 NEw in! blankets Lifestyle BLOG videos explore  As I write this it is tipping it down with rain here in North London after a week of amazingly warm and sunny weather. The typically temperamental British weather made me think of featuring my Sunshine and Showers design in this newsletter as it seems to be the perfect fit for this month!  My Sunshine and Showers CAL project was first released in Crochet Now Magazine in 2017. The patterns have since been published on my archived blog and you can also purchase the patterns as downloads by following this link.   The inspiration for the design was the seasonal weather here in the UK and each section of the design reflects a different seasonal theme. For example, in July and August the design was based on sunny skies and flowers, whereas in January the focus was grey snowy weather, which I represented by using crochet puff stitches. Like all my crochet along projects I tried to design this one in a way that made it a great learning tool. It gets progressively harder so that crocheters can build their skills. All patterns include step-by-step images and detailed instructions throughout. The blanket is made in rows, so is a sampler style and it would make a great stash buster! The download patterns are available in 12 single pieces or as one bundle and you can find them on Ravelry, Etsy and via the Janie Crow website.  I am still waiting for confirmation of when my new CAL design 'Indigo Dreams' will be published in Inside Crochet magazine. I think the current plan is for it to be released early in the autumn. As soon as I have any more news I will let you know. I usually try to plan my designs so that I am working about a year ahead of the release date of a new project, but the lockdown restrictions over the last year and the knock on effects of having to deal with a different workload has meant that my planning has gone out of the window! With the delay of the most recent CAL project I am a bit concerned that my project releases may end up being a bit like London buses - none for ages and then a steady stream! At least we have been a bit luckier with the yarns that are arriving at the studio over the last couple of weeks and have finally been able to make up some kits. We have Magic Circles blanket kits in Life DK in stock on Andy's Just Knots website. You can find them here.  Lots of versions of the Magic Circles design have been cropping up on Instagram lately and I just love the two images below via Lizzie Montgomery and Karolyn Smalls. Click on them to be taken to the Instagram feeds.   I have been sent a few fabulous 'out in the wild' images that I want to show you this month. Below you can see a gorgeous version of my Bohemian Blooms design, which has been made by Gera Zuydeweg using the shades from the Love Is Enough version of the Fruit Garden blanket. I think Gera has made an amazing job of this project and I love the way the orange and mustard yellow give it such a great colour pop!  Cheri Meeker sent me a couple of shots of some runners she has made using the Climbing Rose Wrap pattern and The Blue House design.
Cheri has made the Climbing Rose runner one motif narrower than my original design and I think she has done a great job combining pretty shades of teal and peach/coral when making her Blue House runner.  Are you a 'Friends' fan? If so, do you remember the one where Joey auditioned for a role as a gameshow host and the game was called Bamboozled? Well, this article has absolutely nothing to do with that and instead is about the production methods used to make bamboo yarn! In my quick catch up email a couple of weeks ago I spoke about my desire to use more natural yarns in my forthcoming designs. Within the piece I mistakenly referred to a yarn with a bamboo content as being 'natural'. I later received an email pointing out my error, which prompted me to take another look at bamboo as a sustainable fibre.   The problem with bamboo is that although it is a natural substance in the first place, in order to make it into a fibre it has to undergo a long production process that involves lots of chemicals and energy, so it is, in fact, a manmade fibre. Manmade fibres have a bad track record and many people feel that natural is better. Micro fibres are the hot topic at the moment (rightly so) as is the amount of energy it takes to produce many yarns, but it is an absolute minefield if you start looking at things like water consumption, land use, fertilizers and the way workers (and animals) are used in the production of natural yarns too! There is a very good article here that presents both sides of the good/bad bamboo fibre debate. It concludes by saying that bamboo yarns sourced in the right way can actually be a ‘step up from polyester and conventional cotton’, depending of course on the initial source of the bamboo. I have to admit that my research ended up leaving me a tad 'bamboozled' as there are so many arguments for and against its use. There is another good article here that you may find interesting. Personally I think a great plus point is that bamboo is biodegradable, usually breaking down in a year or so if placed in compost (wool can take up to 5 years) and it is a fast growing crop that requires no pesticides, chemicals or fertiliser to grow. Given the amount of processing that goes into the production of so many things these days I think I err on the side of positivity as far as bamboo goes, but maybe the links within this piece will help you make up your own minds. Big thanks to Lorraine for picking me up on this in the first place...  We have managed to put together a couple of kits for Marina's 'Aladdin' cushion, which is based on my The Blue House design. You can find a link to Marina's free yarn substitution document here. A link to the kit here and a link to the original paper pattern here. You can also find the pattern as a download in my Ravelry and Etsy stores.  Marina's amazing re-working of the Blue House design uses 17 balls of Anchor Creativa 4ply plus 4 shades of Debbie Abrahams Beads. For the kit we have included one bag of beads to allow you to just use a single shade of your choice instead of 4. One bag will be enough beads for the whole cushion. The beads are an optional addition to allow you to use some from your own stash if you wish or you can choose to make it without beads. If you have never added beads to your crochet and want to find out how to so, you can find a video here.  I have been testing out some cupcake recipes lately and came across this fabulous one from Shannon Michelle. The recipe is vegan so has no eggs and uses vegan butter, something I have to admit I was pretty sceptical about, having spent years baking with butter and dairy based fats.  These cup cakes are possibly the best I have ever made. The cakes are light and fluffy and the buttercream is just so yummy! Honestly, it is far superior to buttercream made with dairy butter, which I think can be a bit greasy. I used the Flora Plant Butter which comes in paper wrapper, so is another small win in terms of waste. I managed to make 12 large cakes from the recipe and used good quality jam in place of the fruit puree, the instructions for which looked like a bit of a faff if I am honest! I am a total convert to these lovely little cakes and have now made two versions - one batch were raspberry and black cherry and another batch were elderflower and lemon. Both flavours were truly scrumptious!  As it is Elderflower season I started a batch of Elderflower Liquer on Monday. The Kilner jar is now stowed away in the dark for 2-4 weeks, but there is an image above of what it looked like before I packed it away in the wardrobe and you can find the recipe I used here.  I have made this liqueur before and it is so good, especially if you add a splash of it to a glass of cold Prosecco or Cava. I think it is the perfect summertime drink, but if you don't fancy making it you can buy St. Germain liqueur instead. Cheers!  I am not sure that our garden has ever had as much attention as it has had this year and it certainly shows, as there are buds and blooms bursting into life everywhere and the veg patch is decidedly rampant! It has been so good to give the garden and our little house some much needed attention this year, especially as we have been shamefully neglectful for quite a while! Below is the first progress shot of the new lean-to that Andy is adding onto the summer house at the end of the garden. Rain has stopped play for a while, but hopefully I will pop some more images in the next newsletter.  I have been looking at the interior design forecasts going into 2021 and it is no surprise that the biophilic story continues to be the biggest trend. According to Wikipedia, Biophilic design is ‘a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions’. There is a blog post on the Homes and Gardens web site here that explains this in more detail, but it basically means that the interior designers are continuing to 'bring the outside in' with the emphasis on greenery and plants. Whilst I love my garden, I am not great with house plants and tend to stick to a vase of cut flowers every couple of weeks and some orchids, but as I think I am going to really miss the garden come the autumn I am considering investing in a few leafy houseplants. I came across this 'Glasshouse' when doing a bit of research. The potted plant prices seem high, but when you read their 'about' statement on their website you will understand why. It sounds like a great initiative and there is more information on their blog, and anyway it seems to me that house plants are far more pricy than they used to be, so I might well invest a bit of my pocket money!   Have any of you been watching the series 'Halston' starring Ewan McGregor? We have lined it up on our watch list as I have heard it is really good and that the sets and costumes are great. Apparently McGregor was taught to pin, sew and drape fabric by costume designer Jeriana San Juan, who was moved to tears when the actor presented her with a pair of perfectly stitched trousers he had made. You can find more about Ewan's stitching journey by following this link or clicking on the image below.  A couple of weeks ago I rewatched the amazing McQueen documentary. I am a massive fan of Lee Alexander McQueen's work and of the collections produced by Sarah Burton, creative director at the fashion house, since his death a decade ago. The film always reminds me of being an art student and takes me back to my younger days when I produced my degree collection. McQueen studied at St Martins and I came across an article about the most recent graduate student fashion show on the Vogue blog last week. You can see it by following this link. Carrying on the fashion theme, you may have seen in the news this week that a recent report revealed that a really high percentage of clothes are still being made from new plastics. You can find the report via the BBC by following this link. I haven't bought any new clothes for months, but Summer and I have made a plan to hit the shops tomorrow, so this report has certainly reminded me that I should look at the labels in any garments we might try on! Andy has headed off to a test music festival this weekend, so Charlie and I are home alone! I had hoped that I might get to visit The Living Arts & Crafts Show at Hatfield House either this afternoon or on Sunday, but the rain seems set for the next few days, so I might have a rethink! Of course there is the comfort of the settee, the lure of the TV and a lovely little crochet project on the hook to use up some of my time, so as usual I am looking forward to the weekend, despite being a tad sad that the rain has knocked all the heads off of my glorious peonies in the garden! I hope that wherever you are in the world and that whatever you have planned for the next few days, you have a good time and stay safe. Janie x 
