Hollywood, CA, September 17th, 2007: Star Studded Cast "Casts-on" for Charity - Pre-Emmy's Gifting Bonanza Finds Hollywood's Biggest TV Stars Learning to Knit
Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Tim Daly (Wings, The Nine), Hal Sparks (Talk Soup), Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal), Ernie Hudson (Desperate Housewives), Scott Baio (45 and Single), Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan), and Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore) - These are just a few of the noted celebrities who dropped by the pre-Emmy's Celebrity Swag Suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles this weekend - and Laura Zander, owner of Reno's Jimmy Beans Wool, was there to encourage A-listers to knit for a cause. The TV stars were asked to work the needles on a pink scarf, in honor of the upcoming "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." The finished project will be auctioned off this week at www.ClothesOffOurBack.com (founded by actors and philanthropists Jane Kaczmarek ("Malcolm In The Middle") and Bradley Whitford ("The West Wing," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip")). In further support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jimmy Beans Wool is featuring a pink scarf kit for the month of October, inspired by the celebrity knitted one. $5 of every scarf sold will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition (Young Women United Against Breast Cancer - www.YoungSurvival.org).
"This was a really fun weekend," said Laura Zander, owner, Jimmy Beans Wool. "I was amazed at how many (male) actors already knew how to knit and impressed that they would take time out of their busy schedules to knit for our charity project. Tim Daly was a really fast knitter; Scott Baio picked it up very quickly and was really happy to give it a shot, as was Hal Sparks. Judd Nelson knit a few stitches and said that he's now determined to learn how to knit - he said he has to conquer everything he tries," Zander continued.
In exchange, the A-listers were given a Jimmy Beans Wool Celebrity Swag Bag featuring a knitting project made from organic yarns (either organic dishcloths or an organic market bag), as well as a Palm Leaf Tote from Lantern Moon, an embroidered silk taffeta bag with Lantern Moon straight needles, a Jimmy Beans Wool knitting pattern, and various small knitting accessories including a sheep tape measure, a Crystal Palace bamboo crochet hook, Knitter's Little Helper, Soak Wash, Vogue Knitting the Ultimate Knitting Book, and Knit1 magazine - Go Green Issue.
The Swag Bags are also available for purchase at www.JimmyBeansWool.com for about $200 each. Pictures of celebrities knitting are also posted on the site.
Founded in 2002 by Laura Zander, aka "Jimmy," Jimmy Beans Wool is both a bricks and mortar and Internet knitting superstore, offering knitters worldwide a comprehensive selection of the finest yarns and knitting supplies along with the latest fashion trends. With customers from Los Angeles to Uzbekistan and all points in between, Jimmy Beans Wool has successfully created an international knitting community comparable to that of the local yarn store, and is the resource for knitters looking for inspiration, instructions and project help. Headquartered in Reno, NV, the store was recently the subject of a small business profile in Fortune Small Business (July/August 2007).