Have you made your list and checked it twice? Have you managed to get the tree up and at least started a bit of gift preparation? I can only say yes to one of these questions, but with less than a fortnight to go before the big day I hope that you guys are getting into the swing of the festivities! 
 
We have continued to be so busy here at Janie Crow and my list of work related jobs seems to be growing, rather than dwindling as we head towards the Christmas break, but as things generally start to slow down over the next week or so, I am confident of having my to do list whittled down to very little in preparation for new and exciting things in 2026.
 
I have a few things to tell you about this week, so I hope you have a bit of spare time to catch up with my news….

I have really been impressed by how far the competitors on The Game of Wool have come in terms of their design and technique skills since the first programme only five weeks ago. Seeing their progression and experimentation with crochet has been particularly great and I can't wait to see what challenges they will face next.
 
During filming of the third episode, when I was lucky enough to be a guest judge, Tom Daley and I grabbed the chance to have a quick catch-up over a spot of freeform crochet and you can find the resulting video on YouTube by following this link. 

If you have seen The Game of Wool shows already, then you might fancy listening to the Craft Talkin podcasts, which are recorded straight after the show is aired on Sunday evenings. Alongside hosts Merion and Jamie, you will find guests such as Emma Varnam and Anna Nikopirowicz discussing the projects and competitors featured in the weekly episodes.

We still have a really healthy stock of kits and patterns, so if you are looking for a project to work on over the holidays, or want to get one as a gift you should be able to find what you want in our shop.
 
Please note that we will not be able to guarantee the dispatch of items after the 18th December because many of our suppliers will close on Friday 19th for the festive break. This means there is less than a week left if you want to purchase anything from us and get it in time for Christmas. 
 
We will also be taking a break over the holiday period and so, even though you will be able to purchase items from our store throughout the holiday period, we will not be processing any orders until week beginning 5th January.

We are continuing to see a spike in sales of kits for projects that were shown on The Game of Wool a few weeks ago, including the Climbing Rose Wrap (shown above) and the Mystical Lanterns blanket. The Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles is also proving particularly popular and we have lots of stock of the Eastern Jewels colour way too.
 
You can find all our kits and yarn packs by following this link and all our paper patterns here. If you would prefer download copies then check out our Etsy and Ravelry stores.

It's no secret that I adore a bit of bling and love adding beads to my projects. You can find my beading masterclass pull out brochure in this month's copy of Inside Crochet Magazine, which you can find by following this link. 
 
I have also updated the Halley Pouch project (shown below) to make a shawl version (also shown below) in the same edition of the magazine. Yarn and bead packs for this project are available exclusively via Wool Warehouse by following this link.

Emma has been busy planning our traditional Twelve Days of Christmas 
posts for social media, which will run from Christmas Day through to Twelfth Night the 5th January. We have some really lovely posts planned and may well have a few offers in the mix, so do make sure to check out our Instagram and Facebook feeds to get involved.

At the weekend I made the viral three ingredient slow cooker fruit cake which is doing the rounds on social media at the moment. It is a tad boozy, which is not surprising given the ingredients, but it is super yummy and our cake certainly didn't hang around for very long! 
 
All you need is a bottle of Baileys. Not the huge one, I used around 700ml I guess. Between 800g and a kilo of dried fruit and 300g Self Raising Flour. 
 
I soaked the fruit in the Baileys for a couple of days in the fridge, then mixed in the flour. I lined the slow cooker with baking paper and set it to cook on low. The recipe says to cook it for about 4 hours, but it took mine 5 hours to firm up a bit after testing it with a skewer after 3. 
 
The cake is really good, but is definitely better if you leave it a few days before eating. Ours evened out and improved a lot by day three, but we had eaten most of it by then!

I'm usually all over the festive season like a rash and can't wait to head out to see the lights and get on with my holiday planning, but this year I have really struggled to get in the swing of things. I think it might be because we have been so busy at Janie Crow and October was taken up with shows and workshops. I was also unwell for about five weeks, right into the middle of November, so I guess that has made me feel like I am playing catch up with everything.
 
Andy and I are heading into town today to spend time with the lovely Sarah and Paul Hazell (the other half of our show team if you've ever met them at Yarndale or Wonderwool) and I am really excited about seeing the lights and store windows and catching up with them. I am sure that their company and being in London will have its usual effect on me and have me super excited and feeling festive in no time.

I have pretty much finished decorating the spare bedroom and have really enjoyed adding a few finishing touches over the last couple of days - moving all my ornaments and nicknacks around the house to choose which bits look good in the newly decorated room. Having a freshly painted space has made me realise just how in need of a spruce up the rest of the bungalow is, so hopefully there will be some time in the new year to add a few more DIY jobs to the ever growing list of things to do.  
 
We have a super busy weekend planned with a catch up with old school friends to see a local band on Saturday evening and we are hosting a Christmas get together with another group of friends on Sunday, so I guess we better make some time to put up the Christmas tree and get all the decorations out at some point too! 
 
I have seen a load of reels about making your own wreath this year, and I particularly liked this one on Instagram, so I am hoping to have a go at that tomorrow. I found a second hand wicker basket on Vinted and have collected some bay, rosemary and olive branches from my Mum and Dad's garden in preparation. We also have plenty of ivy and yew in our garden that I can cut, so I am sure I can cobble something together! If it is any good I will post a pic on the Janie Crow Lifestyle Instagram feed. 

I recently posted a blog where I talk about my Christmas traditions - you can find it by following this link. From the general sound of this email I think I probably need to remind myself of it too! I trust you will forgive me for being a little bah humbug - I promise to rid myself of the Grinchy feeling by the time I press send on this email!
 
I leave you this week with a link to this video taken by my daughter of our fabulous grandpup, Sto, having a bit of quality time with their festive decorations. Not sure how long their tree is going to withstand so much attention! 

It's been an eventful couple of weeks here at Janie Crow with our festive workshop at Bournemouth and an incredibly busy website in the mix! Time seems to be rushing by at such a rate and it's hard to believe that Christmas is now less than three weeks away. I don't feel at all festive yet, but hopefully that will change this weekend when we are hoping to put up our decorations. On our street the seasonal lights and decorations are going up earlier every year, with some appearing at the end of November, so we are definitely the late comers round here! 
 
Over the last fortnight we have seen an incredible number of new followers on our social media accounts, which we are guessing is as a result of The Game of Wool. If you are new to this newsletter - welcome! I hope you will all enjoy catching up with my news.

​We have a really healthy stock of kits and patterns at the moment, so if you are looking for a project to work on over the holidays, or want to get one as a gift you should be able to find what you want in our shop.
 
Please note that we will not be able to guarantee the dispatch of items after the 18th December because many of our suppliers will close on Friday 19th for the festive break. This means there is really only a fortnight left if you want to purchase anything from us and get it in time for Christmas.

We have seen a bit of a run on kits for projects that were shown on The Game of Wool a few weeks ago, including the Climbing Rose Wrap and the Mystical Lanterns blanket. The Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles is also proving particularly popular and we have lots of stock of the Eastern Jewels colour way too. 
 
