​It seems to have been one of the speediest months ever here at Janie Crow and I honestly cannot believe that I am here with another of my bumper monthly newsletters! To be honest, it is getting a bit scary to realise that Christmas really is on the horizon and that another year is almost over. I keep thinking how strange it is going to be to look back on 2020 and have very few punctuation points to remember, like big family birthdays or holidays, so I have downloaded a year planner for 2021 and stuck it up on the wall in the studio this week in the hope that I can start filling it up with exciting projects for next year....my fingers are very tightly crossed!

So this newsletter is pretty much all about the Festive Season and we have some lovely things to show to you including some new designs I have contributed to Inside Crochet magazine and some images of hanging decorations that Sarah has made from my recent pattern using some lovely alternative colour palettes. We also have an interesting piece that Sarah has written to showcase the designer maker Melanie Keevil and we have also focused on our new Lifestyle brand, with a piece I have written all about plastic! 

You can find a video introduction for this newsletter by following this link or by clicking on the image below.
   

​We have some new products on the Janie Crow web site this week including the brilliant knit and crochet stitch inspired tea towels from Tilly Flop (shown above) and an updated stock holding of loads of my crochet project kits. 
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​If you have been patiently waiting for any of these kits we now have yarn packs for the Love Is Enough version of the Fruit Garden CAL, Mystical Lanterns Blanket and Lily Pond Blanket to name but a few. All in all we have updated stock levels of 9 designs and have added more than 100 kits to both Janie Crow and Just Knots, so we are sure you will find something to keep you busy over the next few months as the weather turns more chilly!
   

​You can check out my back history of designs by flicking through the downloadable catalogue here.
 
This month we are focussing on the technique of adding beads to your crochet and you can find a technique video by following a link that is featured lower down this newsletter. Don't forget you can send in your questions for our monthly Q&A simply by replying to this email.

I hope that you can spare a few moments to settle down with this week's newsletter and catch up with all things Janie Crow.
  

​I am a big fan of Inside Crochet Magazine and I have a lovely relationship with the team there - they are incredibly supportive and helpful and I am so thankful for their friendship. I think Inside Crochet Magazine is one of the best crochet mags out there and I love that they push the boundaries of the craft and have such a beautiful style with the quality of the images and styling, the stunning locations and the projects they choose to feature.
   

The new Festive Edition of the magazine is out now and boy is it a (Christmas) cracker! There are so many fabulous projects in there including designs by some of the UK's leading designers and I am honoured to have been asked to contribute the patterns for some more festive decorations that feature in an exclusive 'beaded crochet' cover book. 
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The cover book contains the patterns for 4 decorations (made in 2 alternative colour ways) and step-by-step instructions and images for adding beads to your crochet. The magazine even has a tube of gold beads included to help you get started on your beaded crochet journey.
   

​If you like the idea of beading but feel you need a bit of extra help you can find a video tutorial that Sarah and I filmed a few years ago on the Janie Crow YouTube channel here and a free to download technique document here.

You can find more bead shades over on Andy's Just Knots site by following this link but unfortunately we have now sold out of the magazine, however you can find it for sale on the Inside Crochet web site here.
 

​I have been really inspired this year by Jane’s Festive Crochet Decorations pattern to dip into my stash and make some decorations to hang in our home and also to give as gifts. By coincidence our sitting room is decorated in grey and white, but the rest of our abode is much more colourful and this got me thinking about using Jane’s designs in different colours. In fact one of the great things about this pattern is that it provides you with a framework to create your own unique colourways. 

I am not going to bang on about colour theory because the chances are that you may not have the ‘right’ colours in your stash. Instead I am going to show you some examples of how I have used my stash this week by taking inspiration from what I already have!

This year we have been encouraged to get outside and take the time to absorb what nature has to offer us. The colours used for this first decoration were inspired by the idea of walks in the forest and the colours of leaves, tress and pathways.
   

​I have used various different DK weight yarns to echo this idea and tried to link them to some of the things from our Christmas drawer of treasure!
   

​My second source of inspiration came from a little collection of hand-painted wooden houses that I bought last Christmas but in fact display all year round because I love the mid-century palette that it conjures. Anybody who knows me will recognise how much I love coral and this one really helps to balance the more muted tones in this scheme.
   

​I particularly enjoyed making this motif as it contains some oddments of beautiful hand dyed cashmere that I was fortunate enough to find a few years ago. It is so soft and precious and reminds of the day I visited the dyer at her studio with friends. 
   

​Blue has been the Pantone colour of the year for 2020 and so this decoration was inspired Pantone’s Christmas colours. Again you will see that I have sneaked in some of my favourite orange but this time it is much deeper and helps to draw in some of the reds that are so prevalent at Christmas. 
   

​These colours also make me think of Scandinavian countries and that lovely contrast of red and terracotta tiled roofs against blue-grey buildings and waterlines. I bring the painted stones out every Christmas and they are amongst my absolute favourite decorations.
   

​Finally it wouldn’t be Christmas without a bit of Winter Wonderland. This choice was inspired by my daughter, Phoebe who loves the sparkle of Christmas. It may be difficult to see in the photograph but the darkest yarn is a sparkly sock yarn. (I used this double to get a similar weight to the other yarns).
   

​​The other colours are intended to suggest a winter sky with that soft pink that we sometimes see at this time of year.
   

​I hope that my words and images have inspired you to look at ways of making your decorations extra personal this year to reflect our love of home and also using the resources we have to give as gifts or keepsakes.
   

