Back in August, we had a fun and informative visit from Miguel & Lisa Paz, owners of Misti Alpaca.  We learned how four generations of Miguel's family built Misti Alpaca into the fair trade yarn company we know today.  They shared interesting information about Peru, alpacas, their ranch and the nearby village where women work hand dyeing the lovely yarns with sustainable dyes and special techniques developed by Misti! Their website has an 'about us' section with old family photos, the business history, maps, and even has an alpaca photo gallery if you'd like to see some of the sources of your yarn up close!

While he was here, Miguel agreed to film some video reviews and squeezed in some of this fascinating information!  You can find these reviews on our website under our video reviews link, found near the top of the page. Once on the video reviews page select Misti Alpaca from the manufacturer drop down menu!

You can tell how excited we were for that visit! And now, we are super excited to get finished pieces knit by the women of the village as a trunk show  to show off all the gorgeous Misti Alpaca colors!  If you can't make it into the shop to see the garments in person, here's a peek!

Enjoy! The Retail Team - Gus, JenA, Jill, Matt, & Terry

Chunky in 01 Blue Corn

As we venture further into the 21st century, environmentally friendly or "green" products are becoming more and more common. This of course applies to yarn as well. While there are an increasing number of organic, all natural and recycled fibers out there, it can be difficult to find the right combination of sumptuous texture and color selection in a yarn you actually want to make something out of. Enter Misti Alpacas new Best Of Nature Worsted and Chunky yarns! You can't beat the certified organic 100% alpaca for softness and warmth, and each splendiferous color is dyed using the most environmentally responsible pigmentation processes!

Worsted in 04 Colorado

Each color is derived from the naturally occurring hues of plants and minerals. Both the chunky and worsted weight yarns are dyed using Misti Alpacas's signature hand painting process which results in subtly variegated solid colorways that bring out the highs and lows of each understated hue. My favorite part? Well, aside from the fact that I am seriously in love with the finger-pleasing softness of anything Misti Alpaca, I find it fascinating that the colors can vary based on when and where the naturally occurring dye bases are collected. For instance, blue corn from July could result in a slightly different blue than blue corn harvested at the end of September. Colors will basically stay true to what you see on our website or in person, but as with any hand dyed yarn there will be small variations between dye lots. Isn't that just the coolest?!

6580 Tanzanile

Also new to our ever-growing stock of most excellent yarn is Regia Lace! Soft and easy to care for, Regia Lace is available in a myriad of bright, self-striping colorways. Perfect for sophisticated shawls and sheer, trendy apparel, this wool and polyamide blend is soft and fun to work with. At just $15 per 100g ball (that's over 650 yards of eye-catching yumminess!) Regia Lace is an affordable way to get your lacework fix as the weather slowly warms up!

"Leanne! Crochet me!"

Speaking of warm weather, we could really use some here in Reno right now! I woke up to snowy rain this morning instead of sunshine. :( Thankfully we have the Spring 2011 issue of Interweave Crochet to inspire summery thoughts of the sunny days to come! Page after page of lacy shawls and tops in cheery pastels make this collection of timeless crochet designs the perfect place to get started with next season's projects! My crochet hook is telling me I should really think about abandoning my cirulars and start working on the Chamomile Cardigan.

Mmm, interchangeables!

Unfortunately I might just have to ignore my crochet hook because I have had an eye on the Clover Takumi Interchangeable Circular Set ever since they arrived. I am a big fan of bamboo needles, not only because they are lightweight and a little softer to hold than metal needles, but the tend to grip yarn a little better than metal. I have a propensity to drop stitches so I am often thankful for that minuscule bit of extra friction! Clovers are always my go-to needles for anything, and as my circular collection is continually expanding now seems like a great time go invest in a quality set of interchangeables. The Takumi set includes 12 finely crafted tip sizes US 3 through 15 and five of the most popular cord lengths! Tips and cords also come in a luxury case for easy organization and portability. The transition between tip and cord is smooth and snag-free with a snug connection that won't unexpectedly detach! Sorry crochet hook, things aren't looking so good for you...

Happy crocheting and knitting!

Leanne :)

Another week, another roomful of new yarn, accessories and more! Of course Sandy Clause, December's Limited Edition Color is here! On top of offering this color in the traditional spectrum of Lorna's yarns, we also have a small quantity of the luxurious Baby Me Boo from Misiti Alpaca dyed in this vibrant colorway. Just one hank is great for a pair of festive fingerless mits or plush cowl. Also here for the holidays are Limited Edition tubs of Heel featuring Sandy Clause! This all-natural foot cream smooths and moisturizes feet, which is a definite plus during these cold, dry winter months. And with a name like Sandy Clause it seems almost wrong not to gift a tub along with a pair of hand knit socks or as a clever stocking stuffer!

