February has been dubbed Heart Month by the American Heart Association and I think it's important to remember that heart disease is one of the number one killers of women today. With that said we are going to be participating in the 'wear red' day on Friday February 4th at the shop and I think I will be wearing a hank of February's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color around my neck!

The shipment was delivered today and it is a real festival of color (hint, hint)!! Okay with the picture here it isn't much of a hint, but it's beautiful don't you think? Shevawn inspired this months color and boy did it turn out to be amazing!! Of course if you are a member of the LLE Fan Club you have already seen this great color and are probably ready to add it to your cart as soon as it is live on the site right? If you are not a member then check out the Facebook Fan Club, or if you aren't part of Facebook just sign up here and once you are a member you can even win yarn, so what are you waiting for?

I hope you will participate in 'wear red' day on Friday and we would LOVE to see pictures of you wearing your red to remind everyone how important the fight against Heart Disease is! I have been personally affected by heart disease and miss my mother very, very much! I will also be knitting with my Festival of Love knitting up my little hearts from the book Gifted. I plan on working up a BIG bowl of these adorable hearts for Valentines Day!

This pattern is a fantastic short row knit and after stuffing the little darlings they get felted. This picture is before felting, so stay tuned for more! I am going to use the Festival of Love in the Greenline Worsted which will felt up great! I used Classic Elite Fresco for these hearts here (I doubled the yarn), but have been using anything I can find including Cascade Pastaza.

And we have some other really exciting news to share!

It's that time again! We are now accepting applications for the 2nd annual Beans for Brains Scholarship! We've partnered up with The Yarn Group, Interweave, Denise Needles, Lorna's Laces, Tahki Stacy Charles and tons of other folks across the industry to offer one of the largest Knitting and Crocheting scholarships out there! As you may or may not know, the Beans for Brains scholarship is a merit-based scholarship open to all students attending an accredited institution in the fall of 2011. Applicants must know how to knit or crochet. The scholarship is open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students in any course of study. For the 2011-2012 award year, there are five $3,000 scholarships up for grabs!! Deadline to apply is April 1st, 2011 so just hop over to our website to apply today!

As always happy knitting and crocheting!!

Jeanne

The Wool Watcher Puppy never barks or whines, but now he Tweets! That's right, you can follow Wool Watcher on Twitter for instantaneous updates on the latest discounted yarns and items posted to WW! If you are already on Twitter and would like to add us to your feed just search "woolwatcher" (all one word). Not a member of Twitter? Sign up for a piece of the action at Twitter.com -it's free and a great way to keep up with the latest JBW news as well as Wool Watcher deals! Note: our Jimmy Beans Wool Twitter feed is separate from the Wool Watcher feed, so be sure to follow both!

Even puppies like them!

Room for everything!

Now onto the new in-store stuff! Bethany has been singing praises for the new Bitty Bags from Namaste ever since she bought one a couple weeks ago. Trendy and compact, these purses are flawlessly functional without sacrificing an ounce of style. Seriously, these classy bags have no drawbacks except that once you have one, you just might want another :) The Bitty Bag interior features easy organization with open-top pockets and elastic straps for keeping all your necessities in place as well as 2 zippered pockets; one on the inside and one on the outside!

Kristen already introduced you to the latest issue of Knitscene Magazine in her last post, but I couldn't help reiterate how awesome it is! This particular publication is overflowing with gorgeous patterns from the twisty texture of the Tosh Sock Bas-Relief Socks, to the colorful Mette-Marit Pullover knit in luxurious Rowan Belle Organic DK, to the all-seasons Belvedere Cardigan. Knit in sumptuous Sweater from Spud and Chloe, Belvedere is a lacy, relaxed cardi perfect for layering and looks great year-round!

