A comment on my last blog post suggested that I post some patterns using silk.  This is such a wonderful idea that I can't let it go by without doing so!  So here are a few patterns that I think would look great in some of our silk and silk blend yarns.

Let's start with patterns for our 100% silk yarns!

Debbie Bliss Luxury Silk DK (solids) and Silk Print (variegated) are 100% bombyx silk spun into two soft, thick plies.  The softly spun and plied construction of this yarn gives it a truly luxurious feel, like warm butter!


As a quick aside, many people ask me what DK means, it stands for double knit.  On the thickness scale it is a #3, just a bit thinner than worsted (#4) yarn.  I always think of it as about 5 stitches to the inch on a US #6 needle.  The range is more like 5 to 5.5 stitches per inch on a US #5 - #7 needle.

Use this yarn when you want soft drape, higher sheen, and traditional knitted or crocheted look.  This yarn will give soft to medium stitch definition in cables and some elasticity to ribbing.

Debbie Bliss has a book devoted to patterns for this particular yarn, Luxury Silk DK.  We've put together a few kits on our website from this book, you can see them here through our Debbie Bliss Luxury Silk search.

In addition to these kits I we have several individual patterns that would work wonderfully with this yarn.  Knitting Pure & Simple Top Down V Neck Pullover #1303, Neckdown scoop Neck T-Shirt #283, and Basic Shell #997 are all great, simple knits that would let the yarn really shine but are also simple enough that an adventurous knitter could add the lace and/or a cable pattern of their own.

Knitting Pure & Simple #1303

Artyarns also makes a 100% silk yarn called Regal Silk.  This is also a DK weight spun up into a single ply. We have put together a kit for this one too Regal Silk Jewel Kit.  Use this yarn for similar effects as the Luxury Silk but it will have less elasticity and may pill some due to being a single strand, there is less twist to hold the fibers in place.  On the other hand it will block beautifully, maintaining an open work lace pattern.
lovely single strand yarn then hand dyed in one of the gorgeous colorways that Artyarns is so well known for creating. Wendy Bernard designed a fun and easy sleeveless top in Regal Silk that was published in her awesome book, Custom Knits.

Shibui Heichi is probably my favorite of our pure silk yarns.  I tend to like an odd combination of rustic and delicate, the raw silk and silk noil tweed of Heichi fits the bill nicely.  In fact the word heichi we're told means "juxtaposition" in Japanese. This yarn has a rougher texture than Luxury Silk or Regal Silk and a drape more like linen. These two facts allows Heichi to be substituted in many patterns written for worsted weight linen, rayon or some of the cottons that have more drape.

Heichi lends itself to being knit up loosely as a sheer over-top or at a more conventional stitch gauge for sweaters and tops.  Cocoknits pattern Anna was written for Heichi.  This one is near the top of my knitting queue.  It's a sideways, seamless knit with an asymmetrical hemline. Beyond basic knitting skills you only need to know a provisional cast on and how to kitchener.  This would be a fabulous quick summer knit!


Shibui has patterns that use Heichi held double with Shibui Silk Cloud to give the projects a nice soft halo and to add shine.  Shibui Mix 1 is an elegant classic, wide, crew neck pullover and Shibui Mix 5 is a seamless, lightweight cardigan with 3/4 sleeves, done in garter stitch with some short row shaping.  Both are excellent summer projects that can be worn from spring through fall.

And to not leave crocheters out of the picture, you can follow the same guidelines for substituting yarns.  When you want more drape and less spring silk is a perfect choice. For softer textures use the Luxury Silk or Regal Silk.  For firmer textures and better structure choose Heichi. There are many great patterns available!  Ravelry.com is a great place to find them.  Here is a search I did for you Crochet Sweater & Tops in silk, linen or rayon - dk & worsted weight.  If you've never used Ravelry before, please check it out.  I can't recommend it highly enough as a pattern resource!

I hope this has given you some ideas, if you need more ideas or help please don't hesitate to contact us! Call us on our toll free number 877- 529-5648 or email your questions to us at info (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com or askTerry (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com.

