Survey From Lion Brand Yarn Finds Intriguing Facts About Online Knitting Community
Manhattan, New York – October 30, 2007 – The Lion Brand Yarn Company today released the results of an in-depth survey they recently conducted of online, knitting and crochet enthusiasts. The results were released through the Lion Brand podcast which can be heard via their new “Yarncraft” Web site at: yarncraft.lionbrand.com . The survey results describe a vibrant and growing community of tech savvy, hobbyists who are using the Internet to build and enrich their passion for yarn crafts.
The results of the Lion Brand survey are inline with a recent Pew Internet report of hobbyists online, which found that 83% of On-line Americans have used the Internet to pursue their hobbies. One in three responders to the Lion Brand survey said they turn to blogs for information about knitting and crochet while one in four sourced information from knitting podcasts.
The Lion Brand survey also found that 52.7% of survey responders read blogs while 50.4% listen to podcasts. This exceeds the most recent Pew Internet and American Life Project figures that show that 39% of Americans read blogs and only 12% download podcasts.
The survey also found that On-line yarn crafters are an extremely social group, with 35.6% of responders saying they were members of Myspace, with members of Facebook and Flickr coming in second and third. A very surprising result from the survey was that 1 in 4 responders had already joined Ravelry.com. Ravelry is a new social knitting network that launched in May of 2007 and is still in Beta testing. The site already boasts 21,000 current members with an additional 15,000 on their waiting list.
“The Internet has allowed knitters to come out of the closet.” said Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, author and editor of the ‘Yarn Harlot’ blog. “We’ve become socialized as knitting has become a public social activity instead of a private one. The Internet has created a knitting community – and while you might walk away from projects, you don’t walk away from people, so the community continues to grow.”
Blogs were also a big part of the survey results. “Yarn Harlot” was listed as the most popular blog by Lion Brand customers, with “Crazy Aunt Purl” and “Mason Dixon Knitting”, coming in second and third. Lion Brand customers also selected “Lime and Violet”, “Cast On” and “Stash and Burn” among their favorite podcasts.
“It is exciting times when this ancient craft of knitting and crocheting is having such a resurgence due to 21st century technology.” said David Blumenthal CEO of Lion Brand Yarn. “We’re working with the knitting and crochet community online, giving them the latest information from Lion Brand, while hearing from them through their blogs, podcasts and emails. It’s very exciting to know that they can hear us and we can hear them – we’re looking forward to hearing from the consumers.”
For more details on the Lion Brand survey and to download the latest podcast, visit yarncraft.lionbrand.com . Accredited media interested in discussing the topic of this release in more detail are encouraged to contact Ilana Rabinowitz at Ilana@lionbrand.com to schedule an interview.
About The Lion Brand Yarn Company
Lion Brand Yarn Company is a 129-year-old entity and is America’s oldest hand knitting yarn brand. Founded in 1878, the company began operation in New York and has been a leading supplier of quality hand knitting and crochet yarns ever since. Throughout its history, Lion Brand Yarn has been at the forefront of yarn trends while consistently providing its customers with the highest quality product, service and inspiration.
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