 |
| |
September 2012 Newsletter
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
Overwhelming excitement doesn't even come close to describing just how thrilled we are to release our first ever Limited Edition Denise2Go Roll Back To School! These indispensable interchangeable needle sets from Denise made quite the splash when they first hit the market earlier this year. These extremely practical and stylish sets feature six needle tips (sized in the most commonly used range of US 5 - US 10) and three cord lengths (14", 16" and 19") - plus a handy crochet hook! To top it all off, they are housed in a cute, portable cloth case designed by Lorna Miser (founder of Lorna's Laces). The Denise2Go's are perfect for knitting anywhere, anytime! While we love the original D2G, with its flower print on the outside and matching multicolored tips on the inside, we couldn't help but wish there were more options - it's hard not to be inspired by all of the amazing fabric on our shelves! Fortunately, the wonderful people at Denise thought so too. The result? A limited edition Denise2Go set to be released each month for the next six months. At the beginning of each month, we will release a new Denise2go set - in an extremely limited quantity - in a fun fabric combination and matching needle tips/cords. |  |
Our first limited edition set, September's Roll Back To School, was inspired by the back-to-school season and the return of bicycling weather. Whether or not you're still in school, the vintage bicycles of the exterior and whimsical numbers of the interior make for a fun and funky combination that will add some pizzazz to your knitting bag. Grab one while you still can - there were only 50 of these exclusive sets made! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
It's been such an exciting month here at Jimmy Beans Wool and the fun keeps rolling in with onesies, shorties, and seconds!
Our love affair with hand-dyed "seconds" started about three years ago when we received a bunch of Lorna's Laces "Oddball" skeins...and now, after just a few years, our adoration has catapulted to obsession!
Drawing upon this adoration for the deviant black sheeps of the hand dyed world, we're always on the look-out for more! This month, we've received an entire wealth of hand-dyed gems and want to pass the beauty (and savings!) onto you! First up to the plate are the Madelinetosh Prairie Shorties. These aren't "onesies" per say since they are dyed to perfection (meaning they are true to the colorway they're supposed to be)...they are just 50 yards short. Now, to us, fifty yards in a lace weight yarn really doesn't make a huge difference so of course we couldn't help loading ourselves to the teeth with this fabulous yarn!
Next up is a hand-dyed yarn that has always been on my wishlist and is a yarn that you can never feel guilty of just purchasing for stash: Sea Silk Onesies by Hand Maiden. These skeins are a bit mis-dyed so the pictures may not truly represent the actual skein (it's more of a general representation) but we gaurantee they're still as gorgeous! We also received Sea Three Onesies, the worsted weight equivalent to Sea Silk. Grab a skein or two to make a delicious cowl or hat! You will not be disappointed!
Last but not least are "seconds" we received from Knit Collage. Available in Rolling Stone and Pixie Dust, some skeins have too much sari, are too short or thin, and some may just have a bit more knots than usual. I personally think its give them more character, but that's just one gal's opinion. :P
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Based in Petaluma, California, we have been proud to carry Muench Yarns products from the very beginning when we first opened the shop in Truckee. Not only is Muench a wonderful company to work with, Kirstin, the owner, is one of my closest friends and possibly the best person in the entire world. I have traveled to Europe with her twice, visited her wonderful home, and spent time with her at nearly every TNNA for the past ten years. We collaborate often on yarn, kids, life and the whole picture!  | I love introducing people and wanted to take a sec to introduce you to Kirstin! She lives on 6 acres of amazingness which contain a huge veggie garden, chickens and an orchard. Between that, the business, and her 6 year old son, she doesn't have much time for knitting or crocheting (she prefers crochet); however, being in the yarn biz, it is nearly impossible to not have at least one or two projects going - she is usually working on blankets and cowls. When I asked what her favorite yarn is, Kirstin replied, "Almost everything! I'm an equal opportunity yarn lover!" |
Kirstin has been in the yarn business for over 20 years. Muench Yarns was started by Kirstin's mother, Dieta Muench, in 1985 after Kirstin and her brother had flown the coop. A native of Germany, Dieta recognized a lack of designer yarns in the United States that she was used to finding in Europe, so she started distributing them herself! After her mother passed away in 1991, Kirstin took over Muench Yarns, following in her footsteps. Twenty years later, Kirstin knows she has the best job in the world! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Speaking of Kirstin, did you know she's the mastermind behind their best-selling Touch Me yarn? This tried and true yarn has been around since 1991! Of course, Kristen was dying to design something wonderful out of this yarn and so this month's free pattern, the Elegant Velvet Clutch was born! Here is what she has to say about it...
