Announcing the Downton Abbey Mystery KAL 2014!

by : KristenJBW
Hello! We were so thrilled to announce our next KAL over the weekend, and it seems many of you are excited as well. After all of the excitement over last year's KAL, we knew we just HAD to follow up this year with another. We are glad you all are excited. :)


This year's KAL has a little bit of a different format, with a twist. Starting with a basic shawl pattern, this year's KAL is based on the film drinking games of our college years with a “Choose your own Adventure” element. The difference is that in this case we’re taking a more productive approach: instead of drinking when something happens on Season 4 of Downton Abbey, we'll be knitting a specific stitch pattern into our shawl based on the directions given each week! (Of course, we wouldn’t blame you for pouring a glass of wine or a drink to enjoy with your project and Downton, but all we’ll be focused on is the knitting!!)
Here is the Timeline of Events:
-The final design of our shawl will be based on the events and dialogue of each episode of Downton Abbey, Season 4 (yes, I've watched it already, but I promise, no spoilers)!
-On the morning before each episode airs on PBS, you will receive a set of directions for that evening’s episode.
-Your directions could be something along the lines of: “When Bates sneezes, knit 4 rows of seed stitch.” (Or something like that!)
-There will be 2 options specified in the directions: one will be more of a beginner stitch pattern and one will be intermediate. You can choose either.
-The rules are designed so that rarer events require slightly more complicated, longer, or laborious stitch patterns.
-For those of you that didn’t or couldn’t watch, or in case you missed something in the episode we’ll release the “stitch pattern key” to the episode the day after the show airs.
Timeline and Materials:
-Sunday, Jan 5th: We’ll release the basic shawl pattern instructions (first thing in the morning) on the JBW blog so that you can cast on and be ready to start the game the following week during Episode 2. Rules for episodes #2-8 will be posted each Sunday morning thereafter (just like last year’s KAL, if you participated.)
-Yarn Needed: We’ll be using 2 hanks of Lorna’s Laces Honor in the “Bated Breath” Limited Edition color, but you can also use 550 yds of any DK weight yarn with lots of drape. Alternate yarn choices might include Tosh Pashmina, Lorna's Laces Sportmate, Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blends Multis, or Malabrigo Silky Merino. Yes, the Pashmina and Sportmate are slightly lighter in weight than the DK but from personal experience, they will work fine.  

 **Yarn Note: We've already sold through our first batch of this yarn, so if you do not already have any on order, the earliest our next batch will be shipping is 1/10. Please let us know if we can help you choose a different yarn instead, or if you'd like to wait, you should have your yarn and be able to catch up by the 3rd episode. Either way will work!**
-Needles: US 7- 40” circular needles. If you don't have 40" size 7 needles, something longer will be good too. I don't recommend anything shorter though as this shawl will get very wide, very quickly.
Sound fun? Ready to join the conversation? Be sure to check in and join the Jimmy Beans Wool Ravelry Group for all of the pre-KAL chatter! Also be sure to "start your project" on Raverly by going to the Downton Abbey Mystery KAL 2014 project page.

 I've had a few questions about how to join the KAL. Basically, there is no formal sign up. Just by saying you are in, you are in! Just be sure to join up in the group on Ravelry above and start your project. Then, try to wait patiently until Sunday morning when the blog post is posted (I know, SO difficult, right?!?!) It's as simple as that!

 If you are an LYS and would like to host Downton Abbey KAL Meet-ups or Knit-nights in your shop, that’s great! We are thrilled to have you participate with us! Please feel free to share the pattern with your customers, as long as you give full credit for the content to the designer and Jimmy Beans Wool. Also, feel free to let us know (support@jimmybeanswool.com) you are participating and we’ll happily give you a shout out on Facebook and our other social media accounts. We want your business to do well and receive some attention too! Thank you for participating!

 I'll be back here bright and early Sunday morning (1/5) with your first post and your casting on instructions! Hope you'll join us!

