Dear Friend,

For Valentine's Day we're spreading the love with 20% off EVERYTHING on LionBrand.com! Hurry--offer ends Feb. 17. Click here to start shopping!

PLUS we've just launched a new iPad app: click here to get our latest catalog right on your iPad (link opens in iTunes); you can even shop directly from the app!

With Warm Regards,
Your Friends at Lion Brand

I have knit myself and others an oasis of color through many a seemingly endless and "vast gray-and-white" winter. But all my piles of mittens and hats and scarves and socks and shawls and whatnots, even those I knit with my own fruit-scented Kool-Aid dyed stash, can't compare to the wondrous work of the miraculous and amazing Annabelle, the star of the new picture book, Extra Yarn, written by Mac Barnett and exquisitely illustrated by Jon Klassen. With true grit and astounding productivity, the newest knitter on our bookshelf knits away the dreary icy grim that grips her world. And it all begins with a box.

Click here to continue reading this essay.

Crochet Circular Shrug	Knit Princess Shrug	Simple Crochet Shrug	Knit Basic Shrug

Stylish and versatile, shrugs pair well with everything from dresses to jeans. As the weather starts to get warmer, shrugs are also an easy way to toss on an extra layer.

To browse over 60 shrug & bolero patterns, click here.

How to Crochet a Button - Jess shows you how to custom crochet buttons in 5 easy steps.

6 Man-Friendly Scarf Patterns - Learn what to look for in a pattern that's man-friendly and guaranteed to please.

12 Tips on How to Organize Your Yarn Stash - Organize your yarn with helpful tips from Margaret.

For more from our blog, click here.

When making a detailed pattern that uses a lot of different stitches in every row, use a magnet board. They sell them by the cross-stitch supplies and they come with different size magnet strips. You can mark with a magnet which row you are on and the magnet holds it all together.

- Heather H.

Editor's tip: For a similar idea on the go, click here to check out our Pattern Magnets.