Another excellent stocking stuffer or gift for your favorite knitting pals are the new Ewe Cuties Beaded Stitch Markers from Victoria S! These ultra-adorable glass bead sheep stitch markers come in sets of three and are sure to bring a smile to any knitter's face :) If you love the Cuties, be sure to check out the Holiday Snowmen and Holiday Chicks for Christmas-themed cuteness!

I harbor a (not so) secret addiction to knitting magazines, so I would be remiss not to to highlight the latest Winter Issue of Interweave Knits! Full of knitting articles and fabulous patterns, I've flipped through this magazine over a dozen times and still pick it up every time I walk by. This particular issue has several knee-high sock designs I am just dying to try! Of course there are also a ton of spectacular hat, scarf and glove patterns, as well as some fantastic pullovers and cardigans! If you're searching for some stylish winter knitting inspiration, the Winter Interweave Knits has you covered!

As you know, Koigu's KPPPM is finally here in 120 one-of-a-kind colorways! If you're just waiting for your killer design to be picked for the giveaway (see post below!) but jonesing to work with this gorgeous yarn in the mean time -or you just need an excuse to work with a couple hanks- consider Barb's Koigu Ruffle! One of our most popular patterns from Churchmouse, this exotic ruffle scarf uses just two hanks of KPPPM. While it makes a great gift, you may have a hard time parting with such a striking scarf :)

Have a wonderful week and happy knitting!
Leanne

Oh my goodness you all posted, tweeted, retweeted and just generally got so excited that I was jealous I had to watch from the side lines!! Your comments were great and your enthusiasm was unsurpassed!! I realize that the prize of 6 luscious hanks of our exclusive Landscape Collection yarn from Misti Alpaca in the winners choice of color...ooohhhh soooooo soft was a great motivator, but you all really got into the spirit of things and had a great time! We all had a great time watching along with you!

So I bet you are sitting at your computer reading this post and wanting to poke me with US 36 needles since I am dragging things out...hmmm maybe I won't tell you who the winner is until tomorrow? Ha ha I am a real stinker I know, but I have to have my fun too!!

I really enjoyed Debbie's guest blog and her love of knitting really showed; it gave me goose bumps! We are going to be featuring regular guest bloggers on Tuesday's and of course our regular posts have been ramped up for your reading pleasure! Debbie thank you so much for your post and for your beautiful winning entry in our Landscape Collection pattern contest!

On Wednesday's Leanne is looking at all the new products she has been entering into our system and highlighting some of her favorites. Leanne moved back to Boise Idaho a while ago, but luckily has been able to do her work for us in cyber space and boy I am one happy bean about that!! She is coming to Reno for a visit on December 15th and I know we are all excited to see her in person again!

On Friday's Kristen (who is an amazing knitter/designer and fantastic gal to know) highlights all our FO's and WIP's for the weekend! Her excitement for knitting and all of our projects shines through with every word and I can't wait to read about what we are all working on!

Of course Monday's are my posts and I have been given free reign to write about what fancies me, so watch out because I can get a little bit silly if I do say so myself! If you ever have something specific you would like me to write about please don't hesitate to let me know, as I love the hear what's on your mind and your suggestions are ALWAYS brilliant! Keep 'em coming!!

If you want to know when we have posted something new you can scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe (look in the left hand corner) to get notices of our posts if you like! I have quite a few blogs I like to follow and this really helps me keep track of new posts, so I don't miss anything exciting!

You can also 'LIKE' us on Facebook and get little tidbits there everyday!

Okay just in case you are heading to the shop now with those US 36 needles in hand to give me a poke let's get to the heart of today's post and THE WINNER IS...post # 156 There is a Girl That Never Goes Out!!!! CONGRATULATIONS and you can claim your prize by sending us an email (info@jimmybeanswool.com) with your color choice and your shipping information (please include a phone number just in case) and way to go!! Please claim your prize in the next 48 hours, so we can get it off to you!! Don't forget to let us know what you make with your prize if you send us project details along with pictures we will feature you on our project log!

Thanks to all of you who participated in this fun giveaway and keep your eyes peeled as we will be doing more giveaway's!!