  new in blankets lifestyle blog videos explore Welcome to a quick catch up with Janie Crow. We hope you are all keeping well and have been able to indulge in lots of crafting time. Here in North London the weather has swiftly changed from being incredibly wet to beautifully sunny and warm over the last few days so the big outdoors has become inviting again. 'And since all the loveliness cannot be Heaven, I know in my heart it is June' Abba Woolson One of our biggest pieces of news is that we have finally managed to put together some kits for the Night & Dusk colourway of The Fruit Garden blanket. We have just 10 yarn packs in stock and have no idea when we will be getting more, so if you want one you will probably need to be quick! Click the link here or on the image below to be taken to the web site.  If you follow my newsletters then you probably already know that we have been having trouble getting all the yarn shades in Life DK to make up the range of Janie Crow kits. Life DK has a percentage of wool, which creates a lovely drape when crocheted, so it has been a little frustrating not being able to put kits together. As stock of Special DK, which is 100% Premium Acrylic, remains healthy at Stylecraft we decided to make up some limited edition kits using this yarn instead. The shade swaps are almost identical and the yarn usage is pretty much the same too. We have kits for The Blue House Blanket and we've also put together many other kits using Special DK including Persian Tiles, Fields of Gold, Mystical Lanterns and Delft. We've also restocked Sunshine & Showers, Lily Pond Cherry Blossom and Sussex Gardens. You can find all these kits for sale over on Andy's web site at Just Knots. It continues to be a challenge to source yarn for kits at the moment as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still impacting on the supply chain. There's an interesting article further along in this quick update, which helps to explain some of the worldwide issues. Looking on the bright side though, what a great opportunity we now have to do some stash diving! I think it is really exciting to discover that you have just the right yarn in your stash for a pattern you've just come across in a magazine or on the web. If you have crafty friends you could always compare stashes and maybe even have a swapping session!  As I just said, now is possibly one of the best times for knitters and crocheters to focus on stashbusting projects and Mystical Lanterns is perfect for using up yarn where you have just one ball, or many oddments of lots of different shades. The pattern is available in different versions, to make a blanket, scarf or shawl. You can find the downloadable patterns in the Janie Crow Ravelry and Etsy stores or the printed booklets by following this link. As I mentioned in my last couple of newsletters I recently designed a vertical half motif for this pattern. I have posted this on my blog so that those of you who want to make a project with straight vertical side edges can do so. The blog post includes step-by-step images and instructions, but you will need the original pattern to make the main Mystical Lanterns motifs and the horizontal half motifs.    You can find some great ideas for colourways for this project by taking a look at the Mystical Lanterns hashtag on Instagram too. I particularly like the image below from Fifisofia.  Despite promoting our own online business we do recognise the importance of bricks and mortar yarn stockists and want to support our local yarn shops, especially now that non-essential retail has been allowed to open again.  So, if you need craft supplies and you have a local retailer, do consider supporting them if you can. If you're not sure if there is a yarn shop local to you there is a great look up tool at ukhandknitting.com.  Last month Gemma ran a poll over on the Janie Crow Facebook page to find out people's preferred yarn when it comes to crocheting blankets. 535 people voted and 59% stated they prefer using natural fibres such as cotton, bamboo or wool.  There are many factors that go into yarn choices though and some of our followers pointed this out. If, for example, you are making a blanket for a baby then soft acrylics are so easy to wash and dry that they are the ideal choice when ease of care is important. Cotton is heavier than acrylic or wool and so might make the final weight of a project too much. You can't beat real wool for warmth, but it can be itchy and some people are allergic to it. Affordability is also a factor and natural fibres tend to be more expensive. On the other hand acrylics have an environmental cost with tiny plastic micro-fibres being shed every time they are washed. Perhaps this means that blends with a percentage of natural fibres can give you the best of both worlds and are easier to care for too. Here at Janie Crow we are planning to head more and more towards stocking natural and sustainable fibres and are so pleased to see that affordable Organic Cotton DK and Bamboo + Cotton mixes are now available via Stylecraft, who also have a new (and very exciting) 'eco' yarn on the horizon. Many other yarn companies are also becoming aware of the need to be a little more 'green' when creating yarns too, which cannot be a bad thing. We know that you all make your yarn choices based on your own beliefs, which is why we currently try to cater for lots of different tastes, so it is really interesting to see that the outcome of the poll was quite evenly split between the want for natural and man-made fibres. One thing to consider when choosing yarns for a home project such as a blanket is that unlike a garment it will not need repeated washing. It is likely to remain in your home for many years to come and might even be passed on as an heirloom to another family member or friend. In that way, we think that crochet blankets, made from whichever yarn you choose, could well be the exact opposite of fast fashion! We would love to know what you think too, so please hit reply and let us know.  Gemma has been experimenting in the kitchen again this week and she has suggested this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Tagine as a really quick and easy midweek make.  Gemma has a weekly veg box delivery and thinks that one of the best things about it is that it makes her far more creative in her cooking. She says that rather than being stuck in a rut of making the same meals over and over she has to be inventive to find meals to fit the veg that arrives in the box! Here at Janie Crow we are all veg box converts and we get our deliveries from Riverford, but there are now lots of other choices of provider available. If you are lucky enough to have local market then even better!  As mentioned above, sourcing yarn to make up kits for Janie Crow projects has been (and continues to be) a challenge recently. We came across an article from The Crochet Crowd, based in Canada, which summarises some of the key issues affecting the supply of yarn to retailers across the world. The blog post is written from a North American/Canadian point of view but many of the things mentioned in the post are relevant to us here in the UK. Click here or on the image below to read more.  We also came across this article from The Crochet Society on why mindful crochet is so good for you. We don't really need any convincing though, do we?  Stepping away from anything yarny, if you fancy a bit of fun this weekend, why not have a play at the Blob Opera. It's strangely addictive!   The Janie Crow Catalogue, full of beautiful colour images of my projects, is available as a download from the homepage. A printed copy can be added to your basket at no extra cost if you are ordering from the website or for a small postage contribution without any other purchase.  Having a bank holiday on Monday has meant that I have spent all week feeling out of sync with my days. On Tuesday I thought it was Monday, but by Thursday I thought it was Friday, so I am relieved that the weekend is here yet again and I can fall into my usual routine for Saturday and Sunday! We are hoping to spend most of our weekend outside.... I think June is the very best month in the garden. Everything is springing into life and you can almost watch it grow. The planted pots are looking so pretty and our new vegetable patch is coming along nicely, even if the slugs and snails think we have planted all the seedlings out for their delight! You may remember me telling you a few months ago that we are planning to build a wooden lean to on the summer house at the end of the garden. Well, we had big issues trying to source the wood as there seems to be a global shortage of that too, but it finally arrived about 10 days ago. Unfortunately it was soaking wet thanks to the amount of rain we have been having, so it has been left to dry out in the garage for a bit - if all goes to plan we hope to start work on our project this weekend. I have put together a Pinterest board of images that have inspired the design of the wooden lean to. I think that Pinterest boards are such a great way of saving ideas and I use them for lots of projects to help me keep motivated. I adore our garden in the summer months as it makes us feel like we suddenly have a lovely extra room added to the house, so I am hoping that the lean to will create a good space to sit and relax on summer evenings. I hope it will look stunning with twinkly fairy lights and comfy cushions, but of course it is all dependent on our fabulous British weather! We know we are really lucky to have a garden and be in a position where we can get out and enjoy some sunshine. I hope that wherever you are and whatever your situation you are able to take a bit of time out for rest and relaxation over the next couple of days too.   STOP PRESS! I will be tutoring a workshop in aid of Knit For Peace in December. The workshop, which will cover both hand knit and crochet techniques, will take place over 4 days within the amazing setting of Gladstone's Library, Hawarden. You can find more information and a form to register your interest by following this link. You can find the Knit For Peace web site here.
