Offered Lorna's Laces Bases
February 2020 - Crater Lake
Inspired by the deepest lake in the United States, this colorway features a gorgeous, deep teal splattered between vibrant violet shades woven into a white base. Crater Lake was formed after the collapse of a volcano after a major eruption and has resulted in multiple, interesting rock and island formations in the center (such as Wizard Island, which makes the royal purple in this skein feel that much more magical)! While we can't take a vacation there right now, this color will certainly be found in our project bags! This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base. Crater Lake is in limited stock. Grab yours before it falls into the earth!
January 2020 - Mammoth Cave
One of the most intense human emotions is curiosity. What happens if I try a new cast-on method? What happens when you mix two colors for dyeing your yarn? Lorna's Laces married this idea of curiosity with explosive color in their shade, Mammoth Cave. Highlighting the deep reds found underground to the pleasant blue of the sky on a white base for an eye-catching colorway, this shade is sure to sate whatever curiosity your needles have! This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base. Mammoth Cave is in limited stock. Be sure to grab yours or soon it'll be lost to the caves!
December 2019 - Isle Royale
The December Lorna's color takes inspiration from Isle Royale, a national park that sits in the frigid waters of Lake Superior in Michigan. Mirroring the gray winter sky and icy tones in the lake this time of year, this skein breathes new life into the typical moody tones of blue and gray with a touch of magenta to heat things up! This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base. Isle Royale is in limited stock. Grab yours before it sails off into the cold!
October 2019 - Denali
The Lorna's Laces October colorway was based on the national park with the highest elevation in North America. This beautiful mountain range has lovely pops of greenery which is reflected perfectly in this exclusive shade. This neutral skein holds pretty natural green and and gold strands of color throughout. This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base; Denali is in limited stock. Grab your hiking gear and set out for the mountaintop to get your skein before it's gone!
September 2019 - Congaree
As summer comes to an end, take a stroll through Congaree National Park and breathe in the sweet smell of nature! Lorna's Laces did just that when they were inspired by this month's limited edition colorway. Congaree draws in the park's gorgeous pine trees and giant hardwoods to create a relaxing, warm-toned russet blend with splatters of dark brown blended. This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base; Congaree is in limited stock. Strap on your hiking boots and take a trip through the forest to grab yours!
August 2019 - Glacier Bay
Lorna's Laces took a cruise through the cold waters of Alaska to draw inspiration for this month's limited edition colorway! Glacier Bay is a blend of striking blue and green hues to create a breathtaking deep, cool toned yarn to represent the gorgeous National Park it was named from! This color is exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base. Glacier Bay is in limited sock. Grab yours before it cruises away!
July 2019 - Independence Park
It's time to go to a barbecue, watch those fireworks, and celebrate because this month's Lorna's Laces limited edition colorway represents the Fourth of July! This yarn combines bursts of deep blues and vibrant reds all brought together on a white base to perfectly encapsulate the name it was inspired by. Exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base, Independence Park is in limited stock! Grab one while you can, they're popping off like fireworks!
June 2019 - Everglades
Grab your canoe because we're heading to the river of grass with this month's Lorna's Laces limited edition colorway inspired by the Everglades! With a gorgeous blend of grass green and river-water blue, this yarn is a perfect representation of the name it's given. The rich colors compliment a white base with some purple speckles making them pop. Exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Lorna's Laces favorite base, Everglades is in limited stock! Snag a skein before it floats downstream!
May 2019 - Yosemite
Hiking and camping season is finally upon us and this month's Lorna's Laces limited edition colorway comes straight from the Yosemite Valley. Drawing inspiration from the striking colors of the purple mountains and teal pines, this multicolored yarn is absolutely dazzling and can spruce up any project! Exclusively available in Shepherd Sock, Yosemite has a dash of nylon in the mix, adding to its durability as a lightweight, fingering yarn. Each skein comes in 430 yards of soft, squishy goodness and, as the name would suggest, gives you enough length for a pair of adult sized socks!
April 2019 - Virgin Islands
When you think of a dream beach getaway filled with lavish lagoons and spectacular coral reefs, the Virgin Islands might be what you imagine! Tropical, white sandy beaches crest bright blue ocean water, creating a dramatic landscape right out of a vacation fantasy! This yarn highlights those very same white sandy beaches with it's off-white base. Pops of yellow, pink, and blue speckle mirror the coral reefs and tropical fish of the virgin islands, swirling in a lovely sea of color! The Virgin Islands is available in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock!
March 2019 - Petrified Forest
If you've ever driven historic Route 66, you may have had the opportunity to see the magnificent landscape of Petrified Forest National Park (Route 66 goes right through the center of the park!). Petrified logs and colorful rocks are what the park is most well known for, and this colorway is an exquisite representation of just that! A mix of brown, red, yellow, and aqua tones, this splattershot will transport you to the arid Arizona desert!
Petrified Forest is available in Lorna's Laces favorite, Shepherd Sock! Don't wait to order this one - we have limited quantity available, and the previous months' colors sold out almost immediately!
Febraury 2019 - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
This month, we're headed to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park! The master dyers at Lorna's Lacess Laces have concocted the PERFECT color for February and it does not disappoint! Inspired by the colors created during a volcanic eruption on the Big Island, reds, oranges, yellows, with a bit of purple, each skein is bursting with saturated hues, ready to take your crafting to the next level!
Available in a Lorna's Laces favorite, Shepherd Sock, snag your skeins today! We have limited stock, and once it is gone, it's gone! (January's color sold out faster than we could spell Mauna Loa!)
January 2019 - Red Rock Canyon
We're kickin' the year off with quite a stunner... Red Rock Canyon, inspired the by the dusty red and brown hues of Nevada's Red Rock Canyon. Available in limited quantities of one of our favorite Lorna's bases, Shepherd Sock, you can't go wrong! Hurry, once this beauty is gone, it's gone for good!
May 2018 - May the 4th be with you RRWWWGG!
Happy 'May the 4th Be With You' Day! This day happens to be our favorite not-so-traditional holiday of the year, and with the new movie about a well known scoundrel coming out on May 25th, our excitement is out of this world! How will we be celebrating our best-loved faraway galaxy, you might ask? Knitting, of course!
Inspired by the most adored Fuzzball in all the land, near and far (Like, really far. Outer Space-far. Different galaxy-far.), each kit comes with one skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in an exclusive color, aptly named May the 4th be with you RRWWWGG!
December 2017 - Zombie Xmas BBQ
Speaking of madness, this month's Lorna's Limited Edition color is quite possibly the maddest of all. Feast your eyes on "Zombie Xmas BBQ, a splattershot recreation of the original, for some tongue-in-cheek holiday humor! Legend has it the green is for zombies, the red is for brains, and the grey is for coals on a barbecue. Add some splattershot speckles and... well, the holidays can get a little messy, right?
Grab yourself some brains - err, skeins! - and get crafting!
November 2017 - Raise Your Gobble-let
If there's one thing we love more than bad puns it's Thanksgiving! Delicious food, family, and holiday-themed yarn? Yes, please! This year, Raise Your Gobble-Let to a limited edition medley of moody mauve, chocolate brown, and harvest gold that is sure to satisfy your Thanksgiving spirit. Already planning for a red wine and wool escape come Turkey Day? Cast on Erika's Raise Your Gobble-let Shawl and knit the night away! (Turns out we also love bad rhymes!)
October 2017 - Ta Tas
Mindy, a beloved Jimmy Beans employee and resident "mother hen," recently fought and won her own battle against breast cancer. Inspired by her journey, we've teamed up with Lorna's Laces to create a special colorway of everyone's favorite Shepherd Sock to make up kits. These kits donated part of their proceeds to organizations that were picked by Mindy herself - BreastCancer.org and Moms on the Run! Speckle-dyed with pretty pinks and a touch of gray, Ta-Tas is perfect for showcasing your support all month long! Click the video below to see Mindy's story.
September 2017 - Dawn Patrol
Get ready to go up, up, and away! Every September, our Reno sky is illuminated with color during the Great Reno Balloon Race, the biggest FREE hot-air ballooning spectacle in the world. Being a seasonal favorite amongst locals and tourists alike, we're commemorating this event with September's limited edition color - Dawn Patrol. The gray backdrop bursts with electric pink, teal and purple, resembling the marvelous, early morning display of color as several balloons rise, twinkle and glow across a darkened sky. Choose a skein of Dawn Patrol in your favorite base and let your next project radiate with luminous color!
August 2017 - Voyager
Buckle up time travelers, we're trekking back to 18th century Scotland! In celebration of the release of Outlander's third season on September 10th, we've joined forces with Lorna's Laces to bring you this month's Lorna's Limited Edition color - "Voyager." This colorway incorporates an array of grassy greens with specks of soft purple, reminding us of the vast Scottish Highlands sprinkled with pretty wildflowers.
July 2017 - Shark Bait
Duh-nuh...duh-nuh...duh-nuh-duh-nuh...DUH-NUH-DUH-NUH! July is finally here and this month is all about sharks! We teamed up with our friends at Lorna's Laces to bring you Shark Bait, inspired by the fiercest fish in the sea. Sink your teeth (err... needles) into this cool, aquatic blue topped with soft red speckles and knit something ferociously fun this summer! Don't be a guppy, chomp up a skein or two of your own in your favorite Lorna's base!
June 2017 - Beyond the Wall
It's about time to get ready for the newest season of Game of Thrones, and the anticipation is killing us! If you are as anxious as we are to find out what's been brewing up north since last season, then this month's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color - Beyond the Wall - is for you! For this month's LLE, we envisioned a color as icy and cold as the eyes of a mysterious White Walker.
May 2017 - May Flowers
May Flowers honors our favorite flora by blending the gorgeous purple hues of iris, lilac, wisteria and sweet pea to create the perfect colorway for a lovely springtime project. Not only are we honoring these pretty springtime blooms, but also a very important figure in our lives: Mom!
April 2017 - Mystery Fiber Theater
The bots are back! And so is Lorna's with a brand new limited edition color zanier than any we've seen before: Mystery Fiber Theater perfectly embodies the campy, off-the-wall feel we've come to know and love from Mystery Science Theater 3000, complete with neon yellow to match the new main character's jumpsuit!
Our robot-building skills may not be up to snuff, but we sure know how to whip up a cozy accessory or two! Jenny paired Mystery Fiber Theater in Shepherd Sock with Grand Street Ink (any sock yarn in black will do) to create an out-of-this-world Fireweed Shawl! We love how this color looks paired with a black solid to make the neon colors really pop!
March 2017 - Police Box
Don't blink: you don't want to miss this month's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition colorway, inspired by Doctor Who! Police Box pays tribute to the famous TARDIS with bold blues and grays befitting any traveler of space and time! Grab up a skein in your favorite Lorna's base and put your sonic screwdriver...er... knitting needles to work before those Daleks show up!
For some real fun, put your knitting chops to the test with a Mystery Knit-Along! Hosted by Monika Evans on Ravelry beginning April 15, you'll knit your way to an out-of-this-world mystery project with a new clue each week and lots of fun, knitterly discussion on the JBW Forum! The project will use one String Quintet in the LLE color, plus an additional skein of Shepherd Sock in Bigger on the Inside. Pick up one of our handy Police Box MKAL kits, then head over to Monika's Ravelry shop to buy the pattern (offered at half off until the MKAL starts!). We'll see you aboard the TARDIS!