Terry

Hello everyone!  I hope you've all been well these past few weeks!  You may have noticed the absence of FO Fridays and WIP Weekends for the past two weeks, and no, I haven't been shirking my blog responsibilities.  I have a really good reason.  I swear!

Yep, definitely broken.

April 1st was my birthday...Happy Birthday to me!  I made plans with some friends that included my favorite pizza place in Reno followed by roller skating in fabulous 90's attire.  All was going well that evening until I decided to take a spill on the rink.  I blame it on the rental skates. Yeah, that's it, the skates! I broke my wrist.  To the tune of needing surgery (a metal plate and 9 screws) to fix!  Yikes!

Here's me in the ER looking awesome in my shiny Blue Dress!

Although the break was kind of painful, I managed to stay in good humor at the emergency room cracking jokes with the nurses and doctors.  I mean, come on, dressed the way I was, a grown woman with a Roller Skating injury like that?  It WAS pretty comical.  Anyway, at least I can laugh at myself, right?

So I have spent the last few weeks recovering and sleeping a ton! Who knew that building new bones in your body uses a LOT of energy? I had surgery last Monday and since then I have been able to knit in small increments at the recommendation of my orthopedic surgeon.  He said it would help speed up my recovery. Hurray for some good news!

From the Purl Bee

Tosh Merino Light

I started out knitting with some mohair and I don't know what I was thinking!  It was a little too tough to manage when you don't have much of a grip.  I broke my right wrist which is my dominant side.  Luckily I am a continental knitter or I might be having a tougher time of it.  I decided to start off with some simple garter stitch so I began working on this adorable baby blanket which is a free pattern from the lovely folks over at Purl Soho.
It's called the Super Easy Baby Blanket and it's a free pattern on the Purl Bee Blog.  I chose to do mine in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light so I adjusted the pattern for a smaller gauge.  I cast on 200 sts on a US size 5 needle and I'm really excited about the colors.  Shown here in order from left I have: Espadrilles, Milk, Olivia, Clover, Kelp and Kale.  I am undecided on the 7th color but I figure I don't really need to decide that right now.  I don't actually have anyone to knit this for at the moment, but it's a lovely little project as all that garter stitch makes my hands, wrist, and fingers very happy! (I'm thinking about knitting it for Bethany, because she is so Awesome.)

Top Down Swing Pullover

"Royal Wedding"

Somehow, in all of this bone-breaking craziness, I managed to score eight skeins of Lorna's Lace's Green Line Worsted in the "Royal Wedding" color which was the Limited Edition for this month.  Although I'm not really into all of the hullaballoo surrounding the actual Royal Wedding, I was completely drawn in by the lovely shades of blue in this color.  I knew immediately that it would be perfect for the new Knitting Pure and Simple pattern I recently purchased!  So this morning I cast on from the ball I hand-wound last night while watching an encore of the first episode "A Game of Thrones" on (my hubby is an uber-Fantasy nerd.)  The pattern is Knitting Pure and Simple #115, Top Down Swing Pullover.  It's a cute, 3/4 sleeve, tunic length sweater that has a bit of drape to it.  I really like it and I think it's going to be pretty in this yarn.

So I hope this helps to explain my absence here.  Next week I get to have my post-surgery splint taken off and will have a removable brace that should allow me even more mobility.  I can't wait!  There has been all kinds of knitting going on at the shop, so I'll be back next Friday with a real FO/WIP post. If any of you have experienced something similar to my injury and have any wisdom to impart for the recovery process, please feel free to share!  I welcome any and all suggestions!

Happy knitting!

Kristen

PS.  Are you receiving our twice-monthly newsletters yet?  If not, they are a great way to find out about Limited Edition Lorna's Laces colors, sales, new items, and all kinds of other fun stuff.  Read through past newsletters and sign up to receive future ones here.

