Jimmy Beans Wool Blog

Diane Soucy is teaching a Top-Down Sweater Class at Jimmy Beans Wool!

2012-02-01T12:37:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! I have some super exciting news for all of you local Reno-Tahoe customers! On Saturday, February 11th, 2012, Diane Soucy of the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern line will be at Jimmy Beans in Reno to teach a Top-Down Sweater Class! We are so excited to host Diane here in Reno for the first of what we hope will be many Designer Workshops.

Diane's Class will focus on top-down sweater construction using the top-down sweater pattern of your choice (check out all of her awesome designs on our site here). She will focus on topics such as fit, customization, and the basics of creating your perfect top-down sweater!

The class will be held from 10am-5pm with a 1 hour break for lunch. The cost for this all-day workshop is $80. Please call the Jimmy Beans Wool Retail store for more information and to sign up- (775) 827-YARN (9276). The sign up deadline is Friday, February 3rd, so please call to reserve your spot as spaces are limited, however, you may make your payment anytime up until February 10th.

Hope to see you all there!

Happy knitting!
Kristen

Swans Island Anna Cowl KAL- Mid-point!

2012-02-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

Well folks, we made it through the halfway mark of the Anna Cowl KAL! Give yourselves a big pat on the back! Now it's just smooth sailing since the rest is just a repeat of the first half. I just bound off on the first side on Monday night and I was really pleased to see how the pattern is shaping up. What a fun and easy knit this is!

I used a US size 10 needle for the bind off so that it will be nice and loose when I go to block it and pin out the points. I have a funny feeling that this cowl is going to grow quite a bit when I block it. The Swans Island Worsted is so scrumptious and squishy, but it seems to have a lot of give.

Also, you may have noticed that I made my middle section a bit bigger. I added about a 1/2" to the middle garter stitch section. I am a pretty tall person so I wanted a little bit more width.

We've had a lot of lovely pictures and conversations happening over on the Ravelry group, so if you haven't checked that out yet, please feel free to do so!

If you have finished photos you would like to share for the blog next week, please e-mail them to me at: kristen@jimmybeanswool.com. As always, please let me know if you have any pattern questions or concerns!

Happy knitting!
Kristen

Stitch Red is a hit at TNNA!!!

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am one lucky little bean! I got to tag along to TNNA and help spread the word about Stitch Red!! I can't tell you how exciting it was to be at the event and then to have such a wonderful, enthusiastic response to the project. Well, just knock me over with a feather!

Graphic Tunic
by Daniela Johannsenova

I was, unfortunately, star-struck and didn't think to start taking pictures until late into Saturday. Sorry! I met Iris Schreier (Artyarns) and her husband Elliot! Super, super neat people! I met Sharon the owner of Lantern Moon and had a real blast! I also hung out with Nadine, the owner of Be Sweet, and all of these ladies are AMAZING!!

I did a get a shot of Iris's sweater designed by Daniela Johannsenova from the Knit Red book in the fashion show and I have to say that I can't wait to work it up with those fantastic yarns of hers!

What a doll Ysolda is!!

I met Ysolda who is also in the book and she is just as sweet as she is cute! I am so privileged to say that she signed a copy of her about-to-be-released Whimsical Little Knits 3 book for Sandy and me...YIPPPEEE!!! Thanks Ysolda!!! You will want this fantastic little treasure for your library for sure!

Don't kill me, Diane. It was
Jimmy who took the pic :)

I ran into Diane Soucy and Renie of Knitting Pure and Simple. They were having a blast!! I touched base with them at the Bryson booth and we had a good little chat!

If you haven't knit one of Diane's patterns you are missing a great experience!!!

Norah is super sweet!

I met Norah Gaughn and she is super sweet and humble about her talent. She is also featured in the Knit Red book. Norah is Berroco's head designer and they had the samples from her newest publication, Vol 10.

It was so neat to see them worked up and I will have a hard time not casting on soon...sigh. I have some finishing to do first.

I have to say it was a really successful trip and I can't wait to see what all of the wonderful folks come up with as their products to add to the Stitch Red campaign. Here is a shot of Leanne just being, well, Leanne! She was so much fun to travel with and room with. That's why we call her LeAwesome around here!

As always, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

PS Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Blog interview with Brett Bara of "Knit and Crochet Now" and "Sewing in a Straight Line"

2012-01-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

Brett in her sewing room.

Recently our fearless leader, Laura, attended the International Quilt Market in Houston, TX where she ran into none other than Brett Bara who was there promoting her new book "Sewing in a Straight Line". Brett is one of the hosts of "Knit and Crochet Now" on PBS, former editor of Crochet Today magazine, and writer of a wonderful blog: Manhattan Craft Room. We asked her to do a blog interview with us and she agreed! Here is what she had to say about her projects:

JBW: Can you give us a super quick description of Knit and Crochet Now and how you get started in television?

Brett: Knit and Crochet Now is a TV series all about (you guessed it!) knitting and crocheting. It airs on PBS and is produced by the yarn maven Candi Jensen. We focus on teaching viewers how to do a little bit of everything, so no matter what your skill level or particular interest within the crafts, there should be something for everyone.

One of Brett's cute Crochet designs!

I got started as the host of the show because when it launched I was the editor in chief of Crochet Today magazine, and the magazine and show were created by the same team, so it ended up being a natural fit that I became the host of the show. I definitely never thought I would work in television, but it's fun!

JBW: What's your favorite part about writing your blog, Manhattan Craft Room?

Her awesome new book!

Brett: I love sharing what I make with the internet, and as a result being part of the online conversation about crafts and DIY. Having a blog is a little bit like having your own personal magazine, which is just fun. My absolute favorite thing is when one of my posts inspires someone else to make something, and then they share their results with me. It's the best feeling in the world to know you've helped someone else have a good creative experience.

JBW: As an independent writer, designer, spokesperson and consultant as well as TV personality, do you have any advice for folks out there seeking to make a living doing what they love?

Brett: My best advice is to just follow your passions and try not to let fear stand in the way of doing what you love. Just go for it and keep putting what you want to do out there; eventually it will lead you where you want to go. It also helps to network a ton and make as many friends as you can within your field. Join groups, comment on blogs, make yourself part of the conversation--it does wonders!

And now for the fun part! We asked Brett a few more personal questions about herself. Here is what she had to say:

Shirred Dress

JBW: Where did you grow up?

Brett: A small town in western Pennsylvania, out in the country. My parents are both very crafty, handy, do-it-yourself kind of people so I grew up in a house where we made everything ourselves, which I really appreciate today.

JBW: What time do you start work?

Throw Pillow

Brett: Well.... I wake up around 9:30 most days and generally make it to my work room between 10 and 11am. Sometimes I start working right away but other days I just check my email then head off to go do a project, run errands, go to meetings or cook stuff. Sometimes I end up back at the computer and work as late as 2am, other times not. I try to allow myself the freedom to be flexible and work when I need to, and take time to do whatever else when I can. That's the beauty of being self-employed, and I believe it's really important for the creative process, so I try to keep it flexible!

JBW: Do you watch the Superbowl? If so, who's your team?

Brett: Absolutely, positively not! I run screaming from any and all sporting events. :)

Simple Skirt

JBW: Tell us about your previous life (you know, before the crafting business):

Brett: Magazine editor and freelance writer for men's and women's mags. Out of college, I started working in magazine publishing right away, but for the first 7 years of my career I worked for men's and women's mags like Details and Marie Claire, mostly freelance. Eventually one day I randomly got an opportunity at a position as a craft editor, which was the first time I was able to combine my love of crafts with my professional career in magazines. From there everything fell into place. I eventually got the position as Editor in Chief of Crochet Today magazine, which helped me establish enough connections in the craft world that I was able to eventually transition to the career I have now.

Nesting Bowls

JBW: Which is your favorite medium- knitting, crocheting or sewing?

Brett: I can't choose! I love them all! Though I have to admit that unfortunately I tend to get a lot of hand and wrist pain, and knitting and crocheting tend to exacerbate the problem, whereas sewing does not. So these days I do more sewing than anything else. I go in waves though, so I'm sure that will continue to wax and wane over the years.

JBW: Any new hobbies?:

Brett: Amateur electrician. I recently moved into a new apartment and have been working on beefing up my handyman skills. Lately I've been installing new light fixtures, which is terrifying but also makes me very, very proud!

JBW: First album you ever bought:

Brett: Michael Jackson Thriller, of course!

JBW: Dream Job?:

One of Brett's beautiful Jello molds!

Brett: Starting my own craft magazine.

JBW: Little Known Fact:

Brett: I'm a total hermit and I need to force myself to leave the house every so often.

JBW: I noticed the food tab in your website. Do you consider yourself a foodie?

Brett: I'm a bit obsessed with food. I cook a lot - one of my favorite things is to cook dinner, sometimes I'll cook something really elaborate even if it's just for myself. I love to bake and make desserts too; I'm totally into Jello molds lately, and in the past I used to make wedding cakes.

JBW: Biggest Accomplishment:

Brett: Supporting myself doing what I love in New York City!

Thanks so much Brett for participating in our fun blog interview! If anyone is interested in learning more about Brett's projects, feel free to check out the links below:

Website/Blog: www.brettbara.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crafty-Brett-Bara/128412487195272

Twitter: @brettbara

Happy Friday everyone!

Kristen

PS. Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Casting on- The Swans Island KAL begins!

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are folks! Week One of the Swans Island Knit-a-long! We've experienced a huge response to this KAL! I am trying to get an idea of how many people we have participating this time around, so if you wouldn't mind leaving a comment letting me know that you are here (or on Ravelry if you are participating there) just so I can get a head count, that would be awesome! You can leave an anonymous comment if you'd like. I don't mind! :) I am so excited to have all of you join us!

First, I want to give you all an update on the shipping status of the Anna Cowl patterns and kits. We underestimated the number of folks who would be interested in the KAL, so we've ordered more patterns and should be receiving enough copies to fill your backorders by 1/30/12. If you are itching to get started (I know I would be), please call our customer service gals at: (877) 529-5648 and let them know that you would like to have your order sent with a photo copy of the pattern. If you've ordered the pattern without the yarn, just request that a PDF be e-mailed to you. We have received permission from Swans Island to distribute the patterns this way until the hard copies arrive. Once they do, we'll still send you the hard copy from Swans Island as well. We just don't want to delay anyone's progress! (Also, don't forget-- if you haven't ordered your Anna Cowl kit yet, they are 20% off right now through the middle of February!)

Now onto the knitting! I cast on last weekend and I have to admit that I was a bit stumped by the provisional cast-on described in the pattern. I am a visual learner and the written instructions just don't always work for me. In my impatience, I cast on using another provisional cast on that I have a feeling I will regret doing later. It works fine and yields the same result, but can be a bit tough to take out.

So, to help you all, I found this awesome you tube video that shows very clearly how to do the provisional cast on used in the pattern. I hope this helps all of you get started!

Also, here is a picture of my progress. I'm about finished with the middle section of garter stitch and am about to start the first side of lace pattern! I love the way the Swans Island Worsted feels on my fingers! So soft!

Thanks for checking in this week and don't forget you can e-mail me directly with any questions: kristen@jimmybeanswool.com or visit the Ravelry Thread if you haven't already. The lovely designer, Breean Elyse Miller will be stopping in there from time to time. If you like her design and want to see some of her other work, check out her blog as well! See you all next week, and don't forget to leave me a little hello comment so I know you are here!:)

Happy knitting,
Kristen

PS. Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Sandy and I got a present from Jimmy...

