Happy Friday! We made it through another week! It's been a bit crazy this week as we attended Vogue Knitting Live in NYC, where we introduced our new project--Stitch Red. Some of the Beans, including Jimmy herself, are currently in Phoenix, AZ for TNNA today! So many exciting things happening around here! We are all just trying to keep up!

Speaking of keeping up, we have so many new Beans around here and almost all of them are knitters! Even our newest knitters have been making their needles click at the speed of light, producing some amazing and beautiful knitted items. On that note, I thought I would share some of our newest Customer Service Beans with you today!

Rachel came to us after years of working in archaeology. She was so excited about turning her passion (knitting) into a career and thank goodness she turned to us! We are so lucky to have her knitting expertise. She knit a Honey Cowl (one of Madelinetosh's free patterns) for her sister-in-law for Christmas and almost didn't send it to her. She loved it so much that she decided to make one for herself. She is using Tosh Vintage in Opaline--isn't it gorgeous?!? (Also, yes, that is a "Rusted Root" top she is wearing in the background! Her collection of knitted garments is seriously impressive!)




Another of our newest Beans, Casey, who recently learned how to knit, has been creating all kinds of wonderful items! She has been drawn to the simple yet beautiful aesthetic of Churchmouse's patterns. She is currently knitting a pair of Welted Fingerless Gloves. In fact, here is the first one already finished in Madelinetosh's Tosh Vintage in Alizarin!



She also recently finished knitting an Annabella's Cowl out of Tosh DK in Parchment paired with Debbie Bliss's Angel in Ecru. She was all smiles as she showed it off to me-- isn't it beautiful? It's really the perfect accessory! I am so impressed with all of our new little Beans and their amazing knitting skills!



Ok, so now it's time to announce the winner of the Swan's Island Giveaway!  Drumroll please..... and the winner is commenter #32- Andi who said, "Pick just one color? Seriously?  That's mean... ;)  But I guess it would be Beetroot.  Gorgeous yarn!!!  I will definitely have to try it out if I don't win!"  Well Andi, you did win!  Please e-mail me directly at: kristen@jimmybeanswool.com to claim your prize.  (Thanks to the random number generator at random.org for picking our winner for us!)

Also, for those of you participating in the KAL, we have more of the Anna Cowl pattern and some more of the out of stock colors of the worsted on order and it should arrive next week.  Don't worry about getting a late start--this pattern should be a quick knit!  If you've already got your kit on order, that batch of patterns should arrive today and your orders will ship right away!  We've had such a great response to this KAL--I am so excited to start knitting!

Thanks everyone for tuning in this week for FOs and WIPs. Next week's post will be baby-centered as we all gear up for Bethany's baby shower this weekend! I can't wait to see what all the Beans come up with to give to the little bean in the oven. I'm sure it will all be adorable!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Knitting,
Kristen

PS. Jimmy Beans Wool is the official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing! To encourage people to be creative on and off the slopes, we have partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain." Check out the free Stitch Mountain patterns at www.jimmybeanswool.com/StitchMountain and like our Facebook Fan Page!

Before we get to the juicy new products (and boy, are there some goooood ones!), let us ruminate on what you would like me to be writing about in a couple months :) If you receive our email newsletter you probably remember that we took an online survey earlier this month to learn more about your preferences and what you would like to see at Jimmy Beans Wool in the future. Thank you so much to all who participated! Not only did we learn that a large number of you are dog people and your popular guilty pleasures include chocolate and perusing the Jimmy Beans website during lunch breaks (I'm guilty of both -go figure), we discovered that an overwhelming majority of you dream of Dream In Color! Well, we do too! The next decision to be made is which Dream In Color yarns we should carry. To put in your two cents, please take the poll in the top right-hand corner of the blog and help us choose! You can pick more than one, so let us know any and all of your preferences. Voting begins now and goes through Sunday, the 20th at 5pm Pacific time. Not familiar with Dream In Color yarns? Check out their website at www.DreamInColorYarn.com! I have yet to knit with their scrumptious fibers, but I have had the pleasure of stroking a hank of Smooshy, their deliciously soft sock yarn, while admiring the spectacular veil-dyed colorways at my other LYS in Boise, Idaho!

Now, onto those new yarns you can check out while waiting for important yarn decisions to be made. This past week was overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. We received boxes of new Debbie Bliss yarns (Angel, Bella and Prima) along with the sumptuous Silky Flamme from Elsebeth Lavold... and those are just some highlights! Needless to say I had a Happy Yarn Grin plastered on my face for the entire week :)

Angel Pattern Book

A total of three yarns have been added to the Debbie Bliss line for this spring and summer. While they are all ideal for knitting or crocheting during those carefree, sunkissed months ahead, Angel has to be one of my favorites. Similar to the ever-popular Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Angel is a feathery blend of super kid mohair and silk. When double stranded with another yarn, Angel adds an exquisite ethereal glow to any fabric -perfect for cool weather sweaters and accessories.

Kristen's Annabella's Cowl

Now that it has arrived, I'm thinking of pairing Angel with Tosh DK for the Annabella's Cowl from Churchmouse Patterns. I've been dying to jump on the Annabella's Cowl bandwagon for some time, and Angel just might have sealed the deal! Of course you can also use this delicate fiber alone to produce a translucent, weightless fabric ideal for lacy, open knits or sheer pullovers and wraps.

11 Purple

Love the breezy feel of cotton? Try Bella! A DK weight cotton blend, Bella has just a touch of shimmery silk that really adds some pop to stitch patterns and lacy details. The simple color palette features essential solids in summertime shades for those comfy tanks and short sleeved cardis.

34 Sea Green

Similar to Bella, Prima features flawless drape that will compliment the loose-fitting fashion trends this spring and summer. Also a DK weight, Prima is a gorgeous blend of bamboo and silk that gives this soft fiber a luminous shine. If you're excited but drawing a blank on projects for these fabulous yarns, don't worry! Stylish pattern support for both Prima and Angel can be found in Beach Bells and Angel respectively. Or consider using Bella or Prima for the Victoria Cardigan that Jeanne loves from Dolce Handknits, or the Breezes vest from Ilga Leja!

20 Lavender

While we're on the subject of silky soft yarn that shines, let's not forget Elsebeth Lavold Silky Flamme! You may want to avoid it during the summer, but this luxurious Peruvian wool, alpaca and silk blend is a treat for your fingers and works up nicely into a cozy fabric. The uneven plys of this yarn give it a unique texture without creating overly thick or thin places in your fabric or getting in the way of cables and stitch patterns. Silky Flamme's rich solid colors are given extra depth by its satiny sheen making it perfect for cowls, sweaters, hats and more!

I could keep writing forever it seems, there is so much more to talk about (like Knitbot patterns from the ingeniously creative designer Hannag Fettig), but it'll just have to wait until next week!

Don't forget to make your dreams of Dream In Color come true and take our poll!

Happy crocheting and knitting!
Leanne :)


The clock is ticking! Remember that you can turn your fiber arts hobby into some cash for college! Any student who can knit or crochet and will be attending an accredited institution Fall 2011 is eligible for the Beans For Brains Scholarship! This award is made possible by Jimmy Beans Wool as well as many other contributor from the fiber arts industry. Submissions are due no later than April 1st, after which finalists will be chosen for five $3,000 scholarships based on merit. To learn more and apply visit the Beans For Brains Scholarship page. If you know any hardworking knitters and crocheters with dreams of going to college, be sure to share the Beans For Brains Scholarship with them via Ravelry or by posting a flyer at your LYS (flyers are available at the Beans For Brains Scholarship page)! Help us help the next generation of fiber artists achieve their goals of higher education!