        

I don't know about you, but I am still having problems writing the date... I just can't believe it is already 2011! This is my second January at JBW and it never ceases to amaze me just how much new yarn is out there, not to mention all those yarns that have yet to be created! You'd think I'd know better by now, right? Case in point, we're starting to get the latest Berroco yarns (so new they aren't even on the Berroco website yet!), and these might just be some of my favoritest fibers of the New Year!

Vintage DK 2177

First up is a new version of a Berroco classic: Vintage DK. I ended up knitting a hat with the worsted weight original, Vintage, and fell in love. This ludicrously affordable yarn gives you everything from machine washability to cuddley softness to a gorgeous spectrum of colors... seriously Vintage has it all. And now that Vintage DK has entered the scene, you can enjoy the versatility of of the Vintage family for your lighter weight projects!
What DK weight projects you ask? Why, the ones in Berroco Pattern Booklet 308 - Vintage DK and Vintage of course! Berroco, being the awesome company that they are, always anticipates your burning desire to work with their new fibers and provide superb pattern booklets to accompany all of their yarns. Full of trendy, wearable knits that cater to a wide range of ability levels, these booklets are a great place to start if you are in search of some knitspiration! Needless to say, #308 is brimming with stylish knits including, but not limited to an adorable top, delightful sweaters and a snazzy cap!

Glint 2953

For those of you looking for something a little more glam, Berroco has you covered with Glint! This light, worsted weight fiber consists of shimmery metallic filament encased in delicately woven strands of a soft cotton and nylon blend. Perfect for knit and crochet fashionistas, Glint has a beautiful drape and comes in a sumptuous array of classic solid colors. Don't forget to check out the Glint Pattern Booklet, #306 which has plenty of project ranging from casual chic to glitzy elegance!

If you're still hungry for Berroco, stay tuned as we'll be receiving even more in the near future!!

It is wise to use stitch markers!

Ok, so enough Berroco (for now). On to those handy-dandy accessories/necessities: stitch markers! Victoria S, a.k.a. the Queen of Crafty, has added the Power Animal Packs to her collection of darling handmade beaded stitch markers. Available in sets of 3, these ultra-cutesy notions are the perfect way to add a bit of serenity and extra [insert power here] to your knitting. Whether you hope to infuse more Love (Panda) into a project, or strive to relax and enjoy your knitting with Contentment (Kitty) the power animal stitch markers are a great reminder to have Fun (Monkey) with your knitting!

Also on the Newness Front: 4 spectacular patterns from Knitting Pure And Simple! I'm partial to the Children's Mukluk Slippers, though my feet are far too large... sigh. These adorable boot-like slippers knit up in no time with bulky weight yarn to keep your favorite little toesies nice and warm! If their feet are already taken care of, consider the Children's Bulky Top-Down Pullover and/or the Children's Henley Top-Down Pullover to maintain their upper body warmth! Both of these cozy sweaters are easy-to-knit and perfect for days spent playing in the snow. If you're in New England preparing for the Nor'easter (a snowstorm of epic proportions), all three of these patterns are great garments for an after-storm snow party (and you can knit them in the mean time)! Ok, so I know it is too late now to get started on these delightful designs if you're on the verge of being snowed-in, but I'm fairly certain there will be more storms to come ;) Of course the fashion-fun isn't limited to kids; we've got the New Neck-Down Pullover for us grown-ups as well! A variation of the popular Neck-Down Pullover, this sweater is more fitted with a simple, classic design that is easy to dress up for work or wear about the house on a lazy weekend!

Until next week, happy knitting and crocheting!
Leanne :)

I have been having a hard time finishing some of my WIP's (works in progress) and well I have some patterns that I have deadlines on, ummm come on Jeanne!! I finally sat down and did a basic list of my WIP's and came up with 15 so far and I say so far because I remembered one that I had left off the list, so I am pretty sure that as I get more and more honest with myself I will have to add to the list.

1 & 2. I have 2 TOP SECRET projects that are at the top of the list, so if I tell you about them I will have to kill you, ha ha!

3. I have my Shoal Water Shawl which if I would just suck it up and move along is really close. Blush the project log isn't up to date (that's my job) in this picture as I am a bit further.

