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May 2012 Lorna's Laces Limited Edition Release
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Tribute - May Limited Edition Color
This month's LLE color is a "Tribute" to the popular novels and recent movie series, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Several of us at the shop are fans of the series, especially Jeanne, the color master behind this work of art.
The deep, rich purple of the Grand Street Ink color comes out looking almost black, reminding Jeanne of the coal miner's district where Katniss, the main character, is from. The rich golden yellow of Butterscotch is like the glow from embers. Naturally, the vibrant Turquoise represents the mockingjay, an important symbol of hope in the books. | LLE fanclub page on Facebook. Jeanne's shawl, already in the works, shows why. The exquisite color combination creates the sort of bold contrast that is so representative of Jeanne, one of our oldest and most loved beans. And this colorway goes with so many different outfits, whether you want to add a splash of color to the black in your wardrobe, or some contrast to your standard blue jeans, a shawl or some self-striping socks (which is what Casey will be making) out of Tribute will brighten up your wardrobe, without making matching a challenge. Thanks, Jeanne, for your fabulous artistic eye! |
P.S. Speaking of fan-inspired knitting, have you heard about Bigger on the Inside, the Dr. Who inspired Shawl? We will be carrying the exclusive color for this pattern in Lorna's Laces Solemate very soon! Stay tuned! |
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Knitbot Patterns - Sycamore Vest $6.00 | This pattern isn't exactly new, but boy oh boy is it perfect for spring! Use five to eight skeins of the Shepherd Sport on this beauty and you'll have a versatile light layer that will add some color and richness to your wardrobe. And this pattern is so lovely, we're sure you'll want to knit it again and again, in other colors or as gifts for friends. |
Artyarns Ensemble Light Yarn H8 $58.00 | We are so excited to finally carry the new Artyarns Ensemble Light and Ensemble Glitter Light! Nothing compares to the silky smooth softness of 50/50 Cashmere/Silk that feels fabulous on your fingers. We love the tonal qualities of this yarn, whether you choose a variegated colorway, or a semi-solid (available in teals and golds that match this month's LLE!). Want to see this yarn in action? Jeanne recently finished a stunning Sun Catcher Shawl. As awe-inspiring as this looks in photos, let me tell you; this shawl is a show-stopper in person. It had all of us stopping in our tracks to stare. |
Knitter's Pride Cubics Interchangeable Deluxe Needle Set Needles $83.95 | Have you tried cubic needles yet? Their ergonomic design is friendly on the hands AND helps with uniformity in stitches. These interchangeable sets come with US sizes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5 and 11 tips, one 24" cord, one 40" cord and two 32" cords. More needle tips and cords can always be added to your set, but we think this is a pretty fabulous starting point. Need to take cubics for a test run first? Try a set of the fixed circulars, straights or the double points. Knitter's Pride needles are excellent quality, but if you do have any problems, rest assured that we stand behind all needles we sell with our Broken Needle Exchange policy. |
Joel Dewberry Aviary 2 Sparrows Fabric - Cavern $10.50/yd | This fabric by Joel Dewberry is rich with contrast, much like this month's LLE. The birds may be sparrows, but when we see them, we can't help thinking "mockingjay". How cute would this print look in a spring skirt? Maybe wear it with a plain white top and your Knitbot Sweater out of this month's colorway. Looking for more fabrics to match this yarn? Try Handpicked Daisies... and Grace, oh and Turtle Bay! |
Blue Sky Alpacas Pretty Cheep Project Bags Accessories - Turquoise $6.50 | Okay, okay, we couldn't resist one more mockingjay reference. Really, though, these project bags have saved lives. Alright, maybe not lives, but they've certainly saved more than a few projects from the land of terrible tangles. But don't take our word for it. Check out all the excellent reviews from satisfied customers. The super lightweight cotton muslin is surprisingly durable, washable and breathable. Best of all, you can snag bags for all your projects because they're (say it with me) pretty cheep! | |
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| Spring has sprung here in Nevada and we are loving the warmer days! In celebration, I've decided I need to make myself a soft and flowing short sleeved top for summer. In perusing the options, I keep coming back to the Spring Garden Tee, designed by Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. With good fit, timeless style and a delicate edging, this top is flattering on just about any shape! With Be Sweet's luscious and soft Bamboo yarn, this is a delightful and perfect spring knit! And at 20% off, this is definitely the month to snag it! The Bamboo yarn has a fabulous drape that allows the garment to fit to your shape easily while still maintaining a very elegant and light feel. Although bamboo yarn does have a tendency to split, you can avoid that by keeping your stitches a little looser (if you knit tight) or using a sharper tipped needle. For more info on the pattern, Alana discusses the design in greater detail in a blog post, which is definitely worth reading for the photos alone. She gives a lovely close up view of how well the garment fits. Yes, I'm convinced after looking at this pattern again that I must knit it for spring! I think I'll be taking home some Be Sweet Bamboo tonight in the pretty turquoise color! Ssh! Don't tell my hubby! |