 Happy knitting,
Kristen
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4th of the Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long from Marcia Harmening

by : KristenJBW


Welcome back to the Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long! We know you've been chomping at the bit for the next block, so without further ado, here is the Fourth Block in the Sew Red Sew-a, designed by Marcia Harmening!


All About Marcia

Marcia Harmening is the talented designer behind Happy Stash Quilts and Queen of All Things Applique! Marcia says she fell in love with quilting many years ago as a means of staving off insanity during the long, dark Alaska winters. What better way to beat the long, snowy season than by surrounding yourself with colorful fabric! In 2010, after 23 years in Alaska, Marcia, her husband and their three children relocated to Reno, Nevada. We are lucky to have Marcia as a frequent visitor to our shop! She has commemorated our local are in The Tahoe Collection of “Flip & Fuse” Fun, which includes 4 quilt patterns and a table runner. You can keep up with all of the exciting things Marcia dreams up on Facebook and her blog at www.happystashquilts.com.
Marcia's design from Sew Red

Marcia and Sew Red

Marcia and Sew Red are a match made in the stars! Marcia came into our shop to browse fabric shortly after moving to Reno, and it happened to be the very day we were looking for designers to be a part of Sew Red. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Little did we know that when Marcia's father was just 50, he suffered his first heart attack; 10 years later he underwent quadruple bypass open-heart surgery. Watching her father's health drastically improve through exercise, dietary changes, and weight loss has been a major motivating factor for Marcia! We're so glad she chose to be part of Sew Red. We were simply blown away by her Queen of Hearts mini quilt for the Sew Red book—it is pure elegance in applique form!


Marcia's block for the Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long

If you love Marcia's Queen of Hearts quilt as much as we do, you will be blown away by her block for the Sew Red Sew-a-long. It is a beautiful hand-appliqued heart motif that would make a staggering visual centerpiece for the quilt top. If needle-turn hand-applique isn't quite your thing, consider raw-edge fusible applique as an alternative!

To get started, check out Marcia's blog (http://www.happystashquilts.com/blogs/news) for her tips and tricks, as well as a tutorial for making perfect circles! You'll also need to download the heart block template from the Jimmy Beans Wool website.

Ready, set, applique!

Heart Block from Happy Stash Quilts

Materials:
1 Fat Quarter of Red Fabric
1 Fat Quarter of Cream Fabric

Cut Red Background Fabric 7” x 17”.
(This will be trimmed to 6 ½” x 16 ½” after the block is appliquéd and pressed.)

White Appliqué Pieces
A Make 1
B Make 1
C Make 1
D Make 1
E Make 6
F Make 6
G Make 37

Needle-turn Hand Appliqué Technique

1. Trace all shapes from the Appliqué Diagram onto the matte side of freezer paper. Make sure to write the identifying letter of each piece on the freezer paper templates. Only one freezer paper template is needed for each shape.

2. Cut freezer paper templates out along the lines using paper scissors.

3. Place the shiny side of the freezer paper template on the right side of appliqué fabric and press with an iron.

4. Draw a line on the appliqué fabric around the freezer paper template using a water-soluble pen or chalk pencil. For dark fabrics, Clover makes a water-soluble pen with white ink.

5. Peel off freezer paper template and cut out appliqué shape a scant ¼” beyond the marked lines. (Templates can be used multiple times.)

6. Tape the Appliqué Diagram in a brightly lit window. Center the background fabric over the diagram and tape to window. With the window as your light box, use a water-soluble pen to mark the appliqué placement.

7. Appliqué pieces onto the background in alphabetical order using matching colors of light-weight thread. Start with piece A and finish with the G circles.

8. To appliqué, select a long edge on the appliqué piece to begin your stitching. Avoid beginning at an inner V or outer point. Finger press the appliqué piece along the drawn line. Bring your needle up through the edge of the appliqué piece where it has been turned under. Then make a downward stitch into the background right next to the turned-under edge of the appliqué. The thread travels on the back and the upward stitch comes up to catch the turned edge of the appliqué piece. Pull your thread taut enough to sink the stitches, but not so hard that puckering occurs.

