It is GLOOMY.   The light is so poor, we have lamps on all day every day and honestly: it just feels like we should all still be hibernating like sleeping bears.
 
The feeling that we need the brightness of sunshine – even if it is that wonderful low winter sunshine on a crisp and cold day – is palpable here at JC GQ.  We have photography and video projects on the go that require good light.  Yes we have ring lights and all that good stuff but the shadows are still there and nothing beats natural light streaming through a window.
 
It is another weight added to the heaviness we are feeling and which seems to be holding down our creativity.  Concentration is also in low supply at present.  In short, we have lost our collective mojo!  Is this a February thing?  We have an excuse in January because, you know, it’s January and there are as we all know 255 days in that beast.  But February?  The month of love?  Why aren’t we bouncing?
 
We are quite literally surrounded by yarn and crochet projects.  We have dedicated spaces set aside for just that and one of us is a quite good designer* And yet when we have our catch-up calls we are meandering away from the projects at hand and discussing BFF creams, resistance training and whether or not Justin Bieber made THAT blanket.

There are so many benefits of being self-employed in a creative role: the fun of it, the colour, the flexibility and the fact that no two days are really the same.  But when that spark is refusing to catch, it’s tricky.  Could it really be that there are days when we wish for an in-tray and an out-tray. Tasks which MUST be done, a boss banging on a desk demanding a report by 5pm or “I’ll have your job Perkins” (my name is not Perkins but you get the idea).  Honestly?  Yes.  Because kicking your own bum into touch requires Mojo.  And I have very much forgotten where I put mine!
 
Do you feel this?  How do you get out of it? Is it weather?  Time of year?  WHAT IS IT PLEASE?
 

​A quick search on Google yielded the AI result which made me say bad words (AI – don’t like it – do you?) so I disregarded its nonsense and decided to try my own ways to light the fire under my motivation. 
 
1: Check bank statement – self-employed means no work, no crisps.  This is quite motivating.  Bank statement confirms that crisp supply will dry up shortly if squib remains damp.  Mojo recovery score 4/10

​2: Stare Out of Window – I’ve been doing this a lot so must be important and productive yes? No.  So much no. Literally NOTHING getting done here and no flames being fanned.  All I’m really doing is watching the squirrels nicking the nuts from the neighbours’ bird feeder and bury them in my garden. Mojo recovery score  -14/10

3. Go for a walk – no.  Sorry but no.  I can’t go out in my pj bottoms and I’d need to wash my hair. I am disregarding this as an option.  Mojo recovery score: inconclusive
 
4. Eat well – see point 1.  Mojo recovery score: probably good but untested

​​5. Be compassionate to self, accept current languishing and be patient.  I didn’t make this up – this is a thing.  I am nothing BUT compassionate to myself.  I allow myself as much cake and crisps as I want, I rarely say no to increasing my credit card balance, my squirrel observations are bang up to date and really there is very little else I could gift my inner glutton.  So, I’m not buying this as an out.  Mojo recovery score: 1/10
 

 
I think this leaves “watchful waiting” which is a thing medical types do. They are much cleverer than me so I’m going with that.  I am going to waitfully watch what happens whilst being chuffed that I managed a full day without a nap. If you have ANY suggestions about how you pick up when you’ve had a dry spell creatively, please share.  I really can only watch the squirrels for another day.  Two at best.

​*Jane.  Yes I know she’s awesome.  Like, REALLY good.

Well you would dance like this if you could design like that wouldn't you?

Hello lovelies – how are you getting on with your blanket?  I have to say, a month in, I’m absolutely loving it.  I have been super excited to be able to use a new colour (no, I don’t get out much), French Blue and I too have picked up the join as you go method.  Honestly, if Gemma does it, I want to.  I am annoying like that but also, she is EXCELLENT at crochet.  
 
You’ll need to plan your layout early if you join as you go, so you know which blocks to join where.  Here’s our suggested layout (and “our” is a bit of a stretch – this was ALL Gemma!) 

If you'd like to download the image, just click on it and you can print a version off.

