Jimmy Beans Wool Joins USSA In Helping Athletes Reach Their Dreams

Reno, NV. (Dec. 19) – Jimmy Beans Wool, a leading yarn and fabric retailer, has signed a multi-year partnership with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body of Olympic skiing, snowboarding and freeskiing, to become the first ever-official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing.

The agreement comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced back in April 2011 that halfpipe and slopestyle skiing and slopestyle snowboarding will be added to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

A driving force behind the partnership is to build awareness of the yarn industry and to expose people to different crafts, fibers and companies. To that end, Jimmy Beans Wool has partnered with Red Heart® yarns to create “Stitch Mountain,” a marketing and promotional campaign that encourages people to be creative on and off the slopes. Yarn for the campaign and the athletes will be supplied exclusively by Red Heart®, one of the most prominent brands in North America.

“We are thrilled to have created a relationship that will not only publicize the needlearts industry, but also combine two of our passions, yarn and skiing,” said co-owner of Jimmy Beans Wool, Laura Zander. “My husband and I moved to the Reno-Tahoe area from San Francisco 11 years ago because we wanted to spend more time skiing. When we opened our yarn shop back in 2002, we consistently had skiers and snowboarders, male and female alike, come into our shop asking for yarn to make beanies. Being able to support the sport that we love so much is a dream come true. It is a great way for us to give back to all of those skiers and snowboarders that helped us grow our business!”

In addition to sponsoring U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing, Jimmy Beans Wool and Red Heart® are sponsoring Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT). Jacobellis, a seven-time X Games Champion in snowboardcross, is an avid knitter and knitwear designer. She designs and knits hats for her charity, “Hats 4 Hounds,” and will be designing hat patterns exclusively for Jimmy Beans Wool (using Red Heart® yarns).

Jimmy Beans Wool and Red Heart® will have a sampling tent at the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix events at Canyons Resort in Park City, UT and Mammoth Mountain, CA.  With typically fewer than ten tents – and more than 8,000 people – at each event, Jimmy Beans Wool, Red Heart® and their Stitch Mountain campaign will surely draw attention - and might just get some people knitting!  

About Jimmy Beans Wool
Founded in 2002 by Laura Zander, aka "Jimmy," and Doug Zander, Jimmy Beans Wool is a brick and mortar and Internet yarn and fabric superstore. It offers knitters, crocheters and sewers worldwide a comprehensive selection of the finest yarns and fabrics along with the latest fashion trends. Headquartered in Reno, NV, the store has been awarded an excellent rating from StellaService for their excellent 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 Red Heart®
Red Heart® is one of the most trusted brands in yarn. For over 75 years, more people have chosen to make heirlooms using Red Heart yarn than any other yarn. Red Heart yarns stand for quality, largest color selection, fashion and above all else, crafted with love. Whatever your creativity calls for, you’ll find it in the Red Heart family. Explore our vast selection of yarns, booklets and free patterns for all skill levels. A little bit of love woven into every strand.