2012-01-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

Jimmy, aka Laura, just came back from Vogue Knitting Live in New York and I am in awe of the time that was had by Laura and Kaity!!! They went to get the word out on our Stitch Red campaign! There were events, charity auctions and so much more!

The book, titled Knit Red, will be coming out in June and so many wonderful people were excited to hear about it at the event that they wanted to be on board.There are a couple of things in the book that are near and dear to us here at JBW as Kristen, Sandy and I are all in the book!!!

Kristen designed the most wonderful market bag, I designed a special spa set (for use after a workout, remember we are working on fighting heart disease) and Sandy got to test knit the most lovely shawl designed by Kieran Foley...sigh!

The book proof!! Woohoo!

Here is a proof of the upcoming book and I am so thrilled to be involved that words just won't do!!

My humble spa set :)

Kristen's spectacular market bag!

Kieran Foley's shawl that Sandy knit...yummy!

I am excited to knit Kristen's Market Bag and am having a hard time waiting for the pattern to be published!!

Of course, there isn't much in the book that I don't like....hmmmm actually I love everything!!

There are 30 designs in the book, all from amazing designers (if I do say so myself. Ha ha)!!

Laura also went to the trouble to get some superstar signatures on the Charity Auction Programs for Sandy and me....WOW!!!

Alice Starmore signed 1st, then there are Debbie Bliss, Sarah Hutton, Kaffe Fasset, Nicky Epstein and a whole bunch more. Thanks, thanks, thanks Laura! I know that these will be treasured by both of us forever!! We will both be framing them and hanging them up for inspiration!!

All in all, the event was more than a success in so many ways. Remember that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Exercise and diet are the best ways to fight this disease. You can read more about this silent killer here at The Heart Truth. Believe me, being part of this project has opened my eyes!!

Sandy's lovely collection!


Jeanne's collection...swoon!

I have added walking (how simple is that?) to my daily routine and am always working on my diet. I am finding it easier and easier to make those healthy choices.

As always happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

PS Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

FO Friday and WIP Weekend!

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! We made it through another week! It's been a bit crazy this week as we attended Vogue Knitting Live in NYC, where we introduced our new project--Stitch Red. Some of the Beans, including Jimmy herself, are currently in Phoenix, AZ for TNNA today! So many exciting things happening around here! We are all just trying to keep up!

Speaking of keeping up, we have so many new Beans around here and almost all of them are knitters! Even our newest knitters have been making their needles click at the speed of light, producing some amazing and beautiful knitted items. On that note, I thought I would share some of our newest Customer Service Beans with you today!

Rachel came to us after years of working in archaeology. She was so excited about turning her passion (knitting) into a career and thank goodness she turned to us! We are so lucky to have her knitting expertise. She knit a Honey Cowl (one of Madelinetosh's free patterns) for her sister-in-law for Christmas and almost didn't send it to her. She loved it so much that she decided to make one for herself. She is using Tosh Vintage in Opaline--isn't it gorgeous?!? (Also, yes, that is a "Rusted Root" top she is wearing in the background! Her collection of knitted garments is seriously impressive!)

Another of our newest Beans, Casey, who recently learned how to knit, has been creating all kinds of wonderful items! She has been drawn to the simple yet beautiful aesthetic of Churchmouse's patterns. She is currently knitting a pair of Welted Fingerless Gloves. In fact, here is the first one already finished in Madelinetosh's Tosh Vintage in Alizarin!

She also recently finished knitting an Annabella's Cowl out of Tosh DK in Parchment paired with Debbie Bliss's Angel in Ecru. She was all smiles as she showed it off to me-- isn't it beautiful? It's really the perfect accessory! I am so impressed with all of our new little Beans and their amazing knitting skills!

Ok, so now it's time to announce the winner of the Swan's Island Giveaway! Drumroll please..... and the winner is commenter #32- Andi who said, "Pick just one color? Seriously? That's mean... ;) But I guess it would be Beetroot. Gorgeous yarn!!! I will definitely have to try it out if I don't win!" Well Andi, you did win! Please e-mail me directly at: kristen@jimmybeanswool.com to claim your prize. (Thanks to the random number generator at random.org for picking our winner for us!)

Also, for those of you participating in the KAL, we have more of the Anna Cowl pattern and some more of the out of stock colors of the worsted on order and it should arrive next week. Don't worry about getting a late start--this pattern should be a quick knit! If you've already got your kit on order, that batch of patterns should arrive today and your orders will ship right away! We've had such a great response to this KAL--I am so excited to start knitting!

Thanks everyone for tuning in this week for FOs and WIPs. Next week's post will be baby-centered as we all gear up for Bethany's baby shower this weekend! I can't wait to see what all the Beans come up with to give to the little bean in the oven. I'm sure it will all be adorable!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Knitting,
Kristen

PS. Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Sad news...

2012-01-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we lost a loyal, hard working bean. Since you are all part of our family, we had to share it with you. Wiley, one of the dog mascots you see around the site, passed away suddenly. We are all devastated by the loss. Of course our head Beans, Laura and Doug, are the most affected, as is Buddy, Wiley's pal for his whole life. Thankfully, Huck is a bit small (2 1/2) to truly grasp the loss, but is still confused.

Wiley will be missed, but will be remembered fondly for his terrific personality, beauty and true loving nature.

No words...Jeanne

Extra, Extra Read All About it--Swans Island KAL and a Giveaway!

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am so excited today I can hardly stand it! We are starting a new Knit-A-Long next week (on 1/25/2012) with Swans Island yarns! We started carrying Swans Island's beautiful yarns back in October of last year, and I have been wanting to host a KAL ever since I saw the Anna Cowl pattern. Delicate and lovely, yet practical and warm, this cowl has everything I look for in a knit-- simplicity, with a little something interesting. I just love it and I hope you all will join me!

Swan's Island in "Garnet"

Swans Island yarns is a small, all natural hand-dye company based in Swan's Island in Maine. All of their yarns are made of 100% Organic Merino Wool and dyed with natural dyes and processes. The colors are truly stunning. So stunning, in fact, that I have already had my color picked out for months, the beautiful berry-toned Garnet color. The rich almost-red shades are balanced out well with vibrant pinkish tones. The Anna Cowl pattern takes just two skeins of Swans Island Worsted, and I can hardly wait to cast on! I might even jump the gun a little bit and get started over the weekend so that I have something to show you in that first KAL post. If you want to learn more about Swans Island Yarns, check out their website here, or click here for a look at their other awesome designs.

Anna Cowl

For those of you who aren't familiar with Knit-A-Longs, here is an overview. Knit-A-Longs (or KALs) are project-based knitting circles. You can host them either in person with your local knitting groups or online with knitters all over the world--this one is the latter. Everyone knits the same pattern at the same time, so when issues arise, you have a whole group of knitters who can help you through it. For the Jimmy Beans hosted KALs, I have started a Ravelry Thread on our Jimmy Beans Wool group page and will be posting there regularly. I will also be checking it several times daily to support you all in any way I can. If you are on Ravelry and want to participate, or if you have questions, please feel free to contact me either on the thread or by message. My Ravelry name is "Marinade." If you are not on Ravelry and will just be following the blog, feel free to e-mail me directly with any inquiries: kristen@jimmybeanswool.com. There is no pressure to post anything or show off pictures of your knitted work (although we always love when you do). Basically, it's just a friendly community of knitters, who are all excited about knitting the same project together!

An added benefit of participating in the KAL is that the kit is on sale on our site this month as the Kit-of-the-Month (through mid-February) for 20% off! What a deal!

Now for the best part! The kind folks at Swans Island have donated a kit to give away to one lucky winner! ~~Please leave a comment by 12 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, Friday 1/20~~ letting us know what your favorite Swans Island color is, and we'll choose a winner later that morning and announce it in Friday's blog post. We'll ship the kit as soon as we hear from the winner, so that he or she will receive it in time to participate in the KAL! Fun stuff! (Please only one comment per person, we will be choosing a winner at random.)

***Edit- 1/20/12*** Thank you so much for entering the Swans Island Anna Cowl Kit giveaway. We've already chosen our winner. Please see today's post for the announcement! Thank you!

Well, thanks so much for checking in today! I hope to see and hear from you all during the KAL and best of luck to those participating in the giveaway! I'll be back next Wednesday with our first official Swans Island KAL post!

Happy knitting!

Kristen

Jeanne's fav's for 2011

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are well into 2012...okay maybe only 16 days in, but there are already so many new yarns and projects to consider that my head is spinning for 2012. However, I think you might agree with me that there are always a few favorites which we turn to as much as we can and I thought I would share some of mine from 2011.


Tosh Vintage "Crumble"

1. Madelinetosh (any weight and almost ALL the colors) and I just can't say enough about the quality of this yarn. I would remind everyone that this wonderful line of yarns does NOT have dye lots and that is because each hank is dyed on it's own. Now that doesn't mean that you can't work up an entire garment out of one color (Please call us. We will look at them for you), it just means that you should enter this special world of unique colors with limited expectations and I guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised. I did say any weight and that is true, but I do have a favorite and that has to be the Vintage, due to the amazing quality of the base. The ply is firm and creates lovely stitch definition for any kind of a project that needs a worsted weight yarn. I also said most of the colors and that too is true, but of course I have a couple of favorites in each base. I am afraid there isn't enough room here to mention them all, so here are just a few:

-Tosh Vintage in "Crumble"
-Tosh Merino Light in "Black Velvet"

Vail

-Tosh Prairie in "Terrarium"

2. Has to be the Classic Elite Vail, and of course it is a fingering weight (which might deter some), but it has a fabulous hand and works up beautifully! The blend of Alpaca and Bamboo lends this yarn to anything that you want to have a fluid drape...yummy!

3. This one is a real work horse in the yarn world and I love to work with it and it is Cascade's Eco Wool! This is by no means a new yarn, but I have used it (am using it) on several projects this year and have fallen in love all over again! Here you can see my Umaro by Jared Flood and I have added another repeat and a half to this...which is for my daughter and her new husband...shhhhh!

If you are interested in the project details check those out here.

DeAire

4. I love working with super bulky yarns and I have to say that I am excited about the Plymouth DeAire!! It has a lovely lofty woven ply and calls for a US 15 needle, so what's not to love here? It has a lovely feel in the hank and works up with great stitch definition and FAST!! I am particularly fond of color 705 Portland, but any of you who know me are aware of my lust for anything green.

Wild Onion

5. Last but not least is The Fibre Company Acadia...ooohhhh so yummy and super soft and luscious to the touch. The fiber content is amazing, 60% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk and with it's lovely 'slubby' texture this yarn has real personality! I know I mentioned my green fetish, but my favorite (at least for now LOL) is the Wild Onion in this line. It is so pretty and I know this onion won't make me cry.

Okay I have only mentioned 5 of my fav's in this post and I have to say that I am constantly touching something as I cruise through the shop and oohhing and awwwing, but these are foremost in my mind at the time of this writing...who knows what it will be tomorrow ha ha! Be sure you check out the pattern support for all of these lovelies and for now I need to go knit, so I can calm down! Also, feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your favorite yarn was this last year!

As always happy knitting, crocheting and of course now sewing! (for those of you following the quilting saga don't worry there is more coming soon on our adventure)

Jeanne

Check it out:

Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

FO Friday and WIP Weekend!

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope this Friday the 13th finds you all well and free of any superstition or strange happenings. I know I am looking forward to the weekend and planning my knitting time out. I am hoping to finish a few fun items for an upcoming baby shower... I'm in the home stretch now!