  new in! blankets lifestyle blog videos explore   My Bohemian Blooms Blanket is a CAL project in a book! The design of the blanket was inspired by English country gardens and London’s garden squares, but the main catalyst for the design was the paintings and iconic interior designs of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. In particular their home ‘Charleston Farmhouse’ in Sussex and their fabulous painted murals at the nearby Berwick Village Church.  Rather than release the crochet along style project in the usual way - where the design is issued in pieces monthly or fortnightly – I decided to release the project in book form giving crocheters the chance to work through the blanket at their own speed. The book is laid out in a logical order so that the crochet patterns get progressively more challenging and can be worked through in a CAL type way or in a more random sequence depending on the preference of the crocheter. The patterns include step-by-step images throughout. I have spotted quite a few Bohemian Blooms projects out in the wild over the last few months. They show how easy it is to use some of the motifs in the pattern book to create alternative projects. Click on the images below to be taken to the Instagram feeds.    The design includes crochet flower motifs, butterflies, circles and striped stitch motifs and I included an array of techniques, including beading, 3D work and bobbles. To help with crochet techniques, and in order to offer crocheters a little more guidance, I also added technique downloads to the web site. Sarah and I created accompanying video tutorials that are available on YouTube. The Rowan yarn kits for this project are currently unavailable as many of the yarns are out of stock, but we are hoping to have kits for the two related blanket projects, Bloomsbury Gardens and Sussex Gardens, very soon - so keep an eye on the web site. The patterns are written for DK weight yarn so you could have a rummage through your stash and come up with your own colourway.   It has been a bit of an odd time at Janie Crow these last few weeks. It is still difficult to get yarn for kits and the web sites are calming down as people head back to a more 'normal' way of life, so it feels like a bit of a change is going on. This month should have been a time when we would have been busy preparing kits for the new CAL. With its release delayed slightly, I feel a little undecided about what to next so I have been enjoying a little bit of calm after the madness of the last year. I always love the anticipation of forming new design ideas so I have been using this little bit of down time to put some mood boards together on Pinterest and flick through my books and magazines for ideas. I have become a bit obsessed with embroidery and patchwork designs and keep finding myself drawn back to them, so I think these are things that I will continue to research at over the next few months. I have been looking at the interior trends too, which has made me want to entirely redecorate our little house! There is a great list of trends here on the Living etc web site, which includes a load of great interior pics, pretty much all of which got me itching to do something at home. One of the trends references the Bloomsbury Group's eclectic style, so it looks like even 4 years since the release of my Bohemian Blooms CAL the Charleston Farmhouse vibe is still very much on trend!  The images above and below are from the Annie Sloan Charleston collaboration. You can find more information about this on her web site here, as well as a couple of great little films of Annie talking about her association with Charleston and how inspired she is by the colours within the house. If you don't already know about the farmhouse then I urge you to take a look.  As I have said before, 2021 is our 10th Birthday year here at Janie Crow and we had hoped to host some celebration events, but with everything still a bit up in the air as far as social gatherings are concerned we have not made any definite plans, especially as we will be moving out of the studio in September. With lockdown restrictions set to change further over the next few months I would be really interested to hear what kind of things you guys might like to do. We currently have Yarndale in the diary for the end of September and The Knitting & Stitching show early October, so it would be nice to get something else added into our sparsely filled diaries! Hit the reply button and let me know whether you would be interested in workshops or talks and demos and if so, whether you like the idea of day or weekend long events. We have a lovely luxury hotel very near here that we think would make a great venue for an event, but the delegate day rate starts at around £60/£70 a head before we consider any other costs, so it would be good to know what your ideal price point might be too. If you missed the newsletter last month you might not know that I have designed a vertical half motif for my Mystical Lanterns pattern. The pattern instructions and images are on my blog so that those of you who want to make a project with straight vertical side edges can do so.   The blog post includes step-by-step images and instructions, but you will need the original pattern to make the main Mystical Lanterns motifs and the horizontal half motifs. I hope this will help those of you who have been asking for this half motif for the last few years!  A few weeks ago Helen Shrimpton and I got together with Juliet Bernard on Zoom to chat about crochet tension. The video is one of a series of videos where Stylecraft Blogstars discuss all things yarny and I was flattered to have the opportunity to be involved once again. If you want to see the short video, where Helen and I discuss why tension is so important and share some tips on how to get things right, simply follow this link to the Stylecraft YouTube channel.  Here at Janie Crow we have been trying to make greener choices for the last couple of years. To begin with this has been in regards to our packaging, our waste and our recycling, but we are also looking more and more at the products we choose to stock. We have started to put together a more thoughtful plan for our business going forward and are attempting to take small, slow steps towards change, whilst also trying to keep in mind what you guys actually want us to sell and promote.  According to The Sustainable Fashion Guru, Eco-guilt 'is the feeling that arises when people think about times they have not met personal or societal standards for environmental behaviour. It's the deep breath you take when you buy a plastic-wrapped sandwich for lunch. It's also the 'sting' you feel when you forget your reusable coffee mug'. There is a good article here about the mounting pressure on consumers to make the right choices as many big companies have managed to switch the blame from themselves (as producers) to the buying public. Whilst the article is good at pointing out that not all blame should lay on the shoulders of the consumers, it doesn't really make too many valid points as to how we can actually sway the big players to make changes. 'Sustainable' seems to be the new buzz word for all ad campaigns and brand strap lines these days, with many companies trying really hard to highlight their produce as 'sustainable regardless of how unsustainable it actually is! There is a good article here (via Vogue) which talks about the need for accountability and integrity. It makes interesting reading in light of our plans here at Janie Crow and I am sure it will be of interest to you guys too.  A few years ago I came across the Cherokee story of The Two Wolves. It is a tale I remind myself of often, especially at times of doubt or worry, in order to get myself back on the right path.  As last week was mental awareness week, and because it is a great story to keep in mind anyway, I have included a link to a post here on the Clarity blog, where the story and it's many meanings are explained.  My fellow Stylecraft Blogstar Phil, of The Twisted Yarn, is the author of a great blog, which you can find here.  Phil is a talented photographer as well as being a skilled knit and crochet designer and so her blog is full of fantastic images alongside her written posts. If you already follow Phil on Instagram you will know about her love of wildlife (particularly the robins that visit her garden) and that she is a fitness fanatic who loves her job and homelife. You might also know that in August last year she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Over the last nine months, while Phil has been battling her own cancer, she has also been busy fundraising by taking on a huge virtual run. I would love it if you would head over to Phil's blog and find out more, but here is just a snippet of her latest post so that you can get an idea of the huge task she has set herself. 'I’m running 1083.8 miles (1744.2km) from Land’s End to John O’Groats. When cancer treatment has made running impossible I’ve walked, for example after surgery I shuffled one mile the first day, two miles the second day, and so on. ANYWAY, I’m doing all this in aid of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund because amongst all the hideousness of cancer, pancreatic cancer has one of the worst outcomes, and I desperately want that to change. I was lucky that my breast cancer was very treatable, but a pancreatic cancer diagnosis must be terrifying.' Phil is an absolute star and has already smashed her fundraising target, but if you would like to support her in her mission to raise even more funds for such a deserved charity, whilst also checking out the images of her lovely robin friends and latest knit projects, then head over to The Twisted Yarn by following this link.  Marina Kelly is one of my prized test crocheters, but she is also a very talented crochet jewellery designer and I am very lucky that she has given me permission to add five necklaces from her new collection to the web site.