Sweater - Barn

Speaking of Sweater, there are three new bright new colors now available in this machine-washable wool and organic cotton blend: Igloo, Barn and Waterslide! Sweater wears great and only gets softer the more you wash it, making it the perfect medium for knits that will be much loved and worn often! If that isn't reason enough to work with this fabulous yarn, for a limited time a free pattern will be included with any order for Spud And Chloe's Sweater yarn! I don't know about you, but I'm a fanatical free pattern enthusiast -especially for the cute, stylish designs like the ones from Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud And Chloe :)


One more thing I can't help but mention: Wisteria, a new patter from Knitting At Knoon! This smart little number is knit in one of my favorite fibers, Plymouth's Taria Tweed! Of course you can opt for any heavy worsted weight yarn and still get stunning results :) The Wisteria Vest is great for layering during transitional seasons and can be appreciated by both the trend-savvy businesswoman and hip coffee shop crowd!


Enjoy the rest of your week and happy knitting and crocheting!
Leanne :)

The KPPPM skeinlette designs are in, so scroll down and try to pick a favorite before casting your vote! I say "try" because all three designs are phenomenal. When I received the pictures it took me several hours to recover from a double attack of IKG and UOC (Inspired Knitting Genius and Unexpected Overwhelming Cuteness... don't say I didn't warn you!). But enough of my ramblings and onto the designs themselves!

Gorgeous Fingerless Mitts!

Behind Curtain #1 we have a stunning pair of exquisite fingerless mittens. The hand-warming body of these Fairisle wonders are charming, colorful and unique with the perfect finishing touch of lacy swallowtail edging around the fingers. I'm especially impressed with how well the color transitions melt effortlessly from one hue to the next incorporating the whole rainbow into one beautiful work of fiber art! Not to mention anyone wearing these trendy mitts is sure to turn a head or two with this eye-catching design wrapped around their digits.

Scarf In Progress

Curtain #2 yields a coy Koigu design for your neck! Unfortunately we received this particular piece late in the game (due to communication issues that are no fault of the designer), so you will have to combine this picture and my powers of description with your imagination :) The design itself was inspired by a simple, ribbed scarf with a lacy, over-sized flower that reminds me of something a flapper from the '20s might wear to a speakeasy. As you can see, this project starts out in a simple fisherman's rib using the warm reds, browns and oranges that abruptly switch to cooler blues, greens and purples for a "fire and ice" effect. This scarf does a stellar job of letting the hand-painted colorways shine and I'm just bummed we don't get to see the finished product!

Lola Lookin' Pretty in Koigu

Last but not least, Curtain #3 is an adorable knit for woman's best friend! This delightful dog sweater was designed for fashion-conscious Lola, a 9 pound shiatsu who shares her name with a character in the musical Damn Yankees originally played by the legendary actress/fashionista Gwen Verdon. Featuring a ruffled hem and sleeves along with a bright red flower on the shoulder, this feminine roll-neck sweater may be inspired by '50 fashion, but decades later it is a glamorous garment any dog would love to show off!

Congratulations to the three finalists for their incredible creations, we are all thrilled and awestruck by these marvelous designs! Readers, please chose your favorite and vote now! The poll (located in the top right hand corner above our Tweets) closes this Friday, January 28th at 3pm PST and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. The design with the most votes will receive 3 skeins of KPPPM, and to ensure a fair vote we ask that you only vote once :)

Thank you!
Leanne

Today was a filming day and I must admit while we have a bunch of fun it does tire me out! We did new instructional videos for the site and I hope you enjoy them. In the new videos I show you how my mother taught me to darn socks, how to work with the new Flounce yarn and how to do a long tail purlwise cast on. I had to learn this one to work on Never Not Knitting's Autumn Vines Beret. I am having so much fun working on the pattern and am using the Isager Alpaca 2 yarn....super yummy! We reviewed a bunch of new products and were just generally silly! Stay tuned to the same LYS-online store for more!!

I also want to remind you all to be sure to check out our Lorna's Laces Limited Edition Fan Club!! Did you know you can win free yarn by being a member? You also get sneak peeks at upcoming colors and input on naming and the perks just keep on coming!

This month's color, Nicole's First Anniversary, has been a big hit. We sold out of really quickly and ordered more. (There's still a bit left here and there if you hurry!)