​You can find the patterns for Jane's hanging decorations and her mini stockings by following this link or by clicking on the images below. 
   

​As seems to be usual for me these days I decided fairly last minute, towards the end of November last year, to make advent calendars for my daughters. I liked the idea of making something that could be used from year to year and that I could fill with little treasures that suited their interests.  
 
I had purchased some fat quarter bundles of Christmas themed fabrics to do the job I then set about cutting all my pieces out. The tiny little pockets took quite some time to cut out and sew and then these were sewn onto the background fabric before assembling the calendar. I sandwiched wadding in between the front and back pieces of fabric and then used bias binding around the edge to hold all the pieces together before adding two loops to the top edge through which I could feed a dowel and ribbon for hanging. I had also sewn two channels on to the back fabric to slide two dowels into to give the calendar some weight and stability, but a piece of sturdy cardboard sandwiched inside would have worked well too. The stick-on numbers for the pockets finished the calendars off. 
   

By the time I had the calendars finished I had left myself about 48 hours to get things to fill the pockets with!  So, the idea of little treasures flitted quietly out of the window and I set about trying to use my imagination to come up with ideas. My eldest daughter Olivia was (and still is) totally obsessed with cats so I set about crocheting her a cat family.  They were very simple 2D cat shapes, but she loved them. That accounted for about seven of the pockets and the others were filled with a variety of small foil wrapped Christmas chocolates such as santas and snowmen along with some ‘vouchers’ to be exchanged for little treats such as a manicure or facial, or choice of DVD to watch or book to read together.  Instead of the cats for my youngest daughter Emily, I had hidden away some of her favourite toys, Disney Tsum Tsums. These are tiny rubber collectible figures of Disney characters and she was delighted to find one of these in her calendar every few days.  The remainder of her pockets were again filled with small chocolate treats and treat ‘vouchers’.  
 
The calendars are still up in the loft with all the other Christmas paraphernalia at the moment, but Olivia is reminding me on a daily basis that they need to be got down and filled. She talks about using them for years and years and even when she is grown up.  The fact that the calendars have already become a ‘family tradition’ puts a huge smile on my face and makes the time spent making them feel like time well spent. 
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​Thank you for the amazing response to the new Janie Crow baby! We are so pleased to have received so much positivity about it and we are really grateful for all your follows on the Instagram page.
   

​Did you catch the link to Summer's yummy double chocolate cookie recipe? If not you can find it by following this link and clicking on 'Vegan Recipes' at the top or by clicking on the image below.

Since posting the cookie recipe Summer has made some more cookies and added recipes for carrot and coriander soup and vegan Yorkshire puddings to her site - don't worry if you are not vegan, many of the recipes can be converted to use butter and eggs and Sum gives advice on how to do that.    

Andy made a batch of the double chocolate chip cookies at the weekend using butter and non vegan chocolate and although his cookies looked a little less professional than Summer's they were really tasty! The brilliant thing about these cookies is that you can make the dough in advance and pop them in the freezer so that you can bake them when you want. They are gorgeous when fresh and gooey out of the oven!
   

If you didn't see last week's newsletter where we launched the Lifestyle brand you can find more information by following this link. The aim of the brand is to give you a more personal insight into our lives and loves here at Janie Crow but also to showcase what we think are some great lifestyle and beauty products, all of which have an ethical, zero waste attribute. If haven't checked out the lifestyle store yet then take a look here. The hand and lip balms have been flying out over the last week along with the gorgeous 'Friendly Soaps'. If you click through to the accessories section you will find some more fab things too!

This week we have continued to look at our packaging options at Janie Crow and Just Knots. All Lifestyle products will be sent using biodegradable and ethically sourced packaging with no plastic options and we are swapping our grip seal plastic bags to boxes for as many kits as we can. We also reuse packaging that comes into us - for example we put the Janie Crow Tea Towels into the left over resealable bags that are used to send sets of crochet hooks by one of our distributors and we use waste bubble wrap to pad out any orders that may need it rather than throw it away. We also reuse any boxes that arrive in good shape!

Over the last year we have been using mailing bags made from sugar cane and we have had a few emails from followers wondering why we are not going to continue using these for all your mail so I thought I would use this weeks email to talk to you about the 'big plastic spin'! 

​I remember first becoming aware of the word 'spin' in regards to politicians making sure that however dodgy or dishonest their proposals or legislation might be - if the way it was fed to the public in terms of how it was written or presented had a positive spin then the masses would be more likely to fall for what they were saying.

In a world of social media where we are fed needs and musts all the time it is easy to believe the 'spin' surrounding plastic with words like 'sustainable', 'renewable sources' and 'recyclable' being banded around left right and centre. The mailing bags that we have been using at Janie Crow also say 'Carbon Neutral' and show a symbol that shows they are made from sugar cane, BUT (and of course there is a BUT!) this does not mean that they are biodegradable or that they can be recycled. And it is that factor that is the big problem!

And when I say big problem I mean BIG PROBLEM!

Many mailing bags focus on the process by which they are made rather than the fact that few are biodegradable or recyclable in your home recycling bin, but rely on you taking them to larger commercial recycling bins such as those found at the big supermarkets - I have checked out all of our local supermarkets this week and none of them recycle plastic bags, so it would be interesting to hear if any of you have found a similar problem.