February 2017 - Tale as Old as Time
Bonjour! Disney fans or no, we hope you'll "be our guest" for the reveal of the February LLE: Tale as Old as Time! Inspired by the colors of the vintage Beauty and the Beast movie, Lorna's created this medley of twilight purples, enchanted-rose pink, and ball-gown gold to commemorate the new live-action movie, premiering March 17th!
Maybe it's the smart female lead, maybe it's the magic of transformation, maybe it's the music - whatever it is, we can't wait! And before we go, we're casting on for Monika's Belles and Bobbles Scarflette: with eyelets, tiny bobbles, and a picot edge, it's full of flair and flights of fancy, just like its namesake! And, it takes just one skein of Shepherd Sock, so you can be finished and flitting about with it on your neck on your way to the premiere!
January 2017 - Berry Blizzard
Baby, it's cold outside! That's why we're staying inside - and whipping up something warm with the January Lorna's Laces Limited Edition colorway: Berry Blizzard!
It's a storm of icy blues, frosted purples, and chilly charcoals splashed on a snowy white base that will have you hiding from the Polar Vortex so you can knit with it!
And we have it in all of your favorite Lorna's bases, so there's a 100% chance of wintry, woolly delight coming your way:
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Sport,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
December 2016 - Baker Street
Get out your magnifying glass and deerstalker cap - it's time for a new Lorna's colorway, Baker Street! A winning tribute to our favorite Deuce of Deduction, Sherlock Holmes, and the masculine mix of blues and grays is just what the Doctor (Watson) ordered!
Of course, we have a clues that will lead you to a gorgeous knitted item: the A Mystery KAL on Baker Street with our very own Chris Salas (Renegade Knitwear)! His stunning mystery project will use one skein of Solemate in Baker Street, plus an additional skein in a color of your choice.
Investigate this dapper color in these available Lorna's bases:
Honor,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
November 2016 - Lorel-Eyes
The return of one of our favorite shows, The Gilmore Girls, will premiere on Netflix November 25th. The 4-episode mini-series, called "A Year in the Life" is something to be extra thankful for this month for those us who have been waiting anxiously.
In anticipation of this revival, Lorna's Laces has created an extra-special colorway to commemorate heroines, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, Lorel-Eyes! Like those famous Gilmore blue eyes, this color features a gorgeous gray base with pops of cornflower blue.
Of course, we have a special event planned for you: the Lorel-Eyes Binge Mystery Knit-Along with our very own Chris Salas (Renegade Knitwear)! His stunning mystery project will use one skein of Shepherd Sock in Lorel-Eyes, plus an additional skein in a color of your choice.
Check out this gorgeous color in these available Lorna's bases:
Shepherd Sock and
Solemate!
October 2016 - Newt's Suit
With the newest Harry-Potter-related movie coming up on November 18, we're all going bonkers to go back to the wizarding world! Lorna's has created a custom colorway to celebrate the movie premiere! Newt's Suit is a subdued blend of browns, yellows, teals, and blues that's appealing to wizards and Muggles alike, and you don't have to be a magizoologist to know it's fantastic!
Monika has created a magical masterpiece full of fun details such as wriggly stripes, "fangs", and even eye(let)s that Newt would be proud to wear. The Scamander Shawl uses a set of String Quintets in this month's colorway, plus an additional Staccato, Owls of a Kind, and it's just gorgeous! Get the pattern and yarn exclusively at JBW with one of our Scamander Shawl Kits!
We have it in your favorite Lorna's bases, so grab up a skein and work some magic of your own! Find them in:
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Sport,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
September 2016 - Emerald City
Afghans, sweaters, and scarves...oh my! We're excited with all the crafting possibilities, especially when the shelves are stocked with this month's Wizard-of-Oz-inspired Lorna's Limited Edition colorway, Emerald City!
In honor of the recent anniversary of the 1939 movie premiere, and in anticipation of NBC's upcoming show based on the Oz books, Lorna's whipped up a gorgeous conglomerate of greens that calls to mind the sparkling spires of its namesake!
Reminisce with us while Emerald City is still in stock! This color is available in the following bases:
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Sport,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
August 2016 - *Rio 2016 and *Para Rio 2016
In honor of the Summer Games being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this year, Lorna's has created a stunning colorway for this month's LLE!
Rio is a vibrant mix of greens and yellows with just a touch of blue, in tribute to the colors of the city and of Carnival - it just screams celebration and fun! And to celebrate our athletes who competed later in the month, Lorna's created a very limited run of *Para Rio 2016, a gorgeous speckled version, as well!
Just like London and Sochi, we had a little fun with the medal count. For every Gold medal won by the United States, we dropped the price of each
skein by 5 cents; for each Silver medal, we dropped it by 3 cents; and for each Bronze, by 1 penny! The United States won a whopping 121 medals (46 Gold, 37 Silver, and 38 Bronze), allowing us to drop the price of each weight by $3.79 for our first go! For our amazing athletes later in August, we won 119 medals (42 Gold, 38 Silver, 39 Bronze) for a price drop of $3.63!
July 2016 - Mad Libs
As we head deeper into summer, we pay homage to the well-known game, Mad Libs! A tribute to the world's greatest word game, Lorna's has created a bright and eye-catching mix of blues, yellows, reds, and pinks - reminiscent of the box we so often pulled out of storage for road trips and vacations.
Just in case you were wondering, we do have a Fun JBW Mad Lib .PDF here! Please feel free to download it for just a little fun with words.
Like this oft-played game of our summers past, we want to provide you with a vibrant colorway destined to travel with you when you just want something fun to work with. Please don't hesitate to snatch up Mad Libs available in the following Lorna's bases:
Shepherd Sock,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
June 2016 - Melting Pot
There's one sure-fire way to stand out in the crowd, especially in prison (well, maybe there are a few, but we'll leave those to your imagination!): with speckled yarn! This month, OITNB returns to Netflix with a new
season, and Lorna's has returned to the dye pots to whip up a color that represents the funky fusion of personalities, cultures, and backgrounds you'd find at your nearest women's penitentiary (or workplace, let's be honest).
Jump into the Melting Pot with a skein of your favorite Lorna's yarn!
This space-and-splatter-dyed Limited Edition colorway is gutsy, gorgeous, and glowing with color - reds, yellows, greens, blues, and of course, oranges!
Showcasing this colorway in Shepherd Sport, please check out Rachel of Unraveled Designs and her Jailbird Mitts!
It's as interesting and attention-grabbing as you can get without breaking the law, and it's available in all of our regular Lorna's bases:
Shepherd Sport,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Solemate, and
String Quintets!
May 2016 - Wildflowers
With Mother's Day approaching, our May Lorna's Limited Edition honors Mom with a special colorway as lovely as she is. This limited edition color is a mix of pretty
pinks and pleasing purples with speckles galore, each skein as diverse and distinctive as wildflowers (just like our mothers)!
What a better way to show off this color than to create a Wildflowers Bouquet!
Using a skein of Shepherd Sock and two coordinating Staccatos, a gorgeous shawl pattern named 'Between Earth And Space' designed by our very own Chris Salas of Renegade Knitwear will be included (also available for purchase on Ravelry).
The beauty of Wildflowers is still available in the following Lorna's base:
String Quintets!
March 2016 - Jamie's Kilt
Space and time mean little when love is involved, and on April 9, our beloved show Outlander is back with more of all of it: time travel, true love, and tartans! Luckily, Rachel dreamed up a colorway that's as timeless as it is gorgeous, and Lorna's made it a reality.
Jamie's Kilt is a rich and earthy blend of muted browns with just a hint
of pale blue that would look perfectly at home on the Scottish moors or in a royal court. Of course, the amazing color is only half of it: Rachel and Monika are also hosting a matching Mystery Knit- and Crochet-Along!
February 2016 - Ragnar's Revenge
What do you get when you combine fast-paced, historically-based storytelling, gorgeous scenery, and a hunky, half-clad heartthrob who may be the son of Odin? Why, Vikings, of course! This scintillating saga has us captivated for more than just Ragnar's good looks, so we couldn't resist asking Lorna's to come up with a special colorway, Ragnar's Revenge - and to have fun with another MKAL/MCAL, this time hosted by Heather and Monika!
Ragnar's Revenge is a splatter-dyeing first for Lornas: the steely grays of flashing swords speckled with bold, boding black to represent sinister omens, plus a touch of aqua for Ragnar's magnetic eyes! Ragnar's Revenge is everything you'd expect of a Nordic legend!
January 2016 - X-Philes
Do you want to believe? We do! So when we got requests from our pals on Ravelry for a color to commemorate the return of the X-Files this January in the form of a mini-series, we went straight to Lorna's with our evidence - no special badges or passwords required!
They got in on the conspiracy and created an ethereal mix of otherworldly purples and rosy hues inspired by the mysterious nature of the show, and it's already sending chills down our spines!
We're calling it "X-Philes" as an homage to the show's loyal fans.
December 2015 - Yorkshire Skies
It's that time of year again: no, not the holidays - time to get ready for the next season of Downton Abbey!
Many of you may have heard that this will be the last season (but we Beans never say die: we're holding out for a Downton movie!), so we made this month's Lorna's Limited Edition Color extra special:
Yorkshire Skies is an ethereal mix of aqua, blue-grays, and pretty dusky purples to match our vision of the pristine summer sky over Highclere Castle, where the show is filmed. It's the perfect color to evoke a pang of nostalgia as we embark on this final journey with our favorite characters.
This year, Leanne is joining in the final big blow-out event with a joint Mystery Knit- and Crochet-Along!
November 2015 - Star Wars: Light Side vs. Dark Side
In a galaxy far, far away, knitters and crocheters dreamed that one day there would be a colorful lightsaber yarn battle to end all battles. Well, that day has come in the way of two -yes two- stunning Lorna's Laces Limited Edition colorways in honor of the latest installment in this epic saga!
Inspired by the lightsaber colors of old and new, these colors are bright beacons of hope that good will prevail over evil, light over dark... you get the picture. The Light Side colorway takes its cues of vibrant aquas and blues from the lightsaber colors in the original trilogy; The Dark Side is Darth Vader in yarn form, deep black with a tinge of deep purple, and flashes of bright red reminiscent of his lightsaber.
You don't think we'd let this epic movie event pass us by without an epic event of our own, did you? Our two Jedi knitters, Kristen and Leanne are hosting a Binge Mystery Knit or Crochet Along (MKAL/MCAL) to commemorate The Force Awakens!
You can still join the Dark Side in:
Shepherd Sport.
October 2015 - The Walking Dead
Inspired by the rustic and woodsy hues of the post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies (with a healthy splash of deep blood red for good measure), the Walking Dead color is getting us excited for the seasonal debut of one of our favorite spooky and suspenseful shows!
We've had many a request for a color inspired by this show, and we thought October would be the perfect month to release the walkers! But since we know how slowly they actually walk, we know you'll be able to escape unscathed, yarn in hand... right?
September 2015 - Serenity
Oh, give me a home, where the space-buffalo roam...wait, what? Put on your moon boots and strap on your six-gun for a Firefly-inspired Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color: introducing Serenity!
The Wild-West-in-Outer-Space TV show is a favorite of many of our Beans, and this color will be a favorite of yours: dark grays and dusky teals like those in deep space, toasty browns like the tanned and terraformed landscapes, and yellow for the bright glow of the ship Serenity's engines!
Rachel and Leanne have used these great hues to their best advantage for a special Binge Mystery Knit-and-Crochet-Along on Ravelry!
August 2015 - Sandy Goes To Scotland
It's no secret that our Sandy is in love with all things Scottish; whether she's sporting a Fair Isle tam, singing Scottish ballads around the warehouse, or showing off her cutout of handsome Jamie in his kilt, it's clear this lady has a special love for the Land of Lochs!