As for FO's this week, we've got my Springtime Bandit Shawl from the KAL we hosted back in November. I knit it out of The Fibre Co. Terra yarn in the Mint color and I managed to finish it in time to give it to my Mother-in-Law as a Christmas gift. She literally squealed when she opened the package. I think she liked it. :) Anyway, here are some photos of me modeling it just before I wrapped it up for her. (Please never mind the blurry photos and the fact that I look exhausted. These photos were taken late at night during a marathon knitting session. The lighting in our bathroom was not kind to me.)

This project is Raveled here. I did make a couple of modifications to make it bigger. In retrospect, I probably only needed to do one extra body section repeat as the finished shawl was quite large. C'est la vie! It still turned out gorgeous!

In WIPs this week, we have two projects by Shevawn! She's made it her goal this year to finish up all of the WIPs floating around her house so that she can work on new projects guilt-free. I envy her tenacity! I know I am trying to do the same without much progress. :)

Shevawn is currently trying to finish her Shawl Collared Cowl by Never Not Knitting in the Misti Alpaca Landscape Collection. Although this collection of colors is discontinued, the regular Misti Alpaca Hand-Paints have plenty of gorgeous colors to choose from such as: Havasu, Faberge, or Macbeth. I really love this cowl pattern too. It's a fairly quick and easy knit and it only takes 2 skeins of this yarn!

Her other project is her Rowan Lima "Guernsey Wrap" by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. You may all remember Sharon's Guernsey Wrap that she knit last year out of Misti Alpaca "Best of Nature Worsted" Yarn. Well, her wrap was so stunning that Shevawn had to cast on as well in this lovely color of Rowan Lima. The color is discontinued, but there are plenty of other lovely colors to choose from. The gold color suits her well and I can't wait until she walks into work wearing it! So pretty!

So that's it for this weeks FO's and WIPs! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Happy knitting,

Kristen

PS. Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns atwww.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Working with Hand Dyed Yarns

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone and happy Wednesday! This week, as I have been knitting away on my Tea Leaves Cardigan in Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage, I have been contemplating hand dyed yarns and how they can be a bit tricky to work with as a novice knitter. I am not what you would consider a novice, but I am a staunchly lazy knitter in that I rarely (until recently) give much thought to how a garment will turn out when working with hand-dyed yarns. I often find myself blissfully knitting along without a care in the world and paying no mind to how the colors look from one skein to the next. Some knitters might find this appalling, but not me--I am pretty laid back about the whole thing.

I realize though, that this isn't the case for many knitters and I completely understand why. You put all of those hours and hard work into your knitted garments and you want them to turn out as close to perfect as possible. Hand-dyed yarns, although beautiful, can sometimes foil this plan. They don't have to though, and these videos: Hand Dyed Yarn 101 and 102 starring our very own Jeanne Giles of Battle Born Knits are super helpful in preventing a project meltdown. Take a look:

I hope you found these videos as useful as I did. I may actually decide to stop being so lazy with my next hand-dyed yarn project and try some of these out! Also, if you have a second, leave us a comment and let us know what you think about working with hand-dyed yarns! Do you have any helpful tips and tricks to share?

Hope you all have a great rest of your week!
Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.
Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Let's Quilt!!

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, we have added tons of lovely fabric to our inventory and, being who we are, we've been oohhing and aahhing all over the place! Fun projects have been dancing around in all of our heads and thanks to Sandy's encouragement, Laura and I decided to make our first quilts. Of course I right away thought of you all out there and decided to share this fun process. Sandy is a super experienced quilter and I am a pretty experienced seamstress, BUT Laura has never sewn a stitch, so you will get the entire spectrum of experiences from these posts. We are starting with a very simple strip quilt by Joel Dewberry from the book Sewn Spaces. I must say I am super excited!!!

Laura can hardly concentrate on work and Sandy (who is our instructor for this project) is already getting hers a few steps ahead of us. While I have sewn everything from soup to nuts (LOL), I have always avoided quilting because I thought it was too hard. I had to remind myself that I am always telling you all to give it a shot with your knitting and it's about time I take my own advice!!

So, on to step one; choosing our fabrics:

Here we are with our pile of options for this project. These stayed here for a week. Our assignment was to walk by the quilts every day and look at the fabrics.

We all did that and wait until you see our final choices next week...you will be surprised!

Our next steps will be to cut the fabric, wash it, trim all the threads and then iron each piece really well.

Below you can see Sandy being a show off (okay, okay she is the instructor so does need to be prepared :) Her project is moving forward nicely.

She is using:

Freespirit Essentials Linen Solid

Melissa White, Misaki Sparrows and Blossom

Melissa White,Misaki Lotus and Berries

Melissa White, Misaki Mallow and Bee

Kaffe Fassett, Classics Roman Glass

Kaffe Fassett, Classics Lotus Leaf

Kaffe Fassett, Classics Millefiore

Brandon Malby, Shingles

Stay tuned for more, and as always happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!!

Jeanne

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

FO Friday and WIP Weekend!

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all had a fantastic first week of the new year! We've been busy this week; off and running with all of our big plans for 2012!

This week's FO is actually two in one. I knit two of the Buttoned Neckwarmers from Malabrigo Book 3 as Christmas gifts for my sisters-in-law this year and they really loved them! The pattern is a simple elongated seed stitch pattern with button holes on one end, resulting in a super stylish and chunky cowl that knits up quickly! Since we were out of the Malabrigo Rasta that the pattern calls for, I used the super warm and cozy Cascade Magnum instead. I think they turned out lovely, and the girls really liked them. I Raveled the project here.

"Amethyst Heather"

"Purple Jewel Heather"

They love getting hand-knit gifts!

As for this week's WIP, I present my Tea Leaves Cardigan! I wrote about wanting to knit this in my Resolution Knitting post and I was so excited that I cast on last weekend. I just love the way that the Tosh Vintage Tart color is knitting up! At the rate I'm going, I'll be wearing this cozy knit by Valentine's Day! Follow my progress on Ravelry here.

Tea Leaves in "Tart"

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy knitting and crocheting,
Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.
Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Crochet the day away!

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

One thing that I have been trying to do more of lately is crochet. My skills in this department are not quite as developed as my knitting ones are, but I am learning. I am admittedly a bit of a fair-weather crocheter and I haven't really spent a whole lot of time practicing my skills.

This is why I love the crochet instructional videos that we have on our site! Anytime I need to remember how to do something, I look to Amber or Sandy to help me. For example, recently, I wanted to crochet a hat and I couldn't remember how to cast on. I watched this video of Amber showing how to crochet a hat without a pattern, and I was back in business!

This is just part one. If you want to crochet a hat without a pattern as well, check out part two on our website here. We've also got videos of many of the basic crochet stitches, so if you are looking to learn, check them out!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Happy crocheting,
Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well here we are on the second day of 2012 and I am excited to see what the new year brings to me personally and, of course, to the shop. This last year has been so crammed full of changes and excitement that I don't know how there could be more coming, but I happen to know that there are several HUGE things in the works for this year. Unfortunately, you need to wait to find out, as I have been sworn to secrecy...hee hee I am a stinker!

In my post last week about resolutions, I got some great comments from you all and I also polled all the little beans too...what great ideas and comments:

CrochetBlogger said
"I'm joining Surmount the Stash hosted by Revelations of a Delusional Knitter to get control of my yarn stash. To me this does not mean that I don't buy new yarn but that I'm more selective in the process so that I buy yarn I truly, truly love. And it's a goal of mine to do more charity crochet this year."

Monika said:
"Putting my Zen-ness of body and soul and my personal life first for a change. that is going to be a tough one for me, but necessary!"

Lianna said:
"If I make it public, then I'll feel the pressure to actually do it. Yikes! I usually don't like making New Year's Resolutions, but monthly goals. These seem to be the same every year but the first one is new since I work at JBW and finally have time to do it. 1. Learn to knit. 2. Write more. 3. Practice Spanish so I don't lose any more of it. 4. Exercise more."

Jane said:
"It's my goal to get my home decluttered and clean (check out Flylady.net) so I can be happy there and spend hours knitting without guilt and have places for all my craft stuff to live and actually be used. Wow. My senior English teacher would have red marks all over that sentence, God rest her soul."

Tiffany's New Years Resolutions, for the body, mind and spirit:
"1) Train to run a 5k by the start of this summer and a 10k by late fall. 2) Register and attend at least one class each semester at the community college. 3) Focus on one interest on each month (this can be salsa dancing, volunteering, crocheting, car mechanics, etc.) and learn as much as I can about it."

MaryjoO said:
"I'll join you with your #1 and #5, adding improving diet BIG time, working on WIPs, working on using yarn I really love (have already given away plenty of stash to other loving homes) .... we could all go on and on. But always thrilled "you" are here for us LOL."

Sharon said:
"My new years resolution is to be more conscious of what I eat and to limit my intake of processed foods."

Laura (aka Jimmy) said: "
"To go to pilates at least once a week!!"

livin4fishin (Nicky) said:
"Here's a short list of a couple of my 2012 goals: 1. On the fitness front: Run the "Mom's on the Run" 5k on mom's day. 2. On the food front: Lose 60 more lbs (I have lost 70lbs so far). 3.On the crafting front: Try to knit one pattern a month from one of my books or magazine stash. I do have a couple more goals, but if I accomplish only these 3 I will be very happy and satisfied!"

Amanda said:
"I don't typically make new year's resolutions. My only thought on January first is "it's a new year." I think that in itself reminds me to let past stresses go and start the new year on a good foot! Though maybe this year I will resolve to remember to type in "2012" instead of "2011" each time I write the date..."

Leanne said:
"Gain weight (she is skinny as a stick), exercise 4 days a week, give up dairy and eat more veggies."

Sasha said:
"My resolutions are to knit more, get more exercise, and to work on my posture which is weak."

Amber said:
"To be more awesome...I know, I'm not sure how that is possible either...

I love each and every one of these!! I am inspired and awed by all of these amazing changes you are all willing to commit too!

I, Jeanne am sticking with my original list:

1. Exercise (I have already started walking at least 4 days a week)

2. Commit 70% of my diet to raw food (always working on this one)

3. Finish my projects (again, always working on this one)

4. Add 3 designs to my Battle Born Knits line (sadly, I have several ready to be test knit and just have to follow-up, sigh)

5. Learn something really new once a month

I look forward to supporting each other throughout the year and thank everyone for being brave and letting me post these! HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

As always, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!!

Jeanne

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Resolution Knitting--no easy feat!

2011-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, I rarely make any REAL New Year’s Resolutions. I say this because every year I tell myself I will, and then I end up with sort of a random list in my head that I half-heartedly follow until about mid-January before I forget entirely about it. This year though, I figured, well why not? I should make a list of attainable to-do items and stick to it for once! I figured the best way to do this was to make my list entirely about knitting. Forget all of the health and wellness related resolutions that most people tend to make this time of year (not that those things aren't important), I am going to focus on the knitting!

Tea Leaves Cardigan

Now, this may seem like an easy feat--I mean, who doesn’t love these “fun” kinds of goals, right? Some knitters, and I am NOT one of them, start a project and diligently work on it until it is finished within a timely manner. I do exactly the opposite. I am the kind of knitter who sees a project and falls in love with the IDEA of it. The picking out of the perfect yarn, the casting on with glee and knitting the first few sections thinking all the while about how awesome it will be to finish and wear it. Usually about halfway through I lose my momentum and start to day dream about other projects. Does this sound familiar to any of you, or am I alone in my wasteland of UFO’s?