9. Hand-stitch the edges of the appliqué pieces, turning the edge to the marked line as you go.

10. Continue in this manner until all of the appliqué is complete.

Stem Stitching

Now that the appliqué is complete, use DMC or other brand of embroidery floss to sew a stem stitch to create the stems to the little heart flowers. Refer to the Appliqué Diagram for dashed stitching lines. Cut an 18” segment of embroidery floss and separate out 3 strands of thread. Thread needle and make a small knot on one end.

To sew a stem stitch, work from left to right in ¼” or smaller increments. Bring the threaded needle up at point A and take it down at point B along the stitching line. Bring the needle up at C – halfway between A and B. For the second stitch, insert at D and pull up at E. Continue in this manner until the stem is created. Keep the thread either above or below the stitching line while sewing.

 Happy stitching everyone!

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Last Minute Hats & Headbands!

by : KristenJBW
I swore up and down that I wasn't going to knit any gifts this year. There is just not enough time, and unfortunately I am not one of those people who is disciplined enough to begin my holiday knitting in August or September. But, in the last few days, I've broken down and decided to knit a few gifts. I just can't help myself I guess.

Searching Ravelry for the right hats and headbands to make, I stumbled upon some amazing and beautiful options and figured I would share them with you in case you were also in my predicament--needing some last minute gift ideas. Here are a few of may favorites:

The Magnolia Hat by Maria Socha. This one is gorgeous AND it's a Freebie on Ravelry. I may have to make this one for myself when the holidays are over!

Magnolia


Windschief  by Stephen West is a long time favorite of mine and it's a great guy hat. We carry hard copies of this pattern at JBW if you prefer that option instead.

Windschief


Molly, by Erin Ruth is nice because it's mostly simple, but with a little bit of cabling to keep things interesting. Plus, as a bonus, it's a free pattern on Ravelry. Score!

Molly


Bristol Ivy's new Illyria hat is nice. Again, mostly simple design, with some fun cables to keep it interesting.

Illyria


I am making the Parisian Twist headband by Elisa McLaughlin for my Sisters-in-Law because they are super into headbands, and this one will look especially cute on them.

Parisian Twist


Calorimetry is another awesome headband pattern, a classic by now, really. It's free from Knitty and you can't go wrong with it.

Calorimetry


If cowls are more up your alley, the Princess Franklin's Plaid Collar by Franklin Habit from the latest issue of Knitty is mostly garter stitch, with the plaid stripes sewn in. It looks like a fairly quick project that could be a great way to use up some yarn scraps!

Princess Franklin

Hopefully this gives you some good ideas for last minute knitted gifts. Any of these could be done in a weekend. Oh wait, it's the weekend now (or it's Friday at least.) See ya later...I'm off to knit!

Kristen


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Yarny Gifts to Give This Holiday Season!

by : KristenJBW
We've been hard at work in our yarny-style Santa's Workshop creating all kinds of fun holiday gifts to give this year. If you haven't yet checked these out yet, be sure to do so for your favorite knitter, or add some of these items to your wishlist for Santa.

Blue Sky Alpaca Gift Boxes:


Rachel, showing off her shawl, and the
Alpaca Silk Colors that inspired it.

These have an exclusive free pattern to go with them, the Asymmetrical Stripped Shawl, designed by our very own Rachel of Unraveled Designs.


Debbie Bliss Snowman:

We just love these little guys! So cute!

The snowman can be knit into the Frosty Slouch Hat (another exclusive free pattern designed by our very own Kristen of Marinade Designs) once the holidays are over.


Cascade 220 Superwash Holiday Wreaths:

Huck makes a great model, eh?

This is Kristen's favorite.

