 Janie's Friday FeatureWelcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine.... Because of the bank holiday Monday here in the UK this week I have spent the last few days thinking it is a day earlier than it actually is. Today feels like it should be Thursday, but of course it is Friday and here I am again with a newsletter. We spent the bank holiday weekend in the garden and doing family things. We have an elderly neighbour to one side of our front garden who is unable to cut his trees down, so we spent a couple of days pruning those and got so carried away that we gave the pear tree in the back garden a much needed chop too! Cutting the branches made all the lovely blossom fall off though, which was a shame, but I am hoping that the tree, which hasn’t given us much fruit the last few years, will find a new vigor and give us some lovely juicy pears in the late summer time. It was so lovely to have a full four days at home over the Easter break and I have to admit that it has made this week at the studio feel like harder work than usual, but on the whole it has been a positive few days with a couple of really exciting things cropping up that I am looking forward to telling you all about in the future. You may have noticed that I have been taking a little bit of a break from social media. With my last phone update came a new feature that is a notification that tells me how much time I am averagely spending on my phone a day and I have to say, I was totally horrified by the results I kept being given, so I have been making an effort to put my phone down - something I am always telling my kids to do! here to edit.  On the few occaisions that I did venture into social media platforms over the Easter weekend and especially on Monday I saw a lot of chatter about Earth Day and so I felt that this week's newsletter would be a good opportunity to revisit some of the things I have talked about in the past in regards to the yarn industry, us as knitters and crocheters and what impact our hobby has on the world around us. I would really love to hear your feedback on this peice if you have time to respond. As I told you last week, the JANIE CROW web shop is finally up and running and you can find a link to the shop here.  The shop features paper pattern brochures for my designs, download patterns and my books and I have also added some lovely shawl pins, clasps and closures made by a company called Jul, who create beautiful accessories, bags and housewares in leather and metal. I will be adding to this range over the next month or so, so do keep an eye on it. All that is left for me to say in this introduction is that I hope you will enjoy this week's Friday Feature Newsletter and that, as always, if you have anything you want to say, please hit reply!
'We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as it's other creatures do.' |
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Janie's Friday Feature
Welcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine....
Here I am again with another newsletter and this week Sarah and I have focussed on sewing and embroidery as a theme. As you may well know, Sarah is a very accomplished stitcher who has produced some really fabulous pieces of sewn art work and so this week she has written the main feature, which is all about an exciting forthcoming exhibition she will be involved in. Sadly my sewing skills don't even begin to compare to Sarah's, but I am a really big fan of all things stitched and often use embroideries and tapestries as the inspiration for my designs, so I have tried to add pieces into this week's newsletter that fit the theme well.
This week's newsletter also includes the usual tip of the week and palette of the week and my 'what's new' feature. I hope that whatever you have going on in your life today you will be able to settle down for 5 minutes or so to relax in our company.....
Here I am again with another newsletter and this week Sarah and I have focussed on sewing and embroidery as a theme. As you may well know, Sarah is a very accomplished stitcher who has produced some really fabulous pieces of sewn art work and so this week she has written the main feature, which is all about an exciting forthcoming exhibition she will be involved in. Sadly my sewing skills don't even begin to compare to Sarah's, but I am a really big fan of all things stitched and often use embroideries and tapestries as the inspiration for my designs, so I have tried to add pieces into this week's newsletter that fit the theme well.
This week's newsletter also includes the usual tip of the week and palette of the week and my 'what's new' feature. I hope that whatever you have going on in your life today you will be able to settle down for 5 minutes or so to relax in our company.....
'I cannot think my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet.'
- Author Unknown -
Nordiska Exhibition
Hi! It’s Sarah here with a feature that is really very close to my heart!
If you are already a fan of embroidery and the whole mid-century aesthetic then I hope that the following will be of interest to you – if not, then I hope that you will be inspired to visit a brand new exhibition in Birmingham later this month, as well as pick up a needle and thread.
If you are already a fan of embroidery and the whole mid-century aesthetic then I hope that the following will be of interest to you – if not, then I hope that you will be inspired to visit a brand new exhibition in Birmingham later this month, as well as pick up a needle and thread.
Eighteen months ago I visited the Festival of Quilts exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham. I have visited this show on and off over the years, but 2017 was special. I had arranged to meet up with indigo enthusiast Lindsay Roberts. We had chatted away on Instagram, but never met – the exhibition provided the perfect opportunity and we spent a fabulous day revelling in fabric and threads! The highlight of the day was being introduced to Tanja Malo , the owner and founder of www.linladan.com.
Roughly translated, the Swedish ‘linladan’ means flax barn. The Swedish tradition of using flax or linen as both a fabric and a thread in embroidery is one that Tanja is not only keen to preserve, but also to promote within a modern context. As we become increasingly concerned about working with sustainable fibres, linen is a go to resource. It uses less water to produce and remains strong seemingly forever! I have recently been working with fabric and threads that are over 50 years old and it is as if they were made yesterday.
Roughly translated, the Swedish ‘linladan’ means flax barn. The Swedish tradition of using flax or linen as both a fabric and a thread in embroidery is one that Tanja is not only keen to preserve, but also to promote within a modern context. As we become increasingly concerned about working with sustainable fibres, linen is a go to resource. It uses less water to produce and remains strong seemingly forever! I have recently been working with fabric and threads that are over 50 years old and it is as if they were made yesterday.
The chances are that if you have visited any of the Knitting and Stitiching shows, Selvedge fairs or Festival of Quilts exhibitions over the last few years you may have dropped across Linladan. I cannot imagine anyone being able to pass the glorious riot of colour that is created from little boxes of vintage linens, flower threads and silks, but Linladan is more than just finding lovely old stuff to sell! There is an ethos behind the business that encompasses provenance, fair pay and working conditions, sustainability, respect for all that is handmade and attribution for the original designers and artists and I have no doubt that the exhibition will reflect all of these qualities.
It is only through sheer hard work and determination that the Nordiska exhibition has come into being. Years of research have led Tanja to discovering not only the Nordiska archive itself, but also some of the people who were originally involved back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This has enabled her to produce kits from the original designs with a percentage going to the original designers in recognition of their contribution and legacy.
The exhibition will include original paintings and embroideries as well as the hand drawn charts that were used to produce kits.
It is only through sheer hard work and determination that the Nordiska exhibition has come into being. Years of research have led Tanja to discovering not only the Nordiska archive itself, but also some of the people who were originally involved back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This has enabled her to produce kits from the original designs with a percentage going to the original designers in recognition of their contribution and legacy.
