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

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

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!


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Swans Island Worsted

97 comments:

  1. Lovely yarn! Lovely Pattern! Great sounding KAL!

    My favorite color would have to be the indigo, partly because blue if awesome, and partly because indigo can be so tricky to dye with. A homage to that dying process is lovely, and the color looks rich, intense and fabulous!

    Great give away!

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  2. Ohh this is a toughie. I think though that the Beetroot is pretty amazing. I've never seen another redish-purple quite like it-so rich and intense it reminds me of jeweled purple yams!

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  3. I love swans island yarn! I've made a few hats for my friends and they've loved the colors. My favorite is beetroot.

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  4. I don't usually go for pastels, but the sky blue is really lovely!

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  5. Looks like a great yarn! Love the indigo!

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  6. I really love the beetroot, but I could live with any of the colors; they are all lovely.

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  7. My favorite color is garnet! The colors are so lovely and interesting.

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  8. The KAL sounds superfun! And that yarn looks yummy!

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  9. Hi!
    It was hard to choose but I will pick Indigo! :)
    Thank you for the chance!
    `Mippy :)

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  10. My favorite kit color is spring green. Thanks for the amazing giveaway!

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  11. I like the indigo! Thank Swans Island for the giveaway, and to you guys for doing it! :) Good Luck everyone!

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  12. Oh, I forgot to say Spring Green is my favorite color.

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  13. My favourite colour is the Winterberry. I'd be coolest kid on the block with a cowl in this colour. :-)

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  15. I've never participated in a KAL and would love to win and knit up this beautiful pattern in the Spring Green color. To be honest it was hard to choose from all of the beautiful colors:)

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  16. I really love the beetroot! I just love purple :)

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  17. Oh how I love Maize. I've always loved yellows and this is a gorgeous color.

    Patty
    welcra@comcast.net

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  18. I love the Sky Blue! What a gorgeous yarn!

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  19. Ooh, what a fun giveaway! I love the Early Thyme and Oatmeal colors that are on Swan Island's website. But if I have to pick one of the colors y'all stock, I think it'd be garnet or charcoal!

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  20. Beetroot! That the best shade of purple I've seen in a while.

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  21. The garnet! It's just begging to be knit up...

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  22. Anything blue - love the Indigo!

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  23. I love the garnet - it is the perfect red!

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  24. My favorite color is beetroot. I love this purple with little hints of red!

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  25. Another vote for Beetroot, but I like the Garnet as well.

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  26. Beetroot - but the garnet is lovely too! Such a lovely yarn!

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  27. Loooove the garnet.

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  28. I like the Maize and would love to win some yarn.

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  29. I love all the colors, but my favorites are the light blue and the garnet.

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  30. I love the beetroot. Also Maize is sooo beautiful

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  31. 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!

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  32. I simply LOVE "Beetroot"..."Russet"...
    "Charcoal"...AND "Indigo"!!!
    So many GORGEOUS colors to choose from ;P

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  33. I love the Natural color...classic is always elegant. So beautiful!!!!

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  34. I've been hearing about this yarn...would love to get it on my needles!

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  35. I am usually drawn to neutral colors and while I find both the Russet and Charcoal Swan's Island colors lovely, I am drawn to their fresh and crisp Spring Green.

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  36. I love all the colors. But if I have to pick just one (eenie, meenie...) how about Garnet?

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  37. I am a lover of purple and think the beetroot is fabulous

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  38. I think the Beetroot is probably my favorite, but the Spring Green is a close second!

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  39. Gotta be Beetroot! What a beautifully jeweled color!

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  40. My favorite would have to be Spring Green! Thanks for having the giveaway!

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  41. I love the beetroot and the charcoal. If I have to choose one, it'll be garnet because I've been knitting too much in gray and purple lately! How's that for making a choice?! :)

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  42. The indigo color is the one that calls my name!

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  43. I like the Russet color - would go with everything! And is so pretty

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  44. I really love the Beet root. Its a fabulous color.

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  45. This is a difficult choice, but I think I have to go with beetroot! (one of my favorite veggies too :-)

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  46. Indigo
    oooh I like rose quartz
    Indigo it is

    maybe a combo of indigo & rose quartz

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  47. Charcoal is my fave.

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  48. That's tough... That garnet is gorgeous, and the spring green is precious, but the one that keeps screeming at me is....
    the beetroot! ;-)
    (yes, I hear you...)

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  49. I love the Indigo - I love when I find a good blue. THis yarn looks lovely and the cowl pattern is beautiful.

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  50. The Maize was the sample color when I looked and I think it's also my favorite. Nothing like a cheery yellow to brighten things up in winter!

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  51. I love, love, love that garnet. I thought charcoal was my favorite but that garnet is fabulous!!

