Hello, Gemma here, bringing you the April temperature recording chart (you can find a link to it below) and confessing to have fallen behind with my blanket! Something had to give over the last month and prioritising my Bohemian Blooms blanket after having neglected it for quite a while seemed like the right thing to do. My poor old hands can't crochet for hours on end these days. The school holidays are approaching though, so I'm hoping for lots of extra time to work on my squares. 

You can download the April temperature chart here.

We've had some crazy fluctuations in temperature this month here in North London, reaching the dizzying heights of 17 degrees celcius back in the second week of March, before dropping back to 7 degrees a few days later.  I'm a couple of weeks behind now on my squares but have been diligently recording the daily temperatures. There's definitely going to be an interesting 'blip' in the colours on the blanket, showing that unusually warm week in the early part of the month. 

If you have been doing the join as you go method with your squares you should now be getting a sense of how large the blanket is going to be as you will be well along your second strip of motifs now (assuming of course, you are keeping up, unlike me!). Here are a couple of progress pics of my blanket so far. I'm a couple of weeks behind, although that only translates into two squares, so when I look at it like that, it's not really a big deal is it?

It's a glorious day today, I have washing blowing on the line outside. It's slightly too windy to be comfortable for working in the garden but the sky is clear and blue, just lovely. I wonder if Emma has her washing out... She mentioned she was looking forward to that in last month's blog. I feel very middle-aged saying it but there's nothing quite like washing that's had a good blow on the line! I think April is one of my favourite months.

Do share pics of your progress on our social media channels and don't forget to use the hashtag #janiecrowtempblanket25 so we can easily find your posts. 

Until next month, happy hooking! 

It has been a pleasure to sit down with my crochet hook this week and try out a new and exciting yarn range that will be coming from West Yorkshire Spinners in the autumn. The British yarn is just lovely and the colour palette is divine, so I have lost quite a few hours playing with it! I had forgotten how fast time flies by when I am crocheting and so I have found myself chasing my tail on a few other projects this week!
 
I will be heading off to tutor a workshop trip to Switzerland next week, so I have been putting the final touches to the project and sorting out yarn packs for the participants. My crochet has had to take a bit of a back seat for a few days as a result, but I will be packing it all away in my suitcase to accompany me on my trip.
 
I have a few things to tell you about this week and Gemma has also been busing adding some interesting items to this Quick Catch Up email, so I hope you have a few minutes to catch up with all things Janie Crow!  

I often get emails and messages from companies who would like me to promote their goods, but I don't like the idea of clogging up my social media platforms with third party posts and I also don't want to be associated with paid for promotions, so, as a general rule, I don't get involved. About a month ago, however, a company who make the most beautiful crochet hooks contacted me asking If I would consider collaborating, and once I saw the beauty of the items they are making, I was totally sold on promoting their fabulous work - fee free of course! 
 
The company are called Letto Workshop and their products are hand made by artisans in Ukraine. You can find their Instagram profile here and their website here.
 
Letto have kindly sent me a couple of hooks to try out, but I thought it would be great to run a giveaway instead to give you guys a chance to win one of them. If you would like to try winning a hook, head across to our Instagram feed for more information. Please note that you need to be in the UK (sorry to those of you elsewhere) to be in with a chance of winning.

We released the pattern for the Catalina Pouch in the autumn and at the time we made the decision not to create a kit for the project as the high end yarn I used from the Rowan range works out very expensive for such a small project. However, the bag is a great stash busting project and is great for using up small left over bits of yarn and I think it would look great made using lots of alternative colour palettes.
 
To line my crochet pouch I used a pre made bag from the Clever Baggers, company, but we found out recently that they charge a high postage cost to anywhere outside of the UK, so Andy has added some of the bags to our store so that you can get them through us. You can find the patterns and the pre-made bags by following this link.

We have some new items in stock from the Emma Ball range. They include some new tins that feature the Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles, Mexican Diamonds and some of my crochet flowers. You can find the new tins by following this link.
 
We also have a new tote bag that features the Mexican Diamonds pattern. You can find it by following this link.

At the beginning of the month Emma chose this lovely image of temperature blanket squares that she found on Instagram to let everybody know that the new chart for recording March's daily temperatures was available to download over on the blog. Thank you to @crafts_r_us for sharing her lovely pic! ​

2025 marks 10 years since the release of the Lily Pond crochet along blanket design and we have started a series of posts on both Facebook and Instagram celebrating, one by one, all the designs that have been released by Janie Crow over the past decade. 
 