The exhibition will include original paintings and embroideries as well as the hand drawn charts that were used to produce kits.
Tanja has been able to speak and work with those artists who are still alive and members of other families who worked at the Nordiska factory. This has enabled her to not only learn more about their practise and inspiration, but also to find out which designs were among their favourites. Many families and artists have lent Tanja examples from their own personal collections, like Kaisa Edstroms hand embroidered wedding dress from 1963 and Ingrid-Dahlman’s Sagoslottet Fairytale Castle.
It has often been difficult to find the original instructions for a design which has made reproducing the kits as exact replicas quite tricky. Linladan is now onto its second print run of kits. More instructions have been found and suitable linen has been sourced. Every effort has been made to add threads in colours as close to the originals as possible.
Moving forward, Tanja would like to continue working with the archive and encourage embroiderers to use their own palette of colours when stitching. In the 60s all prints would have been made on the same colour background. Now it is possible to make smaller print runs in different colours so that embroiderers are free to interpret the designs in their own way – using more or less colours than the original, using pastels, neutrals or even neons instead of a more traditional palette.
Next week I will be joining Tanja to help set up the exhibition. This will be the first time that much of this work will be on show to the public, so I am incredibly excited! I am also going to be teaching one hour workshops each day where participants will have the opportunity to practise some of the most popular stitches of mid-century Swedish embroidery. We will be using linen threads on linen fabric, with patterns from the Nordiska archive.
Next week I will be joining Tanja to help set up the exhibition. This will be the first time that much of this work will be on show to the public, so I am incredibly excited! I am also going to be teaching one hour workshops each day where participants will have the opportunity to practise some of the most popular stitches of mid-century Swedish embroidery. We will be using linen threads on linen fabric, with patterns from the Nordiska archive.
I am always amazed by how the simplest of stitches are able to convey so much.
The exhibition will run as part of the Fashion and Embroidery Show and tickets also include entrance to Sewing for Pleasure and Creative Craft Show. Full details can be found via this link and details of the workshop 'A Thread Through Time' can be found here.
My thanks to Tanja at Linladan for letting me join in the fun and to Claudia Brookes, for the use of these fabulous images.
If you do get chance to come along, please say hello so that we can share more inspiration with you!
The exhibition will run as part of the Fashion and Embroidery Show and tickets also include entrance to Sewing for Pleasure and Creative Craft Show. Full details can be found via this link and details of the workshop 'A Thread Through Time' can be found here.
My thanks to Tanja at Linladan for letting me join in the fun and to Claudia Brookes, for the use of these fabulous images.
If you do get chance to come along, please say hello so that we can share more inspiration with you!
Tip of the week
Sarah has suggested a couple of tips this week - both are sewing related:
Sarah says she hates it when thread starts to tangle or turn back on itself. To stop it doing this Sarah suggests running the thread through bees wax to make the twist on the thread stronger and tangle free. You can find Hancock's beeswax blocks on the Beyond Measure web site by clicking on the image below.
Sarah says she hates it when thread starts to tangle or turn back on itself. To stop it doing this Sarah suggests running the thread through bees wax to make the twist on the thread stronger and tangle free. You can find Hancock's beeswax blocks on the Beyond Measure web site by clicking on the image below.
Sarah's second tip is to use quilters tape as a guide if you struggle to sew in a straight line. You can find the tape by following this link to the Cotton Patch web site.
If you have any life hacks or craft related tips you would like to share within this section of the Friday Feature Newsletter in the future, then do hit reply and let us know.
If you have any life hacks or craft related tips you would like to share within this section of the Friday Feature Newsletter in the future, then do hit reply and let us know.
What's New
I have added a few new pages onto the new web site this week including a workshop page that lists my dates for 2019. You can find the page by following this link.
My next workshop will be at the lovely Missenden Abbey School of Creative Arts in Buckinghamshire on the 9th and 10th March. This is a crochet motif design workshop, which is aimed at people who want to have a little play with their crochet in order to change or adapt existing motifs or possibly design their very own motifs from scratch - something that is in fact far easier than most people think and which can come quite easily once a little bit of basic information about how crochet designing 'works' alongside a pinch of encouragement is given! You can find more information on this workshop by following this link.
I am hoping to have more time to work on the web site next week and will let you know what pages I manage to put live in next week's newsletter. The shop area on the web site is still not up and running, so if you are interested in any patterns or kits, then you might like to take a look on the Just Knots web site or on Black Sheep Wools as both these stores carry good stock of my designs.
My next workshop will be at the lovely Missenden Abbey School of Creative Arts in Buckinghamshire on the 9th and 10th March. This is a crochet motif design workshop, which is aimed at people who want to have a little play with their crochet in order to change or adapt existing motifs or possibly design their very own motifs from scratch - something that is in fact far easier than most people think and which can come quite easily once a little bit of basic information about how crochet designing 'works' alongside a pinch of encouragement is given! You can find more information on this workshop by following this link.
I am hoping to have more time to work on the web site next week and will let you know what pages I manage to put live in next week's newsletter. The shop area on the web site is still not up and running, so if you are interested in any patterns or kits, then you might like to take a look on the Just Knots web site or on Black Sheep Wools as both these stores carry good stock of my designs.
As I have told you already, about six weeks ago Andrew and Andrea from the Fruity Knitting Podcast dropped into the studio so that I could take part in an interview with them. The resulting video is on their Youtube feed, so I would love it if you would take a look! If you are a Fruity Knitting Patron you can still make use of a 10% discount on the 3 CAL projects I talk about in the episode - follow this link for more information.
Colour Palette of the Week
Last weekend saw unusually warm, bright weather here in the UK, but the last few days have been much greyer and are far more usual for this time of year and so I have chosen a palette this week that reflects this!
The image used for this week's palette has been saved on my phone for a while as I was attracted to the sophisticated choices made with colour and surface pattern on this embroidery. This kind of mixture of greys and yellows has been a really strong trend for the last few years and I am still itching to use it in one of my designs - perhaps Mystical Lanterns would look great in this tight palette? What do you think?
The image is from an account called Handmade.Embroidery on Instagram.
The image is from an account called Handmade.Embroidery on Instagram.
Instagram Favourite
I have always been a huge fan of the fashion house Alexander McQueen. You may remember me recommending that you all go to see the documentary film about Lee Alexander McQueen last year - it is an amazing insight into the vision of the incredible designer that he was, but it is also unbelievably moving and sad.