When Sandy, Jeanne, and Laura finally headed off for the Shetland Isles, we headed to Lorna's with a request: create a color to commemorate their awesome journey!
Sandy Goes to Scotland was a gorgeous mix of mossy greens and heathery purples inspired by the colors of the Scottish thistle.
July 2015 - Brat Pack
You might have guessed that we love the 1980s - if there's one decade that cemented our affinity for pop culture, the '80s is it! And what better way to pay homage than to snuggle down with our knitting and a favorite '80s movie? The Brat Pack is all about our favorite teen-movie icons of the age and the John Hughes films they became famous for: The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, to name just a few!
We wondered what these hip teens might wear to prom in their day? And Lorna's answered: a totally glam blend of teals, pinks, and purples that would have any self-respecting '80s chick fluffing her bangs, smacking her Bubble Tape, and crying, "Crucial!"!
And check this out: faster than Pac-Man running from Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, four of our resident designers (and '80s kids!) came up with a set of new patterns to indulge your '80s mania: The Brat Pack Collection!
June 2015 - The New Black
By the power vested in us by the state of Jimmy Beans Wool and Lorna's Laces Yarn, we hereby sentence you... to a long weekend of binge knitting! Check out Rachel's Binge MKAL on Ravelry for more captivating details... :-)
This month's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color is so awesome, it might drive you to criminal acts - ok, so maybe not that, but it will certainly get you excited for the release of the new season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix!
The New Black combines smoky gray and deep charcoal with flashes of bright orange that might even have you wishing you were sporting one of those snazzy jumpsuits the ladies on the show wear! Kidding, of course, but it is perfect for breaking the shackles of monochrome monotony and adding something super-special to your stash!
May 2015 - Assemble!
Sometimes you just need to let your inner superhero shine - Earth's mightiest knitters and crocheters: ASSEMBLE! To celebrate our latest Lorna's Laces Limited Edition colorway, that is!
Our Monika was inspired by the bright, beautiful uniforms of Marvel's The Avengers to create this mix of reds, greens, blues, and deep grays - so we are releasing it just in time for the start of the Second Avengers Movie! She also designed a cape pattern (available on Ravelry) so that you can make your own Avenger cape!
April 2015 - Casterly Rock
When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you... don't win, and knit yourself something fabulous instead! If only, right?
I'm sure one of our favorite characters on the hit HBO series feels that way: Tyrion Lannister may be part of a particularly ruthless family, but he has a heart of gold! That's why he inspired April's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition Color, named Casterly Rock after his family home. It's a bold mix of burgundy, blood red, and gold to represent the Lannister house colors.
March 2015 - Craigh na Dun
Rachel has worked with Lorna's Laces to create our March LLE Color: Craigh na Dun! The gray and purple shades in each gorgeous hank symbolize the ancient, lichen-covered stones, with dabs of blue for the forget-me-not flowers Claire picks right before she goes through the stones.
February 2015 - Dark Crystal
Long ago... in the land of Thra... do you think they had yarn? These are the sort of questions that occupy us here at Jimmy Beans, as we try to decide what to knit with the newest color in our Lorna's Laces Limited Edition series: Dark Crystal!
It didn't take a consultation with Aughra's orrery to figure out that a color modeled after Jim Henson's '80s cult classic The Dark Crystal would be not only gorgeous (I mean hello, people, it's got purple!) but also tons of fun for any true '80s pop culture fan. And when we saw this glowing fusion of fuchsia, navy, mulberry, and mauve, we got more excited than Jen when he learned that Gelfling girls have wings!
January 2015 - The Princess Bride
My name is Jimmy Montoya...you bought my yarn...Prepare to Dye! No, really, that's the name of the color - inspired, of course, by one of our favorite '80s movies of all time: The Princess Bride! In tribute to this cinematic gem, we teamed up with Lorna's Laces and created not one, but four limited edition colorways that bring back fond memories of childhoods spent watching Westley rescue Buttercup, time and time again (she really needed some rescuing, didn't she? Sheesh!).
First up is Farm Boy, a combo of blues and greens complete with shocks of gold just like handsome Westley's blond hair! As You Wish is a lovely mix of pinks, greens, and blues that represents Westley and Buttercup's undying love.
Even Vizzini would approve of Inconceivable, a blend of blood red and evil greenish-brown that will have you checking your goblet for iocaine powder. And don't forget Prepare to Dye! Revenge is imminent in this mix of gold and brown with bits of steely gray, just like Inigo's famous swashbuckling sword!
December 2014 - Edith's Secret
For the month of December we just couldn't resist creating the perfect bookend to 2014's Lorna's Limited Edition colors with another inspired by the one and only Downton Abbey.
Edith's Secret pays homage to the much forgotten middle sister (poor Edith!) on this ever-popular BBC drama. If you saw last season, you'll know that Edith has a pretty big secret she is keeping from the family, and surely you are dying to know what will happen with her this year! We are too, which is why we asked Kristen (our head Downton Abbey enthusiast) to create this color of various shades of rose, pinks, and cranberry with a splash of deep purple and taupe. You can see it knit up in Kristen's Edith's Secret Shawl on Ravelry!
November 2014 - Incredible
Do you ever wish you had superpowers? We'll admit, we think about it from time to time... we're fast, but just imagine how fast we could ship your yarn if we could move at light speed! And of course, there's that whole flying thing, too. Always our partner in crime (or maybe fighting crime, this time!), Lorna's came up with an exciting limited edition color for November: Incredible! This bright and fun mix of red, yellow, and black just screams, "Bam! Kapow! Take that, evil masterminds of the world!" Okay, maybe we're getting carried away, but it does remind us of the superhero family in Pixar's The Incredibles! And since we just heard they're working on a sequel, we thought it the perfect time to get started on some superhero-inspired knitting.
October 2014 - Frozen Upon A Time
You may have noticed that the Beans have a soft spot for fantasy, especially in our TV shows! We have a few here who never miss an episode of the hit series "Once Upon a Time", which follows a modern twist on classic fairy tale characters. When we heard that this season would be featuring Ana and Elsa from the hit Disney movie, Frozen (another employee and customer fave), we knew we had to do something special!
We've teamed up with Lorna's to create a frosty new Limited Edition color for October: Frozen Upon a Time! This fresh mix of silvery blues for Elsa and pinks and purples for Ana will have you warming up your fingers to cast on and delve into your own wintery fairyland, and looks great in Rachel's Frozen Mitts and Cowl Set!
September 2014 - 7 Years of Limited Edition!
August 2014 - Fraser and Beauchamps
The colors combine for an off-beat pairing that is perfectly complementary - just like the fictional couple! Fraser's deep reds and oranges are inspired by Jaime's distinctive hair color (and his sometime fiery nature), while the gorgeous blues and teal of Beauchamps take on the calming presence of Claire's capable attitude.
July 2014 - Beach Blanket Bingo
Sand, sun, and salt water are the images conjured with this month's Lorna's Laces color. Like the bright colors of a classic beach ball, Beach Blanket Bingo will either get you excited for the fun (and warm) months ahead... Or give you pause to reminisce about summers past. We saw this color and immediately thought of those sunny, sand-filled beach days, and suddenly we could just smell the surf and sunscreen! (Mind you, we chose this color back in March when it was still chilly and windy out. Of course we were dreaming of summer!)
April 2014 - Sherlock's Secret and Dr. Watson's Blues
We know that the latest season of Sherlock has already aired on PBS, but we couldn't help but pay tribute to one of our favorite detectives this month!
Jenn and Laura are both HUGE Sherlock fans, so they collaborated to bring you not one, but two Limited Edition colors for April: Sherlock's Secret and Dr. Watson's Blues!
For those of you who follow the series, you know that Dr. Watson had a good reason to be blue at the end of Season 2 because of Sherlock's Secret.
All is revealed in Season 3, but it was fun to have a little mystery in the meantime!
March 2014 - Bon Temps Rouler
This March we are celebrating Mardi Gras with "Bon Temps Rouler", a shortened version of the phrase "laissez les bon temps rouler" which means "let the good times roll" in French. Mardi Gras is a time for parties, but also for celebrating with friends and family before the start of Lent. Both Olivia and Leanne (huge Francophiles at heart) were thrilled to name this color for such an iconic holiday that traces its origins back to France. We've created this fun and cheery color with yellows and purples to represent this celebration as well as the spring equinox, which also happens in March! Celebrate all of these fun things with us this month and let the good times roll!
February 2014 Special Edition - Sochi 2014
Sochi 2014 is a beautiful mix of gold, silver, and bronze, the perfect wintery hue to celebrate the Winter Games!
And just like we did for the London 2012 Summer games, we also had some fun "Medal Madness" for this event:
For every medal that team USA won, we dropped the price per hank on every weight of the Sochi 2014 yarn. Here is how it turned out:
The US Team won a total of 28 medals, and the price for all weights was dropped by $1.68 for the event.
- For every one of the 9 Gold Medals Team USA won, we dropped the price 10 cents.
- For every one of the 7 Silver Medals Team USA won, we dropped the price 6 cents.
- For the 12 Bronze Medals Team USA won, we dropped the price 3 cents.
February 2014 - Besties
Besties, BFF's, Best Friend-whatever you call your closest pal, we know how much these relationships mean to us. Someone you can tell everything to and not be judged for, someone you can laugh with, cry with, be silent with, and it's all good. We figured what better way to honor these people in our lives than to dedicate a special Lorna's Laces colorway to them this February. Grab a hank for you and your best pal to make a matching hat, socks, fingerless mitts, or a scarf.
What will you make for YOUR Bestie this year?
January 2014 - Bated Breath
After last year's Downton-mania, we couldn't leave you all hanging! So just in time for the release of Season 4 of Downton Abbey, we've created another fantastic Limited Edition color for you all!
We are kicking off 2014 with "Bated Breath", a color that is inspired by the men of Downton, particularly Mr. Bates (although the color is perfectly gender neutral in so many ways.) We love how the deep green, icy blue, chocolate, pewter, and dusky colors all meld together into one perfectly Downton hue.
This color was designed by Kristen, who designed and led last year's Downton Abbey Mystery KAL to knit Lady Violet's Dinner Gauntlets, and who has some fun plans for you this year as well.
We'd also like to introduce a new yarn into the Lorna's Limited Edition fold! Many of you may not know that Lorna's also hand-dyes some of Bijou Basin Ranch's yarns for them.
Well, we've asked Lorna's and Bijou Basin if we could begin carrying Bijou Bliss in our LLE color each month, and they said yes! So now we've brought this delicious Cormo wool and yak down blend into our LLE offerings and we couldn't be more delighted!
December 2013 - The Shire
Part two of the Hobbit movie trilogy is due out this month and, as such, we figured it was the perfect time to release (a day early!) a Lorna's Limited edition color inspired by "The Shire."
"The Shire" features deep greens, teals and blues, with splashes of gray and brown - the perfect Hobbit-themed color to knit with this month. As you can imagine, we've got quite a few Tolkien fans on staff here at JBW, and we've already got a few projects on the needles!
Kristen is casting on for some socks for her hubby in Shepherd Sock (she says it will help to cover up his Hobbit-like feet, tee hee); and Sharon is knitting herself a stocking style cap in Shepherd Worsted.
Any way you use it, this color is sure to get you excited for the new movie to come and perhaps provide you with something to knit on as you watch!