The patterns for the Lily Pond CAL are still available to download for free via the Stylecraft website here.

Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to share your project photos with us. We love seeing your work. ​

​There was an interesting article published in the Guardian back in January this year focusing on how younger people are starting to take up hobbies like knitting as an alternative to constant screen time. 
 
The individuals featured in the article had different reasons and motivations for taking up a new hobby and some interesting points were made around the culture of ‘fast fashion’ and over-consumption within the programme, with many of the new crafters realising how much time and effort is involved in making your own garment.
 
You can read more here or click on the image below. 

We will be exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales in just over four weeks time. We will be in our usual position on stand W1 in Hall 3. 
 
Tickets for the show are still available and you can find them by following this link. Sarah, Paul, Andy and myself love being at this show and it would be fabulous to see you there! 

Production began this month of the new Channel 4 show ‘Game of Wool’, which will be hosted by the lovely Tom Daley. The competition will be set against the picturesque countryside of rural Scotland, and each episode will see the contestants set two challenges: a group project, where they’ll be working together in teams, as well as an individual one where they’ll take on briefs that will really test their capabilities and skill level.
 
Each week, the competitors must create a whole host of unique makes and larger than life sculptural pieces – all made from yarn. These include clothing, jewellery, home accessories, furniture, sculptures and possibly even a spot of ‘yarn bombing’. 
 
It will be interesting to see how well the arts of knitting and crochet translate to the screen when the programme is aired in the winter. You can read more about the show by clicking on the image above and you can follow Game of Wool on Instagram by following this link.

Gemma took a brief pause from her hard work on the Bohemian Blooms blanket to knock up a warm hat for her daughter which she found in the book ‘Crochet Messy Bun Hats’ by Kristi Simpson. Hats are a great stash-busting project and can also be very motivating because they work up pretty quickly. You can have a read of Gemma's review of the book over on the blog here. 
 
If you like the look of the book and want your own copy, you can get a 20% discount and free postage by using the code DD88 at checkout on the Search Press website here. 

It feels like an awfully long time since I've been updating you with my progress on Bohemian Blooms. In fact, I've just had a quick look back at the blog and it was actually the end of November! 
 
Well, I hear you say, surely you've finished it by now…..​

I haven't finished, but good progress has been made, with all of the Virginia motifs completed, another Fitzroy done, and two more on a production line and almost finished. Last time I had added the Trinity and Omega motifs to the central nine squares, which really helped the project start to feel like it was coming together.
 
I've now made up three of the four sides and added those to that central panel. I quite like interspersing the making up tasks with the crocheting as it keeps things interesting for me and I'm less likely to get bored and wander off to do something else, like start a new project instead! 

Of course, in my rush to get panels joined, I made a bit of an error. I wonder if anyone can spot my (not so) deliberate mistake? I decided to run with it and leave it as it is, as I wasn't prepared to take the panels apart again and I don't think it detracts too much from the overall appearance, but I did give myself a stern talking to! I'll reveal all next month, when hopefully the fourth side should have been added and the remaining two Bloomsbury motifs completed. 
 
One final observation is that I am incredibly happy at this point in time that I have been sewing in my ends as I've gone along! Although there are a few remaining from the joining that has been done, all the ends on the motifs that have been joined have been sewn in and that feels good! 

This really is working up into a beautiful blanket and I'm so glad I decided to make it. It feels luxurious and special and although it is perhaps taking longer to make than I had intended, it feels like all time spent on it is part of the investment it represents. See you next month. ​

For this week's recipe Gemma has chosen a savoury dish that always goes down well in her house: a mushroom quiche. For the shortcrust pastry Gemma always uses a half and half mixture of wholemeal and white plain flour, just to tweak the healthiness factor up a notch, and a couple of different mushrooms, usually chestnut mushrooms and one other variety. 
 
Gemma says that it's always surprisingly quick to knock up a quiche, particularly if you use a food processor to make the pastry and it works just as well as part of a more traditional meal with potatoes and veg, as it does with a lovely salad on the side. 
 
Here's a link to the James Martin recipe that Gemma uses, or you can click on the image below. Looks delicious doesn't it! 