 | With the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to create a cute little clutch to take with me to all of the upcoming festivities. So, I grabbed two balls of Muench's Touch Me in the color Wine Chocolate, matched it to the Gypsy Mum print in Amy Butler's Gypsy Caravan Collection (also in Wine, don't read too much into that theme!) and got to work. The result is an adorable clutch with a simple magnetic closure and charming decorative button. The sumptuously velvet Touch Me paired with artistic fabric prints makes for a winning combo and classic addition to your holiday party wardrobe!
|
Get inspired with some of these other possible combos!
To view, download, and print the pattern, please visit our Free Patterns page. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Did you know Muench not only sends us fabulous yarn (featured below), they are also our Knitter's Pride needles and accessories distributor! Like many of you, we have become addicted to the Cubics, Dreamz and Nova needles. In fact, we recently added more Knitter's Pride needles to our inventory and now carry the full range of Nova metal needles! Novas are expertly crafted from hollow, brass piping and plated with a high quality nickel for the ultimate knitting experience. The slick, polished surface guarantees that stitches slip effortlessly from needle to needle and the finely tapered tips are ideal for knitting any project from complex lace to a warm, bulky afghan. The sturdy Double Points, available in 6" and 8" lengths, are a great choice for sock knitting, especially if you're a tight knitter. For those who long for the familiar "click-click" of metal single points, Nova Straight Needles are quickly becoming a customer favorite! Both Nova DPNs and Straight Needles are available in sets, as well! 
Muench Family Yarn
$4.95 | Family, an ultra-soft acrylic microfiber and nylon blend, is a go-to choice for projects you know are going to be worn, washed, and worn some more. Ideal for baby knits and cozy winter accessories, we've noticed that a lot of people on Ravelry also use Family for stuffed animal projects like Knitting at Knoon's Prehistoric Pals or the "mischievous, loveable toys" in Rebecca Danger's The Big Book of Knitted Monsters. With a spectrum of amazing colors (solid and print) to choose from, it is easy to find just the right shade, or color-combo, to use Family for any project! | 
Muench Big Baby Yarn
$6.90 | Another great yarn that has withstood the test of time is Muench's Big Baby. A plush, ultra bulky, super-soft acrylic yarn, Big Baby comes in a fun palette of solid and self-striping colors. While it is great for baby and kid knits, it also makes cozy hats, blankets (like the Feather and Fan Blanket) and sweaters. Easy to care for and machine washable, this yarn is a great deal at under $7 a ball with 50 yards per 50g skein! | 
Muench Handmade Leather Purse Handles
$54.00 | These leather handles from Muench are absolutely gorgeous! Beautifully crafted from hand dyed leather, these simple yet stylish handles come in six subtly tonal shades ensuring you can find the perfect match for your knit, crochet or fabric bags. Casual, dressy, funky or artistic, these versatile handles give any bag the finishing touch that will make it one of your favorites! |
Muench Touch Me Lux Yarn
$18.95 | As you can see from the several mentions in this newsletter, Muench's Touch Me yarn is a classic and a favorite -it is hard to beat the luscious feel of chenille! And, just when you thought it couldn't get better than the velvety delight that is Touch Me, Muench decides to sprinkle some fairy dust on this magical yarn and voila! Touch Me Lux! This show-stoppin' sparkly version of Touch Me has just the right amount of glitz to step up your sophisticated knits, whether it be Kristen's Elegant Velvet Clutch, the stylish Slouchy Beret, or versatile Cabled Scarf found in Scarf Style. |
Muench Touch Me Red Roses Shrug
From $186.45 to $291.15 | We promise it isn't just us! Everyone loves Touch Me! In fact, Nicky Epstein used this finger-pleasing chenille for her design in Knit Red. The exquisite Red Roses Shrug is the definition of sophistication in eye-catching Bold Red, which also happens to be a Stitch Red product! That means not only are you able to create some stunning knitwear for those social functions and nights out on the town, in addition, a portion of your purchase is donated to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in support of The Heart Truth®. Deceptively simple in design, this shrug is knit on US 8 needles in one rectangle and embellished with decorative roses across the shoulders. Its simple elegance is perfect for keeping warm and in-style as the temperatures begin to drop and winter approaches! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
SSK = Slip 1, slip 1, knit 2 together through the back loop
SSK is a single decrease that slants to the left. It takes more words to describe an SSK than it does movements to accomplish one. There is no one method that is THE right way, however, there are 3 basic ways to accomplish an SSK. Each method makes a subtle difference in how the stitches lie.
