Yay it is Friday once again! It has been a busy week here at Janie Crow - we are working on a new area of the web site and have some exciting things in store for you over the next few weeks so that has taken up a lot of my time this week. My motivation to crochet is still pretty poor, so I am hopeful that my crojo will return some time soon. I am trying not to think about it too much so that I don't over think it and make a problem for myself. I have been pretty consumed by working on the Stephen West MKAL hand knit project in the evenings and at the weekends so at least I have been a bit creative!

I discovered today that have been nominated within the Craft Influencer of the Year category of the Craft Business Awards once again. I was fortunate enough to win this award for 2020 and would love to do so again. If you would like to vote for me then click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the online voting forms.
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​This week I have a few things to tell you about and Sarah has been busy curating a couple of items for you too, so I hope you will stick with me for the next 5 minutes or so and catch up on all things Janie Crow.....
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Rather than being the ‘poor cousin’ to the first publication, I see the second release as the fabulous ‘after party’ to the main event; If you choose to join in with the CAL the second time around you can make the most of tips and hints from those who have already completed the project. You can also get ideas for alternative colour ways or layouts and you will have a wonderful project completed in time for the spring. I also feel that a second release will help support those who may have fallen by the wayside first time round - sometimes leaving a project and returning to it at another time can be a really good learning process and having more support going forwards is bound to lead to less disappointment and more completed projects.
The yarn substitution document for the new 'Love is Enough' colour way will go live on Tuesday and I have recorded a short video to accompany the release. You will need to download the original patterns plus the yarn sub document to work through the project. If you wish to make the blanket in one of the original colour ways or using yarns from your stash then you do not need the new documents.

You can find the introduction document for the Love is Enough colour way here and I do suggest that you take a look at the Getting Ready document too.

We had hoped to have some of the Naturals - Bamboo + Cotton kits on the web site for today, but we are still waiting for one shade of yarn to arrive. As soon as we have kits in stock again I will let you know. If you are looking for ideas for alternative colour combinations or want to use up yarns from your stash then why not take a look at the Stylecraft Yarns CAL Facebook page here.
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We have been really lucky to receive lots of free cooking apples. A friend dropped a bag round the other week and so I decided to make a Dorset Apple Traybake. I like a traybake because they are easier to cut and good for packed lunches! This is a simple but very delicious recipe. I used a gluten-free substitute self-raising flour so that everyone in the family could enjoy it and it worked really well. You can find the recipe by following this link or clicking on the image below. 

A couple of local people have been kind enough to put boxes of their excess apples out for others to help themselves to. So, on a couple of my morning dog walks, I have filled a bag with apples and come home to make compote. I have found it quite soothing to chop up apples and add them to a pan of melted butter and dark brown soft sugar as a way to start the day. Once cooked I have been adding Ground Sweet Cinnamon to the mix – not only does this taste good, the house smells amazing too!
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I must admit that I don’t follow any particular recipe, but if you are looking for ideas, here is one from Rachel Cooks to get you started and a sugar free, 3 ingredient, option is here via the minimalist baker.

We really enjoy it on our porridge in the morning.
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With Halloween this weekend I am sure that many of you will have been carving pumpkins, so we were really pleased to see this post from Peace with the Wild reminding us to use our resources wisely. 
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I must admit that I had never considered how many pumpkins are carved each year and was shocked to discover that more than half of the 24 million pumpkins carved in Britain will go to waste.
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I think this lovely illustration from @rachelraisin highlights some really interesting ways to use up your pumpkins as well as provide activities for children over half-term. Pumpkin Pie anyone?
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I am not quite sure how I dropped across this feed, but I am really glad that I did! We love feeds that feature fabulous interiors here at Janie Crow and we enjoy making and finding things for our homes, whilst becoming more conscious of repurposing and reclaiming the craftsmanship of the past. 
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Not only does Elle Kemp share inspiring images of reclaimed and reinvented interiors, but I really enjoyed reading through some of her blog posts. In ‘Sustainable Style’ Elle discusses her concerns for the environment and how she feels she is not doing enough, which I am sure resonates with a lot of us. She goes on to talk about the small ways she is going to tackle this dilemma and the importance of having the conversation in the first place. I am looking forward to her future posts, especially on mending and altering clothes. 