In the wake of Lee's death in February 2010 it was Sarah Burton who took the reigns at the brand and I think she has done an incredible job harnessing the legacy of Lee's vision and she continues to design simply amazing things. If you think you may not have seen one of Sarah's designs, then think again - she designed the Duchess of Cambridge's iconic wedding dress in 2011.
I am a huge fan of the Alexander McQueen Instagram account. The pictures on there are fantastic and the range of close up images in particular are really great. The images often come with the written story of the how the clothes were made and it is clear that the skill of the crafts people involved, whether they be seamstresses, leather workers, embroiderers or painters, is a really key part of how Sarah Burton makes this such an inspirational brand.
In the wake of Lee's death in February 2010 it was Sarah Burton who took the reigns at the brand and I think she has done an incredible job harnessing the legacy of Lee's vision and she continues to design simply amazing things. If you think you may not have seen one of Sarah's designs, then think again - she designed the Duchess of Cambridge's iconic wedding dress in 2011.
I am a huge fan of the Alexander McQueen Instagram account. The pictures on there are fantastic and the range of close up images in particular are really great. The images often come with the written story of the how the clothes were made and it is clear that the skill of the crafts people involved, whether they be seamstresses, leather workers, embroiderers or painters, is a really key part of how Sarah Burton makes this such an inspirational brand.
The images I have included here show pieces from the newest collection and I love how much embroidery has been used.
I want to draw your attention in particular to the black jacket with what looks like splashed red paint across it from the most recent men's wear collection - shown below.
On closer inspection the detail on this jacket it intricately stitched - isn't it incredible! When I saw this close up image I was totally blown away, and I am sure that you will be too!
There is a really good interview with Sarah Burton on the Vogue web site, within which she talks about the importance of the heritage of traditional crafts. You can find the interview by following this link.
It's nearly the weekend!
We had a fabulous time at the Unravel Yarn Festival last weekend and I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all those of you who came along to say hello! We had a new stand layout, which included our new piece of IKEA furniture that we finally managed to go out and get (!) and I was really happy with the way the blankets and throws looked on the display.
My Magic Circles blanket was particularly popular at Unravel. It is funny - we can never predict which blanket will be the star of the show, it changes every single time! I know some people were disappointed that we ran out of both the printed pattern and the kits, so I include a link here for you to easily find them. Magic Circles is shown in the image above behind Fields of Gold and Lily Pond.
Alongside all the fabulous exhibitors, Unravel also featured talks and presentations and I was really excited to finally meet and see the work of fellow crochet designer Katie Jones, which was on display in the gallery.
We are looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. With a bit of luck I might actually finally get the last coat of paint on the hall walls! The house is in major need of a spring clean, so the wet, colder weather might well provide the perfect opportinity for us to do it, although I suspect I am more likely to sit on the settee with a box set of movies to watch on the TV and a lap full of crochet. I am trying to catch up with The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts on BBC Iplayer, so this will be a wonderful distraction from painting!!!
I would, as always, love to hear what you have planned for your weekend and hope that whatever it is you are set for a fabulous couple of days of rest and recouperation.
Sending crochet love and yarny kisses
We are looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. With a bit of luck I might actually finally get the last coat of paint on the hall walls! The house is in major need of a spring clean, so the wet, colder weather might well provide the perfect opportinity for us to do it, although I suspect I am more likely to sit on the settee with a box set of movies to watch on the TV and a lap full of crochet. I am trying to catch up with The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts on BBC Iplayer, so this will be a wonderful distraction from painting!!!
I would, as always, love to hear what you have planned for your weekend and hope that whatever it is you are set for a fabulous couple of days of rest and recouperation.
Sending crochet love and yarny kisses
This is a slightly late Friday Feature Newsletter this week as we are freshly back from New York and (after a bit of a jet lag driven lay in this morning) I have spent today trying to catch up with a back log of emails and orders.
We had an amazing time at Vogue Knitting Live last weekend and I would like to thank you all for your good wishes and those of you who visited the booth - it really was incredible to be so far from home and meet so many people who already follow my work. You can find some images from the show lower down this email along with our usual features such as the Palette of the Week and my Instagram Favourite.
We have returned to the studio to find lots of entry forms for the colouring competition waiting for us and you can find the information about this lower down the email too.
This is the final Friday Feature Newsletter to be sent from this mailing list. If you want to sign up to the new list in order to receive the newsletters from next week on-wards then please see the information about this lower down the email. Next week's newsletter will focus on the fashion trends for spring and I will be including a nice piece from Sarah who is going to look at the craft of tie dying.
As always, if you have anything you want to say or something you would like to be included in a future newsletter then do hit reply and let us know.
We had an amazing time at Vogue Knitting Live last weekend and I would like to thank you all for your good wishes and those of you who visited the booth - it really was incredible to be so far from home and meet so many people who already follow my work. You can find some images from the show lower down this email along with our usual features such as the Palette of the Week and my Instagram Favourite.
We have returned to the studio to find lots of entry forms for the colouring competition waiting for us and you can find the information about this lower down the email too.
This is the final Friday Feature Newsletter to be sent from this mailing list. If you want to sign up to the new list in order to receive the newsletters from next week on-wards then please see the information about this lower down the email. Next week's newsletter will focus on the fashion trends for spring and I will be including a nice piece from Sarah who is going to look at the craft of tie dying.
As always, if you have anything you want to say or something you would like to be included in a future newsletter then do hit reply and let us know.
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
- Roy M. Goodman -
Vogue Knitting Live - New York 2019
I tried my best to share lots of images on my Instagram account while we were away, but the lack of good internet connection and the time difference meant that I was a bit out of sync with posting. Below are a few images I took whilst at the show. I have more and will share them with a little more back ground information over the next few weeks, once I am back up to speed.
The light at the venue was quite blue, so please excuse the quality of a lot of my images - you can find better pictures on the Vogue Knitting Live Instagram site by following this link.
The image above is of the Magpie Fibres stand. The shawl is called Nightshift and it is by Andrea Mowry aka Drea Renee Knits - you can find the pattern by following this link. The image doesn't do this beautiful shawl justice I am afraid, but you will find better images on Andrea's web site.
The image above is of the 3 winning finalist designs in the Donegal Tweed exhibition. The brioche one in the middle, which won first prize, is particularly beautiful don't you think?
After years of yearning I also made it to Purl Soho - a store I have wanted to visit for the last decade or so. The simplicity of the way the store designs it's displays and it's in house garments and accessories is just lovely - I am hopeful that the image above gives you an idea of their style if you haven't come across them before
Tip of the week
I have only had a quick chance to test this tip of the week out, but I am told by my friend Sarah Lally, who sent in the suggestion, that she now uses it all the time. When working treble crochet (US double):
'Instead of doing 3 chains at the beginning of a row or round, do a
double crochet with a chain on top. Looks less leggy and more like a
real stitch.....I must say I have only recently discovered it and am now a complete convert!'.