Well, I must confess I am a little tired after such a busy day, so for now I will wish you all happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

Hi everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great week! We’ve been busy around here as usual! I just have a couple of FO’s to share this week and a few new fun projects to share with you all too!

Plenty of new thing just keep on rollin' through our doors -I can hardly keep up! This week we've got everything from the latest in novelty knitting to a glimpse at the styles to come in 2011!

How big a glimpse, you ask? Well, between Norah Gaughan's pattern booklet Volume 8 and the latest issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine, I'd say a fairly large glimpse :) I am always in awe of Norah's simple yet intricate geometric designs, and her latest collection is particularly stunning. Lacy, open stitch patterns are a common motif in Vol. 8, creating wistful, artistic garments knit in lightweight cotton and linen blends. The airy nature of this collection is picture perfect in pastels and features the purely divine Pure Pima and summery soft Linsey. Linsey is one of Berroco's new yarns this year and will be available on our website soon! I wish I could give you some tantalizing tidbits regarding Linsey, but I have yet to see it for myself.

The Winter 2010/11 issue of Vogue Knitting, however, is no mystery! Page after page of hip, urban designs and classic, form-fitting styles, this Vogue has something for every wintry activity! Over-sized cabled scarves such as the Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Hand Dyes Scarf for those long weekends on the slopes and the asymmetrical Draped Cardigan for staying warm at the office without putting a crimp in your savvy fashion-sense are just a few of the fabulous patterns in this issue as well as an enticing preview of the trends ahead!

If you prefer the simplicity of everyday styles to high-fashion runway knits, consider some of the free patterns available from the Stitch Nation website. Founded by Debbie Stoller, author of the famed Stitch 'N Bitch series, Stitch Nation features a stellar line of affordable, all natural yarns as well as a continually growing collection of excellent free patterns for a wide range of ability levels. Recently posted is one of my favorites, the Beloved Shawl, available as a kit on our website! This classic shawl is knit in silky soft Bamboo Ewe, a worsted weight blend of bamboo and wool. The leaf-like lace pattern and a delicate swallow-tailed edge gains a fresh modern look from the luscious, vibrant hues of Bamboo Ewe.

Looking for something a little more... unique? Try knitting with Flounce! Much like Trendsetter's Flamenco, this new novelty yarn from Katia has an open, net-like construction that can be transformed into bouncy flouncy ruffles by knitting along one edge.  The self-striping colorways of Flounce add extra flare to the texture and depth of this particular fiber, making it perfect for scarves, accessories, accents and more! For a super easy yet striking neck warmer, use 2 balls of Flounce for the Flounce Scarf! Available as a kit, this scarf knits up in no time on size US 11 needles and the pattern, which includes detailed pictures describing how to knit with this yarn, is free on the KFI website!

Have a splendiferous week and happy knitting and crocheting!
Leanne

The weather here is like spring...wow! The high today is supposed to be 66 degrees.

With the warm weather we had a little subversive visitor and one of our down spouts was yarn bombed!! K4Ps is a local yarn bombing crew here in Reno and I have been waiting for them to get around to us.
I think they did a great job don't you? It will be interesting to see how long it stays up.


So with the warm weather it got me thinking about projects (like I need anything specific to get me thinking about projects, ha ha!) and in walks Amber with her finished heart out of Greenline DK in Chagrin. The Chagrin is sold out, but there are some other beautiful colors for hearts!

So now I don't need to think too hard just follow the leader, yippee! How about a knit heart for Valentines Day? I am in love with this anatomical heart and want to get this going NOW!! She worked up her heart with US 5 DPN's and I think it turned out perfectly!!


She found the pattern on Knitty and is going to work up another heart with the Zombie BBQ...woo hoo!! The working title around the shop is the 'living' heart, ha ha!

I think I will work my heart(s) up in the GreenlineDK Zombie BBQ (why mess with a great idea) and I will only need 1 hank for the project, thump, thump!




So this got me thinking about the upcoming holiday of love and I started looking for knit hearts...what do you think about these lovely little treasures from Berroco?




This free pattern will make approximately 15 hearts from one hank of Peruvia, so what's not to love?