1) Standard method: slip the first knitwise, slip the second stitch purlwise, insert the tip of your left needle into the front loops of both the stitches and knit together through the back loop.
2) My preferred method: slip the first stitch knitwise, slip the second stitch knitwise, insert the tip of your left needle into the front loops of both the stitches and knit together through the back loop.
3) The third method: slip both stitches together purlwise, insert the tip of your left needle into the front loops of both the stitches and knit together through the back loop. Can also be worked as k2togtbl (knit 2 together through the back loop)
Experiment! Just consistently use the same method in one project. If you need some visual help, check out Jeanne's instructional SSK video!
If you have any project or fiber related questions, please remember you now have a place to turn! Send your questions to support@JimmyBeansWool.com.
I will be happy to help you! Happy Knitting! Terry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
We have so many wonderful yarns are sale, but here are just a few of our favorites... Lorna's Laces Black Sheep: 50% Off! Lorna's Laces' Black Sheep, a worsted weight wool and viscose blend, features one strand of black yarn that is plied with some of your favorite Lorna's dyed yarn! Here are some of the current most popular colors... Select Amy Butler Fabric on Sale: Starting at 28% Off! If you're looking for some fun fabric to line your Elegant Velvet Clutch with, be sure not to overlook the amazing Amy Butler Fabrics now on sale! Featuring prints from several collections such as Daisy Chain and Midwest Modern, we just love the bright, cheerful colors and unique, artistic designs. Perfect for any project whether it's quilting, home decor, or apparal, Amy Butler's fabrics will be sure to inspire!
Trendsetter Sale Yarns: Starting at 50% Off! Our ever-popular sale yarns from Trendsetter have long included some staple novelty and scarf yarns such as Bouquet, Cubetti, Euphoria and Stupendo. A couple more Trendsetter yarns caught our eye recently and we just had to add them to the mix! Fatigues, which you might remember from a few years back, is a felted ribbon yarn that can be used for hats, cowls or even sweaters! More on the novelty side of things, Iris will add texture and color to your project. Last but not least, Rapunzel is a versatile worsted weight mohair blend that can be stranded with other yarns to add some depth and halo, or knit solo for an elegant, featherweight fabric!