'Instead of doing 3 chains at the beginning of a row or round, do a
double crochet with a chain on top. Looks less leggy and more like a
real stitch.....I must say I have only recently discovered it and am now a complete convert!'.
What's New?
Two weeks have passed since our original Janie Crow web site crashed beyond repair which meant that the new 'Just Knots' site went live a little sooner than we had intended. There is still some work to be done on the site and some glitches are still appearing so I hope you will all be patient with us while we get everything up to speed.
You can find the new Just Knots web site, which has all the stock items from the original site, by following this link. All the original Janie Crow links will be directed to the new site automatically.
You can find the new Just Knots web site, which has all the stock items from the original site, by following this link. All the original Janie Crow links will be directed to the new site automatically.
Because we have been away we have not had a chance to work on the new Janie Crow brand site, which will be the new home of my blog, technique downloads and design information, but we are hoping to get this sorted very soon. I am building the site myself, with help from Andy, so I and am really keen to show it to you - all being well there should be something for you to see within the next two weeks so keep your eye out for more information.
If you have been following the Dolce and Gabanna related discussions on my social media feed then you may have noticed some comments in regards to copyright statements on knitting and crochet patterns. Copyright statements exist to protect the original designer of a pattern and are applicable whether or not a pattern is free. When the D&G copycat story was first shared a few weeks ago there were lots of people saying they were surprised that patterns hold a copyright statement and so I thought I should mention a few things in regards to this in this week's email.
A crochet pattern is like a recipe in that it can only be attributed to a designer in it's original form. If a certain number of changes are made then a pattern could be said to have been changed enough to no longer be within the ownership of the original designer. This is a bit like adding a few of your own special ingredients to a Jamie Oliver recipe or adding an extra egg to Mary Berry's Victoria Sponge recipe (I do this and it makes the sponge lighter), however, none of these changes to the ingredients alter the fact that the source of the recipe comes from the original celebrity chef and that it should therefore be accredited to them and the same applies to a knit or crochet pattern.
One of the areas that I think may have also caused confusion is in relation to making and profitting from a knit or crochet design published (either free or otherwise) by an independent designer. I have had a surge of people contact me in regards to this so I thought I should try to explain how the copyright statement on my patterns affects those of you who make items to sell.
In short - if you want to sell an item made from one of my patterns, be it a blanket, a hat or a bag, then you should credit me as the designer. In theory you should ask for permission first, before you list an item for sale and you can do this by emailing me - in most cases I will say yes to a request, so it is not the end of the world if you have not asked in advance.
I hope this makes things clearer. If in doubt please email me or hit reply to this email.
To tie in with the words above I want to share this image of my Magic Circles Blanket made by Amikitoramikat - a seller who has listed my designs on her Etsy account. I adore the styling on this image and am in love with the bright pink walls and turquoise wardrobe in Kathryn's picture.
Colour Palette of the Week
The image I chose to take my palette from this week is one I took in New York. It sounds a bit silly, but even after 8 days there I still had to pinch myself that I was seeing big yellow school buses and taxis and wandering down streets from the movies!
I took this image on the east side of Central Park after Andy and I took a rather chilly walk through it. I stood and waited at the lights for a cab to go through so that I could catch the yellow! When I look at the image now I wish I had pulled out the bright orange of the dog coat that is in the bottom left of the image and maybe the burgundy shade on the sign post at the centre as these may have added quite a different feeling to the palette.
Colouring Competition
Don't forget that the colouring competition I launched here last week is open until 15th February 2019. You can enter as many times as you like, so why not unleash your creativity and enjoy some mindful colouring in?
Simply colour in the motif chart to create your own version of my Delft blanket design, then pop it in the post to us along with your written entry form to be in with a chance of winning a great prize. You can find the downloadable information pack and competition guidelines here and the competition entry form here.
The original Janie Crow Delft Crochet Blanket was inspired by the blue and white Delftware from the Netherlands. It is made up of a single motif, plus a half motif, worked in three colour ways: Dark, Medium and Light. Only one colour is worked in each round, and each colour way uses all the yarns – they just appear in different rounds and amounts.
Using all the yarns in each motif is a foolproof way of ensuring a harmonious overall blanket design, but it is not the only way. Those of you that follow my blog or receive my newsletters know that I find inspiration for my colour palettes wherever I go. When I have an idea, I surround myself with the yarns that evoke the same feelings and start to design. I am fortunate in that I have an abundance of yarn in my studio, but you can do the same using felt tip pens, coloured pencils and paper.
I find it fascinating how recolouring a design can completely change the way it looks and I love to see other crocheters versions of my designs, especially those that have used an alternative colour palette. With this in mind Luise and I thought it would be really fun to invite you to colour in a chart representation of one of my Delft design to see what wonderful ideas you can come up with. Dont' worry - this isn’t a design competition! You do not need to know how to design, or even how to crochet, all you need to do is colour in a chart and pop it in the post!
The idea is that the entries will be judged and a selection of finalists will be chosen after a public vote. Winners will be given prizes and the yarn colour packs for the new colour ways, which will include the winner’s name and inspiration, will subsequently be available via Stylecraft stockists. The colour substitution documents for each new colour way will also be available as free downloads via this web site and will feature in an updated version of the Delft Blanket crochet pattern later on this year.
The competition is being launched in support of the release of a newly worked version of my Delft blanket pattern, which uses Stylecraft Life DK. The patterns for the blue and cream colour way, which was inspired by my love of Delftware and The Willow Pattern china, are available now via Stylecraft stockists. You can follow this link to find out more about the design and purchase the 12 page brochure pattern (£4.95) or the Stylecraft Life DK kit, which contains 15 x 100g balls of yarn, the pattern and a sew in label for £44.95. The pattern is available in UK & US terminology and Dutch language.
No purchase necessary to enter the competition.
I really hope that you like the thought of entering the competition. Don't forget that it closes on the 15th of February. You can find more information in this month's copy of Simply Crochet Magazine and via Stylecraft's social media platforms.
Instagram Favourite
My Instagram account recommendation this week is that of Geninne D Zlatkis, who describes herself as a 'passionately curious artist living with Manolo, our two sons and an adorable red healer named Zorro'.
I love it when Geninne's images pop up on my feed, especially when they include pics of her dazzling dog and beautiful art work. You can find her account by following this link. Her work is also available to buy on Etsy.
