Part of the process for carrying and stocking yarn (besides the squish factor, of course) comes from a place where the story matters. Here at JBW, we love a good story, and Woolfolk is definitely no exception to this rule.

Kristin Ford, the mastermind behind the yarn and company of Woolfolk was taught to knit by her grandmother, who is also the namesake of the brand (yeah, her last name was Woolfolk - how cool is that!?)!

From humble beginnings consisting of 2 bases in 12 colors each, they've now grown to an incredible 9 bases with 28 colors available (5 of which we carry: Far, Luft, Sno, Stra, and Tynd)!

Specializing in moody neutrals, Woolfolk takes care of their color and their sheep, using sustainable practices and innovative efforts to produce the very best wool possible while being land stewards of the Patagonia Grasslands!

What about Ovis 21? What's the big deal about this wool?

Well, the sheep that produce this wool are a part of the Savory Institute’s Land to Market program.

The Savory Institute is a global network that seeks to reverse desertification and fight climate change. Ovis 21 seeks to help in this endeavor by promoting land regeneration through livestock!



By working with the sheep, who effectively turn pastures into "Carbon Pumps", they sequester tons of atmospheric C02, which works toward reducing their carbon footprint and countering global warming! 

The link between animal, soil, and pastures has been key in understanding this process, and Woolfolk has made it their mission to take care of the land and sheep to produce a product that is not detrimental, but in fact, instrumental, to a healthy world and healthy business. 

Taking this idea and putting it to good use, Woolfolk has tailored their brand to be one that is inspirational and cozy, putting together mood boards for their collections. Below, we've highlighted some of their selection, which has produced breathtaking colorways that are both traditional and modern all at the same time! Even just staring at the effort and work that goes into the mood boards, we feel inspired, with nostalgic vibes being front and center. When we think of the words: minimal, clean, practical, and timeless, you can bet we immediately think of our friends over at Woolfolk!

Nothing is worse than feeling your foot touch the floor in homemade socks - that gut-wrenching moment between realization and checking to see if what you thought (usually the worst-case scenario) is literally the worst! Another awful thing we always worry about is when we stretch and find pills in our armpits! Listen, we know that felting occurs in some of the most high-movement areas, but that doesn't make them any less annoying to deal with! 

That's why we came up with some of the best accessories to have on your person when you're needing a little refresher on your hand-made goods. ;) 

Gleener Fuzz Remover

The Gleener Fuzz Remover helps restore your garments with ease! Say goodbye to those pesky little pills and fuzzy balls of lint, because this awesome accessory even grabs up pet hair (so you can snuggle Mr. Whiskers whenever you want!).

Cute and compact, you can take the Gleener Fuzz Remover with you, tucked away in your bag for some quick freshening up on the go! Not only can you use this with your handmade goods, but your other clothing, pillows, furniture, and more!

Katrinkles Darning and Mending Loom Kit

Made out of sleek birch wood comes the Katrinkles Darning and Mending Loom Kit! Perfect for mending your torn handmade garments and accessories, this tiny tool can do it all - including all of the instructions you need to fix the holes created from simply loving your accessories too hard! Easily patch holes in your socks, sweaters, shawls, and more!

This kit includes:

- Darning Loom, heddle, elastic tie, tapestry needle, and instructions.

Lang Yarns Jawoll Reinforcement Bobbins

Looking for some preventative care you can apply to your socks and other high-impact accessories? Look no further than the Jawoll Reinforcement Bobbins!

Available in a beautiful array of shades, this highly-treasured accessory works well with any yarn, easily able to be hidden within the stitches of your favorite makes (which works especially well within the heels and toes of your socks). Each bobbin comes with 43 yards of thread and weighs 5 grams.

The ILOVEHANDLES Wrist Ruler is expertly crafted from soft, genuine leather and has engraved inch and centimeter measurements that are easy on the eyes. Available in multiple sizes and designed to be worn around your wrist twice, this helpful accessory will help you out when you find yourself needing to measure things (such as your newest project) on the go! Securing with a silver stud closure, this classy notion doubles as a simple bracelet. Don't want to wear it as a bracelet? You can also use the ILOVEHANDLES Wrist Ruler as a shawl cuff!

ILOVEHANDLES - Knitting Necklace Needle Sizer

Delicate and modern, the ILOVEHANDLES Knitting Necklace Needle Sizer is the perfect gift for the knitter in your life who may want to show off their love for stitching!

This pendant not only looks super cute and beautiful but doubles as a needle gauge (US whole sizes 0-10). Stash it in your jewelry box, in your project bag, or wear it proudly and show the world your maker's spirit! 

Katrinkles Tiny Tool Pendant Necklace

ILOVEHANDLES aren't the only people that have stellar jewelry that doubles as useful tools for your craft! Katrinkles has a beautiful necklace, handmade in Rhode Island and laser-etched in domestic cherry wood.