You can find all our kits and yarn packs by following this link and all our paper patterns here. If you would prefer download copies then check out our Etsy and Ravelry stores.

If you're struggling to choose a project then how about a gift card? They are available in lots of monetary values from £10 to £250. You can find them by following this link.
 
If you fancy getting some accessories, rather than a kit or pattern, don't forget about our Emma Ball items, which includes things like stitch markers, project bags and storage tins. You can find the range here.

It's hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching the end of our temperature blanket project, with the final month now here. Gemma has struggled at times to keep up, but has made a start on the November squares and, with the Christmas holidays fast approaching, she is hoping to get back up to speed and be ready to start putting a border on as we see the New Year in. In the picture below you can see the simple moss stitch border that Gemma added to our sample blanket - we are really looking forward to seeing your ideas for finishing off. 
 
We have now set up a temperature blanket page on the website so, if you didn't join in this year but fancy having a go in 2026, you can find all the information you need in one place. 
 
In the second photo below you can see an absolutely gorgeous version we found over on Instagram by crafts_r_for_us. Those pinks and peaches are beautiful aren't they! 

Over on Instagram Emma shared that her pre-Christmas crochet project this year is a Mystical Lanterns pelmet. Those of you who have been following us for some time may remember that this pelmet was originally made by Jane's friend Rosemary and incorporates tiny mirrors and bells into the design. You can read all about it in a blog post here. You can see Rosemary's pelmet in the first picture below. We can't wait to see how this progresses. Keep us posted Emma! ​

The blues and golds on the decorations below by Louise Haigh are just stunning. Thank you both for sharing your photos with us. ​

It has all been about The Game of Wool out in the online yarny world over the last few weeks and, love it or hate it, you can't deny it has got people talking about knitting and crochet, which can only be a good thing! We're looking forward to what weird and wonderful projects are still to come over the remaining episodes of the series. 
 
Tom Daley and I managed to grab a bit of crochet time in between filming and had a good chat about our yarny passions - you can find a video of our catch up over on Youtube by following this link.

This month Gemma took a closer look at the recently published ‘Crochet Socks that Rock’ by Anna Nikipriowicz (David & Charles 2025 ISBN-13:9781446314517). 
 
Was this dedicated sock knitter converted to the crochet variety? You'll have to head on over to the blog to find out!

Andy and I have been vegetarian since 2020 so this year will be our fifth veggie Christmas. Andy tends to make this vegetarian wellington and I also make a celeriac and spinach bake. I only make it at Christmas and love the smell of nutmeg and gruyere when it is cooking in the oven. I can't find the recipe online - I think it was originally published in a Sainsburys magazine. This recipe is similar but without the spinach.
 
Gemma has been assigned the task of cooking a vegetarian main course for this year's family Christmas dinner too, so she has been browsing for inspiration. In the lead at the moment is this parsnip, feta and butterbean pie, over on the Good Food website, but she is considering swapping the parsnips out for sweet potato as sometimes the flavour of parsnip can be a little overpowering. She's going to have a practice run any day now, so we'll keep you posted. If you have any tried and tested recipes that you could recommend do let us know and we will pass them on. 

​Inside Crochet Magazine recently asked me about my festive traditions and they printed a summary of the interview in their most up to date magazine. You can find the full piece, with lots of questions about me and my work, as well as my Christmas wish list, on the blog here.
 
I have been doing a little bit of decorating this week and am looking forward to the weekend when I hope to get it finished. Our little bungalow is in need of quite a lot of TLC having been pretty neglected since lockdown, so I am hoping that this most recent spate of DIY will continue long enough for me to knock a few other rooms back into shape. I really love the planning side of decorating but am not keen on the reality of the endless prep and brush washing! In fact my favourite part of any project is making the Pinterest board! You can find the board I made for our little spare bedroom by following this link if you are interested!
 
We will be puppy sitting for a few days from tomorrow and I am really looking forward to having our little grandpup around over the weekend. He is such a little love and thankfully is finally calming down a bit! 
 
I will be back in your inbox next Friday, rather than in a fortnight's time, with the December newsletter so do look out for my next email.
 
Big yarny hugs….

Phew! What a manic month it has been here at Janie Crow! I have so much to tell you about this week, including news of some brand new kits and festive projects, so I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with my news! ​

Whether you are a fan of the show or not, there is no denying that The Game of Wool is doing great things for the knitting and crochet industry, with yarn shops and online sellers reporting a rise in visitors over the last couple of weeks. The great news is that many of these customers are new to the crafts and are looking to learn new skills. This is something that makes me feel incredibly hopeful for the future preservation of my beloved crochet in particular! 
 
I am incredibly proud to have been invited onto the show to be a guest judge of the projects made for episode 3. I had no idea beforehand of what the projects might be, so it was a complete surprise to be judging crochet deckchairs - not something that immediately springs to mind when you think about crochet! I am giving away no spoilers in case you haven't seen the episode yet - you can find it by following this link.

In the lead up to filming the show, the TV company asked me to send through some ideas of which projects I could wear. I gave them the option of the Magic Circles, Summer Palace and Climbing Rose wraps. They chose the latter, which I was pleased about as it kept me super cozy on what was a very chilly shoot day!
 
Climbing Rose was released as a crochet along project back in 2019 and patterns and kits are still available in the shop. Due to some discontinuations I have recently revamped the yarn usage by having a version made solely in Stylecraft Special DK. You can find the free yarn substitution document by following this link. The kits in our shop still contain some of the original yarns and will do so until they have sold through. You can find them by following this link.
 
Please note the image above is not too accurate on the colours within the wrap. Images below are closer to the true shades.

Many other projects of mine were showcased on episode 3 of Game of Wool and it would be great to know how many you spotted! I saw Spirit of Flora hanging in the background and there was Mystical Lanterns on the table when I demonstrated some crochet stitches. ​

Of course it was also a big thrill to see the image of Justin Bieber with my Persian Tiles blanket! You can find a Youtube video of him at the Vanity Fair Oscar's afterparty wearing the design here. Fabulous to see Tracy keeping warm with the Marrakesh version too!
 
If you are looking for a project to keep you cosy over the winter then do take a look at our kits and patterns. We have pretty much everything in stock in our shop at the moment - the first time that has happened for quite a while! 

I have been toying with the idea of creating crochet artworks for some time and love the recent trend for festive wall hangings. When Inside Crochet Magazine asked if I would like to work on a beaded masterclass booklet I jumped at the chance and set about creating four different designs, which you can make to hang on your tree, thread up as bunting, or pin to a board to create an artwork like mine.
 
Using the perfectly cute, mini balls of Ricorumi cotton to make these decorations was incredibly rewarding too, especially when paired with beads. They are a designers dream as their size and the array of shades makes it so easy to pick a lovely colour palette without making too much of a dent in your bank balance. The yarn is 100% natural and of a great quality, so it is a brilliant choice if you want to make special, heirloom worthy projects.