​What you’ll possibly notice first off is that your first “Monthly Average” block – the one with the flower on – gets attached to the 4th block.  In fact, you’ll need ALL of January’s temperatures to make that and so you’ll be part way through making your 5th block before you can make it and attach it.  It all works out, honest!
 
For our sample blanket, we made all the blocks and joined them at the end using double crochet. We used one colour throughout and it makes the join part of the design of the blanket, giving a raised sashing effect. Our yarn usage was based on this method.

​The join with JAYG (look at that, an acronym) is a little different: it has a lovely sort of braided appearance, and each join uses the colour used in the final round of that block so there is no “sashing” effect.  We don’t really know what this will do to yarn usage yet – we’ll keep you posted.

As we mentioned in our last post, we have made some nice videos with join as you go techniques but we have also just made a quick one, especially for our Temperature Blanket team!
 
You can watch that here:

So there we have it, a little bit of a curve ball perhaps but it's always good to have options isn't it?

Have you made plans for your joining yet?  Do you think you'll give this a try?  Let us know!  For now, we hope you're enjoying the project!

We are now officially at the end of the third week of the temperature blanket: it is early days and Gemma and I have had a bit of a chat about how we’re settling into the project.  As it turns out, we have both GONE ROGUE!  What does this mean?  Well it means we’ve made some adjustments to how we are working the project and if we’ve done it we bet you have too!

Emma’s Change
 
I have decided to leave out the increases in Rounds 1, 3 and 5.  Why?  Well, I am not a neat crocheter.  Things do not come from my hook looking attractive and the more stitches I cram in, the less neat things get.  Reader, I found my wavy squares distressing.  Which is of course ridiculous since they block perfectly flat (and we have a lovely tip on blocking in a later blog post – watch this space) but well, why not?  As you know, these blocks are the plain blocks used in the Spirit of Flora project and in order for them to fit the stitch count of the beautiful floral blocks from that project, Jane designed them so that the size and stitch count were the same.  Since we are only using these blocks, we don’t have to worry about stitch count, so long as all blocks are the same, so we can quite happily leave out the increases if we want.  And I want. So that’s that!

​Gemma’s Change
 
Gemma’s is RADICAL!  She has chosen to use the Join As You Go method on her blocks!  If you’re not familiar with this, it’s exactly as the name suggests: you join your blocks together as you go along.  This means you don’t have a big pile of blocks to join together at the end of the year.  So a little bit more work along the way but not too much and no big joining exercise at the end. 

If this is a thing you’re interested in, we are going to focus on that in our next blog post.  If you’d like to continue making your blocks, just make them up to the last round:  don’t complete the final round and you’ll not need to undo anything.  If you’ve already made your blocks but also think that Join as you go is the technique for you, don’t worry, you’ll only need to make minor adjustments on the ones you’ve already made and we’ll cover that in the next post. You can fully complete block number 1 – you always start with one completed block.
 
We’ve made some videos with Join As You Go techniques on our YouTube channel here but again, we plan to make a quick video to show you the exact method Gemma is using and that will be available in a week or so.

So we’ve both made some changes already to make these projects work for us.  We found we’d also got some other little differences:
 
We live relatively close together – less than 80 miles as the crow flies – but our blocks are already different despite using the same colours for the same temperature ranges.  We discussed how we are collecting our temperatures and found those to be different:
 
Emma: using data from the week before and choosing the highest temperature for each day
 
Gemma: recording her temperature in real time at the mid-point of the day
 
The way we are making our blocks is different too: I am making my block at the end of each week.  Sitting and getting it all done in one go.  It’s lovely.

​Gemma is making a round a day – she leaves her yarn attached at the end of each day in case the following day uses the same colour too.   She explained that she likes that little hit of crochet each day as it’s her down time and is so effective in relaxing and grounding her.  So true!  We explore this theme a lot on social media actually and we know that many of us feel just like this.
 
The final thing we discussed was the temperature chart itself – compare and contrast:

​I started mine with every good intention, neatly and ordered.  I feel like this is how I approach all my resolutions.  As you can see, it very quickly went downhill, and now, only 3 weeks in it’s torn and crumpled and the writing is awful!
 
Gemma’s chart is – in her words “my oasis of calm on the chaos of my desk”. It’s truly a thing of beauty: neat and perfect and with (get this) A SPECIAL PEN.  I have such envy.

