Gone Fishin Socks Almost Done!

by : Unknown
As usual, i'm on my way out the door - we're interviewing potential employees for the shop and i have 5 2nd interviews today - yay! I wanted to show you how my socks are turning out, though... the main color is the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in September's Limited Edition color - Gone Fishin'.


I used brick for the toes and heels.... i have a size 7.5 foot and made the cuffs about 4 inches, because i only had 1 hank of the Gone Fishin... and i knit until i ran out - and then picked up the Brick for the toes.


It worked out perfectly! Since i have a bunch of the brick left over (i just bought 1 ball), i was going to pick up at the top of the cuff and knit for a couple of inches (you can kinda see that i started to do that on my tattooed - yuck! - leg). However, i had gotten about 10 rows done by the time we got the cancun airport - on our way home from vacation. And guess what? They took my addi circular needles! I had to pull them out of the daggone sock and give them up - AND i had 2 other pair in my bag... and they took those too! I couldn't believe it - $40 down the drain. And i bet they just throw them away. It literally made me sick (in fact, if you promise not to laugh, i'll admit that i actually did shed a few tears - i'm such a baby when i don't get my way!). Anyway, 1 week later, I'm still a bit scarred from the experience and haven't bought replacement sets... instead, i went back to working on my Panda Silk DK gloves. I still need to get a new camera (i guess my old one didn't like being dropped so often) and then will take a pic of the glove that i finished.

Oh yeah! We were in mexico during Hurricane Ike - here's what the sky looked like on one of the days that it passed by... it was amazing!
Ok - gotta run - i have an interview to conduct in about an hour - and i'm pretty sure the interviewee would appreciate it if i showered beforehand :)
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Prehistoric Pals as Barney?

by : Unknown
I'm back! Off to reno right now - and will tell you all about our trip tomorrow or wednesday, but wanted to share this ridiculously adorable photo with you before i hit the road.

Invited to a Barney-Themed kids birthday party (for 2 yr old twin girls), Sarah from Ohio used Knitting at Knoon's Prehistoric Pals pattern and whipped up a couple of Barney dolls! While the animals themselves are adorable, i can't get over how clever the photo is... it looks like the matching Barneys are just hanging out in the jungle. Thanks for sending the photo, Sarah - it's put a smile on all of our faces!
(Doug is always after me to knit something like this for Wiley ... he LOVES stuffed animals - and keeps them around for years. Maybe now is the time.)
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While the owners are away...

by :




The 'Beans' will play!


Well, it never fails...whenever Laura and Doug go on vacation...something breaks, shorts out, or someone gets sick. This year...it was the watercooler. You know how it goes, change the bottle, come back two hours later to find a nice puddle around the cooler. Take bottle off, examine, repeat. And...repeat again. Sounds a little like insanity, I know. The next day we made the command decision to replace the darn thing (we're so spoiled, we wanted our tea water!) so this is me wearing the new water

cooler's box, pretending to be a robot (thanks to Amber for the expert artwork). Did I mention how much fun it is to work here?!






And then...there was superfine alpaca. Just after the water cooler fiasco was taken care of, eight boxes of Trendsetter Journey (50% off at $4.75 a ball...more on my yarn lust later) arrived. Oh, the decisions....! I decided on the Tahoe Knots Cable Hat Three, but of course after this week my camera is exhausted--so no pictures of the little beauty until Monday. It knits beautifully, and soft as butter.



Now that you're all updated on this weeks' hijinks...happy knitting!
*Ash*


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The GREATEST job on the planet!!

by : JBWknitters
Ok what does it mean to work at Jimmy Beans Wool? It means the most amazing group of people anywhere!! Of course the bosses are pretty cool and I just had to put this up with the humblest of thanks for a wonderful night and sweet dreams!

Doug and Laura are the most appreciative people in the business world and let me tell you I have been at both ends of that spectrum and it's tough to keep the troops going, but they know how to keep us moving along and let us know we are valued! On Thursday night of last week we were taken to dinner down by the Truckee river here in Reno and wined and dined to our hearts content. Here some of us are chatting, eating and enjoying being together.

Amber, Ashley, and Sally had a great time down at the one end of the table and laughed about everything and sometimes even nothing. Of course there had to be knitting with a group of knitter's, so here is Sandy doing what she loves best and adding so much to group that we would just be lost without her!
Here is Amanda catching a few well deserved winks at dinner. She has just started the nursing program up at UNR and is getting the hang of the long hours. We are all so proud of her and I know if I ever need a nurse I hope I get to have her by my side, she is awesome!


This was a night to remember for sure, as we are loosing Diana to the Outback of Australia for a while and we will miss her terribly. She has been our Saturday customers favorite knitter for about a year and half, to 2 years. Gosh, has it really been that long? Hurry back Diana we need you!