Summer and Chris's puppy Stoick (pronounced Stowick not Stoyck) is growing so fast and is a real whirlwind at times. He has had all his jabs so can run his zoomies around the garden rather than around the house, which is a bit of a relief for everyone! We pup-sit most weeks and so I make that at time when I look at emails and social media, as getting my yarn and hook out isn't worth the risk of being mugged! 
 
We are looking forward to seeing Stoick and his Mum and Dad tomorrow.

As I said already, I am off to Zurich next week, so I will be spending some time over the next few days sorting out my clothes and lining up my luggage. The trip to Switzerland is with Stitchtopia holidays so we have a packed itinerary, which not only includes workshops and city tours, but also entry to the Swiss Yarn Festival and a guided tour of the Lindt chocolate factory. I am really looking forward to meeting the group on Tuesday and I am sure we will all have a fabulous time. If you fancy joining a similar trip in the future, you can find details of all the craft holidays on the Stitchtopia website here.

Well, that's pretty much it form me for another couple of weeks. Don't forget that the clocks go forward by an hour on Saturday night/Sunday morning here in the UK and so we will get an hour less in bed. Longer days are the reward though, so it's totally worth losing a little sleep!
 
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy your knitting and crochet! 

Whilst we have had some lovely weather this month there have still been some chilly snaps, with hats and gloves needed for going out. I love making hats as they can be worked up pretty quickly and can be very motivating when you are also working on a longer-term project at the same time. I've been enjoying getting on with my Bohemian Blooms blanket this month but when that doesn't quite suit the mood, a quick project such as a hat or pair of mitts, always provides an interesting and speedy distraction. On that basis the book I chose for this month is 'Crochet Messy Bun Hats' by Kristi Simpson (Stackpole Books 2024, ISBN 978-0-8117-7469-7).

I liked the idea of making something a little bit different this time and as my 17 year old daughter often wears her hair in a bun or ponytail a hat with a hole in the top seemed like a great idea. The other reason I quite like making hats/mitts is that they are good for using a small amount of yarn and when you have one or two balls left over from a previous project it's always particularly satisfying to find a use for them. I had a couple of balls of Rico Design Fashion Diayamondo in my stash. It's a lovely sparkly yarn with a 30% wool content so should provide the warmth needed in a hat and it works well as a substitute for the aran (medium, worsted) weight yarn used in most of the patterns in the book. I think it's discontinued now so there wouldn't be an option to get more to make a bigger item so ideal for this use. 

There are twelve patterns in the book, all with a difficulty rating of easy or intermediate, so most of them should definitely be achievable for  crocheters with limited experience, although I wouldn't say they were ideal for complete beginners. I decided to make 'Juniper', a top down make, with only basic stitches used and no ribbing. The patterns are clearly written, in a font size that is clear and comfortable to read. US terms are used throughout. 

I worked on the hat over a couple of evenings so it was just a few hours work in total and then roped Olivia in to model it for me. I'm rather pleased with the end result! 

​What kind of makes do you reach for when you need a break from a bigger project? Let me know in the comments if there are any particular things you would like me to feature when choosing my book of the month for review. 

'Crochet Messy Bun Hats' is available widely online but but if you are in the UK you can purchase this book, and others, through Search Press with a 20% discount and free delivery, by using the discount code DD88.

I'll be back in April with another book choice and hopefully by then Spring will have 'sprung' in earnest! 

March has brought some wonderful weather and it has been so good to finally feel the sunshine on our faces! The last couple of days have been a touch colder again, and there is a bit of rain around here in North London, but there is blossom on the tress and the light has much improved, so I am a happy bunny!  
 
It has been a really busy couple of weeks since I was last here and I will admit to being a little tired after a trip to Cologne at the weekend and a back to back jaunt to Scotland from Monday to late evening on Wednesday. I am hoping to have a good bit of rest at the weekend so that I can catch up with my sleep a little, but it is exciting to have so much going on. I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with all my news in this month's newsletter.

This year marks ten years since I released the Lily Pond CAL design in association with Stylecraft Yarns, so over the next few months we will be celebrating a decade of design by posting images of my back catalogue of projects in release date order on our social media channels.
 