These are truly beautiful works of art that will look just darling on your door or decorating your mantle this holiday season. True to our style, we also have a free pattern to go with these wreaths. Once the holidays are over, you can knit a cute Mod Striped Christmas Tree Skirt with the yarn! This pattern is also free and was also designed by Kristen of Marinade Designs.


Tosh Tea Cakes:

Even Huck likes them!!!

Mojito Mint Green... yum!

These adorable sets come in 6 different colorways of the ever popular Tosh Merino Light and each one comes with a Biscoff cookie and a bag of Stash tea to enjoy while you knit! Need a pattern idea for these? Use them to make colorful versions of the Luxury Holiday Garland!

We hope you'll find that our special holiday gifts are just what you need this holiday season!

Happy holidays from all of us at Jimmy Beans Wool!


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Stacy and Andi's Holiday Travel Traditions!

by : KristenJBW
We caught up with Stacy Charles (of Tahki Stacy Charles) and asked him to tell us all about his holiday travel traditions for the collection. His contribution this year is through two collaborations one with TSCArtyarns and the other with Andi Javori of Javori designs. We can't wait to show you their contribution to the holiday collection (coming out tomorrow in a special edition of our Newsletter) but in the meantime, here are Stacy (and Andi's) holiday travel tradition stories for you to enjoy! 

Stacy:

I am fortunate enough to live in two places. It is not that uncommon for residents of NYC. We have a hectic-paced city life during the week - and retreat to a second home, either in the mountains upstate or on the ocean, for a weekend or holiday escape.  My weekend home is in the seaside town of East Hampton on Long Island. It is a charming town, first established by English settlers in 1648, that is at once rustic and elegant. Though packed with seasonal visitors during the summer months, it is all the more enjoyable out of season, when the slanting rays of the setting sun light the ocean on the deserted shore. 

I have spent my winter holidays at my East Hampton home for the past 30 years. I usually do my gift shopping in the less-crowded boutiques in town. One of my gift-giving indulgences is to shop at Tiffany or London Jewelers.  Shopping these stores is an amazing experience. I try to keep my gifts to $100 or less, and though challenging, I always manage to find the perfect gifts. The rest of my time is spent enjoying quality time with family, cooking and enjoying the holiday meals. The highlight of my holidays is the annual formal-dress party we throw for friends and family on New Year’s Eve. Seeing everyone in their finery is the perfect way to send off the old year and welcome the new. 

This past year saw a new version of The Great Gatsby on film. This story also takes place on Long Island, its Gold Coast, and the film’s Flapper Era fashions have re-sparked an interest in vintage jewelry. There was a fabulous 1920’s piece that caught my eye in a local shop window, so I asked a frequent collaborator of mine, the talented Long Island-based knitwear and master jewelry designer Andi Javori, to combine her talents to create a necklace and bracelet inspired by this piece. And the happy results of her creativity are these jewelry kits that we are offering to you. I can envision all the women at my New Year’s Eve party wearing either the silver or gold version Andi has created (which will make my holiday shopping much easier this year). Andi and I hope you will appreciate the beauty and elegance of these pieces to dress up your own holiday season for years to come.

Andi:


In my home the holidays are all about putting everything aside, and getting together with the extended family and friends. Fortunately my husband’s and my family both live in New York, so we don’t have to travel far. I truly enjoy inviting everyone to my home, cooking a special dinner, and just enjoying everyone being together.

The holiday for us is not complete without a visit to Manhattan. My children love visiting Rockefeller Center, seeing the holiday window displays, and sampling the rich hot chocolate in Bryant Park. This has become our annual tradition. At the same time my personal self-indulgence is walking through the fashion district and looking for unique materials to knit into my designs.

When Stacy Charles contacted me to collaborate with him on a special project for the holidays, his vision for this new collection was prolific. We spoke about his find of a beautiful piece of vintage jewelry in a shop window. Inspired by the look and glamour of the Gatsby era, the Jacqueline necklaces and bracelets represent the union of Stacy’s well-known fashion sense coupled with my love of design.