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Ruffle yarn is all the rage these days and many light weight scarf projects take an hour or less! If your mom likes Marina Glitz, Flounce Metallic, and Moda Lame, the new Tutu Lame is another shimmery material perfect for a last minute Mother's Day gift! For something altogether different, the new Circulo Tecido Trico comes in a collection of beautiful floral prints and several fierce animal prints, which we brought to our store by popular demand! By the same manufacturer, we've also introduced Circulo Renda Trico Margarida (phew, what a name!). Knit in just the same way as the Tecido Trico, this is a lacey material reminiscent of a doily. | |
If you're interested in trying the lacy ruffle yarns, our customers recommend wrapping it around a page of card stock to loosen it before you knit. Also, our retail beans prefer knitting the Circulo yarns through every two-to-three holes for a less dense, more delicate look. For more on how to knit and crochet with different ruffle yarns, keep an eye on our instructional videos page where we will soon be posting a plethora of new how-tos! | Not a ruffle knitter? No worries.
Some of us beans are on a beading spree here at JBW and the Nelkin accessory kits are the perfect way to enter the wonderful world of beading, and make a quick gift for mom! For necklace loving moms, the Rippled Kit or Butin Collar are excellent 60-minute gifts. Knit with basic garter stitch and beads, these aren't just pieces of jewelry; they're art! Also by Nelkin Designs, Butin Earrings are made with bright beads and yarns that will make even the simplest of outfits pop. The Ribband is a wonderful, wrap-around, last minute bracelet that doubles as a necklace. With a four-stitch, two-row repeat, this simple accessory is full of sparkle for mothers that shine. |
We have SEW many fabulous sewing projects planned for our own mothers. Casey's first sewing project was Amy Butler's Birdie Sling bag, and it has "Happy Mother's Day" written all over it--figuratively, anyway. She picked three fabrics she loved and created a beautiful bag right out of the gate! It's quite large, so if your mom likes bags with room to spare, this is the bag for her. For a quick sew, Valori Wells has an adorable project bag pattern for the moms looking to store all their knitting WIPs. For moms on the go, try Amy Butler's Laptop Cover & MP3 Case pattern. This pattern is customizable to mom's personal computer. If you're really crafty, you could even adapt this pattern for an iPad case! Oh, the possibilities! |
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Knitter's Pride Steel Crochet Hooks Needles $2.99 | You asked, we listened! We are now carrying smaller crochet hooks for finer lace projects and beading! These Knitter's Pride Steel Crochet hooks come in a range of sizes from .5mm to 1.75mm and feature an ergonomic handle and soft grip for the ultimate hooking comfort. Our beans who love knitting with beads are also excited to see these hooks come in and can't wait to try them out! Use these hooks with the fabulous Nazli Gelin Garden 10 and Garden 10 Metallic crochet threads! Nazli Gelin means "Shy Bride" in Turkish, which speaks to the delicate and beautiful nature of this 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton thread. Need some inspiration? Try the books that go along with this yarn! |
Churchmouse is one of our favorite go-to pattern collections for simple yet beautiful designs. Several of our beans have had the chance to visit the Churchmouse Yarns and Teas shop on Bainbridge Island in Washington State and have returned with wistful tales of how lovely the shop is and how they wish they could move right in. Churchmouse also has a gorgeous pattern line with a growing selection of crochet patterns that range from home accessories to garments. Check out the options below, along with a lovely pattern available in both knit and crochet versions, exclusively for the Stitch Red campaign! For more fabulous modern crochet tips and some fascinating crochet history, we're proud to introduce Crochet Corner with Dora Ohrenstein to our blog. Dora is the crochet expert behind Crochet Insider, her website and newsletter where she posts techniques and and teaches online classes. She is also a fantastic designer, with crochet designs published in a multitude of magazines and her very own book, Custom Crochet Sweaters, featuring tips on how to create crochet garments that fit your shape. We are so excited to welcome her to our blog where she'll be posting all kinds of interesting crochet related stories, essays, and articles every other Friday!