​The patterns for these designs are only available via Inside Crochet Magazine issue 184 which is out now and we have a limited number of yarn and bead packs for sale in the shop at just £29.95. 

This time last year I designed the Halley pouch as the project for a festive workshop. I love making the beaded flowers that are a part of this design so much that I keep going back to them to create more designs. I have used the beaded flower as the centre part of one of the hanging decorations and have also created a wrap version of Halley using yarns from the Yarnsmith's range.
 
The pattern is currently featured in Inside Crochet Magazine and you can find kits for the project on the Yarnsmiths site by clicking here.

With a little under five weeks to go before Christmas it is slowly beginning to feel a bit festive round here. I have managed to get a couple of gifts already, which is a bit of a record for me as I am usually very lastminute.com. I have also been thinking about decorations and have rooted through my projects to find all my festive things.
 
We have quite the collection of crochet decorations now and you can find them by following this link. We also have quite a few bags and pouches that would make great gifts. 

Andy and I have been taking part in a 50 day countdown to Christmas challenge, which has included specific exercises (the 100 squats before each meal was a particular killer on Wednesday) and good habit making ideas, including pointers to being healthy and mindful.
 
One of the days we were asked to experiment with a brand new breakfast idea and another day we had to create a new healthy evening meal. This weekend we have been set the task of trying out a new dessert recipe, but making sure that it does not include any refined sugar.
 
Always up for a challenge, we have found this recipe for lemon ice cream which is made using frozen bananas and cauliflower. Sounds crazy doesn't it! I will report back next time to let you know what it was like…

We have a lot of jobs that need doing in the house and the garden could do with its late autumn clear up, so we will be busy ticking things off of our to do lists all weekend. I am hoping to get in some baking time too as it is so long since I made a cake. I found a recipe for a boozy fruit cake made in the slow cooker, so I might give that a go on Sunday.
 
I am hoping that I will also be able to have lots of crochet or knit time on the settee with a movie or two, and of course The Game of Wool, on the TV. I have almost completed the Utility 2 cowl by The Knitting Shed and I have loved every single stitch of it. I used their Ainsworth & Prin plump sock DK yarn and it is just such a joy to work with. I think I might be a little sad to cast off, but then it is always so good to start a new project.
 
Whatever you have planned for the weekend I hope you keep safe and warm and that you mange to grab a little crochet fix! Much love until next time…..

Hello wonderful woolly crafters! I hope this email finds you well.
 
This is a really speedy email today as I have just three things I want to tell you about:
 
No 1: Due to a cancellation we now have two spaces on the Festive Knit & Crochet Weekend Workshop in Bournemouth.
 
No 2: Wool Warehouse now have Climbing Rose Wrap kits in stock, put together using their lovely Yarnsmiths range of yarn.
 
No 3: I am so excited about Game of Wool on Channel 4!
 
If any of these things tickle your fancy, then do read on for more information!
 

We had an amazing time in Morocco with Stitchtopia and now that I am home I keep looking through the hundreds of photos that I took to remind me of all the surface pattern and wonderment that we saw. It's the light that I am craving more than anything though, that lovely golden light that make colours pop and sing! ​

I haven't been particularly well since arriving home, with a cough that came on a few days after our trip. I had a cold while I was in Morocco too, so I am pretty sure I have had two bugs on the bounce, which is just bad luck! Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be shifting particularly quickly, so that, and the fact that it is getting dark at 4.30pm, is getting me down a little now that we are home. 
 
To cheer myself up I am sharing a few of my favourite pics from the trip on here. The one of the shepherd with his arms, and the tree behind him full of goats, was taken by the fabulous Teresa Wardlaw, my fantastic tour manager - isn't it great! We couldn't believe our eyes when we spotted a tree full of goats by the side of the road!

As I mentioned in the introduction, we have a twin room available on our forthcoming Festive Workshop in Bournemouth at the end of the month. The places are available due to a cancellation and are based on two people sharing either a twin or a double room. If you fancy coming along, either with another workshop participant, or with a non crafting companion, then email Sue at the following address:
 
[email protected] 
 
To avoid confusion we have not added the available spots to our Inspired Minds website, but you can find the dates and all the information about the workshop by following this link. To see the correct price you need to look at the inland double.
 
The workshop is hosted by hand knit designer Debbie Abrahams and myself and we both create a festive project for you to work on while you are with us. This year I have gone full on bling with a ton of lovely sparkly beads on my project - more info on that a bit closer to Christmas! 
 
The images above and below show last year's workshop where participants made my Halley Beaded Pouch.

Over the last few months we have been creating some yarn packs in conjunction with Wool Warehouse, using their lovely Superwash Merino yarn. The most recent one is my Climbing Rose Wrap and you can find the kits (which currently have a 40% discount) by following this link.
 
The wrap looks really fabulous made in gorgeous high end yarns and I have used their Heathers range and Pebble Haze which both have a lovely subtle tweedy feel to them. 

So, onto the final topic of this week's Quick Catch Up: GAME OF WOOL and I am already a big fan! 
 
There have been a few grumbles on social media this week, mainly about the scale of the yarn and needles that were used in week one, and poor Gordon's doomed steeking, but the good reviews far outweigh the negative, and the icing on the cake has to be making in onto Gogglebox on tonight! 
 
The framework of the show follows a very similar one to that of Bake Off, where contestants have to complete challenges in set time periods and are voted off on the basis of their achievements each week. Nothing new there, but what I think is AMAZING is finally seeing yarn crafts highlighted on a mainstream TV channel in a prime time slot. 
 
If you haven't watched the show you can find it on catch up by following this link. If, like me, you are already hooked, then don't forget to watch episode two on Sunday evening - I have it on good authority that the next episode includes crochet and finer yarn - so what's not to like! 

​I am looking forward to a weekend at home and have already lined up some comfort knitting on the settee for the evenings. I am making a cowl on circular needles. It has an i-cord cast on, which seemed to take me forever to do, so I am looking forward to getting to grips with the more straight forward (hopefully quite mindless knitting) part! 
 
If I am feeling completely better after my brush with the lurgy I might go to the Make Joy event at Woolwich Works tomorrow. The wonderfully talented Suraya of Mahliqa (knitted wire jewellery) is exhibiting so it will be lovely to see her stand and I really enjoyed the show last year. A fix of mingling with all the gorgeous yarn, accessories and other attendees has to be a great plan for a Saturday right?
 
I think that Sunday may well have the first roast dinner of the season on the cards, as I get ready for the second episode of Game of Wool. I haven't had a roast potato in what feels like months, so it will be good to have a treat! Maybe even an apple crumble to go with it - now that really would be living dangerously! 
 
Big hugs to you all. I will be back next Friday with the November newsletter - until then, stay safe and well.

Greetings from Rabat, our second city location on the Yarn Inspirations of Morocco Tour with Stitchtopia. We have been in the country for five days now and are having an amazing time experiencing all the glorious things that this fabulous country has to offer.
 