With many of us working from home now you may also be interested to read her post on making a garden office.
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Over the last week I have received a couple of emails that showcase online events that are perfectly suited to this time of year.

Selvedge Magazine have launched their Winter of Making events. To be honest I am not sure that my purse strings will stretch to any of these events as they tend to be pretty expensive (to say the least), but I am really interested in quite a few of them, especially the Swedish Embroidery Workshop. 
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Here at Janie Crow we know that we are lucky to have a roof over our heads, cosy beds, yummy dinners and a healthy yarn stash to keep us warm through the winter months. We also know that there are thousands of people who are not so lucky.

With the colder months fast approaching we want to do something to help the charity Shelter look after some of those who will find themselves on the streets this winter. 
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Team Janie Crow will be taking part in a 10km walk on Thursday 10th December and we would love it if you would send us a small donation via our Just Giving page here. 

Every four minutes a household becomes homeless. 
For more information visit the Shelter web site here.
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​You may remember that at the end of last month I told you that I was planning to give up chocolate, crisps and booze for the month. Well in the end I didn't manage to completely swerve all 3 of these things, but I definitely managed to cut down on my consumption! I have had my first chocolate bar of the month today and have probably eaten less than half the number of crips that I usually would. I have also cut down on the wine drinking so I am feeling pretty virtuous! Sadly my abstinence has not led to the huge weight loss as | was hoping, but I do feel like I have a bit more energy and my skin is definitely better, so I plan to keep going! 

We had a fabulous walk in town last Sunday. We walked from Paddington along the canal to Little Venice and then along past London Zoo (where we saw the Warthogs by the side of the water), through Camden Town and ending up at Kings Cross. Thankfully the weather was incredibly kind so we had a lovely couple of hours.
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​The weather is not looking so good this weekend and so we will be sticking a bit closer to home. I have started working on a crochet jacket project designed by Jenny King. Andy has the kits for this project in a couple of colour ways on the Just Knots web site and I could not resist pinching one when they came into stock! 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I will be back here next week, hopefully with some news of my festive patterns. 

Don't forget you can email us to let us know if you want any questions answered in next month's video Q&A. See you soon and take care....

Welcome to the October newsletter. It is a bit of a mish/mash of things this time with no real theme running through it, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. If you want to see my quick video that summarises what is in the newsletter then click here or on the image below. ​
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I have recorded another technique video as a response to your questions from last month. The video focusses on adding a crochet border to fabric so that you can create a decorative edge or attach a fabric lining to a project. The video help was requested by Caitlin Jamieson who wants to add a fabric backing to a crochet cushion cover, but this technique would also work really well to add a border onto an existing item (such as a Janie Crow tea towel, which you can find here) or to decorate a greetings card for example. 

This is a lovely technique and is so much easier to do than you would expect. You can use it to decorate pretty much anything - you could add a crochet border to the cuff of a sleeve or a crochet collar to a sweater. You could even add a crochet detail to your favourite pair of jeans or use it to cover a hole in something! Whatever you decide I hope you will find the video useful and have some fun! Goodness knows we all need a bit of fun at the moment!

You can find the video here.
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We also have a limited number of project kits for the Imogen Blanket in stock too. The design was inspired by traditional Victorian crochet and one of my first crochet along projects from 2012. There are currently 2 kits in stock on the Janie Crow web site and a couple in stock on Just Knots.
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As I have said already this newsletter is a bit of a mish mash that showcases some of the things that have caught our attention over the last month. Sarah has shared a scrummy peanut butter cookie recipe and I have a new Instagram favourite to share with you.

