Showing posts with label Springtime Bandit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Springtime Bandit. Show all posts

Kelbourne Woolens Vol. 1 & the Springtime Bandit!

by : KristenJBW
When I was asked by the gals at Kelbourne Woolens to review their latest book: Kelbourne Woolens Vol. 1, I absolutely jumped at the chance! Not only do I love their patterns, but the yarn that they distribute from The Fibre Company is simply stunning and a delight to work with. (I even used Terra for my latest Free Pattern on the Jimmy Beans Wool site: Ruby Crest Hat and Mitts.)

What was also neat about this blog tour is that all of the participants were asked to pick our favorite item from the book and create a couple of different outfits or "looks" with it using Polyvore. I love that this format was something new and different for us so we jumped at the opportunity!

Now, it seems particularly fitting that I ended up with the Springtime Bandit pattern. Not only is it one of my favorites but I've knit it twice myself. I'd do it again too. I love the pattern!

A while back (a little over a year ago) I led a KAL at Jimmy Beans for the Springtime Bandit. We had just received the Fibre Co. Terra yarn and I was dying for a chance to work with it. It turned out to be one of the most fun knits I've done to date. Since then, several of the gals at JBW have gone on to knit the pattern as well. You can view our projects on the JBW Project Log.

Kelbourne Woolens Vol. 1 is a brilliant collection of designs from Courtney Kelly and Kate Gagnon Osborn (the gals behind Kellbourne Woolens). Some are older designs while others are much newer and in a sense, it's a greatest hits collection. Vol. 1 brings together 11 of their most popular designs in a fully edited and beautifully photographed book. (It's gorgeous! I got to see it in person at TNNA.)

Look #1

I love the re-worked version of the Springtime Bandit which is in a vibrant shade of magenta. I think it works really well with the outfits I've put together for you on Polyvore. If you are on Polyvore, feel free to check these out in my sets.

The first is a work-day style with a gorgeous belted tunic-length top, dark skinny jeans or leggings, and boots (yes, I am lucky enough to be able to wear jeans to work, but you could swap them for nicer slim pants.) I totally wish I had a leather jacket like this. I have tons of knitted accessories that would look awesome with it!


Look #2


My second "look" is a bit more casual. I pretty much live in jeans, t-shirts, and Toms in the springtime. These cute Toms ballet flats with a striped top, cardigan, a cute hat and of course bandit are a winning weekend look!

Ok, so in full disclosure, I am in love with Polyvore now! It's pretty fun to put together outfits and save items you like for later like those cute boots or that leather jacket for example. It's definitely a new source for me to find fun things to pin on Pinterest. :)

Thanks so much to the Kate and Courtney for allowing us to be a part of their blog tour, it's been fun! Jimmy Beans Wool will be getting Kelbourne Woolens Vol. 1 very soon but in the meantime, you can check out all of the patterns on the Ravelry page. Also, be sure to check out the next stop on the tour tomorrow (2/22) with Rohn Strong.

Happy knitting everyone!
Kristen

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Springtime Bandit KAL Kick-off--Better than the Super Bowl! :)

by : MarinadeDesigns

Hello and happy Wednesday everyone!  I am so excited about today, I am positively bursting with energy!  For one, I am thrilled to be kicking off this super fun KAL for the Springtime Bandit Shawl from the Fibre Company.  Other reasons I am excited may include; this pattern is super fun to knit, Courtney and Kate from The Fibre Company are going to be joining us on the Ravelry group throughout this KAL, and lastly...the yarn. It’s AMAZING!!!

The Original "Bandit" by
Kate Gagnon Osborn
Terra in Mint

For those of you not familiar with The Fibre Company’s Terra yarn yet, now’s the time to check it out!  Terra is a ridiculously soft blend of baby alpaca, silk, and wool and it’s absolutely to die for!  I chose the "Mint" color which combines light, cool green with a more intense sea foam for purely stunning color.  If you are interested in testing out this luscious stuff, the Springtime Bandit Kit is currently the Jimmy Beans Wool Kit of the Month and it’s available for 20% off!  That’s basically like getting an employee discount!  Woo-hoo!

Ok, now for the KAL part.  Some of you may be wondering why we chose the Springtime Bandit pattern.  “But it’s fall-- this pattern is inspired by spring,” you might be thinking.  True story.  But the Springtime Bandit pattern is super warm and fuzzy and perfect for wearing in cold weather.  Not to mention that it consists of a lovely leafy pattern that works equally well for fall.  I think it’s perfect.  I hope you do too!