I am incredibly grateful that Gemma and Emma have taken the reins while Andy and I are away. I know we can leave Janie Crow in very safe hands, so I hope you have a few minutes to catch up with our news.

We spent four days in Marrakesh before moving on to Rabat by coach yesterday. While there we visited many sites, including the Majorelle Gardens and the Yves Saint Laurent gallery, which featured a fabulous exhibition of his work. We also went to the beautiful Bahia Palace and the Dar El Bacha museum, both of which have the most incredible mosaics, carved and painted wooden ceilings and intricate plasterwork. ​

On Tuesday we travelled to a Berber community in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and enjoyed a traditional meal and tea ceremony. This was also the location for our second knit and crochet workshop. In Rabat we have visited an artisan weaver and were shown traditional techniques.
 
Over the next few days we travel on to Fez, and then onwards to Casablanca, followed by Essaouira early next week, before returning to Marrakesh and then our journey home. I have been posting on Instagram when the signal is strong enough for me to upload images, so do take a look if you fancy following our journey! Our tour manager Teresa has also been busy posting and you can see her feed by following this link.
 
If you like the idea of a knitting and crochet holiday, you can find more information on the Stitchtopia website here. 

It's hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching the penultimate month of the year, which also means the penultimate month of our temperature blanket project. You can download the November temperature chart here. Aren't we well organised this month?
 
It will be interesting to see how those of you who are working on the project decide to assemble your blanket, especially if you have decided not to use a join as you go method. It would also be good to hear your thoughts on what sort of border you might put on the blanket. When we made our sample we opted for a simple moss stitch one using some of the colours we had left over, with the inclusion of a few front post stitches to line through with the seams in the blanket.

We were very excited to be invited to take part in a book tour for the fabulous new book by Anna Nikipirowicz. ‘Crochet Socks that Rock’, published by David & Charles, contains 15 gorgeous crochet sock patterns, together with a wealth of information to help you achieve a perfect fit. 
 
You can join us for a flick through the book over on Instagram here and Gemma will be doing a full review of the book in her Book of the Month blog post in November. As you can see in the photo below she has been busy testing out one of the patterns already! 

On Facebook we celebrated Lucia Dunn's recolouring of the Persian Tiles blanket, known as Eastern Jewels, and invited you to share photos of your completed projects. You can find the post over on Facebook here and check out all the lovely photos shared. ​

In order to complete the Eastern Jewels project you would need the original Persian Tiles pattern, together with the Eastern Jewels colour substitution document (available directly from Lucia's website here). We do currently have kits in stock over on our webshop here. ​

An incredible crocheted model Spitfire has gone on display in the Town Hall Gardens in Southport, a UK town on the Lancashire coast. In collaboration with the Royal British Legion, the Southport Hookers have spent over 2,500 hours crocheting, sewing and assembling the model. 
 
You can read more about the project here and if you happen to be in the area, do go and take a look. The display will remain in place until the 7th November 2025. 

You can read Gemma's thoughts about the book within her Book of the Month blog post here. ​

This week Gemma has been very adventurous and tried out tofu for the first time! Stir fry is a regular meal in her house, with a variety of protein sources and it's always lovely and quick to make. Looking for something slightly different to the usual, she gave this recipe a try from the GoodFood website:
 
Sesame & spring onion stir-fried udon with crispy tofu. 

It was enjoyed by all the family, so will now be added to the ‘allowed to cook again’ list! ​

A few weeks ago I promised you some news of an exciting event, and so I am really pleased (after months of having to keep a big secret) to be able to say that Channel 4's new series, Game of Wool, presented by the fabulous Tom Daley, kicks off on Sunday 2nd November at 8pm. Week 3, which will be shown on 16th November, is crochet week, and I was really honoured to be invited along to filming as their guest judge! 
 
You can find more information about the show by following this link and by checking out The Game of Wool Instagram feed.

We are looking forward to a busy time when we get back from Morocco. We have our festive workshop in Bournemouth at the end of November and all that the festive season brings with it over the next couple of months! As Gemma has said already, it seems amazing to be hurtling through October and heading towards Christmas already! 
 
I will be back in a couple of weeks time with news of a couple of new kits and small projects and hope that whatever you get up to in the meantime, that you stay safe and well.

This is a shorter email than usual as things are incredibly busy here at Janie Crow. After four days exhibiting at The Knit + Stitch Show at Ally Pally last week, and with the Stitchtopia trip to Morocco leaving this Saturday, I am chasing my tail even more so than usual. I hope you will forgive the slightly tardy nature of this week's email too as I was unable to send it on Friday. I promise we will be back to usual service when we send our Quick Catch Up email in a couple of weeks time. By then I hope to be able to tell you about something really exciting that I have had to keep my mouth shut about for months on end, so do look out for more news soon!
 
I have a few things to tell you about, so I hope you can spare a couple of minutes to catch up with our news.

Emma is a big fan of Christmas, and although I am not totally on board with this yet, there is no denying that us knitters and crocheters need to get organised pretty soon if we want to make gifts or decorations for the festive season. Emma recently sneaked onto the Instagram feed to post a feature on our festive decorations, which were designed and released in 2020. You can find the links to our Christmas patterns here.
 
We are continuing to showcase our decade of design on our social media channels. Over the last couple of weeks we have featured the Indigo Dreams blanket and The Blue House one. Both these projects were released in 2021.

I am incredibly excited about our trip to Morocco. I loved Marrakesh when I was lucky enough to be there a couple of years ago, so I am really looking forward to seeing more of the country and getting inspired by their incredible design heritage. I will be posting images on my Instagram feed while I am away, so do check it out.
 
My workshops with Stitchtopia are all sold out for next year, but I will be giving a talk, and having a pop up stand at the Stitchtopia Festival in March - you can find more information by following this link.

We currently have a good stock of kits and yarn packs and paper patterns. You can find download patterns available via Etsy and Ravelry.
 
If you are a fan of natural yarns, you can also find kits made using Yarnsmith's Superwash Merino DK on the Wool Warehouse site here. We hope to have new kits for the Climbing Rose Wrap on there this week.

We are happy to report that US postage is back up and running nicely. We hope we have found a good way for the new process to work going forwards and have tried to make it as straight forward as possible for those of you in the US.
 
We will be putting the website into holiday mode on Thursday of this week for almost a fortnight while we are away on the workshop trip. If you wish to make an order, our advice is to do so as soon as possible to ensure despatch before we go away.

For me, the thrill of designing something new and coming up with interesting colourways and stitch combinations is one of the biggest perks of my work, but unfortunately there are always people who think it's ok to copy, rather than come up with their own designs.
 
Recently we have been made aware of more and more copies and copyright infringements, so I am really pleased that ACID (Anti copying in Design) are offering a free seminar to designers and makers which aims to give more information on how to protect your design work.
 
You do not have to be a member of ACID to join the free webinar, which is on Wednesday 26th November at 12.30pm, but you do need to register. You can find more information by following this link.

Having not had a day off for a couple of weeks I feel like a few days off would be a lovely treat, but as I have so much to do I am already looking forward to next weekend! 
 