As always if you want to get in touch please hit reply - Sarah and I do get back to you, so if you are expecting a reply it might be an idea to check your spam folder as our emails occasionally end up going there! 
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I met Andrea and Andrew of Fruity Knitting here at the studio almost 2 years ago when they interviewed me for one of their fabulous YouTube videos. They are both lovely people, totally dedicated to what they do and determined to highlight our wonderful community by providing quality content on their feed that aims to educate and inspire people to knit, crochet and craft. The videos, of which there are now more than 100 episodes, are a fantastic free resource.
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Andrea and Andrew have worked incredibly hard to build their business which has gone from a hobby to a full time career for them both over the last few years. They have no income other than support from their patrons and via voluntary donations, so do not have the luxury of being 'looked after' by a larger company when things go wrong.

This week we have heard that Andrea and Andrew have been hit with some really tough news and are looking to the fibre community for some support. I know that the last few months have been really hard for many, but I hope that you will head over to their feed for more information and consider making a donation to support them as they could really do with your help.
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​This image from Instagram really caught my eye this week:
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As usual I followed the trail of bread crumbs that the image enticed me with and ended up being led down a little Instagram rabbit hole, but it was worth it to learn about a group of artists, makers, designers and writers who work together to breathe new life into old objects and stories.

The Story Box Collective are currently working on a project with the William Morris Society that is inspired by the legacy of William Morris. As a member of the society I am looking forward to seeing what emerges. If you would like to find out more too then check out the Facebook page here, where you can find out about the work they are doing and meet some of the artists.
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​During our monthly Zoom call, Jane, Gemma and I chatted about trying to live more consciously and make better choices in the supermarket. Small changes lead to bigger ones, so, when doing the shopping this week I opted for a non-palm oil peanut butter so that I could make these lovely little cookies. Although the calorie count is high on these little beauties I enjoyed them all the more for making this small change!
 

They are so quick and simple to make, so I thought I would share the recipe with you:

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix together 250g peanut butter, 200g soft brown sugar and an egg.

Shape into small balls and then flatten with the back of a fork.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 mins.

Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Try not to eat too many in one go! 

For the original recipe on the BBC Good Food web site follow this link.
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Wherever we are in the world it looks like we are all destined to be staying pretty close to home over the next few months so leisure wear is very much at the forefront of the autumn trends. The exciting thing is that designers are very keen on jazzing things up, so you may well see that although items have been designed  with comfort very much in mind there are some lovely touches of bling and sparkle appearing in the stores.

Silver is a big trend this year, with all things metallic being at the forefront of fashion, but the difference this year is that rather than the trend being for silver evening dresses and formal wear it is far more fun, with beads, sequins and studs appearing on jersey tops, leggings and sweaters.
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Jumper dresses are also a huge trend. I remember these from the 1980s and loved my big baggy sweater dresses, but the new trend is far more glamorous, with much nicer shaping and features that mean there is less chance of looking like a sack of potatoes! I love the one shown below by Mint Velvet.
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​We told you last month that ponchos are also set to be a big trend and while the weather is not that chilly here yet I have been busy getting ready for a cold snap - it is usually freezing here by early November so I don't want to be caught out! I would far rather wear a cozy chunky sweater on a bright cold day than a coat, so I already have a nice collection of big shawls and wraps, but I couldn't resist the fabulous knitted poncho style top designed by the Stylecraft Team (shown below left). My lovely friend Catherine knitted this for me in exchange for a Magic Circles Shawl kit and I cannot wait to get all wrapped up in it although I still need to locate some really big buttons to finish it off.
 

​Sarah has also continued to look at trends over the last few weeks and sent me the information below about one fashion chain's efforts to recycle knitwear:
 
What if a pair of socks could change fashion?

This is the question that popped up in an email I received this week. Many high street brands are trying to turn their ‘fast fashion’ image around by promoting their recycling credentials. Some may say that they are still pumping their stores full of cheap imported clothing that has already done considerable damage to the environment, but at least this is a start and the longer it runs and the more this kind of change is adopted then the more effective it will become. Take a look at the machine that turns old clothes into new and see what you think. You can find it by following this link.