This necklace comes with three pendants that make your project easier: a ruler that measures up to 2", a needle gauge, and a wraps-per-inch tool with notes to reference when measuring your yarn's weight! 

It's finally fall, y'all! That can only mean one thing - it's MAL (make-along) season! Ranging from big, fluffy blankets to cozy shawls and comfortable mitts, there's a MAL for everyone out there who wants to cast on and knit or crochet along with other people making the same project! The sense of community built on these MALs warms our hearts to no end. To kick off the spooky, cool season of autumn, we decided to compile a list of some of our favorite MALs we've seen around lately - think of this as your one-stop-shop for all things make-along, hehe!

What: Jimmy Beans Wool - Craftvent Calendar (Knit & Crochet)

When: December 1st, 2021

Where: TBA

Okay, this one is totally a given. We're super proud of our offerings this year from each expertly picked colorway down to every individual stitch! This year, we're featuring two incredible choices (in both knit and crochet) for our annual Craftvent Calendar: The large, month-long Festive Wrap and Tidings Wrap (designed by Ambah O'Brien and Jane Crowfoot respectively) as well as the smaller 12-day option, the 'Tis the Season Mitts, designed by Amy Gunderson. Both options are available for knitters and crocheters alike!

What: Jimmy Beans Wool - Fright Club (Knit & Crochet)

When: October 1st, 2021

Where: The Jimmy Beans Wool Ravelry Group

Fright Club is starting soon - have you picked up the spooky sister to Craftvent yet?! Designed by the talented Amy Gunderson, we've excitedly come up with a stellar mitts and a cowl set, as well as a hat for our second annual Fright Club kit! This year, we've announced a mosaic-esque experience for both knitters and crocheters alike with two different fall-inspired palettes consisting of brights and more subdued delicate shades. This MAL starts soon - you won't want to miss it! 

What: Cascade Yarns Blanket of Many Stitches MKAL (Knit)

When: September 29th, 2021

Where: The Cascade Yarns Newsletter

Designed by Kathy Tamer, watch as 17 balls of Cascade 220 Superwash come together to make a beautiful and eye-catching blanket worthy of showing off to your friends and family! This KAL's instructions will be sent out via the Cascade Yarns newsletter in 10-bi-weekly installments, keeping you (and your needles) on your toes!

This option has a ton of colorways to choose from, making your next favorite blanket (of many stitches) that much more unique to you!

What: Scheepjes Snaggletooth Throw MAL (Crochet)

When: September 22nd, 2021

Where: Scheepjes' Facebook Group

Fancy yourself some Houndstooth patterns? Designer Esme Crick will take you on a marvelous crochet journey with an all-over houndstooth pattern. Sit back and relax as the beautiful shades of Scheepjes yarn come together to make a beautiful and eyecatching blanket worthy of snuggling up in! This MAL is available in a DK weight using Scheepjes Colour Crafter as well as a heavy worsted/Aran weight using Scheepjes Chunky Monkey! As a special offer from September 22nd until October 20th (the duration of the MAL), the pattern will be free to download using the code: ScheepjesMAL.

What: Berroco Marit Shawl KAL (Knit)
When: October 1st, 2021

Where: Berroco's Facebook Group

Reminiscent of the valleys and farmland we see under us as we fly on airplanes, the Marit Shawl perfectly encapsulates what it's like to have a little bit of selfish knitting on your needles, hehe! Let the strings of Berroco Topaz work for you, effortlessly creating a statement piece with the added bonus of a fun and fabulous fringe border! For the entire month of October (which is when the KAL will be taking place), the Marit Shawl pattern is free with the purchase of yarn. Please contact our awesome customer service team with your order number and we'll get you squared away! 

Blocking this, blocking that. We hear about blocking our projects all the time when we reach the end of our pattern notes, but what exactly does the process of blocking entail? What even is blocking? In this blog post, we go over the ins and outs of blocking your projects, why blocking is important, and some of our favorite products that help us with the process of blocking!

So... What is Blocking?

Blocking your project is the act of shaping your project to set the size and shape of your finished piece. Doing this can also help even out and relax your stitches even if you knit or crochet with even tension. You can block your finished pieces by either wetting them, steaming them, or both (though if you ask us here at JBW, we prefer wetting them)! Blocking isn't always a necessary part of the knitting and crocheting process, but we think it pulls everything together beautifully!

That sounds fine and dandy, but how do I block my make?

Step one is to make something you wish to block. That could be as large as a sweater, a shawl, or as small as socks (socks have special ways to block and shape them, we like using the Bryson Stainless Steel Sock Blockers - the open shape allows airflow to dry our finished projects quickly and make our socks hold their shape easier)! 