Universal Yarns Cotton Supreme: 50% Off! This impossibly soft cotton from Universal Yarns is now on sale! Both Cotton Supreme and Cotton Supreme Batik come from the same sumptuous machine washable cotton. The regular Cotton Supreme is available in several solid shades perfect for fall and winter knits such as the Knitting Pure and Simple Swing Pullover. If you're in need of a little more color-action, the Cotton Supreme Batik keeps even the simplest of projects interesting like the timeless Short Row Scarf by Ann Norling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Shevawn's Leaf Blanket | Shevawn was so amazed as to how incredible easy and fast the Leaf Blanket Pattern from Spud & Chloe was! She had so much fun watching the leaf shape unfold before her eyes and loved the instant gratification where several rows were done in just a blink of an eye. She's really glad she used the Spud & Chloe Outer Yarn - it may seem a bit expensive, but claims it's so worth it! "I can't believe how soft the yarn is once it's knit up. Plus, it's machine washable!" |
Jeanne's Reversible Wristers | Jeanne can't say enough about Kit Hutchin and her designs! These Reversible Wristers from Knit Red were super simple but kept her interest the entire time! Of course, the Shibui Silk Cloud Yarn was super-duper yummy to work with! Kit uses the Kitchener stitch to join wristers when they are done, so Jeanne warns to make sure you don't become distracted as you graft. She mixed things up a little with the I-cords and the colors and folded hers so that both the colors can be seen more predominantly. |
Casey's Guernsey Wrap | Another amazing Guernsey Wrap from Brooklyn Tweed...I believe that makes three completed in all by different Beans in the shop! Casey cast hers on as an Olympic project and finished in exactly two weeks...the perfect knit for London 2012 knitting! She fell in love with the Swans Island Pure Blends Worsted she used to knit it! "It's absolutely amazing...I couldn't have made a better choice!" If you could feel this wonderful wool in person, we'd think you'd agree too! |
Kristen's Quaking Aspen Shawl | Kristen hasn't been able to knit for herself in months so she wanted to knit something quick that she could squeeze in between designing. The Quaking Aspen Shawl from The Fibre Company seemed really simple, so she grabbed the yarn and cast on immediately! From cast on to finish, this project took 12 days! With size 8 needles, tons of garter stitch, and an interesting but easy to memorize border lace pattern, this was a super-fun knit. "I am totally in love with the softness of The Fibre Company Acadia yarn, it has amazing texture that really adds to the beauty of the shawl." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 | Introducing...Dana! A five-year veteran at Muench, Dana has been our main customer service contact for many years and we just love her to pieces! She works closely with Amanda and Rachel in our purchasing department, making sure our weekly orders ship super-fast, keeping us up-to-date on backordered products, and going the extra mile when we put in requests for special orders. Even though we don't have the joy of getting to work with her in an office every day, it still feels like Dana is one of the gang here at JBW!
Being surrounded by so much gorgeous yarn all the time at Muench, Dana can't help but be a knitter. While she learned how to knit in 7th grade and spent some time knitting with her mom as a teenager, it wasn't until she started working at Muench that her interest was renewed. |
| A fan of simple knitting, Dana enjoys making garter-stitch scarves and baby blankets. Her favorite yarn? The new Touch Me Lux! When she isn't working or relaxing with a ball of yarn, Dana keeps busy gardening with her cats, playing ping-pong, watching cooking shows, or chillin' by the Russian River which is just a short walk away from her house (I'm a teensy bit jealous!). | 
Touch Me Lux - Black
$18.95 |
As you can imagine, we e-mail Dana a lot and almost every time she replies with a funny photo or adorable pic of some baby animal. Of course I had to ask her if she has a favorite animal. "That's the hardest question," she replied, "I love animals and don't have one 'favorite', but I think hedgehogs are adorable. So are otters, sloths and manatees". My last question was a classic: "if you could have any superpower, what would it be?" "That's the easiest question," Dana told me, "The ability to free people from suffering. That would be AWESOME!". I couldn't agree more. :) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 | Have you used your 3rd quarter Jimmy Beans Bucks yet? If you have an account with us and you've made purchases with that account between July 1st and September 30th of 2012, you are eligible for an account credit of 5% of those purchases (with a few rules, of course). If you haven't used your rewards dollars yet, you only have until the end of the month! Rewards from this quarter expire on September 30th. Not sure if you've used yours? Log into your account to check!
If you didn't earn a reward last quarter, or if you aren't familiar with this incredible FREE YARN program, take a look now! As always, feel free to call our toll free number, e-mail us, or use our Live Chat option if you have any questions. 4th Quarter rewards will go out October 1st! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
There are many ways to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at Jimmy Beans Wool!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Jimmy Beans Wool
891 Trademark Drive
Reno, NV 89521
Toll Free in U.S. and Canada (877)JBW-KNIT (529-5648)
Phone (775)827-9276
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Share