November 2013 - Catching Fire
November sparks the debut of the next Hunger Games movie, and all of us here at Jimmy Beans are burning with excitement for its big release on the 22nd!
That is why we couldn't help but design a special color in honor of the big event. The color "Catching Fire" is a yarny embodiment of "the girl on fire."
Fiery flames of cranberry engulf the deep charcoal and pewter grays, creating the perfect tonal representation of the flaming capes that Katniss and Peeta wear
during the lead up to their first Hunger Games. The color is ultimately perfect and timely for part two of this thrilling series.
October 2013 - Once Upon A Time
Nothing inspires costumes more than fairy tales and fantasy stories like those presented in the TV series Once Upon a Time. Many of us Beans
love the show, especially for the frequent appearance of hand-knits, but mostly for the great storyline and frequent references to our favorite childhood stories.
That is why we thought it would be nice to create an October color fit for a fairy tale! Deep, misty grayish purples, soft rose, and bright fuchsia brings to life some
of our favorite moments in the show while creating a gorgeous meld of colors that will variegate beautifully together. While these colors might say more "princess" than
"prince", we like to think that the color represents the magic of Storybrook (the fictional town in Maine where the show mostly takes place) perfectly. We hope this color
brings a little magic to your life this October!
September 2013 - Legen...Wait For It...Dary
Quite a number of us here at Jimmy Beans are huge How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) fans, so we couldn't resist dedicating our September Limited Edition color to the show as
it begins its 9th and final season this month! If you are a fan of the show, then you know that Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) uses the phrase, "It's going to be
Legen...wait for it...dary!" frequently throughout the show in order to attempt to get the gang excited about whatever ridiculous hijinks he's trying to rope them into.
It's definitely a recurring (and ultimately hilarious) theme throughout the series, so much so that it even leads Marshall and Lily (two of the show's main characters) to
give their son the middle name "Wait For It" in honor of Barney's famous phrase. The autumn hues in this month's color way mimic the rich tones of New York City (where the
show is set): chocolate brown, bronze patina, muted teal blues, and hints of plum.
We thought this theme would also be a great opportunity to recognize how Legen...wait for it...Dary Lorna's Laces is! Six years ago in 2007 we debuted our first Lorna's Laces
Limited Edition color and we've never looked back! Since then, Lorna's Laces has remained one of our consistently best-selling yarn brands with their amazing and uniquely
variegated colors. What better way to celebrate Lorna's than with this legendary color!?!?
August 2013 - Black Rock Desert
Burning Man is a unique experience that you have to see to believe; every year at the end of August, this very special art and music festival welcomes visitors
from all over the world and turns "the Playa," a large dried up lake bed in the Black Rock Desert, into the third largest city in Nevada for that one week!
For many, it's the ultimate celebration of freedom of expression: You'll find interesting characters, art structures, effigies, buildings, and cars or bikes
that have been transformed into driven yachts, fire-breathing dragons, space shuttles and any creature you can think of - each pumping music from all corners
into the desert air. In the center of this festival is The Man, which serves as a beacon for finding your way and provides a spectacular explosion and fireworks
show on the final Saturday of the event.
Burning Man exists to provide an escape from modernized life and encourages creativity in the form of handmade costumes and gifts, beautiful artwork, and great music.
It's also the largest Leave-No-Trace event in the world: the main focus is on the conservation of
the Black Rock Desert, and all efforts are taken to make sure no evidence of the visitors or their activities gets left behind.
The Black Rock Desert itself is known for its miraculous sunsets; if you've never seen a desert sunset, let this month's color give you an idea! We've named it "Black Rock Desert" in honor
of the magical colors of a summer sunset on the desert playa: rusty pink, deep yellow, sage green, and sandy gray. Whether you're attending Burning Man or just dusk in your
own backyard, we hope this color says "summer evening" to you!
July 2013 - Wish You Were Here
You know those postcards. The ones that feature vibrant colors with various state landmarks and bold lettering that says "Greetings From....!" Or perhaps you
remember summer at sleep-away camp or on vacation sending letters and postcards home to friends and family that always said the same generic thing, "I'm having fun,
the food isn't that bad, and wish you were here!" In any case, summer has been synonymous with vacation for as long as we can remember; which is why we couldn't resist a
vacation-inspired color for July! Wish You Were Here features bright and fun colors that embody the theme of many of those postcards mailed to loved ones during summer adventures
over the years, especially the vintage-looking ones which we absolutely love.
June 2013 - Royal Baby Yarns
In 2010, with our April LLE color Royal Wedding, you showed us how mad about the Royals you were, so we couldn't resist creating a color (or two) in celebration of the next Royal Baby! Even though rumor has it this Royal Baby is a girl, we didn't want to assume anything and created two colors inspired by an old British poem: Sugar and Spice and Snips and Snails. Sugar and Spice is a dressed-up "girly" color, a little bit sweet but with a lot of sophistication. Snips and Snails is a quintessential "boy" color but with deeper teal hues, grayish browns and taupes. Each of these colors is a little bit regal, just as a Royal Baby color should be.
May 2013 - Live Long and Prosper
"Live long and prosper". If you're a fan of Star Trek from any generation, you know exactly where this phrase comes from (Vulcan!); and if you're not a fan, chances are you still know it,
though probably as something Trekkies say while making a weird shape with one hand. There are several Star Trek enthusiasts here at the shop, and with the latest Star Trek movie called
Into Darkness on the horizon (in theatres May 17th!!), we couldn't help but pay homage to Captain Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise crew with this Lorna's Limited Edition color way. Bold and
sophisticated, Live Long And Prosper combines black with a trio of solid red, blue and gold that mirrors the three typical Starfleet uniform colors you'd expect to find on the bridge of the
Enterprise. It also happens to be a stunning combo that knits up into a complex patterning of primary colors - perfect for kids clothes, afghans, and accessories of all kinds! No matter how you
feel about science fiction, it's easy to feel good about this bright, versatile colorway that lets you explore all sorts of creative project ideas!
April 2013 - A Year of Firsts
This past year has been a busy year for many of us Beans; some of us got married, some added to our families with new babies, some graduated college or moved into new homes.
From a business standpoint, Jimmy Beans Wool experienced plenty of changes, too: we began carrying fabric, and Laura published her first and second books! It was a good year,
and one we're likely to remember because of the many fabulous first-time experiences we had. We created this month's Lorna's Limited Edition Color, A Year of Firsts, with those
experiences in mind.
Bethany came up with the fun, bright color combination, a mix of blues, greens, and yellows inspired by one of her daughter Penne's favorite toys.
The cheerful hues are perfect for spring - they remind us of budding trees and blooming daffodils. As a new mom to adorable Penne, Bethany has undergone a lot of firsts this year,
including teething, crawling, and now walking (not Bethany - the baby)! You can read more about Penne and our other Bean Sprouts (tee hee!) below - we're thrilled to have new
members of the Jimmy Beans family, and we're sure they'll keep us busy with all the firsts yet to come!
March 2013 - Winter Is Coming
Although many of us still don't know what mysteries lay beyond the wall, there is one thing we do know for sure...Winter is Coming... and so is Game of Thrones Season 3!
This month's LLE color is inspired by the popular series that has captivated many of us here at JBW, and millions of people worldwide. Those who have read the books by
George R.R. Martin or watched the HBO series (or both) understand the meaning behind name of this color, and even if you aren't a fan, the icy blue and gray shades of Winter
Is Coming are sure to lend some inspiration to your next project!
Available in all our favorite Lorna's Laces yarns, Winter Is Coming is special in yet another way:
This month also marks the release of a new non-superwash yarn from Lorna's Laces - Haymarket! This delicious yarn is 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool spun in a single-ply
worsted weight yarn. We couldn't be more excited to introduce this rustic yet refined yarn with such a fitting limited edition shade!
February 2013 - As Long As You Love Me
When several of the gals who work on the E-commerce Team suggested a Justin Bieber-inspired color for February, most of us rolled our eyes. What? Seriously?! I mean, the kid looks like he's about 13.
But then we thought back to the prominent pop stars from our youth and remembered how similarly we felt about their music. Many of us remember being gaga (not Lady) about the boy bands of the 80s and 90s,
and some of the Beans were even around for Elvis, so we figured Bieber might just be "it" for this generation of pop music lovers. With that, we gave Elyse, who is perhaps the biggest Bieber fan at Jimmy Beans,
the task of creating this month's color. Needless to say, she was almost as excited about making this color mash-up as she would be sitting front row and center at a Bieber show... almost.
Around here the weekends are pretty Bieber-tastic as we stream our Bieber station on Pandora Radio almost non-stop while the weekend crew pulls and ships orders. Whether or not you are a Bieber Believer (aka "Bieliber")
or you just happen to know one, this month's Lorna's Limited Edition color, As Long As You Love Me, is the perfect homage to Bieber and all of his pop predecessors. Not only that, but we think February is the perfect month
to feature this jewel-toned color inspired by love!
January 2013 - A River Runs Through It
He's starred in a slew of movies and made People Magazine's list of Sexiest Men Alive more times than can be counted - but now Brad Pitt has achieved the true pinnacle
of success: a Lorna's Laces Limited Edition Color dyed in his honor! That's right, the January LLE color "A River Runs Through It" was inspired by none other than Brad Pitt,
who turns 50 in December 2013! I know we're a little early for a birthday celebration, but we loved this color so much we couldn't wait to release it! Whether or not you are a
fan of the man himself or just like pretty string, it's easy to appreciate this color with its muted blues and greens inspired by the film that helped seal Brad Pitt's status in the hearts of movie lovers worldwide.
December 2012 - Christmas At Downton
December's LLE color is inspired by the BBC/PBS series that has literally swept the US off their feet this past year: Downton Abbey. There are quite a number of Downton Abbey fans here at the shop, so we figured this would
be the perfect time to introduce a Downton-inspired color - just before Season 3 kicks off on January 6th (on PBS, it's already aired in the UK). Those of us who are fans are waiting with bated breath to find out what's
next in the compelling saga of Downton. The show centers around the Crawley family of which the patriarch is a British Lord and parallels storylines with the servants that work in their extravagant home, Downton Abbey.
The drama of Season 2, which takes place during WW1, ends with a Christmas episode, which is where the inspiration for this color came from.
The muted and refined palette of sage green, cranberry, pale turquoise,
steely gray and dusty eggplant all pay homage to the late Edwardian period of fashion in England when Downton Abbey takes place, and is the perfect color to segue into the exciting third season! Even if you aren't a Downton
Abbey fan, this color still embodies the spirit of the holidays and is the perfect addition to your LLE collection!
Great news, Downton Abbey was so popular, it is now a permanent color - available in
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Sport,
Shepherd Worsted,
Cloudgate,
Honor,
Solemate and
Sportmate!
November 2012 - Rusty Bucket
Like many of the Lorna's Limited Edition colorways, the choosing and naming of November's color was a team effort. This particular color combo was concocted by Sarah, one of our former shippers who moved to Idaho a few months ago.
We all miss seeing her around the shop (as well as her renderings of pop songs in opera), but every time we see her colorway, it reminds us of her smiling face! Inspired by her favorite season, autumn, Sarah chose shades that reminded her of the transition from summer to winter: faded orange-red, dusty maroon, pale pink and violet. When Cheryl saw the muted, harvest hues Sarah had chosen, her first thought was "rusty bucket".
A former fruit and nut farmer, and keeper of horses, pigs, ducks and chickens, sheep, cats, dogs, and any other animals the kids could think of, you'd better believe there were a lot of rusty buckets lying around Cheryl's barn!