  With lots of businesses opening their doors and more things going on in the world we thought we would be in a big hurry to get out and about a bit, but it turns out that we are not in such a rush after all as we have yet to really go anywhere more adventurous than the garden centre! Maybe it is the rotten weather and perhaps we would feel more like stepping out if the sun was shining, but for now we seem happy to stick close to home, especially at the weekends. May is a month of birthdays in our family. My niece Helen kicked off the proceedings with her birthday on the 9th, which was also my Mum & Dad's wedding anniversary. Summer and my Dad share their birthday date on the 17th. My nephew Dan and my cousin's son Alexi both have their birthdays on the 26th and my birthday is at the end of the month, so we are hoping for some lovely family get togethers over the next few weeks. Finally! For Andy's birthday a few weeks ago I offered to make him his choice of celebratory cake. I am not hugely adventurous when it comes to baking and tend to stick to Mary Berry's trusty Victoria Sandwich Cake recipe, so I was a bit surprised (and a tad daunted) when, quick as a flash, he asked for a Black Forest Gateau!  As a child of 70s and 80s when BFG was all the rage I was worried that my version of the cake would not live up to Andy's expectations, but in the end the cake was actually rather good and the taste of it brought back loads of happy memories. That said, I shall not be in a hurry to to make another one as attempting to stick chocolate shavings to the side of a cream coated cake cannot possibly be anyone's idea of fun! I am very much aware that we are privileged to be in a position to plan cake making and home based leisure activities for our weekend, especially in light of the current situation in India. We have heard from a few of our friends there and the situation appears to be getting increasingly horrifying, so I include links to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) here and The British Asian Trust here if you are in a position to make a donation. I hope that wherever you are in the world you are safe. Janie x ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you have been lucky enough to meet my wonderful friend and assistant Sarah Hazell, then you will know what a kind and lovely person she is. Sarah, and her daughter Phoebe, got their beautiful looks and fabulous personalities from Sarah's gorgeous mum, who sadly passed away on Wednesday evening. We are all holding Sarah and her family in our thoughts and I am sure that many of you will want to join me in sending them the very best wishes at this difficult time.
  New in! blankets lifestyle blog videos explore   Thank you all for the great response to The Blue House blanket, which I show cased here last month. It has been a real frustration for us to not be able to put yarn kits together for this project as we are still waiting for lots of shades of Life DK to come back into stock, but it has been so good to see many of you doing a bit of stash diving and creating your own colour ways of the design. You can find more information about the design lower down this email. Last week I designed a vertical half motif for my Mystical Lanterns pattern. I have posted this on my blog so that those of you who want to make a project with straight vertical side edges can do so. The blog post includes step-by-step images and instructions, but you will need the original pattern to make the main Mystical Lanterns motifs and the horizontal half motifs. I hope this will help those of you who have been asking for this half motif for the last few years!   As you know, I love seeing my designs 'out in the wild' and so it was great to receive the image below of my Indian Roses blanket by Ros Harwood who has made the project in similar shades to the new Naturals shade listing that I released a few months ago. You can find more information about this design and the free colour substitute documents by following this link. If you look closely you can also see my Oonagh cushion cover on Ros's settee!    I tend to add 'out in the wild' project posts to my Instagram stories. I try to do this most days and it is made easier when people have used project hashtags like #persiantilesblanket for example or #janiecrow. It is always such a great tonic to see projects made in different colour palettes or layouts. This week I fell in love with this pink, peach and blue version of my Summer Palace blanket. Isn't it fab! Click on the image below or here to be taken to Tomomi Landsman's Instagram feed where this image is posted.   Yesterday evening textile designer Lizzie Montgomery shared the image below of her version of my Magic Circles blanket on Instagram. Isn't it just a beauty? I love Lizzie's colour choices and so seeing this one as I headed off to bed really made my day!  Over the last couple of weeks I have been putting the finishing touches to a couple of big projects, one of which is the CAL blanket design that will feature in Inside Crochet magazine very soon. I am hoping to be able to attend the photo shoot for this over the next couple of weeks and am very excited by the prospect of revealing the project to you very soon. The CAL will run over 5 copies of the magazine starting in June and we hope to have yarn kits in stock in good time - as soon as I have more news on this I will let you know. I have quite a long list of projects queuing up in my design diary, some of which will make their debut in the autumn. We have our fingers crossed that we will be exhibiting at Yarndale in September and The Knitting & Stitching show here in North London in October - it seems really strange to have a few show dates in the diary, but I am really looking forward to having the chance to exhibit again. As an online business we have been incredibly lucky to have been able to remain open and working over the last year. Sadly the same cannot be said of ‘bricks and mortar’ stores who have all been having to cope with sporadic opening and lockdowns. As local shops start to open and the High Street starts to liven up a bit we have seen a surge in trade sales of our paper patterns, which is a great sign that things are getting back to ‘normal’. If you have a local yarn shop please try to show them support by visiting their store rather than shopping online. I think there is little that compares to the feeling of standing in a yarn store surrounded by all that fabulous colour and texture and taking a while to make great yarn choices for a project. If you want to find some stores near you, UK Handknitting have a great resource on their web site here for finding a store. STOP PRESS! Due to a cancellation we have one space available on our crochet weekend workshop in Bournemouth in August. You can find more information by following this link.  The main hexagonal motif used in this project was originally designed to be part of my Frida’s Flowers blanket crochet along project which was released 5 years ago, however I felt it wasn’t totally right for the design, so I made an alternative piece instead. Despite its omission from the project, I love the motif and so I named it ‘Diego’s Flowers’ after Frida Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera. The pattern was originally published on my old blog as part of the Stylecraft Blogtour in 2017, but I always intended to look at the design again in order to make some bigger projects at some point.  Fast forward a few years and here we are with the updated pattern, which now also includes the instructions for a matching half motif. The colours for this project were inspired by the décor of Frida & Diego’s fabulous kitchen within their home in Mexico City ‘The Blue House’, which is now a museum. The kitchen surfaces feature bright yellow and blue ceramic tiles and the painted table and chairs that sit at the centre of the room have green and red hand painted details. The large terracotta bowls and cooking pots that are placed around the room are decorated with flashes of orange and pink - all colours that feature in the palette I have chosen for this project.  I adore the fun ‘fiesta’ feeling of this blanket and am really pleased with the outcome of it, but I also love seeing how motifs can be used to make alternative projects, so I asked ace crocheters Marina Kelly, Gemma Biggs and Sue Macdonald if they would like to come up with a couple of ideas for how to use the motifs in another project. Within this pattern we have included some images of the fabulous cushion project made by Marina and the vibrant handy bag project made by Gemma as well as the fun, stash busting mandala that Sue created. I love seeing my designs ‘out in the wild’ and I think the way Marina, Gemma and Sue have interpreted the pattern is fantastic. Hopefully you will be inspired too!   The updated pattern includes written instructions and charts and it is available in UK or US terms. The pattern has a few tweaks to the construction of the hexagonal motif, which originally featured as part of the Stylecraft Blogtour and also includes instructions for a half motif so that you can achieve a straight sided project. Please note that the pattern includes instructions for making the motifs and shows the layout for the blanket. The bag and mandala projects were made using the motif to show how you could use it to make alternative projects. The specific patterns for the bag and the mandala are not included in the pattern, but Marina has put together a PDF document showing how she made her beautiful ‘Aladdin’ cushion cover using the motifs. You can find Marina's free guidance document by following this link. The pattern for the Blue House is available as a 12 page paper brochure on the Janie Crow web site or as a download via Ravelry and Etsy. You can find links and more information here.  I love seeing my designs made in alternative shades. The blanket versions shown above have been made by Lex Priestly (above top right) and Chris Bourne (above bottom right).  You can find my Pinterest Board, which shows more images from Frida's house and some of Diego's amazing art work, which inspired the colours of The Blue House blanket by following this link or by clicking on the image above.  I have been doing a bit of spring cleaning as the change in light has highlighted my need to do a little bit more housework! I am not a big fan of weekly cleaning chores, but I actually enjoy a good spring clean and love seeing the results of a good declutter!  I found a nice article on the Vogue blog that suggests 9 easy ways to refresh your home for spring - you can find it by following this link or by clicking on the image above.  Marina Kelly is one of my prized test crocheters, but she is also a very talented crochet jewellery designer and I am very lucky that she has given me permission to add five necklaces from her new collection to the web site.