Of course the problem with getting ideas is that well it gives me ideas and one thing leads to another and I am not finishing other stuff (which is my New Years resolution, sigh) right?

I am limiting myself to one big project like a sweater and a small project like socks, but I am sorry these hearts are calling my name!! I guess I need to revisit my resolution and say at least 2 small projects at a time...phew that was close!!

Okay with that knitting rationalization out of the way where's my needles?

As always happy knitting and crocheting!!

Jeanne

Should we start by announcing the winners or by telling you all about our TNNA trip?

I don't know about you, but I am still having problems writing the date... I just can't believe it is already 2011! This is my second January at JBW and it never ceases to amaze me just how much new yarn is out there, not to mention all those yarns that have yet to be created! You'd think I'd know better by now, right? Case in point, we're starting to get the latest Berroco yarns (so new they aren't even on the Berroco website yet!), and these might just be some of my favoritest fibers of the New Year!

Vintage DK 2177

First up is a new version of a Berroco classic: Vintage DK. I ended up knitting a hat with the worsted weight original, Vintage, and fell in love. This ludicrously affordable yarn gives you everything from machine washability to cuddley softness to a gorgeous spectrum of colors... seriously Vintage has it all. And now that Vintage DK has entered the scene, you can enjoy the versatility of of the Vintage family for your lighter weight projects!
What DK weight projects you ask? Why, the ones in Berroco Pattern Booklet 308 - Vintage DK and Vintage of course! Berroco, being the awesome company that they are, always anticipates your burning desire to work with their new fibers and provide superb pattern booklets to accompany all of their yarns. Full of trendy, wearable knits that cater to a wide range of ability levels, these booklets are a great place to start if you are in search of some knitspiration! Needless to say, #308 is brimming with stylish knits including, but not limited to an adorable top, delightful sweaters and a snazzy cap!

Glint 2953

For those of you looking for something a little more glam, Berroco has you covered with Glint! This light, worsted weight fiber consists of shimmery metallic filament encased in delicately woven strands of a soft cotton and nylon blend. Perfect for knit and crochet fashionistas, Glint has a beautiful drape and comes in a sumptuous array of classic solid colors. Don't forget to check out the Glint Pattern Booklet, #306 which has plenty of project ranging from casual chic to glitzy elegance!

If you're still hungry for Berroco, stay tuned as we'll be receiving even more in the near future!!

It is wise to use stitch markers!

Ok, so enough Berroco (for now). On to those handy-dandy accessories/necessities: stitch markers! Victoria S, a.k.a. the Queen of Crafty, has added the Power Animal Packs to her collection of darling handmade beaded stitch markers. Available in sets of 3, these ultra-cutesy notions are the perfect way to add a bit of serenity and extra [insert power here] to your knitting. Whether you hope to infuse more Love (Panda) into a project, or strive to relax and enjoy your knitting with Contentment (Kitty) the power animal stitch markers are a great reminder to have Fun (Monkey) with your knitting!

Also on the Newness Front: 4 spectacular patterns from Knitting Pure And Simple! I'm partial to the Children's Mukluk Slippers, though my feet are far too large... sigh. These adorable boot-like slippers knit up in no time with bulky weight yarn to keep your favorite little toesies nice and warm! If their feet are already taken care of, consider the Children's Bulky Top-Down Pullover and/or the Children's Henley Top-Down Pullover to maintain their upper body warmth! Both of these cozy sweaters are easy-to-knit and perfect for days spent playing in the snow. If you're in New England preparing for the Nor'easter (a snowstorm of epic proportions), all three of these patterns are great garments for an after-storm snow party (and you can knit them in the mean time)! Ok, so I know it is too late now to get started on these delightful designs if you're on the verge of being snowed-in, but I'm fairly certain there will be more storms to come ;) Of course the fashion-fun isn't limited to kids; we've got the New Neck-Down Pullover for us grown-ups as well! A variation of the popular Neck-Down Pullover, this sweater is more fitted with a simple, classic design that is easy to dress up for work or wear about the house on a lazy weekend!

Until next week, happy knitting and crocheting!
Leanne :)