We have a few plans this week, which include meeting up with our daughter and the lovely puppy on Wednesday evening and I am also looking forward to some time at the gym (never thought I would say that!). I have a dentist appointment tomorrow, which I hope will be made better by a walk through the woods to get there. I still hate going to the dentist, but am aways happy when my teeth are squeaky clean afterwards!
 
I hope that whatever your plans are for the next couple of weeks, that you stay safe and happy. Sending much yarny love.

As we head into the autumn we have been busy getting ready for lots of shows and events as it is prime crafting season! The Knit & Stitch Show at Ally Pally in on the horizon in just a couple of weeks time and yesterday we travelled up to Yorkshire for this weekend's Yarndale festival, which is one of our favourite shows of the year. If you are coming to the show be sure to come and visit us on stand J21-24 to say hello!
 
Although I am usually the last to admit it, it is definitely sweater weather here now, so I have been rummaging around in the boxes from the loft to find warm clothes and boots! I have also done a marathon yarn winding session to get my projects ready for sofa knitting through the longer evenings - one of the good things to come as a result of the changing seasons I suppose! 
 
We have a few things to tell you about this week, including information about a new UK based workshop I will be tutoring with Stitchtopia next year, so I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with our news.

I'm very excited to tell you about a new Stitchtopia holiday that I will be leading in July 2026. It is a six day crochet retreat entitled ‘In the Footsteps of William Morris’ and, as well as including two full-day crochet workshops, we will also visit some of the places that shaped William's artistic vision. The Emery Walker house, where we photographed the Spirit of Flora project (shown above) and the National Trust Red House, where we shot the images for Climbing Rose Wrap (shown lower down), will be among those we will go to. 
 
I'm really looking forward to this trip and am particularly excited that West Yorkshire Spinners have agreed to collaborate on this one, which means we will be using their new range of Morris inspired yarn for the project.
 
There are just 4 places left on this workshop now, so click on the image below, or click here to find all the details on the Stitchtopia website. 

If you have been waiting to get your hands on the Sandalwood colourway of Persian Tiles, I'm pleased to report that the kits are now back in stock and you can find them here.  ​

​We have drawn one huge conclusion from our social media postings recently and that is that everyone loves a blanket drop! 
 
On both Instagram and Facebook our followers loved the reel of me dropping a wide selection of my blankets, with lots asking for the names of those they weren't familiar with and telling us their favourites. 
 
If you missed it you can find it here on Facebook and here on Instagram. 

If you don't already follow our social media channels, you can find links at the bottom of this email. Do come and join us! ​

The wonderful crafting charity Woolly Hugs is looking for craft contributions for their Christmas Craft Sale 2025. This year, as well as raising funds for Woolly Hugs' own projects, the sale will be supporting The Christmas Dinner Project, a charity founded by the poet Lemn Sissay OBE, which brings communities together to provide a Christmas Day for care leavers, aged between 18 and 25. For many young people leaving care they may be facing their first Christmas Day living independently, and alone and the charity aims to give them a day they will never forget. 
 
You can find out lots more information here including a list of suggested items to make. The last posting deadline for donations to the sale is the 31st October. 
 
You can find out more about all the different projects that Woolly Hugs are currently running by clicking on their logo below. 

Yarnstravaganza, the celebration of yarn shops, is taking place across the UK from the 27th September to the 4th October. It's a great way of showing support for your local yarn shop and it's well worth getting in touch with them to see if they have any special events planned. you can check on the UK Hand Knitting website here to see if they are taking part. ​

Gemma's chosen book this month was ‘Gnomes to Crochet’ by Val Pierce. This book contains 20 colourful gnome characters, with almost every occasion covered. There is a bridge & groom, a baby gnome and a birthday gnome among others. If you are a fan of amigurumi (and gnomes) this is the book for you! ​

You can read Gemma's thoughts about the book within her Book of the Month blog post here and if you the look of this book too, head on over to the Search Press website. If you're in the UK you can get a 20% discount and free delivery by entering the code DD88 at checkout. ​

This week Gemma recommends a recipe from Dale Pinnock, aka The Medicinal Chef. It popped up on her Facebook feed and it was a welcome suggestion among all the unwanted stuff that appears on a daily basis! The recipe is a White Bean and Aubergine Bake, which you can view by following the link to Facebook. You can see it here on Instagram too. 
 
Gemma reports that it was absolutely delicious! All the family enjoyed it and asked for seconds, so it comes highly recommended. As with all dishes involving aubergine, the prep time takes a while in order to make sure the aubergine slices are well cooked before assembling the dish, but other than that it is straightforward and most of the ingredients are store cupboard staples.

​As usual I really don't know where the time has gone since I was last writing an email update. The weeks fly by so fast and it is amazing to think that some of our autumn celebrations, are not actually that far away. We now have seven fairly good sized pumpkins growing in the garden (as a result of surprise seeds from our compost bin), so we will have a nice display (and some tasty soup) come Halloween! 
 
We will be travelling back from Yarndale on Monday and then next week is all about preparing for the next workshop trip, which is to Morocco in just over three weeks time. I have designed a knit and a crochet project for the trip, but liked the crochet one so much that I went a bit overboard and made an extra project with the motifs. this means that I am now playing catch up a little to get all the projects finished in time, but that really isn't a bad situation to be in given that in means I have to allow even more time to do that extra crochet and knitting! Living the dream…..
 
I hope that wherever you are, and whatever you have planned for the next couple of days, that you are safe and well. 

I have finally had to admit that it is time for a few extra layers of clothing as the weather has taken a definite turn here over the last couple of weeks. I am still not ready to fully embrace the autumn vibe though and am definitely not buying into the pumpkins and spooky vibes just yet! As for the very premature references to Christmas that I am already seeing in my inbox and in the shops, all I can say is Bah Humbug! It is only September after all! 
 
As the days get shorter and the breeze is cooler, I cannot help but think about starting some cosy projects. I am still working on a couple of small cotton projects for my workshop trip to Morocco at the end of October, but am already looking forward to working on some bigger, woollier, projects that will keep me warm as I do so. Adding edgings onto blankets is the perfect project for me as the weather gets colder and I have a couple of new baskets in the pipeline, so that's all good!
 
As the Autumn equinox is still ten days away I am making the most of every last bit of summer that I can, in between the showers at least! The garden is looking better for the rain and we still have quite a lot of flowers and veg busy thriving, so I am a happy bunny this week!
 
I have a few things to tell you about, so I hope you can spare a couple of minutes to catch up with our news - hopefully glitch free this time, unlike our the last email that went a bit wobbly in places! 

I frequently look at surface pattern traditions from other countries as the source of my designs and have been incredibly fortunate to visit quite a few. Tutoring workshops for Stitchtopia means that I have been able to travel more over the last few years and I am really proud of the relationship I have built with them, which means I get to work closely with them to plan new trips.
 
We already have the Turkey trip fully booked for next October, but I have also suggested a couple of workshop tours closer to home including the trip to Northern France which will take place next June and I am also looking forward to giving you more information about a UK crochet trip within the next few weeks.
 
