Showing posts with label beans for brains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beans for brains. Show all posts

Beans for Brains Scholarship Fundraising Contest!

by : KristenJBW
Scholarships, raffles, and prizes - OH JIMMY!



There are so many exciting things are going on here at Jimmy Beans Wool, and today we are really excited to tell you more about the the fabulousness of the Beans for Brains Scholarship! 

This scholarship program is near and dear to our hearts because our entire fiber arts community contributes to create academic scholarships for college-bound students with fiber arts experience. Basically, any college-bound student or current student is eligible to apply if they knit, crochet, or weave. Pretty cool, eh? In the years since this program began, our amazing community has raised and distributed scholarships totaling over $50,000!  This is just another awesome example of the kindness and generosity that represents the heart of fiber artisans.



What makes this year’s program so special is our CrowdRise campaign. We hope you will check out our video and comment or share the page with your social networks. We want to shout about this from the rooftops and rally our fabulous fiber arts family — AND THIS IS WHERE THE FUN REALLY BEGINS.

To celebrate Beans for Brains, and sweeten the pot for those who help us spread the word about our scholarship fundraising efforts, Jimmy Beans Wool is offering some amazing prizes!

To be eligible to win one of these two prizes below (each worth over $150) you have to do at least one of the following (and you'll receive 1 entry for each one you do for up to 3 chances to win!):

1.    Go to this page and Tweet the message on the main page about Beans for Brains!
2.    Comment on the blog and tell us where you will share the news about Beans for Brains! (Make sure however you do not comment anonymously, we need to be able to contact you if you win!)
3.  Share the Beans for Brains Crowdrise page on your Facebook or Instagram feeds and be sure to tag Jimmy Beans Wool so that we can see your post!




And, as an additional thank you to those who donate $$ to the Beans for Brains Scholarship (sponsors excluded of course) we've created a raffle for the larger "super prize" below that is worth over $250!!!!  Everyone who donates will be entered into that raffle as well (including those who have already donated prior to this announcement.) To be eligible, go to our CrowdRise page and donate. All individual donors are automatically entered to win!



You do not have to donate to our CrowdRise campaign to be eligible for prizes #1 and #2 above.  If you choose to donate, you will automatically be entered to win prize #3. All of you will have our never-ending love and gratitude for spreading the word and donating.

We have also put some collegiate kits together to celebrate March Madness. TEAM BEANIES (split up by collegiate conference) are available on our website and Schachenmayr yarns and Jimmy Beans Wool have each generously agreed to donate $1.00 of every purchase (that's $2 per kit sold!) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund.




We'd like to thank our sponsors for this year's Scholarship fund! Knitter's Pride and Vogue Knitting are our Co-Sponsors in this year's campaign and we are so grateful for their generous support. Additional sponsors of this year's scholarship include Classic Elite Yarns, Cascade Yarns, Denise Knitting Needles, Lorna's Laces, Mrs. Crosby Yarns, Blue Sky Alpacas, Chicken Boots, Plymouth Yarns, Schachenmay yarns, and Anzula Yarns. 

Mostly, we really want to thank you (our customers) for being such an important (and awesome!) part of our family. If you are reading this, you know what an amazing group we walk among here in the fiber arts community, and we are so grateful that you walk with us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Maryla



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WIP Wednesday and a few FO’s too!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Wow! It has been a long time since we've done a WIP/FO post and holy cow are there a lot of projects to share! So many that I don’t think I can squeeze all of them in here today! But that is ok, we will get them all on here one way or another. :) We have been such busy little beans this year in preparation for the holidays, so we have tons of fantastic projects to share with you! Make sure to check the project log (I've provided all of the links for you) for all of the knitty gritty details! Here goes:
WIPs:


FO’s:
And if these beauties are not enough for inspiration, be sure to check out all of the other awesome new projects we just added to the project log, such as Kristen’s Bandana Cowl, Leanne’s Basic Ribbed Scarf, Amber's Little Colonade Shawl, Sharon’s Basic Ribbed Scarf, Sarah Lee’s Zig Zag Cowl, Diana's Very Cherry Daughter Dress, Leanne’s Bodega and Orbit Scarves, and Jeanne’s Stratum Hat and Mukluks.
There are so many amazing projects flying off the needles around here. I can hardly wait to see what comes next!
Happy holiday knitting and crocheting everyone!
Kristen

PS It's time for Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate! JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!
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Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles!!!

by : Freaky Knitter
The thing around here of late has to be ruffles!! Ruffles are the word of the day and ruffles are clearly the yarn on manufacturers minds too. There are quite a few different kinds of ruffle yarns on the market, ranging from elegant to fun and whimsical. My first exposure to ruffle yarns was Trendsetter Cha Cha and Cha Cha Print. Then we got Flounce and things just went to ruffles after that. Of course, my new favorite ruffle yarn has to be Kidsilk Haze Creation!!

