back roads to jimmy beans
June 25, 2016
You all know how much my husband and I love to hop in the car and tour the California back roads. Whenever we have the time (and we almost always have the time--retirement is grand) we get off the freeway and travel the pokey side roads. A few weeks ago we spent a few days in Lake Tahoe in the California Sierras. We drove the scenic back roads up and back, stopping at old gold and silver mining towns, abandoned and not, and we saw some mighty pretty scenery. One of those back roads lead us to Reno, also known to knitters as Jimmy Beans headquarters. My husband sat patiently for two hours (yes, TWO) and let me browse until I was ready to leave.
Jimmy Beans had changed locations since I last visited. If you're planning your first visit, trust your GPS and you'll find it. You'll be directed to a warehouse/office park and you'll think you've gone wrong, but nope, you're ok, because Jimmy Beans is a warehouse. It's a 30,000 sq. ft. yarn warehouse with a yarn shop in the front. And here's the thing: you can shop in the warehouse too! One of the sweet salesgirls took my husband and me on a warehouse tour, then let me lose after settling my husband down on the sofa where he kept busy with the poker game on his iPhone. And I was in heaven as you can imagine.
If you are vacationing anywhere near Reno, I would definitely make this a destination stop. Be practical and give yourself at least an hour, if not two or three. Now for the pictures:
Jimmy Beans had changed locations since I last visited. If you're planning your first visit, trust your GPS and you'll find it. You'll be directed to a warehouse/office park and you'll think you've gone wrong, but nope, you're ok, because Jimmy Beans is a warehouse. It's a 30,000 sq. ft. yarn warehouse with a yarn shop in the front. And here's the thing: you can shop in the warehouse too! One of the sweet salesgirls took my husband and me on a warehouse tour, then let me lose after settling my husband down on the sofa where he kept busy with the poker game on his iPhone. And I was in heaven as you can imagine.
If you are vacationing anywhere near Reno, I would definitely make this a destination stop. Be practical and give yourself at least an hour, if not two or three. Now for the pictures:
First, the warehouse:
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| The happy person. |
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| The cute saleslady. |
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| Just one of the many isles of yarn! |
And now, the shop:
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| My good and patient man! I married a saint! Not only did he sit quietly for two hours, he also looked over my purchases and told me they were pretty. He is also the man who asks me before we leave the house, "Honey, do you have your knitting? And do you have a sweater in case you get cold?" Yes, he's a sweetie, but it's also self preservation: He doesn't want to have to turn around and come back--nor does he care to hear me complain. |
Lastly, my loot:
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| Tiny teacakes of Tosh Sock. Could be the start of a shawl? |
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| Maybe a baby sweater? |
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| Perhaps a cowl? |
8 Comments
I could get lost for days in there! How fun!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Jimmy Beans or a shop of that scope, but I did have a dream about visiting WEBS once. There were escalators between yarn floors. :P
Wouldn't it be heaven to visit WEBS? Jimmy Beans is about as close to that as we can get here in the west. I was only there 2 hours, but I could have spend two days!
DeleteYour husband is a sweetie, but I expect you know that. ;-) What a guy!
ReplyDeleteKatinka mentioned WEBS above, and the first thing I thought of when I saw your pictures of Jimmy Beans was "That looks an awful lot like WEBS." (Katinka: no escalators but a cool wash-station in the ladies room.) The WEBS warehouse has aisles and aisles of yarn stacked up on shelves in the warehouse, plus a large retail store up front much like Jimmy Beans. I've learned after shopping there a few times to go with a list; otherwise the yarn fumes overwhelm me and I can't focus. Definitely worth a trip, not to mention that Northampton (and western Massachusetts) is lovely. :) Thank you for the trip to Jimmy Beans ... I order from them frequently and I'm glad they're as nice in person as they are across the miles.
Hi Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI love Jimmy Beans. I have been following this company for years. Lucky you. My husband and I also like to take road trips for a day. So much fun. Your purchase looks lovely. I love your colour choice.
Happy Sunday,
Leslie
OMG, Heaven on earth. Your man is adorable because of his patience.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Germany.
Wow - I would lose my mind!! Fabulous pics!
ReplyDeleteOMG it's wool heaven 💕💕💕💕💕💕
ReplyDeleteBeautiful yarns, and so many of them. You must have been in Hog Haven.
ReplyDeleteCarole
You make my day when you make a comment!