Embracing color and technology, the team behind Lion Brand is bringing a new vision to classic crafts.

Out front, the door handles and the bike rack are "knit bombed" -- slang for yarn graffiti; in the window, fanciful, oversize knitting tools greet passersby.

Lion Brand creative director Karen Tanaka holds an armload of yarn at the sampling wall in the New York studio.

A lion created by artist Donna Wilson sports a vivid yarn mane.

Yarns spun from natural fibers beckon from a display table; the back wall features the work of a local fiber artist.

Tanaka and Lion Brand assignment editor India Donaldson compare color schemes in the design department.

A wall of clear plastic cubbies houses the vast selection.

Sample blankets show a range of stitchwork and fiber effects: The plaid one, second from bottom, was knitted with both wool and synthetic yarns; when washed, only the wool felted, resulting in a contrast of textures.

Customers can browse thousands of free knitting patterns on the studio's computers before deciding on a yarn.

Yarn crafters are a social bunch, and Lion Brand staffers and customers alike often gather around the studio's worktable to knit, crochet, and share advice; with lengths of each yarn wrapped around wooden sticks, inspiration is within reach.

A menagerie of knitted and crocheted creatures peeks out of a box; they are called amigurumi, after the Japanese art of crocheting small animals.

Basic knitting skills are all you need to create this mouse (your cat will thank you). You can find other amigurumi patterns at lionbrand.com

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The choice of yarn makes all the difference. Here, simple cowl patterns using a stockinette stitch yield three striking scarf alternatives.

For the multicolored piece worn by Lion Brand technical editor Nadira Adams, a base yarn is paired with a succession of bright strands.

The cowl on Donaldson is ultrathick and cozy, with three strands acting as one.

This cowl uses a single yarn made with different-color fibers in daybreak tones. You can knit each cowl in the round, or create a flat piece with two straight needles and sew it together.