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'; Buttonholes are a must when you're a button collecting fiend! While there are many (many many many) ways to make a buttonhole, we've put together a quick tutorial on the basics! In our last post we covered 3 different types of knit button holes, and in this post we're covering 3 ways to crochet a buttonhole! Of course we're covering the classics, horizontal and vertical, and as a bonus there is the chain buttonhole! If you like watching more than reading, we've filmed short video how-tos for all three of these buttonholes!...

If you're anything like the button hoarders here (and yes, I am one of them), buttonhole making is essential in your knit and crochet projects. While there are quite a few ways to make a buttonhole, knowing the basics can be super-di-duper helpful when you are in the middle of a project and need to make some design choices.  This blog post covers how to knit horizontal, vertical, and eyelet button holes, and the crochet counterpart blog post is soon to follow! These are just the basic  concepts. As I learned while researching this topic, there are A LOT of variations and additional options, so if you're looking for something more advanced, I suggest googling the specific thing you're looking for, or check out the TechKnitter blog (she's one of Jenn's go-tos...

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'; Handling Your Hand-Dyes! We knitters are a crafty bunch! We love our hand-dyed yarn so much, we've figured out ways to make it look its best, even when it's not on its best behavior. As we talked about in our last post, color changes in hand-dyed yarn can stack up in an unattractive way in pools and unwanted stripes. Here are some ways to put it in its place! First, you can add design elements that change your stitch count. In a small project with a thin yarn, like socks, just one stitch can cause the striping sequence...

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'; Hoards of Hand-dyes! Chris's Glacier Sweep Shawl, Monika's Avenger Cape in Craigh na Dun, Baah La Jolla Yarn, swatch of Rachel's Outlander MKAL 2015 Shawl, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Christmas at Downton, Kristen's Edith's Secret Shawl, Phydeaux Soie in Mon Amour, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Devon Exciting things are afoot...or a-needle, we should say: we're kicking off a celebration of hand-dyed yarns at Jimmy Beans Wool, and you're invited to the party! Just don't be tardy. For the party. Yes,...

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'; Top: Monika's Deep Sea Shrug/Wrap; Bottom: Diagonal Drop Stitch Shawl, Drop Stitch TShirt, Drop Stitch Scarf We've been dropping stitches left and right lately...and loving it! No, we haven't lost our minds. Not THAT kind of dropped stitch - we mean "drop stitches" - the kind you drop on purpose for an artistic effect! It's like lace...with a little cheat. Kind of like how when I'm reading a book that I hate, I speed-read to finish it faster, and my husband calls it "cheating at reading". But you didn't really need...

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'; Erika's Outlander Shawl in Fable Fibers Novel and TML; Rachel's Moebius Braid Cowl Suddenly, we can't get enough of reversible cables. And why not? They're pretty awesome. Just take a look. As anyone who had the pleasure of knitting Rachel's 2015 Outlander Mystery Shawl (above, in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Limited Edition color Craigh na Dun) knows, they're not hard to execute, but the results are amazing - beautiful cables that look as good on the back side of the fabric as they do on the front! Which...

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'; The Game of Thrones Mystery Knit-along has officially begun! Kristen posted the first clue on Ravelry on May 3rd, and Ravelers grabbed their needles and cast on for this bulky-weight mystery project inspired by Tyrion Lannister. Using Lorna's Laces Cloudgate in our April 2015 Limited Edition color, Casterly Rock, the first clue flew by and we soon had the beginning of something special on the needles! Take a look at some of the progress Ravelers have made: Jennilynn's Mystery Project in Casterly Rock Hmmm...is that eyelet...

We've got cabin fever. No, we don't all live in cabins, silly! It may be the High Sierra, but we're not the Donner Party! That may have been tasteless. I apologize. (And no pun intended, by the way...I just can't help myself!) No, what I meant was, we're ready for Spring! Spring...hello, Spring...where are you? You can officially arrive any. time. now. We've had a few days of warm sun, but real warm weather isn't quiiiite here yet. But that doesn't mean we can't prepare by planning our Spring knitting projects! Here are a few that have caught our eye: Dragneficient by Penny Schumers (bottom right, above) Morning Dove Shawlette by Pam Jemelian (top right, above) - in Tosh Merino Light (fave!) Striped Spring Shirt from Purl Soho (left, above) Lake Effect Cardigan by...

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'; Whew - do you feel that? The temperature's rising! Not just outside, but in our living rooms as we greedily soak in the newest episodes of our favorite show on Starz! Ahem. I'm gonna need a second. Handsome Jamie isn't the only thing that's got us excited: Rachel's Mystery Knit-Along is up and running, and the results are just gorgeous so far! The yarn is just beautiful, too - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Rachel's specially-created Craigh na Dun colorway reminds us of Scottish moors covered in forget-me-not flowers! Just...