If you have read my Lifestyle value document you will have seen that the decisions we make in regards to yarn use here at Janie Crow present me with lots of dilemmas. ALL the yarn we purchase at trade arrives here in plastic bags and that is regardless of how high end the yarn inside might be. If you add to this the fact that many yarns use processes that use plastic (such as Superwash Wool being sprayed with a type of plastic to make it less likely to shrink when washed) and the fact that more bags are used to pack kits and then to be put in the post you will see that this is a big plastic problem.

If you take a moment to think about this, try and envisage the number of plastic bags being sent out with yarn orders across the globe and then think about the impact that this could be having on the world. Did you know, for example, that only 5% of the world's plastic is in-fact recycled? Did you also know that there is a plastic 'garbage patch' in the Pacific Ocean and that it is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.

Watch the video here from The Swim.
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​Over the last few years the yarn industry has focussed on micro fibres and the impact that this could be having on our oceans. Many people therefore see man made fibres as the big enemy, but I would urge you to look at the much bigger picture - the one that shows the billions of wasted plastic bags floating in our oceans along with the plastic drinks and shampoo bottles - the things we use and replace day in and day out.

Over the next few years I will be consciously looking at the yarns I use for new projects and I am so pleased that so many yarn brands are also beginning to look properly at what they produce. I do think though that yarn use is a very personal thing though, and that you are all grown up enough to make the decisions of what yarn to use for your project by yourself! If I have written a pattern for a man made fibre and you want to use wool or cotton then go ahead! Simply check the tension and meterage to ensure you have enough and off you go! 

Natural fibres are definitely the way forward, but they are not always within easy reach financially so before we all become big yarn snobs we need to look more closely at making bigger and more necessary changes, which for us here at Janie Crow and Just Knots currently means changing to cardboard boxes and paper packaging for as many items as we can.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this - simply hit reply and let me know what you think!
  

​As you know, here at Janie Crow we are always keen to find out about and support the work of fellow artists and crafters and this week, I want to tell you all about my friend, Mel.
  

I first met Mel through a mutual friend at one of her solo exhibitions and was immediately struck by the intricacy and integrity of her work. I have been lucky enough to visit her studio, built by her husband and been fascinated at the sheer industry that goes into creating such evocative pieces. The following words are from Melanie and describe her inspiration and process – enjoy!

'For the last ten years I have worked from my garden studio in Kings Heath, Birmingham.
I create abstract ceramic wall panels that are a personal response to landscape, coastline and rock formations. Recently I have also started making ceramic vessels.
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My ceramic pieces begin life as a sketch or idea in my notebook. Wherever I travel my sketchbook is with me and I use it to record a detail that catches my attention. Whilst wandering around the sun drenched streets of Spain or France I might sketch part of a building, eroded stonework, a beautifully shaped window or the peeling paint on a door.

The starting point could be the landscape and rock formations of Cornwall and the colours and patterns of a pebble on the beach. I make notes about the colour and light to help choose the right glaze that will best capture the effect that I want to create. I also use the camera to reference colours and composition.

Back in my studio I begin by rolling a slab of white stoneware clay to work on. With my sketchbooks as a reference I draw and press into the clay to make lines, patterns and shapes. I then have to wait for the clay to slowly dry to a firmer texture. The clay panel is sandwiched between newspaper and boards. It has to be done like this to prevent the clay from cracking or warping as it shrinks whilst drying out. Once the clay is leather hard I can begin carving. This creates a three dimensional surface. I select areas to carve that will later be filled with glaze. Some areas will be much deeper than other sections depending on the type of glaze I plan to use, for example some glazes are quite runny and need to be contained.
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The next stage is probably my favourite part of the process. This is where I use coloured slips (liquid clay) and coloured stains to paint onto the clay surface. I enjoy the freedom of using the slips like paint, creating expressive marks and texture and building layers. The work is then left to dry out completely this time, slowly between boards. This can take another couple of weeks. It is then biscuit fired to 1000 degrees in my electric kiln.

Glazing is a time consuming process. I mix and create all my own glazes. Over the years I have tested hundreds of recipes. I now have a large range of favourite glazes that I will use on my work. Even so in each firing I will always squeeze in a few more tests. I never stop experimenting with different variations to find a perfect matte turquoise or a pale green crackle to add to my collection. So with my pallet of glazes arranged on my workbench, I set about glazing the bisque fired ware. I find the clay surface uninspiring at this point as it seems a little lifeless somehow. The prepared glazes are in jam jars and look very similar to each other in this raw state. There is no hint of the colours they will become just varying hues of grey, white and rust.
I apply each glaze with a brush. Each glaze will need two or three coats and has to dry between applications. The glaze has to be applied carefully to avoid touching the boundary of the glaze next to it. It is a complicated process and hard to keep track of how many layers l have applied. It is difficult to identify which glaze has been put where as they all look so similar at this stage. There can be as many as thirty different glazes to apply in one of my larger panels.

I fire my work to 1260 degrees. It takes about 13 hours to reach temperature. After two days the kiln will have cooled sufficiently to open. Evert time I open the door of the kiln I am filled with anticipation and apprehension in equal measures. There is always the risk of the work being ruined as well as the exciting possibilities of a glaze that works marvellously to make the finished piece a success.
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​This year on my Instagram account I am taking part in #artistsupportpledge a wonderful initiative set in motion by Matthew Burrows MBE. Artists sell their work for under £200 and when they reach £1000 in sales, pledge to buy another artists work to the value of £200. This creates much needed support system for the creative community.
I currently have work in two exhibitions,‘Architectural Echoes’ at Studio Vault in Yorkshire and ‘Crux’ at Little Buckland Art Gallery in The Cotswolds. Both galleries are selling work online because of the current lockdown situation.'
 