By the way, for those of you who are super organised you can find the February chart here

Finally, ends.  Now this we agreed on.  We agreed to not pass comment because we are terrible role models and should not be consulted since we have nothing good to tell you about our habits....

​We’d love to hear how you’re getting on – what changes have you made, if any?  How are you collecting your temperatures?  How many colours are you using?  Tell us everything – we are still very open to change, we’re only 3 weeks in after all!

Welcome to the first ‘new look’ JANIE CROW newsletter of 2025! I am a little later than usual because of a small technical hitch, but I hope this email finds you well and that you are settling into the new year nicely!
 
It has been a busy start to 2025 for us and we are looking forward to some exciting things over the next few months, including the release of two revamped versions of my Royal Garden blanket design, which we hope to release by the end of the month.
 
I have a few other things to tell you about this week, so I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with all things Janie Crow!

I will be settling myself on the sofa, in front of the TV, with my knitting at some point over the weekend. I am really enjoying working on another knitting project after completing a garter stitch waistcoat project just before Christmas. I am trying to resist starting work on the Kaleidoscope knitted butterfly hanging designed by the wonderful Phil of Twisted Thread, shown above. It is an incredibly clever pattern as the butterflies are knitted in the round. I am intrigued to see how they are made and think it will be really fun to choose my butterfly colours! 
 
I hope you have some nice plans and that you will also be able to find some time for a spot of knitting or crochet over the weekend too! ​

Welcome to our second Book of the Month. I hope you all had a peaceful, healthy festive season and the new year has started well for you. I don't tend to make New Year's Resolutions as, I don't know about you, but I find the minute I feel like I'm putting pressure on myself to do or achieve something, it takes away some of the pleasure. Having said that one of things I would really like to do more of this year is be outside in nature and I really like the idea of combining that with craft. Hence this month's book choice is 'Connecting with Nature' by Tilly Rose, a brand new publication from Search Press (ISBN 978-1-80092-191-7). 

There is an interesting introduction from the author in which she talks about her memories of her family's tiny garden at their home in Peterborough and how she watched the seasons change in the local park, noticing scorched lawns at the height of summer, the conkers falling from the mighty horse chestnut trees and tiny crocuses appearing through the snow in the winter. That last one strikes a chord with me as I'm not a huge gardener and for many years didn't appreciate the joy of bulbs but I planted some snowdrops a few years ago and seeing their small green shoots appearing without fail year after year feels strangely comforting now. 

The next section of the book, Creative approaches, looks at the idea of foraging, including the 'rules of kindness' which should be considered when taking keepsakes from nature; not being greedy, not trampling wildflowers or vegetation to reach something and if you're walking on an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) not to take anything at all. There is also advice on how to store your collected treasures to prevent mould or mildew and how to press and dry flowers and herbs. 

You can see in the images above examples of the kind of things the author suggests you might find in different habitats.

The following chapter explores how to experiment with eco-dyeing (a form of natural dyeing where colours extracted from plants and vegetables are transferred on to paper or cloth by steaming or boiling) and how to create your own watercolour paints. I really like the idea of having a try at the eco-dyeing and there's a lovely example of some cotton lace being dyed with red cabbage, showing how the colour changed depending on how long the lace was left in the the dye pan. In our house we make blackberry vinegar every year and use muslin cloths to strain the blackberries after steeping in cider vinegar. The colour of the muslin cloths at the end of the process is a great example of a really intense dye, straight from nature. 

The book then looks at making botanical journals and chapbooks (a historical term for small pamphlets sold by pedlars, that contained poems, ballads, short stories etc. ), methods of weaving, slow stitching and textile collage making. These aren't in-depth explanations but provide enough information, without overwhelming, to encourage the reader to give these techniques a try.  

The next, and largest, section of the book is a selection of projects that call on the techniques that have been introduced in the preceding chapters and include making a memory stick (or even a calendar of sticks!), a nature mandala and a mini flower press. One particular project, involving leaf printing on to fabric, to make an artist's brush wrap, would also double perfectly as a crochet hook holder so that one is definitely on my list to try! 