Sarah's colorway instantly conjured up the image of all those rusty buckets. Once Rusty Bucket was thrown out into the universe, the imagery was almost too perfect and the name stuck!
The simple, rustic tones of Rusty Bucket make it a versatile colorway that can be used for smaller one-skein projects - like the Churchmouse Turkish Bed Socks - or larger garments such as the Knitting Pure and Simple Neck-Down Swing Coat.
October 2012 - Election Yarns
Election day in the US is quickly approaching...can you believe it's almost November already? In honor of this once-every-four-years occasion, we've created not one but FOUR limited editions colors for October!
Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or None of the Above, you now have a special Lorna's Laces colorway to express your political persuasion...but more importantly, to make something pretty!
For example, one skein of Worsted is enough to make cozy hats for the Whole Family!
In the spirit of the election season, we thought it would be fun to run our own mock election. Each skein of the '12 October colors in both Shepherd Sock and Shepherd Worsted that sell will count as a "vote".
The color that sells the most in those two weights during the month of October will be declared the winner! We will keep a running tally on our home page until a winner is determined so you can keep a close eye as our mock election progresses.
These colors may be party-affiliated, but remember, it is the substance of the color that matters!
**Please note: this mock election is not affiliated with any political party and is not representative of the actual US elections - we're just having some fun!
September 2012 - Slushy Facial
The hit TV show, Glee, is back this September, and many of the gals here at the shop can't wait to plunk down for an hour to knit and enjoy some entertaining musical drama! As an ode to this guilty pleasure, the Lorna's Limited Edition color for September has been coined "Slushy Facial". Designed by Rachel, one of our purchasers and Glee enthusiasts, this color has a lot going on and is ideal for simple knits that really show off the sweet spectrum of orange, banana, blue raspberry, grape, and lime.
August 2012 - Runs with Horses
The August 2012 color was created by Shevawn, our resident desert explorer! She always seems to come back on Monday with some crazy tale of her latest adventure. One of her favorite places to backpack and camp is the High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail area in the Black Rock Desert. When she ventures out there, she rarely encounters another person but often sees wild horses! On one such trip with some friends, they stumbled across a herd of fifty while crossing a valley. In an attempt to avoid disturbing them, they moved upward to try and go around but suddenly the stallion charged her group. Shevawn and her pals had to run super-fast to get away but the stallion was right on their heels! The stallion finally backed off and Shevawn and her friends made it out safely, which earned Shevawn the nickname here at JBW (courtesy of Sandy), "Runs with Horses".
It's also the perfect name for this beautiful desert inspired color of cerulean blues, turquoise greens, dusty purples, and just a splash of heavy patina! What better way to end the summer than with a color celebrating travel, adventure, and the great outdoors!
July 2012 Special Edition - "London 2012"
In commemoration of the London 2012 Olympic Games, we came out with a very special Lorna's Laces color - "London 2012", available only in a limited amount in only three weights - Shephed Sock, Shepherd Worsted, and Honor. Fun, right? But that's not the most fun part! For every medal Team USA won in the Olympic Games, we dropped the price of each hank of the "London 2012" colorway! Here are the final results of "Medal Madness":
- for every gold medal the US won, we dropped the price by $.05.
- for every silver medal, we dropped the price by $.03.
- for every bronze, we dropped the price by a penny.
Of course, the US team stepped up their game this year and came out on top with 104 medals won! All three weights of "London 2012" came down in price by $3.46 and we couldn't be more proud of Team USA!
July 2012 - Dragon Baby
The year of the dragon has been a tremendous year for Jimmy Beans Wool and as we continue to grow, we've had the pleasure of watching some of our beans bring precious little ones into the world (three already this year)! Designed by Kathy (one of our jack-of-all-trade employees), this month's Limited Edition color is one of good luck in the year of the dragon! So, without further ado, we present "Dragon Baby."
To honor Kathy's mother-in-law, Eliza, and the birth of Kathy's first baby, we thought it only fitting to name July's Limited Edition color "Dragon Baby." Kathy wanted to create a color to honor her mother-in-law, Eliza, who has recently passed away. Alluding to Eliza's Chinese heritage, this month's color name derives, of course, from the year of the dragon and the ferocity, determination and mystical beauty (hence the jade) of Eliza - and all women everywhere. The year of the Dragon only comes every 12 years and is the only sign in the Zodiac that is a mystical, fairy tale creature, which is why it is seen as a sign of good luck.
Kathy brought together this rich color combination of red, gold, green and black to honor the traditional Chinese colors and their meanings. Reminiscent of Chinese New Year festivals across the world, "Dragon Baby" rings in luck with red, which plays a big part in New Year celebrations across the world. Blended with deep green (for jade), warm gold, and black, "Dragon Baby" embodies protection, luck, and prosperity. We hope "Dragon Baby" brings you luck in all your knitting and crocheting adventures!
June 2012 - Stitch Red
In honor of Jimmy's new book, Knit Red, we bring you June's LLE colorway! The bright reds represent the vibrant colors of a healthy heart, and that's what Stitch Red is all about!
Just in case you haven't heard the buzz already, Stitch Red is a growing campaign, started by our very own Jimmy (formally known as Laura Zander) and embraced by knitters, crocheters, local yarn shops, independent designers and yarn companies world-wide. The mission? To stick it to heart disease.
Several years back, Jimmy was shocked to learn that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S., more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. So, naturally, she wanted to do something about it. The idea started with a book (more on that later), but in true Jimmy form, it couldn't end there. So, she talked to as many designers, manufacturers, and LYS owners as she could. The result? This blossoming campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in women.
May 2012 - Tribute
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.
Whether or not you are a fan of The Hunger Games, this month's colorway is earning lots of oohs and ahhs already among the beans, and on our 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!
April 2012 - Wonderstone
Not only did one of our very own beans choose the savory colors that make up this colorway, but we also got to name it! That said, I'm excited to introduce you to this month's LLE color - Wonderstone! It certainly has a whimsical ring to it, doesn't it? Jenny, the fantastic designer and super fast shipper of this luscious colorway, left the name in our hands when she told us "I just chose some colors." Oh Jenny, I think we've done your color justice!
The warm volcanic rock feel of Wonderstone is the perfect blend of earthy tones and the quiet whisper of spring just around the corner and we're sure it will speak to many knitters this spring season.
March 2012 - Sea Turtle Dream
Here is what Tiffany had to say about this month's Limited Edition color!
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
February 2012 - New Beginnings
The inspiration for this month's Limited Edition color came from one of our Purchasing Team Beans, Amanda. Last year was a big year of transitions for her, both good and bad, so she designed this color to represent all of the "New Beginnings" that have come her way. The bold transition from dark charcoal and greys to bright candy pinks and cranberry reds represents all the good things to come.
We love how this color also ties in perfectly with National Heart Month and the introduction of our latest project, Stitch Red (don't worry - you'll read more about Stitch Red below)! Starting the Stitch Red movement and focusing on Heart Disease awareness has encouraged all of us to start new beginnings for ourselves - to become more active and live healthier lifestyles. In fact, "New Beginnings" represents something even bigger than just the Jimmy Beans community, it is hope that all of you will also be inspired to join us in our desire to live heart-healthy lives. Spread the word and start your "New Beginning" today!
January 2012 - Wings of Prosperity
Happy New Year! To help ring in 2012, we're excited to present this month's LLE colorway! Wings of Prosperity represents the growth and change we have all experienced in 2011. Most importantly,
it represents the hope that this coming year will be filled with enrichment and joy for us here and for each of you. With its warm fiery red and gold tones mixed with gorgeous
cooling of purples, this blend is a great welcome to 2012. Cheers to a new chapter!
December 2011 - Ribbon Candy
Whether or not you have ever tried its tasty namesake, December's LLE color, Ribbon Candy, is sure to add some sweetness to your holiday season. I have no idea how to make the real ribbon candy,
but for this colorway the recipe is fairly simple: Use a seasonal red and green base, blend with a fun splash of cotton candy pink and add just a touch of coal black for a
lovely contrast. Hand-dye it in your favorite Lorna's weight and voila! This dish is best served when added to hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters... pretty much any pattern you can think of!
November 2011 - Breaking Dawn
Ah, November - the month of family, chilly weather, and a whole lot of turkey. It's also the season of Hollywood movies vamping up (no pun intended!) and our resident Twilight fans -
Erika, Monika, Ailene, and Leanne - have been so excited for the third movie that we just had to dedicate this month's LLE color, Breaking Dawn, to them and their dedicated fandom!
This gothic-inspired colorway embodies the ambience of the final chapter with its intense colors: deep blood red, dusky purple, and a splash of chocolate brown. And, hey, even if you're sick of hearing about
the Bella and Edward saga, you won't be able to resist the magnetizing allure of this blend. We're calling it the darker version of Peppermint Mocha, without the pinks. Mmmm...
October 2011 - That's How We Roll
Two of our little beans, Sharon and Nicole, are running the San Francisco Women's Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society later this month and we just had to create a color in honor of their journey and the inspiration behind it! After eight months of hard training (most days, waking up at the crack of dawn to run and then coming to work!) - both mentally and physically - they are gearing up to be running 26.2 miles in one single day. Both fabulously fit ladies are running in support of Nicole's brother-in-law, who is 16 years old and currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. His ever-positive attitude is helping him push through - his motto is "That's How We Roll!", which we thought was a perfect name for this energizing color blend of tenacious greys, inspiring blues, and motivating magentas. Good luck ladies! All of us are rooting for your strong finish!
August 2011 - The Boy Who Lived
Whether you are a fan of Harry Potter or not, you have to admit that there is something about this series that has captured the fascination of millions across the world.
The complexity of this world mirrors our own, which is reflected in August's colorway. Many have found the tones of The Boy Who Lived within the illustrations of the hardbound books:
the burnt oranges, tangerines, amethyst purples, and springs greens all come together in such a way that screams "Magic"! However, this blend could be from any manner of inspiration,
like the green of the Quidditch pitch, the ginger hair of the Weasley family, and the purple ooze of goblin's blood (if goblins had purple blood, which I imagine they would)! Whatever
you see as the inspiration of this Limited Edition Color, it is exactly perfect for you and that is the perfection of magic. Any way you have it, The Boy Who Lived is a fantastic blend
of colors destined for needles and hooks itching for a fun project to create! All it takes is a dash of magic and a whole lot of imagination, and we have something truly extraordinary
in our midst.
July 2011 - He Who Must Not Be Named
We left it up to you to decide between He Who Lived and He Who Must Not Be Named for July's limited edition color and evil came out on top (by only a slight margin, of course)!
One of the most anticipated movies of all time, being released later this month, inspired this wickedly gorgeous color way. Okay, the last chapter of The Deathly Hollows probably isn't
the most anticipated movie for everyone but, at least for the Beans here, we've been pretty darn excited about it! Even for the Beans who aren't all a twitter about the adventures
of that particularly famous boy wizard, they still couldn't help falling in love with this bewitched blend of gloomy grays, treacherous teal, and chilling chartreuse. So, whether you're
itching to make something up to wear on opening night or you just happen to love the pairing of this color blend, you'll be sure to make this month a little more magical with every stitch!
We were so excited about a Harry Potter inspired color way that we wanted to mark this special occasion with a Limited Edition bonus: four extra color blends, inspired by the four Houses of Hogwarts
(how could we resist?)! Pick your favorite House or grab them all for a collector's edition set with our Sorting Hat Kit! Named for the trait of each House, we are proudly offering
Bravery, Ambition, Intelligence, and Loyalty in very small amounts of Shepherd Sock!