​I was so excited when an image of the amazing Michelle Obama popped up on my phone a couple of weeks ago with the accompanying caption reading 'I'm a Knitter!' and in the same week I also heard on the radio that Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is also a very keen knitter and that he too chooses to make lots of scarves, but my favourite star to have outed himself as a knitter recently is our amazing Olympic diver Tom Daley.

It seems Tom, who learnt to knit over lockdown, has become pretty obsessed with all things yarny! Not content with knitting himself and his young son sweaters, scarves and hats, Tom has also now learnt to crochet (with the help of Youtube videos) and has even set up his own 'Made With Love by Tom Daley' instagram page.
 

Head over to Tom's feed and check out his fabulous makes that include a pair of crochet trunks that he has designed, made and modelled himself.

You are so welcome!
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I can never have enough project bags and I am always on the look out for little pouches that suit my needs, so I was really excited when Heather Burgess of Rag Button Designs agreed to collaborate with me to make these lovely items. Heather sources beautiful quality Irish linen to make these gorgeous pouches, which she puts together by hand and then stitches into the fabric, adding buttons, beads, ribbons and some of my hand made crochet flowers to make each one uniquely beautiful.
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Because of the handmade nature of the pouches and hook wraps we do not have a large stock holding so if you want to nab one, either as a present for a friend, or a gift to self you might need to be quick!
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I was sent this image last week of Bev Woodall's Mum and I just love it! Bev's Mum, Dorothy, celebrated her 90th birthday safe and sound in the care home where she lives and had no idea that Bev had been busy making the Climbing Rose Wrap as a special gift for her. Bev says her mum cried when she saw it, but she looks so happy with it in this lovely picture!
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It goes without saying that it is an incredibly hard time for families with loved ones in care homes or in hospital and I know that many of you are unable to visit elderly members of your family at the moment. I have recently signed this petition to allow designated visits by family carers into care homes, so thought I would share it here in case any of you want to head over and add your name to the list.

I visited the local hospital this week for a breast screening appointment. I have had one before as I have a benign lump in one of my armpits, so I wasn't too apprehensive, but I do think that someone needs to design a sticker or rosette that we can pin to our tops when we leave the screening - a bit like the stickers children get when they have been to the dentist. A 'I have been very brave today' sticker!

As usual I am really looking forward to the weekend. If I am honest it has been a bit of an odd month for me. I am struggling a little to find my motivation, not just for crochet, but for a lot of other things too! Andy and I have been talking about it and have decided that we possibly need to have a change of scenery, so rather than stay home this weekend we are going to make plan to head out somehwhere, maybe to a gallery or exhibition, for simply to have a wander around some shops and enjoy lunch out. Here in North London we have been put into tier 2 lockdown which means we are a little more restricted on that we can do, so my thoughts are very much with those of you who may be on the verge of tier 3.

Don't forget that if you have any questions you would like answered as part of next month's Q&A you can get in touch by emailing mail@janiecrow.co.uk.

I leave you with a little video of the boys supported by the charity Masaka Kids Africana which I hope will install in you a Friday Feeling! I love this video and play it a lot - these boys are just so cute and happy despite the hardships they have been through. Click on the link or on the image below:
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​We send lots of love to you all as we head into the weekend. Stay safe and keep well...
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It is Friday and the sun is shining here in North London - I hope that wherever you are in the world that your weekend is looking bright and exciting too! I don't have a huge amount to tell you about this week, but I do have a couple of updates that you might be interested in..... ​

Quite a few of my project kits have been out of stock on the web site for a long time. This is due to certain shades of yarn being out of stock at Stylecraft and other yarn companies. Thankfully this week we received a delivery that included some of the missing shades, so we have been able to make up lots of kits. ​