What’s more, when completed, these pieces make a special gift for this holiday season. We hope you enjoy the timeless beauty of the Jacqueline knitted necklace and bracelet kits, and that they add sparkle to your holidays and to all of your joyous occasions!



Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow when we reveal the entire 2013 Holiday Collection!!! We are SOOOOO excited!


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Saremy's Holiday Non-Travel Traditions

by : KristenJBW
Saremy, the owner and designer behind Chicken Boots and creator of the two largest bags (the Double Double, and a specially created for JBW slightly larger version) we are featuring in our 2013 Holiday Collection shared with us her holiday traditions story below. She and her family try not to travel during the holidays so that they can spend the day in the comfort of their home. We love her traditions, and how cute are her chickens!?!?!

"There is always something special about the time between November and January-whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or none. My family is quite small with only me, my husband and our daughter, Cricket, who is 11. We tend to stay at home during Christmas. Occasionally we have ventured to see our families but typically we always try and wake up at home Christmas morning. I do love lights and we usually have big paper star lanterns in all our front windows each season and a live tree in the house decorated only with homemade ornaments. The only other decorations are our stockings-my favorite part- and a gingerbread house or two. We don’t actually let our chickens eat them though!


 Our tradition is to open one gift on Christmas eve (usually nice jammies-which was instigated by mom when I was young because she always wanted us to wake up in something nice that could we could be photographed in while opening our presents). We always put out snacks for reindeer and Santa, track him on the Norad Santa tracker (http://www.noradsanta.org/) and then when we wake up Cricket is allowed to open anything that was set out in the night by Santa including our stockings. We do not actually go to extremes in gift giving and really try and only get what someone wants or has requested. But it is nice to have at least one thing you get to ‘play’ with or figure out the rest of the day. And of course I knit and drink mulled wine-but not usually at the same time.

We eat a splendid meal of local items-the past few years included chickens we raised and even a turkey once. My husband loves to cook! And I LOVE that he cooks! It’s win-win. Our daughter is vegetarian so we always have multiple entrees at each meal. Cricket is also quite passionate about helping houseless or less fortunate people and we will go to great lengths especially during this time of year to help where we can-but it’s a year-round interest for her.


I am excited this year because my parents have moved closer to us! This will be our first year in a very long time that they will be with us on Christmas day- that probably means homemade donuts! Another of my mom’s traditions! It’s a good one. Happy holidays!

Saremy

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Felicia's Travel Traditions

by : KristenJBW
We asked Felicia Lo from Sweet Georgia yarns to share with us her travel story and the inspiration for her yarn for our 2013 Holiday Collection and here is what she had to say:  



"While Vancouver inspires my deepest devotion during the sunny and green spring and summer seasons, when November rolls around, I am desperately clamoring for some more sunshine.


Before our honeymoon two years ago, I had never actually been to Hawaii but I had always thought vacationing in Hawaii was a bit cheesy. It was probably the distorted image I got from watching too much television, but it just seemed to me to be all cliché surf themes, flowers in drinks, and of course the large print Hawaiian shirts. But our trip to the smaller, quieter island of Kaua’i was simply beautiful.

The whole island, while being overrun by wild chickens, also smells entirely like plumeria and hibiscus flowers. It’s little wonder they call it the Garden Island. Since there are regulations in place that prevent any building from being taller than a coconut tree, it feels very lightly inhabited. Everywhere you look, all you see are coconut, mango, avocado, and guava trees, mountains and water.


Hanalei, on the north shore of Kaua’i, is a peaceful little town that boasts a gorgeous white sand beach and a constellation of fresh fruit carts. This place feels meditative, restorative and magical. Sitting on the north shore and watching the sunset in Kaua’i is at once refreshing and relaxing. And if you get tuckered out by the idea of all the surfing, hiking, boating and swimming in Hanalei, there is a perfect little yarn shop in town that sells hand-dyed yarns and ukuleles! What else could you possibly need for an ideal holiday?"