 Gemma is so good at recommending recipes and this week she has suggested I link you guys through to this great Vegetable Moussaka recipe by Tori Avey. I am a big lover of moussaka and so this really does look super yummy!  Since we went full blown vegetarian just over a year ago I have been making a version of Moussaka using a sauce made with grated carrots in place of the mince. It doesn't sound like it would work, but it really is lovely. I use lots of grated carrot with chopped fresh mint in place of the meat and cook it up for quite a while so that the carrot goes sweet and soft. It is VERY good! There is a similar recipe to the version I make here.  Andy has been busy seeking out exciting new products for his Just Knots web site. He has found some really fabulous things, including the range of project bags, needle cases and hook wraps from Della Q.  The canvas makers bags have proved particularly popular and we have struggled to keep them in stock, but parcels are arriving weekly and we are updating the stock as often as we can. All the bags in the Della Q range have lots of great pockets and some include a pouch with a clear side so that you can refer to your pattern without spoiling it on a journey. They also have integrated yarn guides and stitch markers and other features perfect for crafters on the move.  We have placed a pre-order for more exciting Della Q stock which will be in soon, so you may want to keep dropping by Andy's site to see what exciting things he has got!  Hopefully you didn't miss the fact that yesterday was World Earth Day. I found quite a few emails in my inbox asking me to sign petitions and take some action. If you want to do something too then you might want to take a look at a couple of the links I have included here. ‘This is not a one time thing. This is our entire future'. Greta Thunberg.  My Friend Jan sent me a link to a group called Stitches for Survival who are planning to create knitted, crocheted and stitched banners with a heart felt message to use at the COP26 climate talks to be held in Glasgow in November. Greenpeace have released some shocking statistics on where the UK's plastic waste goes and what happens to it once it gets there. It is pretty grim reading, but the more of us who attempt to make our voices heard in regards to the Government making 'greener' choices the better! You can find more information by following this link. If we all stop buying products that are single use plastic too then we can really make a difference. I recommend you take a look at a great blog post by the fashion company Thought, which you can find here. It is entitled Read, Listen, Watch and Follow. They say: 'Whether you’re a reader, listener or you prefer to watch a documentary, there are many different resources available that can help us learn more about how we can reduce our environmental impact. Read on as we suggest some of the books, podcasts, documentaries and people who have inspired us in our sustainable journey recently.'  If you know any young people looking for something rewarding to do, then how about getting them to take a look at The William Morris Society's new volunteer project that they revealed on their Instagram feed yesterday to coincide with Earth Day. They say: 'On this Earth Day we are excited to share with you our brand-new young volunteer project, which will be exploring William Morris’s environmental work and producing new art works to encourage local residents to lead more eco-friendly lifestyles. We are looking for imaginative and creative 16–24-year-olds to join us for the chance to gain new skills, to work with artists exploring issues around sustainability and make new friends.' Makes me wish I was 25 years younger!!!   The weather has been much brighter over the last 10 days and thankfully it looks like the threat of snow has gone, although I think the north of the country could still get a bit more as the temperature is not rising very quickly and we are still having quite cold mornings. We are hoping it will stay relatively nice as we are planning a family get together in the garden tomorrow afternoon. Despite the cool temperatures it has been so nice to spend time together outside. I am planning to do some step-by-step photography for the new CAL project next week and so I was silly excited to have been able to secure an appointment to have my nails done earlier today. It feels very indulgent after more than a year with terribly neglected nails. I don’t have a hair appointment until the 1st May, so another week to wait for that - I never thought I would be so excited by the prospect of having my hair and nails done! The garden plans are coming on nicely. Andy has built the footings for the new shed, which will link through from the summer house and we have dug over a new vegetable patch. The seedlings are all thriving in the sunshine in the conservatory, but as we are still having light frosts overnight very little has made it out into the garden except the potato tubers, which were planted last weekend. It is Andy's birthday next week so I am thinking of doing a bit of baking on Sunday, although he has yet to decide what type of cake he would like. A couple of weeks ago I made an 8 strand plaited loaf from a Paul Hollywood recipe. I tested the plaiting out with string first as I know it's something all the contestants on The Great British Bake Off struggle with!    I enjoyed making the bread and only made a couple of small errors with the plait - it tasted pretty good too! I am wondering about making brioche this weekend but that seems a bit too scary, so it might be another simpler type of loaf instead! If you want to follow my home based triumphs and tribulations you can do so by taking a look at the Janie Crow Lifestyle Instagram feed. So, I think that is pretty much it from me. I definitely have the Friday feeling this week, especially as we will get to spend some time with family and friends over the next few days. I have the blankets and cushions at the ready for when we sit in the garden and I am hopeful that the weather will be kind. I hope that wherever you are that you are safe and well too. I leave you with a link to this video - you may well have seen it before, but it always makes me smile! Sending yarny love.... Janie x  A few years ago I was interviewed by Andrea and Andrew of Fruity Knitting. They came to the studio for a morning and we had a lovely time drinking tea and chatting. We have bumped into them at shows over the last few years and have kept in touch, especially as Andrea has been working through my Bohemian Blooms blanket design. At Christmas we heard that Andrew had been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, which he valiantly fought over the last 4 months. We are sad to hear of his passing earlier on this week despite his brave battle. At this time Andrea has no idea how her beloved Fruity Knitting podcast will look in the future, but if you do want to support her at this incredibly difficult time please follow this link to the Fruity Knitting Patreon web site.
