Jimmy Beans Retreat 2018 - Meet Our Guests!

We've said it before, and we'll say it again...We are so excited for you to join us in June for our annual Jimmy Beans Retreat! This year we will be hosting you in our hometown of Reno, Nevada at the brand new Renaissance Hotel. Not only our we excited to see your bright and shining faces, we are super excited to announce that our guests include Amanda Jarvis of Lorna's Laces, Taiu Landra of Koigu Yarns, Jim Atchison of Lickin' Flames, designers Miriam Felton, Tanis Gray, and Alana Dakos! 


You will be learning from the pros including how to dye your own yarn, new techniques and you will even have the chance to design your own yarn bowl with Jim! 

Read on for some more information about our guests!

Reserve your space here!

Amanda JarvisAmanda was one of the very original employees at Lorna's Laces and she now is the proud owner of the company. Not only is she incredibly talented in her craft of hand-dying yarns, she is full of humor and wit! We had the opportunity to sit down with her at TNNA last month and learn a bit more about her and Lorna's Laces. Did you know that Lorna's Laces has never discontinued a colorway? That leaves room for over 600 colorways that they have made and can still make! The opportunities are endless! 

Jim Atchison

We had the pleasure of meeting Jim and Brenda at TNNA this year and our friendship formed quickly! Jim and Brenda have been in operation since 1973, making beautiful pottery for others to enjoy. Jim has even homed in on the craft of making yarn bowls! At the retreat this year you will have the chance to customize your own yarn bowl and take your creation home at the end of the retreat! 

Miriam Felton

Miriam Felton began knitting as a teenager, as a natural next step from sewing, crochet, and needlepoint. She's been designing and publishing since 2005, including her first book Twist & Knit: A Dozen Patterns for Handspun, Hand-dyed and One-of-a-Kind Yarns. Her current love is combining all crafting and podcasting at YarnStories Podcast.

Miriam's work features textural details and clever techniques, with an emphasis on understanding the internal structure of knitting. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her partner and 2 cats, Ekho & Stormageddon.

Tanis Gray

Tanis Gray graduated from RISD and lives in the DC metro area with her engineer husband and children. Author of 9 knitting books and over 500 published knitting designs, she is addicted to Fair Isle knitting, instagram, making messes in the kitchen, hiking, and photography. She thinks that knitting makes the world a better place and her goal is to help knitting take over the world through teaching. Read more at www.tanisknits.com.

Alana Dakos

A former knitting instructor, Alana began designing knitwear in 2009 and has produced a unique line of patterns under the name of Never Not Knitting ever since. In 2011, Alana ventured into book publishing and in 2012 started her own independent publishing and distribution company, NNK Press. Alana is now also the proud owner of the Never Not Knitting boutique in Atascadero, California.