These sunset photos really represent Felicia's color well. We can't wait for you to see the real thing! Check back here tomorrow for another Holiday Collection sneak peek and be sure to check in this Friday, the 22nd for the big reveal!

Happy knitting and crocheting!
Kristen
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Jane's Travel Traditions

by : KristenJBW
We spoke with Jane Saffir of Jade Sapphire yarns about her color inspiration for the 2013 Holiday Collection, and here is what she had to say:




"Truthfully, I was agonizing about it.  We already had the colorway "Rockaway Beach," the name of the beach vacation place of my childhood.  We already had "Tahitian Garden" (although I've never been to Tahiti, just fantasized about it!).  We already had "Caribbean Mist," which covers a lot of territory for fantasy vacations.  My family kept teasing me, saying that my favorite vacation destination is my own house, if I could be "allowed" to just stay home and play with all my toys (all fiber related)!

Anyway, we just got back a few days ago from a mini-vacation in Vancouver in British Columbia.  We chose it as a destination since my older daughter, husband, and I all live in New York, while my younger daughter lives in Alaska.  Vancouver was a good place to meet since we could all take just one flight.  While we were there, my older daughter (whom I had told about the Jimmy Beans color "challenge) suddenly pointed out the beautiful and unusual color palette of the Vancouver city vista...pale greens, silver (many, many glass buildings) and blue.  We had our travel vacation color!  A destination where I would spend time with my daughters is definitely a favorite!"

We hope you enjoyed reading about Jane's Travel Traditions. Stay tuned on Monday for more Travel Traditions and Holiday Collection inspiration. Remember, the collection debuts next Friday, November 22nd....and it's going to be AWESOME!!!

Happy weekend!
Kristen

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Taiu's Travel Traditions

by : KristenJBW
We asked Taiu what her holiday travel traditions were and how they inspired her 2013 Holiday Collection color. Here is what she told us: 




"Where do you go on holidays? That's a good question, and to that I ask ‘whats a holiday’? When you run your own business and have a daughter that has a crazy extracurricular life (that would be me), holidays are very rare. I dance right through the year and by the time a holiday comes all I want to do is sleep. When we do travel it’s for business, and I'm grateful for being able to travel with my mother across most of the United States, and most recently I was able to travel to Koln (aka. Cologne), Germany for a trade show. Going to Koln was my first trip overseas, and out of everywhere in Europe I'm glad it was Germany.


In Germany I felt completely immersed in the history, culture and the food. Whether I was eating Schnitzel, Pork Knuckle, mashed potatoes or the trip to the Lindor Chocolate Museum, the food was delicious. Then there was the Cologne Cathedral, the Ludwig museum of art and my favorite the Hohenzollern Bridge. The bridge crosses over the River Rhine, and has been rebuilt due to a bombing in WW2. My favorite part of the bridge is the Love Locks. Over 40,000 colorful locks are scattered across the bridge. It’s a beautiful and special experience if you ever get to walk across the bridge and see the different shapes and sizes of the locks, that all symbolize a couples love."


We loved hearing Taiu's travel story and can't wait to show you what the color it inspired looks like. It's really perfect! Stay tuned for more awesome stories leading up to the big Holiday Collection reveal next Friday, the 22nd!

Happy Monday!
Kristen

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Beth's Holiday Travel Traditions.

by : KristenJBW
Beth Casey from Lorna's Laces recently shared with us her inspiration for the color she created for our 2013 Holiday Collection. Her's is the first of many stories we'll be sharing with you over the next couple of weeks. Here is what Beth had to say about her holiday travel traditions:




“How do I celebrate the holidays? Well, my husband's birthday is December 25th. My birthday has always been special to me and I wanted to make sure his didn't get lost in the holiday craziness. So we decided early on that we'd spend Thanksgiving with family and travel as often as we could for Christmas. Sometimes it's been exotic like Paris or Istanbul. Other times it's been simpler, like Portland or Door County. One year we just got a hotel room downtown and pretended we were tourists in our own hometown.  Of all the places we've spent the holidays, I think Paris was our favorite. It's such a beautiful city and there's always something new to discover.


