Jimmy Beans Wool Buys Madelinetosh

Jimmy Beans Wool, which started as a coffeshop and yarn store in the early 2000s, has positioned itself as a major player in the online fiber world, selling yarn and notions as well as acquiring companies that produce quality goods for fiber lovers.

In years past they have purchased bag makers Namaste and Della Q, and they just announced the purchase of indie yarn giant Madelinetosh.

“Yarn is such an important part of Jimmy Beans’ DNA and with the addition of Madelinetosh, it feels like a match made in yarn heaven,” Jimmy Beans founder Laura Zander said in a press release. “We’ve been carrying Madelinetosh yarn for years, and to see what Amy and John have created is remarkable. Their eye for color and ability to take dyeing from their kitchen to becoming the largest hand-dyer in the country is just incredible.”

For now Madelinetosh will continue to operate in Fort Worth, Texas, while Jimmy Beans operations are based in Reno, Nevada. According to an FAQ on the Jimmy Beans site, individuals will still be able to order Madtosh yarn from either website, though inventory on the Jimmy Beans site will reflect what they actually have in stock in Reno while orders made through the Madtosh site will be made to order and will take longer.

It will be interesting to see how this partnership evolves. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Jimmy Beans Wool.]

The butterfly on this piece — the Owl Butterfly Playmat by Sophie’s Stitches — caught my eye before I even knew what the project was. Now that I’ve give it a closer look I’m still not 100 percent sure what it is meant to be for, but I still love it.

I think it’s maybe to give you a flat surface to roll dice or play cards on, but there are no images of the project in use so I’m just speculating on that. If you know what it is, be sure to let me know!

What it physically is is a worsted weight mat (the sample is worked in cotton) that measures 14 by 24 inches, or 35.5 by 61 cm. The impression I get from the pattern notes and the photos is that you knit the rectangle plain and the butterfly is stitched on after using duplicate stitch, which is provided as a chart.

Of course you could choose to knit some of the colorwork as you go, either using stranded knitting or intarsia techniques, or maybe some of both. It just looks like a lot of duplicate stitch (and it is!) so knowing me if I were making this project I’d probably try to knit some of it instead of stitching it all.

The pattern also suggests that you can knit a second plain mat to sew on the back and cover up all the yarn ends, as well as making the mat thicker and a little more stable. There’s also a photo that shows fabric sewn to the back, which is also a good option if you have some fabric that has a bit of grip.

I like the graphic on this one enough I might just make it as a table pad for our entry way table. You can always make the mat part a different dimension, just make sure you’re centering the image if you do.

You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Sophie’s Stitches]

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