March 2012 Lorna's Laces Limited Edition Release

(Available in Shepherd Sock, Baby Me Boo, Shepherd Sport, Shepherd Worsted, Helen's Lace, Solemate, Honor, and Lion and Lamb!)

This is my first LLE color and I know it should be called "St. Patty's Parade" or something appropriate for the holiday or the first day of spring, but I had to give credit where credit is due and the inspiration for this month's colorway actually came from sea turtles.

I've had an affinity for sea turtles for a long time and it's not just because they are graceful and beautiful, or because of the fascinating science behind their navigation skills. From the start of their lives, sea turtles are models for perseverance. They are born on land, in an environment they are not built for, and have to struggle through predators and heat to make it to the ocean where they belong. Once there, it takes years of drifting and hiding among seaweed for them to grow big enough and strong enough to venture out, where they suddenly find a whole ocean of possibilities.

I think we all have our times when we feel out of place and our dreams seem unreachable. I honestly believe that without those struggles we wouldn't be able to fully appreciate the sense of belonging and fulfillment we get when we do finally find our niches.

In reality, sea turtles come in a wide range of colors, but when I picture one swimming through the oceans, I picture the shades of deep seaweed, bright grassy green, light sage and shadowy black featured in this month's colorway. I love the richness, the variation and the way the colors blend with one another, fluid like the ocean itself.

I truly enjoyed coming up with this colorway. I hope you find it inspiring. :) -Tiffany

The newest addition to the Jimmy Beans Wool family is Knit Collage yarns! Knit Collage's unique, hand spun yarns are like nothing else you've ever seen. Creative Director Amy Small dreamed up these amazing yarns after learning to spin at a workshop back in 2006. Now, six years later, her creations are being made by hand by a small group of 36 women at the Knit Collage studio in Punjab, India. Amy and her Knit Collage team create their yarns in hopes of inspiring creativity in knitters, crocheters and crafters around the world!

We are now carrying four of Knit Collage's stunning yarns. Gypsy Garden is a blend of 75% wool and 25% mohair and adorned with whimsical silk and felt flowers for a fun texture. Rolling Stone's similar blend adds in a small amount of a metallic called "Angellina Sparkle" for just a hint of shimmer. Pixie Dust is the subtly sparkling cousin of these other two yarns with the addition of camel fiber. Stargazer Silk and Sequins is 100% silk spun with brass sequins. All of Knit Collage's yarns are some of the most beautiful and unique we've ever seen. If you are anxious to try this yarn but need some pattern ideas, be sure to check out our Knit Collage Kits featuring free patterns from the Knit Collage Website!

Looking for more fun, textured yarns like these ones from Knit Collage? Check these out!

For the fabulous texture you get from thick and thin yarn, Tahki's new Rosa is a dream come true. Wonderfully soft to the touch, this heavy worsted weight yarn is surprisingly lightweight and comes in a range of colors that remind us of a beach retreat. Use it on knits that include a lot of simple stitches, like the Valentine Vest or the Cap Sleeve Wrap Cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple and watch these patterns come to life with texture!

While Rosa adds great texture, Tahki's Soft Cotton adds incredible stitch definition. This super soft, worsted weight cotton yarn is strong, durable and great for any number of soft spring knits. It's ideal for baby knits like Molly's Blanket or the Little Girls Top Down Dress. It's also perfect for spring tanks and vests, like the Soft Cotton Brass Buttons Vest

In addition to their newest yarns, Tahki also has plenty of classics that are great for spring. Tahki's Coast, for example, is a lovely wool/cotton blend that now comes in several new colors! Cotton Classic and its new Lite version represent machine-washable mercerized cotton at its best, with a wide range of over 60 colors. And nothing says spring like the light, airy Ripple with its almost ribbon-like quality!

Check out the new Collage spring collection from Tahki along with all our latest Tahki Kits and get started on your spring knitting! Are you a local? Stop by our shop to check out the Tahki Spring Trunk Show that just arrived for knitspiration!

Seamless sweater design is becoming increasingly popular in the knitting community and it's easy to see why! There is a certain appeal to casting off your final stitches and having nothing left to do but weave in your ends and block your garment. At JBW, many of us are big fans of this method and have knit sweater after sweater by top down designers. Here are some of our favorite designers.

Designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, Winged Knits' charming style and simple construction make these patterns classics! Each design features something to make it unique without being too complicated to execute. The patterns featured above are some of our favorites!

Hannah Fettig's Knitbot designs are uniquely constructed and universally flattering! With flow and drape, these designs are pieces you'll want to wear daily because of their versatility. Our favorite Knitbot patterns include the ones featured below.

Knitting Pure and Simple patterns, designed by Diane Soucy, are known for being the most basic and well fitting knitting patterns out there. Diane's no-frills designs allow the knitter to be the designer and add in their own touches where desired. Although it's difficult to choose from her selection of over 100 designs for men, women, and children, here's a very small sampling of our favorites:

For all of you crocheters out there, the seamless revolution doesn't stop with knitting, at least one designer is ahead of the game! Seamless Crochet by Kristin Omdahl is a wonderful step in that direction. With seamless designs for all types of garments, Kristen's patterns are ornate, beautiful, and best of all, no seaming! For more info, check out our recent blog interview with Kristin about Seamless Crochet.

If you haven't snapped up any of the Madelinetosh Onesies yet, you are missing out! This little gems are Madelinetosh's amazing yarn bases that were not quite right when they came out of the dye vats. Don't let the dye job fool you, these skeins are some of the most beautiful and unique that we've ever seen! Make sure to keep checking the site as they just keep arriving! We also just got a big shipment of Tosh Chunky Onesies, so take a look at these for those fun winter projects!

Trendsetter is one of the leading companies in novelty yarns, and these fun sale lines are no exception! Now available at an amazing discount, Trendsetter Euforia and Cherie are great inspiration for your next work of knitted art! Euforia, a bulky yarn with a boucle textured base, is perfect for scarves, hats and much more with its randomly placed lash pieces for added texture. Cherie is a glittering ribbon yarn that features beautiful variegated colors in a lightweight cotton, perfect for summer tops and accessories.

Cascade Pastaza has long been a staple in many a yarn stash. This 50% Wool, 50% Llama blend Heavy Worsted weight yarn is perfect for projects from sweaters and accessories to felting. Available on sale in some truly gorgeous colors, this yarn is a great pick for starting your next project or just for padding your stash. Either way, you'll love how this sturdy single ply looks and feels!