  New In! Blankets Lifestyle BLOG Videos explore   The main hexagonal motif used in this project was originally designed to be part of my Frida’s Flowers blanket crochet along project which was released 5 years ago, however I felt it wasn’t totally right for the design, so I made an alternative piece instead. Despite its omission from the project, I love the motif and so I named it ‘Diego’s Flowers’ after Frida Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera. The pattern was originally published on my old blog as part of the Stylecraft Blogtour in 2017, but I always intended to look at the design again in order to make some bigger projects at some point.   Fast forward a few years and here we are with the updated pattern, which now also includes the instructions for a matching half motif. The colours for this project were inspired by the décor of Frida & Diego’s fabulous kitchen within their home in Mexico City ‘The Blue House’, which is now a museum. The kitchen surfaces feature bright yellow and blue ceramic tiles and the painted table and chairs that sit at the centre of the room have green and red hand painted details. The large terracotta bowls and cooking pots that are placed around the room are decorated with flashes of orange and pink - all colours that feature in the palette I have chosen for this project. I adore the fun ‘fiesta’ feeling of this blanket and am really pleased with the outcome of it, but I also love seeing how motifs can be used to make alternative projects, so I asked ace crocheters Marina Kelly, Gemma Biggs and Sue Macdonald if they would like to come up with a couple of ideas for how to use the motifs in another project. Within this pattern we have included some images of the fabulous cushion project made by Marina and the vibrant handy bag project made by Gemma as well as the fun, stash busting mandala that Sue created. I love seeing my designs ‘out in the wild’ and I think the way Marina, Gemma and Sue have interpreted the pattern is fantastic. Hopefully you will be inspired too!   The updated pattern includes written instructions and charts and it is available in UK or US terms. The pattern has a few tweaks to the construction of the hexagonal motif, which originally featured as part of the Stylecraft Blogtour and also includes instructions for a half motif so that you can achieve a straight sided project. Please note that the pattern includes instructions for making the motifs and shows the layout for the blanket. The bag and mandala projects were made using the motif to show how you could use it to make alternative projects. The specific patterns for the bag and the mandala are not included in the pattern, but Marina has put together a PDF document showing how she made her beautiful ‘Aladdin’ cushion cover using the motifs. You can find Marina's free guidance document by following this link. The pattern for the Blue House is available as a 12 page paper brochure on the Janie Crow web site or as a download via Ravelry and Etsy. You can find links and more information here. STOP PRESS! We will add a small surprise free gift in with the first 20 copies of the paper pattern sold via the Janie Crow web site. We will pop these in the post regardless of where you are in the world, so if you are quick you might manage to nab a cheeky little free gift as well as a great crochet pattern!  I love seeing my designs made in alternative shades. The blanket versions shown above have been made by Lex Priestly (above top right) and Chris Bourne (above bottom right).  You can find my Pinterest Board, which shows more images from Frida's house and some of Diego's amazing art work, which inspired the colours of The Blue House blanket by following this link or by clicking on the image above.    I found the images of the motif made in lots of lovely colour variations on Instagram - click on the images above to be taken to the feeds.  I have been doing a lot of pattern checking and writing over the last month and not so much crochet. I have not had a chance to update my blog either, other than to write a post about copyright, which you can find by following this link. A few weeks ago we had a bit of a run of copyright infringements and I had a lot of you contact me about things you had found online that appeared to be copies of my work. So many of you are amazing at calling out people who think it is ok to share work that doesn’t belong to them and I am so grateful that you are willing to fight my corner. We had a few of you asking for clarification on copyright so I put a short blog post together that I hope helps to explain why my patterns have copyright statements.  Stylecraft have been recording a series of conversations with their Blogstars. These are available to view on their Youtube channel. A few weeks ago Catherine Bligh of Catherine's Crochet Corner and I caught up for a lovely chat about choosing colours for crochet projects. You can find the video of our Zoom conversation by following this link. Now that the CAL project for Inside Crochet magazine is pretty much done it is nice to start thinking about some new design work. I have been invited to design an advent project for a big US yarn retailer, which is really exciting, although it does seem odd to be thinking of Christmas projects when we have not yet celebrated Easter! As soon as I have more news on this I will let you know. The Craft Business Awards has been an active part of celebrating the key brands in the craft industry for 17 years. This year they are back and are bigger and brighter than ever before. The awards reach every area of the craft sector and are split into Reader-Voted and Elite judged categories. I was lucky enough to be voted Craft Influencer of the Year in the 2020 awards and would love it if Janie Crow could be nominated within the Best Small Business category this time. The nomination stage of the Craft Business Awards has officially opened so if you are a fellow business owner (you have to enter a business name on the nomination form) and would like to nominate Janie Crow, or another business, for some of the awards you can find the link here.    As we are set to slowly emerge into the real world over the next few months now might be a good time to give your make up collection a spring clean ready for all those exciting social situations that we will hopefully be able to start planning. I am not a huge fan of make up and have been wearing even less of it over the last year, but I have to admit that when I do make the effort to pop on a bit of mascara or a smudge of lipstick it definitely lifts my mood. Over the last six months or so I have slowly been bringing my collection of creams and potions up to scratch, slowly replacing my used up cosmetics with better, greener alternatives. If you are interested in doing the same then you might want to take a look at the range of ethical products we have in stock on Janie Crow Lifestyle - I am a huge fan of the Scence deodorant, tinted lip balms and our range of Le Papier lipsticks in particular. I thought you might also be interested in this piece about facial acupressure massage I found via City Beauty. Facial acupressure massage is said to help release tension in your face. According to a study published in the International Journal of Dermatology, facial massage may help delay the appearance of wrinkles, promote a tighter, suppler look and leave your skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Here’s how you do it:  After washing your hands, apply a little bit of olive oil or facial oil to your fingertips. Use your middle finger to apply soft pressure to the space between your eyebrows. Focus on your breathing and relax. Use your index fingers to massage the area a couple of centimetres above your eyebrows, moving from the inner corners to the outer corners of your eyes. Move your fingers past the corners of your eyes, closer to your temples and apply pressure in small circles. Continue to breathe deeply. Use your ring fingers to massage the area above your cheekbones, just below your eyes in anti-clockwise circles. This is a great little technique that takes just 5 minutes. It costs next to nothing and it’s a great way to calm yourself and perhaps break a stressful cycle or train of thought. Why not give it a try this weekend?   I am really looking forward to tutoring workshops again next year and have already popped quite a few dates in my diary for 2022. I will be heading off to a couple of exciting destinations and am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to return to teach in France. Places on my workshop in the Charente-Maritime region with 'Knitting Holidays in France' are now sold out, but you can find the details of other workshops and retreats on offer by following this link. There are still a few spaces left on the weekend knit and yoga retreat I am tutoring for Stitchtopia in November. In the lead up to Christmas I am sure this trip will provide a great opportunity to slow down for a few days and award yourself a bit of TLC. I would love it if you are able to join me. Just to be clear, I am teaching the knitting, not the yoga!   The 'join as you go' method of putting crochet motifs together is easier than it looks and makes the finishing process of a big project far quicker than if you have to crochet pieces together once they are complete. The 'join as you go' method is used in my Fields of Gold blanket design. You can find a downloadable document that explains how to work this great technique here. It also includes a link to a Youtube video by Bella Coco that shows how to work a flat braid join.    Gemma tried this recipe that uses Swiss chard and chickpeas on the Riverford web site and said it was yummy! If I had to choose which food I would take to desert island and therefore eat for the rest of my life it would be chickpeas and so, as a huge lover of greens too, I am definitely going to give it a go.  The last 2 batches of Janie Crow hook wraps and pouches sold out super quick, so I am pleased that we now have some more hook wraps in stock! The pouches come in a choice of fabric shades and the small pouches feature crochet flowers (made by me) in a few shades. The large pouches feature the outline of the Janie Crow birds in machine stitching and hand stitched detail. These also have an additional inside pocket. Each pouch is lined, has a smooth zip closure and includes a metal ring on the outside seam.   The hook wraps feature intricately hand stitched embroidery as well as some machine stitching and are fastened with a ribbon tie. The wraps will hold up to 15 hooks and we have also included some larger pockets for hooks with big handles or to hold some scissors or other accessories. The wraps come in a protective cotton bag within a sturdy cardboard box, so make the ideal gift for any serious crafter. Hook wraps are made from woven wool fabric and are lined with cotton fabric with a vibrant floral design.  Because of the handmade nature of the pouches and hook wraps we do not have a large stock holding. In the new batch of hook wraps we already have just thirteen left. Three of these include a new dark pink/purple crochet flower. If you want to nab one, you might need to be quick!  