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Love Cha-Cha, but don't know what to do with it?? Watch this video :)
Wow. When I saw the
Trendsetter Cha-Cha for the first time, I didn't know what to think.
Is it yarn? Is it ribbon? A ladder yarn? And how in the heck am I supposed to knit with it? More importantly, what will it look like once I have knitted with it?
Jeanne answered all of these questions for me in this recently filmed video. She's currently working on a free pattern for the scarf in the video,
but she recommends simply casting on about 10 stitches with a US 10 needle and knitting them the way she describes on the video. The result will be
a super fun, super quick ruffley scarf - a great last minute gift!
- To cast on using the Cha-Cha yarn, weave your knitting needle in and out of every other ladder.
- When you have cast on the desired number of stitches, turn your needle to start knitting.
- Insert your needle into the first stitch, but do not wrap the ribbon yarn around the knitting needle as you usually would. With this yarn, you hook a ladder onto the LH needle and continue finishing the stitch as normal.
- What worked for us was to use every other ladder as you knit.
P.S. We posted up another group of product reviews and instructional videos recently. There are now over 300 videos available on our site for both product reviews and instructional techniques. We hope you enjoy them!
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Eco Cotton Guernsey Bag
Eco Cotton Guernsey Style Bag
Was $55.65 to $63.60
Now $44.52 to $50.88
(20% off!)
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It's time to get ready for Spring! (well, maybe not here in the Sierras where it's supposed to snow for the next 5 days straight, but for the rest of the country, spring is just around the corner).
This bag is the perfect project for those upcoming spring and summer vacations - either to work on or to carry other projects while you're vacationing and enjoying the sunshine and extended sunlight.
And knitting with this super soft cotton yarn is bound to make you feel good... it's a Fair Trade product and is made from 100% organic cotton, so you'll feel good and so will the rest of the world!
(and what exactly is Fair Trade? Check out Wikipedia's explanation of Fair Trade.
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New Beaded Stitch Marker Sets
Girlfriend Stitch Markers :: $24 per set
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Beaded Stitch Markers that have a charm of their own! These markers
are handmade by our very own Victoria.... she's worked with beads for years and even had her own line of jewelry!
What makes these markers special? Other than the fact that victoria makes them, of course...?
Well, each marker is wire wrapped with polymer clay beads (beads/heads of women - same thing!) and Swarovski crystals.
The markers come as a set of 5 in a box with a lid so you won't lose them in your knitting bag! And if the box isn't just cute enough,
I don't know what is. These stitch markers sit on rings that will fit up to a US 9 needle and come with an extra set of rings to fit up to a US 11 needle.
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New Rowan Recycled Yarn
As an environmentally conscious fiber artist, you recycle your cans, use recycled paper, opt for the reusable grocery bags,
and now you can create comfy-cool clothes and accessories with recycled yarn! The Rowan Purelife Revive yarn has just arrived!
This fiber is made from recycled clothing based on its fiber content and then carded and spun into an inventive and texture-tastic yarn!
Also hot off the press is the new
Rowan Magazine #47! Page after page of beautiful spring and summer styles each one more tantalizing than the last.
Drapey cover-ups and summery blouses are followed by vintage inspired designs full of pizzaz. I am personally in project-gridlock and cannot even
begin to prioritize, there are so many spectacular garments to be made!
In addition to this fabulous new yarn, we've also received a number of new colors in existing yarns
(Summer Tweed,
Calmer,
Cotton Glace,
Handknit Cotton,
Lenpur Linen), as well as fantastic new books...
the pics below are just a sampling :)
Spring Blue Sky Alpacas and Spud and Chloe
The Spring patterns are here!! We are now carrying even more original patterns from
Spud and Chloe as well as patterns from
Blue Sky Alpacas and the new
Multi-Cotton yarn!
The Multi-Cotton has the same warm, cottony feel as their Dyed Cotton,
but comes in a stunningly bright array of colors that are
not only titillating to the eye but have fantastic names as well such as "Marmalade", "Gherkin", and my personal favorite, "Slushie"!
Who wouldn't want to wear Slushie? I know I end up wearing one every time I treat myself at the 7-11 down the street --I am not the most
graceful of individuals.
On top of this cheery addition to our stock, we now have the
Blue Sky Alpacas Hop Pattern and
the Spud and Chloe Three Brrr Bears Pattern. In my professional opinion as a lifelong stuffed animal enthusiast both Hop and the Bears rank high on the Incredibly Precious Scale (IPS).
The Bears can be knit up in three sizes (cute, cuter and cutest) and make most excellent cuddle-buddies. Hop is a quiet bunny who shares my passion
for carrots and fashionable sweaters. Knit with the Blue Sky
Hand Spun Organic Cotton and
Skinny Cotton for the sweater,
Hop is a super-soft and loyal friend.
P.s. In addition to the new multi-cotton, we also have received new colors in many existing yarns... and if we don't have a new color up on the website yet, we should be receiving it soon (we have them all on order!).