There are still a couple of places left on the trip to France. We will be travelling by Eurostar to Paris and will then go on to Versailles and Rouen. We will also visit Monet's famous gardens at Giverny - a destination I have wanted to visit for many years.
 
The trip will be sponsored by West Yorkshire Spinners and you can find more information by following this link and you can look at all the other amazing trips that Stitchtopia have to offer by following this link.

​We currently have a good stock of kits and yarn packs and paper patterns. You can find download patterns available via Etsy and Ravelry.
 
If you have been waiting for stock of our West Yorkshire Spinners kits, we now have both Persian Tiles Original and Peppercorn back in stock.
 
If you are a fan of natural yarns, you can also find kits made using Yarnsmith's Superwash Merino DK on the Wool Warehouse site here. 

I felt very honoured to attend the UK Knitting & Crochet Guild Convention at the weekend, where I tutored a crochet with beads workshop and gave a keynote speech about my work and passion for crochet. I had a really fabulous time meeting new people and chatting to members.
 
If you want to know more about the guild you can find their website here and their Instagram feed here and, if you fancy having a go at adding beads to your crochet too, you can find free video tutorials on our YouTube channel by following this link.

Whilst at the convention I met Kelly Ferguson who has a company called Way Out Crafts. Kelly is an expert at making Yorkshire buttons, a skill I had not come across before, so she explained the process to me, whilst she also instructed others within a workshop who were busy making their own lovely buttons. I think the buttons are super cute and am planning on making some soon using Kelly's nifty templates.
 
I asked Kelly to send me some words about how she came to be such a Yorkshire Button expert and this is what she had to say:
 
'I first came across Yorkshire Buttons about 18 months ago when a small group of friends travelled to Northumberland for a yarn shop visiting weekend. Each group member was tasked with running an activity in between our trips out from the cottage. As soon as I started to weave the threads around the spokes we created on the button template, I knew I was hooked as the possibilities were endless. As well as decorative buttons, I was envisaging pin cushions, necklaces, Christmas decorations, brooches and so many more uses for these little sea urchin type buttons.

On return home I challenged my husband with making a template using his 3D printing design skills, which has led us to where we are today. We now have reusable templates available in seven sizes ranging from 3cm to 10cm, which are available to purchase individually. We sell the five smaller sized templates as boxed set that can also hold three needles, this is great for on-the-go projects. 
 
Our template design has a centre circle in a contrasting colour to show the size of the finished button, making the choice of template much simpler. The rule of thumb is that the button will be half the size of the template. Once complete, it can be filled with toy stuffing, an existing button, yarn ends or beads for example, depending on how you want the button to look.
 
Our template and storage box design are registered to our small business, Way Out Crafts and are available via our Web Shop and at yarn shows. I enjoy passing on this heritage skill at workshops across the North, having attended yarn shows such as Spring into Wool and Threads Festival, and I continue to support Knitting and Crochet Guild events, such as branch meetings and the conventions.

We are really looking forward to exhibiting at Yarndale again in a few weeks time. It is amazing how quickly the show comes round, year after year, and we feel incredibly fortunate to be getting ready to be there again in 2025. It really is a fabulous show and we love it! 
 
You can find more information about Yarndale, including the details of tickets still available, by following this link.

Emily Littlefair, of the Loopy Stitch has recently launched a new website called Made into Magnets, where you can turn your treasured photos into beautiful keepsakes. Each photo is carefully crafted into a high quality magnet – a simple, heartfelt way to capture memories and keep them close. Perfect for gifts, fridges, and craft spaces.
 
Emily is currently shipping within Australia only, so if you are there and fancy taking a look you can find a link to the new website here.

I haven't been one hundred percent well this week with a bit of a lurgy making itself apparent at the beginning of the week. I went into battle with Vick's First Defence spray (which is full of zinc I think) and it has been a little better thankfully. Getting poorly when you are self employed is always a bit of a worry, but I haven't been unwell in a long time, so I guess it was my turn!
 
I am hoping to be back to normal by tomorrow evening when Andy and I are heading out to see the final show of Tina the Musical in London's West End. I have seen this show twice already in the last five weeks, so you could say I am a little obsessed! Having never seen Tina in concert when she was alive I feel that seeing Karis Anderson play her in this production is the closest I am ever going to get! The show is set to tour the UK and North America and you can find more information here. 

My talented niece is showing some of her excellent photographs as one of the artists featured in the Borough of Ealing Art Trail this weekend. If you want to find out more about this event and see which artists and venues are taking part, you can find more information here and you can find Helen's fabulous new Instagram account, where she show-cases her brilliant photography skills, by following this link or by clicking on her images above.
 
I am really hoping to find some time to sit and crochet this weekend, but I am also planning on finding some of the almost finished projects I put to one side in the spring! I am also hoping to rediscover some of the yarns and patterns I bought at yarn shows over the last six months or so too! I know I have the yarn for the Utility Two cowl, by The Knitting Shed somewhere and feel like this would be a great project to lead me into the colder season over the next few weeks, so I have my fingers crossed that I can find it in my stash! 
 
If you are a fan of adding beads to your knitting and fancy embarking on a good old stash busting project, especially one that you might complete over a weekend, you could take a look at Jeanette Sloan's fabulous new Rae Beaded Scarf project (shown below). The pattern is available via Ravelry here and Payhip here. I just love it and will definitely be trying to find some DK weight yarn that will work for this project in my stash.

As usual it has been a busy couple of weeks since I was last in your inbox. Sadly the weather has changed a little here this week after our amazing spell of summer sunshine, and it is a bit of a shock to the system to have to dig in the wardrobe for a cardigan in the evenings.
 
As a true sun lover I would never admit to looking forward to the colder weather, but there is no denying that it is a perfect time for crafting and we are definitely seeing an increase in crocheters taking on larger projects for the autumn months. Thankfully we have a good stock of kits to keep everyone happy! 
 
I have continued to work on my beaded decoration designs in preparation for Christmas. It's always a bit strange to be working on festive projects when the weather is good, but I have so enjoyed working on smaller projects for a while. I have three blanket designs vying for attention on my pin board above my desk, so there are some plans for bigger projects in the pipeline. There is a rarely a time when I am at a loss as to what to do - I am sure you all know the feeling! 
 
We have a few things to tell you about this week and Gemma has been busy creating a really nice Quick Catch Up email for you, so I hope you can spare a few moments to get bang up to date with our news.

We received a lovely email a while ago from Rene Panagiotelis, in Australia, in which she told us about her journey to completing the Mystical Lanterns blanket you can see in the images further down. 
 
"I purchased the pattern in November 2016 and then some Patons 8ply Cotton Blend compatible colours. It was not until around October 2024 that I finally found time to start the project. However, I was short of yarn and the original colours were no longer available. Fortunately I was able to blend in some different, but complementary, 4 Seasons Brighton 8ply Cotton Blend colours.
 
