Showing posts with label Imperial Yarn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imperial Yarn. Show all posts

Imperial Yarns at the Olympics!

by : KristenJBW
Some of you may already know that one of our yarn vendors, Imperial Yarns, provided the yarn to Ralph Lauren to create the opening ceremony sweaters for Team USA in this year's Olympics in Sochi! When Ralph Lauren set out to create this year's team uniform entirely in the USA with US made products, Imperial had no idea that they would possibly be selected to be a part of the collaboration. We were blown away when we heard so we just had to ask Jeanne Carver, one of the owners of Imperial Stock Ranch about their involvement. Here is what she had to say to our questions:


Jeanne & Dan Carver
1)      As a long-time rancher with so much family history in the ranching industry, what made you decide to get involved in the yarn industry?
What a great first question.   In 1999, we had been selling our wool as a commodity for more than 130 years, and to the same buyer for 110 years.  When we called the buyer that spring, to discuss price and hauling the wool into their warehouse, they told us they weren't going to be buying anymore.  They were closing the processing facilities in the Northwest, and going offshore for processing and manufacturing.  Combined with other pressures in predation and the lamb market, the sheep industry was feeling a tremendous amount of pressure.  Between 1996 and 2000, 26,000 sheep producers went out of business in the U.S.  With our heritage, and the heritage of this sheep breed, we felt called to find a way to carry on.  Getting the wool clean, and into a form we could sell, led us naturally along the path to yarns.  We have taken the obstacles one at a time or sometimes a whole bucket at a time!.....to get to where we are today.   We're always a work in progress, as we negotiate new market channels for value added products. 


2)      Do you knit or crochet? If so, what is your favorite piece you’ve made? If not, what would be your first project if you ever started?
Ha!  I'm so busy that if I just sit down, I usually fall asleep!  I can cast on, knit, purl and bind off!   Does that count?!  The women (grandmothers, mother, sister) in my family have always been very talented with craft skills, from knitting and crochet to quilting and sewing.  As for me....since I was a tiny girl, my life was always outdoors.  I was my father's original and best tomboy.  Not to say that tomboys can't knit!  But my passions have been with animals and being on the go outside.  And now....since beginning this journey in 1999, the most amazing women have come into my life that can bring the fibers to life in beautiful pieces.  Along this process, I have had more than 20 women doing production knitting, weaving, felting and cut and sew to finished apparel with Imperial Yarns.  They have become family, and very important in my life.  They have talent!  As for me.....I would begin with something small....like a scarf or cowl.  A simple but elegant piece I could wrap up in, that would provide quick and nearly instant gratification!  And I can't imagine "ripping out!"



 3)      When you were approached by Ralph Lauren’s staff to provide the yarn for the Olympic team’s sweaters, what was the first thought that ran through your mind?
Well....you have to realize that I didn't know for many months, what projects the yarns they were interested in would be used for.  So the sequence goes like this:

The Call.....I got a phone call on a summer day in July of 2012, from a guy who jumped right in to asking questions about our yarn.  By the way, I was outside when I took the call.  I thought he was with a yarn store, and when I asked him which one, he said "I'm not with a yarn shop, I'm with product development for Polo Ralph Lauren in NY."  So....my first response was, "You're kidding me......"   And he said that he was not kidding and as a matter of fact, was sitting right on Madison Avenue.  I said this is so incredible.....I'm sitting outside in the Oregon desert....in fact, can you hear my sheep?  I held up the phone so he could be transported by the sounds of the sheep calling to one another and the tinkle of the bells, as they were leaving the spring here behind the headquarters, and beginning to graze their way toward the night sheep camp where they bed down. 

It was a long way from an order at that point.  About a month later, a design team visited, but it was still going to be a process before they would place an order.  About 6 months later, we got the order for our Erin Yarn.  I still did not know.   When they finally told us, it was hard to comprehend.   We were very honored and humbled to have the yarn chosen.  Our yarn will be the Opening Ceremonies Sweater for Team USA to wear in the Parade of Nations on February 7th in Sochi, Russia.  Wow!  You know when it really hit me?   When they launched the story on the NBC Today Show on October 29th, and I saw our U.S. athletes wearing red, white and blue.   I just cried.



