YarnCraft Episode 02 :: Knitters & Crocheters Get Inspired

30 Oct

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In our second episode of YarnCraft, we discuss inspiration — the colors, textures, and ideas that make us want to knit and crochet.

First, Jessica Abo and Zontee Hou discuss your feedback to our first episode. Jessica and Zontee are once again joined by Liz Shaw, and we find out what’s on their needles and hooks. Zontee is making a variation of our Curtain Call Shrug and Liz is making a sweater using the brioche stitch based on our Ultimate Sweater. Jessica also speaks with Karen Tanaka, Creative Director of Lion Brand, and finds out how yarn colors are inspired.

Zontee interviews Glampyre Knits blogger Stefanie Japel and finds out what inspired her to write Fitted Knits, how she got started designing, and what’s in store in her next book. Read an excerpt from Fitted Knits previously featured in our newsletter here.

Liz and Zontee also share some of the Lion Brand patterns they find inspirational:
Basketweave Cape
Best Bunny
Whiter Shade of Pale Car Coat

They also recommend our Pattern Finder and our Stitch Finder for more inspiration.

Finally, Liz, Karen, and Zontee discuss inspiration boards during our segment “Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life.” Join us at the end of every episode for new ideas. Check out Flickr for some great examples of inspiration boards.

To leave your comments and thoughts, post a message on the blog, email to yarncraft [at] lionbrand [dot] com! We may even feature you in an upcoming episode! For our next episode, tell us about the best (or worst) knit or crochet gift that you’ve given or received.

Look for YarnCraft on Blubrry.com.

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

Direct Download

Transcript 

Show Notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:42 Jessica Abo and Zontee Hou discuss comments on the YarnCraft blog
04:03 Jessica finds out what’s on Zontee’s and Liz’s needles and hooks
07:39 Interview of Karen Tanaka, Creative Director
04:19 Zontee interviews Stefanie Japel
22:10 Liz and Zontee talk about patterns that inspire them
25:54 Introduction of “Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life”
26:15 Liz, Karen, and Zontee discuss inspiration boards
33:04 Thanks to listeners and guests
32:26 Preview of next episode: What is the best or worst hand-knit/crocheted gift you’ve ever given or received?

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  • Alexsis

    So what is the brioche stitch?? I am curious…

    Alexsis :)

  • http://classypeoplehouse.blogspot.com/ andrea

    How can I download episode 1. I want to listen from the beginning?

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Andrea,

    For the first episode, you can either go to the blog’s post for the first episode and listen to it directly from the internet, find us on iTunes, or you can right-click here and choose the “Save Link As” option to save the file to your computer and then you can listen to it from your computer. Thanks for asking!

  • http://yarntoknit.blogspot.com Holly

    Wow! You quoted my episode 1 comment in episode 2! I’m so honored! I had to pause it and call my best friend. Thank you so much.

  • Grace

    I’m so stoked about this podcast! It’s produced very well and I like that the topics were quite focused. I loved to hear about the inspiration boards. It was so enjoyable to knit with my newly acquired Wool-ease while listening in.

    My only critique is that the first 4 minutes of the show where spent almost entirely repeating the comment telephone number and web/blog address. I found myself getting impatient by minute 4, thinking “yarn please!”

  • Liz

    Hi Alexsis,

    Thanks for your question about the brioche stitch!

    This is a photo of my sweater in progress – I’m starting with the cowl neck and working down. Clearly, I haven’t gotten that far – some people might think that working at Lion Brand means knitting all day, but we hardly knit in the office at all! When we do, it’s to swatch for a LB pattern, not on personal projects like this.

    Click here for photo of my project.

    The brioche stitch is a variation on ribbing where on every row you *yo, slip 1, k2tog; then repeat from * across the row. It’s a little tricky to form the yarn-over. Instead of wrapping the yarn all the way around the needle, just bring the yarn to the front, slip the next stitch purlwise, and then knit the next 2 stitches together. This will naturally form the yarn-over as you work.

    To do the brioche in two colors, just knit the first row in Color A, and the next row in Color B, and keep alternating throughout the piece.

    Working in the round (as I am here) isn’t much more complicated – a simple version is to repeat these two rounds:

    Round 1: *Yo, slip 1, k2tog, repeat from * to end.
    Round 2: *P2tog, yo, slip 1, repeat from * to end.

    Good instructions for casting on for 2-color brioche can be found in Wendy Easton’s Brioche Hat, Neckwarmer, and Scarf patterns in Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick.

    Give it a try and let us know how you like the brioche stitch!

    -Liz

  • http://tricotandoeandando.blogspot.com/ Ana

    Thank you so much for the new podcast, I loved it, I got it all this time. I hope the next podcast will come soon. Hugs from Brasil

  • Ana

    It’s me again, to suggest you always ask, before you start knitting, if the gift would be appreciated, or you may put all your love and time on something the person won’t use at all… And time is the only thing we can never get back, once its gone, it’s gone.

  • Carol

    I have to echo Grace’s comment about wanting you “get on with the show” and quit already with the phone numbers when you started the show.