P.S. we've been slowly bulking up our crochet book and magazine collection, and we're excited to announce that you can now pre-order your copy of the new Vogue Knitting special CROCHET edition for May, which includes a section featuring Dora Ohrenstein! | Vogue Knitting International Magazine Books - '12 Crochet Special Edition (Pre-Order!!) $6.99 |
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With names inspired by our college days, like Thesis and All Nighter, the thick and thin wool, alpaca, and acrylic blend of Berroco Campus will make for cozy garments and felted bags! The twists of color and nature of this fiber blend, lends itself to great textural appeal of even the simplest garments. Conversely, Filatura Di Crosa Alpaca is a super soft option fo can't pass up a fingering weight, merino wool and alpaca blend that boasts 220 yards at such a great price! We have to say we just love the 90% cotton, 10% nylon fiber blend of Crystal Palace Cotton Twirl. Now 30% off, this yarn feels great between our fingers and makes for great baby projects. A worsted weight, machine washable cotton, Cotton Twirl was made for the upcoming baby showers we have scheduled. Yet another great worsted weight yarn is Fibre Natura Sensational, a superwash merino wool with a wide variety of colors that we just adore! Thinking of perfecting your color work skills? This is a great opportunity to stock up on colors to keep in your stash for the day you pick up fair-isle knitting! Are you a Louisa Harding fan? Well, now is the time to stock up on Albero and Fleuris! Sink your hands into the smooth cotton feel of Louisa Harding's Albero. At 32% off, this worsted weight yarn would lend itself nicely to Grace Akhrem's Maid Marian hat. The sheen from the fiber blend would add an additional sparkle to an already delicate design. A heavy worsted, bamboo and wool blend, Fleuris would be the perfect addition to your stash, for those last minute gifts that sneak up on you.
As an extra special treat (because we like you), we have just received MORE Tosh Merino Light Onesies, just in time for the start of the MadMay Madelinetosh extravaganza! |
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Leanne is one of our head "Purchasing Beans" and is responsible for deciding all of the yarns that we are going to carry each season. Most of us envy her because she gets to see all of the new yarns before we do when she meets with all of our lovely yarn representatives! Such a fun job, right? Other fun facts about Leanne: she was a scholarship runner in college, is an amazing musician, has a dual BA in French and Economic Policy, she LOVES ruffle yarn with a burning passion, and she is one of the most cheerful people you will ever meet! Sadly, Leanne is leaving us in Reno to move to LA soon, but she'll still be doing all kinds of fun purchasing duties from her new home in sunny Southern California! We hope she has a big enough house that we can all come and visit her and knit on the beach! | |
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There are many ways to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at Jimmy Beans Wool!
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Jimmy Beans Wool
4850 Joule St. Ste A1
Reno, NV 89502
Toll Free (877)JBW-KNIT (529-5648)
Phone (775)827-9276
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