4)      Can you tell us a little bit about what went into your part of the process for the creation of the Olympic Sweaters? Such as shearing, processing, dyeing, etc.
Yes....we shepherded the wool all the way to delivery to the knitting factory.  Obviously, we care for the animals and the landscape....that is our greatest calling.  We tend those interconnected relationships.  Once we harvest the wool, we move it through all the processing steps.   Shipping to scouring, carding, combing and into one of our milling partners, depending on what type of yarn we are ready to spin.  The RL designers chose a yarn that we spin in the worsted system.  We placed the spinning order, and then had it sent to our dye house partner.  We managed the process of matching their color standards.  This meant having 4 to 6 lab dips/color done by the color lab at the dye house, and shipping those samples to the RL team for color approval.  There are 9 colors of yarn in the Opening Ceremonies sweater.  Sometimes that is a back and forth process.  We also had the yarn tested for care and performance by an outside independent laboratory.  Eventually, we had approved colors and proceeded to dye to the order.  Once the yarn was dyed, we sent more samples fo the RL team for final approval prior to shipping the yarns to the knitting facility.

5)      Since your Erin yarn was the yarn chosen for the sweaters and knitters can also knit with this same yarn, can you tell us a bit more about the development of this yarn, what makes it special, and projects it would be good for?

 This is a fabulous yarn!  It begins with our wool and goes through the combing and spinning in the worsted system, which gives it a beautiful hand.  It's versatile, showing great stitch definition, and is a worsted weight yarn making it perfect for a wide variety of projects.  From mittens to scarves to sweaters to shawls....this yarn will be a staple.  It's a great yarn for hand dyers; it's a great yarn for cloth diaper covers; it's growing in popularity among knitters.

6)      Lastly, how does it feel to be a part of something as huge as the Olympics? Would you ever do it again?

 We are overwhelmed with emotion and so very grateful to have had the chance to partner with a company like Ralph Lauren.   Every single individual I've worked with in their company has been genuine, supportive, committed and excellent to work with.  It's been an amazing journey.  How does it really feel?  It's bigger than my dreams!  I don't know of an honor that could be greater for our yarn, than to be chosen by an iconic brand like Ralph Lauren, for the premier garment (Opening Ceremonies Parade of Nations) to clothe our U. S. Olympic Team.  It is very humbling.  I still won't know exactly how it feels until we watch on television on February 7th.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat!  We will always focus on the work in front of us, no matter what the opportunity or challenge.  And we will work to deliver a quality result.

7)      Is there anything else you would like to add or have us share on your behalf?
 There were many companies and thousands of hands involved in the entire effort to provide the uniforms and apparel for this Winter Olympics.  I respect and congratulate Ralph Lauren for the decision and committment to this Made in America effort.  They have touched so many people with this, and helped grow a strong pride across this country and a swelling feeling of support for our athletes going into the games.  I think we have an even closer spirit with Team USA because of this.  We're connected.....
Winter Games Pullover
Thank you to Jeanne for taking the time to respond to our questions! We are so excited to see your yarn on our athletes during the opening ceremonies! Be sure to watch tomorrow tonight on your local NBC station to see these sweaters in action!

 Also, in honor of Imperial's involvement with the Olympics, Tanis Gray has designed a beautiful cabled sweater -- The Winter Games Pullover-- with Erin and is hosting a KAL during the Olympics for anyone wanting to knit this gorgeous piece! The pattern is free on the Imperial Yarns website, and of course you can find the Erin yarn here.   

 Happy knitting,
Kristen

 PS. Imperial is having a "Name this Lamb" Contest on their Facebook page right now so if you need a daily dose of cuteness, be sure to head over to enter! The winner will receive some free Imperial Yarn!