4. My China Vest from Folk Vests...again really great progress! This one isn't even on the project log ugh!

5. A pair of my Bubble Socks out of Lorna's Laces sport weight for my daughter. This one isn't on the log yet, but in my defense I have modified the pattern, so have been reluctant to put it up. I know, I know that's a weak defense, but it's the best I've got!

6. My Knitting Pure and Simple sweater #294...which is even further along than in this project log post.

7. I have started (well am really on the second half of) the Dawn shawl from the book by Grace Ann Farrow, The fine Line, out of Isager Wool 1. This one isn't on the log yet and I shall have to remedy that ASAP!!!

8. I am making the Court House Steps blanket/throw from Mason Dixon Knitting out of some discontinued stash yarn by Rowan. This one isn't on the log because I am using a discontinued yarn, but I will put it on for you anyway.

9. My Rowan Shetland Cardigan out of Rowan Felted Tweed Aran.

10. My Fiddlehead Mittens which really haven't moved too far since I posted them.

11. Another Cosette Wrap out of Amber's First Kitchen in the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted (not on the project log sheesh!)

12. Another 2 Askew Designs pattern that I can't talk about yet...

13. Repeat line 12 here ha ha!

14. Three Sister Scarf #3 out of Hand Maiden Sea Silk. Phew this one is up to date on the log, b ig sigh of relief!!

15. My Lace Ribbon Scarf which is (thankfully up to date on the project log) and I am using Amber's 1st Kitchen in the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport weight.

So I guess I am using this forum as an WIP intervention for Jeanne HELP!! I am a great starter, but need to finish some of this stuff!

As you may know, Sandy and I are great pals and she has encouraged me with her WIP list to get a little more organized, but what is a knitter to do when there are so many great projects to work on? I do eventually finish some stuff, but have a lot that is unfinished as you can see by my overwhelming list! When I talk to you most of you are in a similar boat (maybe not quite so much water sinking your boat), but so many of you only work on one project at a time. HOW DO YOU DO IT?? I am so easily distracted by all the ideas that I feel like a Magpie chasing all the shinny things for my nest. I chase all the beautiful yarns and patterns for my knitting nest.

Well I guess I better get my needles clicking on one of these things, so for now as always happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

The 1st of April is not only when our Limited Edition color will be available (I happen to know this one is near and dear to Amber's heart), but our 5% Quarterly Rewards will be posted too! It is always exciting when the rewards are up and running, as you have all earned them and I LOVE to help you spend them.

The limited edition color for April really is a neat one and I will be buying mine ASAP! I think
I will get it the sock weight this time, so I can make socks (imagine :). Victoria has also done stitch markers that go right along with this color, so be sure to check those out too! They are called 'Everything Except the Kitchen Sink' and that is a HUGE hint as to the name of our upcoming color. The little tiny snip is just a VERY SMALL taste and I can't say more or I know I will give it all away, hee hee hee!! Our colors are top secret stuff, but I know you are going to love this one for sure!

It is trying to be spring here in Reno and I have been working on doing some spring cleaning of my knitting projects, so this weekend was a finish up weekend. I also worked on turning my compost pile, but I don't think you want to hear about compost, ha ha!

It's supposed to snow on Wednesday down here on the valley floor, so I am thinking of one more spring knitting push and I am going to finish up my Knitting Pure and Simple Summer Cardigan #294.
Imagine finishing projects what's up with that??

I also finished my Never Not Knitting Cosette Wrap out of Malabrigo Worsted yarn and it is sooooooooooo nice!! The pattern is super easy and was a breeze to work up.

I also dove in and finished off my Hydrangea socks, wow is this a trend? Nah it's just a fluke I am sure, so I won't panic, ha ha! I don't want to tarnish my reputation as a multiple project knitter, but I am sure it's just a temporary glitch in my otherwise well known starting and not finishing style of knitting, phew that was close! :)

Well that's it for now, so as always happy knitting and crocheting! Jeanne