So here is my list, albeit a little short, of my New Year's Resolution Knitting:

Finish at least 5 of the WIP’s on my Ravelry Page: I’ll be happy with 5, but more would be nice. Priorities are the 2 blankets on the needles (Umaro and Hemlock Ring) that were meant to be wedding gifts. These will get done first!
Knit a sweater for my husband. I've started and stopped this process once or twice already with various reasons befouling my progress: not quite having enough yarn, making too small a size, and getting bored with the pattern to name a few. I have now decided on a pattern (Jared Flood’s Cobblestone Pullover) and acquired new yarn (Tosh Vintage in Stovepipe) and will be making it happen this year!
Knit myself a Tea Leaves Cardigan. I’ve longed for one since I first saw it a couple of years back. I have some Tosh Vintage in Tart that is ready to be knit into my pretty red cardi!
Write up and publish the patterns for the 6 or so designs that I’ve made over the last year for Marinade Designs. This sounds pretty easy, but I am a total slacker! Although I love the creative process and knitting of the garments, I often procrastinate at the drudgery of the number crunching and writing part, especially when I don't have a deadline.

Cobblestone Pullover

Put some of my design ideas out there and submit them for publication in knitting magazines and periodicals! I’ve been meaning to start this process for a long time but frankly have been a bit scared to try. This is the year I make an effort!

So these are my knitting resolutions, out here for all the world to see. I have to follow through now since all of you are here to hold me accountable. I’ll continue to post my progress throughout the year. If any of you have resolutions you want to share, feel free to post a comment. We are all in this together!

Happy New Year!

Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.

Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

A few of Kristen's Favorite Things...

2011-12-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

Looking for ways to spend your JBW Gift Card?

Vintage Short Skeins

Well look no further! I’ve got plenty of ideas and exciting new products that will help you decide and keep you knitting, crocheting and sewing with pleasure throughout the new year!

Yarn:

-Debbie Bliss Party Angel- A fun, new sparkly yarn that is sure to turn heads when knitted in any way, shape or form. If you are short on ideas, check out the Party Angel leaflet!

-Madelinetosh Vintage Short Skeins- These skeins are just 10 yards short per skein and are a great price! Grab enough to make that Tea Leaves Cardigan you have been dying to make! I certainly did, and I cast on as soon as I finished my holiday knitting!

Jade Sapphire
Silk/Cashmere 2-ply

-Lana Grossa Lace Lux- This stunning new yarn from Lana Grossa is perfect for classic and stylish holiday knits! With a lovely sheen and soft halo, this yarn would be beautiful knit in a variety of different items. See the Lana Grossa Lace book for more ideas.

-Jade Sapphire Silk/Cashmere 2ply- If you really want to treat yourself, this is the way to do it! Gorgeous and soft silk and cashmere is blended into a fingering weight. You can do a lot with 400 yards--it’s time to start knitting!

Books:

-Coastal Knits- Since this book was released in November, we’ve hardly been able to keep it in stock. Full of beautiful and charming knits by designers: Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting and Hannah Fettig of Knitbot, this book is a great addition to any knitting library. I know many of my 2012 knits will be out of this book!

-Interweave Knits Accessories 2011- This special edition of Interweave Press is full of awesome knitted accessories to wear this winter and beyond! I love that it has so many different hats, cowls, gloves and mittens and other wearable items to knit. Also, check out the kits we’ve put together featuring these patterns!

-Kim Hargreaves’ Vintage Designs to Knit- I am a longtime Kim Hargreaves fan, and this new book from Rowan is a great homage to her classic vintage style. With plenty of shrugs, cardigans and pullovers, this book is sure to become a knitting library favorite!

-Textured Stitches by Connie Chang-Chinchio- This new book from one of the industry's most popular designers is full for 20 beautiful designs using simple construction with subtle texture to create wearable and unique garments. I’ll definitely be adding this book to my collection this year!

Needles/Accessories:

-Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable set- If you are still looking to complete your needle collection, then consider getting this all inclusive set from Knitter’s Pride! The beautiful laminated birch wood needles are colorful and sturdy as well as silky smooth to knit with. I love mine and I am sure you will love them too! Also available in a Starter Set and a Chunky Set.

Dreamz

-If metal needles are your cup o’ tea, the Knitter’s Pride Nova Interchangeable Deluxe Set is also a great buy! With a full range of sizes, a storage case, and super flexible cables, this set is a great investment. Shorter needle tips are also available to add to your kit for making smaller projects in the round. Just like the Dreamz, the Nova’s are available in a Starter Set and a Chunky Set as well.

"Gatsby"

-Dedicated Addi users will love the Addi Click or Addi Lace Clicks sets. These are all your favorite Addi needles, in a full range of sizes and interchangeable tips and cables. Both sets are nickel plated and extremely smooth but the regular Clicks have 5” tips while the Lace Clicks have 3.5” tips. The Lace Clicks have sharper tips and are compatible with 16” cable connectors for making smaller projects in the round. Additional needle tips can be added to each set as well. Not sure which set is right for you? Give our customer service team a call and we are happy to answer your questions! (877) JBW-KNIT (529-5648).

-Offhand Designs is back with gorgeous new prints and colors in their hand-crafted knitting bags! We just received a shipment of Zhivago Weekenders, Scotties, Gatsby’s and more. We are so excited to have them back in the shop!

Crochet:

-Simply Crochet from Interweave Press- This new book is awesome! It contains beautiful and stylish projects and lots of great expert crochet tips, including how to maximize your yarn yardage for each project.

-Seamless Crochet by Kristen Omdahl- Kristen’s new seamless crochet joining technique is groundbreaking for the crochet community! This new book explains her new technique and includes beautiful designs to accompany it. This new book is a must-have for any serious crocheter’s library!

-Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Crochet Hook Set- This set of 8 single ended crochet hooks comes in a clear pouch and is color coded for ease of use. Also check out the Tunisian Crochet Interchangeable Set.

Smooshy

-Pretty fingering weight yarns aren’t just for knitting these days! Check out some of our favorites for your next crochet project: Madelinetosh Sock, Malabrigo Sock, Noro Taiyo Sock, Shaefer Anne, Lorna’s Laces Solemate, Dream in Color Smooshy, and Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock!

Fabric and Sewing:

-Amy Butler Fabrics and Patterns- From the Lark Collection to the stunning Soul Blossoms, we have several of Amy Butler’s beautiful collections here in the shop! Also, check out her awesome patterns including: the Domestic Goddess Aprons, the Charm Clutch, the Sweet Harmony Handbag and Tote, or the Lotus Tunic and Cami. There are so many cute prints and patterns to choose from, the possibilities are endless!

"Kasbah" from Amy Butler's
Lark Collection

-Joel Dewberry Fabrics and Patterns- Joel Dewberry’s fabrics are lovely and inspired and the patterns to go with it are equally impressive! In fact, Jimmy was so enthralled with his prints that she is going to sew her first quilt using a collection of his prints in greys and yellows--Grellow! Jeanne and Sandy are going to sew along with her and make quilts of their own. What a fun project for the new year!

"Charm Clutch" by
Amy Butler

-Tula Pink fabrics and Patterns- I just love the whimsy of Tula Pink's prints. The Prince Charming and Parisville Collections are both beautiful and whimsical. When I saw the Frog Prince and Snail Scallop prints, I knew I would have to sew with them right away! I am planning to make a bag with one and a skirt from the other! What a way to make sewing even more fun!

I hope this list of some of my favorite things helps to guide you in finding the perfect crafty products to help you start the new year out right!

Happy knitting, crocheting, and sewing!

Kristen

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Happy Monday!!!

2011-12-26T18:17:00.000-08:00

Here we are the day a week before the 2nd day of the New Year...wow!! I don't know about you, but I love the New Year for many reasons! Of course, I try hard NOT to make resolutions, but there is always one or two that sneak up on me. So, with a week to think about it, I thought I would see if you all have anything that you would like to commit to this coming year? I would love to hear about the things you would like to change in your life in the next year. To get the ball rolling, here are just a few of the things I am considering making a real commitment too:

1. Exercise (I have already started walking at least 4 days a week)

2. Commit 70% of my diet to raw food (always working on this one)

3. Finish my projects (again, always working on this one)

4. Add 3 designs to my Battle Born Knits line (sadly, I have several ready to be test knitted and just have to follow-up, sigh)

5. Learn something really new once a month

Okay, so that's as long as I want any list to be, but again I would LOVE to hear from you about your ideas for the coming year. Maybe we could work on something together this year and talk about it here on the blog...what do you think?

I can't wait to hear from you all and you can email me at jeanne@jimmybeanswool.com with your ideas, or just to say hi!

As always, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Our favorite holiday traditions...

2011-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

To help us all get a bit more in the holiday spirit, and as most of us busily prepare for this weekend, we thought it appropriate to share some of our favorite holiday traditions with you all. I hope you enjoy hearing what the “Little Beans” love to do this time of year:

Kathy:

“My mom and I always watched The Grinch (the cartoon version) every year and drank egg nog and ate cookies.”

Sharon:

“Between Thanksgiving and Christmas me and Tim (my mister) always give an extra bag of groceries to the food bank. Most bags can be bought in line at the stores. We also carry extra clothes and toiletries in our car to give out to the homeless on street corners when we are out and about.”

Monika:

“Our favorite holiday tradition is to celebrate Christmas twice…. We are so spoiled! In Germany, people have a nice dinner on December 24th, and after caroling or just enjoying family time, presents are opened that evening. So we do that first, and then Santa comes overnight and brings another little something for us to open on the morning of the 25^th. Double the fun and excitement!”

Tiffany:

“When I was a kid, we went to my aunt's house every year for a delicious home-cooked Christmas dinner made from scratch. Ten years ago my family moved to Reno, away from our extended family, and we tried to create the same home-cooked Christmas dinners... and wound up with home-cooked disasters. We realized that our cooking skills don't go beyond oatmeal and microwavable popcorn. It turned out that for my family trying to put together a whole Christmas meal was an extremely stressful Mission Impossible. So, we did what all self respecting bad cooks do; we let the professionals handle it. Now every Christmas we meet up at our favorite local restaurant for breakfast and we're able to enjoy the day without the stress. I guess my favorite thing about holiday traditions is that if an old one isn't working out you can always start a new one.”

Leanne:

“Listening to my mom's old polka music and Alvin and the Chipmunks xmas album while decorating sugar cookies.”

Bethany:

“My favorite holiday tradition is curling up on the couch and watching The Charlie Brown Christmas special and The Grinch (the old one!) back to back. That's how I know it's time for the Holidays to start!”

Jillian:

“My favorite holiday tradition is the Christmas Tree Pickle. My mom is is part German and each year she hides a (fake) pickle in the Christmas tree-- a German tradition. Whoever finds the pickle first gets a wish or opens a present early.”

Amanda:

“My family always goes to an action movie and we eat chinese food for dinner. It is a day to enjoy being lazy together.”

Kristen:

“My husband and I usually spend Christmas with my in-laws since my parents live in another state and usually the weather intervenes with our holiday travel plans. On Christmas Eve we get together with all of the close family friends and their kids and have a big soup party (every family brings a different kind of soup or stew to share) and play board games. There are usually about 40-50 of us and it is a fun way to spend the evening. Then the day after Christmas, instead of dealing with traffic and shopping malls, we head south to Markleeville and go to the hot springs for a snow hike and soak. We have dinner somewhere nice on the way home...usually the old-timey Basque restaurant in Minden. Also, I have made it a tradition to start knitting something for myself on Christmas Day after I’ve given all of the gifts I have worked so hard on for months. It is my awesome reward!”