Rowan's Kidsilk Haze has to be one of my ALL time favorite yarns for many reasons, not the least of which are it's fantastic feel, halo effect and just general quality in such a wonderful, yardage-generous package. Of course, Rowan has added Kidsilk Stripe to their line up and what's not to love there? However, I am on a yarn detour and must get back to the theme of this post, and that is ruffles!!


Leanne is the best ruffle model ever!


What's that? You love ruffles?
As I mentioned, Kidsilk Haze is one of my favorite yarns, but I have to say that Rowan has a real hit with its new Kidsilk Haze Creation!

I grabbed a hank in Dewberry, read the pattern (on the inside of the label), and went to town. The first thing I did was hand wind my yarn to keep it flat and smooth. Then I worked as instructed from the label. I needed a little extra guidance, so I watched Rowan's GREAT instructional video (knitted version). I finished my scarf in just about 40 minutes, but who's counting?

You wouldn't think that 11 yards of anything is much, but this yarn is full of surprises! I will be giving several of the luscious scarves as gifts and stocking up too! Rowan is making this yarn in limited quantities, so I am not going to let it pass me by. I swear that the scarf Leanne is modeling really is from just one hank!!

I have a million ideas on how I want to use this yarn and my next scarf will be in Jelly and Dewberry held together. What do you think? The other idea I had was to use the yarn as cuffs and collar edging on a sweater, but I have to find the right sweater to work with.

I am thinking a fun trip to my favorite thrift store is in order for that one. What would you like to do with this lovely yarn? I sure would love to hear your creative ideas and hope you will consider giving this fantastic new yarn a try. It's rufflicious!!!

Note that we have a winner from our SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway:

Thank you to everyone for leaving your comments for our SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway! There were so many wonderful comments about what people are asking Santa for that we used a random number generator! Here is the winner of the SMC Select Silk Wool Giveaway:

StaceyD! Below is what she is asking Santa for:

"Sleep and time to knit... In that order. My 6mo old hasn't slept properly in almost two months, so i need the first to recharge the body and the second to recharge the mind."

Congratulations StaceyD! We hope Santa will bring some much needed sleep and time to knit to you! Please email your mailing address and color and size selection to info@jimmybeanswool.com by Wednesday, November 23rd to claim your prize!

Thanks again to Sarah Hatton and SMC Select! We are so fortunate to work with such awesome people!
As always, happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

PS- Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!


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Beans for Brains!

by : Bethany
Hello knitters and crocheters!

Last year we had over 3,000 applicants for 2010-2011 awards. There were so many amazing applicants we couldn't wait to get started with our 2012-2013 Beans for Brains Scholarship program. And we can't do it without you!!

This year, we have 10 major sponsors that will be matching public donations to the Beans for Brains scholarship fund. For the month of November, Jimmy Beans Wool will be accepting donations online and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU! Each of our sponsors will match the amount raised up to $1,000 for a grand total of $20,000 combined.
So from now through November 30th, be sure to send your family and friends to our website to donate to Beans for Brains (a 501c3 non-profit organization). If every one of our customers gave $1, we'd be well over our goal in no time!! And remember, the more we can raise this month, the more we can give this spring!
Want to apply for a scholarship? Make sure to check back March 1st when we will announce the call for applications for our 2012-2013 awards!!
Please be sure to thank all of the Beans for Brains sponsors! We couldn't do it without them!!




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Springtime Bandit KAL- The end is nigh!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Hello everyone and welcome to the final Springtime Bandit KAL blog post! For those of you who are just now joining us, never fear! I’ll still be posting on the Ravelry group and I'll be available for help and questions for the next month or so. I hope you’ve found the blog posts helpful! If you are just getting started, be sure to check out the blog post tutorial on the Provisional Cast-on used for this pattern. A number of people have found it helpful.
In the meantime, I have a few more WIP’s and an FO to share! Courtney from The Fibre Company is participating in the KAL with us, and she is using a new color of the Fibre Co’s Terra yarn for her shawl. The color is called Belladonna and don’t worry, well be ordering this new color soon! :) Isn’t it gorgeous? I just love it and can’t wait to see it in person!