As always happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

Do Something Creative Every Day

Those five words are on the wall above my desk reminding me that there’s more to life than groceries and laundry. Cross stitch, sewing, scrapbooking, stamping. These are just a few of the creative hobbies I’ve had and amazingly each of them prepared me for knitting. Cross stitch taught me to have an even tension, sewing an understanding of garment construction; scrapbooking and stamping introduced me to creating my own pleasing visual design with color, texture and placement. I’ve sold my stamps, have a cross stitch piece that’s been hibernating for years and my sewing machine is buried in the basement doomed to begrudgingly make its annual appearance when I can’t come up with a way to avoid it. Scrapbooking-I still scrapbook but it’s all digital today. No fuss, no muss and there are always enough “S” stickers!

In 2003, at the urging of a couple of friends I took the required private lesson and first six week class. I came home from my private lesson able to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off and I was in heaven. I immediately fell needle, yarn and marker for knitting. I just couldn’t put my needles down. My kids quickly tired of me saying, " just let me finish this row".

Fast forward to 2010 and a simple email from a friend: March looks like a long month at school, want to plan a play date? She wanted to take me to visit a yarn store where her good friend worked. Who could resist such an invitation? At Close Knit Knittery (sadly now closed) I met Teri, friend of my friend Deb, and Shari, the store owner. Teri had started designing and knitting felted messenger bags and I was duly impressed and inspired. A couple of years before I had purchased a similar garment to Fall Wrapped Up at a local outlet and I’d had nothing but complements. I searched the internet to no avail, I could not find a pattern for a wrap like the one I so adored. So now with a little inspiration from Teri, and encouragement from Deb, I set off to figure this darn thing out.

The trip to Close Knit Knittery inspired something else: the desire to knit in community. All these years I’d primarily knit at home, in the car (with my husband driving) at dance competitions and soccer tournaments and even a time or two on the beach, but never with other knitters. That same afternoon, I came home and searched for local knitting groups and to my surprise there was a group meeting that night at a coffee shop just a few miles from home and I got up the courage to go. There were just three of us that night but I felt welcomed and immediately enjoyed the company of these other ladies who loved yarn as much as I did and returned regularly through the spring and early summer.

After completing a project with a deadline I immersed myself in developing this pattern. This took some collaboration with some people on Ravelry, reading about various techniques and editing and reediting a chart on Excel. As soon as there was something on paper that seemed like it would work, I cast on. And frogged and cast on again. Thankfully, like childbirth the pain of these false starts faded quickly. My new friends at the coffee shop urged me to submit the pattern on Ravelry or Knitty.com and I started looking into it, downloading a template and reformatting it.

So how does someone from North Carolina come to be a fan of Jimmy Beans Wool? A native Californian, I’ve loved Jimmy Beans Wool since I visited their Truckee, California store with my mom shortly after I started knitting and both of us grieved its loss though a highlight of our last family visit to the Lake Tahoe area was a road trip to Reno to visit the original JBW in person.

About the time I was trying to figure out how to market my pattern, Jimmy Beans sent their June newsletter announcing the Landscape Collection pattern contest. When I saw that announcement, I just knew that this was the venue for my debut pattern so I sent a picture and description of my original which was a light worsted weight and waited to see what might happen. The timing almost made me wait for another time as there wasn’t much time from the announcement until the schematics were due, and I knew that if I was selected as a finalist I’d lose a lot of knitting time as we were leaving on vacation the day after the finalists were to be announced. But every once in a while you just have to go for broke and see what happens. I’m glad I did. We returned from vacation to a box full of beautiful yarn and after working out gauge and adjusting the pattern for this luxurious chunky alpaca yarn I giddily started knitting.

I have to say that I have been honored to have been chosen as a finalist for JBW’s first pattern contest. I pray that I will not be a one shot wonder but will add other designs that knitters will enjoy. One plug for my pattern, all I can say is that no matter how hard we tried the photos really do not do this garment justice. In this case the thousand words may be worth more than the photo. I hope that knitting this will bring you and whoever wears it much pleasure. May you do something creative every day, too!

Bio: Debbie began knitting in 2003 and began modifying patterns almost immediately. Fall Wrapped Up is Debbie’s first original pattern though there are other designs swirling around inside her head waiting patiently for her to find the time to develop them. Debbie lives on the shores of Lake Norman in North Carolina with her husband and two children on the verge of emptying the nest. A preschool director by day, knitting is her refuge, her therapy and her daily creative outlet.

