Jimmy's Journey, Day 2 of 15: Blue Sky Fibers

Welcome to Day 2 of Jimmy's Journey to 15!

Have you heard about Jimmy's Journey to 15?! It's our 15th anniversary this year, and we will be sharing the story of JBW, year-by-year, here on our blog! Join us on the journey as we celebrate 15 years in business and highlight 15 partners in the yarn industry! Each day we'll kick off the blog post with a short clip of Jimmy (a.k.a. Laura) recounting one year of our history, while telling the story of a vendor who came along for the ride!

In this video, Jimmy discusses our first official year open to the public as well as our first knitting retreat.

Jimmy teaching actor Judd Nelson
 how to knit using Organic Cotton
yarn by Blue Sky Fibers

As the retail shop was beginning to steadily grow, Jimmy was ready to branch out and start carrying a few other yarn companies to broaden her selection. She stumbled upon the company Blue Sky Alpacas (now rebranded as Blue Sky Fibers) and fell in love with their style and look: “I’ve always loved how simple yet elegant all of the Blue Sky yarns come across, and their company has always excelled at providing high quality fiber and dye.” Jimmy reached out to Linda, the owner of Blue Sky, and the two instantly bonded. Both Jimmy and Linda were owners of small, family-owned businesses, and shared much of the same philosophies and love for knitting.

Jimmy’s favorite yarn base from Blue Sky would have to be the Organic Cotton. She absolutely adored the Baby Bobbi Bear pattern that is made out of the Organic Cotton and Bulky yarns. She even brought some of the Organic Cotton with her when she visited the Emmy’s SwagSuite event in 2007 to teach celebrities how to knit for charity – she loved that this yarn was eco-friendly and organic, and it was a perfect selection for the cause! Jimmy’s favorite project that she has ever made using a Blue Sky Fibers yarn is the Ombre Alpaca Blanket using the 100% Alpaca Sportweight yarn, and it’s by far one of the coziest accessories in her home.

Explore the Simple Elegance of Blue Sky Fibers

To showcase the magnificent Blue Sky yarns, we have selected a few of Jimmy’s favorite bases and colors. To start us off, of course, is the Organic Cotton yarn. Jimmy loves the colors 627 – Flamingo and 623 – Toffee, and these colors are now available for 20% off for the Jimmy’s Journey celebration. We think these colors would look phenomenal knit up to create the two-toned DRIPS hat, or for a squishy KitKat hat, both free patterns on Ravelry. These colors would also pair well to create your own version of the Baby Bobbi Bear, a darling accessory for your little one (or yourself!) to cuddle with. The popular Chevron Baby Blanket pattern on Ravelry is also knit with several colors of the Organic Cotton, and this yarn is fabulous for babies since it is so soft and a non-animal fiber.

Up next we have the Skinny Cotton yarn, and Jimmy has always been obsessed with the vibrant color 321– Island Blue. This color is now available for 20% off as well, and it is a great yarn for all those light summer projects ahead! We think this yarn would be a great option for the Beatrice Top or the Cotton Sweet Cardi, both of which are cute little summery tops for children. We also love the Windlass Top pattern, a fashionable summer tank for women, available in the Pom Pom Quarterly Summer 2016 pattern book.

The Extra yarn is one of Blue Sky’s newer bases, and man oh man this yarn is luscious! Jimmy especially loves the colors 3524 – Canyon and 3516 – Still Water, and these colors are now available for 10% off. Use these colors together to create your own Two Harbors Poncho for a gorgeous contrasting top. Or, pick one of these colors to create the Cane Bay Wrap or the Tokyo Tower Bandana, stunningly cozy accessories for any occasion.

Finally, let’s not forget about the adorable Blue Sky Fibers Royal Petite Knit Kits! Now available for 30% off, these charming little safari animals are the perfect quick knit for a snuggly accessory or gift! Jimmy can’t get enough of Hector the Hippopotamus, and she’s just about to cast on Marcel the Monkey for Huck!

WOOL WATCHER ALERT: Blue Sky Fibers All Day Long!

Keep an eye out on Wool Watcher today if you are itching to get your hands on some of the wonderful yarns that Blue Sky Fibers has to offer. We will be featuring several different yarn bases and colors throughout the day that you don't want to miss out on!

Bonus! To sweeten the pot, we'll also include a small free gift in every order placed over the next 15 days as a token of our gratitude to all of our amazing customers out there!

Project Log: Revisiting Some of Our Projects from Previous Years

All of the Beans here have loved working with Blue Sky yarn over the years and we'd love to share some project inspiration with you. To view more specific details about the projects shown below, just click on the image!

Thank you for joining us on Day 2 of Jimmy's Journey to 15! Be sure to stop by again tomorrow for Day 3, where we'll highlight our 3rd year in business along with a vendor that joined the journey with us. Also be sure to check out our Ravelry discussion thread and reminisce with us about the last 15 years. You can spread the word on social media using the hashtag #jimmysjourney15!

XOXO,

Jimmy & the Beans