June 2011 - Endless Possibilities
June's Limited Edition color, Endless Possibilities, was created partly to commemorate our 10th year in business and partly to do something special for our latest catalog,
the hand-dyed edition. Endless Possibilities is a direct adaptation of the color wheel found in our logo but we also like to think of it as representing all the wonderful
personalities that make up our fun family here at Jimmy Beans Wool, from all the Beans found within our doors to all of you out there! Each of us seems so different from one another,
with our own tastes, interests, and personality quirks that make us...well, us! Yet, somehow, under that wonderful umbrella of fiber love, all of our individual differences mesh together
to make up a truely dynamic blend of color and charisma. With the sunny disposition of golden yellow, the warmth and love of deep red, the tranquility of ocean blue, the sophistication of
magenta and purple, and the balancing act of refreshing green, Endless Possibilities is a wonderful testament that even the most disparate of colors can magically blend together and come to life.
May 2011 - The White Witch's Lure
Let this month's limited edition color lure you into the temptation of spring with its invigorating floral blend of rosewater pinks, deep lilacs, luscious lemons, and just a splash of magenta for good measure. The White Witch's Lure was actually designed by one of our favorite former employees, who sadly parted ways with us a few months ago to pursue her Master's of Art and assistant teach. Amerique - our connoisseur of everything bright and cheery, 80's music, and unicorns - suitably gravitated towards this brilliant blend of colors simple because, well, in her words, "they are just so happy"! Originally entitled "Turkish Delight", we couldn't help but resist appreciating the link between this particular sweet and one of our favorite fantasy series of all time (next to Harry Potter and Twilight, of course), The Chronicles of Narnia. I'm sure you'll remember the signature scene in the first book (and movie) where the Witch Witch tempts Edmund with none other than Turkish Delight! Thus, the "White Witch's Lure" was born and we're getting a toothache just looking at this delicious color-blend!
April 2011 - Royal Wedding
April's Limited Edition Color is our own little fiber tribute to the most popular wedding of the year between (yep, you guessed it!) Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Inspired by that stunning oval sapphire engagement ring William gave to Kate (which was actually the same ring his father gave to Princess Diana), we fell head over heels in love
with this impressive color, truly fit for royalty. Even if you're not too interested in the going-on's of the royal family, you still got to love the blend of this color-way. Containing
a noble spectrum of blues, everywhere from midnight blue and light royal blue to deep sky blue and powder blue, this dramatic color blend is the perfect choice for an elegant queenly
shawl, regal socks, or a dignified garment for your favorite princess or prince.
March 2011 - Symphony
This month's Limited Edition Color from Lorna's Laces is a homage to the reawakening of Spring through the eyes of a musician. March's color, Symphony, was inspired by the artistic musings
of our very own Kathy! A talented flautist (flute player), Kathy majored in music and was a high school band director in Texas before she became a Wizard of Wool here at Jimmy Beans.
When faced with the challenge of designing an original LLE color, Kathy called on her musical background for inspiration. Knowing spring was just around the corner, she decided to
compose a color that reflected both the colorful flow of a musical symphony and the beautifully orchestrated transition of winter to spring. She began with an organic foundation of
earthy browns for the underlying harmonies and added a glimmer of light with melodious golden hues. For emotional intensity and a breath of living color, an intense royal purple gives
Symphony spirited depth while the final boundless blue serenely brings this complex colorway together.
February 2011 - Festival of Love
Because February is the month of Love, it is also one of celebration! Not only do we show gratitude for our loved ones on Valentine's Day,
but we celebrate with eager anticipation the return of light and the resurgence of the spring months ahead. It is a time to rekindle our creative energies, awake from our
winter hibernation and begin to reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones. Festival of Love is a radiant celebration of this sustaining love that abounds everywhere with not only
our significant others but with our friends, family, knitting circles, and even the people we have yet to meet! I wanted this color to stand as a festive reminder that we can celebrate
love everyday of the year, not just one day out of the month! The invigorating blend of Valentine red, fiery golden and sunset orange hues, and just a hint of sage not only invokes
images of romantic candlelit nights with your favorite sweetheart but also gives meaning to the illuminating thread of love that connects us all.
January 2011 - Nicole's 1st Anniversary
The first color of 2011 is another "first": Nicole's 1st Anniversary!
Nicole is one of the gals at the shop responsible for speedily shipping your JBW packages to you, and she also happens to be one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet! Inspired by the
color scheme of her wedding, Nicole's 1st Anniversary is a rich blend of dark chocolaty brown and bright Tiffany's blue. When I asked Nicole how she came up with such a stunning, yet simple
color combination she told me she had no idea... but I'm guessing it had something to do with her excessive creative genius. Starting with a deep, velvety brown, one of her favorite
colors as well as the color of plain M&Ms (the favorite snack of Nicole and CJ, her husband), she stumbled upon a clear, vibrant robin's egg blue that accented the dark chocolate
beautifully. We are all thrilled with how well these colors translated into a Limited Edition color that is both elegant and versatile. Whether you are using it for a baby blanket,
socks or a lacy wrap, Nicole's 1st Anniversary is sure to result in a gorgeous finished project!
December 2010 - Sandy Clause
You better watch out (and start knitting!) because Sandy Clause is coming to town!
We did something a bit different this December and asked members of our Lorna's Limited Edition Fan Club
to choose this month's color! I think they did a fabulous job, don't you? Thank you to everyone who voted! We would also like to congratulate our very own Sandy who created this
beautiful colorway and Alyson Scott who came up with the exceptional name "Sandy Clause"! If you haven't joined our LLE Fan Club
on Facebook yet, we encourage you to do so! It's free and simple, all you have to do is click the "Like" button on our page! Members are privy to special events such as this contest, as well as drawings for free yarn and exclusive savings...
A bit more about Sandy Clause which, like every Limited Edition Color, has a story behind it! Before Sandy was handling yarn 24/7 (at home AND at work), she was a welder in California. Being a woman in that
profession can sometimes make for lonely work but her foreman, Roger Running Hawk, welcomed her into the fold immediately. They became good friends and ended up working several welding
jobs together over the years. Roger was a Sioux Native American and the inspiration for Sandy Clause came from traditional colors used in Sioux crafts and artwork that reminded her of
him.
December's color is not only a jubilant combination of turquoise, terracotta, cranberry and earthy brown, it is a reminder for all of us of the wonderful people that have become a part of our lives. These rich
holiday hues are a refreshing deviation from the traditional reds and greens that dominate this time of year. Whether you're knitting up a hat, sweater, or shawl, Sandy Clause is a cheery
choice to brighten up the winter months!
November 2010 - Caramel Pumpkin Latte
Fall and winter have the best seasonal coffee drinks of the year by far; eggnog lattes, peppermint mochas, chai cider... mmmmm, I'm getting a craving just thinking about it!
We at Jimmy Beans have found that specialty coffee drinks translate very well into limited edition colors (remember
Peppermint Mocha? Now it's one of our regular Lorna's colors!).
Knowing this, it seemed a no-brainer to create a Limited Edition Color after our favorite winter wake-up drink: Caramel Pumpkin Latte! Once a tasty treat only available from Starbucks, you can now knit
socks, sweaters, or even a cozy for your coffee in this delicious color!
October 2010 - Goblin
Gasp! The Goblin has arrived! Not the kind running around your neighborhood on Halloween, but October's Limited Edition Color from Lorna's Laces! A frightfully delightful combination of rich brown,
rusty brick red and sour apple green, Goblin evokes images of cherished fall phenomena from costumed tricksters to harvest festivals and mid-autumn leaves.
To be honest, when I hear the word goblin, I think of the Green Goblin from Spider Man (probably because it's pretty much the last movie that I've seen in a theater).
This month's Limited Edition color from Lorna's Laces aptly embodies the Green Goblin's supervillain costume color scheme.
As fall quickly approaches though, the color itself also conjures up images of caramel apples, maple trees halfway through their autumn costume change, and the
awesome pair of socks you could be knitting with a hank of Goblin. :)
We hope you'll be able to use your Goblin to knit up something fall-tastic for yourself or for the goblin in your life (i.e., Huck for me)!
September 2010 - Chocolate Mousse
One of our French enthusiasts here at Jimmy Beans, Leanne, is a devoted fan of Chocolate Mousse (or as the French would say, mousse au chocolat).
She maintains that there is nothing better than skimming small spoonfuls of the decadent dessert and savoring its rich creamy chocolate deliciousness.
If her description doesn't have you salivating already, maybe this will seal the deal : September's Limited Edition color from Lorna's Laces, Chocolate Mousse, is a luscious spectrum of browns ranging from of deep and vivid to light and airy.
Though not intentionally inspired by the hit summer flick, "Eat Pray Love" (starring Julia Roberts),
we couldn't help notice how well this color fit in with the movie: this color is a tribute to those moments when you just need to "let yourself go". Small indulgences, be they yarn or chocolate mousse, are so necessary in maintaining our sanity and we so often forget to give into temptation every now and again during the hustle and bustle of school starting, summer ending, and the everyday stresses life throws at us. This September make sure to treat yourself to something special!
August 2010 - Capital City
Welcome, Capital City! This month's color was inspired by my early days growing up in the nation's capital, Washington DC. For whatever reason, I thought that my dad played for the Redskins simply because he lived in DC... I remember returning from a trip to see him and telling everyone in my 5th grade class that he was a pro football player (which he wasn't). Too funny!
July 2010 - Eclipse
July is finally here which means summer is well under way, Jimmy Beans Bucks are out, and the newest Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color is here!
Eclipse is our homage to the lunar and solar phenomenon, but more importantly to the wildly popular Twilight saga;
the third book and movie of which share the name: Eclipse. Karla, Ailene and Leanne, our resident Twilight enthusiasts,
were thrilled to the point of tears and wild giggles at how perfect Eclipse (the color) embodies the essence of that epic story.
A smoldering union of smoky charcoal, velvety maroon and a twinge of dusty sapphire, Eclipse is nearly impossible to resist regardless of your feeling towards stories of vampires and werewolves, and is definitely a must-have for your next project or your stash ;) As stunning as its sister color, Twilight**, Eclipse is a magically versatile and unique color that is already flying off the shelves!
June 2010 - Honeymoon
Doug and I were married in September. September 9, 2000 to be exact. We took our honeymoon in September... skiing in Chile and windsurfing in Brazil.
It was amazing. In fact, if I close my eyes for long enough, I can imagine that the sunset over the ocean in Buzios wasn't too different
in color from this month's color.
So why didn't we wait to use this color in September? I guess I just don't know... maybe because the beautiful blue, rich yellow (honey!) and purple
reminded me more of a lazy June evening than a potentially snowy fall September night. Or maybe because this color
simply makes me want to curl up with a book under the blue sky and watch the beautiful flowers dance in the breeze.
And besides, who says that as we celebrate our 10th year of marriage (and our son's 1st birthday), we can't pretend that we're on our honeymoon all year long?!
Ok, ok. that last bit was a little too syrupy even for me. bottom line? I love the honey color in this month's colorway - and I didn't want to wait to knit with it until the fall.
what started out being a romantic story really just boiled down to me being selfish. and who says that marriage will change you?! xoxo - Laura
p.s. wanna see how it looks knit up? Sara has started pair of socks...