    My other concern this morning was that the show wounded “tinny”, quite sharp on my ears. There seems to be a good amount of sharp echoing in the room and it sounds a bit shrill.

    I like the variety of content you’ve chosen and I am excited to hear more!

  • http://crochetcreations-monkeybabies.blogspot.com/ Gina

    Enjoying the new podcast. Love the idea for the inspiration boards. I would like to do the stash swatches on my inspiration board…but I am afraid there isn’t a board big enough for all my swatches! Looking foward to the next podcast.

  • Stephanie

    I’ve really enjoyed the first two podcasts! I’ve already got some new ideas, and love to hear from everyone at Lion.

    I would like you to work on improving the audio quality. The first few minutes of this episode were so full on bangs, buzzes and such, that were distracting. I understand having a little construction or street noise, but a lot of the sounds could have been filtered out before publishing the podcast.

    You’re all doing a great job! Keep plugging away, and I’m sure this will be a great podcast!

  • http://www.kelseyleftwich.wordpress.com Kelsey

    I really enjoy these podcasts. I love that they are informative, fun and organized.

    I wanted to comment on the patterns offered on Lionbrand.com. I like a lot of the patterns, but sometimes the pictures aren’t clear. I think multiple photos would be great, especially when you’re going to construct a garment and may be confused by the directions.

    Great job and I eagerly await the next episode!

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi All,

    Just want to thank you again for all your comments and constructive feedback. We’re definitely learning a lot as we go through the podcasting-making process and improving as we go along. Thanks again for listening!

    ~Zontee~

  • http://www.vegancraftastic.blogspot.com Kala

    Great job on the new podcast, I’m looking forward to new episodes!

  • http://yogaluca.blogspot.com Celeste

    Good Lord! The first four minutes of your podcast was repeating your contact info over and over and over, and thanking posters. That’s too long. Anyone savvy enough to be blogging and listening to podcasts probably knows how to hit the back button to get your contact info again if they need it.

    I also suggest that if you want to thank people leaving comments, do it as part of your printed “show notes” on your blog.

    You might want to take a peek at a cool vidlog that uses printed show notes to share additional information. http://beachwalks.tv She has got this down to an art form.

  • Kathryn

    I was very distracted by all the rustling & other noises during the podcast. I had to stop listening to this episode because I was so distracted that I could not concentrate on what the conversation was about. Hope that this improves in that area, otherwise I think the podcasts will be very useful & will inspire listeners with their crochet & knitting.
    Kathryn in SC

  • http://www.knotsinarow.blogspot.com Lynn

    I echo some of the above sentiments, such as don’t repeat your info so much, just site your show notes and you really do need to try to figure out how to improve your sound quality. We all understand about things your can’t control, street noise, but bangs and such really need to be edited out or avoided all together.

    Ok, so I started with the what to improve part, now onto the good stuff! ;) You have a great idea with this podcast. I’m very impressed with having Glampyre and now Yarn Harlot. Huge names online! The music between bits is very nice, helps the transitions move smoothly.

    I really enjoyed hearing about Inspiration/Mood Boards. I’m going to make an effort to start one myself. As for what inspires me?

    The Yarn.

    I realized how much I love the yarn I buy and even if I don’t purchase it with a distinct project in mind, I love the actual yarn itself. And just having it around me and in SIGHT helped inspire me. So I dug all my stash out of my various bins and boxes in the basement/closets and put it on open wire shelving right beside my closet. I love it. I organize it by yarn type sometimes or by color or by yarn weight. I keep my hands and eyes on it, so it’s there for me when I want it. It also helps me keep in mind what I have in my stash so when I go shopping I don’t wonder. It also helps me keep my stash somewhat! under control. I realize just how much I have at all times.

    Keep up the good work!

  • http://grrlgenius.diaryland.com Trish

    Thanks for another great episode.

    Odd trivia, Listening to Liz was freakily like listening to myself. Our voices are very similiar– only I am always cold and never warm. She’s my evil voicetwin (or probably the other way around).

    I love that you pointed out those adorable patterns. I’m excited about the car coat.

    Best Crochet Gift: On my first christmas with my husband’s family, his grandmother gave us a handmade throw. It was gorgeous and warm, and really made me feel like a part of the family.

  • Samantha

    Thanks for clarifying the brioche stitch. It sounds beautiful, and I can’t wait to get it on the needles.
    Is there a stitch glossary available through Lion Brand? It would be very helpful to have one place to go to figure out pattern stitches.

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Samantha,

    You can find both knit stitches and crochet stitches on our StitchFinder. Happy knitting!

    ~Zontee~

  • April

    I made the bunny!

  • Shirley Kennedy

    Hello – I am desparately looking for a lion brand pattern. I’vd called Lion Brand and they say they do not have it. It was originally shown in Better Homes and Gardens KNIT IT magazine April 2006. It is called a multi-square knitted afghan kit and sold for $52.95. I have tried to order but they no longer have the kit or the pattern.

    Does anyone out there have the pattern that went with this kit? Appreciate any info. Thank you!
    Shirley

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