The 1st of April is not only when our Limited Edition color will be available (I happen to know this one is near and dear to Amber's heart), but our 5% Quarterly Rewards will be posted too! It is always exciting when the rewards are up and running, as you have all earned them and I LOVE to help you spend them. The limited edition color for April really is a neat one and I will be buying mine ASAP! I think I will get it the sock weight this time, so I can make socks (imagine :). Victoria has also done stitch markers that go right along with this color, so be sure to check those out too! They are called 'Everything Except the Kitchen Sink' and that is a HUGE hint as to the name of our upcoming color. The little tiny snip is just a VERY SMALL taste and I can't say more or I know I will give...

Hello, My sister came up from L.A. to visit me last weekend and since I refrained from schoolwork for the 3 and a half days she was here, I decided to knit while we chatted and watched movies (the things we love to do most). I decided I wanted to make her a stuffed animal because i was inspired by Sharon and Sara K.'s Iris monsters. Anyway, we found an adorable pattern on Ravelry called "Nellie the Elephant", and I had her look through my stash and pick some yarn. She picked out chartreuse/citron and teal worsted weight yarn and I cast on immediately. Of course I did not finish, and who knows when I will, but it felt good to knit after such a long time!! I have the body and one leg completed, I just need 3 more legs and ears, and eyes. I cant believe that only a couple months ago I was...

Blankets are one of my favorite things. Some of my favorite memories are curled up with my mom under an afghan my grandmother had crocheted, reading The Chronicles of Narnia and making elaborate forts out of every blanket in the house –even my best friend growing up was named Blanky (he is a blanket). Whether it be a quilt, throw or afghan, there is warmth held by handmade blankets that is impossible to find in any store-bought blanket from Bed Bath and Beyond, even if it is electric. While I have always been somewhat envious of those who had the patience to knit or crochet an entire afghan, it was never a project I even considered tackling… until we received Comfort Knitting & Crochet Afghans book. I know, I know, spring is here and the majority of us are not thinking about projects...

We had a HUGE filming session on Wednesday and most of yesterday I was in mental la la land. It's fun to do these videos, but it really does tire all of us out. So many of you are so supportive of our filming that I thought you might like to see the other side of things and so Sara took on the picture taking for me, so I could show you some of the silly things that go on when we are filming. Left Greg and I are discussing the line up of products etc., and boo hoo, that was Greg's last day with us on a regular basis, as he is moving on to some fun new things. He will be popping in from time to say hi and help film (he's great at it), but he has really added a nice balance to a place full of women. Laura brought in a thank you cake and as you can see we liked it a lot! I think Greg maybe...

I wish ALL of our customers could come into the shop and see what's going on around there lately, WOW! Terry has taken over the organization of things and I can't tell you what a great thing it is too! She has straightened, moved, restocked and just generally tidied up the place with the help of my other retail beans, Sara and Sarah! No I am not stuttering we have 2 Sara's/Sarah's now and it gets a bit confusing, but I hope you get to meet them both real soon! They are both so neat you will love them! I have also had some great show-n-tell lately and one of our regular customers, Marilyn, came in to pick a bit of yarn and have some wound, but what she had in her bag was AMAZING!! She knit this sweater up in about 2 months (she is a lunatic knitter and she thought that was a long time,...

For students at UNR it is finally Spring Break! I, being one of those students, have been looking forward to this glorious classes-free week since Winter Break. Many students like to travel, catch up on homework, or do nothing and relax from the riggers of their studies. Personally, I love Spring Break because I can knit for a week straight instead of spending the day on campus or reading that pile of books next to my bed. During the semester I have to be careful with my knitting addiction, because once I start a project, chances are I will not get any schoolwork done until I finish it. When it comes to knitting, I have no self-control :) My goal for this break is to finish a pair of fingerless gloves as a present for my roommate whose birthday is fast approaching. A few weeks ago, while...