If you would like to see more of Mel’s work and support her by purchasing one of her beautiful items, then you may like to look at her Instagram page @melaniekeevil or visit her website

​So, as often happens on a Friday afternoon I am a little late with this email - it is already getting dark outside and the weekend is beckoning. I hope that wherever you are and whatever you have planned you will stay safe and well.

I am planning to sit with my new book in a comfy spot and hope to get out for a long walk in preparation for our big walk in aid of Shelter in a few weeks time. I am also hoping to crack on with my version of the Stephen West MKAL project which I only have 8 rows and the cast off left to complete!
Sending big virtual yarny hugs to you all.
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​I 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.
   

​It has been so lovely to see all the activity surrounding the re- release of the Fruit Garden CAL over the last couple of weeks. I am here to let you know that the second yarn substitution document for the Love is Enough version of the Fruit Garden Crochet Along project is now live on the Stylecraft web site.

To work through the Columbine motif and the first part of the Acanthus motif you will need to download the original pattern for Part 2 and use the yarn sub document alongside this as a guide for which yarn shades to use. If you are joining in the CAL and using one of the 2 original colourways or your own colour palette then you will not need the yarn sub document.
   

I have recorded a short video to accompany the re-release of the first set of patterns and you can find the video here. There are a couple of documents I suggest you look at before you start work if you have not completed the project already - these are the introduction document for the Love is Enough colour way, which you will find here and the Getting Ready document. You can find a video to accompany the Columbine and the first few rounds of the Acanthus motif here.

If you want to make a cushion to accompany your project you can find the patterns as free downloads or paper patterns by following this link. 

Don't forget that you can find help and join in some crochet orientated chat via the Stylecraft Yarns CAL Facebook page here.

Yarn substitution documents for the next part of the project will go live on the 1st December.

Sending big yarny hugs to you all and hoping that you are safe and well.

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​If you would like to vote for me in the Craft Business Awards please click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the online voting forms.
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​It is a big week here at Janie Crow as we have some exciting news to share with you. Over the past couple of months we have been working on a new venture to join the Janie Crow family. Our new baby 'Janie Crow Lifestyle' launches today and we hope that you will be as pleased with our new arrival as we are....
   

​We have been playing around with the idea of a lifestyle brand for quite a while and it has arisen from our desire to engage with you all on a more personal level so that we can share ideas and thoughts about things other than knit and crochet design, such as well being, recipes, beauty products and home life. Lockdown has been hard for so many, but I think one of the over riding things to have emerged from our global isolation is the importance of home, friends and family and so this seems like the perfect time to finally put our plans into action for the new brand.

We love the fact that so many of you are invested in what goes on here at Janie Crow and we cherish our close relationships with you guys. We love getting your feedback and engaging in email and online chats with you all and so we hope that you will see the new brand as another lovely little added extra to your current Janie Crow experience and I hope that you can spare a few moments to find out more about the lifestyle brand by settling down with this week's newsletter and catching up with all things Janie Crow.
  

​Those of you who have followed my email newsletters for a while will hopefully have seen that on the whole I try not to see myself as a 'Janie ship' with a sole navigator sailing alone in the sea! I love the fact that we are part of a huge yarn loving community and I cherish interaction with customers, workshop attendees and other designer makers and have always felt that we should support and champion each other. Over the last few years, especially since the fabulous Sarah Hazell and Gemma Biggs have joined the Janie Crow team, we have also tried to bring you a wider Janie Crow experience, like including recipes and articles that relate to environmental awareness in the weekly newsletters and it has been these kind of things that have served as the catalyst for the idea of a lifestyle brand.
   

For the last couple of years, as the business has grown, it has presented me with big dilemmas in regards to our environmental impact and so we felt it was time that we took a long hard look at the things we do and the products we use and slowly start to implement some changes to the Janie Crow brand. It was this process that eventually took us another step towards the lifestyle brand.

Over the last few months we have been switching our packaging from plastic to paper and this week we have started to pack as many Janie Crow yarn kits as we can into cardboard and paper packaging rather than plastic grip seal and mail bags. The changeover from plastic to paper has been a slow one, so you may still get a kit in plastic for the next month or so, but hopefully by the time 2020 is over we will be a step closer to our plastic free aim for packaging.

The lifestyle brand is a team effort! Sarah and myself will be creating the Instagram posts and newsletter articles. We have roped in Gemma too and because we also wanted to get the input of some 'bright young things' we have Sarah's daughter Phoebe and my daughter Summer on board too! 

Once we had decided that we would look at creating a lifestyle brand the team each set about writing their own 'values' document and we used these as the basis for the outline of our brand ethos. You can read our documents by following this link and we will be visiting some of the points raised in these documents over the next few months including my thoughts on yarn use and how we are all 'a work in progress' as far as being eco savvy is concerned.
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Over the next few weeks and months we will be sharing some products with you that we feel make great eco swaps to everyday items. We have focussed on a few home products like tea towels and hand-soaps and some luxury beauty items too, but I want to emphasise here that the retail aspect to the brand is not it's main purpose, our aim is to present thoughtful, helpful content that inspires you. It might be that we motivate you to bake a cake from one of the recipes we share or indulge in a cheeky Saturday night cocktail for example, or it might be that an image or story we share simply results in you taking a mindful walk outside or having a think about what eco swaps you could make in your every day life.
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​Please follow the new Instagram account by clicking this link or on the image above. There are already quite a few posts on there and we have some more planned for the weekend including a recipe from Summer for the most delicious chocolate cookies you will EVER taste! 

