Hi everyone!

I hope you are all having a phenomenal weekend and are wrapping it up by enjoying a quiet day, and getting outside a bit too!

I just wanted to pop in super quick today and announce the book giveaway winners from Friday!

Thanks to Random.org- an inline random number generator, the winners are:

-Fabrics A-Z: Commenter #27- Kirbie, who said-

"All of these books look fantastic! I think the Fabrics A to Z would be especially helpful for me right now as I am starting to branch out into sewing. My Grandmother's Knitting also looks great, and the stories from the designers are so sweet."

-Custom Knits 2: Commenter #29- Heidi L., who said-

"I would love to win either Custom Knits 2 or My Grandmother's Knitting. I have started moving in the direction of customizing my garments and I just moved from Reno to Juneau, AK, so I don't have my Beans to help me out as immediately. As for the second book, my grandmother taught me how to knit, in German, and I wish I could be in Austria to learn more from her, especially with all the rich traditional knits from that region."

-Custom Knits Accessories: Commenter #9- Sandie Russo, who said-

"I would LOVE to win Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits Accessories! I mostly make accessories, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. and would love to hone my craft. It looks like her designs are fresh and interesting, which excites me. Oh, and my birthday is Sept 7th. I could always use an extra birthday present! :o) Thanks so much!!!"

-My Grandmother's Knitting: Commenter #43- Marie/Underground Crafter, who said-

"I would love to win My Grandmother's Knitting. I learned to crochet from my grandmother and now that she's passed on, it serves as an amazing connection to the memories I have of her. I love reading the stories of how other knitters and crocheters learned and those inspirational people in their lives."

-Knitting Nature: Commenter #55- Carol Perecman, who said-

"I would love to win Knitting Nature, because I am such a huge Norah Gaughan fan!"

Thanks to you all for reading and commenting! Winners, please e-mail me your mailing addresses to: Kristen (at) jimmybeanswool.com to claim your prize!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Kristen

Happy Labor day weekend everyone! It is my hope for all of you that you are up to some fun things this weekend. I am planning on heading out to a local farm to pick tomatoes for canning (they have them for very cheap this time of year) and participate in the local Cantaloupe festival. There are sure to be plenty of delicious varieties of melon to taste and adorable goats to pet. I'll be in heaven. And when that's done, I'll be doing plenty of knitting, of course!

In the meantime, I have a small stack of books on my desk here that I need to find good homes for. A few of these were actually unclaimed books from earlier giveaways this summer and I was unable to find out the winners real names to distribute them. Such a shame, because these books so badly want to go to a happy home! So, I am re-releasing them out into the internet wilds in hopes that this time they will land in a good place.


First up, I have Dana Willard's Fabrics A to Z. Dana is the writer and designer behind Dana Made It, one of the most fun blogs I've ever had the pleasure of reading. If you ask me, this is one of the most comprehensive fabric resource books I've ever seen! It covers just about every type of fabric imaginable and also includes awesome descriptive photos, fabric care for each one, as well as tips for working with them. Honestly, for a new and experienced sewers alike, this book is a gold mine of information!


Next we have Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits 2 and Custom Knits Accessories! Wendy is just about one of the sweetest ladies around and has such a fun fresh west-coast style to all of her designs. Plus, her blog, Knit and Tonic is fun, clever, and a joy to read! These two books are a follow up to her ever popular Custom Knits book and continues the discussion on ways to personalize your knits and tailor them to fit you. To read more about these books, be sure to go back and read the interviews I did with her earlier in the summer here and here.


My Grandmother's Knitting by Larissa Brown is truthfully one of the sweetest books I've seen in a log while. I love anything that combines history, nostalgia, and knitting and this book delivers all of those things in one little package. In this book, Larissa has gathered many top knitwear designers and asked them to design something inspired by the person who taught them to knit. How neat is that?!?! I love the stories, the designs, the whole book! Such a great little treasure to have in your collection.

Lastly, I have a recently re-released soft cover copy of Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan, who needs no formal introduction, does she? This book, which was originally published in 2006, features classic Norah Gaughan design and style that has not faded years later. This book features 39 designs from Norah with patterns for women, men, accessories for both you and the home. It's beautiful and innovative and such a classic book to have in your collection. If you've not yet knit anything by Norah, you'll absolutely have to add one to your queue...her designs are amazing!

All of these books were given to us courtesy of STC Crafts which is why we are so excited to share them with you!

In order to win one of these books, please leave me a comment, a love letter if you will, explaining which of these books you'd be delighted to win and why. Feel free to name several if you covet more than one. On Monday (Labor Day), I will select winners at random and announce them on the blog here. Be sure to check back in and see if you've won! I'd love if all of these lovely books found someone to cherish them!

With that, I bid you a happy weekend!
Kristen

 I am one lucky little bean! I got to tag along to TNNA and help spread the word about Stitch Red!! I can't tell you how exciting it was to be at the event and then to have such a wonderful, enthusiastic response to the project. Well, just knock me over with a feather!

Graphic Tunic  by Daniela Johannsenova

I was, unfortunately, star-struck and didn't think to start taking pictures until late into Saturday. Sorry! I met Iris Schreier (Artyarns) and her husband Elliot! Super, super neat people! I met Sharon the owner of Lantern Moon and had a real blast! I also hung out with Nadine, the owner of Be Sweet, and all of these ladies are AMAZING!!


I did a get a shot of Iris's sweater designed by Daniela Johannsenova from the Knit Red book in the fashion show and I have to say that I can't wait to work it up with those fantastic yarns of hers!