Lily Pond, Fields of Gold, Summer Palace and Bohemian Blooms are all now back in stock and you can find kits by clicking on the images above. 
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Last week the kits for the new 'Love is Enough' colour way of my Fruit Garden CAL project sold out in no time and I have had lots of you asking where you can get kits from as we are unlikely to have them back in stock for a while. I know that there is still a good stock holding on the Wool Warehouse site and you can find a link to their kits here.
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You can find more information about yarn requirements and dates for your diary by following this link to the introduction document. 
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As you know, I love seeing your versions of my projects pop up on social media and I especially like it when you have made changes to a design or used your own colour way. This week I found this gorgeous image of a cushion cover made by Hazel Raven, which in turn led me to look at her fabulous projects on her Instagram feed which you can find by following this link.

Hazel has used the Omega motif from my Bohemian Blooms project and has used her left over yarn shades from the Fruit Garden CAL to make this lovely cover. Hazel has also added beads and used the border patterns from the CAL to add her own special design elements to the cushion cover. Isn't it lovely! 
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This weekend I am also really looking forward to starting work on the Stephen West mystery knit along project - MKAL20. The first set of patterns have been revealed today so I am planning to settle down on the settee at 5.30pm to get involved in his Instagram Live Launch Party. I have my yarn and needles at the ready and am looking forward to seeing everyone else's progress too - I can't wait to see the colour combinations that people decide to do. I am a bit out of practice with my knitting so I am hoping I can keep up - I will let you know how I get on!

Don't forget you can email us to let us know if you want any questions answered in next month's video Q&A. See you soon and take care....

Hello you lovely lot - I hope this email finds you all well. I am here with a very speedy update before we head into the weekend. The weather is dismal here, but I am back to my positive ways after last week's little blip. I have finally had a tiny bit of time working on some new design ideas and having my crochet hook in my hand always makes me happy whatever the weather, so all is looking a tad brighter in my world!

I am here with a short email highlighting some of the things that I have found interesting this week. I know I am a bit later than usual, but we have been struggling to keep up with your orders this week. I know that a lot of you are lining up your autumn projects - I have been busy doing the same thing - I spent a bit of time last weekend having a good clear out of my stash in preparation and over the course of the last week I have taken quite a few projects home to squirrel away behind the sofa for the next couple of months! 
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The kits for the new 'Love is Enough' colour way of my Fruit Garden CAL project went into stock on the Janie Crow web site on Tuesday and we sold out of of them in less than 2 hours! Over the course of the week we have managed to put together our remaining kits and have a few left in stock, so if you missed out earlier in the week and want to grab a kit, head over to the web site now! As I write this email there are just 7 in stock on Janie Crow and 18 on Just Knots.

You can find more information about yarn requirements and dates for your diary by following this link to the introduction document. ​

Yarn kits are £53.50 and include 16 x 100g balls Stylecraft yarn, a JANIE CROW sew in label and an information leaflet.

​Andy and I love to travel and think ourselves so lucky that we had the opportunity to go to India in January with Knit For Peace. The trip now feels like a golden time with all that has happened in 2020 and we often find ourselves thinking about what trips we might like to take next year.

I will be accompanying a knitting group to Finland with Arena Travel in May and we hope to have a holiday somewhere warm too, perhaps taking the train around Europe. Having a few plans in the diary has cheered us up, especially as the weather has taken a real turn for the worse here after our long hot summer. If you are also looking for a fabulous trip to look forward to, how about taking a look at Sarah's knitting trip to Uzbekistan in April - it looks flipping awesome! 
 

​Situated in the centre of Asia and on the Silk Road, one of the world’s most important historical trading routes linking China to the Mediterranean, Uzbekistan offers a huge variety of culture and colour. Perhaps better known for its textiles, Uzbekistan also has strong knitting traditions, no doubt in part due its cold winter climate. Lacey knitted shawls, socks knitted using the traditional Khorezm pattern and camel hair socks are just some of the knitted items to be seen on this tour. 