I cast on last weekend and was able to get through the first chart and twice through the 2nd chart before running out of yarn on the first hank.  On size 9 needles, I am amazed at how quickly this project is progressing!  It’s simple to follow, and really fun as well.  I've Raveled my progress here.  What a great pattern.  Kudos to Kate over at The Fibre Company for dreaming this one up!   
Never-mind the festive
tablecloth... :) 


Like in our last KAL--the Larch Shawlette in the Lorna's Laces Endless Possibilities yarn, once again we find ourselves mainly following a chart.  This chart in particular is very well mapped out and easy to understand.  It has an awesome, very detailed key with it as well.  If anyone gets lost or stuck, please remember that you can reach me for technical stuff on the Ravelry thread or at my e-mail: kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.  I am happy to help!

This yarn has amazing
stitch definition!

If anyone participating in the KAL is going to be in the bay area (California) next weekend, I’ll be at the Interweave Knitting Lab in San Mateo at the Jimmy Beans Wool/ Muench Yarns Booth!  Feel free to stop by for some one-on-one advice.  We’ll be filming our fun Jimmy Beans Videos while we are there, so if you are feeling brave maybe you could jump on camera too. :)  It’s going to be a ton of fun! 

Good luck getting started on your “Bandits” and welcome to the Jimmy Beans Fall KAL!
Happy knitting,
Kristen
PS.  Want to be the first to find out about our sales, new products, and other fun events (like the KAL’s) with Jimmy Beans Wool?  Then sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter for all of the most recent updates! 


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Fibre Co guest blog and giveaway!

by : Bethany
Oh, goodness! Do we have a treat-ski's for all of you readers out there! As you may have read in our Newsletter, we are now carrying Fibre Co. yarn and patterns!!! We've had it for about a week now and can't keep our hands off of it - that is...until we have to ship it to you! Don't worry...we've stashed a bunch for ourselves! :)

We were lucky enough to chat with a couple of sweet gals, Courtney and Kate, who happen to be responsible for all that happens over at the Fibre Co. They told us some really fun stuff. Like, did you know that The Fibre Company started in 2004 as an alpaca processing and spinning mill by Iain Stanley and Daphne Marinopoulos?  The line of yarns they created were entirely unique in terms of their fiber blends and color and soon their yarns were known for their incredibly soft hand.

Kelbourne Woolens was established in 2008 by Kate Gagnon Osborn and Courtney Kelley. Since then, they have been in charge of all of the distribution - as well as product, pattern and color development, all the while maintaining the original vision of unique artisan yarns that Iain and Daphne created.

Currently, Fibre Co. has just two employees! As the owners of Kelbourne Woolens, the sole distributors of the Fibre Company yarns, Kate and Courtney handle pretty much everything that is required in regards to running the business. They have a wonderful hard working group of sales reps that help introduce their yarns to the shops in their area, but pretty much everything else – packing, shipping, invoicing, bookkeeping, ads, web and blog development, advertisements, trade shows and the base of pattern support are all taken care of by Kate and Courtney. Phew!

And as always, we asked them about the fun stuff, too! Now for the fun part!

JBW: Where are you two from?
Kate: Amherst, Massachusetts.  Courtney: Washington, D.C.

JBW: What's your favorite meal to cook?
Courtney: Campfire cooking. I love any excuse to cook outside, especially if there is pork involved. My one crowning achievement is the time I made a cake while we were camping. It was actually really good!

JBW: Why did you want to own a yarn company?
There was something about the Fibre Company that really appealed to us. We really wanted to continue the company that Daphne and Iain started, and love everything that goes into running the company. Not just the knitting and yarn (which is awesome), but the product development, marketing, working with customers and business side of things. Every day is different, and never boring.

JBW: Coffee or tea?
Kate: Tea. All the way. I have a very impressive collection of loose leaf teas from a small shop in Philly, Premium Steap and love making odd blends from them. My current favorite is Milk Oolong paired with “Orange Cookie” flavored black tea.