I really liked this book. It encourages you to notice things when you're out and about in nature and, in a time when we are all being encouraged to practice mindfulness in our lives, this is exactly the sort of thing we can all do without any real effort at all. Noticing tiny flowers in grass verges, sparkling spider webs covered in morning dew, these things can be right outside our own front doors. 

The technique sections are not overwhelming in the amount of information given and there isn't the sense that you need to rush out to buy all sorts of equipment (which can sometimes be the case when starting a new hobby or interest). The author suggests ways of using small scraps of fabric, glass jars or bottles that you may have at home and encourages you to use what you have rather than go out and buy. The projects themselves feel achievable and give the sense that you can take your time over them, that they will become a kind of memory recording of time spent outdoors. 

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

I'll be back next month with another review but in the meantime stay warm and I hope you get lots of time to craft! 

Over the festive period we watched the movie 'Red One' on the TV. It was good fun to watch a very Christmassy film before the big day, when our excitement was high and the thought of Santa hurtling through the skies with his reindeer was thrilling! The movie was all about a boy who didn't believe in the magic of Father Christmas and I was struck by two sayings quoted in the film, so much so that I have written them down on post-it-notes and have stuck them on the pin board in my office:

1: Every day, every decision is an opportunity.

2: We choose everyday who we want to be.
 
I did a search online and found a YouTube video on the Jim Rohn channel called 'learn to act as if each new day is an opportunity'. You can find it here.  It is quite a long video (20 minutes or so) but I think it is a very positive watch/listen if you want to head into the New Year feeling like you are in control of your ship!

Happy New Year! ​

​Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025 and the very first day of the Janie Crow Temperature Blanket project. Lots of you have said you will be joining in with us so we thought we'd pop a quick reminder of what you'll need to begin your own, unique blanket.

Next, you'll need to start recording the daily temperatures for where you are in the world. It doesn't matter particularly how you do this but doing it the same way every day is the main thing. We are using the weather app on our phones to check what the maximum temperature will be for the day. You can log these temperatures any way you prefer but we will be creating a temperature recording chart for each month if you'd like to use it: you can find January's ​here. 

Once you have your yarn organised and your first temperature recorded you are ready to start crocheting! You'll need your 4mm hook (unless the yarn you are using isn't DK, in which case you'll need to use the most appropriate size for your yarn choice) and the patterns, of course!  

We used the free plain motif patterns that were released as part of the Spirit of Flora crochet along and you can find them over on the main Spirit of Flora page on the website here. You'll need to scroll about halfway down the page and you'll find the links for the written patterns under the photos of the third set of Spirit of Flora motifs. The patterns are in UK terms only but there are charts available too, with the key in both UK and US terms. 

​For the weekly blocks we used the pattern for the completely plain square and made the Foundation Round and Round 1 on Day 1 and then worked a single further round on each of the following 6 days.

​The (monthly) floral blocks were made using Saffron for the centre and the petals were made using the yarn shades that represented the lowest and highest temperatures for the month. The rest of the square was made in the colour representing the average monthly temperature. See the image below for guidance:

You might choose to record a week's temperatures and then make your block in one go, or you may decide to work a round every day. It is all about completing the project in a way that works for you! Remember to work out the highest and lowest and average temperatures at the end of the month as you will need these for your floral squares. You'll also need to label your squares as you make them, so you can keep them in the order in which they are made. Small pieces of paper attached to the squares with a safety pin would do the job just fine! 

Later in the year we'll share more on our suggested layout and possible joining methods but in the meantime we hope you'll enjoy making a start on your blanket. Do share your progress on social media using the hashtag #janiecrowtempblanket25 and if you have any questions just ask, we'll be more than happy to help! 

Now all that remains is for you to get started! 
​
Bye for now! 
​
Emma & Gemma xx

In June I tutored a great workshop trip to West Yorkshire where we visited Stylecraft Yarns, West Yorkshire Spinners and British Wool. We also released set two of the patterns from my Spirit of Flora project. ​

In August our Instagram feed was full of fabulous warm colours and lots of flowers! We released the third set of patterns for Spirit of Flora and highlighted lots of crochet flower projects including the beaded pouch designs Cafe au Lait and French Linen. ​

​Not everyone loves the festive season. For many it is not the traditional time for celebrating with family and friends that we see in all the TV adverts. Christmas can create a real mix of emotions for all of us and can be pretty testing and exhausting even if you love it! Emma's advice for those of you who are finding it hard this year is to 'Let go of all the stuff that doesn’t serve you or reminds you of sadness and slam something bloody marvellous in its place instead!’