Courtney's Bandit in "Belladonna"
Also, Forensicgirl on Ravelry, who used to work for us here at Jimmy Beans when she was finishing up her schooling, knitted this gorgeous version in the Fibre Company Terra- Black Walnut. It is shown here being blocked, and it is awesome! Nice work Sara!
Sara's Bandit in "Black Walnut"

Sharon, my JBW Partner in Crime (aka. my co-team lead in Customer Service) is knitting this in a simply amazing color of Malabrigo Twist called Liquidambar. It is truly stunning and this picture doesn't even do it justice. This is Sharon's 2nd Bandit Shawl--she knit one out of Berroco Remix yarn earlier this spring. One could easily knit 2 of these. They move along quite quickly and the pattern is super well-written. Isn't Sharon's 2nd Bandit gorgeous?


Sharon's "Liquidambar" Bandit


Lastly, I am ALMOST finished with mine. I so wanted to be done in time to have it at least blocking for you this week, but time got away from me this last weekend... darn it! Here is the most recent photo I have of it. It is definitely going to be as large as I intended:
Kristen's "Mint" Bandit
A close up of the beginning
of the final chart.

I promise to post FO pics on Ravelry next week. And hopefully I’ll be able to post it on the blog too! In the meantime, if you are participating, feel free to stop by the Ravelry thread and post a WIP or FO photo, or send me an e-mail with your FO and I can do another post later on! Looking forward to seeing those lovely shawls!
I hope all of you are having a great week! Don’t hesitate to e-mail me with questions or issues with the pattern. I am happy to help! My e-mail is: kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.
Thanks to all of you who participated or are still participating in the KAL, and as always, happy knitting!
Kristen
PS- Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!


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Guest blog and giveaway with Sarah Hatton!

by : Bethany
Hello and Happy Monday, everyone! We have a special treat for you today. Sarah Hatton, designer for many fashion-forward companies such as Rowan, Patons, Sirdar and Sublime, wanted to tease us about some new and exciting projects she is working on for 2012. She's sent us a little info below (I told you it was a tease)! To help us celebrate her news, we've decided to do a great giveaway!!

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As you can see, it's been a beautiful, crisp autumn day here in Yorkshire and as the evenings draw in I find myself more drawn to my own crafting. This week I have just finished designing two new brochures (Vintage Inspired Projects and one that is still a secret!) for SMC Select which will be out in the shops next autumn and so have decided to treat myself with some time out to do my own knitting.





This Christmas my plan is to make all of my gifts. I love the idea of giving something so personal and full of love but am starting to feel that it might have been an ambitious plan when I realized just how close it is and I have only 1 pair of socks completed!

I think at this point I might need to move to some chunkier wool and luckily I have some beautiful SMC Select Tweed Deluxe in my stash. I think a cozy scarf and a simple jacket will be added to the list. For next season, I am working in the Silk Wool and love how clearly stitch detail shows up, so might have to add a piece knitted in this.


Now if only I could knit a computer console for my nephew, I might have Christmas planned! And top of my list to Santa - more hours in the day, obviously!

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Like I mentioned before, to celebrate Sarah's new adventures, we are doing a sweater kit giveaway. We just love the SMC Silk Wool Holiday Cardigan and the timing seems just about right!

To enter to win this SWEET kit, please leave a comment below telling us what you are asking Santa for this year. Comment before Sunday, November 20th at 6pm PST. We will post the winner on Monday!!


To find out more about Sarah, you can find her here:
http://www.sarahhatton.com/
http://sarahhattonknits.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading! Happy knitting and crocheting!!
Bethany

PS- P.S. Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

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Why Zara? Win some and fall in love!

by : Bethany
If you get our newsletter, then you've already heard the really exciting news! We just received brand new colors of our go-to yarn, Zara, from Tahki Stacy Charles' brand Filatura di Crosa! This incredibly soft DK weight yarn is made of 100% extra fine merino wool and has great yardage (137 yards per ball!) 

As we've found here at the store, knitters hooked on Zara come back to this tried and true classic, project after project. But where does this amazing fiber come from? I chatted with Stacy Charles, co-owner of Tahki Stacy Charles, about Zara and was intrigued to learn about the history of the company and the yarn line. 


Stacy has been a part of the yarn industry his entire life. Just out of college, he started working for his Uncle Sam and Aunt Irma, who imported European yarns to the hand-knitting market. (They were the first importers of Annie Blatt products here in the U.S.) Stacy started out pulling and shipping orders and eventually worked his way up to managing accounts and helping with the business operations. A few years later, Irma and Sam decided to sell the company and Stacy headed to Italy! His love of European fashion and knitting inspired him to start his own importing company which would bring the prestigious Filatura di Crosa line to the American market, along with countless designer labels, most notably MISSONI.



Meanwhile, long time friend and fellow New Yorker Diane Friedman (founder of Tahki Yarns) was looking for a change in direction. They decided to merge the two companies and voila! Tahki Stacy Charles debuted in January of 2000.  Since then, the company has continued to grow and flourish. The company now offers 4 different brands of yarn to it's loyal customers- Tahki Yarns, Loop-d-Loop, S. Charles Collezione and of course, Filatura di Crosa.