JBW: What's your least favorite candy?
Kate: Dark Chocolate   Courtney: Sour Patch Kids

JBW: First album you ever bought:
Courtney: Linda Ronstadt, Pacing Down the Wind  Kate: Wilson Phillips, Wilson Phillips

JBW: Do you have any pets? (I mean, really, we are practically a farm here at JBW!)
Kate: Yes! A three legged cat, Margaret “Peggy” Peg-Leg, an 8 year old cat, Desmond, an 8 year old Corgi/Shepherd mix, Rollie and a 3 year old Chow mix, Opus. I’ve also fostered 12 dogs and 9 cats from the local city animal shelter over the last 2 years.
Courtney: Yes! A 12 year old mix, Queenie and an 8 year old Norwich Terrier mix, Scrappy.

JBW: Little Known Fact about you:
Courtney: I don’t actually know how to knit....just kidding!...hmm...I studied ballet and voice very seriously as a teenager and went as far as to attend the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, but the only real end result from all that training is I am very good at public speaking!
Kate: I am woefully inflexible and even at my most fit (circa 1998) I was never able to touch my toes.

To celebrate the arrival of this wonderful company to the JBW family, we have a couple surprises for you! The first is that Kristen will be leading a super fun Knit-A-Long starting next week, right here on the blog. Be sure to check back next Wednesday for the first installment.

And what KAL and celebration would be the same without a giveaway? We will be doing a kit giveaway for the same project that Kristen will be leading in the KAL! How exciting!! And what is the pattern? It's the Springtime Bandit Shawl using Terra! And how can you win the kit?

To enter, leave a comment on our blog telling us what your go to quick knit is for the holiday season (truthfully, I just need some ideas! hehe) before Sunday, October 23rd at midnight PST. The winner will be contacted Monday so that she (or he) can receive the kit in time to start with Kristen! Only one comment per person, please.

Also, to find out more about The Fibre Co., check them out here:
Facebook
Blog
Website
Twitter

Thank you to Courtney and Kate! Good luck everyone!!

Happy knitting and crocheting!
Bethany

PS I know you would love to get our twice monthly Newsletter! It is full of all the news here at the shop, what we are working on and great product updates, of course it's FREE and your information is secure!! We never sell, share or trade your information, so check it out!
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FO Friday- Back on track!

by : MarinadeDesigns
"Kerchief"
Hi folks!  I have an abundance of new projects to share with you all today for FO Friday so let's get right down to it, shall we? :)

Sandy finished a gorgeous shawlette this week (and by "this week" I mean she was binding off on Monday and wore it to work the very next day)! The pattern is "Kerchief" by Kieran Foley.  This shawl is so unique--I just love it!  Sandy used Zauberball Crazy yarn in the "Flussbett" color with Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for the colorwork section.  It's really beautiful and Sandy did such a phenomenal job!
"Barb's Koigu Ruffle"


Sandy's good friend Barbara just finished this awesome "Barb's Koigu Ruffle" Scarf by Churchmouse Designs.  She was kind enough to loan it to us for a few days and it's been on display in the shop.  She used a skein of Colinette Jitterbug yarn. The color is called Gauguin. Normally you would need two skeins of Koigu to complete this project, but this only took one hank of the Jitterbug as it measures in at 400 yards.  Nice!

"Springtime Bandit"

Sharon finished her Springtime Bandit a while back and has been enjoying it in the lovely Northern Nevada spring weather (which can often include snow well into May). You may recall she knit this pattern with just two skeins of Berroco Remix. It turned out to be a perfect fit and Sharon now has a new favorite accessory!

Botanic Hat

Shevawn just whipped-up an awesome "Botanic Hat" for her fella out of Malabrigo Rios.  The pattern is by Stephen West, one of our favorite designers around here.  We just started carrying a bunch of his patterns.  Although this one is not one of them, you can acquire it on Ravelry as a download.  It's such a cool design!  I think I may have to make one for my mister as well!  It's reversible, too, which I think is why I'm so drawn to it.  Check out more pictures of Shevawn's version on the project log to see what it looks like reversed.  So cool!  Nice job, Shevawn!

Annabella's Cowl

Kathy recently bound-off on her Annabella's Cowl.  Another in a long line of cowls made by JBW staffers since we received this pattern in at the shop but this one is just as beautiful and unique!  Kathy opted for the full length size and used Lorna's Laces Honor yarn with a strand of Lana Grossa Chiara.  The result is a soft and shimmery plush cowl that will keep her Mother-in-Law nice and toasty!  Kathy is one of our newer knitters and she is doing such a fabulous job!

Turkish Bed Socks

Lastly, Jeanne just completed a fun pair of Turkish Bed Socks, another one of Churchmouse's stunning designs. Jeanne used Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino for this pair, in color P344.  They turned out so fun!  I just love how the speckled variation of this yarn comes out in these short socks.  I am going to have to knit myself a pair of these to wear with my clogs. They are perfect!