Letting go of difficult feelings can be one of the hardest things to do at the best of times and the days between Christmas and New Year are a particularly strange time, with many of us not really knowing what we should be doing, or even what day of the week it is, but if you are able to heed Emma's advice I am sure you will reap the benefits!

As yarn lovers we tend to be pretty good at squeezing our hobby into spare minutes, but as life these days flies past at such a fast pace, the chances are that you have been busy right through December and might find that you haven't been getting your usual craft fix and might find yourself feeling tired, a little down or simply in limbo over the festive period so, to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas this year, we have come up with a plan! 
​
Here at Janie Crow we tend to come up with a series of social media posts that run across the twelve days of Christmas and this year we have created a list of ideas that focus on things you can do to give yourself a little bit of TLC each day. Some of our suggestions will take just a few minutes and some will take longer, but most are free and (we think) relatively easy to slot into busy lives.

​We will be posting our plan daily on our social media channels between 25th December and the 6th of January, but if you like to be organised and enjoy forward planning, you can find most of our ideas in this blog post. If you're one of those more spontaneous people then you could stop reading right now and simply follow us on either Instagram or Facebook and see our ideas on a daily basis. Either way we hope you will enjoy completing some of our ideas.

I have always envied those people who can drift off quietly for forty winks in any situation. You know the type - the kind of people who are able to grab a little snooze on a plane, train or sat in a queue at the Doctor's surgery. I have spent years not being able to sleep anywhere but in my bed, but as I have got older I find that in the right circumstances, I can kind of drift off for a couple of minutes. I am not totally sure I sleep, but even just resting my eyes and sitting serenely for a few minutes can feel really rejuvenating. 

If you are one of those fabulous people who can take a nap at the drop of a hat, then our first TLC tip for the festive season is to make sure you catch a bit of day-time shut eye at some point during a busy day. If, like me, you're not the snoozing type then how about you try practicing a bit of mindfulness or meditation instead. Crochet can really help with this as the rhythmic and repetitive nature of making stitches can assist you to move into a meditative state.

If all else fails, how about taking the time to change your bedding instead? Getting into a freshly changed bed at the end of a busy day can feel so good! I have already lined up one of our brushed cotton, winter duvet sets to change the bedding to a day or two after Christmas. The smell and feel of fresh sheets and pillow cases is such a comfort after a tiring day, especially if you are able to have an extra long bath or shower ahead of padding off to bed.

We have hosted a big family get together at Christmas for the last couple of decades (!) and it is a forgone conclusion that however carefully we plan our menu, we always end up with some left overs. This year will be a much smaller family gathering for us, so we will need to err on the side of caution when it comes to our shopping lists compared to previous years, but I am hopeful that there will be enough bits and bobs left over so that we can come up with a few other meals to use them up.

Andy says he always prefers our second Christmas dinner, which we tend to have a few days after the big day. We reheat the nut loaf or veggie wellington and add some freshly roasted potatoes, parsnips and whatever veg is needed to make the plate look colourful. Emma says that they call this left over meal 'picky tea' in her house and that it is also one of her favourite meals of the festive season. Gemma says that one of the things she loves most about Christmas is eating things she wouldn't normally - like stinky cheese!

​Of course there are the old favourite left over recipes, like turkey soup and turkey curry (can't help but think of Bridget Jones's Diary and Mark Darcy in that sweater!), but in our house it is the vegetables and cheese that could be left over in abundance, so this year I have already bought a bag of pasta macaroni so that a mac and cheese can be made at some point.

Toasted left-over sandwiches are also very yummy, especially if you have some stuffing and crispy lettuce and pickle to hand, or you could try making a lasagna - always a great way of using up left over food. You can find some more ideas over on the BBC Good Food website by following this link.