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Noro Sekku and Taiyo Colors
The new Noro Sekku is in the shop and everyone is going absolutely nuts for this lace weight yarn! It has the super fantastic feel that we have all come to know and love in the Noro line of yarns and the blend of cotton (50%), wool (17%), Nylon (17%) and silk (16%) gives this yarn a spectacular hand for any project. As I write this I have color 1 sitting next to the keyboard and of course it has brown in it, but also a lovely orange, yellow, natural, purple, lime and it makes me want to knit some lace just to see the result. Of course the yardage is very generous at 460 yards and is wound nicely with a cardboard core to make using it a breeze.
Stay tuned for a video review... we'll be filming again shortly.
In addition to the new Sekku, we recently added all the new Noro Taiyo colors to our lineup - and we don't know which color we love best. With 18 colors to choose from, along with the newest 6 colors there is sure to be a color that will work for just about any project you can think of. The newest colors are a joy for the eyes to behold and encompass blues, greens, oranges, rusts, teals, purples with that special touch of rich dark color that make the self striping properties of this yarn really pop! The blend of cotton (40%), silk (30%), wool (15%) make this the perfect choice for your summer sweaters.
Debbie Bliss Eco Baby and Amalfi
Are you ready for your World Civilizations lesson for the day?!? Here goes... Amalfi is a small town on the coast of Italy, just south of Naples. It is surrounded by steep cliffs and beautiful coastal scenery. Between 829 and 1200 AD, the town of Amalfi, used to be the capital of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi and had an important part to play in the trading business of that time. Today it is considered a great tourist spot and recognized as a World Heritage Site.
Know that I know a little history behind the name, I can totally see it in the yarn! The romance, the culture, the Italian summers and European flair (and ice cream!). This yarn is a beautiful blend of cotton, nylon, linen and silk - a lightweight dk yarn that wants to be knit up and taken away on vacation! Feeling adventurous? Amalfi awaits!! (and below are a few projects that might provide inspiration for your adventure.)
Eco Baby yarn is a new addition to the Eco Fair Trade Collection by Debbie Bliss. The philosophy behind the Eco Fair Trade is to help benefit the environment by dyeing colors with non-toxic dyes in recyclable water. The manufacturing process of the yarn also benefits the farmers and their families as they are equal partners with the textile industry in this association. In addition to the Fair Trade aspect of this yarn, the cotton is all grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers and it is all hand picked. I made a blanket with the aran weight version, Eco Cotton yarn, and this is hands down, some of the softest cotton I've ever worked with!
We think you will welcome this dk weight yarn into your own family. A beautiful, soft color palette makes this yarn perfect for babies and children alike as you'll find in the Eco Baby book. But don't worry, there some stylish items for adults too in the Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer 2010 magazine! And some of the projects below are from her newest book, Eco Baby.
Fleece Artist Sea Wool and Merino 2/6
The unbelievable popularity of the Sea Silk and Casbah yarns from Handmaiden/Fleece Artist led us to wonder what their other yarns were like... we had heard of the
Sea Wool and the Merino 2/6, but had never seen them in person... hmmm... what better way to take a look than to order bags of every color in each yarn!
Well, let me tell you - we were not disappointed when these yarns arrived last week. The colors are as beautiful as you'd expect from Handmaiden/Fleece Artist
and the yarn itself is super top quality. We're hooked (and still a bit curious as to what this seawool fiber is all about... if you are too, keep reading!)!
The Sea Wool from Hand Maiden is a 70% Wool 30% Seacell blend. Seacell is a seaweed based fiber that has natural anti-inflammatory properties
which help to protect and nourish your skin. Nourish your skin, you ask? Well, I was skeptical too, but Seacell is structured to
facilitate the exchange of nutrients present in the seaweed and your skin when you wear it.
While this yarn is no substitute for your daily vitamins, it knits up into a sophisticated garment that can't help but make you feel good!
And you certainly can't go wrong with 385 yards per hank (and the merino 2/6 isn't too shabby with 357 yards).
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Rowan Buttons, Mirasol Tupa
Our US distributors will no longer be carrying
Rowan buttons,
so we were able to get a pretty good deal on a few styles and are passing on the savings to you. These buttons are absolutely classic
and although used specifically for projects in the Rowan family of patterns, they are obviously versatile enough to be used for any sort of project!
And at up to 50% off, you might want to stock up on a few different kinds... (below is just a sample)
Save $3.70 per ball on the 50/50 Silk Wool blend that is Mirasol Tupa!
The best of both worlds, this yarn gives you warmth from wool and the drape, sheen and elegance of silk.
It is also a "feel good" yarn: as part of the Mirasol project, you'll feel good helping the children of the
Peruvian alpaca farmers. The garments your customers will make you look and feel great -- which makes this truly a "feel good" yarn!
A delicious DK yarn that can be used for just any project.... and at $6.30 per 137 yard ball of a
50% silk yarn, you can't go wrong.