 **All photos in this post are from the Imperial Yarns website and Facebook pages.**

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"8 Handspun Scarves to Felt, Knit and Weave"- Allie gets Published!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Recently, one of our very own "Beans" was re-published in a new collection by Spin-off Magazine of beautiful handspun scarves. Her design, that was done in collaboration with designer friend Charlene Schurch, was originally published in an issue of Spin-off in 2005 and is now gracing the cover of "8 Handspun Scarves to Felt, Knit, and Weave"! I was able to snag Allison (or Allie as we call her) for a fun interview about her design, spinning, and her love of fiber. She also shared some truly priceless photos with us which I have also included. Here is what she had to say:

Allison and Charlene's
beautiful work!
Kristen- Please tell us a little bit about your Ombre Silk Scarf design in Spin Off’s “8 Handspun Scarves to Felt, Knit , and Weave”. We’d love to hear about how the idea came about and the process of designing it!

Allison- I’ve known Charlene Schurch, my collaborator, for a very long time – we have roomed together at SOAR (Interweave’s Spin-Off Autumn Retreat – we met over coffee when we were the 6 am early birds to the lobby coffee pot) more times than I can recall. Charlene had been playing with the idea of ombré changes in yarn using the process of dyeing solid colors which are closely related, and then holding these yarns together, changing one color at a time, in this case one out of 3. Charlene did the spinning (tussah silk, quite fine) and dyeing (9 shades). This involved a TON of math, and luckily neither Charlene nor I am afraid of working numbers! Charlene wound the yarns together to make the ombré progression so that in the knitting it would only entail me working through this ball. (Have I mentioned that I love Charlene??) I received this marvelous ball of handspun, hand dyed silk, and all I had to do was pick a pattern from a Barbara Walker treasury, sample, and GO!

Kristen- Since this is a compilation of previously published designs, when did the design originally debut?

Allison- The original article was published in the Fall 2005 Spin-Off magazine.

Head to Head hats pattern from
 Allison's "KnittinIt" pattern line.
Kristen- It must be exciting to have your design continue to be recognized! What do you think makes this design so timeless?

Allison- Thanks for asking, Kristen! As a designer yourself, you know there can be some fine lines between sticking to signature designs, “timeless” designs, and those quirky on-the-forefront designs (which may or may not become timeless in themselves). I’m mostly traditional in what I choose to design and knit – and I want what I design to appeal to those people who come to me for knitting help all the time. Not too difficult, but different enough that it speaks to you on a level. Making it look harder than you had to work is also a bonus! The stitch pattern I chose for this scarf is one that I absolutely love because 1) it’s completely reversible, 2) involves only knit and purl stitches and 3) without any effort from the knitter, it pleats! I first saw this stitch in an Alice Starmore sweater and really love to use it when I can. Knitting can be magic sometimes! In the Barbara Walker Treasury #2 it is called Triangular Stitch. The beading was also fun - I reversed the colors used in the scarf so the beads complimented and drew the project together.

Kristen- Are there any special techniques that you use when working and designing with hand-spun yarns?

Allie's Fair Isle
Stocking Pattern
from "KnittinIt"
Allison- Not really. Over the years and with advice I was able to attain from so many wonderful pioneers in recent spinning (believe it or not, our modern wheels haven’t been around for that long – less than 200 yrs, and in the 60’s and 70’s the “hippies” had to re-invent the craft since it was dying out) I learned a lot. These good people taught themselves, gained expertise, and now we have so much information regarding twist and grist and energized and balanced yarns. I tend to make Allison yarn. If it’s silk (oh, and she is the Queen of fiber, IMHO!) I spin fine then make a Navaho 3-ply. On my spindle I’m making a thicker, lumpy bumpy 2-ply wool from Imperial during our morning meetings. I let the fiber tell me what it wants to be, and accommodate as best as I can. Then I find a project for it, which also takes into account how many yards or ounces I end up with. That is my nature, and another personality will have the project plotted out before beginning the spinning.

Kristen- We know that you often contribute to Spin-off magazine! Are there any upcoming issues in which you’ll be involved?

Allison- No, nothing in the pipes right now. There may be mention of me in the Winter 2012 or Spring 2013 issue if they cover this year’s SOAR – I’ve served on the scholarship committee for SOAR for 5 years and am retiring.