From all of us at Jimmy Beans Wool, we hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

And most of all, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

A handmade holiday by little beans...

2011-12-20T13:25:00.001-08:00

Well, the holidays are here and all of us beans are like little elves, knitting and crafting like crazy to have hand made gifts to give this year! Many of us, as usual, left our holiday knitting until the last minute and are hurriedly trying to crank out gifts in time to wrap and place under the tree. So, since it’s pretty much all we can think about at the moment, we thought we’d share with all of you what we are making as gifts this year!

Sandy is knitting these darling gloves for her daughter out of the “Knitter's Book of Yarn” by Clara Parkes. The lovely pink yarn she is using is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted in “Whisper.” Shepherd Worsted is awesome for knitted gifts because it’s machine washable!

Terry is expecting her first grand-baby in January and has been knitting these darling Wool Diaper Soakers out of Cascade 220 Tweed. The pattern was purchased on Ravelry from Closeknit.

Amber is sewing some of her gifts this year and made this super cute jewelry roll for her mom out of Cath Kidston’s book “Sew!” She used Joel Dewberry’s gorgeous “Bloom” fabric from his Aviary 2 collection. Isn’t it cute?

Jeanne’s son Chris requested a purple beanie for Christmas, so she knit him this super cute beanie out of Manos del Uruguay Striated Dyed Wool yarn. The design is a modified mistake rib and she just kind of made it up as she went. That Jeanne, so creative!

Tara is knitting this cozy scarf for her grandma out of Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Flamme yarn. The pattern is a free one on Ravelry called “Scrunchable Scarf.” All of us beans just love Ravelry’s extensive pattern database. It’s truly indispensable!

Shevawn knit the Rustling Leaves Beret from the Coastal Knits book for her sister in Madelinetosh's Tosh Sock yarn. The project took less than one skein and turned out beautifully! I'm sure her sister is going to love it!

Last but not least, I (Kristen) am knitting all kinds of different items. I have knit 3 of these chunky Rasta Neck-warmers from Malabrigo Book 3. Instead of the Malabrigo Rasta (which we currently out of as we wait patiently for our next shipment) I used Cascade Magnum which is super soft and comes in great solid colors! I am also knitting a variety of hats for family members, mostly basic beanies, but also a number of these fun earflap hats using a chunky tweed yarn (pattern coming soon from Marinade Designs).

I hope you all are having fun finishing the last of your holiday crafting and knitting!

Happy holidays,

Kristen

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.

Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

JBW parties...

2011-12-19T07:47:00.000-08:00

It's that time again and boy how the time has just flown by! Here at JBW we have an annual party to celebrate all we have accomplished in the last year and to just have a good time!

Yummy menu!!

Our special remembrance this year!!

This was my 5th celebration with JBW and I must say it was amazing for so many reasons not the least of which is all the new little beans who got to be here...woohoo!

You all have kept us super busy this year and it has added jobs here at the shop with our current little bean count at 39...yes you read that right...39!! We couldn't have gotten to this point without you, so THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!

This year we went to the Washoe Steak House and boy it was superb!!

Sasha and her husband Frank had a great time!

Sandy, Nicole, Amber, Jane, Kristen and Casey having fun!

We had cocktail hour from 6-7 and then sat down for dinner.

We had a very special guest, Jeffrey the black lab, who is a guide dog in training and was very affectionate! Cheryl, one of our newer beans is a dedicated volunteer trainer of these fantastic dogs, and Jeffery was well received!


Jeffery says woof!

I suspect at some point he may have gotten a treat or two...but you'll have to ask him.

We enjoyed toasts, speeches and some real fun times. We have a secret Santa exchange every year and the gifts provided great joy and excitement!

Shevawn always has the most beautiful smile!

Kathy is showing off her ruffle scarf from Leanne


Shevawn's secret present is a mystery that she will have to solve...fun!

Sarah got a window thermometer so she will know that it is too cold to wear shorts

Kristen got some great 'hippy' books on herbs and healthy foods, yum yum!

Marilyn got a hand sewn bag from Sandy!

Nicole got something really cool, but I couldn't hear with all the excitement, but she was thrilled

Last year we gave Laura (aka Jimmy) and Doug a box full of knitted and crocheted squares made by all the little beans and it only took us until last week to get it put together. So, taking into account the 9 months of collecting the squares and the year in between completion we are all really happy to have the project done!

Somewhere along the line, Laura had mentioned to Kristen and Bethany that she had been thinking about juicing and so all of us little beans chipped in and got them a juicer.

The super fun part was how surprised they were! I am here to tell you that Doug and Laura (Laura especially) are really hard to surprise.

The next morning, Laura was texting everyone with a great picture of their 7:00 am juicing progress and thanks!

I know I speak for all the little beans when I say that this small gift can't truly express our gratitude at all you do for us!! Thanks!!!

There is so much more I could include about this fun night, but there just isn't room in one post. I think this lets you know how much fun we have here at JBW and I hope you all realize how truly grateful we are to you for your business and support!

Without you, we wouldn't exist and thanks just doesn't seem like enough, but hopefully bringing you into our family helps!

I have said this more than once, but I LOVE my job (which really isn't a job at all, it's a labor of love)!!!

I love coming to work in the morning, I love seeing everyone I work with, I love helping you all with your projects and well, I am so grateful for my home at Jimmy Beans Wool that again, words just can't express what's in my heart!

7:00 AM juice is yummy!

I will close with my personal wish to all of you for a Happy Holiday and Joyous New Year and from all of us at Jimmy Beans Wool THANKS!

As always, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Lana Grossa Condito-- the perfect last minute gift yarn!

2011-12-15T18:17:00.001-08:00

If you haven’t seen the Lana Grossa Condito yet, you are really missing out! It arrived at our shop early this fall, just in time for the winter ruffle-craze, and we are absolutely loving it! The best thing about this yarn is that it can be “knit” without actually knitting! I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain... There are several different ways you can create scarves with this fun and funky yarn without even using needles or a crochet hook. If you have 10 minutes and 2 hands, you are all set! Watch this quick video of Lana Grossa’s rep demonstrating how to “knit” with this yarn:

Our fearless leader Laura, aka. “Jimmy”, visited Lana Grossa in Cologne, Germany recently, which got her really excited about the Condito yarn. She said it was the one new yarn that she just fell in love with and HAD to order right away. In fact, she liked it so much that she made herself scarves in several different colors that she wore to Palm Springs recently for her big business growth summit! Here she is wearing her Condito scarf at the Winning Women Awards Ceremony:

At the "Winning Women" Awards Ceremony

Nicole and Casey
modeling 2 versions of
the Condito scarves

The yarn itself is amazingly soft and versatile too! Condito is 74% merino wool (which explains the softness), 8% mohair, 8% polymide, and 10% acrylic. It is already knitted in a tubular structure which you can “pull apart” to create a fun ruffled texture. You can knit it by looping it through itself up one side, chain crocheting it, or running elastic thread through it while doubled. You can create long scarves or cowls that can be looped twice. It is really that versatile as well as easy to work with.

Lana Grossa has also provided some amazing free patterns to accompany this yarn. We have created some easy kits on our website so you can see what the options are. There's a sewn scarf, a cowl, and a crocheted scarf to choose from!

Laura and Kirsten
from Muench Yarns in the
Lana Grossa showroom.

One aspect of this yarn that Laura is really drawn to is the ease of use. You don’t even need to know how to knit! It is also the kind of yarn that you can knit super quickly (in 5-10 minutes depending on the pattern you choose) so it’s perfect for last minute gifts. She also likes how accessible it it is--ANYONE can do it! She thinks it would be a great project for kids since the learning curve is a bit easier and not at all time intensive. Sounds like the perfect pre-knitting lesson for your younger knitters. Overall, these factors along with the fun colors and textures make Condito one of the most interesting and unique yarns to hit the knitting scene this year!

Condito Cowl

So, if you are still trying to crank out some last minute knitted gifts for the upcoming holiday, be sure to check out the Condito yarn! It’s a lot of fun to work with, is beautiful, and provides amazing instant gratification. Who doesn’t need a little bit of that every once in a while? I know I do!

Happy holiday knitting everyone!

Kristen

PS. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

The BIG BAD Last Minute Holiday Gift List (and a Sweet Winner!)

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, you may have put your gift buying off until the last minute. It's okay, no one is judging you here. :) Every year I think to myself, “I am going to show all of my family and friends what a crafty goddess I am by making everyone’s gifts this year!” When it comes down to it though, I always grossly underestimate the amount of time I have, which generally results in me scrambling at the last minute to buy gifts for everyone. Every year I say I am not going to do this, but I inevitably do. It is truly a vicious cycle.

Yarn Pops!

So, maybe I didn’t manage to avoid this problem myself this year. However, I figured I could at least help all of you out who might be doing the same thing and trying to find the perfect gift for your favorite knitter, crocheter, or sewer! Here is my top list of items to give or knit for last minute gifts:

Starting with the small stuff: Stocking Stuffers!

1. Yarn Pops: Awesome zippered pouches for storing your working projects, available in several great prints and colors!

2. Lantern Moon Crocheted Measuring Tapes and Stitch Markers: Cute as a button and available in many different animals and colors!

3. Hearth and Forge’s Stunning Shawl Pins: Choose from 3 different styles, each one is delicate and beautiful!

4. Blue Sky Alpacas RosewoodDouble Points: These come in a special colored tin and are gorgeous! Perfect for the sock-knitting addict in your life!

5. Blue Sky Alpacas Pretty Cheep Project Pouches or Della Q Edict Project Pouches: A fun and easy way to keep all of your projects separated!

Hearth and Forge Shawl Pins

6. Mighty Bright Book Lights: These are awesome for knitting in low-lit rooms!

7. Bryson Robot MeasuringTape: Cute, silly, and perfect for the knitter with a sense of humor or an affinity for all things geeky.

Take care of those
"Knitter's Hands"!

8.Knitter's Hands: Yummy smelling and extremely moisturizing hand salve to keep your hands soft as you work with multiple fibers. Available in several scents and tube or bar form.

9.Brittany Birchwood Crochet Hooks: Hand-carved and gorgeous, these hooks are ornate and beautiful at a great price!

10. Amy Butler Thread Packages: Gorgeous threads to accompany Amy Butler’s stunning fabric lines. High quality and packaged beautifully, they make the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite sewer!

11. The new Jaciva Chocolates, shaped like balls of yarn, are delicious treats for knitters and non-knitters alike!

Too large for the Stocking: Items that are sure to please!

1. Lorna’s Laces Solemate and Soak Holiday Set: Another great gift for your favorite sock knitter, and pre-packaged in some of Lorna’s Laces’ best selling colors!

Dreamz Deluxe
Interchangeable

2. Knitter’s Pride Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set: A full range of circular needle sizes and lengths in a see-through case for storage. Would rather have straight needles or crochet hooks? We have those in stock too!

3. Knitters Block Kits from Cocoknits: All the blocking equipment you’ll ever need in one handy kit!

4. Lantern Moon Classic Caddy or Rice Baskets: Perfect for storing all of your works in progress!

5. Fiberspheres: Keep those balls of yarn clean while you work! Or maybe just out of the cat's reach. Available in 2 sizes and colors.

Lantern Moon Rice Baskets

6. Yarn winder and swift: Tired of being your favorite knitter’s favorite helper? Then a yarn winder and swift is really the perfect gift for both of you! Wind those skeins into easy-to-use balls in minutes with these 2 yarn winding components!

7. Got a master sewer in your life? Check out one of our awesome new sewing books! While you are at it, grab a few yards of some of our new designer fabrics!

8. Not sure what to get? How about a Jimmy Beans Wool Gift Certificate? They are available in quantities $5 and up and automatically ship free! If you are in a hurry, we can e-mail it directly to the recipient! Just tell us who to send it to in your order notes and feel free to include a message!

Still want to make something? Here are some gifts that can be knit or crocheted under 2 hours!

Condito Cowl

1. A colorful and ruffled Lana Grossa Condito Scarf or cowl: If you have 10 minutes and at least a few fingers, you can make this one! No needles needed! See the how knit with this on the Free Patterns page on the Lana Grossa website here.

2. Berroco Link Accessories: Colors galore and 5 different free patterns to choose from on the Berroco website! Knits up quickly on size 35 needles or crochet hooks! View all 5 kits here.

3. Rowan Kidsilk Creation Scarves: This is another one of those 10 minute projects with beautiful and classic Rowan yarn! No needles needed (although you could certainly use them if you wanted to.) Free pattern on the inside of the label!

4. Triana or Triana Lux ruffle scarf: these ruffled beauties only take 1 skein and knit up super fast on big needles and we just got a ton in stock! No waiting required!

Butin Collar

5. Nelkin Designs Butin Collar or Earrings kits: fabulous and unique knitted jewelry in stunning colors!

6. A knitted Neckie to keep you warm: I don’t like to brag, but my Basic Neckie pattern is free, easy, and knits up in about an hour and a half with bulky yarn and size 13 needles! You can even get the kit here!

7. A Lana Grossa Big & Easy Colore Cowl: A range or funky brights to calmer neutrals in a cowl that is knit on size 15 circular needles. Quick and easy and available in a kit here.

Bulky Baby Hat

8. Need a quick kid or baby gift? The Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Baby Hat kit is a super-fast, adorable kids knit! It even works for bigger kids too! The largest size fits up to a 20 inch head. On size 17 needles, you be finished in a jiffy!

Last but not least, don't forget to check out our adorable Lantern Moon Christmas Greeting Cards that are cute on the cover and blank inside so you can add your personal Christmas message!

I hope you found some of these gift ideas helpful! Good luck with all of your last minute holiday projects and if you have questions on any of these products, feel free to call our helpful customer service team and they are happy to help! Toll free: (877) JBW-KNIT (529-5648).

Happy knitting and happy holidays!

Kristen

P.S. We have a winner of our Be Sweet Giveaway! Thanks to everyone who left their comments about their favorite holiday treat!

Using a random number generator, our winner is Joyce, who said her favorite holiday treat is white chocolate popcorn!

Congratulations Joyce! Please email your mailing address and phone number and whether you would prefer Africa or Wildberries to giveaway@jimmybeanswool.com by Friday, December 16th to claim your prize!

Thanks again to Be Sweet and Nadine!

P.P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.

Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Coastal Knits Trunk Show is in the shop!

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to pop in for a quick second and let everyone know that the Coastal Knits trunk show is here at Jimmy Beans Wool! It will be on display in our shop until December 21st. If you are a local customer or will be in the area, please stop by and check it out!

Coastal Knits is a beautiful book featuring designs by Hannah Fettig of Knitbot and Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting! This collection is inspired by their different coastal homes: Portland, ME and Atascadero, CA. To see some of the stunning designs from the book in person, be sure to swing by the shop while it is here! Here is a little sneak peek:

"Wildflower Cardigan"

"Gnarled Oak Cardigan" and
"Branching Out Mitts"

"Sand and Sea Shawlette"

"Rocky Coast Cardigan"

"Panoramic Stole"

Hope to see you all in the shop soon!

Happy Knitting!
Kristen

Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan.Visit jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

A knitted keepsake...

2011-12-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

My family and I have toned down our holiday exuberance to more of a dull roar these days, but some things just need to be seen during the dark days of winter, and I think my treasured hand knit stocking is one of them. My mother knit this stocking for me 53 years ago and was always sorry she hadn't lined it, as the stretch factor is quite great.

My children have both enjoyed this family treasure as much as I did/do and it warms my heart to see it hung by the chimney with care. She used a beautiful wool and Santa's beard is pure angora...awww Mom!

I miss my Mother and would love her to know that this stocking is still being truly treasured and protected. At the time my children were born I wasn't a knitter and alas they don't have their very own hand knit stockings, but I can see to it that any little bundles that may come along (waaayyyy in the future) will have their own treasures to hang on to. I wonder what your family treasures are and would love to hear from you about them. If you would like me to talk about them, just send a picture with an explanation to jeanne@jimmybeanswool.com and I will be happy to post them. I realize this is a sentimental, short post, but sometimes it's the short and sweet things in life that are the best.

I hope you are enjoying your day today and as always happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

Be Sweet- Simply Sweet!

2011-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

We couldn't be more excited to share with you some really "sweet" new products from Be Sweet! We've been working with Be Sweet for years, not only because they offer high quality products at a reasonable price, but because they are an upstanding, highly ethical company!

Be Sweet yarns are made with a whole lotta love! They offer a range of fibers from mohair to bamboo to organic cotton. Their products are produced by artisan women in South Africa who hand dye, ball, and add specialty accents to each product. Be Sweet's local office is in Sausalito, just across the hill in California.

We are most excited to tell you about their new collection of yarn, Simply Sweet! It is Be Sweet's new "basics" range and includes two yarn lines: Whipped Cream and Satisfaction. Whipped Cream is 45% kid mohair, 45% wool, 10% silk and is a yummy worsted weight fiber with a soft, elegant sheen. Satisfaction is 60% wool, 20% kid mohair, 20% superfine alpaca and is a warm sport weight fiber with a unique blend of South American alpaca and South African mohair. Both yarns are available in 10 gorgeous colors including Persimmon, Moss, Sapphire, Chestnut, and Steel.

None of these yarns would be possible without this fantastic lady, Nadine Curtis. Nadine was born in Boulder, Colorado. She lived in the mountains until she was 10 and then moved to New York until college, when she headed back out west and went to University of Colorado.

Six months after she married a South African, they decided to move to Cape Town for an adventure. And what an adventure it was!! When they had a baby they thought they'd better get back to their "real lives."

We sat down with Nadine and grilled her with some really tough questions!

JBW: What was the first album you ever bought?

Nadine: Grease! Go Grease Lightning!

JBW: In a previous life, you were...

Nadine: A French Fashionista. :)

JBW: Do you have a garden?

Nadine: I'm quite the brown thumb at the moment :( … hopefully this will change with age :)

JBW: What's your favorite possession?

Nadine: Great Aunt's pinky ring - made in the 20's - I love love old jewels.

JBW: What's the next big adventure?

Nadine: I'm hosting a Knitter's Tour to South Africa in February 2012.

We don't want to keep all the sweets for ourselves! We are giving away a ball of the new Be Sweet Bubble Ball yarn in either colorway, Africa or Wildberries. To enter, please leave a comment on our blog below telling us your favorite sweet treat for the holidays by Tuesday December 13th at 6pm PST. (Only one per person, please!) And be sure to check back on Wednesday when we announce the winner.

To find out more about Nadine and Be Sweet, you can check them out here:

Website: http://besweetproducts.com/

Blog: http://waggledancing.wordpress.com/

To learn more about their adventures in South Africa, check it out here!

Thanks and good luck!

Bethany

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

South Africa

Adventures in Knitting- Interweave Knitting Lab Edition!

2011-12-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hurray!

In early November, as the first of our winter storms capped the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains with white powder, Amber, Shevawn and I headed for a slightly warmer climate and attended the Interweave Knitting Lab in San Mateo, CA. We joined forces with Kirstin from Muench Yarns and Knitters Pride Needles to create an awesome super-booth in the Knitting Lab’s Marketplace. What a fun event it was!

Shevawn and Amber
on the rocking horses

Shevawn rode the Rabbit
while I rode the Camel! :)

We journeyed out early Thursday morning in our rented mini-van, hauling all of our fancy booth-building supplies. I really enjoyed driving the mini-van-- it was such a comfy ride! As we stopped for a much-needed coffee break at the “Nut Tree” in Vacaville, we noticed the tiniest theme park ever with a carousel, choo-choo train and other fun amusements. Of course we had to pose for some pics. :)

Ringing people up for their
yarn and needles!

We finally arrived in San Mateo with just a few hours to spare before the Knitter’s Market opened. Luckily the three of us are expert display-cube builders and we managed to get our booth ready with a tiny bit of time to spare. We also had the help of our good friend Cliff from Skacel. He was imperative to the booth building process!

Our awesome booth!

It was busy! Really busy. So busy in fact, that we actually forgot to take some decent photos of our booth! Everyone who stopped by was so excited about the new Knitter’s Pride needles and the Lana Grossa Lace Lux yarn. By the end of the weekend, our bodies were exhausted but our hearts and minds were full of fun memories of all of the wonderful people we met, customers and industry folks alike.

Cat and I!

For example--we met Cat Bordhi and I had my picture taken with her! She stopped by our booth for a few minutes to film a video interview with me and talk about her books. Thanks for stopping by Cat! It was so nice to meet you. Your video will be up on the website soon. :)

Thank you to all of the awesome designers and yarn company experts who stopped by to film some videos with us. We didn’t have time to do too many videos, but we definitely had fun when we did. Thanks to Sandra McIver (author of Knit Swirl!), Diane from Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns, Jan Horowitz from Tahki and Jade Sapphire yarns, and Kirstin Muench from Muench Yarns and Knitter’s Pride. All of your videos will be up on our site soon!

Yarn shot!

Thank you also to Courtney and Kate from the Fibre Company, Nancy Marchant (author of Knitting Brioche and who's shawl I am still totally in love with), Stefanie Japel (from Craftsy.com and also a phenomenal designer), and Cookie A (author of Sock Innovation and Knit.Sock.Love.) for stopping by the booth and being willing to film. Sorry we weren’t ready for you-- it was just so busy!

Lastly, an extra special big thank you to Cliff from Skacel for helping us build our booth, hauling around our equipment, bringing us In-and-Out burger sustenance in our time of need, and being our all around manly-man and comic relief. You were a huge help to us Dr. Skacel! :)

Hopefully some of you made it out to say hello at the Knitting Lab and if not, we hope to see you there next year!

Happy knitting everyone!

Kristen

P.S. Have you seen our latest catalog yet? It’s 48 pages of pure, 100% Rowan. Visit www.jimmybeanswool.com/catalog to sign up for your free copy!

More than just yarn...

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

So, some of you may have noticed a bit of a shift on our site, especially under our New Products page. Without further adieu, pomp, or circumstance, I give you FABRIC!!!

You may notice a slight hesitation in my 'voice'. That's because this is a whole new business for us here at JBW, so please be gentle with us as we step into this new (fantastic) part of our fiber addiction. We are working to get the website fine-tuned for you all, but you may run into some questions about the fabric, sewing patterns and whatnots (like the Amy Butler thread) related to this new passion we have here at the shop. Please, please feel free to ask questions. That's what we are here for.

Here we have Sandy and Laura, (aka Jimmy) with the very 1st piece of fabric we cut and sold!!! Sandy cut it and then we all ran around and hooted and howled with excitement!!

Most of us around here have sewn at some point in our lives, but are a little rusty. Amber set up these great Learn To Sew classes and we were off and running!