As the tour passes along the route of the Silk Road participants will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khiva, Bhukara and Samarkand and learn about their knitting traditions through visits and workshops with local experts.  As well as two days of workshops with Sarah, there’ll be plenty of opportunity for some retail therapy too and some spare time to enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of the markets and bazaars throughout the journey.

You can find more information by following this link. 

​​Awesome crochet designer Helda Panagary (who we featured as our Instagram Favourite a couple of months ago) has been asked by the team at Inside Crochet to contribute a monthly feature to the magazine. This is great news, made all the better by the fact that Helda has pledged to forgo payment for the column and instead donate children's storybooks that she can give away.

Helda says via her Instagram feed:

'Hello lovely people, thank you for all the lovely messages and support about my lovely new column. If I'm honest I still can't stop smiling. 

I asked Inside Crochet if they could be willing to waive my fee and instead pay me in books that I could giveaway. I wanted to share children storybooks that celebrate all sections of our communities, especially BAME characters.

If you do a bit of research its quite shocking to see the proportion of books in our schools that feature bame, never mind books that feature disabled characters as the lead.'
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Helda has 5 copies of 'It's Your World Now' by Barry Falls to give away and you can enter her prize draw via her Instagram feed, which you will find by following this link.
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​As you know, I love getting your emails and am always so grateful when you take the time to get in touch, especially when you have positive stories about the impact of craft on your lives.

Christine Bournewas a participant on the fabulous trip to India in January and when she returned she took up a textiles course - you may remember her fabulous Mary Quant inspired piece that I featured a few weeks ago. Chris has been in touch again this week to let me know about an interesting piece of research being conducted by Bristol University in regards to crafting during lockdown. Here is what Chris had to say:

'(Have you) heard about the research project  "Crafting During Coronavirus” which is being carried out by Naomi Clarke of Bristol University? 

You have already referred to what many fellow crafters and the wider community have gone through during the Covid19 pandemic and I think we can see what amazing support we can all get from the crafting community on Whats App and Facebook. I’ve forgotten now how I first came across this research project but it seemed to me to be a potentially valuable piece of research, as an Occupational Therapist in my working days I continue to have a great interest in the importance of hobbies/occupation for wellbeing.

I understand that over 300 people are participating in this project, providing diaries of their crafting activities, feelings before, during and after crafting, how we share on social media and any other thoughts/reflections.

So needless to say, your Fruit Garden CAL has featured in many of my diaries since the start of the CAL and I would guess that there must be other of your CAL(s) crocheters who are also contributing. In addition to looking forward to seeing the outcome of Naomi’s research I feel that it has been a valuable experience for me to complete the diaries and at some point in the future I think that it will be interesting to look back on them and to reflect on my Covid crafting journey.' 
 

​If you are also interested in this research and want to find out more, then take a look at Naomi's dedicated web page here and thanks to Chris for letting us know about it.

As is the norm these days we do not have big plans for the weekend. We are hoping to spend a bit more time in the front garden, but the weather forecast is not looking very positive so it might well be a weekend spent in doors...(secretly hoping this means = settee, TV and crochet - yippee!)

Charlie and I have decided to join in with 'Stoptober', which is an NHS initiative to help people quit smoking. As neither of us smoke, but are making a conscious effort to improve our healthy habits, we have both decided to ditch the booze for the month and I have also added chocolate and crips to my list of things that I will avoid. One day in and I am feeling good about it, but it is the weekends when I tend to get side tracked by naughtiness, so I will be looking for other things to distract me over the weekend. If you are trying to give up anything there is a great app called 'Days Since' that might help you stay on target. I will let you know how Charlie and I get on....

Whatever you have planned for the next few days I hope you are safe and well. If you want to get in touch please hit reply - Sarah and I read all your mail and reply to those of you who need an answer. If you have sent an email but have not had one back from either of us, please take a look in your spam or junk folder in case it has gone there by mistake. 

Don't forget you can email us to let us know if you want any questions answered in next month's video Q&A. See you soon and take care....