Sign up or miss out!
As I have already said, today's newsletter will be the final one to be sent from this mailing list. This list belongs to our original web site, which has now been renamed as Just Knots. Because of new laws introduced last year we have to make a clear definition between the mailing lists for our 2 new web sites and so, in order to continue to receive this email on a Friday afternoon, you must sign up to a new mailing list. Follow this link to sign up.
It's nearly the weekend!
We have a snow flurry going on outside right now, which is adding to the existing layer of snow we had over night, so I think it will be a case of sticking close to home this weekend. I am desperate to get my hands on a crochet hook as I have had no time to do any crochet for about 2 weeks and my hands are itching to get going! I have a new design in my head so as soon as I have pressed send on this newsletter I am going to wind off a skein of yarn and get going....
I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing you stay happy, well and warm. If you are in the US then I hope you are not too badly affected by your record breaking cold weather.
Sending crochet love and yarny kisses.
Welcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine....
I am doing my best to ignore the sniffs and snuffles that have surrounded me over the last week or so, but I have a horrible feeling that the lurgy might be just around the corner! My son Charlie (and more recently Andy) have been struck down with man flu over the last couple of weeks, so it seems inevitable that the germs will spread! I hope that this email finds you well and that like me you have so far managed to avoid coughs, colds and general nastiness in the lead up to Christmas....
Rather terrifyingly there are just 17 full days before Christmas Day and so now would be a good time to make sure we are all on track with Festive plans. Our Sue, who works on the orders and the post here in the studio, is ultra organised and has already ticked off all her gifts on her list and written her cards. Sue started making pom pom wreaths as gifts way back at the end of the summer so now she can be wonderfully smug as she watches me panic about the fact that I have yet to even write a list.....
If you are like me and have yet to do any serious organising or shopping, you might be interested in a few of my favourite gift ideas which I have listed as part of the newsletter this week. Maybe you will find something suitable for a friend or that you can add to your own list, but either way, reading this Friday Feature will distract you from the reality of Christmas shopping for a little while longer, in the same way that writing it has distracted me!!!
I am doing my best to ignore the sniffs and snuffles that have surrounded me over the last week or so, but I have a horrible feeling that the lurgy might be just around the corner! My son Charlie (and more recently Andy) have been struck down with man flu over the last couple of weeks, so it seems inevitable that the germs will spread! I hope that this email finds you well and that like me you have so far managed to avoid coughs, colds and general nastiness in the lead up to Christmas....
Rather terrifyingly there are just 17 full days before Christmas Day and so now would be a good time to make sure we are all on track with Festive plans. Our Sue, who works on the orders and the post here in the studio, is ultra organised and has already ticked off all her gifts on her list and written her cards. Sue started making pom pom wreaths as gifts way back at the end of the summer so now she can be wonderfully smug as she watches me panic about the fact that I have yet to even write a list.....
If you are like me and have yet to do any serious organising or shopping, you might be interested in a few of my favourite gift ideas which I have listed as part of the newsletter this week. Maybe you will find something suitable for a friend or that you can add to your own list, but either way, reading this Friday Feature will distract you from the reality of Christmas shopping for a little while longer, in the same way that writing it has distracted me!!!
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Gift Ideas for crafters....
A few months ago Sarah wrote a great article on giving hand made presents and one of the things she focussed on is whether or not gifts that have taken a lot of time and effort are actually appreciated by the recipient. Along this same theme the guys at Crochetzine, an Instagram based free crochet magazine, have written some great posts over the past week or so about making items to gift at Christmas. I really recommend you head over to see their page if you are considering making a last minute gift before you pick up your needles or hook as they offer some great tips and advice as well as some fabulous little projects that you might want to make including the lovely little crochet stockings shown below, which, despite being designed for Advent, would work really well as decorations on the tree or the Christmas table, or as the wrapping for other small gifts.
If you're looking for something nice to give a yarn loving friend then you might want to take a look at some of the many subscription style gifts that are around.
One of my favourites has to be Little Box of Crochet, which you can find by following this link. Amanda Bloom and her fabulous team have a wide selection of wonderful boxes you can choose from, ranging from beginners boxes to 'Not so' Little Boxes, all of which contain the items needed to make a fabulous crochet item alongsdie some lovely extra surprise gifts. You can start the subscription this month and receive a really exciting looking box that includes all you need to make a beautiful design from Toft. The site also includes and area for gift subscriptions and links to purchase past boxes.
If you want to treat a really serious yarn lover who also happens to have a penchant for sock making then how about taking a look at the Triskelion Sock Club? We are massive fans of the Triskelion range, which is hand dyed by Caerthan Wrack - a man famous for his wonderfully deep and luxurious colour palette. You can find details of the sock club here, or, if you would rather just invest in one or two skeins of Triskelion yarn, then you could take a look at our range of Gofannon 4ply which is dyed by Caerthan exclusively for Janie Crow and comes with a free pattern for my Emily shawlette, which is shown above.
If you want to find an extra special gift and know someone who might want to wear a stunning piece of knitted or crocheted jewellery, or you fancy really treating yourself, then head over to the Mahliqa web site to be wowed by some amazing hand made jewellery designs. I am a huge fan of Suraya's work and am so pleased to say that she will be coming to the studio next year to do a workshop - details of this will be posted early in the New Year so keep a look out for more information soon. The image above shows one of Suraya's incredible hand made pieces, but you can also find kits and stitch marker sets on her lovely web site.
If you fancy knitting a slightly silly item to either gift or decorate your home, how about making one, or both of these brilliant hand knitted sprouts or Christmas puddings by Sincerley Louise. I love them!
If you want to be smug like our Sue and make a pom pom wreath then you can find a tutorial I wrote a few (4!) years ago by following this link to my blog. Making pom poms is a great stash buster and they are still bang on trend. You can find pom pom makers (which make this fun task even easier) by following this link.
Crisis at Christmas.
I am very much a believer that Christmas should be about spending time with family and friends and generally being a bit nicer and more thoughtful towards others rather than getting caught up in all the commercial hype that seems to surround so many things these days.
Many of us are in the nice position where we have warm houses and supportive friends and family, but there are are many people who don't have this luxury, so my number one tip for the ultimate feel good gift is to donate a gift of either your time or money to those who really need it.
Many of us are in the nice position where we have warm houses and supportive friends and family, but there are are many people who don't have this luxury, so my number one tip for the ultimate feel good gift is to donate a gift of either your time or money to those who really need it.