Basketweave Watch Cap
pattern from Allison's "KnittinIt" Pattern line.
Kristen- You’ve graciously given your time to many of us here at Jimmy Beans over the years who have wanted to learn to spin and we are all so thankful to have you here! What advice do you have for someone who has never tried spinning before but wants to get started?

Allison- I find that so many knitters are fascinated by the process but really worry it will take away from their knitting time. I’m here to tell them that they shouldn’t worry – IT’S TRUE! But it’s also true that spinning is so meditative, very portable and inexpensive if you spindle, and there is so much satisfaction in producing a useful garment, be it a hat, sweater, socks or king-sized afghan! You can buy a fleece (which often comes with the name of the sheep it was shorn from) and take it to the end product, or you can by already prepared and dyed fibers. Take your pick. Bragging rights are worth a lot, haha! Also understand that spinning is like riding a bike: you can’t do it until you can do it. And once you “get” it you have it in your hands forever. I have a special place in my heart for a 14-yr old autistic young man who was a student of mine who really found his groove with spinning – it’s repetitive, it’s productive, and he can’t get enough of it!

Kristen- What other designs or projects are you currently working on?

Allison- Do you mean what’s in my knitting bag, or what’s in my house? Either way, lots! Spinning-wise I have picked up a 4-oz Sliver Roving from Imperial Yarn in the Marionberry color way. I have only spun it on a drop spindle during our 15 minute morning meetings at JBW. My goal is to prove that without taking time away from anything else during my day I can spin this up, make a 2-ply yarn, and knit a hat. That involves being able to listen and contribute during meetings and doing all of this standing up. I purchased the roving on 5/5/12 and have spun up almost 3 oz. That sure does sound like slow-going, but again, it’s spinning that would not have been accomplished otherwise (and I’m doing it in front of all of our Beans, hopefully inspiring them to continue on with their practicing!) What do you want to bet that once the hat is completed there will be a run on spinning! Oh, I do love this so much!

Kristen- How long have you been working with fiber?

Allie spinning while Diane Soucy watches Allie's three
daughters knit! The tallest of the girls is Amanda who
works in purchasing! :)
Allison- My brother Gus (www.swiftriverfarm.com) and I decided to teach ourselves to knit while in high school. I was a miserable failure. Looking back I realize I was making the common mistake of twisting my purl stitches and gave it up. Fast forward to getting married and having three daughters-- I decided I would never get into mother heaven if I didn’t hand make garments for them, so turned back to knitting. My other incentive was to be better than my brother at SOMETHING! (The jury is still out on this.) I returned to knitting when our youngest daughter Phoebe turned two, 23 years ago. And I picked up spinning two or three years after I started knitting, when Diane Soucy (designer and owner of Knitting Pure & Simple), and who is my knitting mentor suggested we go to a spinning jamboree. I bought a wheel, but she did not for another 10 years!

Kristen- What is your favorite type of fiber to spin? How about to knit with?

Allison- I love silk. I also love baby camel down, qiviut (musk ox), wolf, Wensleydale sheep (very much like mohair), merino, nettle, dog (NEVER cat), flax, cotton, buffalo, alpaca, etc etc. Drier lint is a tough one. Just too short a staple length. I can’t ever imagine spinning angora (rabbit) again. It’s luscious, but too much goes up one’s nose. There are also synthetics such as lurex and tencel and those odd ones like milk and bamboo. I will knit with anything. Being an official member of our Sheep-to-Shawl team named “Wool Hussies”, you can bet there’s not much out there I don’t want to experiment with. That’s the absolute best part of spinning – the opportunities!

Kristen- Do you have any personal spinning resources we can recommend to our blog readers who want to get started? Videos, tools, websites, etc?

Allison- Interweave’s Spin-Off magazine is a gem – chock-a-block with advice all the way around, from instruction, patterns (knit/crochet/weave) as well as history. Interweave’s eStore includes videos as well, and my friends and mentors Maggie Casey, Judith McKenzie and Abby Franquemont have books and DVD’s and YouTube instruction.