Stacy says that hands down his favorite part after all of his years in the industry is still creating yarn. His favorite is (of course!) 100% cashmere, but his second love is extra fine merino. He told me that he thinks Zara is the best basic merino out there, and we can see why.


Here's why we love Zara:
  • Highest quality 100% extrafine Merino wool.
  • Superwash- need we say more?! (We do recommend that if you would like to throw your Zara knits into the wash, be sure to wet-block your swatch!)
  • It does not pill and keeps its shape.
  • Terrific for family knits (think wearability, washability and still looking great!)
  • Fabulous stitch definition!
  • An already great color palette which now includes 8 new colors for fall/winter!






And if that wasn't enough, what is great yarn without great pattern support? Here are just some of the FREE patterns available on the TSC website:


All Over Cable Cardigan
Bow-Tie Pullover
Plum Pullover
Zara Cabled Tunic
Diagonal Slit Pullover









My favorite is the Mantova Lacy Top, which is a free pattern available for download from the TSC website. This new garment is just perfect for fall/winter. I mean, look at the great stitch definition in the rib, cable and lace patterns, and the yarn creates a sweater with wonderful 'memory' and depth of texture. And it's just challenging enough for me that it will keep me interested! 





But enough about my knitting, I want to hear about yours! We decided to give 2 lucky winners the chance to score some Zara of their very own. Warning, once you try it you will not be able to resist it in the future- be ready to fall in love!

Here's the deal. Leave a comment on our blog (only one per person, please!) and tell us what you would make with 5 balls of the lovely Zara if you were a winner. The contest will close on Wednesday, November 9th at 6pm PST. We will pick and announce our 2 winners on Thursday.

Until then, if you'd like to find out more about Zara, Stacy or Tahki Stacy Charles, be sure to check them out here:

Facebook
Twitter
Newsletter- This is a monthly e-newsletter packed with the latest fashion news from the European runways.  Subscribers will receive at least one free pattern (sometimes more) in each issue - great designs with Italian flair.

I can't wait to hear your ideas! Happy Knitting everyone!

Bethany

PS- Did you hear that Beans for Brains is at it again? But we need your help!!
Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!! 

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Springtime Bandit KAL- How to Conquer the Tricky Provisional Cast-on

by : MarinadeDesigns
Happy Wednesday and welcome to week 2 of the Springtime Bandit KAL!  We’ve had a few people on Ravelry discussing the ins and outs of the cast on since it’s a bit of a unique technique.  It’s a provisional cast on and that can be a bit tricky if you haven’t done it before.  I’ve put together a picture tutorial here that I hope will help!
First, you need to chain 4 crochet with some waste yarn.  I like to make sure that this it a big contrast from the actual yarn I’m going to knit with so that I can see it really well.  Also, I like mine to be a bit thicker than the gauge I’m knitting with (bigger loops to work with). :)

After you chain 4, take your knitting needle and your shawl yarn and pick up 2 sts in the back loops of the chain (these aren’t the front loops that form a “v” when you look at them, they're the little bumps on the backside).

Knit 6 rows in garter stitch with the 2 sts you cast on.  I know it seems weird, but it is creating the top ribbing on the edge of the shawl.  You’ll see what I mean when you get there. :)

Now, pick up 3 sts in the little ridges along one side.  This part is really important. There should be 3 little bumps that are easy to knit into.  Also, be very careful that you don’t twist the piece.  This is super easy to do so just double check as you go to make sure that it doesn’t twist on you...that sneaky little bugger. :)

Finally, remove the waste yarn.  You should be able to undo the end of the chain and just pull. It will come out easily.  If it doesn’t, you might have tried the wrong end.  Just do the other one.

Put those last 2 sts on the other end of your needle, and knit them.  You now have 7 sts on the needle and you are ready to start the set up chart!

One quick thing about the chart:  Remember that you start out reading it from right to left and the last stitch on the left is actually the middle stitch.  You must repeat it from the center stitch from left to right.  So basically each chart row you yo-yo.  Your even rows are all the same and are outlined pretty clearly in the pattern.

I hope this helps!  Please let me know if you have any questions!  Also, it’s not too late to join the KAL!  Feel free to join us at any time! Check in on the Ravelry group as well for more support, or e-mail me at: Kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.
Also, Amber, Shevawn and I are heading to the Interweave Knitting Lab this weekend!  I hope to see some of you there!  Please feel free to stop by booths 15 & 16 and show off your KAL WIP!  :)
Happy knitting!
Kristen
Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!! 


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