We Have a New Friend!

Meet our newest Stitch Red partner, KnitCrate!

KnitCrate is a one-of-a-kind subscription service: when you sign up for monthly or bi-monthly deliveries, you get a package full of yarn and goodies - including a few special surprises! - with each mailing.  You can choose between several options, including knit or crochet, and different yarn categories like sock, baby, and indie, which includes specially hand-dyed yarn from indie dyers.

Now, as part of the Stitch Red Campaign, the geniuses behind KnitCrate, Joe and Andrea Raetzer, have created a special Stitch Red item: the Cross My Heart Water Bottle Kit!  The kit includes an exclusive pattern by Libby Summers, 2 hanks of Be Sweet Whipped Cream yarn in a gorgeous red color (also a Stitch Red product!) and Be Sweet Mohair yarn to make a knitted ribbon for the top of the water bottle cover, a 1-liter size Fashy water bottle in an adorable heart shape, and a few other fun extras!  And, they'll donate at least 5% of gross profits to preventing heart disease with Stitch Red and The Heart Truth(R).

Head on over to the KnitCrate site and check them out - and have fun while supporting a great cause!

~Heather

Witness the Fitness, Part 2!

Welcome back, friends!

We're in full swing with our Jimmy Beans Wool Fitness Challenge, and I must say I am SO proud of all of the employees participating.  Whether they're walking, biking, swimming, or just moving around more, everybody has made a great effort and we're all keeping up with our goals.  In fact, after two weeks, we have a 92% completion rate for our fitness goals!

Many of the Beans chose walking as their fitness activity!

For several reasons, many of us chose to walk for exercise.  It's easy to do, can be done almost anywhere, and does not require special equipment or preparation other than comfortable shoes.  We have even started a lunchtime walking brigade: several of us walk twice around our block of warehouses together, which takes about 25 minutes and covers about a mile and a half!  It's a convenient way to get that daily exercise in and enjoy some sunshine at the same time.

Walking provides many health benefits, such as strengthening bones and muscles - including your heart! - burning calories, and improving your mood.  You don't have to walk for long periods to gain results; you can even split up your walking routine into segments of shorter duration (say, 3 different periods of 10 minutes each) and reap the same benefits as if you'd walked the total time all at once!  That means those short walks - taking the dog out in the morning, walking down to the mailbox, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work - really add up!

We use a low-tech board at work to keep track of our progress.  It's not beautiful, but it's effective!  We keep it at the front of the warehouse where we hold our morning meetings each day so that we can all see it and be motivated by everybody's progress.  So far, it's really working and as you can see, almost all the boxes have been checked!

Way to go, Beans!  Keep up the good work!

~Heather

Local Doctor and Yarn Store Join Forces to Craft Healthy Hearts

Unique Knitting Event to Educate Women About Their Risks for Heart Disease  

Reno, Nev. (February 28, 2012) – Doctor Grant Anderson of Vascular Health in Reno and Jimmy Beans Wool, local retailer of yarn and fabric with a strong online presence, are coming together to educate women about their risks for heart disease and what steps they can take to live a longer and happier life with Stitch Red Knit Night. The free event will take place on Tuesday, March 6^th at 6 pm and is part of an ongoing educational series focusing on heart health hosted monthly at Jimmy Beans Wool’s retail location at 1312 Capital Blvd. #103 in Southeast Reno.

Stitch Red Knit Night is part of a high-profile nationwide heart disease awareness campaign, Stitch Red, founded by Jimmy Beans Wool and supported by a majority of manufacturers and retailers in the Needlearts Industry. The campaign is driving efforts to draw attention to heart disease, help women understand the risk factors for the disease and encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles so they can protect their heart health.

“Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States and the Needlearts industry is made up of 98% women, so we need to draw attention to this deadly illness and help make the fiber community and women everywhere aware of their risks and informed on how to lead healthier lives,” said Laura Zander, owner of Jimmy Beans Wool.

Dr. Anderson’s mission is to prevent heart attack and stroke for his patients by early diagnosis where risk isn’t apparent. He combines his knowledge of vascular health with cutting edge equipment to assess a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease and diagnose Atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries and can lead to heart attack and stroke. He does this by performing tests such as the Carotid IMT, Endopat, Central Aortic Pressure Test and MCG amongst others. Depending on results from these tests, Dr. Anderson develops a treatment plan tailored to the patient’s specific needs.  

“Women present differently for heart disease than men,” said Dr. Anderson. “It is my mission to identify women who are in jeopardy of the disease by using these risk assessment tools and help them become aware of their heart health and understand what steps they can take to prevent a heart attack or stroke.”  

Attendees of the Stitch Red Knit Night will be able to preview and purchase official Stitch Red products for which a percentage of gross profits will benefit the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) in support of The Heart Truth^®, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). For more information about the Stitch Red Knit Night and to reserve your spot, please call 775-827-9276 or email info@stitchred.com.