What a doll Ysolda is!!

I met Ysolda who is also in the book and she is just as sweet as she is cute! I am so privileged to say that she signed a copy of her about-to-be-released Whimsical Little Knits 3 book for Sandy and me...YIPPPEEE!!! Thanks Ysolda!!! You will want this fantastic little treasure for your library for sure!

Don't kill me, Diane. It was Jimmy who took the pic :)

I ran into Diane Soucy and Renie of Knitting Pure and Simple. They were having a blast!! I touched base with them at the Bryson booth and we had a good little chat! 


If you haven't knit one of Diane's patterns you are missing a great experience!!!

Norah is super sweet!

I met Norah Gaughn and she is super sweet and humble about her talent. She is also featured in the Knit Red book. Norah is Berroco's head designer and they had the samples from her newest publication, Vol 10.

It was so neat to see them worked up and I will have a hard time not casting on soon...sigh. I have some finishing to do first.





I have to say it was a really successful trip and I can't wait to see what all of the wonderful folks come up with as their products to add to the Stitch Red campaign.  Here is a shot of Leanne just being, well, Leanne! She was so much fun to travel with and room with. That's why we call her LeAwesome around here!


As always, happy knitting, crocheting and sewing!

Jeanne

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!

Hm.  That face looks familiar! :)

Plenty of new thing just keep on rollin' through our doors -I can hardly keep up! This week we've got everything from the latest in novelty knitting to a glimpse at the styles to come in 2011!

How big a glimpse, you ask? Well, between Norah Gaughan's pattern booklet Volume 8 and the latest issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine, I'd say a fairly large glimpse :) I am always in awe of Norah's simple yet intricate geometric designs, and her latest collection is particularly stunning. Lacy, open stitch patterns are a common motif in Vol. 8, creating wistful, artistic garments knit in lightweight cotton and linen blends. The airy nature of this collection is picture perfect in pastels and features the purely divine Pure Pima and summery soft Linsey. Linsey is one of Berroco's new yarns this year and will be available on our website soon! I wish I could give you some tantalizing tidbits regarding Linsey, but I have yet to see it for myself.

The Winter 2010/11 issue of Vogue Knitting, however, is no mystery! Page after page of hip, urban designs and classic, form-fitting styles, this Vogue has something for every wintry activity! Over-sized cabled scarves such as the Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Hand Dyes Scarf for those long weekends on the slopes and the asymmetrical Draped Cardigan for staying warm at the office without putting a crimp in your savvy fashion-sense are just a few of the fabulous patterns in this issue as well as an enticing preview of the trends ahead!

If you prefer the simplicity of everyday styles to high-fashion runway knits, consider some of the free patterns available from the Stitch Nation website. Founded by Debbie Stoller, author of the famed Stitch 'N Bitch series, Stitch Nation features a stellar line of affordable, all natural yarns as well as a continually growing collection of excellent free patterns for a wide range of ability levels. Recently posted is one of my favorites, the Beloved Shawl, available as a kit on our website! This classic shawl is knit in silky soft Bamboo Ewe, a worsted weight blend of bamboo and wool. The leaf-like lace pattern and a delicate swallow-tailed edge gains a fresh modern look from the luscious, vibrant hues of Bamboo Ewe.

Looking for something a little more... unique? Try knitting with Flounce! Much like Trendsetter's Flamenco, this new novelty yarn from Katia has an open, net-like construction that can be transformed into bouncy flouncy ruffles by knitting along one edge.  The self-striping colorways of Flounce add extra flare to the texture and depth of this particular fiber, making it perfect for scarves, accessories, accents and more! For a super easy yet striking neck warmer, use 2 balls of Flounce for the Flounce Scarf! Available as a kit, this scarf knits up in no time on size US 11 needles and the pattern, which includes detailed pictures describing how to knit with this yarn, is free on the KFI website!

Have a splendiferous week and happy knitting and crocheting!
Leanne

Should we start by announcing the winners or by telling you all about our TNNA trip?

Blankets are one of my favorite things. Some of my favorite memories are curled up with my mom under an afghan my grandmother had crocheted, reading The Chronicles of Narnia and making elaborate forts out of every blanket in the house –even my best friend growing up was named Blanky (he is a blanket). Whether it be a quilt, throw or afghan, there is warmth held by handmade blankets that is impossible to find in any store-bought blanket from Bed Bath and Beyond, even if it is electric. While I have always been somewhat envious of those who had the patience to knit or crochet an entire afghan, it was never a project I even considered tackling… until we received Comfort Knitting & Crochet Afghans book.

I know, I know, spring is here and the majority of us are not thinking about projects meant to keep us warm. But blankets are also indispensable on picnics, stargazing, chilly summer evenings around a fire-pit, and so much more! Every page of Afghans unveils a classic, funky, or simply gorgeous design. This fantastical book is the collaborative effort of Norah Gaughan, Margery Winter and the Berroco Design Team, each pattern a unique creation. Every project in this book is knit in Berroco’s yarn Comfort, which comes in three weights, Sock, Worsted and Bulky and is a silken bend of ultra-fine Acrylic and Nylon. Of course you can easily substitute any of your other favorite yarns as well :)

It would be impossible to pick a favorite from this volume of spectacular afghans, but there are a few I could actually see myself committing to a few such as Spiral and Greenway (also featured as kits on our website) as well as and as Kilim and Floret (not pictured, but you can check out these, and the rest of the afghans here). If you like what you see or are hunting for your next big project, I encourage you to check out this book!

Happy knitting and crocheting!

-Leanne