With spring comes my desire to wear comfortable light clothing, but my knitting does not get put away. I am one of those who can't not knit, so I just change the weight of what is laying in my lap. Of course I am ALWAYS knitting socks because they are easy to carry along and don't make me hot while knitting them. I am about to finish up my Hydrangea socks from Janel Laidman's book The Eclectic Sole, so I have to get going on another pair. I am using the Handmaiden Merino 2/6 yarn in Fleur, but I think I will do my next pair in Panda Cotton yarn for a lighter spring/summer pair. I love the Panda Cotton because it wears like iron, but is so nice and soft to wear. Bamboo has one of the best wicking properties, so all of my Panda Cotton socks keep my feet dry and comfy all day! Of course now...

Hello, We have a great new book with AWESOME projects using Cascade 220 and Cascade 220 Superwash. Its called 60 Quick Knits in Cascade 220. Cascade 220 comes in hundreds of gorgeous colors, including some lovely heathers. I always recommend it to customers looking for a nice worsted weight yarn. This book contains some ADORABLE patterns, my favorites being the ones for kids. The Octopus Mittens are my favorite, and I know that Amber and Sarah W. are partial to the Puppy Mittens and Monkey Hat. addthis_pub = 'laurazander';addthis_brand = 'Jimmy Beans Wool'; addthis_logo = 'http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/images/headerlogoSmall.gif';addthis_options = 'favorites, digg, delicious, email, google, myspace, facebook, reddit, newsvine, live, more'; This book has me thinking about...

You know I don't think I can come to work without leaving with something new, dog gone it! What's up with that?? LOL!Today I bought the book Knitwear Design Workshop by Shirley Paden a fantastic designer who has compiled an amazing amount of information within the pages of this book!WOW this book has absolutely everything that you could ever want to know about how to create your own custom fit garment!I can't wait to study it in detail and create my own perfectly fit sweater, jacket, or just whatever I want to make just for me!! Of course the jacket on the cover is what drew me in with all those beautiful twisted stitches how could I go wrong with??So with that decided I better go get some yarn to go with it?? HA HA HA!! Ok, ok now that you have picked yourself up off the floor (because as...

I’ll admit that even though I’ve worked here for several months now, until recently I had never really sat down and gotten to know the Knit Kit. After the two of us had a heart to heart (I have a tendency to bond with inanimate objects), I think we are destined for a long and beautiful friendship. Not only do we both appreciate efficient organization and enjoy knitting on-the-go, we are both from Idaho! Our relationship is not exclusive, however, and several of our customers have given the Knit Kit rave reviews! And if that isn’t enough to convince you of the knitasticness (or crochetrificness if that’s how you role) that is the Knit Kit, Martha Stewart herself, the Grand Priestess of Crafts, will be singing praises of this must-have accessory today on her show, so check your local listings!...

Hello, Love of Knitting is a great magazine, with clear, easy-to-follow instructions and a variety of fun styles. In the Spring 2010 Love of Knitting Magazine there are several patterns that call for yarns that we carry: String of Pearls (Muench) and Cotton Classic (Tahki Stacy Charles). These yarns are perfect for spring and summer. String of Pearls is a really pretty yarn by Muench, perfect for sweaters. It has a great pearly shimmer, and an interesting, corded, tube-like construction. Cotton Classic is a yarn that doesn't get enough respect, in my opinion. We often recommend Cotton Classic for dishcloths and potholders, because of its durability, but sometimes we forget that its also great for garments. It's vibrant colors and smooth texture make it a great option for a lightweight,...

We survived and should get buttons, or T-shirts made saying exactly that! Phew we are a tired bunch of Little Beans for sure! Thanks to all of you who stopped by and said hi and of course the volunteers who worked with us, WOW, we wouldn't have gotten through it all without you!! Thanks so much! We got down to Santa Clara mid afternoon on Wednesday and here we are unloading stuff out of my truck. As you can see the silliness has already begun! We worked on putting our booth together until 6:00 when we had to get out and go do some knitting, or hot tubing, or just put our feet up it was Little Beans choice on that one. Sandy and I retired to our lovely room in the Hilton right across from the show (good call Laura) and knit the night away. Amber went hot tubing and then Laura, Victoria and...