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  52. I could knit with a neutral like oatmeal every time but I would have to agree with a bunch of other people that the beet root is gorgeous and my choice for the Anna cowl.

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  53. Winterberry is my favorite. Love the yarn!

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  54. Winterberry is on the Swan Island site. I really like the SeaSmoke on your site.

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  55. I like beetroot the best but I like all the colors! I've never tried this yarn but I would love to!

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  56. Tough choice because they are all gorgeous, but if I have to choose, it would be the garnet.

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  57. INDIGO! Definitely because it says it may wear off on you ...all the better in my world.

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  58. I'll have to choose 2 favorites-Indigo and Spring green-gorgeous!

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  59. They are all beautiful colors-but favorites are the garnet with indigo a close second. And really like the pattern. Thanks for the opportunity.

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  60. I love the Rose Quartz - the Spring green is beautiful as well - I think either would make a great cowl - thank for the great giveaway.

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  61. My absolute favorite color has to be Beetroot. Beautiful!

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  62. I think it would have to be Beetroot... but you're making it tough!!

    tbowen1 at nc.rr.com

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  63. I love the Sea Smoke color. It is amazing!

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  64. I love the garnet color, a beautiful rich red!

    Thanks for the chance to win this kit--
    Carol, ceejay on Rav

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  65. All of the colors are so beautiful! It's hard to pick just one! I would have to go with the Spring Green color right now. Such a beautiful tone of green. It could just perk your day up by merely looking at the yarn!

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  66. I love this pattern! I have never used this yarn and can't wait to knit along.

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  67. The Swans Island yarn looks so soft. I really like the Spring Green, and would be a good color to pine for spring.

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  68. Definitely love sea smoke. The grey mixed with the blue is so peaceful and reminds me of the ocean. Beautiful cowl!

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  69. Through all the colors look beautiful and perhaps even more so in person. I would choose Garnet because I love red and it goes with all my winter outerwear. Love the Indigo too but my brown coat doesn't.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    Kathleen kkkkate on Ravelry

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  70. All of the colors are really pretty. I wold have to say that beetroot is my favorite. Since having my daughter in '06, she has reminded me how much I love the color purple. I think beetroot would make a great cowl that would go with so many outfits and jackets.

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  71. Beetroot is my favorite.

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  72. I love the Sea Smoke color on their site!! From the selection on JBW I would have to go with Charcoal, because I am on a gray kick right now. I can't seem to get enough of it, and their charcoal looks like it would be the perfect gray "fix" for me. Although beetroot is really gorgeous too... Really nice giveaway! That is going to be one lucky winner!

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  73. cynthia.landers@ocps.netJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:34 AM

    Hands down it's the maize. I love it and I don't usually go for yellows!!

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  74. Beetroot... truthfully can one person have to much purple in their stash? What an amazing colorway.. Love it!!

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  75. I Agree your post is useful to visitor. I like to share to my friends. By Regards Web 2 Print

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  76. Spring green is spectacular!!

    KarenE1969 on Ravelry

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  77. Wow, what beautiful colors! I love the Indigo, and Spring Green would be a close 2nd.

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  78. If I could flip a coin, rose quartz would be heads and beetroot would be tails. :)

    Such lovely colors. I need to check out this yarn!

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  79. The Beetroot colorway is gorgeous!

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  80. I've been hearing a lot about Swan Island recently. I think the indigo is lovely, and the oatmeal, and the winterberry. I'd probably pick the indigo to knit the cowl with.

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  81. My favorite Swan's Island colors are Garnet, Beetroot and Charcoal. If I have to pick just one I would have to choose Charcoal. So rich and vibrant for a grey.

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  82. My favourite colour is Charcoal too! (But I will also put in a vote for Beetrroot)...

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  83. I love the Maize color. Makes me think of spring. I would love to win this kit. Thanks for the opportunity to possible win one.

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  84. I love the Beetroot, so rich and interesting, but I guess I am not the only one, since it is sold out! I would also be happy with the Spring Green to celebrate our next season!

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  85. JANA MCCARRON
    knitmeup@gmail.com
    I LOVE the vintage lilac color. What GORGEOUS yarn!!!

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  86. I love, love, love the beetroot! Charcoal for it's neutralness (don't know if that really is a word! LOL) is my 2nd choice. I'm really excited about this KAL! It will be my first! Thanks JBW!

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  87. Definitely the beetroot - it's absolutely gorgeous!!!

    Or maybe the indigo, or spring green, or...well, you get the idea - I love all of the colors!

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  88. beetroot, charcoal, natural, garnet - but the indigo is the one that really sings to me!

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  89. I I love them all, but the Garnet is really speaking to me at the moment!

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