We will be kicking off by featuring the Imogen blanket, which was one of my first stand alone crochet patterns, and then we will work right through to present day, hopefully in time to coincide with the release of new projects for the autumn. I could not have ever imagined the amazing response that my designs would create and I am so grateful for all your incredible support ever since.
 
I am hoping there will be a new CAL design this year, and some stand alone project patterns, including a those for a few garments, but the crazy thing is that as my business has grown, I seem to be getting less and less time to crochet. Hopefully 2025 will be another year of great designs though, so long as I can get myself in gear! 

Andy and I headed off to Cologne on the train last Friday to visit the H+H textile and handicrafts trade show. We had originally decided that we wouldn’t visit this year as we were there last year, but then we found out that crochet designer, Shelley Husband, aka Spin Cushions, was planning to be there and Emma Ball also took on a stand in order to showcase all her lovely products, including those from the Janie Crow brand, so we decided we just had to go! 
 
Travelling by train is one of my favourite things and living in London means that it is easy for us to use the Eurostar. We were lucky to miss the disruption at Paris on Friday, which was caused by an unexploded WW2 bomb and arrived in Cologne early evening after a train change in Brussels, which meant we managed to grab a refreshing pint of beer and buy some Belgian chocolate in the supermarket between trains!
 
The show is unlike anything we see in the UK. It spans three floors of the Koelnmesse exhibition centre and there is so much yarn, fabric and accessories on display that it is really hard to decide where to start! 

We saw some great yarns, including a fabulous new range from West Yorkshire Spinners, which launches in the autumn. I can’t wait to tell you more about it soon, as the palette is just a dream and the inspiration behind it is totally my kind of thing.
 
The show is a great place to see the trends for the forthcoming seasons. There are still lots of self striping and ‘space dyed’ yarns, as well as fluffy, mohair styles and lurex appear to be making a big come back. The Lang Yarns stand had some fabulous garments on display and many of the stands focussed on crochet as well as knitting, which was great to see.

We spent a little time with Emma Ball on her stand on the Saturday afternoon of the show and it was great to hear how many people admire her work. For me, it was also a real treat to see the Janie Crow branded items on display. I am so grateful to Emma and her team for their incredible support over the last couple of years.
 
Emma has created some new items, including draw string bags, tins and mugs, that feature my crochet flowers, so I will let you know when these come into stock – the new mugs are especially fab! 
 
You can find the current collection of Emma Ball and Janie Crow goodies over on the website by following this link.
 
As well as walking the show floors we were able to catch up with some of our friends from within the industry and it was good to spend some time walking around Cologne, especially as the weather was so kind to us. 

Andy and I have taken on a bit of a challenge and have signed up to an eight-week diet and fitness programme, so we have been more aware of the ‘macro’ element of our food choices over the last couple of days. Cake, crisps, sugar and alcohol are out of the window, so I have been searching the web for food that is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate so that we can stick to the plan.
 
Getting a good balance of protein can be harder when you’re vegetarian, so we already monitor our diet to some extent and, as we also try to avoid over processed food, I have stocked up on some veg and pulses that are naturally a higher source of protein.

I know that green peas and tofu are a both really good sources of protein and I wanted to find a recipe for a dip or that I can use as a tasty addition to a salad, but all of the recipes I found had avocado in them, something I want to avoid for a while as they are such a water thirsty crop and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that we should eat fewer of them from an environmental point of view.
 
I found this recipe on the Veggie Desserts web site but replaced the chickpeas with smoked tofu and it is really delicious! 

My lovely friend and fellow designer Debbie Abrahams is heading down to stay with me this weekend and so I am really looking forward to some, shopping and yarny chat. We haven't caught up properly for ages, other than for tutoring workshops, so I am really looking forward to seeing her. 
 
We recently launched a joint workshop with Debbie and myself, which will take place at Nunsmere Hall in Cheshire next year and there are still a couple of places left. You can find more information by following this link to the Inspired Minds website. The rooms left in stock are the Executive Twins, which are based on two people sharing, so make sure you select that from the drop down menu, otherwise you won't be able to book.
 
The next couple of weeks are looking relatively calm, so I am looking foreword to being at my desk with my hook and yarn. I hope that you can also find some time for a bit of hook or needle action! The forecast is looking a little wintery here in the UK, so the colder weather is a great excuse to curl up on the sofa with a lovely project.