August News

As I sit here melting at my desk in the heat of this record breaking summer it seems a tad ridiculous to be thinking about projects for the autumn, but as I have been in recovery mode since my little op a week or so ago, I have made good progress on both my top down knitted sweater and some woolly crochet projects I have been working on. Using wool yarn at this time of year is actually easier than you would think as one of the beauties of the fibre is that it is warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot. That said I have restricted my knitting to early morning and evenings and have had a fan on the go on my desk when crocheting. Thank goodness for modern appliances! 
 
I have a few things to tell you about this week, including a sneaky peek of a brand new release which is set for next week. I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with all the Janie Crow news.

My next crochet along will launch in partnership with Stylecraft Yarns as we head into next year and I can't wait to show it to you. The design is finished and the patterns have gone off for their technical edit so it has been nice to see it all finished over the last few weeks. I am really looking forward to showing it to you later on in the year.
 
I have made the project in a couple of Stylecraft's yarn ranges so you can choose which you want to use. One of the yarns is something brand new which launches next week on Tuesday (18th August). It is a yarn that I have been asking them to produce since starting to design with them over a decade ago so I am particularly excited about showing it to you very soon! We will be filming a special reveal video over the weekend, so if you want to be within some of the first yarn lovers to see whats going on, be sure to check out our Instagram feed or our Facebook page on Tuesday.

If you feel up to a spot of crochet, or if you are starting to plan your autumn makes, we have a good stock of kits at the moment, including a very healthy number of Eastern Jewels as shown in the image above.
 
You can find paper patterns, kits and our Emma Ball accessories range in our shop by following this link.

I will be tutoring a repeat of my workshop trip to France next year with Stitchtopia. You can find the trip by following this link.
 
My lovely mate Juliet Bernard will also be tutoring a fabulous trip with Stitchtopia in the form of a cruise to Iceland in May 2027. Having been on this trip before I know how brilliant this holiday is - Juliet is so excited about it that she has already designed the project!
 
The holiday is a spectacular circumnavigation of Iceland, where dramatic coastlines, volcanic landscapes and abundant wildlife provide breathtaking scenery at every turn. There will also be exclusive excursions including a full-day Golden Circle tour with inspiring yarn-related visits, and a guided sightseeing tour of Reykjavík featuring the Hand Knitting Association of Iceland and time to browse the city's yarn shops. In Akureyri, an exclusive visit to Garn í Gangi includes a special show-and-tell and the opportunity to shop for beautiful Icelandic yarns.
 
With the waters of northern Iceland renowned for humpback and minke whales, there's also the chance to spot these magnificent creatures on board Fred Olsen's flagship, Bolette. If you want to join Juliet for a memorable holiday you can book here.

I designed the Frida's Flowers blanket as a crochet along project for Stylecraft a decade ago (can you believe it?), so we felt it was time for a revamp. Next week will see the release of this new version (shown above), which uses a rich platte of colours evocative of the iconic Frida Kahlo's choice to wear traditional Mexican clothes that featured embroidery, ribbons and embellishments. Look out for more information on this project, which I have called Paloma, next week!  ​

We will be exhibiting at Yarndale in September and I will be on the Stylecraft stand at the Knit + Stitch Show at Ally Pally in October. 
 
We have also booked a stand at the Harrogate Knit + Stitch show in November and have been offered the chance for you to nab a discount on tickets. You can find more info by following this link. Use the code JANIECROW at checkout to get your discount.

If you are a fan of Arts and Crafts houses, I urge you to check out the National Trust property Standen House in East Grinstead, especially as they are currently hosting an exhibition of contemporary artists work - each piece inspired by the work of the movement.
 
I am absolutely delighted that The Fruit Garden blanket was chosen to be part of the show and I am looking forward to visiting to see it in situe soon. You can find more info by clicking here.

I don't really have a recipe for you this time as food hasn't really been on my radar since my op. That's not to say I haven't been eating (heaven forbid), but in the heat, and as I have not been able to stand for long periods or walk about too much, we have been having quite a bit of batch cooked dinners - many of them from recipes I have shared here before.
 
A poke bowl is a great idea this time of year as they are so easy to make, especially as any left overs from the fridge will be a great choice along side some vegetables and salad. The image above shows one I ordered in a cafe in Barcelona last year. It was particularly yummy and super simple! 

​The hollyhocks are finally looking amazing on our front drive despite the heat. I scatter the seeds every autumn and year on year I worry that they won't come to flower, so it is always fabulous when they start to bloom late summer time! Last year I bought seeds that have produced these lovely dark flowers aren't they fabulous! I have also harvested and dried my own herbs this year and now have pots of home grown thyme and oregano, which have made me ridiculously happy! 
 
I haven't managed more than about four thousand steps a day since my op, but I am getting about a lot easier as the days go by. Nonetheless we have a very quiet weekend planned as a result and I will mostly be pottering around the garden and indulging myself in some knitting and crochet from the comfort of an easy chair!
 
Don't forget it is Granny Square Day tomorrow and have a fab weekend!