In honor of Debbie's wonderful pattern (which is available free on the Jimmy Beans Wool website) we are giving away 6 beautiful hanks of the Misti Alpaca Landscape Collection yarn in the color of your choice. Coincidentally, this is just enough to complete Debbie's creative design!

To enter the contest, leave a comment (only one per person!) between now and November 28th at 2 pm PST. Using a random number generator we will pick a post and that person will win the 6 hanks of Landscape Collection yarn. Jeanne will be announcing the winner Monday November 29th here on the blog, so check back in to see if you are the lucky winner!!!

The Goblin is out of the bag! October's Limited Edition Color, Goblin, conjures images of everything from ghoulish goblins to caramel apples, maple trees halfway through autumn and the awesome pair of socks you could be knitting with a hank of Goblin :)

Not only do we have a spectacular color this month, we are also thrilled to announce that Misti Alpaca has hopped onto the Limited Edition band wagon and Lorna's will be dying a small amount of the luxurious Baby Me Boo yarn in the monthly color -starting with Goblin! If you aren't familiar with it, Misti's Baby Me Boo is is a fiber to die for with it's deliciously soft texture and silken sheen! Fun Fact: the cutesy name for this yarn actually comes from it's fiber content! Baby (baby alpaca) Me (merino wool) Boo (bamboo). This gorgeous, loosely spun yarn is guaranteed to go quickly, so be sure to order yours today! Quantities are limited and once its gone, its gone!

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

Leanne :)

So the 1st is Friday and I can't wait to release the LLE (Lorna's Laces Limited Edition) color!! It is sooooooooooo pretty and besides you have all be trying to make my little snip bigger and it won't get any bigger. I am such a stinker :)

Don't forget that the 1st is the end of this quarter, so your rewards will be here too! Wahoo!!

I hope you will all join our LLE Fan Club and I have recently heard that some of you are unable to be on Facebook due to work constraints, but never fear you can sign up via email (which you should all do anyway) and you will be entered into the contests and get any email updates.

Now I have seen and held October's color and I am excited to get mine, but the dilemma I face is which yarn to I want it in? I finally broke down the other day and bought 2 hanks of Robot Overlord in the Honor and this yarn is super amazing!! The blend of Alpaca and Silk takes the dye in a unique way, so this particular lot really made my heart skip a beat. Too many choices to make darn it! Of course it will be available for the 1st time in the Misti Alpaca Baby Me Boo, so maybe I will have to add some of that to my stash...ugh small yarn store at my house!!

Which one of the Lorna's Laces yarns is your favorite?

As always happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

So guess what?? No Elephants can't actually fly contrary to popular belief, ha ha! The Misti Alpaca Baby Me Boo is being dyed in October's color!!! So here is the smallest (way early) of teases for the color way for October...I am just soooooooooo excited for this one to come in and I had to share. Sorry to be so mean!! NOT!! Ha ha! Just know that I have left some really important parts of the color out of the snip.

I am sooooooooo excited as we are almost there with the patterns featuring the new exclusive to JBW Landscape Collection by Misti Alpaca (remember we had a contest and you will be thrilled when you see those patterns too)!! It is super exciting and I just sent my final pictures to the photo lab for processing and they should be done today.

That means that I will have the pattern ready sometime next week and hopefully up on the site for your knitting pleasure! When Laura asked if I would design something for this new yarn line I jumped for joy!!!

Then it came time to take the pictures and that has been an interesting process...I tried a still life composition, it was ok, but just ok wasn't going to cut it for this great yarn!

The sample was knit and designed with little ones in mind (Huck of course) and does include instructions for a larger adult size too, but who should I get to model this one? I had Sara put the hat on and give it a go (my son Chris's girlfriend) and it just didn't quite fit her. Sooooooo in jumps our own littlest bean, Huck, who I had in mind while knitting every stitch on this hat anyway, so why not get him into the mix? Well thanks so much Doug, Laura and of course our sweetie Huck for taking the time to shoot these amazing pics for me...you are the BEST!!!












I can't wait to get the yarn into the shop (it is coming in real soon) and work up the adult version in another color. This one is Pride Rock and I am thinking of making my bigger version in Shipwreck Cove, what do you think?

Here is the picture collage that will grace my pattern, awwww what a doll!!!!

As I was working on this I just kept saying darn it he's cute!! I am in love for sure!!!

As always happy knitting and crocheting!!

Jeanne