The charity Crisis do amazing work here in the UK at this time of year and for just over £28 you could reserve a place for a homeless person at a centre this Christmas. For less than £30 you can help the charity provide a warm welcome and good company, three nutritious hot meals daily, including a delicious Christmas dinner, a bed for the night if needed and a chance to shower and get clean clothes. The charity also aims to provide a health check and treatment from a doctor, optician and dentist, expert help with mental health and addiction problems, advice on housing, employment and benefits and for some a way out of homelessness for good through Crisis’ year-round training, education and support.
Important information!
Here is another reminder that you need to subscribe to a new mailing list if you want to continue to receive the Friday Feature Newsletter in 2019.
We are introducing 2 new web sites in order to make our business clearer, more customer friendly and easier to understand. Both web sites will continue to be managed by us and both will sit under the same 'umbrella'. The new retail web site, which launches this week will be called Just Knots (our prototype log is shown above) and Jane's brand web site will continue to use the Janie Crow name.
Because of new laws introduced earlier on this year we have to make a clear definition between the mailing lists for the 2 new web sites, so when the Janie Crow brand web site is relaunched in January it will send to a new mailing list rather than this one. If you want to continue to receive the Friday Feature newsletters and any other information relevant to me and my designs, then you need to sign up to a new mailing list.
If you follow this link or click on the bird image above you will be able to sign up. We will add this link to this newsletter every week until the new Janie Crow web site is up and running. Until then the Friday Feature Newsletter will continue to come from this mailing list.
Because of new laws introduced earlier on this year we have to make a clear definition between the mailing lists for the 2 new web sites, so when the Janie Crow brand web site is relaunched in January it will send to a new mailing list rather than this one. If you want to continue to receive the Friday Feature newsletters and any other information relevant to me and my designs, then you need to sign up to a new mailing list.
If you follow this link or click on the bird image above you will be able to sign up. We will add this link to this newsletter every week until the new Janie Crow web site is up and running. Until then the Friday Feature Newsletter will continue to come from this mailing list.
It's nearly the weekend!
What are you up to this weekend? I hope you have some exciting plans! We are heading into town this evening to visit the Sky Garden, which is London's highest (free) public garden. If you don't know about this amazing looking place then head over to the web site for more information - I will let you know what it is like next week and will share some images, so long as it isn't too dark!
Our trip into town this evening will most likely be the only venture out for us this weekend, other than to do a spot of food shopping or nip quickly to the gym, as I am hoping to have some much needed time at home. The tree is up and it is beginning to feel very Christmassy, so hopefully we will line up some festive movies and light the fire. I have a crochet deadline looming so I am looking forward to ensconcing myself on the sofa for 2 days pretty much straight.... my idea of heaven!
Whatever your plans I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Our trip into town this evening will most likely be the only venture out for us this weekend, other than to do a spot of food shopping or nip quickly to the gym, as I am hoping to have some much needed time at home. The tree is up and it is beginning to feel very Christmassy, so hopefully we will line up some festive movies and light the fire. I have a crochet deadline looming so I am looking forward to ensconcing myself on the sofa for 2 days pretty much straight.... my idea of heaven!
Whatever your plans I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Janie's Friday Feature
Welcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine....
I remember as a child how painful the lead up to Christmas could be in regards to wondering whether it was ever going to really happen - days felt like weeks and weeks like months as I wished and wished for Santa to get a move on! These days however, my life is the exact opposite and I am now constantly wishing that the pace of life would slow down and let me take a breather... I know I am not alone in this wish, but hope that you are managing to enjoy the lead up to the Festive period.
So here I am finally with another Friday feature - This week I have written a short piece about the art of Freeform crochet. I hope you will enjoy it.
I remember as a child how painful the lead up to Christmas could be in regards to wondering whether it was ever going to really happen - days felt like weeks and weeks like months as I wished and wished for Santa to get a move on! These days however, my life is the exact opposite and I am now constantly wishing that the pace of life would slow down and let me take a breather... I know I am not alone in this wish, but hope that you are managing to enjoy the lead up to the Festive period.
So here I am finally with another Friday feature - This week I have written a short piece about the art of Freeform crochet. I hope you will enjoy it.
Free your mind - free your crochet!
I looked up the word 'freeform' in the dictionary and it is defined as 'not conforming to a regular or formal structure or shape' and in regards to crochet this is a perfectly apt description as, not only is the practice of freeform crochet unconformist in that you don't follow a pattern, but the shapes created in the process are also (mostly) irregular and asymmetrical.
When I teach freeform crochet workshops the thing that most participants struggle with initially is the fact that I do not provide them with any patterns - it seems that the prospect of sitting and crocheting without a single piece of written instruction to refer to is incredibly daunting. I completely understand that - as crocheters we have spent a lot of time mastering the skill of reading and understanding pattern instructions, so to suddenly be without a point of reference can put us immediately out of our comfort zone.
I start my workshop with an exercise on blindly choosing yarns - I tend to pile a load of yarns up at the centre of the table and suggest that participants choose in a totally ramdon way - again this is something outside of our usual practice - indeed, for many of us it is the process of choosing the shades that brings much satisfaction.
Within the structure of the Friday Feature newsletters Sarah has written some great articles on mindfulness and I think this is something that freeform crochet has a close relationship with. When I teach this method I suggest that people completely empty their minds of what they are aiming to achieve before they start the process of working some crochet. This can be scary, but honestly it is fabulous to see what people achieve. To illustrate what I mean better, have a go at this short exercise:
Find a selection of crochet hook sizes and have them at the ready.
Go through your stash and pick out a selection of yarns - don't think about the colours, textures or weights you are picking and try not to analyse your choice.
Put the yarns on a table in front of you and when you are ready close your eyes and pick a yarn from your pile.
Quickly choose the hook size that you think matches the weight of the yarn and begin to make a chain - make as many or as few chain as you want, then slip stitch to make a ring.
Once you have a ring, using any combination or stitch heights, start to fill the ring up with stitches - you might start with trebles, or double trebles, you might decide to add in some areas of chain or turn mid way. Don't crochet with the same colour for too long, simply pick up another yarn and start working - you do not need to finish the round or row in the same shade and can dip in and out of using any yarn weight with whatever size hook you fancy.
What you are trying to ultimately achieve is a way of working without thinking or making decisions - you may think this goes against what I said about the relationship between freeform crochet and mindfulness in that I have just pretty much suggested that you should work in a mindless way, but what you are attempting to achieve within the framework of this exercise is a focus on the act of crocheting rather than a focus on the end result.