We tend to keep a pretty loose schedule when we travel. We like to pick one place to see each day and start walking towards it in the morning. We stop wherever our fancy takes us along the way. Sometimes we get to our destination quickly and sometimes the journey takes us somewhere entirely different. Tomorrow is always another day.  As long as we're together, it's a holiday!”




We hope you've enjoyed this little sneak peek! Stay tuned for more stories over the next couple of weeks until we debut the collection on November 23rd!

Happy holidays! 
Kristen

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Laura's Holiday Travel Traditions-- a Sneak Peek of What's to Come!

by : KristenJBW
Beers, brats, badgers and basements? It’s Christmas in Wisconsin! For the last 15 years, Doug and I have spent every other Christmas at Doug’s parents’ house in Middleton, Wisconsin. And for the last 15 years, I’ve had to remember to pack a bundle of rubber bands in my suitcase. You see, after a few days of drinking beer, eating brats, and watching the Badgers play hockey on the basement TV, I have to call upon these rubber bands to help keep my pants up. (Remember the pregnancy trick? Yeah, well, only in this case, my “expanding belly” isn’t the result of a growing baby… it’s the result of blissful gluttony!) Oh – and did I mention that Doug’s mom is famous for her Christmas baking? She makes hundreds (yes hundreds!) of cookies each season. Sigh. I’m drooling (and happily expanding!) already!!



But the cookies and the beers aren’t my favorite part about our trips to Wisconsin. No, my favorite part is simply being there. It’s watching Huck have the time of his life with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s walking with Doug past the elementary school that he attended; listening to stories about him and his childhood friends. My favorite part is being able to see – and to feel – just a wee part of Doug’s life when he was a kid. Call me sentimental (yes, I am in fact crying a bit writing this), but being able to sleep and eat in the house where Doug grew up (and being to watch Huck enjoy the same house) is one of the most special things in the world for me! And now it’s a tradition. (As is knitting on the plane to Wisconsin and knitting in the basement while the Badgers play!)

(We stay here in Tahoe the other years – and also for Thanksgiving.)

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be sharing with you the holiday travel traditions of the owners of each of the companies (Lorna's Laces, Chicken Boots, Artyarns, and Dream in Color are included, just to name a few) who are participating in our upcoming Holiday Collection which will be available starting November 22nd. (Remember Operation Turkey Trot aka. Fit for a Feast last year? Well we think you are going to LOVE what we have in store this year!) I hope you'll check back over the next couple of weeks to read each of the holiday travel stories and catch some hints and clues as to what's in store for this year's collection!

Hope you have a happy holiday season with your loved ones!

Laura

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Huck's Gum Drop Pillow

by : KristenJBW
Over the weekend, Laura decided to take a stab at sewing the Gumdrop Pillow by Amy Butler for the Huckster. She had been eyeing the Rebekah Ginda Robotic Fabric from Birch Organics, so she grabbed enough on her way out the door and got started. Luckily, with Huck being the super-helper that he is, this turned out to be a pretty fun project for everyone!






Laura looked to Amy Butler's Creativebug.com class to make the Gumdrop Pillow for easy step by step instructions with videos. You can download the PDF of the pattern from the Amy Butler website and print out all of the pattern pieces you need at home, or if you prefer a pre-printed version, you can order it from us here. Be sure to check out all of our great sale fabric while you are at it. (Never said I wasn't an enabler.)

Next up, Laura and Huck are making a second pillow in Tina Givens' Star Flakes and Glitter Christmas fabric to take to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the holidays. Won't that fun?!?!

Happy Sewing!

-Kristen and the JBW Team

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