Here is Rachel smiling, as she has a much deserved break from her 2 little munchkins! Rachel will have 1 year old twins in just a couple of days! Phew, she is tired most of the time chasing after those cute little guys. We are always glad that she can have night out with us and she is knitting the most amazing beaded shawl! I can't wait to see the finished product. Knit on Rachel!



I was excited to have 3 of our newest little Beans at this event, because I am always so excited to show off the way we are treated by the 'big dogs' and I don't mean Buddy and Wiley, hee hee! Far left is Victoria, center is Heather and far right is Katie!

Now, Katie has been here for a bit, but I just wanted to throw her into the mix and they are all awesome! All three of them have added so much to the operation it is hard to pin point any one little thing. Be sure to say how do to them next time you are in the store, or on the phone with them. I am sure you will find them all as delightful as we do!


THEN if dinner weren't enough (we were told that we had to plan on being out until 10 pm that night, as there was a surprise after dinner) we were hustled off to the Magic Underground just around the corner and entertained with a few tricks. Nothing much, just a Harley Davidson motorcycle appeared on stage (which of course I loved), out of no where, and Sally chose Doug to join her on stage for a trick or too. Of course Amber had to get in on the fun and helped the magician perform a cool rope trick! Sorry to say that no pictures were allowed, but I will say it was fun, fun, fun!!! The most fun for me (Jeanne) was seeing some of the big tricks, because 'back in the day' I was a cute little magicians assistant and seeing some of the tricks caused me to dream of those fun times that night; it was great to remember and of course know how the magic is done! However, I will NEVER tell the secrets of the tricks!

So with all of that said I am sure that I speak for the whole crew, when I say thank you to you both for such a great evening and for the best place I have EVER worked, hands down!! Have a great trip in Mexico and come back rested, because the busiest is yet to come!

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Yarn out of Cheese?

by : Unknown
LOL! Eileen, I laughed outloud at your WI cheese comment. It cracked me up, because i had thought the very same thing... rowan has a new yarn made from milk protein, so i'm sure cheese yarn isn't too far away!

And i love the idea of the firefly with the spring forward... that is going to be just perfect! The shades are slightly off, but i think the difference is going to end up making it look even better. I'm almost done with my socks (i'm thinking i'll give them to doug's mom maybe), but my darned camera has died on me, so i can't take pictures right now. i'll take some as soon as i get a new one - hopefully soon.

And i have to apologize for being so uncommunicative lately... August was one of the busiest months we've ever had - and i've been spending very few hours at my blogging (and otherwise productive) desk ... (Photo to the left - my dad bought the wall hanging for me years ago - and i love it!). In the shop almost every day - or so it feels - i'm barely able to accomplish the most basic tasks before i leave in the morning. But that's going to change soon, i can just feel it!

Got a Brown Sheep delivery at our house just a few minutes ago... we got the lamb's pride worsted & bulky, cotton fleece, and the wildfoote sock yarn. We carried these yarns many years ago, but are just now bringing them back into the lineup. Though i didn't used to be a huge fan, i'm now fawning over in the Oatmeal worsted i have sitting here ... i'm thinking that it might make a nice, rustic sweater - one with cables and lots of character. There's something about the heathered-ness (is that a word?) that appeals to me right now. Maybe it's the depth.

Anyway, doug and i will take all of the photos this weekend and Rachel will get them on the website by the end of the week.... of course, while Rachel is loading the photos, doug and i will be resting up on a beach in mexico. Sigh - we need a vacation and are truly looking forward to it. Plus, we'll be there for our 8th anniversary. I can't believe that much time has flown by. Wow.

So, why did we get the brown sheep delivered to our house? Because we have NO ROOM at the shop. It's unbelievable! Our poor little shop is busting at the seams - and it's making us all crazy. I think we're going to have to pick up a bit more space for the winter, though, cause we can barely walk through the aisles (as it is, you have to walk single file - forget trying to double up).

So... since my camera is not working, i thought i'd put up a pic that my grandpa from Pennsylvania sent me. He's going to be 91 this december and is flying out here to visit us at the end of September. (yes, he constantly amazes me.) A huge baseball fan, he took this photo of a friendly knitter at the City Island ballpark in Harrisburg (near where he lives). The teams playing were the Harrisburg Senators, and the Bowie, Maryland BaySox. (the Senators lost).


Gramps told me that the "subject's" name is Mae, she is wearing her lucky Phillies jersey, and her instant message id is "The Nutty Knitter." How cute! I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful grandfather... and lucky to have such a terrific team that doug and i can escape for a weeklong vacation. Life is good. :)

(now, i need to get back to those socks so i can start another pair. I must say, after finishing that 1 pair of Misti Socks, i'm addicted. I had no idea that i could really finish 2 socks in the same year. Doug mentioned that he'd like a pair, but i'm not sure what yarn to use. I've been dying to use the new Supersock Select, but can't decide between the Nesting Blue and the Go Green...don't worry - he never reads this blog :))
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