I start my workshop with an exercise on blindly choosing yarns - I tend to pile a load of yarns up at the centre of the table and suggest that participants choose in a totally ramdon way - again this is something outside of our usual practice - indeed, for many of us it is the process of choosing the shades that brings much satisfaction.
Within the structure of the Friday Feature newsletters Sarah has written some great articles on mindfulness and I think this is something that freeform crochet has a close relationship with. When I teach this method I suggest that people completely empty their minds of what they are aiming to achieve before they start the process of working some crochet. This can be scary, but honestly it is fabulous to see what people achieve. To illustrate what I mean better, have a go at this short exercise:
Find a selection of crochet hook sizes and have them at the ready.
Go through your stash and pick out a selection of yarns - don't think about the colours, textures or weights you are picking and try not to analyse your choice.
Put the yarns on a table in front of you and when you are ready close your eyes and pick a yarn from your pile.
Quickly choose the hook size that you think matches the weight of the yarn and begin to make a chain - make as many or as few chain as you want, then slip stitch to make a ring.
Once you have a ring, using any combination or stitch heights, start to fill the ring up with stitches - you might start with trebles, or double trebles, you might decide to add in some areas of chain or turn mid way. Don't crochet with the same colour for too long, simply pick up another yarn and start working - you do not need to finish the round or row in the same shade and can dip in and out of using any yarn weight with whatever size hook you fancy.
What you are trying to ultimately achieve is a way of working without thinking or making decisions - you may think this goes against what I said about the relationship between freeform crochet and mindfulness in that I have just pretty much suggested that you should work in a mindless way, but what you are attempting to achieve within the framework of this exercise is a focus on the act of crocheting rather than a focus on the end result.
The pieces of crochet made when working in a freeform way have become known as 'scumbles'. This is a term used by Prudence Mapstone, a designer who many consider to be a pioneer of this technique - you can find her web site by following this link.
You can see in the image of an example of Prudence's freeform crochet above that colour and texture play a big role in her work and that fashion yarns such as eyelash and bucle fibres can create a real impact when used in a freeform way. I am sure you can also see that Prudence clearly makes decisons about the end result she is aiming for early on in the process of crocheting rather than working in a mindless way like I suggest, but this is because she has already honed the skill of working in a freeform way and is looking to create items that she can showcase.
The thing about freeform crochet is that you create someting that isn't replicable, so attempting to copy someone else's freeform scumble pattern for example goes completely against the whole point. You will find lots of tutorials on Youtube, but most urge you to follow their pattern or their way of working, whereas I am urging you to play with your crochet.
Why not use some time this weekend with a hook and some yarn and simply have a play! Don't have in mind something you want to make or an end result, just sit and enjoy the process of crocheting with an empty mind.....
You can see in the image of an example of Prudence's freeform crochet above that colour and texture play a big role in her work and that fashion yarns such as eyelash and bucle fibres can create a real impact when used in a freeform way. I am sure you can also see that Prudence clearly makes decisons about the end result she is aiming for early on in the process of crocheting rather than working in a mindless way like I suggest, but this is because she has already honed the skill of working in a freeform way and is looking to create items that she can showcase.
The thing about freeform crochet is that you create someting that isn't replicable, so attempting to copy someone else's freeform scumble pattern for example goes completely against the whole point. You will find lots of tutorials on Youtube, but most urge you to follow their pattern or their way of working, whereas I am urging you to play with your crochet.
Why not use some time this weekend with a hook and some yarn and simply have a play! Don't have in mind something you want to make or an end result, just sit and enjoy the process of crocheting with an empty mind.....
Important information!
We mentioned in this week's regular newsletter on Tuesday that we are in the stages of building 2 new web sites. We are now aiming to have one of them up and running by the end of this week or early next week so long as everything goes to plan!
Please be aware that due to the potential switch over this week the web site may go down for a while. We hope this will not be for very long, but please be patient with us if you are trying to browse the site this week. We will send another mail-out just to warn when the change over is happening.
Please be aware that due to the potential switch over this week the web site may go down for a while. We hope this will not be for very long, but please be patient with us if you are trying to browse the site this week. We will send another mail-out just to warn when the change over is happening.
We are introducing 2 new web sites in order to make our business clearer, more customer friendly and easier to understand. Both web sites will continue to be managed by us and both will sit under the same 'umbrella'. The new retail web site, which launches this week will be called Just Knots (our prototype log is shown above) and Jane's brand web site will continue to use the Janie Crow name.
Because of new laws introduced earlier on this year we have to make a clear definition between the mailing lists for the 2 new web sites, so when the Janie Crow brand web site is relaunched in Janaury it will send to a new mailing list rather than this one. If you want to continue to receive the Friday Feature newsletters and any other information relevant to me and my designs, then you need to sign up to a new mailing list.
If you follow this link or click on the bird image above you will be able to sign up. We will add this link to this newsletter every week until the new Janie Crow web site is up and running. Until then the Friday Feature Newsletter will continue to come from this mailing list.
Because of new laws introduced earlier on this year we have to make a clear definition between the mailing lists for the 2 new web sites, so when the Janie Crow brand web site is relaunched in Janaury it will send to a new mailing list rather than this one. If you want to continue to receive the Friday Feature newsletters and any other information relevant to me and my designs, then you need to sign up to a new mailing list.
If you follow this link or click on the bird image above you will be able to sign up. We will add this link to this newsletter every week until the new Janie Crow web site is up and running. Until then the Friday Feature Newsletter will continue to come from this mailing list.
It's nearly the weekend!
We have been so busy with shows and events this autumn that we have almost forgotten how to use our leisure time, so we are hoping to remind ourselves of what life can be like outside of the realms of Janie Crow by getting to grips with some Christmas preparations this weekend.
I am wondering if it is too early to put up the tree - what do you think? I am always eager to get it out and decorated and they say that statistically people who put their tree up early tend to be within the happier percentage of the population, so perhaps this year would be a good one to test out this theory?
Whatever your plans I wish you a happy weekend!
Whatever your plans I wish you a happy weekend!
Janie's Friday Feature
Phew! Here I am finally with a Friday Feature Newsletter after weeks of shows, events and travelling. Well - I say here I am with a Friday Feature, but as I am sitting at the dining table at home at 8pm on Friday evening writing this, it in fact looks likely that when you read this it will be Saturday, but never mind, I am here at last! And I've missed you!
It has been a mad month with lots of things going on, but now I am so pleased to be back home and back at the studio in the lead up to the Festive Season. We have 9 weeks until we head off to New York for Vogue Knitting Live so I am really hoping to be able to settle down to some new design work and sort out lots of things that have been rumbling away in the background for the last few months.
