Meet London Kaye + Her New Yarn!

The lovely London Kaye has been yarn-bombing her way to crafting stardom for several years, and we here at Lion Brand are thrilled to be collaborating with her in a big new way! Her work has been recognized by big brands, and by passers-by who are inspired to take selfies with her street art. We’ve played together to create a new line of yarn, crochet hooks to keep you smiling, and kits to share.

Meet London

One of London’s new Lion Brand Theme Packs: London Eye.

London is a Brooklyn-based fiber artist, but she’s travelled the world to spread her love of crochet and following her passion: making people smile. If you’ve had the chance to visit our Manhattan Studio, you’ve probably seen her work! She designed our current winter wonderland window display, and we’ve featured her work often since first falling for her whimsical style. Her inspirations? Christo, Picasso, and her mom.

Art: London Kaye, Photo: Ana Gambuto

Rising Star

While her methods defy ‘fine art’ traditions, like a true artist, she finds inspiration everywhere. From new & current events, to pop culture, to cultural events & traditions like holidays, to colors or people around her – no detail is too big or too small to find its way into her work. She says, “There is always something to be inspired by around every corner,” and this outlook has kept her busy, and garnering national attention.

London with her piece for Coach (from instagram, @madebylondon).

Her work has been featured by many impressive publications (The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Elle, and more), and has crocheted pieces for some major brands (Starbucks, anyone?). But she holds true to her first passion: making people smile. Despite all this well-deserved attention, her work is born from street-art, and that’s where she always returns, hanging art in public spaces from NYC to Venice Beach, Rome to Mexico City. And this week, sunny LA!

London with her Spread the Love Theme Pack Heart

Lion Brand x London

Two new pieces will be cast on to public spaces in Los Angeles this week, to celebrate our new collaboration! Last Friday, a collection of crochet flowers bloomed onto a mural space in Silver Lake. And on Valentine’s Day, a giant crochet heart will swell in Pershing Square! This 10ft x 10ft creation will be made out of London Kaye LKYC Yarn, our new fiber created with London.

LKYC Yarn

With 23 fun & funky colors, this Super Bulky yarn is durable enough to withstand the elements if you plan to yarn-bomb, but soft enough for indoor projects, as well!

The Tools

We’ve also played with her to design a set of colorful crochet hooks, and some really sweet theme packs.

The Theme Pack Kits

With 11 project possibilities, these Theme Packs include yarn & instructions to create a yarn-bomb of your own! It’s a fun intro to a totally new way of crafting, whether you plan to decorate in your neighborhood, or hang up in your home! If you’re in a lovey-dovey mood, check out Spread the Love, and gift to yourself or one of your crafty Galetine’s this week.

London’s Process

London’s process is one of distillation. She has a background in dance, and came to NYC to study ballet. Imagining in terms of movement helps her think outside the box. London usually begins by drawing, before ever getting

London x Bustle x Lifewater #artbyawoman (from instagram, @madebylondon).

her hook in hand. Her goal is to translate her idea, the shapes, into their simplest form. From there, she figures out the scale of the piece she’ll be creating.

She shares:

“But every once in a while a piece will take on a life of its own and I go with it. Sometimes more beauty lies in places you would not expect.”

We asked, ‘Do you have any creative mantras to keep you going if you get knitter’s block?’ Her response was heart-warming: YOU CAN DO IT! She repeats it to herself when she gets discouraged, ‘You can do it, you can do it, you can do it…’ This generous self-talk has kept her crafting through some high-pressure projects, and certainly infuses her pieces with the joy they radiate.

Her favorite soundtrack for crafting? Podcasts! “It’s a great time to learn new things. My favorites are ‘How I Built This’ and ‘Almost 30’

London Lets Go

Lion Brand x London

London offers a revolutionary piece of advice to crafters struggling with a WIP: “Crocheting and knitting can take a long time, so when something is not right it is hard to part with it, you want to make it work. But I have found that even though I may have spent a long time working on something, it does not mean I have to use it and make it part of the final product.” Staying flexible is key when venturing into new crafting territory, and this mantra could be applied liberally throughout our lives: LET IT GO.