Kristen's class was on a Sunday and was a huge hit!! She has been sewing for a long time and, of course, is a great teacher, so what's not to be thrilled about? Sandy and I have also taught 2 classes together, all with great success!

You can see Jill, Sharon and bit of Shevawn in this picture of class, sewing away! Good work gang!!

We did some very basic refresher-type sewing projects in class, but if you are looking for your own good refresher course, I highly recommend Rebecca Yaker's book One Yard Wonders as a starting point.

If you have never sewn a stitch (but are interested), then you might want to check out your local sewing store for a basic how-to class. There are some fantastic machines on the market for less than $100.00!

Here is Sharon with her finished bag! What a GREAT job she did!!!

We are all excited and a bit nervous about this new endeavor, so let us know if you see something on the site that is a bit off, or you have ideas for us. Remember this is YOUR LYS online and we love to hear from you.

There is a lot of work to be done (what's new around here :), so please keep that in mind as you surf around in the fabric sections, but we are happy to finally feel comfortable enough to post about our new fabric love.

I hope you enjoyed my little introduction into our line of fabric-related products and as always...

Happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!!

Jeanne

PS If you aren't getting our Newsletter check it out! We never share ANY of your information and it's one of the best ways I know to stay on top of what's going on around here.

We always knew she was a Winning Woman- now we've got proof!

2011-12-01T15:31:00.001-08:00

Hello!

As many of you know, Jimmy Beans Wool has had an exceptional last couple of years. Our head knitter and fearless leader, Laura Zander, has been a driving force in the needlearts industry, continuously pushing the boundaries of what everyone thought was possible for a local yarn shop.

So it's no surprise that Laura (through Jimmy Beans Wool) was selected as 1 of 10 exceptional U.S. women to be part of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program. Launched in 2008, the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program identifies and connects a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs with the advisers, resources and insights they need to scale up and become market leaders. The program is geared towards helping women spur growth in their businesses through a year long mentoring program. As a part of the program, Laura was sent to the 5 day Strategic Growth Forum (which happened last month!) alongside such people as Michael Dell, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky and the owners of businesses like 1-800-Flowers, Diapers.com, Vera Bradley, Home Shopping Network, Shutterfly, and Staples.

Here's what Laura had to say!

“I am absolutely honored to be part of this tremendous group of women. I am confident that this program will be the catalyst by which our business will grow to its full potential. Through Winning Women, I’ve already made fantastic connections and been mentored in areas that will help grow our business exponentially. And the exciting thing is, this program will not only help with our business, but it will also thrust the yarn industry into mainstream attention.”

She's not the only person excited about this unique opportunity. “Laura is an exceptional business leader with great potential to scale her company, and we are pleased to honor her as one of this year’s winners,” said Herb Engert, America's Strategic Growth Markets Leader for Ernst & Young LLP. “Women entrepreneurs are among the brightest spots in the economy, continuing to successfully grow their companies despite the volatile market. They will be important contributors as we look to get our economy back on track.”

Dubbed by Forbes.com as one of the "Seven Get-Ahead Executive Retreats," the Strategic Growth Forum brought together more than 2,100 of the nation's most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders to share growth strategies. The Winning Women were introduced at a special luncheon induction ceremony at the Strategic Growth Forum and were provided with numerous opportunities to network throughout the conference with successful entrepreneurs, senior executives and investors who can act as formal or informal advisers, provide access to capital and extend their extensive business relationships to the Winning Women.

Thanks to you, Jimmy Beans Wool is a market leader in the multi-billion dollar needle arts industry, selling yarn, fabric and knitting and crochet products.

Fun stuff, right? Anyway, we’re really hoping that this program will provide us with some tools to push Stitch Red, Beans for Brains, and Stitch Mountain (more on that later) farther into the mainstream – and draw attention to the yarn industry as a whole.

And we couldn't have done it without you! Thank you for your tremendous support and we hope to keep providing you with the best customer service, the best products, and the fastest shipping available!

Thank you!

Bethany and the JBW team

Artyarns Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Artyarns Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone for leaving your comments for our Artyarns Shawl For All Seasons Giveaway! There were so many beautiful comments about what people were thankful for this year that we used a random number generator! Here is the winner of the Artyarns Giveaway:

lisken! Below is what she said about what she is thankful for this year:

"I am eternally thankful that my third healthy son was born quickly and safely at home this July, and that my mother finished treatment for breast cancer earlier this month.."

Congratulations lisken! Please email your mailing address and whether you would prefer Red Carpet or Purple Velvet to giveaway@jimmybeanswool.com by Monday, December 5th to claim your prize!

Thanks again to Iris and Artyarns!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Piet

WIP Wednesday and a few FO’s too!

2011-11-28T12:51:00.001-08:00

Wow! It has been a long time since we've done a WIP/FO post and holy cow are there a lot of projects to share! So many that I don’t think I can squeeze all of them in here today! But that is ok, we will get them all on here one way or another. :) We have been such busy little beans this year in preparation for the holidays, so we have tons of fantastic projects to share with you! Make sure to check the project log (I've provided all of the links for you) for all of the knitty gritty details! Here goes:

WIPs:

Sharon’s Man Scarf:

Jeanne’s Spectra Shawl:

Monika’s Adam’s Ribs Sweater:

Erika’s Ripened Scarf:

FO’s:

Jeanne’s China Vest:

Courtney’s Any Gauge Cowl:

Leanne’s Idlewood Sweater:

Allie’s Sheep Heid Hat:

Terry’s Little Ravens Peruvian Style Earflap Hat:

Sharon’s Calm Cowl:

And if these beauties are not enough for inspiration, be sure to check out all of the other awesome new projects we just added to the project log, such as Kristen’s Bandana Cowl, Leanne’s Basic Ribbed Scarf, Amber's Little Colonade Shawl, Sharon’s Basic Ribbed Scarf, Sarah Lee’s Zig Zag Cowl, Diana's Very Cherry Daughter Dress, Leanne’s Bodega and Orbit Scarves, and Jeanne’s Stratum Hat and Mukluks.

There are so many amazing projects flying off the needles around here. I can hardly wait to see what comes next!

Happy holiday knitting and crocheting everyone!

Kristen

PS It's time for Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate! JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

And now for something completely silly...

2011-11-23T07:26:00.001-08:00

We have an awful lot of fun around here while tending to all your fiber needs, and I thought I would do a quick picture post so you can really see us as we truly are, the professional fiber gurus you have come to know. Here are some pictures from our Halloween party. You'll also find a few from Sandy's and my admission into Fairy Godmother status by Bethany, who is expecting her first little bundle of joy in March. You should note that Sandy is the head Godmother and I am in training, as Sandy has 2 wonderful grandchildren and I am a granny in waiting (no rush, I might add. LOL).

Not the plague just black icing...ewwww!

As you can see, Amber and Amanda were having a great time!! I think is was Amber who got these fantastic cupcakes that made everyone's tongues black!!

Sandy makes quite the Fairy Godmother

It's Super Piet!!!

As you can see, Piet is truly a superhero and Sandy is quite the little Fairy Godmother! The wings are actually a recent addition and not from Halloween, but from our very own Bethany who has dubbed Sandy and I her Fairy Godmothers. How cool is that?

Fairy 1 and Fairy 2 (aka apprentice Fairy)

I am an apprentice Godmother, but will earn bigger wings some day! Sandy is a good Fairy trainer, but I may be a bit of a difficult apprentice...LOL!


Lianna is the cutest little Devil!

Lianna is one of our new little beans and is adorable as a Devil! She was a great sport and even painted her nails the greatest Devilish red!!!

Here's Raggedy Ann, aka Sasha!!

Sasha is a big kid at heart and we love it!

Sasha is another new little bean and was ~~once~~ is still a regular customer. She is an amazing Halloween nut and has costumes galore as you can see here...great work Sasha!

Tatatada!!!

Bethany what's that under your shirt?

As you can see, Bethany is pregnant. However, this was just a test with a jacket under her shirt. The little one is now just starting show itself! We are all super duper excited and Bethany is great about belly rubs!

Please note that I have included Piet at the end here in her superhero mode because that is just what she is around here!!!

Thanks to all the little beans for all that you do every day to make this such a great place to be!!!

As always, happy knitting and crocheting (sewing too)!!!

Jeanne

PS It's time for Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate! JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

Thankful for...Artyarns giveaways!

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving's epic post-feast glaze settles over us, we couldn't help but take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we've been over the last year. Here at Jimmy Beans Wool, the Beans have lots to share!

"I am very thankful not to have a stuffy nose so far this holiday season. More importantly, I am thankful for my ridiculously awesome family, the amazing workplace I get to go to every day, and my spectacularly fantastical co-workers who also happen to be some of my bestest friends. I am also thankful for ruffle yarn.... but that is least important." - Leanne

"I’m thankful that my 2 year old has transitioned from screaming all of the time to talking and singing all of the time!!! (and that he is potty trained. It makes all of us much, much happier!)"- Laura

"I'm thankful beyond words for all the wonderful people I have in my life this year! Especially all the super fantastic people I work with, the new friends I've made this year, my family including the grandbaby soon to be and the awesome man in my life. There are no words to express how I feel, as I tried to find some I found only tears of gratitude."-Terry

Shawl for All Seasons Kit

"I am thankful for my family's good health which is most important of all. I am also grateful to my supportive husband and best friend, Elliot, and my 2 wonderful boys, actually men now, who I love and treasure more than anything else in this world.

I am also thankful for the opportunity to work at something I am super-passionate about. On a daily basis I try to spread the word how using luxury yarn such as Artyarns in hand knitting produces optimal results. My goal is to inspire knitters of all levels to try their hand at the craft and not to give up, and I believe if they use beautiful yarn that has lovely hand and drape, they will be encouraged to continue. And their friends will follow in their footsteps....and the cycle will continue.

I am thankful to Laura, Bethany, and the rest of the staff at Jimmy Beans for their incredible support of our brand, and the way they share our passion in making our yarns available to knitters around the world." - Iris, Artyarns

And we couldn't be more grateful to Iris for creating such fantastic yarn! To celebrate the holiday, we are giving away on of her precious Shawl for All Seasons kits in one of the new colors, either Red Carpet or Purple Velvet! Each kit includes a large skein of Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light and 4 small skeins of the Beaded Silk & Sequins Light, and calls for size US 9 needles for the knit pattern, or US I for the crochet version. It includes directions for both crochet and knit versions.

For a chance to win this kit, please leave a comment here telling us what you are thankful for this year by Tuesday, November 29th at 6pm PST. (Only one per person please!) We will announce the winner on Wednesday November 30th.

Thank you, as always, for reading our blog and being such an important part of our lives. We Beans have the best job ever and it's all because of you!

Happy Turkey eating!

Bethany

PS- What am I thankful for this year? I'm thankful for my wonderful husband (just married in August) and for our new bundle of joy that will be here this spring!

PPS- I'm also thankful to be a part of the Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate! JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles!!!

2011-11-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

The thing around here of late has to be ruffles!! Ruffles are the word of the day and ruffles are clearly the yarn on manufacturers minds too. There are quite a few different kinds of ruffle yarns on the market, ranging from elegant to fun and whimsical. My first exposure to ruffle yarns was Trendsetter Cha Cha and Cha Cha Print. Then we got Flounce and things just went to ruffles after that. Of course, my new favorite ruffle yarn has to be Kidsilk Haze Creation!!

