Medal Madness with Jimmy Bean’s Wool and Lorna’s Laces

Everybody’s a little giddy about the Olympics this year, and the folks at Lorna’s Laces and Jimmy Beans Wool have teamed up with a special yarn at a special price that will have us all shouting “USA! USA!”

Lorna’s Laces has made up a special London 2012 colorway that’s available in Shepherd Sock, Shepherd Worsted and Honor yarns. It’s a lovely colorway that includes all the colors of the Olympic rings.

Purchase the yarn now and it will ship after the Olympics. The price that is listed (ranging from $19.67 for the worsted to $23.67 for the others) is not actually the price you will pay because the price goes down every time the United States wins a medal.

For each gold, the price goes down 5 cents, while it drops 3 cents for a silver and a penny for a bronze. As I write this we’ve got three golds, five silvers and four bronzes, which would knock 38 cents off the price if I can do my math right. No one will actually be charged for the yarn until the Games are done, but it is a limited addition colorway so if you want to get it on your needles, order now while there’s still some available.

This is such a fun idea! Have you been watching the Games? Sadly I’ve only seen a snippet of the parade of nations so far; I guess that’s what happens when you’re trying to limit your toddler’s TV intake! I do hope to catch some today, with needles in hand!

[Photo by Lorna’s Laces/Jimmy Beans Wool.]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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