Love the Lion
"Wristys" knitted with Vanna's Choice Yarn
There's a group on Ravelry dedicated to people that have a relationship with Lion Brand yarn. The group invitation says, "This is a safe space. You can come here and admit you love fun fur and no one will judge you. Or maybe you are a lover of their new wave of yarns. Either way, come on in! Welcome to the Lion Brand Cafe." Of course, I joined this group right away.
I have to admit that I use Lion Brand yarns quite a bit. I think the colors are fantastic, there's a variety of textures and it's highly affordable. Most of their stock is acrylic and cotton, but they have recently added wools and wool-blends. The other day I was cruisin' the aisles of Michael's and I ran across the new Vanna's Choice yarn, endorsed by Vanna White. It's100% acrylic, 170 yards per skein, worsted weight and about $3 per skein. The colors are marvelous and interchangeable. So far, I've knitted a pair of wrist-warmers (I like to call them "Wristys") with the Honey color, and am working on another pair in the Taupe colorway. I'm considering making tons of pairs for this year's holiday gifts. I like the idea of Wristys made out of washable yarn, since they are definitely gonna get dirty and will need to be washed often.
Taupe ColorwayI do love the fancy Manos del Uruguay, Koigu, Jaeger Wool, etc., but there's something comforting about good old-fashioned 100% virgin acrylic yarn. Hey! This is Southern California. We don't really need to wear WOOL!!!
Thank you, Handmodel, Lisa P.
Project Specs: Vanna's Choice yarn, size 8 needles. Cast on 33 sts. p3, k2. Every fifth row work a cable twist on the k2 stitches. Bind off after 9 or 10 cable twists, sew inner side seam, leaving hole for thumb. Crochet thumb sleeve in the round, size G crochet hook. Of course, you could also pick up these stitches with double-points and knit in the round for a bit.
Labels: yarny stuff
posted by Ellen Bloom @ 4:39 PM
11 Comments:
Thanks for the great idea, Ellen. Wristies make a perfect Christmas gift!
Judy
Bakersfield
Very cute, Ellen. What does one need to do to get on your gift list this year?
LOL ... while I'm not sure what I think about Vanna's endorsement, I do love those wristies. Thanks for sharing your pattern.
:) One thing I *LOVE* about you is that for being such a guru and so knowledgeable and crafty and stuff, you are NO yarn snob. RH and LB are good for what they do, and that is a sensibility that is rare these days.
And those wristies are wicked cute. I think they are a MUCH better idea than my thought to make half-finger gloves for everyone.
I agree with MonkeyGurl, I love that you have not an ounce of yarn snobbery -- I LOVE me some Lion Brand yarn, the colors are great, it's always available and it's not too expensive! And you know how I love Patons so much I want to marry it.
Your wristies are AWESOME. I am so making some, if someone could teach me to crochet a thumb in the round... please?
Those are GREAT Ellen! I like Lion Brand Yarn too. It's widely available, has a lot of new yarns now, and is affordable. I, too, love the more expensive yarns, but most of the time they are just not within my budget.
What great gifts they will make. You're amazingly talented and clever! After meeting you at the LAPL to see the Yarn Harlot and finding out who you were, I have been reading your blog faithfully and look forward to each new entry to see what new adventure you've been on!
So freakin' super cute wristies Ell!!! I love them! Also, I personally heart lion brand and all of the others. Frankly, cute colors & yummy feeling yarn is awesome no matter what wrapper it's packaged in.
xo
Faith
Thanks to all of you for the compliments on the Wristies and professing your love for the Lion too! See you at Michael's.
I am jumping on the wristie band wagon too! I love them. Thanks for sharing your pattern. later tater.
Super cute wristies! Love the wee cables.
Well, shucks, my taste in yarn may be construed as rarefied, but I'm all for using whatever fibers float your boat. Acrylic or cashmere, it's all good if you're crocheting/knitting with what you love.
My thoughts on Lion Brand:
1. Thank the tikis fun fur is so five minutes ago. (sorry, my relief over this is great)
2. It's great to see them reintroducing wool into their yarn line, and making their color palette more modern/sophisticated. I just bought a bunch of their LB Wool for felting, and really like the colors it comes in.
3. I love Vogue's k.1 magazine that they publish in conjunction with LB. The patterns are quirky, fun and fashionable. The last issue had some great retro patterns in it!
4. Their extensive pattern library is amazing. Honestly, I'm nonplussed that they're now charging for their more sophisticated patterns, but like that they're offering them.
5. $3 a ball of acrylic is a great price. Their natural fiber yarns aren't priced as competitively, but it's nice that the big box stores are now carrying some of them, too. (For example, Patons Classic Wool has 223 yds. per ball and sells for the same price at Michaels as the LB Wool, which only has 158 yds. per ball. And Knit Picks Wool of the Andes is $1.99 for 110 yds. per ball.)
Wow, who knew I've thought so much about Lion Brand?!
I too love your Wristys! I may have to give them a whirl!
Also? Handmodel Lisa P. is making me want to get a manicure with my beloved brick red nail polish RIGHT NOW.
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