Rowan's Kidsilk Haze has to be one of my ALL time favorite yarns for many reasons, not the least of which are it's fantastic feel, halo effect and just general quality in such a wonderful, yardage-generous package. Of course, Rowan has added Kidsilk Stripe to their line up and what's not to love there? However, I am on a yarn detour and must get back to the theme of this post, and that is ruffles!!

Leanne is the best ruffle model ever!

What's that? You love ruffles?

As I mentioned, Kidsilk Haze is one of my favorite yarns, but I have to say that Rowan has a real hit with its new Kidsilk Haze Creation!

I grabbed a hank in Dewberry, read the pattern (on the inside of the label), and went to town. The first thing I did was hand wind my yarn to keep it flat and smooth. Then I worked as instructed from the label. I needed a little extra guidance, so I watched Rowan's GREAT instructional video (knitted version). I finished my scarf in just about 40 minutes, but who's counting?

You wouldn't think that 11 yards of anything is much, but this yarn is full of surprises! I will be giving several of the luscious scarves as gifts and stocking up too! Rowan is making this yarn in limited quantities, so I am not going to let it pass me by. I swear that the scarf Leanne is modeling really is from just one hank!!

I have a million ideas on how I want to use this yarn and my next scarf will be in Jelly and Dewberry held together. What do you think? The other idea I had was to use the yarn as cuffs and collar edging on a sweater, but I have to find the right sweater to work with.

I am thinking a fun trip to my favorite thrift store is in order for that one. What would you like to do with this lovely yarn? I sure would love to hear your creative ideas and hope you will consider giving this fantastic new yarn a try. It's rufflicious!!!

Note that we have a winner from our SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway:

Thank you to everyone for leaving your comments for our SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway! There were so many wonderful comments about what people are asking Santa for that we used a random number generator! Here is the winner of the SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway:

StaceyD! Below is what she is asking Santa for:

"Sleep and time to knit... In that order. My 6mo old hasn't slept properly in almost two months, so i need the first to recharge the body and the second to recharge the mind."

Congratulations StaceyD! We hope Santa will bring some much needed sleep and time to knit to you! Please email your mailing address and color and size selection to info@jimmybeanswool.com by Wednesday, November 23rd to claim your prize!

Thanks again to Sarah Hatton and SMC Select! We are so fortunate to work with such awesome people!
As always, happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

PS- Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!

JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

Beans for Brains!

2011-11-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hello knitters and crocheters!

Last year we had over 3,000 applicants for 2010-2011 awards. There were so many amazing applicants we couldn't wait to get started with our 2012-2013 Beans for Brains Scholarship program. And we can't do it without you!!

This year, we have 10 major sponsors that will be matching public donations to the Beans for Brains scholarship fund. For the month of November, Jimmy Beans Wool will be accepting donations online and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU! Each of our sponsors will match the amount raised up to $1,000 for a grand total of $20,000 combined.

So from now through November 30th, be sure to send your family and friends to our website to donate to Beans for Brains (a 501c3 non-profit organization). If every one of our customers gave $1, we'd be well over our goal in no time!! And remember, the more we can raise this month, the more we can give this spring!

Want to apply for a scholarship? Make sure to check back March 1st when we will announce the call for applications for our 2012-2013 awards!!

Please be sure to thank all of the Beans for Brains sponsors! We couldn't do it without them!!

Springtime Bandit KAL- The end is nigh!

2011-11-15T15:55:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the final Springtime Bandit KAL blog post! For those of you who are just now joining us, never fear! I’ll still be posting on the Ravelry group and I'll be available for help and questions for the next month or so. I hope you’ve found the blog posts helpful! If you are just getting started, be sure to check out the blog post tutorial on the Provisional Cast-on used for this pattern. A number of people have found it helpful.

In the meantime, I have a few more WIP’s and an FO to share! Courtney from The Fibre Company is participating in the KAL with us, and she is using a new color of the Fibre Co’s Terra yarn for her shawl. The color is called Belladonna and don’t worry, well be ordering this new color soon! :) Isn’t it gorgeous? I just love it and can’t wait to see it in person!

Courtney's Bandit in "Belladonna"

Also, Forensicgirl on Ravelry, who used to work for us here at Jimmy Beans when she was finishing up her schooling, knitted this gorgeous version in the Fibre Company Terra- Black Walnut. It is shown here being blocked, and it is awesome! Nice work Sara!

Sara's Bandit in "Black Walnut"

Sharon, my JBW Partner in Crime (aka. my co-team lead in Customer Service) is knitting this in a simply amazing color of Malabrigo Twist called Liquidambar. It is truly stunning and this picture doesn't even do it justice. This is Sharon's 2nd Bandit Shawl--she knit one out of Berroco Remix yarn earlier this spring. One could easily knit 2 of these. They move along quite quickly and the pattern is super well-written. Isn't Sharon's 2nd Bandit gorgeous?

Sharon's "Liquidambar" Bandit

Lastly, I am ALMOST finished with mine. I so wanted to be done in time to have it at least blocking for you this week, but time got away from me this last weekend... darn it! Here is the most recent photo I have of it. It is definitely going to be as large as I intended:

Kristen's "Mint" Bandit

A close up of the beginning
of the final chart.

I promise to post FO pics on Ravelry next week. And hopefully I’ll be able to post it on the blog too! In the meantime, if you are participating, feel free to stop by the Ravelry thread and post a WIP or FO photo, or send me an e-mail with your FO and I can do another post later on! Looking forward to seeing those lovely shawls!

I hope all of you are having a great week! Don’t hesitate to e-mail me with questions or issues with the pattern. I am happy to help! My e-mail is: kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.

Thanks to all of you who participated or are still participating in the KAL, and as always, happy knitting!

Kristen

PS- Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!

Guest blog and giveaway with Sarah Hatton!

2011-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Monday, everyone! We have a special treat for you today. Sarah Hatton, designer for many fashion-forward companies such as Rowan, Patons, Sirdar and Sublime, wanted to tease us about some new and exciting projects she is working on for 2012. She's sent us a little info below (I told you it was a tease)! To help us celebrate her news, we've decided to do a great giveaway!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see, it's been a beautiful, crisp autumn day here in Yorkshire and as the evenings draw in I find myself more drawn to my own crafting. This week I have just finished designing two new brochures (Vintage Inspired Projects and one that is still a secret!) for SMC Select which will be out in the shops next autumn and so have decided to treat myself with some time out to do my own knitting.

This Christmas my plan is to make all of my gifts. I love the idea of giving something so personal and full of love but am starting to feel that it might have been an ambitious plan when I realized just how close it is and I have only 1 pair of socks completed!

I think at this point I might need to move to some chunkier wool and luckily I have some beautiful SMC Select Tweed Deluxe in my stash. I think a cozy scarf and a simple jacket will be added to the list. For next season, I am working in the Silk Wool and love how clearly stitch detail shows up, so might have to add a piece knitted in this.

Now if only I could knit a computer console for my nephew, I might have Christmas planned! And top of my list to Santa - more hours in the day, obviously!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I mentioned before, to celebrate Sarah's new adventures, we are doing a sweater kit giveaway. We just love the SMC Silk Wool Holiday Cardigan and the timing seems just about right!

To enter to win this SWEET kit, please leave a comment below telling us what you are asking Santa for this year. Comment before Sunday, November 20th at 6pm PST. We will post the winner on Monday!!

To find out more about Sarah, you can find her here:
http://www.sarahhatton.com/
http://sarahhattonknits.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading! Happy knitting and crocheting!!
Bethany

PS- P.S. Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

A Question and Answer Session

2011-11-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

So I’ve been a little bit lazy and haven’t been responding to some of the questions that have been posed to me. So I’ll make an entire blog out of it! No pictures but chock full of information.

Question: I like how you compare everything to stuff in America!! -Mrs. Wakefields class :)

This isn’t a question, but this definitely deserves a response. I figure everybody needs a gauge to see how things compare. I can only make things relative to things I think other people will probably know. And things that I know back home to describe how I feel. I actually did not even realize I did that so much in the post you all commented on until I read it over. So, if said in sarcasm – Sorry. But, if said with appreciation – I guess I make things more relatable than realized! I’ll probably still do it.

Question: James wants to know if you have found any roast chicken Doritos? – Yun

In short: No. But I’ll keep a look out. I’m not looking too hard, but I haven’t seen any Doritos here actually. I just talked to a friend and she said that she saw some Doritos in the foreign section (weird to think of the US as foreign right?) at the large store we shop at sometimes. I’ll look there!

Question: Can you post three (or more):-) street scenes that we would NOT see in the United States? Just random, you are walking down the street and **This is not something you would see in the US!!

From Mrs. Wakefield

Absolutely. In the process of taking a ton of pictures for you now. It will be a blog just full of pictures and captions. No eta yet but definitely within the next few weeks. Which is all I have left. =P But I can do multiple scavenger hunts at once if you have more requests in the meantime!

Question: How are the schools of China different than in their US counterparts? (architecturally and curriculum wise):)

Architecturally, schools are right smack dab in the middle of bustling neighborhoods. They look just like the surrounding buildings, with shops and restaurants that are convenient to access especially for older students. Look for the blog with my next scavenger hunt request and I'll include what schools look like, at least from the outside. Most are gated to protect the students and buildings though, which I feel like you don’t see in Reno unless you are at a charter or private school.

Curriculum wise, I actually don't really know. As I am just learning Mandarin, I'm not nearly proficient enough to be in a course taught in Chinese. However, from what I've gathered from some Chinese people that I've met, curriculum is very strict. Once you pick a course of study, you are restricted to a certain track of classes. You are told by instructors how things are, memorization is a must, critical thinking and interpretation are not necessarily encouraged. That is starting to change a little bit. Curriculum is a little more free, students are taught to think for themselves a little bit more.

But if there is one thing that I know for sure, this is a society that learns how to test and how to test well. Curriculum is not only strict but heavily focused on passing international and national standardized tests. The higher you score, the better the university you can be accepted into. For rural students, this usually means prestige for your family and sometimes within your entire village. For urban students, this is really about the competition of being the best.

School days and weeks are really long. We see students in their school uniforms walking around 6 days a week from 8 o’clock in the morning to 5 o’ clock at night or later. College students are not to party, but they are expected to study – study late and study hard. For us in America, it is common to get a part time job in college and even in high school. However, here, while you are a student – all you are is a student. Rarely do you see students working here in China. There is no time for anything else. But I gotta say, as an Asian American back in the US, my parents also discourage me from having a job while I am in school. But things are little different for expectations in the US, especially if you want to continue studying at higher levels. A little bit of my hybrid culture.

I think those were all the questions. Keep them coming!

Ailene

PS - If any of my Chengdu friends have anything to add or contradict, especially those of you who are teaching right now, feel free. I am definitely not always correct and these are based on my impressions.

Zara giveaway winners!

2011-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for leaving your comments! There were too many good ones to choose from, so I used a random number generator! Here are the winners:

Patty W:

I'm really into making scarves, shawls, and cowls right now. I would probably make a yummy cowl.

Holly:

If I were to win the 5 balls of Zara, I think I would be completely selfish for once and make myself a lovely cowl. I have made so many beautiful scarves, cowls, blankets, shawls....the list goes on...but I make something and give it as a gift. If I win....this one is for ME!

Congratulations Patty and Holly! Please email your mailing address and color selection to Giveaway@jimmybeanswool.com by Monday November 14th to claim your prize!

Thanks again to Stacy and the entire Filatura di Crosa and Tahki team (you too, Jan!) We are so fortunate to work with such lovely people!

Happy Knitting!

Bethany

P.S. Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!