Making this blanket was so rewarding and relaxing and by now, my granddaughter was old enough to take an interest in the progress. She became my chief consultant when it came to laying out the lanterns in order to assemble.
 
I really wanted straight edges and was thrilled to find vertical, horizontal and corner patterns. As striking as the lanterns were, I felt the use of the cream colour to join the lanterns really added to the final effect. I wanted to continue using cream as a joining colour and after much thought and a bit of trial and error I decided to make a multi color double edge with the final row being a ‘cross stitch’ crochet row (Edging 93, Annie’s 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings). The ‘cross stitch’ row really finishes off the border, which was beginning to curl before adding that last row.
 
Now after 8 ½ years and much bonding with my granddaughter, I was so happy to hand her the finished product. This was a complete surprise, and she was thrilled to say the least. Creating memories, as well as blankets, is completely up lifting."

If, like Rene, you would like to add straight edges to your Mystical Lanterns projects, you can find a free blog post showing how to make the Vertical Half Motif here, and the Corner Quarter motifs here. you can find the Mystical Lanterns blanket pattern information by following this link.
 
Thank you to Rene for sharing this lovely story with us.

​We have been assured by Royal Mail that the new system for sending parcels to America will be easy to manage and should have little impact on our US customer base, so long as all goes to plan. 
 
We are hoping to reinstate postage to the US next week. We will be treading carefully to begin with though, so that we are not caught out if things don't go quite as expected. There still seems to be quite a bit of conflicting information coming from courier companies, both here and in the US, so it seems prudent to be cautious to begin with.
 
We would like to thank our customers in the USA for their patience while we have been negotiating this change in procedure. 

For customers in the US who might be itching to get on with a Janie Crow project, don't forget that you can get yarn kits from Mary Maxim who are based there.
 
We have collaborated with the team at Mary Maxim for quite a while now and feel we have a great relationship with them. You can find kits for many of my original colourways, such as Persian Tiles and Mystical Lanterns, as well as some exclusive kits that the team in the US have developed themselves, such as the Rose version of Persian Tiles shown below and the blue Summer Palace blanket shown above.

It seems that many of you simply can't have enough stitch markers, so the lovely Emma Ball has been busy creating some new versions to add to the collection. You can find the new star and flower markers by clicking on the images above and below.
 
We also have a new crochet hook pouch that features the Mystical Lanterns design, which you can find by following this link.

We've been enjoying seeing your versions of Estella popping up on our social media platforms. Here are just a few that Gemma has found on Facebook. Thank you to Elaine Hogan Hanley, Valentina Hall, Hazera Belal and Gina Berry for sharing their work. ​

Over on Instagram Emma has been canvassing opinions on whether or not you like using charts when you are crocheting. Gemma prefers a written pattern, but appreciates having a chart available when a written instruction isn't quite making sense and taking a quick look at the chart can clarify what the words are trying to convey. Emma likes the visual guide that a chart provides when she can't quite work out what something should look like when following the written words. 
 
If you avoid charts at all costs because you're not sure how to read them, Emma has included a video in the Zero to Granny series on how to read a chart. It's a very useful skill to have and adds another tool to your crochet kit, so do have a look at the video. You can find it here. If you are the opposite and always use charts but struggle with written patterns, there's also a video to help you with that right here. 

Gemma will be popping on to the blog at the weekend to provide you with an update on her temperature blanket progress, but in the meantime, if you want to be super organised and ready for the 1st September, you can download the new temperature recording chart here. 
 
If you don't already follow our social media channels, you can find links at the bottom of this email. Do come and join us! 

You can find a downloadable and print friendly version of the Estella motif over on our website here and over on our YouTube channel Emma has added a set of videos that take you through the pattern step by step. You can find the playlist here. 
 
We have had a few requests for a paper copy of the pattern so have printed some. They are available for £3.95 (in UK terms only) and you can find them by following this link.

Yarnstravaganza, the celebration of yarn shops, is taking place across the UK from the 27th September to the 4th October. It's a great way of showing support for your local yarn shop and it's well worth getting in touch with them to see if they have any special events planned. you can check on the UK Hand Knitting website here to see if they are taking part. ​

Gemma's chosen book this month was ‘Random Acts of Crochet Kindness’ by Olivia Dieterich. The idea is that small crocheted items are left out in the community to spread a little joy when found by members of the public. There is a Facebook group of the same name with over 350k members, which you can find here.
 
The book contains twenty five patterns for small items, like those you can see on the cover of the book, together with tips on making message labels and ideas on places to leave them. They are great little projects for stash-busting too.

You can read Gemma's thoughts about the book within her Book of the Month blog post here and if you the look of this book too, head on over to the Search Press website. If you're in the UK you can get a 20% discount and free delivery by entering the code DD88 at checkout. ​

This week Andy made a really yummy dinner using a recipe from our Bold Beans cookbook. The dish included feta, peas and mint as a base to some crispy queen butter beans. It was simply delicious! 
 
The recipe isn't available online as far as I can tell, but there are some very similar versions on the Bold Bean website. This one, which includes beans, peas, charred lemons and pecorino, looks really good too! 

Do you already know that we have a Janie Crow Lifestyle Instagram account where I share everyday things that have got me inspired or excited? To be fair, it is mostly images of food, such as the plate of puris I made for dinner last weekend, but every now and again there are images of flowers, books, plants and architecture on there too. Basically anything that I have felt photo worthy during my everyday life.
 
For some reason Instagram users don't particularly like it when everyday things are mixed up with crochet, so having two accounts means I can share bit of non yarny stuff too, without upsetting anyone! 
 
The images below give you a bit of an idea of the kind of things I post. If you're interested, do pop over there by clicking on the link here or on the images below to take a look. 

Over the last month or so I have been trying to stick to a new routine, which involves setting my alarm for the same time everyday and going to bed on the dot too. I have also been spending my mornings going to the gym and doing my shopping and food prep so that by the time I sit down to my desk, my chores are pretty much done and all I have to think about is crochet and lovely yarny things! 
 
I start my working day at my desk by picking up my hook and working on my projects. I now don't touch my email inbox, or anything hugely clerical until the end of the day, once all the creative stuff is done. Working in this more regimented way, and going to bed on time, has already really helped my focus and I am feeling nicely energised by my new daily habits.

Last weekend we celebrated my father in law's birthday with a family party in their garden and this week it is our son in law's turn for a celebration as he turns 30! I have made him a chocolate fudge cake as it is his favourite and we are looking forward to catching up with them on Sunday to raise a glass to the August birthday boys! 
 
It has been quite rainy here today and it looks set to be similar over the weekend, so I am hoping that will be the perfect excuse to do a spot of weekend crafting. I have a few knitting projects that haven't been touched all summer, so maybe it's time to dig these out to finish off in the autumn. Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a nice weekend and are able to squeeze in a bit of time with your current project too.
 
I will be back in your inbox in a couple of weeks time with news of some new Climbing Rose Wrap yarn packs and some more dates for your diary. 