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Here's a sampling of our handiwork this month... !!
Cha Cha and Malabrigo Scarf | When we first started carrying the Trendsetter Cha Cha yarn Jeanne just had to jump in and play, so she grabbed one hank along with a complimentary hank in the Malabrigo Worsted and poof a scarf was knit! The Cha Cha took a little getting used to working with but once she did it just flew off of her needles and then when it was done she decided to add a button to hold it all together with a little extra style. The pattern is coming soon from 2 Askew Designs. |
Doug's 4 color crocheted beanie | I have been getting back into crochet lately and wanted to make Doug a quick beanie out of the Lana Grossa Meringo in 4 colors and here is the result. I used 2 colors to make a nice striped pattern just by working 2 rows of 1 color and 2 rows of the other. I ran out of the charcoal and navy so grabbed one each of the chocolate and olive to finish it out which is how it turned into a 4 color beanie. Now I can do another one and use 2 other colors for the finish.This yarn is super soft and fulls nicely with the angora blend and now that he has it I am having a hard time getting him to take it off. Of course isn't that we all want for our projects to become someones favorite to wear? |
Huck's Hoot Hat | Jeanne is happy to report that Huck now has his own Spud and Chloe Hoot Hat! I had knit him one just after he was born and it fit Victoria's daughter Alice who I gave it to with the full intention of knitting Huck another one to fit right away, but alas, too many projects. I finally got with it did my gauge which was missing on the first one and here he is wearing his little hat! Awww he is so cute and it fits too! |
Gozo Summer Crochet Poncho | Shevawn is so excited to be crocheting the Gozo poncho out of the new Rowan Summer Crochet. The pattern calls for Rowan Cotton Glace, but with a little help from Sandy she decided to go with the Rowan Cotton Jeans and is swatching it now. This is just the perfect pattern for her as she wears ponchos around here all the time and I can just see her riding her bike around town wearing this beautiful work of crochet art! |
Be Sweet Diagonal Striped Shawl | Jeanne just couldn't stand waiting to make this beautiful, super easy, shawl when we got the yarn into the shop. I am in love with this yarn, the simplicity of the pattern and the fabulous result. I am truly having tons of knitting fun on this one and think I will do the scarf version for my daughter. The yarn is so soft and the boucle texture is just a joy to touch. You do have to be careful not to catch the tip of your needle in the boucle bumps, but once you get the hang of that it's a breeze. Because it is done on a US 11 it is going very quickly in just stockinette stitch, now how much simpler can it get? |
All Wrapped Up | Victoria went a little nuts when we got the Noro Aya yarn in the shop, but I can understand why, as this yarn is so beautiful. She decided to adjust the pattern in the All Wrapped Up series from Vogue Knitting Winter 2009/2010 and wow is all I can say! She is using multiple colors to work up her shawl and as you can see the first color is spectacular. I can't wait to see this project grow up and she says the pattern is a basic lace pattern with only a few rows that require serious concentration. |
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Join us for our open knit night on the 4th Thursday of every month from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. We keep the shop open for any little odds and ends you may need during the evening and we are happy to help you with your knitting questions too. It is a great time to meet other knitters share ideas, tips and techniques. There is a $5.00 cover charge and everyone's money goes into a Gift Certificate for a drawing about half way through the night. Tell all your friends, family, co-workers and you could win the biggest gift certificate ever! See you there!
Did you know that we're on Twitter? We've been slowly ramping up our tweets - and trying to get a feel for the whole twitter phenomenon...
and are finally getting the hang of it! Jeanne is our main twitterer, but all of us have been throwing our 2 cents into the mix. Follow us now - and find out what we're up to, what's new in the shop, and when we're having great sales!
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STITCHES WEST starts in just a few days! We're really excited to be going! Please make sure to come by and see us in Booths 631, 633, 635, 637, 639, 641. We'll be having a super secret and special Lorna's Limited Edition color created specifically for Stitches West. We'll free gifts for purchases over $100 (while supplies last), lots of fantastic yarn, incredible sale items, and much more! Can't wait to see you there...
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One last quick reminder if you have not already used your First Quarter 2010 Jimmy Beans Bucks rewards. They will expire at the end of the month and we want to be sure you use them!
If you didn't earn a reward or aren't familiar with this incredible FREE YARN program take a look now! In a nutshell, if you have a Free JBW account and made purchases last quarter (October 1st - December 31st), you received an account credit equal to 5% of those purchases (with a few rules, of course).
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Please let us know what you think of our newsletter or if you have problems reading it! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? email support@jimmybeanswool.com
And please don't forget to support your LYS. In addition to being an online outlet, we also have a retail location and therefore understand how important it is to be supported by our locals.
We only send the newsletter to people who have requested they be added to the list.
Feel free to update your notification options on our site.
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Jimmy Beans Wool
891 Trademark Drive
Reno, NV 89521
Toll Free in U.S. and Canada (877)529-5648
Phone (775)827-9276
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