May 2010 - Mother Earth
It is the month of Mother's Day, and the Limited Edition Lorna's Laces color for May is named in honor of the mother we all share, Mother Earth. Although Earth Day was last month, we believe Mother Earth should be celebrated every day! An eye-indulgent combination of blues, greens and the hues in-between, Mother Earth's spectrum includes dusty tones of slate grey, olive green, periwinkle blue and a refreshing burst of bright jewel blue-green that really makes the compilation of luscious colors pop! If you mom doesn't happen to be a fan of the traditional pinks and pastels often associated with Mother's Day, this color makes a wonderful gift whether knit into a stylish pair of socks or as an addition to her stash. Mother Earth is perfect for the earth tone lovers who like to stray to brighter hues every now and again :)
April 2010 - Amber's First Kitchen
Shades of rose, chartreuse, and dark chocolate brown round out this month's limited edition color. This color is perfect for any project requiring bright and distinctive variations in color, especially with summer just around the corner!
March 2010 - The Grass is Always Greener
We've all been in that situation where "the grass is greener on the other side," and this month's color is dedicated to that melancholy feeling. Just in case you have only experienced the "greener side," here is the story of how we discovered this color's name. Laura, our fearless leader, was getting ready to travel on a journey of epic proportions to Stitches West as part of her never ending quest to bring the joy of fiber to everyone, everywhere. While talking with her good friend Kristen Muench, another crusader for the joy-of-fiber cause (also from Muench Yarns - the brains behind Touch Me, Big Baby and Family) about her upcoming vacation, Laura expressed her desire for a much needed vacation. Kristen responded with her wish that she could abandon her vacation and partake in the yarn-mazingness that is Stitches. They both laughed about Kristen wanting to go to Stitches and Laura wanting a vacation -both thinking the grass was greener on the other side... and lo! Another Limited Edition Lorna's color was born! The Grass is Greener is a less-than-melancholy flow of springy green (the other side) to cheery yellow to earthy brown (where you stand) and back to green suggesting that maybe you were on the green side the whole time ;) If you are looking forward to starting those summery project in vibrant colors but not quite ready to let go of the snow and/or cooler temperatures, this color is a perfect warm-up! The Grass is Greener sports warm, earthy tones with just a bit of zesty spring hues! (Written by Leanne)
Stitches West 2010 - Peppermint Mocha
We introduced this stunning (and wildly popular) color at Stitches West last weekend... and needless to say, 9 out of 10 people that saw our display of the color told us that it was making them hungry! Fitting, considering that on the way to the event we stopped at a Starbucks and were given samples of their new Dark Cherry Mocha. Yummy!
(This color was so popular that we decided to offer it exclusively in our Lorna's Laces collection and it is now permanently available in
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Worsted,
Shepherd Sport,
Solemate, and
Sportmate.)
February 2010 - Love Potion
This February's limited edition color, Love Potion, from Lorna's Laces, pays tribute to the month of secret admires and heart-shaped everything. Ranging from innocently pale pink to a passionate purple these optimistic tones bring bright warm-fuzzies to an oftentimes-dreary end-of-winter month. As I'm sure you're well aware, love potions are traditionally an easy - though often temporary way-- to guarantee that special someone will fall madly in love with you. When Laura first informed me that this month's yarn was named Love Potion, my first thought was to whom I would ensnare with my lovingly knit Love Potion scarf. My current crush is an extremely good-looking French exchange student in my chemistry class, and if I sit close enough it would be all to easy for me to slip it around his neck as he tries not to fall asleep in lecture and Bingo! I will definitely be spending my summer vacation in Paris with the new love of my life! Needless to say, I've already reserved two skeins for this endeavor! (Written by Leanne)
January 2010 - Twilight
Happy New Year - Welcome to 2010! Wasn't 2010 supposed to be a year in which we're all driving hover cars, eating food capsules for dinner and taking showers via a conveyor belt, just like the Jetson family did?! Well, instead of driving cars through the air, we're driving cars that plug into electrical outlets - and instead of eating capsules that taste like steak and mashed potatoes, we're drinking smoothies full of the day's calories and nutrition. The one thing that hasn't changed over the last 20 years? Our obsession with vampires! That's where the inspiration for this month's color came from: the Twilight movies and our teammate Karla's mild obsession with it (a diehard fan, she skipped sleep to see the most recent premiere at 3am!!).
To be honest with you, I've been holding on to my sample for quite a few months now... just waiting for the right time to release it (and for the right name to give it). Similar to the Black Purl but without the black, this colorway has the most gorgeous transition between colors that I have seen so far...i guess there is a fine line between purple and grey! Anyway, as soon as I showed my to Karla last month, I knew that this color would have to be dedicated to her - and to her love of Twilight. This has got to be one of the prettiest color combos we've ever had (and I'm not a huge fan of purple). I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
(This color was so popular that we decided to offer it exclusively in our Lorna's Laces collection and it is now permanently available in
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Shepherd Sport, and
Sportmate.)
December 2009 - Sugar Plum
A sugar plum is a piece of dragee candy that is made of sugar and shaped in a small round or oval shape. Sugar plums are widely associated with Christmas, through cultural phenomena such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker (Composed by Tchaikovsky), as well as the line "Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads," from "A Visit from St. Nicholas," better known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Sugar plums have also gained widespread recognition through the poem "The Sugar Plum Tree" by Eugene Field. The poem begins "Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree? 'Tis a marvel of great renown!"
November 2009 - My Favorite Fellas
Who are my favorite fellas, you ask?! They are the heart and soul of our business, the bright spots in our lives... they are
Buddy and Wiley - our SuperDogs (and best friends)!
For the last 7 years, their photos have adorned the website... the photos rotate - some are of buddy, some of wiley, and many of them together.
They are terrific and patient models and appear on the lower left hand side of many pages on the website
(the yarn home page, for example).
(And if you visit the shop, you'll see framed photos of them on the back wall!)
If you've got fellas of your own, then you can understand how important they are to us... and because of that, we begged and begged the girls
at Lorna's Laces to create a colorway that both honors and represents them. And i think they did a terrific job!
October 2009 - Trick or Treat
Ah, Halloween. It brings back memories. Back when i was a kid in Raleigh, my best friend Allison and I used to run wild, especially on
Halloween and Easter. Given the fact that there was an Kerr Drug in walking distance from our house,
Allison and I used to count down the days until the day AFTER those famous holidays. Why, you ask?
Because that's when all of the CANDY WENT ON SALE!!! The first day after Halloween would yield prices
at 25% off, 2-3 days later the prices would drop 50%, and eventually every piece of candy could be had for pennies.
We would go crazy. We saved up our kool-aid stand money (that's another story...) all summer for these super candy sales
(yes, we had limited parental supervision those days and consequently bought as much sugary candy as we could afford).
Anyway, I'll never forget those days... and the sheer happiness of knowing that we could get a bag of candy corn - or a peanut butter egg - for a nickel.
(Of course, to date myself, the McDonalds down the street sold ice cream cones for $.26: a quarter plus 1 penny tax.)
So, in honor of my memories of Raleigh - and in celebration of Huck's 1st Halloween season, we've come
up with a color that reminds us of the colors we saw while walking up and down the sale-candy aisles. We hope that these colors
remind you of your own youth. Trick or Treat!
September 2009 - Purple Mojito
Yes, we know Mojitos don't usually have anything purple in them
(something about a Grape Mojito sounds pretty interesting, don't you think?!), but the cool minty greens and serene lavenders in Purple Mojito are about more than what might be
an interesting summer cocktail!
Yes.. Summer is drawing to a close and my desire to hang on to the lazy summer nights is ever-increasing, yet
I'm already excited for the busy fall months and the holidays ahead (I think that's why September is one of my--and some of the girls in the shop's--favorite months!). Ashley and her now-husband Cory finished their yard just in time for
their backyard wedding last month, and now that life is returning to normal for them she says they've been enjoying evenings tending their garden and watching the sunset. Rumors
of a knit night on Sandy's deck have been circulating all week, and it seems there's always chatter about a barbecue or picnic on the weekends.
Needless to say, the inspiration for this month's color came from these sorts of end-of-summer rituals that
are just a little bittersweet as the seasons change, but more than anything help us all to recharge for the coming fall months. For September's limited edition color, we thought
we'd bring you along with us for just a moment: a barbecue with good friends (or a quiet evening knitting on the porch),
a refreshing drink (perhaps a mojito!) in hand, and the season's last few blooms of purple sage rustling in the wind.
August 2009 - Huck's Room
Ok, let's be honest. I think it's pretty safe to say that my favorite color is brown.
So much so that the girls at the shop constantly tease me about being obsessed with it
(maybe because 80% of my recent projects have been in shades of brown?).
So naturally, when it came time to choose the color for now 2 month old Huck's nursery, my vote was for shades of brown.
Don't get me wrong - I do like blue...really I do, but I just couldn't imagine an entire room
in shades it...and without any brown! Sure blue is supposed to be calming, but what about a crying
baby is calming, anyway (and believe me, this kid has lungs)? Needless to say, we settled on two
colors for his room: brown for the bottom few feet of the walls, and a light blue for the top,
separated by a jungle-themed border. We liked the color scheme so much,
we thought we'd share it with you in this month's color Huck's Room.
Maybe the combination of blues, browns, and in-betweens will be a common ground for you and say,
the person you're knitting for!
July 2009 - Rocket Pop
Just in time for the 4th of July, Rocket Pop is reminiscent of well... Rocket Pops! It makes me remember racing after the neighborhood ice cream truck with change in hand to pick up a rocket pop... ahhhhh, summer. The combination of natural, pewter, bold red, and powder blue are sure to make you want to knit well into the warm summer nights ahead!
June 2009 - Jimmy's Journey
Jimmy's Journey... the color this month represents my own recent journey that has simultaneously come to an end
AND just begun. After 10 months of playing "host" to
this growing baby, I'm more than overjoyed to reclaim my body (and my stomach!). And as a gift to myself (i guess they call it a "push present"?),
I developed the following colorway with the girls from Lorna's Laces... the perfect combination of colors
that I love (and that are just a little bit boyish - for the new boy in our lives).
Island Blue, lavender, blackberry, denim, and cedar green...all mixed together to create a shade that's
springy and refreshing - and just screams "new life!" I hope you enjoy it as much as I do ... and that you'll
forgive me this one month of Limited Edition self-indulgence. :)
May 2009 - African Violet
This month's limited edition color reminds me of the African Violets that my
grandparents grew indoors. Back in Springfield, Virginia, my grandmother and grandfather
had the most amazing outdoor garden... close to an acre of land devoted to cucumbers, peanuts, lettuce, beans and more. I'll
never forget the summers I spent as a child there - breaking beans, canning tomatoes, and playing pinochle in the basement!
Not only did they have the most amazing outdoor garden, but also an incredible indoor one. This is where
they grew plants like the African Violets. They were always so beautiful - and I
never could get over the fact that they flourished so well inside (and I was always fascinated by the
purple lightbulbs). Well, my grandmother passed away a number of years ago, but this particular grandpa
is still alive and kicking (now in Pennsylvania) - and I even saw a few African Violets in his windowsill
the last time i visited. This month's for you, grandpa. Thanks for the great memories (and for teaching me that
milk always tastes better with 2 ice cubes)! :)
April 2009 - Robin's Eggs
Robin's Eggs? Don't ask where that name came from, because I honestly don't know...
Maybe from the deep, deep desire to hear little birds chirping outside of my window?
Or maybe I'm just thinking of Easter candy - and remembering the Robin Eggs Malt Milk Candy.