I am already really proud of Janie Crow Lifestyle and hope that you will love it too!
   

Hello there! Sarah here....

Whenever Jane and I spend time together or chat on the phone, like most good friends we inevitably end up discussing life, the universe and everything! I am sure you are all familiar with the type of conversation that I mean. Like us, you probably have conversations with friends where you end up going off at some tangent or another and fail to remember where you started! The important thing in these interactions is that we had the chance to share and exchange ideas in a safe context, discuss things that concern us or that have made us happy or laugh out loud. I think it is this idea of sharing, discussing and shaping a point of view that excites me most about Janie Crow Lifestyle. 

I have known Jane for about 15 years and have always been struck by her concern for the environment, eating healthy food and her love of home. When work has taken her away from home she always weighs up the environmental impact of that journey and tries to balance that out in some way. So the idea of launching a lifestyle brand is really a very logical step for Jane because it is part of who she is. I am sure that if any of you have attended one of Jane’s workshops or holidays, one of your abiding memories will be of how much of herself and her skills she is prepared to share. Similarly with the Lifestyle brand, we have shared in Jane’s vision and worked as a team to bring you what we think you would like to see from this kind of idea. We have discussed our own journeys towards a more sustainable lifestyle, we have researched and tested products and opened up the conversation to family and friends. 
   

I think in essence, we all want to make better choices in some of the products that we buy. Finding the right kind of suppliers for the Lifestyle brand has meant that Jane and Andy have been able to make good choices about what they buy and who they buy it from. As much as possible they are supporting small British companies using natural, eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. I really like the idea that this becomes a partnership in encouraging greater access to greener choices.
   

Over the course of the weeks and months that Jane and Andy have been working on the new brand I have learnt a lot and challenged some of my own misconceptions – I love that! I am really looking forward to sharing more articles and ideas with you over the coming months and also to finding out about some of the changes that you have been making. We are not trying to deliver a manifesto, but I am convinced that small changes lead to a more sustained approach and anything that we can do to preserve our precious world gets my vote!
   

​I saw the first decorated Christmas Tree when I was out for an evening walk this week - it had lights, tinsel, the works, so it seems that people are definitely getting into the festive mood early this year. With just over six weeks to go until Christmas Day many of us are beginning to think about festive projects too especially if we are planning to make some decorations for the tree or for the house.

I released two new patterns for crochet decorations this week and whilst I know that there is much uncertainty over what the holidays will be like this year, I am sure that the act of giving and receiving remains incredibly special nonetheless, perhaps even more so!
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​These cute little crochet stockings make a lovely festive decoration and would look great hung on the Christmas Tree. They are big enough to fit in a small gift, so you could make some to use as an alternative to gift wrapping, or, if you fancy making 24 of them, you could create your own advent calendar and pop in some scrummy chocolate treats to enjoy during December!
   

​The stockings do not use much yarn so are a great stash busting project too! Why not try making stockings with brightly coloured stripes from lots of colours or add different types of decoration on the cuffs like bright pom-poms or bigger beads?
   

The pattern includes the instructions for four variations of the stocking. Two of the stockings are striped and two have a cuff. One stocking has a beaded cuff and another has a crochet holly detail. The pattern is written for DK weight of yarn and the stockings are worked in the round. The pattern is written in UK terms and has a chart for US equivalents at the front of the brochure.

The pattern is £5.95 and you can get the paper pattern via the web site here or you can download it via Ravelry or Etsy.
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​I love putting the decorations on the tree or around the house at Christmas time. I have a really eclectic assortment of hanging baubles, adornments and trimmings that I use to make our home feel festive.  Our decorations have been collected over the years - some belonged to Andy’s grandparents and we have baubles we found whilst on trips away and some were made by my children when they were small. My favourite is probably the paper angel with a head made from a ping pong ball, with a wonky smile drawn in felt tip pen and a dress made from a paper doily that Charlie made when he was at primary school, although I think he cringes a little when I pop it on the tree!
 
I love the way unpacking the decorations year after year and arranging them around the house brings back lots of lovely memories and good feelings. Handmade decorations make extra special gifts as they convey that sentiment too and are a great way of using up odds and ends of yarn from your stash.
   

​For these hanging decorations I have used four shades of yarn for a more contemporary, simple look, but I think these would also look great made with all sorts of yarn types and colours with added buttons, beads and ribbon to add in a big splash of fun!

The pattern in written for five decorations and I have included an alternative shade sequence for each one, so you can see I have included ten decorations in the images.
   

The pattern is written in UK terms, but includes a list of US equivalents. The pattern is available as an 8 page paper brochure or you can purchase a download copy via Ravelry or Etsy. 

​One of our aims for the Lifestyle brand in particular is to support other designer makers that we admire. Mahliqa specialises in hand knitted & crocheted textile jewellery using a mixed media of hand-dyed yarn, precious metals & Swarovski crystals. Mahliqa’s designer and creator, Suraya, is a London-born British Asian, who draws on her cultural heritage of arts and handicrafts from the Indian sub-continent.
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​Suraya is hugely inspired by the vintage jewellery styles of India & Persia and incorporates vivid colour into her designs by using Swarovski crystals, gemstones, enamelled copper wires and luxury yarns produced by talented indie yarn dyers. 
 