Thanks so much to Allison for taking the time to answer all of my questions and thanks to all of you for reading! To see all of Allison's for-sale patterns through her line "KnittinIt", check out the Jimmy Beans Wool website. You are more than welcome to send Allison any questions or comments you may have via our info@jimmybeanswool.com e-mail address and we'll make sure she gets it!

Hope you all have a great day, and happy knitting!
Kristen


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Imperial Stock Ranch Yarn- American Made, Sustainable, and Beautifully Ewenique!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Essential Sweater Dress
Jeanne and Dan Carver, the owners of Imperial Stock Ranch, are two of the nicest people you will ever meet and boy are they passionate about what they do! Their ranch sits on more than 30,000 acres of land in eastern Oregon's high desert where they raise sheep and cattle and grow grains and grasses. The ranch is also home to many wildlife including elk, deer, antelope, game birds and fish that play an integral part in their ranch ecosystem. The Carvers work year-round with various agencies to make sure that their ranch land is healthy, sustainable, and preserved for generations to come.

Raindrop Bag
When Jeanne and Dan stopped by Jimmy Beans Wool on their way through Reno to drop off our first shipment of their yarn, we were blown away at their sustainable approach to ranching and how passionate they were about sharing their philosophy with others through their educational programs. For those of us knitters and crocheters who like to support American  and conscientiously made products, companies like Imperial Stock Ranch provide us with not just a supply of beautiful yarns, but also inspiration.

Rustic Shawl
In fact, their beautiful website outlines that educational component perfectly with information on sustainability, how their yarn is made, and much more. My favorite part is their "Ranching News" section, a backlog of all of their e-newsletters that include plenty of fun ranch-life tidbits and plenty of lamb pictures! Who doesn't love lambs?!? So cute! I highly recommend checking it out!

Felted Bracelet Trio
The more I learn about Imperial Stock Ranch and Imperial Yarns, the more I want to don a pair of dungarees and work boots and wrangle some sheep. (And then I would probably get distracted and hug them and pet them. I wouldn't make a very good rancher I'm afraid.)

Sliver Roving
Ok, so I haven't said much about the yarn, but let me tell you, yarn like this speaks for itself! Naturally soft and gorgeously textured, Imperial Yarn is such a welcome addition to our collection of high quality yarns. We are carrying the Columbia 2-ply (my personal favorite), Tracie Too, Native Twist, Bulky 2 Strand (Pencil Roving), and Sliver Roving. I think it's particularly exciting that we are now carrying roving! We've long been asked about spinning materials and this is just our first step in that direction.
Sumptuous Cowl

Did I mention their designs yet? Oh my! Their pattern support to go along with their yarns is simply amazing as well! Some of our favorites include the Swing Cardigan and Rustic Shawl in Tracie Two, the Raindrop Bag and Essential Sweater Dress in Columbia 2-ply, and the Sumptuous Cowl and Moonshine Hat and Mittens in the Bulky 2 Strand. And these are just a few of the beautiful designs from Imperial Yarn!

Swing Cardi
Remember when I mentioned how nice Jeanne and Dan were? Well, when they came to visit, they gave us a box full of goodies to share with our amazing customers! We have three kits to give away today on the blog as well as two 4oz bundles of sliver roving. That's five different winners! If you'd like to enter to win one of these kits and roving, please leave us a comment on this post telling us what your favorite Imperial design is (Feel free to check out their site as well and let us know if there are any other patterns we should carry!) We'll randomly select 5 winners next Friday, 7/13 and announce them on the blog!
Retro Thrum Slippers

7/13 edit- the winners have been announced on today's Crochet Corner blog. Please go there to see if you've won!

Additionally, we have two more kits and another bundle of sliver roving reserved just for our Reno retail store customers! The first 3 customers who come into the retail store on Saturday, 7/7/12 and mention this blog post will get to take home either a lovely kit or some pencil roving! The kits are first come first serve! You must come into the store to win.

We hope you'll enjoy these beautiful American made yarns as much as we do! We are so happy to have Imperial Yarns as part of the Jimmy Beans Wool family! We hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and happy knitting!

Kristen

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