You may remember that a few weeks ago I told you that we have some exciting plans for Janie Crow going forwards into next year. Part of this plan involves a new retail web site and a new design based brand web site for Janie Crow. We will be revealing the new changes to you over the next couple of months - we are really excited about the new sites and of course we hope that you will like the changes we are making too!
This week, after our trip to the Netherlands a few weeks ago and our final residential workshop in Bournemouth last weekend, it has been a case of catching up with everything, but hopefully from next week we will be able to find more time to concentrate on building the new sites and putting all the wheels in motion for our changes. As I already said, I am really hoping to find some time for designing and have been working on some recolouring of existing designs. Of course, in true yarnaholic fashion, I have also decided to launch into making a 'Crochet Between the Lines' shawl using Scheepjes Whirl in my 'spare' time! (yeah right!) I am using Peppermint Patty Cake and Turkish Delight yarn cakes (shown below) and I am already in love with it!
I have to admit that the colours did start off looking a bit like an Elf's stockings as I was working both balls from the centre and ended up with red and dark green working in stripes at the same time, but I have now switched it so that the green is taken from the outside of the ball and it is looking much more promising. If, you have not been introduced to the wonders of Scheepjes Whirl or the genius of the Crochet Between the Lines pattern, by Tammy Canavan-Soldaat, then I urge you to have a look at the links I have included in this paragraph and If you want to read a great blog post about choosing your yarn shades and getting to grips with the designs then head over to Tammy's blog here. The light is really dingy and yellow here in the kitchen tonight, so I will share some images of my progress when it is brighter and I have more than 20cm of crochet to show you!
It has been a mad month with lots of things going on, but now I am so pleased to be back home and back at the studio in the lead up to the Festive Season. We have 9 weeks until we head off to New York for Vogue Knitting Live so I am really hoping to be able to settle down to some new design work and sort out lots of things that have been rumbling away in the background for the last few months.
You may remember that a few weeks ago I told you that we have some exciting plans for Janie Crow going forwards into next year. Part of this plan involves a new retail web site and a new design based brand web site for Janie Crow. We will be revealing the new changes to you over the next couple of months - we are really excited about the new sites and of course we hope that you will like the changes we are making too!
This week, after our trip to the Netherlands a few weeks ago and our final residential workshop in Bournemouth last weekend, it has been a case of catching up with everything, but hopefully from next week we will be able to find more time to concentrate on building the new sites and putting all the wheels in motion for our changes. As I already said, I am really hoping to find some time for designing and have been working on some recolouring of existing designs. Of course, in true yarnaholic fashion, I have also decided to launch into making a 'Crochet Between the Lines' shawl using Scheepjes Whirl in my 'spare' time! (yeah right!) I am using Peppermint Patty Cake and Turkish Delight yarn cakes (shown below) and I am already in love with it!
I have to admit that the colours did start off looking a bit like an Elf's stockings as I was working both balls from the centre and ended up with red and dark green working in stripes at the same time, but I have now switched it so that the green is taken from the outside of the ball and it is looking much more promising. If, you have not been introduced to the wonders of Scheepjes Whirl or the genius of the Crochet Between the Lines pattern, by Tammy Canavan-Soldaat, then I urge you to have a look at the links I have included in this paragraph and If you want to read a great blog post about choosing your yarn shades and getting to grips with the designs then head over to Tammy's blog here. The light is really dingy and yellow here in the kitchen tonight, so I will share some images of my progress when it is brighter and I have more than 20cm of crochet to show you!
In this weeks newsletter I am focussing on the new knitwear trends for the winter. This is in relation to fashion rather than interior or making trends, but I am going to try to link to things that you could craft yourself as an alternative. I hope you will enjoy it.
Woolly Trends for Winter!
You don't have to look very far to find out that one of the key trends in knitwear this winter is knitted cables. Think traditional Arran sweaters with lots of great big fabulous cables and tons of bobbles. Think oversized and slouchy sweaters or cardis worn with jeans, but also tailored and neat tops worn tucked into pleated skirts over sequined dresses. The look is everywhere and it is easy to find wonderful patterns that totally sum up this lovely trend. You can also find a great video on YouTube, which illustrates this look perfectly by following this link.
Kim Hargreaves's new book 'Pale' totally refects this lovely trend and you can find more information and images of the 21 knitting patterns in her book by following this link or clicking on the image below
You might also want to take a look at the new Pom Pom magazine, which also features some really innovative designs that have clearly been designed in line with this trend. Knitters have been going a little bit bonkers about the Nightingale sweater by Norah Gaughan (shown below) so, why not see what all the fuss is about by following this link and taking a look at the new magazine preview images.
Fringing and eyelash style knitwear is also really making a move on the catwalks this winter. I know many of us shudder a little when faced with these kinds of yarns on the shelves at the yarn store and you do run the risk of being in trouble if you stand too close to an open fire or a lit cigarette in one of these garments, but trust me, furry style/fringe type knitwear is totally in!
Knitted oversized dresses and cardigans remain very fashionable too. Grandad knits with elaborate intarsia and soft teddy bear fur type textures were seen on many winter 18/19 catwalks with many garments worn in bright colours either off the shoulder or belted at the waist.
Knitted oversized dresses and cardigans remain very fashionable too. Grandad knits with elaborate intarsia and soft teddy bear fur type textures were seen on many winter 18/19 catwalks with many garments worn in bright colours either off the shoulder or belted at the waist.
Fairisle continues to be bang on trend and yoke sweaters that feature colour work even more so. If you haven't already come across the designs of Boyland Knitworks then you really need to take a look as the designs are wonderful. I particularly like Sunset Highway sweater which is shown in part below.
Boho looks also continue through to the winter with gradient yarns and mixtures of colours remaining at the heart of this look. Quite a few designers featured cut and patchworked styles, with the key colours being red, plum, fuchsia and tan, indeed many fashion forecasters have started to say that brown is the new black, so whether you choose peanut skin orangey brown or more camel tones - brown is definitely THE colour of the season.
I am so pleased that it seems blanket wraps and capes are to stay at the height of fashion this season. I adore this look and am really pleased that it has stayed in for another winter. Big soft blanket wraps are so incredibly handy as they can be stowed away in your bag if you're a little too warm or wrapped over your winter coat if it is particularly chillly - the one I had last year spent most of the winter either on my back, in my bag just in case I needed it or next to me on the sofa in front of the TV! This year it seems that the blanket wraps have got even bigger than last year, with many of them shown draped and tucked into belts. There are some great examples in the image below from the Vogue web site - you can click on the image to read more about the trend forecasts.
New! