August News

We will be launching the patterns for set three of the Spirit of Flora project next Wednesday the 21st August. As with set one and two, the patterns will be available as paper brochures via our website or as downloads via Etsy or Ravelry. ​

Sunflower

Pair of Roses

Double Carnations

Bedford Park Daisy

There are four motifs in the set - all are shown above. You can purchase the patterns individually at £3.95 each if you want to cherry pick certain motifs, or you can purchase the set at a price of £10.95, which means you save almost £5 compared to purchasing them individually. 

This third set of patterns are probably the most challenging motifs within the Spirit of Flora project and it includes patterns for the following motifs: Sunflower, Pair of Roses (this pattern also includes the half motif), Double Carnations and Bedford Park Daisy. Huge thanks to Inside Crochet Magazine and Leanne Jade for the permission to use these images.

It has been really fabulous seeing all your Spirit of Flora projects popping up on social media platforms and I am so pleased that so many of you have found Emma's free video tutorials on YouTube so helpful. Emma puts a huge amount of time and effort into creating this content and I am so grateful to her for her attention to detail and commitment to this project.

Revamping the patterns for this project since they appeared in Inside Crochet Magazine last year has been a lot of work for myself and the team and so I am really happy that releasing the patterns individually has suited so many of you and that you have enjoyed working through your projects. I especially love how so many of you have picked certain motifs to make unique projects and that lots of you have used up stash yarns to create your own colour ways.

With the Spirit of Flora project drawing to a close from the perspective of us here at Janie Crow it is quite nice to feel a bit more freedom to start on some new design work. I am very much aware that this project, workshops and the recolouring of existing projects over the last year or so have meant that I have released nothing particularly new for a long time. I have a few ideas for blanket projects whirling around in my head, so I am really looking forward to some much needed prolonged periods of design time over the forth coming months.

Peru provided a huge amount of fodder for new design work, with incredible textiles, yarn, craftspeople and scenery at every turn. It already feels like a bit of a dream that we were there and I really hope to return one day to this incredible country that had me spell bound from the start of our trip right up to the end. I have written a blog about the holiday, which you can find by following this link.

Don't forget that the Complete Crochet Handbook is back in stock following its reprint. We have signed or unsigned copies for sale on the website now and you can find them by following this link. ​

The book is written in UK terms and the copy written in US terms is called The Perfect Crochet Finish. You can find the US copy for sale on Mary Maxim by following this link, where you will also find a brand new kit for my Mystical Lanterns blanket on sale.

I have been working with Arena Travel, who provide tailor made trips for textile enthusiasts under the heading of Stitchtopia, for many years and felt incredibly privileged to tutor the recent trip to Peru and the West Yorkshire trip back in June.

For next year I suggested two new holiday destinations and am so pleased that my trips to Switzerland and Morocco are now live to book on the Stitchtopia site. You can now find the information about my trip to the Swiss Yarn Festival in April and the details of the Yarn Inspirations of Morocco trip, which has only been live for a couple of weeks and is scheduled to take place in October 2025.

I am especially excited about the trip to Morocco as I fell head over heals in love with Marrakesh when I visited last year and have worked with Helen Warrington at Arena to create a really exciting itinerary that includes stops in Marrakesh, Rabat, the Atlas Mountains, Fez and Casablanca, to name a few.

We are so proud of our lovely Gemma who recently won the top spot for best tutor in the @step2skills awards. Gemma is one of the most patient and kind people on the planet and we already knew how amazing she is, but this award makes it official. Way to go Gemma! We love you loads!

The Woolly Away is a fabulous knitting and crochet retreat co-hosted by Diana Bensted of The Crochet Chain and Deb Cunningham at Crates of Wool. I have been lucky enough to tutor one of the workshops at a previous event and have always wanted to attend as a participant too, as it always looks like such a lovely weekend away.

The Woolly Away is two days of crafting and relaxation in the beautiful surroundings of the Manor of Groves hotel at High Wych, near Sawbridgeworth. This year Deb and Diana have organised tutors to teach workshops on Saturday and Sunday mornings with time in the afternoons to work independently with help from the tutors. The event includes all workshops as well as a delicious 3-course meal on Saturday evening and all other meals and snacks are provided. Participants also have access to the hotel’s leisure centre if they fancy a change of pace.

The next retreat is 27th-29th September 2024. On Saturday you can choose between a workshop by Molly Brown of Molly Brown’s Emporium who will be teaching Double Knitting, a technique that produces a double-sided fabric where each side is the mirror of the other, or Diana Bensted who will be exploring crochet textures inspired by Gansey designs.

On Sunday the choice of workshops is between Andrew Kite, aka The Yarn Whisperer, who will be teaching a new crochet workshop using some amazing hand-dyed, plant-based yarn or Deb Cunningham of Crates of Wool who will also be exploring textures inspired by Gansey patterns, this time in knitting.

You can find more information about this exciting event and book by following this link.

The Coat of Hopes was on display in Bradford when we were there during our workshop trip back in June. Unfortunately we didn't get to see it, however, there is still time to join in on one of the walks as it will be travelling from South Ferriby to Lincoln this weekend and then from Lincoln to Nottingham between the 3rd and the 7th September.

​image (c) Haworth Church

'The Coat of Hopes is a patchwork pilgrim coat, on an ongoing walk through Britain. Made, worn and walked by many hundreds of people during and since the pilgrimage on which it was created - from the south coast of England to the gates of COP 26, the UN climate summit, in Glasgow autumn 2021.
The Coat is made up of pieces of blanket into which people have worked their griefs, remembrances, prayers and hopes for the place they call home. It walks ever calling those who encounter it, or who share it, into the present. Supported by its warmth (love) - to bear its weight (responsibility). So each might “wear the promise that we all belong together” as we seek to respond with our whole self to the climate and ecological emergency.'
​
Words copied from the Coat of Hopes website, where you can find more information.

As we have been away from home so much over the last month we have been a bit lazy on the cookery front and have not tried out anything new, so instead of a yummy food recipe this time, I have a drink recommendation for you instead.

​Image (c) Tim Nusog

While we were away we found the Peruvian favourite Pisco Sour on offer at the bar pretty much everywhere we went. It is really delicious and I am told that it is as good with or without the egg white, but be warned as it is so lovey to drink that it is easy to get pretty squiffy, pretty quickly! Head over Liquor.com to find the recipe.

​We are looking forward to our first proper lazy weekend in quite a while and don't have a huge amount of plans except some drinks in the garden with family later on today and a friend's fancy dress birthday party on Saturday evening.

Over the course of the weekend I will be working on some Granny Squares to help promote Claire Montgomerie's fabulous Granny Square Card Deck which you can find on pre-sale here and I am also hoping to get to the cinema to see the newest Deadpool film at last. 
 
I hope that whatever your plans are, you are also looking forward to a nice weekend and that maybe, like me, you will get a chance to sit for a bit with some lovely knitting or crochet!

Janie x