About Stitch Red

Stitch Red is supported by a majority of manufacturers and vendors in the Needlearts industry who are creating unique Stitch Red products for which a percentage of gross profits will benefit the FNIH in support of The Heart Truth^®, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the NHLBI. Additionally, Jimmy Beans Wool has written a book, Knit Red, which features 30 celebrity designers sharing patterns and personal stories and will be released in June of 2012. Stitch Red Knit Nights are being hosted by Jimmy Beans Wool and other local yarn stores across the country. A percentage of gross profits from Knit Red and Stitch Red Knit Nights will also benefit FNIH in support of The Heart Truth^®. 

About Jimmy Beans Wool

Jimmy Beans Wool is a yarn and fabric retailer offering knitters, crocheters and sewers worldwide a comprehensive selection of the finest yarns and fabrics along with the latest fashion trends. As a market leader in its multi-billion dollar industry, Jimmy Beans Wool takes an innovative, unparalleled approach to marketing. It is the first-ever official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing and is responsible for the national industry-wide Stitch Red campaign against heart disease in women. The store has been awarded an excellent rating from StellaService for its outstanding customer service reputation and has been named three times to the Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine's List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S. It has also been featured on CNN, NPR, Forbes and in the New York Times.

About The Heart Truth^® Campaign
The Heart Truth^® is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease and is sponsored by the NHLBI, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Through the campaign, the NHLBI leads the nation in a landmark heart health awareness movement that is being embraced by millions who share the common goal of better heart health for all women.

The centerpiece of The Heart Truth is the Red Dress, which was introduced as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 by the NHLBI. The Red Dress reminds women of the need to protect their heart health, and inspires them to take action.  To learn more, visit www.hearttruth.gov.

® The Heart Truth and The Red Dress are registered trademarks of HHS. Participation by Jimmy Beans Wool, Dr. Anderson and Stitch Red partners does not imply endorsement by HHS/NIH/NHLBI.

Love is in the air...

It certainly is today. Not just because it's Valentine's Day, but also because we are feeling so much love from amazing designers, manufacturers and retailers around the country who are supporting the Stitch Red campaign to stick it to heart disease. Today, we are reminded to show love to those we care about the most. We must also remember to show love to our own hearts, today and every day, and do all that we can to take care of them. To find ways you can give love to your heart and prevent heart disease click here.  




Now, let's see how some of our Stitch Red partners are showing their love for healthy hearts...  



First, you can't miss this sneak peek of a gorgeous pattern by Kieran Foley that will make its debut in the Knit Red book coming out this June. The yarn used is Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace.  The talented Sandy at Jimmy Beans Wool did an amazing job knitting the sample you see here. In fact, that's Sandy to the left modeling the beautiful piece!  

Also debuting today is the free pattern for this super cute Healthy Heart Hat by Meg Myers. It's made with Classic Elite Yarns' Stitch Red product, Magnolia, and can be downloaded here. Tiffany from Jimmy Beans Wool talks about this lovely hat and what her plans are for Heart Health Month in Classic Elite's Web-Letter that came out today.

With happy hearts, we at Stitch Red wish everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day and every day the best in heart health!


 - xoxo
  

What Stitch Red Means to della Q

Heart disease? 

I am an active person who eats fairly healthy. I shouldn't have to worry about heart disease. After starting to work on the Stitch Red campaign, I suddenly remembered that my grandmother had some sort of heart issue. What was it? I called my mother to learn more. Yes, she died of congestive heart failure. Do I need to worry? Maybe - if I stop exercising or eating less healthy. I need to remember this when I am thinking of skipping one too many yoga classes or eating too many dinners comprised of nachos. We all have times of less attention to physical fitness or a healthy diet. The key is to get back on track. Thank you Stitch Red for encouraging me to have a conversation with my family and physician.

Developing a Stitch Red product was a no brainer for della Q. Our popular cotton drawstring bags were shouting out to be a part of Stitch Red. Do you have your knitting in a Ziploc® bag? Why? You have a beautiful project in the works. Does it not deserve to be stored in something fun and beautiful? Our popular cotton print drawstrings and Edict drawstrings with cheeky knitting sayings allow you to store and manage your projects in a beautiful bag. Get rid of your plastic bag, store your current project in a della Q Stitch Red bag and fight heart disease.

My heart healthy tip? 

Get outside! Too many of us leave our house through the garage, park in a parking garage and fail to breathe fresh air during the day. Too cold or too rainy? There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Get a rain-proof jacket, a hat and a pair of boots. Walk to lunch, walk to the grocery or your friend's house. Get a dog that requires you to walk. Lucky keeps me walking every day!

What gets my heart racing?