Suraya is a regular exhibitor at the Knitting & Stitching shows and other yarn festivals and
has been featured in The Knitter, Knitting and Inside Crochet Magazines. Much of Suraya's work is commission based, creating bespoke pieces for private clients, so we are very lucky to have a selection of her fabulous work for sale here on Janie Crow.
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​Suraya lives just a couple of miles away form us here in North London and we have been friends for a long time. I think that Suraya's work is absolutely stunning and I am so pleased to see how her career has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. Suraya and her work was featured on Kirsty Allsopps Handmade Christmas show last year (you can find the video here - Suraya is featured at around about the 45 minute mark) and you can find the Mahliqa press page here that also shows her winning design from Vogue Knitting Live earlier this year. What a total star she is!

I am totally in love with all of Suraya's ready made pieces of jewellery, but if you fancy having a go at making something yourself you can also find her patterns and accessories on the Mahliqa Etsy store here.
 

​Don't forget that you can check out my back catalogue of designs by taking a look at the Janie Crow brochure. Simply click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the full colour download version or pop one in your cart alongside any other purchases on the Janie Crow web site and we will send you a paper copy for free.
  

​We have seen a pick up in sales over the last week as many of our yarn kits have come back into stock and people are starting to look at their Christmas shopping lists, so tomorrow looks like being a work day for us, but we have decided to reward ourselves with a rare take out meal this evening, so that makes the prospect of a longer working week a little easier to swallow - much like the copious number of dim sum I am planning to eat later on!

Thankfully the weather over the last week has been far better than expected so we have been able to get out for walks, but it is the personal interaction that we are missing so much. Zoom has been great for keeping in touch, but there is nothing like a face to face conversation is there! Hopefully you are all managing to keep yourselves perky despite the situation. I think my craft has been my absolute salvation and I am slowly getting my motivation back for designing - thank you for all the kind words in regards to that. Your emails have been an incredible support.

I leave you this week with a link to the new John Lewis Christmas advert, another one of those quirky British traditions at this time of year!
  

Despite my love for the Christmas adverts (and I do love this new one from John Lewis so much that I have watched it 5 times already!) I have to admit to being a little irked that the emphasis on whether the nation will be able to get together for Christmas has overshadowed other spiritual events this year. Ramadan and many Jewish Holidays have also fallen during lockdown and the Hindu Festival of Light, Diwali is this weekend. The most important thing is that we all keep safe, so if you are celebrating tomorrow I hope you have a fabulous time despite the obvious changes in family traditions that the pandemic has meant. I will be keeping an eye our for decorations and fireworks and thinking of you all.
  

​Sending big virtual yarny hugs wherever you are and whatever your plans are this weekend.

​I 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.
   

With just over six weeks to go until Christmas Day many of us are beginning to think about festive projects, especially if we are planning to make some decorations for the tree or for the house.

I have two new patterns for crochet decorations to show you today and I have also picked out two shawl projects from my collection that I think would make great gifts either for a loved one or for yourself!

I know that there is much uncertainty over what the holidays will be like this year, but I am sure that the act of giving and receiving remains incredibly special nonetheless, perhaps even more so!
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These cute little crochet stockings make a lovely festive decoration and would look great hung on the Christmas Tree. They are big enough to fit in a small gift, so you could make some to use as an alternative to gift wrapping, or, if you fancy making 24 of them, you could create your own advent calendar and pop in some scrummy chocolate treats to enjoy during December!
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The stockings do not use much yarn so are a great stash busting project too! Why not try making stockings with brightly coloured stripes from lots of colours or add different types of decoration on the cuffs like bright pom-poms or bigger beads?
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I love putting the decorations on the tree or around the house at Christmas time. I have a really eclectic assortment of hanging baubles, adornments and trimmings that I use to make our home feel festive.  Our decorations have been collected over the years - some belonged to Andy’s grandparents and we have baubles we found whilst on trips away and some were made by my children when they were small. My favourite is probably the paper angel with a head made from a ping pong ball, with a wonky smile drawn in felt tip pen and a dress made from a paper doily that Charlie made when he was at primary school, although I think he cringes a little when I pop it on the tree!
 
I love the way unpacking the decorations year after year and arranging them around the house brings back lots of lovely memories and good feelings. Handmade decorations make extra special gifts as they convey that sentiment too and are a great way of using up odds and ends of yarn from your stash.
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I designed this cushion cover for a workshop trip to the West of Ireland that I tutored last year. As the focus of the trip was the knitting heritage of the Aran Islands, that sit at the mouth of Galway Bay, I chose to use traditional cable stitch designs and textural patterns. To give the cover a more contemporary twist, and because I adore a bit of bling, I also added some beads using a slip-stitch method that enables the beads to create a cross pattern. 
 
I used traditional cream yarn as the shade for the first cushion cover with gold and green beads to echo the national colours of Ireland, but I had a feeling it would also look great in red with silver beads, so I set about commissioning a new version especially for the festive season. I really love the way the silver beads sparkle on this cover.
 
The pattern is written for West Yorkshire Spinners Colourlab DK, but you can use any DK weight yarn and of course you can use any yarn shade and bead combination. Andy has the Colourlab yarn in stock on the Just Knots web site here and you can get the pattern, the beads and the leather buttons along with the yarn on the Just Knots site - Andy has added drop down options from this page for you to put your own selection together.

​You can find the paper pattern by following this link and the download version is available via Ravelry or Etsy.

​This project was originally designed for my good friend Rachel Atkinson, using her lovely yarn brand Daughter of a Shepherd and the pattern first appeared in Rachel’s fabulous book Volume 1: Beginnings. The pattern has since been updated to use 4ply yarn.
 

