New Take Me Out To The Ballgame Colorways are out!

Hi Everyone!

We've released a new line of colors called "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". They're really fun!

The first one we did was "Hooray for Shea"!! (for the NY Mets, my favorite team!). Here it is:

Love it!

Now you can vote for your team to be done next! Just go here: http://www.j-knits.com/New.html and scroll down to the bottom to vote..

Have fun (and knit safely)...

Julie

J. Knits

www.j-knits.com

It's all a BUZZ... Spring 2010 is almost here!!

Hi Everyone!

Well, now that Spring 2010 is almost here (once we get past Winter 2009 of course!), there's a ton of stuff going on @ J. Knits...

First of all, our latest podcast has been out there for a couple of weeks. It's Episode 7: Fashion Knitting Trends and you can get it for FREE by clicking HERE! Alison and I talk for a little while longer than usual, but it's funny and informative so grab your (large) knitting project and have a listen!

Speaking of the podcast, we have a new section called "Ask The Expert". You can ask any question knitting, dyeing, design or relationship related (joke! Have to listen to the latest podcast for the silly exchange about that!). If we pick your question, you can choose either a FREE skein of yarn or pattern from the line.

To submit your question, email it here: asktheexpert@j-knits.com. Questions will be read aloud and answered during the podcast!

Have an idea for a subject you'd like covered in one of our broadcasts? We'd love to hear what you want to know more about! Submit your subject idea to: info@j-knits.com and we might choose it as one of our newest ramblings (of course they are ramblings filled with useful information!).

Something else new on the homefront is that we are now beginning to offer J. Knits Patterns for sale on our website! All patterns are available for immediate download. I've just started to upload patterns there so keep checking back for the newest additions. Eventually they all will be on there. Here's where to find the catalog of our patterns: http://j-knits.com/Patterns.html

While you are there, you might notice a new line of patterns called "Patio Knits".

Those patterns are new and are being published under my new personal pattern line under my own name. Patio Knits Patterns will still feature all J. Knits Yarns and will be available for sale through the website too.

Here's one of my newest designs called the Flutter Cardigan Set:

This one is already for purchase off the patterns page I noted earlier.

I have a lot more to tell you too but I'll save it for the next blog post. I've made an early New Year's Resolution to keep this blog much more current than I have been.

But between J. Knits Website: http://j-knits.com/

The podcast: http://jknits.libsyn.com/

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/j-knits-on-ravelry

Twitter: #JKnitsYarns

and wherever else you might find me, my life does tend to get a little crazy!

Enjoy your knitting and as always...

Have Fun & Knit Safely (in the snow and ice which will be coming soon!),
Julie
J. Knits
http://www.j-knits.com/

PS - I keep messing around with the blog layout until I find one I finally like! Working on it but don't be surprised if you come back one day and it's all different again!

I TWEET therefore I am!

Good Morning!

This is just a quickie post to update you on a few things...

1. After much peer pressure, I'm on Twitter! Here's my Tweet Name: @JKnitsYarn. I'm sure you Tweet-a-holics can take it from there :). I will be posting news about J. Knits there first before either on Ravelry or here. If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow us there.

2. Very shortly ALL J. Knits Patterns will be available through our website. There has been a lot of interest from our customers about being able to get the patterns immediately so I'll be working on that in the next week or two. I'll let you know when they are all available for download. Of course you can still get the patterns through your LYS (and I encourage you to buy from them first if you can find the pattern you want) but if not, you can get them as either a download or hard copy from us.

I've got the Spring 2010 line (which comes out in November) just about completed! I've got some surprises for you but you'll just have to wait a bit longer for that info..

HAPPY KNITTING!
Julie
J. Knits
www.j-knits.com

New Podcast, New Designs & More!

Hi Everyone! Hope you are having a nice, knitty Summer (or Winter depending on where you’re located J).

First things first – Podcast 6 has been uploaded. Alison was nice enough to return and poddy with me again and it was great to have her back! Alison is a friend and AWESOME knitwear designer. If you listened to the last podcast, you got to know a little about her but I’ll give you a little summary: She’s been published in a lot of places including Knitty, Vogue Knitting Books, Mason-Dixon Knitting, Interweave and a lot of other places I’m sure I’m forgetting right now! She’s so talented and one of the most knowledgeable knitting people I know! You can check out her website (and hopefully buy some designs from her too!) here: http://www.alisongreenwill.com/pages/main.htm I will be knitting her newest design Inara as soon as I can decide on a J. Knits Yarn and a colorway! I love the color she chose for the sample and we have one that’s similar (Newburyport) so I might just use that! Check her site out when you get a chance!

Meet a new little friend of mine:

Don’t be scared! We discuss this little guy in this podcast as my Dyer’s Fun Fact. Listen to learn why part of him is blue!