My heart loves the outdoors.

My heart loves the color red. Really!

My heart loves red wine. It's good for your heart, right?

My heart loves nachos. Oh wait, I do love them, but my heart doesn't!


- Della Quimby

Cooking for your Heart: Yosemite Chicken Stew and Dumplings

I love to cook. No, I mean, I really do love to cook. The process, the satisfaction of a home cooked meal—there is nothing else like it in my mind. I'm an especially big fan of cooking everything from scratch. No short-cuts for this girl!

The main reason I make everything from scratch is all of those pesky ingredients on the labels of so many foods. They often contain so many un-pronounceable words, tons and tons of additives and preservatives, and more sodium then anyone really needs. That's why to me it is so worth it to take the time to cook from scratch when the result is food that tastes amazing, and is so much better for your heart.

My family learned the hard way when at 52 years old, my father was told that he needed a quintuple bypass surgery. His doctor told him that if he didn't drastically change his lifestyle, particularly his eating habits, he would not to be around to see his children get married or meet his grandkids. His own father (my grandfather) died of a massive heart attack at the age of 59 and never lived to meet his grandkids, so naturally this was a huge wake up call for him and my whole family. We immediately started to make changes in the way that we ate and as a result, my father is healthier now than he was 10 years ago when he had his surgery. He was there when my brother and I graduated college, got engaged, married and bought our first homes. (No grandkids yet, but we keep telling him there is no rush since he's going to live to be 100.)

So, with my family's history of heart disease in mind, I am always on the hunt for heart-healthy from-scratch recipes. Naturally when I found out that The Heart Truth has a recipe resource online and a cookbook, I had to check it out! Now, once a week I will be sharing my adventures in the kitchen with you and cooking up some heart-healthy goodness!

This week's recipe was inspired by a friend of mine who visited us last weekend. She teaches kids about nature and science in Yosemite National Park, so when I hosted a potluck in her honor, I thought Yosemite Chicken Stew & Dumplings would be the perfect dish to serve. It was absolutely delicious! The cornmeal dumplings really did make it the perfect meal, and with very little oil or salt, it was a super healthy and nutritious too! Here's how you make it (I made a few substitutions which are noted with an *, I also made a double batch to serve 12):

Yosemite Chicken Stew & Dumplings (serves 6):

Ingredients:

For the stew:

-1 lb skinless, boneless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

-1/2 C onion, coarsely chopped *(Used 1 whole small onion—about ¾ cup)

-1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced *(I doubled the carrots)

-1 stalk celery, thinly sliced *(I doubled the celery)

-1/4 tsp salt to taste black pepper

-1 pinch ground cloves

-1 bay leaf

-3 C water

-1 tsp cornstarch

-1 tsp dried basil

-1 package (10 oz) frozen peas

For the cornmeal dumplings:

-1 C yellow cornmeal

-3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour *(I used whole wheat)

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 C low-fat (1%) milk *(I used Soy Milk)

-1 Tbsp vegetable oil *(I used Canola oil)

Directions:

For the stew:

1. Place chicken, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan.  Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain broth.
3. Skim fat from broth; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid.
4. Mix cornstarch with 1 cup cooled broth by shaking vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Pour into saucepan with remaining broth; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
6. Add basil, peas, and reserved vegetables to sauce; stir to combine.
7. Add chicken and heat slowly to boiling while preparing cornmeal dumplings.

For the dumplings:

1. Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix together milk and oil. Add milk mixture all at once to dry ingredients; stir just enough to moisten flour and evenly distribute liquid. Dough will be soft.
3. Drop by full tablespoons on top of braised meat or stew. Cover tightly; heat to boiling. Reduce heat (do not lift cover) to simmering and steam about 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings--Serving size: 1-1/4 cup stew with 2 dumplings

Each serving provides:

Calories: 307
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg
Sodium: 471 mg

Happy Heart Healthy Cooking!

- Kristen Ashbaugh-Helmreich

  Jimmy Beans Wool

  Social Media and Marketing Team

Berroco Backs Stitch Red!

Berroco is participating in Stitch Red by designating our most popular shade of red as a Stitch Red product. 

Shade #5150, Berries is a gorgeous, inviting shade of red, in one of our best selling yarns, Berroco Vintage™. This machine washable blend features a wide color range, an incredibly soft feel and yardage that goes on and on. Its unique fiber blend makes laundering a breeze and perfectly suited for easy care garments for both children and adults. The yarn and shade are featured in the upcoming Stitch Red book, Knit Red.

I thought you might enjoy a few few patterns to warm your heart:

These felted hearts were made from another yarn , Berroco Peruvia, but it would be fun to make slighter larger (non-felted) versions in the Stitch Red color of Vintage.

http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/heartfelt/heartfelt.html

http://blog.berroco.com//?s=heartfelt