As people across the globe work to occupy a surplus of free time due to coronavirus-related quarantining, the good ol' pastimes of knitting and crocheting are making a roaring come back in the new age of social media.
Last month, the yarn company hosted Stitch Around The World on Zoom, the largest virtual crafting group in history with more than 800 participants, featuring none other than one of the biggest names in game show history: Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White.
"Try it! It's so much fun and you're creating something for yourself, or a loved one, or a family member, or a gift, or to give to charity," White told Cheddar.
White, a well-known knitter who has her own line of yarn with Lion Brand, is encouraging people to try their hand at creating garments during the coronavirus crisis. She said she has been spending most of her time at home with family, knitting baby blankets, and cooking.
Lion Brand ambassador Shira Blumenthal, who led the massive virtual crafting event, told Cheddar, "This was an opportunity where I was like, you know what, let's have everyone come together. Let's have this massive crafting group or crafting event,"
White will join Lion Brand's Blumenthal for the next global and virtual event on June 14.
"We are asking people to donate during the event and that day to the American Red Cross. We want to give back," said Blumenthal.
A new report from CNBC says Instagram recently reached a new milestone -- 2 billion monthly active users. It comes amid a year of controversy for the photo-sharing app and its parent company, Meta. SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A report from KPMG International found that global mergers and acquisitions in 2021 reached $5.1 trillion in transactions. Carol Streicher, U.S. deal advisory and strategy service group leader for KPMG, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to talk about the record-breaking year and next year's outlook, which KPMG says could be even more staggering. "We're not seeing any slow down in '22," she said, regarding survey results of 350 business leaders. "Things that were tailwinds for us in M&A activity this past year are going to continue to be tailwinds for us in 2022."
MotorTrend named the Rivian R1T as the 2022 truck of the year - a prestigious title given by the publication as a way for automakers to tout third-party validation. Rivian beat out traditional, legacy truck favorites like Ford and General Motors.
MotorTrend said the company earned high marks for safety, efficiency, value, advanced design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. MotorTend head of editorial Ed Loh joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new way for investors to bet on cannabis - the AdvisorShares Poseidon Dynamic Cannabis ETF targets about 20 of the biggest names in U.S. cannabis. It comes at a time when it's still difficult for investors to access the space. Cheddar News cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with co-founder and managing director for Poseidon Investment Management, Emily Paxhia.
Danvas is a new company that aims to bring NFTs and digital artwork into the real world through an interactive, museum-quality display. The company says its product is the first premium, luxury digital art canvas, which it hopes will accelerate the world's appreciation of digital artists and their work, and empower collectors to acquire more NFT art. Danvas also just announced its launch this week, with a $7 million seed round from some big-name backers. Danvas co-founder and CEO Jeanne Anderson joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
LaFawn Davis, SVP of ESG at Indeed, joins Cheddar Wellness to break down why empathy is so important in the workplace, how to improve empathetic skills at work, and what the future of empathy looks like in the workplace.
Actor, pastor, and now author Kel Mitchell joined Cheddar's 'Between Bells' to talk about his new book 'Blessed Mode: 90 Days to Level Up Your Faith' and what inspired him to write it. Mitchell said the book aims to help people boost their physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Ordained as a pastor in 2019, he talked about his service in the church. He also talked about what it was like working with former castmates on Nickelodeon's 'All That' reboot.
VR/AR collaboration platform Spatial is diving head first into the Metaverse. The company is switching up its image--now branding itself as 'the metaverse for cultural events,' aiming to become the new virtual hub for NFT galleries, brand experiences, and large-scale conferences. Jacob Loewenstein, Head of Business, Spatial, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's pivot.
e.l.f Beauty is celebrating a significant milestone in its sustainable journey. Since launching its Project Unicorn initiative in 2019, the company has eliminated more than one million pounds of packaging materials. Ashley Rosebrook, e.l.f. Beauty's chief creative officer, who spearheaded this effort and has continued to work to reduce the brand's carbon footprint, joined Cheddar to discuss this initiative and what the company aims to do next.
