always enjoy the Lion Brand email newsletters, and this is a great addition.

    You asked us to let you know what inspires us to knit. It’s yarn. The colors, the textures. I’m a big yarn stasher. I love yarn. The ladies in my knitting group call me the yarn savant. I’ll see them knitting and say, “Is that Homespun?” “I love that color of Lion Boucle!” “How are you liking that Lion Suede?” It’s a sickness. I just love the yarn. It’s pretty. It feels good. Nice patterns inspire, too. Sometimes it’s a clever design. I made Lion Brand’s Simple Garter Stitch Backpack and was so impressed with the design of it. I’m now using Wool-Ease to make Canyon Ridge from the Fall 2007 Knitters Magazine. It’s turning out great. (I’m called “Hotpink” on ravelry. There are pictures of my swatch. So pretty.)

    Thanks for keeping us supplied with beautiful, affordable yarn. Thanks for the interesting and useful patterns. And thanks for entertaining us with your fabulous catalogs, easy-to-use website, and really well done podcast.

  • Trudi Canter

    LOVE the podcast! Lion Brand yarns are great for weaving too. :-)

  • http://sherrisneedlecrafts.blogspot.com/ Sherri

    Love it! Im a die hard crocheter and Im happy to hear a new place to hear more about crochet. Keep it up!

  • Irisss

    Great to hear your podcast. You asked about what we might like to use the podcast for. I have an idea or two.
    1. Lion Brand has so many yarns. While there is a pattern in the newsletters, I would like to make more of an intimate community with others who are using these ideas. For example, a couple of months ago you had knit and crochet patterns for little felted bags. I’d like to see what others did with this pattern.
    An idea might be to create a LionBrand group on Ravelry. Then each project, such as the felted bags, could be discussed, made and posted.
    2. I noticed that Lion Brand fibers are being used in Vogue Knitting, for example. Could we not have a group that works on one of these projects together?
    3. How about this – There are so many new yarns you bring out, how about a group project using a specific yarn, so we can learn about the characteristics of the fiber and some additional projects using this fiber?
    4. There are weavers who also use your yarns. I’d like to see woven items featured using the yarns as well.
    5. Charity knitting. You have a large section on charities and do the recipients well. Since I knit alone it would be nice to have a Ravelry group that would together concentrate on one charity for 6 months or so and then change to another group. I’d like to be a part of that group.
    Nancy Thomas has done a magnificent job since coming to LB. This online community is an untapped resource. Thanks for the opportunity to suggest some ideas.

  • Juanita

    This was my first podcast and I’m hooked! To sit knitting while listening to yarn discussion? What joy! Thank you for creating this.

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi All, thanks again for commenting! Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for our next podcast!

    Irisss, thanks for the feedback! There is a group on Ravelry called “Lion Brand Cafe” that is for Lion Brand fans–people share some great projects there–definitely check it out. Our Customer Gallery is another great place to check out what people are working on. Also, while we loved working with Nancy Thomas, she moved on to other projects about three years ago. Our current creative director, Karen Tanaka, is responsible for the beautiful new look of our catalog and patterns–you’ll hear from her in our next podcast. Hope you’ll join us then!

  • Pingback: YarnCraft » Blog Archive » Lion Brand Survey Highlights Thriving Online Yarn Community

  • http://lionbrand Cathrine

    I would love to see this in in a visual podcast Other than that, this is a great podcast.

    Is it possible to hookup with Knit and crochet today show? I can’t get that show in my area and I would love to see them. Also are you going to on Youtube.com??

    Thanks

    I just love your podcast.

  • Marcia

    Good Morning al at Lion Brand

    It’s 12.25pm in London England, and i’ve just listened to your first podcast whilst crocheting my first personally designed giant doily, in a red Brazilian mercerised cotton. I’m hoping it’ll be big enough for a shawl or go on my bed.

    My African-Caribbean mom used to crochet with the tiny meta hooks, and make these stiffly starched croched doilys which would have stand up frills. I hated them, but now i’m expanding my skills, I’m re-visiting them and adding my own eclectic spin on them. Would I be able to send a pic?

    Love Zontee’s name – is she as beautiful as her name?

    Keep up the good work.

  • http://ww.yarncraft.lionbrand.com Pauline Ord

    Absolutely love all the things that you are doing. I’m like a small child at Xmas waiting for any article or gossip about knitting or crocheting. Find it difficult though to use your patterns. When you say crochet a d.c. for example equivalent stitch is a treble. Please were can we purchase the yarns from in England. Wish we were as passionate about this in England.

  • Samantha

    Thanks for the great podcasts! I love listening to them on my way to work and at night (while knitting) :) Please consider a group outside of Ravelry for all of us who are not yet members. Please also consider a podcast section for kids who knit and crochet, because I know some kids who would like it. Awesome podcast!

  • Velma Staples

    I would like the pattern for the pink dress shown on Yarncraft Episode 01 Yarn Enthusiasts Online

    Thankyou kindly

    Velma

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Velma,

    We’re glad you like the dress, but as we mentioned above, it was made by Jessica’s grandmother many years ago, and unfortunately, we don’t have a pattern for it. So sorry! Please visit our Pattern Finder to see our bank of over 1400 free patterns though! Thanks for listening!

    ~Zontee~

  • PatAustinLane

    I just listened to your first podcast. It was great. Now I’ve downloaded the rest and will be listening to them all. Listening to the voices of the folks at Lionbrand made it seem very personal, as though they were right there in the room. I was one of the folks that thought Lionbrand was a huge company with many many employees. It somehow made the company even more important to me when I learned that it is smaller than I thought. For me, the draw is the yarn. I crochet and I buy usually only publications strictly for crochet because there are so many publications for knitters, therefore I want to support the few that come out for crochet. I have used many of the Lionbrand yarns. What made Lionbrand so important to me was the free patterns. When I was learning, I needed to look at the instructions to see if I could really do the project (and, well, I still do). Also, seeing the instructions lets me be sure the size is going to be there for me. I always look at Lionbrand yarns first, for selection, value, and quality and about 90% of the yarns I buy are Lionbrand. A big part of that is availability. There is a Michaels very close to me that sells Lionbrand. I went to a sheep and wool festival in Maryland and loved the chance to buy a small quantity of hand died yarn, at that special occasion. Thanks again. -Pat