Your next step is to wet your projects. We know. This is the scariest part, but we promise it'll all be okay! We like to fill up a sink or basin with room temperature water and gently dunk that bad boy in there. Sometimes it'll try and fight with ya, so you'll need to push it down and really submerge it. It's very important to wet the whole project and make sure there are no pockets of dry fibers. In this step, we like to add a little bit of Soak to the basin, which adds a light fragrance and is gentle on our projects and hands. And the best part? The Soak formula helps revitalize fibers and keeps them looking fabulous and last longer. 

Let your project soak for around 15-20 minutes.

After removing your project from your wash, be sure to push out all of the water you can (one of our favorite ways to do so is by enveloping it in towels and using our body weight to push down on it, forcing the water to absorb into the towels). Once this step is complete and your project is damp (not sopping wet), we can move on to the exciting part of pinning and shaping!

The pinning and shaping process can be a little overwhelming at first, but we promise it's not as hard as it sounds! Start by laying out your damp project onto a flat surface right side up - We like to use the Knitter's Pride Blocking Mats because they fit together like puzzle pieces, which we can fit together in a shape that will accommodate our project no matter how long or wide it may be.

Gently pull your project out to the desired measurements (be sure to reference your pattern for this part) and stick a pin in it - literally!

By using the Knitter's Pride T-Pins for individual pinning or the Knit Blockers for larger edges, you can "freeze" your piece in place. It's very important to take your time with this step: make sure your sleeves are the same length, your collar is the proper shape, or the wings of your shawl are straight. When using pins, try to angle the tip of the pin away from your garment.

Whew! Now that the hard part is done, you can just leave it alone! Allow time for air-drying (okay, we lied, THIS is the hard part, just waiting for your dear project to be wearable. Soon - we promise)!

Some of us Beans like to take an extra step here to steam the seams, especially since they can have a tendency to be a little stiff in comparison to the rest of the garment. To do this, we like to turn the garment inside out and use a steamer to get at those pesky seams. Remember to always have a cloth or hand towel between your garment and the steamer or iron!

And there you have it, a perfectly blocked project that's ready to be worn! Go out, flip one wing of your shawl over your shoulder, and proudly show the world your beautiful, new, handmade project - you deserve it!

Psssst! Looking for a kit that has everything you need to block your next project, including blocking mats, T-pins, and cotton pressing cloth? Look no further than the cocoknits Knitters Block Kit! The entire kit comes packed in a sturdy, stylish, reusable jute bag!

Alrighty, class - the school year has officially started! Have you been reading through your class syllabus and required materials? At Jimmy Beans University, we want to stay connected with you and up to date with all of the new materials you'll need for your studies. We believe keeping a fresh, open mindset about things and modernizing our knitting and crocheting materials keeps our minds refreshed with the newest trends, keeping us informed and our wardrobes full.

A list of materials necessary for this knitting course at JBU:

• Back to School Kit
• della Q Maker's Canvas Backpack
• "Textbooks"
• Jimmy Beans Notepad
• "Pencils"

The della Q Maker's Canvas Backpack was designed for makers like you in mind! Suitable for all crafts, hobbies, and general needs, this backpack really has it all! Inspired by the classic rucksack, this bag, created out of waxed canvas and genuine leather, has quite the list of achievements under its belt! From a yarn feeder and yarn cutter included, emergency stitch markers, hidden compartments, and so much more, this bag is totally going to be sitting at the cool kid's table during lunch! Reliably sturdy with adjustable handles, you can customize this bag to be representative of who you are!

Have you picked up your textbooks yet? We have a whole library filled to the brim with pages and pages of knit and crochet patterns, beautiful photography, and well-spoken stories. Among our favorites, you can find Pom Pom Quarterly, YARN Bookazines, and so much more! To find these bookish beauties, you can check out the Books tab in our menu! We HAVE to highlight the My Knitting Notes book from Laine Publishing. Available in a modern, mustard shade, this notebook includes space for 31 knitting projects (each of which takes up 4 pages), a ribbon place marker, 18 gridded pages for charts or colorwork sketches, and a conversion table!

And before you ask - yes you can use this on the test. ;)

The Jimmy Beans Notepad is a tiny but mighty wonder, always coming in clutch when we need to write down something important or make a list (whether it be a wishlist, a grocery list, or anything else).

Each notepad measures 5" long x 4" wide, which makes it the perfect size for tucking away into your bag for storage purposes. And, don't worry, we've already got ya covered with the first, most important item on your list, hehe!

Last, but certainly not least, we need our writing, er, knitting utensils, don't we? Loop, knit, and scribble away with Jimmy's SmartStix, needles that do the work of a handful of different notions for you! Save time by being able to measure your garments, assess your gauge, reduce clutter, and test the weight of your yarn all with this smart little tool! Each needle and cord is marked at one-inch intervals to make this process streamlined and ultra-quick so you can get to your studies (project) that much quicker!