Here’s a new design that just came out:

It’s our Easy Does It – V Neck Sweater and it uses our new Wash Me – Superchunk Yarn. It’s a quick knit and so very soft…

I have a little bit of news about my designs going forward but I’ll save that for the next post (and I promise to get that to you shortly….).

As Always…

Have Fun & Knit Safely,
Julie
J. Knits
www.j-knits.com

Poddy 5 Has Launched!

Hi again all!

It's finally Spring here in New England! So, that being said, I've decided to celebrate by changing up the blog a bit. I love the new flowers header at the top of the page... It's so Springy!!

Poddy 5 Has Launched! I'm so excited because we have a guest for this one!

Meet designer Alison Green Will and learn about her new patterns and other design ideas floating around in her world...

You can get it here: http://jknits.libsyn.com/ or on iTunes...

Enjoy!
Julie
J. Knits
http://www.j-knits.com/

(and, oh yeah! Have Fun & Knit Safely!)

New J. Knits Website is coming along nicely....

Hi-Ho fun, happy, J. Knits Knitting Friends...

How are you all? I hope the summer (although it might be rainy and dreary right now in your neck of the woods) is treating you nicely.

How's your knitting going? What are you working on now that the weather has gotten hotter?

I actually have several things on the needles right now: socks, 2 different sweaters, a shawl, my sock yarn blankie and maybe 1 or 2 other things that are waiting for time to be worked on :)

Do you find that you knit more or less in the summer? It's up in the air for me. I think I knit about the same all year long although maybe a little less in the summer since I spend some time gardening in the summer too :). Gotta have those fresh veggies!

I Square Foot Garden. Here's a photo:

Basically, you plant in 1 foot x 1 foot squares. I know it sounds a little unorthodox, but it's not. It's a space saver and the veggies grow great! I always have a very prolific garden with minimal effort when I garden this way...

Ok, back to knitting and other stuff!

We've had a new poddy since I spoke to you last. Here's the link to poddy 4.5:

http://jknits.libsyn.com/

or you can get it on iTunes if you prefer! It's an in between poddy bridging the gap between poddies 4 & 5. Hope you likey (like Mikey!!).

Also, I've been hard at work on the web page with updates and with putting into work the new layout. It's coming along, but a little more slowly than I'd like. I do all the work myself from photos to layout so each time I revamp it, I think it really take a huge leap forward!

Here's a link to the web page:

http://www.j-knits.com/

and from there, be sure to visit the new yarn page where you'll get to see all these new little beauties:

Showing the yarn in this new way makes the page easier to navigate (and digest!) and, well, HECK! It's just prettier too :). Enjoy it. I liked messing around with the new yarn photos!

Hope all is well in your busy life! Keep in touch and until next time...

Have Fun & Knit Safely!

Your Knitting Friend,

Julie

J. Knits

http://www.j-knits.com/

Spring Is A Time For Rebirth!!

Hi Everyone!

Did I ever mention how much I LOVE Spring? It's my favorite season by far. Not only is it a fantastic time for rebirth outside, but inside too :).

I had a chance to sit down with some old girlfriends this week. It was so nice to see everyone again! Between work, kids, new babies, new jobs, lost jobs, it was hard to get everyone together. But once we did finally meet up, it was just like old times! We enjoyed knitting and beverages, and funny stories (and some sad ones too...) but it did make me remember how much my true friends mean to me! I know despite the situation, they're always there for me (and vice-versa!). It was wonderful to catch up, get some advice, give some advice, and knit! We promised once a month meetings and I'm really looking forward to them!!

Good friends are so hard to find. When you have one, make sure you let her know that she means a lot to you!

If you've lost touch with a good friend, now is the time to reach out to them! Times are tough for everyone right now but it's amazing how important good friends are. Give her (or him!) a call and tell them you're thinking about them!

You know already how much I love flowers, and gardening and the like. I am pleased to announce that the bearded irises I planted last year are coming up like crazy! Bearded irises are just about the only irises that can stand the cold New England winters. This was the first year they had to grow, and I already have BABIES! I can't wait to see what the flowers look like!

And my 2 types of strawberries are coming up too...

I'm having fun knitting for ME right now :). It doesn't get to happen that often, and I revel in the times when I can pull out some obscure project that isn't work-related and begin working on it again!n I don't have much to show you on that front yet but I'll post when I get a little more knit for you to see :)

Oh yeah! It's Fall 2009 here at J. Knits too... Can't forget about that!!

Here's the first of a couple of posts showing you what's new around here (if you can't quite see the whole image, click on it and it will open in a new window so you can read it all!~):

To see everything that's new right now, click here!

And, just to let you know, there's going to be a sizable online store opening up shortly that will carry all J. Knits Products (yes, I said ALL!) so you can find them if your LYS doesn't carry them.

Have Fun & Knit Safely!

Julie

J. Knits

http://www.j-knits.com/