I love adding beads to crochet and felt that this lace design showed the subtlety of the twinkling beads beautifully. Beading is much easier than you would think, and you can find a free YouTube video via our channel that shows how to thread the beads and work the beading techniques needed for this design. You can find a lovely assortment of beads via the Just Knots web site - you will need 3 packs for this project and 200g (approx 800m) 4 ply yarn. You can find more details of the yarn used in the project by following this link.
 
You can find the paper pattern by following this link and the download version is available via Ravelry and Etsy.

Within the City Palace complex in Jaipur there are four gate buildings that surround the inner courtyard, which leads to the Chandra Mahal – the main palace building within the complex. The four gates are adorned with themes that represent the four seasons and Hindu Gods. The Lotus Gate, which sits to the southern side of the courtyard, and is dedicated to Lord Shiva-Parvati, was the inspiration for this design. The Lotus Gate represents the summer and the incredible painted patterns within the archway around the central wooden doors feature a continuous fanned flower tessellation and Lotus flowers in full bloom are featured on the façade. 
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​The Lotus Gate alone features a huge amount of wonderful surface pattern and therefore design inspiration, but it is the Peacock Gate, which sits to the Northern side of the courtyard, and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the winter season, which is the most ornately decorated. If you ever get a chance to visit Jaipur, you must make sure you go to the Palace and seek out the gates, or, if you’re not likely to visit India, you can find a great article about the gates here.
 

You can find the paper pattern for this project by following this link and you can find the download version by following these links to Ravelry or Etsy.
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If you fancy getting stuck into another project, but don't like the look of those I have featured here, how about checking out the Janie Crow brochure - simply click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the full colour download version or pop one in your cart alongside any other purchases on the Janie Crow web site and we will send you a paper copy for free.
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​Sending you lots of virtual yarny hugs!
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I 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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It has been a bit of an odd week hasn't it? I hope you are all ok as we have headed into lockdown once again.

As an online business we are able to keep working here at Janie Crow and Just Knots although we have made a few changes to our working arrangements so that Andy and I are now working away from the studio in the afternoons once Sue is here to pack the post. We know we are very lucky to be in a position where we can keep working and I am mindful of all those who are not so fortunate. 

With so much uncertainty surrounding the forthcoming months it has been hard to plan projects and tough to predict what kind of thing you guys might be interested in making. The next 7 or so weeks in the lead up to Christmas is usually a time when us crafters throw ourselves into making decorations or gifts for others and so I have decided to keep it 'business as usual' and release some new festive projects over the next couple of weeks...

For me, this time of year is when I start to think about the interior of my home. During the summer months we love the garden and getting out and about, but this time of year I love the cosy feel of nights in front of the fire and that idea of hunkering down and forgetting the outside world for a bit. For obvious reasons I think this year is going to feel even more like that, especially these next 4 weeks, so I am looking forward to making some items to spruce up the house a bit and get myself in the Christmas spirit regardless. Today I have released the pattern for the Oonagh hand knitted cushion cover (you will find more information lower down this email) and next week I will be releasing 2 new crochet festive crochet decoration patterns, so look out for more about those on Tuesday.

Andy has added a new cart to the Janie Crow web site this week. Unlike the old cart, the new one recognises counties and shipping locations more accurately and means we can calculate weights and shipping costs to a better effect. We have tested the new cart software over and over again before it went properly live earlier on today to check it is all working ok, but (of course) we are expecting some glitches along the way! If you have any trouble linking through to checkout or adding things to your basket please get in touch. 

I have a couple of other things to tell you about this week, so I hope you will stick with me for a couple of minutes and catch up with all things Janie Crow.
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I designed this cushion cover for a workshop trip to the West of Ireland that I tutored last year. As the focus of the trip was the knitting heritage of the Aran Islands, that sit at the mouth of Galway Bay, I chose to use traditional cable stitch designs and textural patterns. To give the cover a more contemporary twist, and because I adore a bit of bling, I also added some beads using a slip-stitch method that enables the beads to create a cross pattern. 
 
I used traditional cream yarn as the shade for the first cushion cover with gold and green beads to echo the national colours of Ireland, but I had a feeling it would also look great in red with silver beads, so I set about commissioning a new version especially for the festive season. I really love the way the silver beads sparkle on this cover.
 
The pattern is written for West Yorkshire Spinners Colourlab DK, but you can use any DK weight yarn and of course you can use any yarn shade and bead combination. Andy has the Colour Lab yarn in stock on the Just Knots web site here - I have to say I currently have big crush on the Aqua Green and Deep Teal as I think they would work really nicely with the Love Is Enough version of the Fruit Garden CAL! You need just 2 balls of the Colourlab to make the cushion cover.

Due to a high volume of sales during the lockdown period our stocks of Debbie Abrahams beads are a little low on some shades, so we have not been able to put pre-packed together for this project, however you can get the pattern, the beads and the leather buttons along with the yarn on the Just Knots site - Andy has added drop down options from this page for you to put your own selection together.

If you want to take a look at the bead shades you can hop across to the Just Knots Debbie Abrahams bead page to choose alternative colours to those that I have used. Scroll down the page to see the shades more clearly. For the Cream cushion I used 3 shades of beads so it is a good way of using up any left overs, just make sure that you thread them on your yarn in the right order! Although I used a few colours I think it would look really effective to use one shade - perhaps a lovely festive gold like shade 31? We have added 3 new shades of beads onto Just Knots this week too - they are Rose (383), Tangerine Dream (733) and Teal (51).

