A fun way to sample new yarns

[magiccrochetfan]

Jimmy Beans Wool (an LYS in Reno NV that also sells online) has a fun subscription called Beanie Bags....every month you get a little cloth zipped bag with some yarn samples and some kind of notion, as well as a crochet and knit pattern to use the 15-20 yds of each yarn.  It's a great way to sample the yarns because you have enough to make a nice swatch and really be able to see how you like the yarn.  They just posted a video of the August bag, so i thought people might be interested to see it.  I really love one of the yarns this month, the Flax.  Well, I haven't swatched the others yet so I may love them too lol 

 

here is the video 

 

 

[Granny Square]

What a clever marketing idea, and also sounds like fun!  I saw that they also have a bigger beanie bag subscription (50 yard balls), too, but come with only a knit pattern ( for those that don't also knit).  I also like that they start with a short 3 month subscription, in case you change your mind...

[magiccrochetfan]

I haven't looked into the big bags very much---if I were to get whole skeins every month it would build up too quickly since I am so slow lol   With the little bags, it is just a swatch's worth so it doesn't feel like "I have all this yarn I don't know what to do with".  

 

For the little bags, you can just do a month to month sub which is what I've done.  So there's really not much commitment at all.  I love it because i like to sample diferent yarns and this is a very cost-effective way to do that.  

[Real Deal]

These are a nice idea!

[ReniC]

Great idea. A bead store I've purchased from did the same thing. Worked well for me so I could see if I liked the textures and colors for my bead projects.

Kathy- you come up with some of the neatest ideas to post about. Thanks

[magiccrochetfan]

Thanks evrybody, glad you like it!  

[Hookin Catluvr]

Thanks for the info. Think I might try it.

[magiccrochetfan]

Jill, it is fun, I hope you  like it as much as i do if you subscribe.  

 

i got my Sept bag today

 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

When I get these bags, I have always loved the tiny balls of yarn and just enjoy looking at them :yarn

There have been several I have gone ahead and swatched to see how I like working with the yarn and what kind of stitch pattern works well for it.  I haven't really felt like I wanted to make a finished object, because once I do that, I can no longer swatch and play with the yarn.  But in July we got really cute mini-skeins of a wool yarn https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/details/beanieBagsMonthly/bbJul16.asp  The colors I got were like a rainbow.  I didn't really want to swatch with it, and thought about giving it away---the only time so far that I have even considered giving the samples away!  But then i decided to go ahead and make something and ended up with this 

 

 

the pattern is http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/cloudy-dishcloth.html

(love the stitch diagram!!)  it was fun and very quick to make.  I did get slightly off count a couple times but it worked out.  i wantes to use every bit of the yarn so at the end I added sc all around.   Now I'm wondering how quickly it will felt just with being used and washed.  I think it will make a good mat to set hot dishes on, as long as they are not extremely hot.  

[Granny Square]

That pattern looks really cool with stripes!  

 

I'll have to try that pattern again, for some reason it wouldn't lay flat for me and I didn't feel like diagnosing the problem at the time.

[magiccrochetfan]

thanks, Granny Square!  I wouldn't have thought of doing it in stripes if i hadn't been looking to use this yarn.  I wanted to make each stripe in one color but there are 8 rows and 6 colors, and i wanted to use every bit of yarn so i just crocheted each color til i ran out.  

 

the centers of the spirals want to pop up a bit on mine but it's starting to full a bit so that is less noticeable.  

[PinkGlitter]

Ooh I will look into this! Sounds more exciting than getting make up samples every month Lol

[magiccrochetfan]

Now that it's gotten cold here and the days are so short, I was really happy to get my little "Christmas present to myself" in the mail 

The colors this month are so pretty!  

 

 

 

here's the yarn descriptions https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/details/beanieBagsMonthly/bbdec16.asp

 

My Mrs Crosby are the pink and yellow, and my Berroco are the multicolor and the aqua.  

[Hookin Catluvr]

I have enjoyed getting these little bags of yarn.  Some very interesting yarns, and I love the little bags themselves!

[magiccrochetfan]

Hey Jill!  it's fun, isn't it?

 

Did you hear about their situation with the flood in Reno?  They had to move everything out of the warehouse, 20,000 square feet if i remember right.  They've been posting about it on Facebook.  then they moved to a new warehouse out of the flood plain.  And after all that I got my shipping notice today.