So, as is the norm these days, we have a pretty standard weekend plan that will include some time in the garden and a spot of baking. Last summer Andy and I focussed our weekend efforts on sorting out the front garden so that we could use it as a driveway. For years we have left it as a rather neglected lawn so we decided to add a raised bed and dig up the grass to make room to park. We worked on the garden over the course of a few months and moved somewhere in the region of 14 tons of top soil and hardcore between us. It was hard work but it was a great way of keeping fit and we got to meet lots of our neighbours! This year we have plans for the back garden. Andy has already built a retaining wall for one of the flower beds where the original wooden railway sleepers have rotted away. We have extended the bed to include a small vegetable patch too, which is exciting. We are also hoping to build a new shed that will link through from the summer house, along with a gazebo type structure so that there is a little bit of shelter if we want to sit outside over the summer. We are planning to do all the work ourselves again as we do not have the budget to pay anyone else to do it, but having this time to spend on the garden still feels like a real luxury, so I am really looking forward to it. This week we had a day of remembrance in the UK to mark the first anniversary of lockdown. It was a chance to reflect on the past 12 months and to think about all those who have died or who have had their lives altered because of COVID. It does seem amazing to think that we went into this thinking it would be a short change to our everyday lives, but here we are a year on still dealing with the effects of the pandemic. ‘It's hard when you miss people, but you know if you miss them, that means you were lucky. It means you had someone special in your life. Someone worth missing .’ Nikki Schiefelbein. From Monday we are hopefully going to be able to meet up to 6 people (from 2 households) outside, so we are hoping for better weather next week. The forecast is looking really nice for the early part of the week here in North London, but a bit miserable by the time the Easter weekend comes around, which is kind of typical! The cafe's and restaurants on our local High Street are gearing up to open with tables and chairs out on the pavements. There was a hive of activity up there this morning when we did our grocery shop and it was really good to see things changing a little and businesses getting ready to open again. So, as we head into the weekend, and hopefully into a slightly less restricted way of life next week, I hope you are all staying safe and well. My friend Teresa sent me this link to a video of Stephen West demonstrating the technique of Navajo plying. It is amazing! Take a look here - I promise it will make your Friday even better than it is already! Sending yarn love.... Janie x 
  new in! blankets lifestyle blog videos explore   This week I have been putting the finishing touches to a project called The Blue House Blanket. This project uses my Diego’s Flowers motif, which was a ‘left over’ from when I designed the Frida’s Flowers CAL back in 2016. Although the motif did not make it into my final design for Frida, I have always really liked it and have had it in mind to use it as the basis for another design for a long time. The pattern for the motif was released via my old blog as part of the Stylecraft Blogstar’s tour in 2017, but over the last few months Sarah and I have managed to work on a revamped version.   The pattern for the motif will be available next month, so for now I am just showing you a few sneaky peeks of how the motif could be used in different projects. Look out for more information in the March Newsletter. As I told you last month I have also been working on a new CAL project for Inside Crochet Magazine that will be released later on in the year. I am really in love with the design of this project and I nearly burst with excitement when I opened the package of crochet pieces that my fabulous crocheter Marina sent back to me last week. As a general rule I tend to make the first prototype blanket for all my CAL projects but at the moment I simply don't have the time, so Marina very kindly took over the process of making the repeated blocks once I had designed them and written the patterns. Opening Marina’s parcel and arranging the blocks on the floor ready for me to start the joining and edging process was almost like Christmas Day for me! I love the point of a project where pieces start to take shape and I find the technique of joining very therapeutic. I know many of you are not keen on the making up process, but I love adding edgings too and find this stage of a project the most fulfilling, especially when it is a new design. The (socially distanced) photoshoot for this project is planned for the end of March, so as soon as I have any images to show you and more information to share I will let you know. As it is Janie Crow's tenth Birthday this year we are hoping to be able to arrange some events for later on in the year. I have written a short blog post that includes more information about our plans for this year and which also looks back to the beginning of my CAL designing journey when I ran my yearly Crochet Club. You can find the piece by following this link.   This time last year I was eagerly anticipating the release of my Fruit Garden CAL project. I was so pleased to have been able to attend Stylecraft’s photoshoot for the 2 original versions of the project at Standen House in West Sussex on a grey day of torrential rain. My train was cancelled due to a landslide on the railway line and at one point I felt like I was never going to make it to the location in time.    By the time I did arrive the rain was beating at the windows and grey clouds were looming over the house so I wondered how well the images might turn out given the lack of light. Thankfully my worries were unfounded and the shoot produced some fabulous shots thanks to the great team from Stylecraft and the help of the National Trust staff at the house.  When I look back to last February I realise what a special time it was, especially as Sarah and I managed to squeeze in a trip to Edinburgh to see the May Morris exhibition at the Dovecot Studios. We had a couple of days of frothy coffee, indulgent cakes, scrummy dinners, a few glasses of wine and, of course, the awesome exhibition of May Morris's extraordinary work. It really was the most amazing time, especially in light of all that has happened since.  As the re-run of the Fruit Garden crochet along project, Love is Enough, has now come to an end it is time for me to move on from the project and start looking at some new design work. Despite all the madness of the outside world over the last year I will always remember the incredible response to this design. The amazing messages and emails you guys have sent us in regards to this blanket have often left Sarah and I in (mostly happy) tears and we are so honoured to have been part of your crochet journeys. I am hugely proud of the project and am so pleased that so many of you enjoyed working through it too. For now the Fruit Garden blankets are being packed away in the hope that they will come out for some shows and events in the Autumn when I hope to also reveal a new addition to the Fruit Garden family! Most of the images in the collages above are mine, but I have also selected some that I have found on Instagram and Facebook. First Collage: Top Left: I love the image of the Parchment & Caramel blanket on the bed of a William Morris inspired Room by Louise of Woolopolis. Second Collage: Top Left: Lalo_crochet Top Right - Digwiv Bottom Right: La Lita Arts & Crafts Bottom Left: Kellygreenlizzy (I love this gorgeous red and pink version) Third Collage: Top Right: La Lita Arts & Crafts Middle: Pamela Field Bottom Left: Golbanoobaft Janie Crow images with thanks to Leanne Jade Stylecraft images with thanks to Standen House NT  Thank you so much for the amazing response to the pattern for my Indian Roses Blanket, which we released a few weeks ago. The design was inspired by a vintage washstand that sits in the reception area of the Green Hotel in Mysore, India. The stand features porcelain tiles that have pink roses at the centre surrounded by teal and green surface detail.   The pattern for the blanket was previously only been available within a yarn kit, but the rights to the stand-alone pattern have now reverted to me so Sarah and I have updated the pattern and our lovely graphic designer, Steph, has made a great job of laying it out in the Janie Crow style. The pattern is available as a 12 page paper brochure or as a download copy. The pattern features step-by-step images and written instructions for the 3 motifs needed to make the blanket but please note that the pattern is written in UK and not US terms and that it does not include crochet charts. The yarn listing in the pattern is for the original version, which was worked using West Yorkshire Spinners DK weight yarns. Some of these yarns have now been discontinued, but you will find three download yarn substitution documents for some alternative versions. Two of these new colourways use ColourLab DK yarn from West Yorkshire Spinners. I have named these ‘Aqua’ and ‘Natural’ and the third version shows a listing for Stylecraft Life DK in very similar shades to the original project. The download substitution documents are all available for free by following this link. You will need the yarn sub documents plus the original pattern to complete the project.  I have worked crochet motifs for all three of the new colourways and used the original yarn listing to estimate yarn usage for the alternative versions. Because of the process used to estimate yarn usage and given the fact that we have not remade any full-size blankets in the new colourways please allow for a little leeway on yarn use. In the yarn substitution documents I have marked the yarn shades that may be tight on usage. I think the design would make a great stash buster as you can use any DK weight yarn you happen to have at home. I had great fun playing around with the colour sequence when I was working on the new samples and I think it would look great worked in a more random way – a little like my Mystical Lanterns design or Lucia’s Eastern Jewels version of my Persian Tiles design.  You can find the paper pattern for sale here and the download version via Ravelry here and Etsy here. You can access the free download yarn substitution documents by following this link.    It is hard to imagine that life is set to return to how it used to be for quite a while longer but it is nice to think that by the spring we might be in the mood to ditch the jersey loungewear in favour of something a little more up beat. I have been looking at the spring trends and am really excited to see lots of lovely colour clashing, patchwork, tie dye and denim, so I will definitely be having a root through my wardrobe to see if I have anything I can customise to fit in with these trends. You can find some great mood boards for the spring trends by following this link to Harpers Bazaar.  If you like the look of the patchwork trend too then you might be interested in following the feed of Psychic Outlaw, which I came across on Instagram this morning. The feed features images of coats and jackets all made from old patchwork quilts - I love it!   If you are looking for some online events to attend over the next month or so, why not check out those organised by TOAST. There are quite a few to choose from and you can catch up with past events by following the 'watch again' links on their site. You can find the list of their current events by following this link. I attended a couple of virtual workshops organised by Vogue Knitting Live last weekend and really enjoyed them. The ticket price seems expensive, but you do get quite a lot of events added in with your package price. I especially enjoyed a talk by Franklin Habit on Friday evening and a great class about shaping crochet yoke sweaters with Sandra Gutierrez on Sunday. Vogue Knitting Live are hosting monthly virtual events and you can find more information by following this link.   