As time seems to pass by so much faster as we get older it can be easy to feel like you don't achieve as much as you (think you) used to, but looking back on what you've done over the last year can bring things into perspective.

You could look back through your diary or calendar or look at old emails to get an idea of what you've been up to, or you could choose to just sit for a while and scroll back through the images on your phone. I am sure you will soon get an idea of just how much you have achieved.

I love how my crochet projects help punctuate the year and I really like the way they can evoke memories of a time in my life when I look at them. I have projects that remind me of when my children were younger and some that remind me of trips and holidays.....

​When you look back on your year, try not to dwell too long on things that are negative. Looking back on things that have happened can be cathartic and can aid in healing and help in the process of moving on, so it's important that you acknowledge them. As Emma says right at the beginning of this piece 'Let go of all the stuff that doesn’t serve you or reminds you of sadness and slam something bloody marvellous in its place instead!’​

I've just talked about looking back over your previous year, but another positive thing to do is to make plans for the next one.

I've already spent time adding dates onto my 2025 calendar and I love making lists of things I would like to do at the beginning of a new diary, but if you are not a diary fan you could write your aims and plans on small pieces of paper and pop them in a jar, or simply pin a list to your note board or pop one under a magnet on the fridge. 

In 2024 I challenged myself a little and made a few plans that got me right out of my comfort zone, and although these things felt pretty terrifying at the time and I very nearly backed out, having some scary plans in the mix felt incredibly character building and ended up being really positive for me.  

When planning my year for Janie Crow I often download (free) printable calendars. I have already printed off a few versions of this one, which shows the whole of 2025 as an A4 layout (click on 'Download the 2025 Year Planner') and I also print the monthly versions which you can find here.

If you don't like the idea of a written list then you could create a vision board. I think using Pinterest to do this would be great and I might well have play with my own board over the festive holidays. You can find information on how to create your own vision board by following this link.

Towards the end of the Christmas break I think it would be lovely to schedule in a final pyjama day. A day of knit and crochet, or perhaps a bit of sewing or reading, whilst sitting on the sofa in comfy, soft clothes sounds like the epitome of TLC to me, especially as we head back towards 'normal life' in 2025.

I love the idea of getting up, having a shower and then slipping on a fresh pair of pyjamas in order to spend the day at home and I will definitely be planning a PJ day for Saturday 5th January. I hope to use the day to plan some new yarny projects for 2025 and finish off all the left over food and drink, as well as immersing myself in some final festive movies and finishing off the jigsaw!

If you do fancy getting involved in a new project and like the idea of a year long project, how about getting involved in the Janie Crow Temperature Blanket project - you can find more information by following this link.

Why not indulge in an episode or two of a favourite podcast or if you've not listened before, try one out. We have some favourites here, one of mine is Fortunately with Fiona Glover and Jane Garvey

Emma is an avid podcast listener and while her normal fare of UFOs, Cryptids or True Crime might not be everyone's taste, she does also recommend Ramblings with Clare Balding as a lovely gentle way to spend a half hour! You can find that one here.

If reading print is more your thing then spending an hour or two immersed in a good book is the perfect accompaniment to a PJ day. It is so wonderfully indulgent isn't it! Emma suggests "The Winter Spirits" - a selection of short ghost stories, perfect for frosty nights!

I always think that one of the best bits about starting a new project is choosing the yarn and the pattern you want to make and then launching into it - all fresh and ready for something new. Using the first couple of balls of yarn in a knitting or crochet project is by far my favourite part as my enthusiasm often wanes the further I get into it. The same applies to my crochet design process - making the mood boards and first few layout drawings is by far my favourite part!

There is nothing wrong with having a few projects on the go at the same time. I have learnt that having two or three on the go at once helps me work through them at a faster rate and with more commitment. Having projects pitched at different skill levels also helps draw me through projects as I can match the difficulty of what I am working on to my mood or situation.

Heading into the New Year with a new project on the go sounds like a great plan to me, and I hope that, along with some of our TLC suggestions, it will set you up for a positive start to 2025.

Wishing you a Very Merry Festive Season and a Happy New Year from us all at Janie Crow!