I really enjoyed designing and making the original cover and am sending a big thank you to my lovely friend Mary who made the red one for me. 

​Suraya is hugely inspired by the vintage jewellery styles of India & Persia and incorporates vivid colour into her designs by using Swarovski crystals, gemstones, enamelled copper wires and luxury yarns produced by talented indie yarn dyers. 
 

Suraya is a regular exhibitor at the Knitting & Stitching shows and other yarn festivals and
has been featured in The Knitter, Knitting and Inside Crochet Magazines. Much of Suraya's work is commission based, creating bespoke pieces for private clients, so we are very lucky to have a selection of her fabulous work for sale here on Janie Crow.
​

​Suraya lives just a couple of miles away form us here in North London and we have been friends for a long time. I think that Suraya's work is absolutely stunning and I am so pleased to see how her career has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. Suraya and her work was featured on Kirsty Allsopps Handmade Christmas show last year (you can find the video here - Suraya is featured at around about the 45 minute mark) and you can find the Mahliqa press page here that also shows her winning design from Vogue Knitting Live earlier this year. What a total star she is!

I am totally in love with all of Suraya's ready made pieces of jewellery, but if you fancy having a go at making something yourself you can also find her patterns and accessories on the Mahliqa Etsy store here.

The yarn substitution document for the new 'Love is Enough' colour way went live on Tuesday. 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 this week, 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 managed to get away for the half-term week. This was a holiday booked in the height of purest optimism as we came out of lockdown back in the summer and so it was anticipated with much excitement by all the family, especially as it has been a few years since we got away. We booked a self-catering cottage on a farm in the depths of Weardale, County Durham as the idea of a change of scenery (but away from the crowds) really appealed. While we were away the weather can only be described as appalling, endless heavy rain and howling winds, but a good time was had, nonetheless.  
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For me, one of the highlights of our trip was the many displays of crocheted and knitted poppies that we came across in small villages and towns throughout the area. The most memorable were those in St John’s Chapel, a small village on the A689 between Daddry Shield and Ireshopeburn. The display was organized by the St John’s Chapel Poppy Group to raise money for this year’s Poppy Appeal.  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there have been no door to door collections this year and so displays such as these have been created to help raise money for The Royal British Legion. The purple poppies were created to remember all the horses who have died in conflicts too and these were for sale in the Chatterbox Café, which is opposite the church in the village. The display made it into the local press too!

Alongside the poppy displays there was another highlight of being in the area during such wet weather as there was no shortage of rainbows! 

If you want to support the Royal British Legion follow this link to the official site. 
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Thank you so much to all those of you who have donated some money to support our fund-raising for Shelter. We have already doubled our target of £100, so that is amazing! If any of you would like to join in with the walk and boost the funds even more you can join team Janie Crow by following this link.

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. 
​

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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I think it goes without saying that we have very few plans for the weekend! We are hoping that it might stay dry enough to give the grass one final cut before the winter really sets in and we hope to spend some time sorting out the summerhouse at the end of the garden (which is currently doubling up as a bit of a gym) as it has become a bit of a dumping ground over the warmer months. I am hoping to make it my winter project as it could really do with a lick of paint and a bit of TLC. 

Summer and Chris have harvested their carrots this week. I am not confident that ours are going to look quite as good as theirs, but we might lift a few over the weekend to see what is going on under the bushy carrot tops!
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No doubt we will try and get another nice long walk under our belts at some point over the next few days. The forecast is still good for tomorrow, but not so good for the next week, so it looks like we might be enjoying a cosy day by the fire on Sunday. I like to watch the Remembrance Day service on TV, so we will have that on in the background whatever it is that we end up doing.
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I came across a link to the Drone Photo Awards for 2020 and thought you might like to see them too. There are some really fabulous images on this site, like the one above of women sorting chillies and a shark in a school of salmon. It is amazing to think that all the images were all taken from the height of a drone. 


I am really looking forward to being back here with you next Friday as we are launching an exciting new addition to the Janie Crow brand that I cannot wait to tell you about and don't forget that I will be back in your inbox on Tuesday to show you the new festive crochet decoration designs. 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. See you soon and take care....

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I 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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I hope that this email finds you all safe and well.

I am just popping by to tell you that the first yarn substitution document for the Love is Enough version of the Fruit Garden Crochet Along project is now live on the Stylecraft web site. If you haven't done so already you will need to download the original pattern for the Forget-Me-Not motif and use the yarn sub document alongside this as a guide for which yarn shades to use. If you are joining in the CAL and using one of the 2 original colourways or your own colour palette then you will not need the yarn sub document.
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I have recorded a short video to accompany the re-release of the first set of patterns and you can find the video here. There are a couple of documents I suggest you look at before you start work if you have not completed the project already - these are the introduction document for the Love is Enough colour way, which you will find here here and the Getting Ready document. You can find a video to accompany the Forget-Me-Not motif here.
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If you want to make a cushion to accompany your project you can find the patterns as free downloads or paper patterns by following this link. 

Don't forget that you can find help and join in some crochet orientated chat via the Stylecraft Yarns CAL Facebook page here.

Yarn substitution documents for the next part of the project will go live on the 17th November.

It is an absolute honour to be in a position to accompany you all through the project over the next few months. Times are tough for so many and so I hope that the Fruit Garden CAL will bring some comfort to you all. Happy Crocheting!

If you would like to vote for me in the Craft Business Awards please click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the online voting forms. ​

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. 
 ​

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.
 ​

​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....