Thanks for checking in this week for FO Friday.  To read more about any of the projects you've seen here, be sure to check out the project log.  I'll be back soon with more FO's and WIP's as we keep on a-knittin' around here.  Until then-happy knitting and crocheting to you all!

-Kristen

PS if you aren't currently getting our Newsletter I hope you will sign up, it's safe, secure and we NEVER EVER share any of your information with any other source! You can stay up to date on the latest and greatest here in the shop!

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FO Friday/ WIP Weekend

by : MarinadeDesigns
Happy Friday, everyone! We've made it to the end of another awesome week! I've got several new FO's to share with you from this week, as well as some WIP's here at the shop. But first I'd like to announce the winner of the signed edition of A Knitting Wrapsody from Tuesday's contest!

Drumroll please....

And the winner is: Commenter #12 Julie who said: "I love all of Kristin Omdahl's crochet projects and I can't wait to check out her knit ones, too! I love to crochet and knit equally and trade off on most days also, so I know I will want to make many things out of her knitting book, as with her crochet books! Great job, Kristin!"

Congratulations!!! Julie, please contact Bethany at: giveaway@jimmybeanswool.com to redeem your signed copy of Kristin's book! (Winner was determined using a random number generator.)

Thanks to everyone who read Kristin's interview and left comments! I hope you all enjoy the book!


Alright...now onto this week's FO's. First up, I was so thrilled last Friday when Ailene came in
to work with this big giant treat! She had just finished casting off on her beautiful afghan that she has been working on for close to a year! It turned out just beautifully in the Seaside color of Lorna's Laces. This particular version is in a discontinued Lorna's yarn called Swirl Chunky but a similar effect can be achieved with Lorna's Shepherd Worsted. We are all so impressed by Ailene's perseverance! She put countless hours into this afghan but now she has a beautiful heirloom blanket to show for it! Nice work, Ailene!

Our next FO this week is Jeanne's lovely Autumn Leaves Beret. She finished it a few weeks ago

and I was just finally able to snag some photos of it! It's so lovely! This pattern is such a pretty one from Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. I can hardly wait to do one myself; although, I must say that I also like the new Cloudy Day Beret just as much! I guess I'll just have to do both! :) Jeanne's beautiful version is knit in Isager Alpaca 2 , a yarn that she absolutely loved to knit with. Every time I see Jeanne wear this around the shop, I get a little green with envy! I just love it!


Finally, I have this lovely Waves of Leaves shawl (a freebie on Ravelry) that Victoria knit in the February color- Festival of Love. Victoria fell in love with this color immediately, as she said it
reminds her of tropical fruits. She used 2 skeins of the Lorna's Laces Honor yarn and it turned out beautifully. Leanne was kind enough to model it for us after Sandy helped block it. It's amazing how blocking transforms your piece! Victoria did such a wonderful job knitting up this lovely shawl! Seeing all of the different shawls that everyone around here is knitting these days is so inspiring! I work with such an amazing group of knitters!


Sharon is just about to finish a Springtime Bandit Shawl in the
Berroco Remix yarn. It is knitting up so neat in this yarn! The Remix is Berroco's recycled yarn that came out last year and is
surprisingly soft when knit up. Sharon is using just two skeins of
the Remix to complete this project and it is really turning out great!

She's also been working on this lovely Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West for her mom in a new shade of Tosh Merino Light. I think this color is called "Nebula." She is knitting the optional
version with YO's in the middle instead of M1's. I think its really looking great!

As Leanne mentioned in her post earlier this week, we just got a bunch of Stephen West's patterns and books in at the shop and we are all just thrilled! I immediately snapped up the "Herbivore" and "Clockwork" shawl patterns and Sharon nearly fell out of her chair when she heard his books- WestKnits 1 & 2 were finally in! I think out of all of us, she was the most excited!



Finally, I am just 10 or 12 rows away from being finished with my Mara Shawl in Tosh Merino Light "Posy." Although I am thoroughly excited by all of the new patterns in the shop at the moment, I am going to try and restrain myself from starting yet another new project, once I'm finished with my Mara Shawl. I have so many to finish and I'd like to do that before taking on anymore! I'm sure many of you know how that goes. :P




Anyway, thank you all of you for popping in to see what we've been knitting this week! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy knitting!
Kristen


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