When we launched the Lifestyle brand back in November our aim was to bring you products and home/lifestyle related pieces that would act as a little added extra to your Janie Crow experience. Unfortunately the most recent lockdown has meant that this part of our brand has had to take a back seat while we try to keep on top of all our other jobs, however I am so chuffed to see that the Lifestyle Instagram account now has over 1000 followers, so I want to thank you all for your fab support. The lifestyle feed is where I put more personal posts that head slightly away from my life as a crochet designer and I try to link these to wellbeing and the environment too. You can find the the Janie Crow lifestyle Instagram feed by following this link. My latest post is about the power of positivity and I have also written an accompanying blog post, which you can find here.   I have been making my own bread for quite a few years now. I make sourdough as a rule and find that organic flour works best. I recently came across Doves Farm KAMUT khorasan wholemeal flour which featured a recipe for Za'atar flatbread on the reverse side of the bag. I tried out the recipe a few weeks ago and was so impressed that I have since made them again. They are so easy to make and so tasty to eat that I really would recommend having a try at making them. I loved this recipe so much that I left a review on the Doves Farm website!  Last weekend I made the flatbreads to accompany a Riverford recipe recommended by Gemma and it really was a great meal. You can find the recipe for the carrot masala with coconut lentils by following this link.   Stitchtopia have released further information about the new knitting and yoga workshop that I will be tutoring in November. This event is aimed at yoga enthusiasts of any level (even newbies) and classes will be adapted to suit the ability of the class. I find that doing yoga stretches in the mornings has helped me tremendously with my (crochet and knitting related) aches and pains. I am really looking forward to this event, despite being a little disappointed that I will not have time to take part in the yoga sessions, and hope that it might appeal to you too, especially if you fancy a special 'treat to self' in the lead up to next Christmas.  We were looking forward to a bit of time in the garden this weekend as the weather forecast had us believe that we were set for some warmer and drier weather, however as the week has progressed the forecast has become a tad less positive, so we have our fingers firmly crossed that we won't get too wet! Our weekend plans are almost always the same these days and, whilst I really miss going out and catching up with friends and family, I have grown to love our Saturday routine in particular. We spend a lot of time planning and making our evening meal, often trying recipes we have never made before and we also put 'proper' clothes on and make an effort to dress up as if we were heading out. Andy was given a cocktails book as a gift a few years ago, so he makes a different cocktail treat most weekends. Tomorrow we are set to try Negronis! February can be such a mixture of bright, sunny, spring like weather and the dismal days of late winter, but as I said in the introduction to this newsletter, it is so good to see the first signs of spring. Hopefully we will get out for a walk to check out the snowdrops and emerging bulbs in the woods at some point over the next few days.  ‘Love and Kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference’ - Helen James. I subscribe to the COOK email newsletters and this week they featured their list of 100 acts of Random Kindness. Many of the items on the list are no doubt things that we all do anyway, but seeing the list reminded me of the importance of thinking of others and being more aware of those around us, even if we can't see them right now. This time of year, when we are more likely to spend lots of time inside, can be very isolating even at the best of times. If you are feeling a bit low and need a bit of a crochet pick me up then email me back with a quick message telling me which Janie Crow download pattern you would like to cheer you up. Sarah and I will pick 10 emails to reply to early next week and will attach a free download copy of the pattern you have chosen. The best way to be sure of getting our emails is to save the mail@janiecrow.co.uk email address to your contacts. I hope that wherever you are and whatever your plans, you have a great weekend and that you keep safe. Janie x 
    
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Fruit Garden CAL - Part Seven
Hello from Janie Crow and Just Knots, we are still here, doing our best to keep up with everything! It still isn't quite business as usual, but we feel like we are slowly catching up with some of the non-essential stuff and I am really looking forward to sending out the new look January Newsletter this coming Friday - a few weeks later than expected, but that seems to be the way it goes for pretty much everything at the moment! I will be releasing the pattern for my Indian Roses blanket this week so I hope you will join me in a couple of days and look out for my email for more information.
So, the reason for this email is that the seventh yarn substitution document for the Love is Enough version of the Fruit Garden Crochet Along project is now live on the Stylecraft web site.
To work through the Chrysanthemum motif and the next stage of the Acanthus motif you will need to download the original pattern for Part 7 and use the yarn sub document alongside this as a guide for which yarn shades to use. If you are joining in the CAL and using one of the 2 original colourways or your own colour palette then you will not need the yarn sub document.
Once again I have been unable to record a short video to accompany the re-release of this set of patterns but I hope to film a catch up video for all the remaining parts when life returns to 'normality', whenever that may be! You can find a video to accompany the Chrysanthemum and the next stage of the Acanthus motif in the original colour ways here.
If you want to make a cushion to accompany your project you can find the patterns as a free download or as a paper pattern by following this link.
Don't forget that you can find help and join in some crochet orientated chat via the Stylecraft Yarns CAL Facebook page here. Yarn substitution documents for the next (and final) part of the project will go live on the 9th February.
I look forward to seeing you back here in your inbox on Friday. Until then I hope you keep safe and well.
Fruit Garden CAL - Part Six
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that wherever you are you are keeping safe and well.
Despite the new lockdown we are thankful to still be able to work here at Janie Crow and Just Knots, but it is not quite business as usual as we are having to work in a shift pattern that ensures we are not all working from the studio at the same time. Whilst this means that we are still able to process and dispatch web orders it also means that I have been unable to do some of the usual things like film videos and work on new designs. This is a little frustrating for all of us, but we know we are incredibly lucky to still be working and I trust you will understand why some things have had to take a back seat. Hopefully normal service will resume within the next couple of weeks as we get into the swing of working in a slightly different way to the norm.
Before I introduce you to Part 6 of the Fruit Garden CAL 'Love is Enough' project I want to let you know that I have been invited to be one of 6 designers taking part in Waltham Abbey Wool Show's virtual event this weekend. Along with Debbie Bliss, Jeanette Sloan, Jo Smith, Natalie Warner and Sylvia Watts-Cherry I will be taking part in the 'Meet the Designer Q&A' session which will take place at 1pm this coming Sunday afternoon. There are still some tickets for this event, which I am sure will be great fun, and you can find more information by following this link.
So, as I said already, the sixth yarn substitution document for the Love is Enough version of the Fruit Garden Crochet Along project is now live on the Stylecraft web site.
Despite the new lockdown we are thankful to still be able to work here at Janie Crow and Just Knots, but it is not quite business as usual as we are having to work in a shift pattern that ensures we are not all working from the studio at the same time. Whilst this means that we are still able to process and dispatch web orders it also means that I have been unable to do some of the usual things like film videos and work on new designs. This is a little frustrating for all of us, but we know we are incredibly lucky to still be working and I trust you will understand why some things have had to take a back seat. Hopefully normal service will resume within the next couple of weeks as we get into the swing of working in a slightly different way to the norm.
Before I introduce you to Part 6 of the Fruit Garden CAL 'Love is Enough' project I want to let you know that I have been invited to be one of 6 designers taking part in Waltham Abbey Wool Show's virtual event this weekend. Along with Debbie Bliss, Jeanette Sloan, Jo Smith, Natalie Warner and Sylvia Watts-Cherry I will be taking part in the 'Meet the Designer Q&A' session which will take place at 1pm this coming Sunday afternoon. There are still some tickets for this event, which I am sure will be great fun, and you can find more information by following this link.
So, as I said already, the sixth yarn substitution document for the Love is Enough version of the Fruit Garden Crochet Along project is now live on the Stylecraft web site.
To work through the Dianthus motif and another part of the Acanthus motif you will need to download the original pattern for Part 6 and use the yarn sub document alongside this as a guide for which yarn shades to use. If you are joining in the CAL and using one of the 2 original colourways or your own colour palette then you will not need the yarn sub document.
I have not been able to record a short video to accompany the re-release of this set of patterns but I hope to film a catch up video for set 7 which will be available in a couple of weeks time. You can find a video to accompany the Dianthus and the next stage of the Acanthus motif in the original colour ways here.
If you want to make a cushion to accompany your project you can find the patterns as a free download or as a paper pattern by following this link.
Don't forget that you can find help and join in some crochet orientated chat via the Stylecraft Yarns CAL Facebook page here.
Yarn substitution documents for the next part of the project will go live on the 26th January.
I hope to be back in your in box on Friday 22nd January with news of a new(ish) pattern release and our new style newsletter, so until then keep safe....
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Welcome to my blog. Here you will find my email newsletter archive alongside any other general musings or information about events or new pattern releases that I wish to share with you!
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