Yum! Those were some of my favorite - and still are! Of course, i'd always try and eat the
hard coating off of the candy and then suck on the malted milk center until I rotted out
the inside of my cheeks. Yep - now that i'm looking online at photos of that candy, i realize
that those candies inspired the name of this month's Limited Edition color! Hot pink, a lovely blue,
a great green, and grey.... this is honestly one of my favorite Limited Edition colors ever.
It's just ... different. Doug even commented on how much he liked it! I sure hope you
enjoy it as much as we do.... and that you think of malted milk balls when you knit with it. I sure will!
March 2009 - Garden Daze
Gardening in March? Yeah, well... when we originally came up with this month's name,
the ground was dry, the skies were clear and the temperature hovered around 50 degrees.
Now the skies and the ground are white, the temperature has been stuck around 30, and
it feels like we've had snow fall every single day for 4 weeks... heck, the only thing
that's growing at my house are the icicles on the roof!! Anyway, after debating over various
variations of "mint chocolate chip" and "muddy leprechaun", Sandy wisely observed that the
greens in this month's color reminded her of the garden that she'd soon be attending to...
and that the chocolate brown reminded her of the dirt in which her hands would be submerged.
We started with "digging in the garden" and eventually ended up at "garden daze", which we
hope you enjoy! And let's keep our fingers crossed that the sun will come out and we'll all
be gardening soon :)
February 2009 - Simply the Blues
I know, I know... we were supposed to have an inspiring red or pink color for this month since February is all
about Valentine's Day, American Heart Month, and other "red" themed events. Well, we're not
going to. And here's why: One of the girls here has recently broken up with her
boyfriend - and has NOT been looking forward to spending V-Day all by her lonesome.
She says she has the blues, so we decided to swim upstream this month by offering "Simply the Blues"...
In honor of all of those women that are single during February and are sick and tired of being
inundated with images of red, wine, chocolate, and endless love - we've all been there!
This color is a few of the blue colors blended together: denim, pond blue, china blue...
call it the "Purple Club" or "Red Rover" of the blues...(Editor's note: I hope everyone realizes the lighthearted tone of the above
story - we aren't trying to rebel against the establishment or anything... just thought that we'd have a little fun with Blue this month!)
January 2009 - New Years Lights
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....Happy New Years (Lights)!
We were all counting down until January's color arrived in the shop.
It's reminiscent of parade floats and fireworks and it just plain makes me smile. For only being officially
into winter by a week or so we've had a lot of snow here in Truckee/Reno--one of the perks of living in the mountains, I suppose.
All this cold weather is, as Sandy always says, making me want to knit! Honestly, the bright colors in New Years Lights remind
me of the funky, intensely colored toe socks (usually with tassels, bows, bells or who knows what attached) that were popular in
my middle school years. I might just have to knit myself up a pair of toe socks (think knitting toes like knitting very small glove
fingers) to reminisce over the awkward years.
December 2008 - Boughs of Holly
Fa la la la la... la la la la... Those are the only words i can remember, except that i think "boughs of holly" might
be in the song somewhere. Yep - it's that time again: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day ... all of the
wonderful and colorful December holidays are coming soon! No matter what you celebrate (or what you don't!),
we can all benefit from a little extra light and color during these weeks of very little sunshine. I don't
know about you, but darkness at 4:30 just puts me into a funk. It's like WHAM! and all of the sudden i'm
literally in tears over a cup of spilt milk. But that's where knitting comes in... and i have to say that
this month's color (Boughs of Holly) is making me happier than most. The color simply reminds me of holiday
wreaths and stockings and the prepackaged sugar cookies at Safeway.
Hence the name, Boughs of Holly.
November 2008 - Taos Thanksgiving
Well, I've never been to Taos. Never spent more than a few hours in New Mexico, now that i think about it. (Actually,
after finishing school in houston, i drove my beat up Jeep Wrangler through N.M., en route to Pullman, WA for round 1 of grad school (round 2 was Penn State).
Grad School for what, you ask? Political Science and Sociology. And now i have a yarn store... go figure!).
Anyway, enough about me... let's get back to Taos.
I've seen pictures and heard stories of the place - and not a single one of them was negative.
In fact, all i've ever heard about the area is that it's simply breathtaking. Prettier than one could possibly imagine, they say.
So when Beth (from Lorna's) sent us the sample that would later be selected as this month's color, all of those
stories immediately came back to me. I could just picture the sun hitting the mountains, casting a reddish, rusty glow over the land.
And maybe i was hungry (or low on iron) when i saw the color, but i also couldn't stop thinking about Thanksgiving... and turkey.
Hence the name, Taos Thanksgiving.
October 2008 - Amber Rose
October brings all kinds of things - the changing of the seasons, candy corn in ridiculous quantities (you should see the stash on my desk!),
little ghouls and goblins gearing up for trick-or-treating, Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
and most likely a daily rendition of "Happy Birthday" to our favorite New Zealander - Amber - here in the shop.
This month's color is sort of a combination of the latter two, believe it or not. Amber Rose started as a joke, as
Amber wanted to pick October's color (and have the color named after her, of course!) for her birthday.
Then we got to thinking that, since her middle name is Rose, October might just be the perfect month for her to name the color.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is of course associated with pink, so after a little bit of color play, Amber Rose was created!
September 2008 - Gone Fishin'
What? It's September already??!! The passage of time never ceases to amaze me... One minute the streets of Tahoe are crowded with tourists on holiday around Memorial Day, then poof! - one second later the streets are full again - only this time it's Labor Day weekend. Where in the heck did all of that time go? It's a mystery to me, for sure. To be fair, i have heard that time speeds up as you get older... as an 8 year old, you've only been alive for 96 months, so a single summer constitutes 1/32 of your entire existence. Now that i've been around for 408 months (as of last week!), those 3 piddly summer months (1/136) are just a blip of time on the radar of my life so far. Crazy, isn't it?
What does that have to do with Gone Fishin'? Ha ha - not much (as usual), except that the name came to us (Jeanne gets full credit this time) as we were lamenting the fact that the summer has gone by so quickly... and we all wished that we could take a week off and spend it on the side of the lake, staring at the clear blue water - and maybe we'd just put a sign on the door of JBW that says "Gone Fishin'... We'll Be Back Later." Now that would be some great customer service, wouldn't it?! :)
So, no matter where these last few weeks of warm weather take you, make sure to have a few hanks of the Gone Fishin' in your travel bag... it's a fun new color packed with endless possibilities!
August 2008 - Hot August Night
What can you do with a Hot August Night??
Knit! That's what i'm going to be doing with my Hot August Night yarn... This month's Lorna's Laces Limited Edition color was named after the smoky night skies here in the sierras... With all of the smoke this year, the skies have turned intense shades of red, orange, purple, and brown - and we've tried to recreate the colors to the best of our abilities.
July 2008 - Fireworks
Let the Fireworks Begin!
Naturally the first thing to come out of my mouth when Beth from Lorna's Laces asked for a color name, this being July's color, was Fireworks.
When the girls at the shop first saw this color though, they all thought of popsicles -- you know, the ones off the ice cream truck that stained
our mouths neon colors in childhood. I'm a sucker for reminiscing, so I passed the new name on to Lorna's Laces. The color arrived today, labeled
FIREWORKS! It seems Lorna's Laces is just that efficient and they had already labeled the majority of the hanks before I got back to them! So if in all of this we've told you this month's color will be Popsicle, I'm sorry...but let the fireworks begin!
June 2008 - Blueberry Snowcone
The color is called Blueberry Snowcone because it reminds us of, well, summer snowcones! To be honest, I wanted to name it Blackberry Snowcone since it has so much purple in it (it has purple, periwinkle, bright blue and charcoal), but we figured that might be confusing since Lorna's already has a Blackberry color. Either way, the color is gorgeous and I'm excited to use it for a baby sweater set. Then I'll just have to find a little kid to give it to!
(This color was so popular that we decided to offer it exclusively in our Lorna's Laces collection and it is now permanently available in
Shepherd Sock,
Shepherd Worsted,
Honor,
Shepherd Sport, and
Sportmate.)
May 2008 - Becca's Last Day
The May color was designed by longtime Lorna's Laces employee Becca. Here's what she had to say about the color - and her experience at LL: "Leaving Lorna's Laces is bittersweet for me. It is hard to leave an environment that has become like a home. With the good friends, the bright colors, the dance parties and lots of memories it is hard to believe that leaving is the best option. But, sometimes you have to jump into change with both feet and trust that you will land safely. So, thank you to Beth and everyone else at Lorna's for nurturing me (and putting up with me) for the past three and a half years. I hope that you all like the color that I created, and I hope that it encourages you to jump into change with both feet."
April 2008 - Lily Pad
The April Lorna's Laces limited edition color Lily Pad makes us feel like playing leap frog to celebrate the beginning of spring! The colors are elegant yet still remaining fresh. Jeanne says that it reminds her of one of Claude Monet's paintings of the water lilies (in fact, we were thinking of naming it Monet's Meadow!)
March 2008 - Spring Forward
This month, the girls in the store sat down and picked out a few of their favorite Lorna's shades - and asked Beth if she could dye them all next to each other. Whisper, Sage, Sunshine, and Natural are joined together to create "Spring Forward" - our limited edition color for March. I personally love it!
February 2008 - SWAK
American Heart Month, Valentines Day, and lots of chocolate.... February makes me think of reds, browns, and all of the colors in between. This month's color SWAK (Sealed with a Kiss) is the perfect combination of all things sweet (candies, love, your honey, etc). Whether you choose to knit a pair of socks for the love of your life - or a shawl to keep your darling mom warm during the cold months - or even a simple poncho for your 2 year old - you'll adore watching the colors of red, purple, and deep brown blend together. So - have fun with this color - and have a terrific February!
January 2008 - Ice Storm
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go..." Well, maybe not everywhere, but at least it's snowing a ton here at my house. After skiing in the sunshine this morning, we returned home to snow and ice... and white skies. Yet just a few weeks ago I went for a run on the trails in shorts and a t-shirt! The lack of snow back then is what prompted us to come up with a yarn color that reminded us of snow and ice... maybe as our way of doing the 'snow dance.' And i guess it worked, cause it's been snowing all week long!
December 2007 - Golden Holidays
Ah, the holidays... traditional colors of red and green filling the house (well, not my house, but i have heard rumors that other people decorate their houses for Christmas, Hannukah, and other Winter Holidays!). This December, the creative geniuses at Lornas Laces have taken that red and green, softened them up a bit (think cedar and cranberry) and then added a touch of Gold. The result makes me giddy!
November 2007 - Autumn Leaves
For November 2007, we came up with the color Autumn Leaves! Remniscent of, well, Autumn Leaves... you can't go wrong with the shades of gold, brown, and rust.
October 2007 - Candy Corn
For October 2007, we came up with the color Candy Corn (our very own Jeanne came up with the name!). The color combination of orange and chocolate came about as a tribute to those who are fans of the Halloween holiday - and to those who aren't (hence the brown instead of traditional black). Personally, this color makes me think of those chocolate dipped orange slices, but it reminded Jeanne of her favorite October treat Candy Corn (without the white, obviously).
September 2007 - Cherries Jubiliee
For September 2007, we came up with the color Cherries Jubilee. With summer coming to an end, we find ourselves already missing those warm nights with ice cream in hand. I know the green in this yarn doesn't really have anything to do with ice cream, but the pinks and browns reminded us of that favorite ice cream cone. I hope you like it as much as we do.
August 2007 - Rainforest
For August 2007, we came up with the color Rainforest. Why Rainforest? Well, because Rainforests remind us of the tropics... and the tropics remind us of going on vacation... and August is the month for summer-ending vacations...
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