While the UK has been sizzling in the heat of record temperatures I have been retreating to the relative cool of the summer house where I have been working on some small projects. Tackling a big project at this time of year is just a no go area, so rather than melt under the weight of a blanket that needs an edging, I have been working on smaller projects, using lighter weight yarns. 
 
The summer is usually a bit of a slow period for us, with many people taking holidays or finding it too warm to crochet, but this year has been unusually busy, thanks to the continued sharing of blanket drop-down reels on social media we think! It is so amazing to see my projects still creating such a buzz on social media platforms, so big thanks to those of you who are busy sharing pics of your projects.
 
We are particularly excited today as it is worldwide Granny Square Day and so social media channels are choc-a-block with lovely crochet pics! You can find the details of my new free crochet motif, especially designed for Granny Square Day, lower down this email, alongside some other news, including a note about the new US duty tariffs. 

I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with all things Janie Crow.

After much anticipation Granny Square Day 2025 has finally arrived and I am so excited to present you with my newest free motif pattern, which I have designed specifically for today.
The motif is called Estella and you can find the download pattern for free on our website via this link, or you can head over to the Simply Crochet Magazine feed on Instagram to find more details there.

I am really passionate about the importance of passing on our crochet skills to future generations and Granny Square Day is the perfect way to inspire new crocheters to get involved. It is fabulous to see social media platforms taken over by crochet images and witness the real sense of community that the day creates. 

I am honoured to have been asked to be an ambassador this year and hope that either my motif, or one of the many that you will see on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok today, will inspire you to get making! 
 
I have written a blog post about my Granny Square memories and my first steps into the world of crochet, which you can find by following this link. 

Simply Crochet magazine are honouring Granny Square Day with an exclusive offer for you! By subscribing to receive either 3 print copies of the magazine, or by taking out a year's subscription, you can get a Rico yarn bundle worth over £50, plus the opportunity to download their Granny Square Day pattern booklet, which features 52 brand new designs. 
 
All this for only £19.99 for 3 issues (which is a saving of 30% on the magazine shop price), or £94.99 on the yearly subscription, which is a saving of 23%. Overseas readers can also get great discounts on the magazine shop price. Click this link to find out more. 

Over the last few months we have seen sales of our patterns increase substantially and we think this is down to video shares on both Instagram and TikTok. The Persian Tiles blanket design continues to dominate and we love seeing it made in alternative colour ways.
 
If you want some ideas on yarn palettes, a good place to start looking is by using the hashtag #persiantilesblanket on Instagram. There are some real beauties on there including this reel by Mipi The Label, which has had a whopping 62K likes. And this one, where Famke shows the blanket drop down in slow motion, has had 21k likes. 
 
You can also find lots of images of Persian Tiles blankets within the dedicated Facebook group, which you can find by following this link. The group has almost 20k members now, which is just incredible! 
 
If you are making Persian Tiles and need a bit of help, or just want to double check that you are working in the correct way, you can find a series of fabulous videos, made by Emma, on the Janie Crow YouTube Channel. 
 
For more information about this project and the official colourways I have designed, take a look at this link to kits and this one to paper patterns. Download versions are available via Etsy and Ravelry.
 
We have good stock of lots of other kits and patterns at the moment, so if you have been waiting for something specific to come back into stock, or just fancy having a little rummage around in our store, do take a look at this link.

​An important note for our customers in the US

New tariffs will apply to shipments that arrive in the US from 29th August. As a result, customers will be required to cover this import duty cost.
 
We are currently looking into how the new system is going to work and we have done lots of research into it already, but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information.
 
As a result we will be pausing shipments to the US from August the 20th for the duration of nine days. 
 
To be honest, there seems no way of ensuring that parcels sent to the US from now onwards will not qualify for the import duties, but if you are in the US and want to purchase items before the tariff officially comes into place then we suggest you make an order as soon as possible. 
 
Into the early part of next week, before we pause our dispatches to the US, we will do our upmost to get orders out as quickly as possible, but please be aware that you could still be charged import duty on delivery. 
 
You can find more information on the Royal Mail website here.
 
For customers who do not require shipping to the US, our prices will not increase.

Stylecraft Yarns have chosen the Love is Enough Fruit Garden blanket as their Summer Make Along project! The MAL started a couple of weeks ago on 29th July and all patterns are still available to download free of charge from the Stylecraft Yarns website here. You will need the original Fruit Garden patterns together with the Love is Enough yarn substitution documents for the project. 
 
The Fruit Garden pattern, including the details of Love is Enough, is also available in a book, which you can find by clicking here. The book includes crochet charts, clear step-by-step images, testimonials and more background information about my inspiration and design process as well as an additional colour way of the blanket project, called ‘Red House’.
 
All the supporting videos for the project remain available over on our YouTube channel too! If you fancy joining in with the make along you can find yarn packs on our website here or speak to your local Stylecraft Yarns stockist. 

We are really looking forward to exhibiting at Yarndale again in six weeks time. It is amazing how quickly the show comes round, year after year, and we feel incredibly fortunate to be getting ready to be there again in 2025. It really is a fabulous show and we love it! 
 
You can find more information about Yarndale, including the details of tickets still available, by following this link.
 
If you are already planning yarny events for the autumn, then you may like to know that I will be on the Stylecraft stand at the Knit & Stitch Show here in London in October. You can find more information about the show by following this link. 

Andy and I had the best day celebrating our Pearl Wedding Anniversary a couple of weeks ago at a party with friends and family. Of course I did my best to include as much crochet as possible, including the pearl edged doily I made for the cake and baskets of yarn and hooks on each table at our afternoon tea! 
 
You can find more images of our fabulous guests getting into the swing of all things yarn and crochet by following this link to our Instagram feed.

After a busy couple of weeks we are looking forward to a relatively quiet weekend at home. The weather forecast is good, so we are hoping to spend some time in the garden and have a date with some friends tomorrow for dinner, so its shaping up to be a nice couple of days.
 
I have been really busy with my crochet this week and have possibly over done it a little and my hands are a little creaky, so I will be resting them a little once Granny Square Day is over. I think it's really important to listen to your body when it is telling you that enough is enough and I'm finding more recently that even lots of typing and time on the PC aggravates my hands, so I think its time they had a bit of TLC…. maybe a home manicure will be on the cards too!

The tree in our neighbour's garden is fit to burst with figs, so we have been enjoying a kindly donated supply of them over the last couple of weeks. They really are delicious and just so pretty too! 
 
We have a couple of compost heaps in the garden and put all our vegetable waste into them, so most summers we get surprise plants growing as a result. The last couple of years we have had an abundance of butternut squash, but this year we have pumpkins! You can see the massive plant and peer through its leaves to the growing pumpkins over on the Janie Crow Lifestyle Instagram feed here.
 
That's it from me for now. We will be back in your inbox in a few weeks time with a Quick Catch Up email, which will include the details of some great new Emma Ball items, including some pretty new stitch markers and a new crochet hook roll. I hope all is good with you in the meantime and that you get to enjoy some yarn based TLC!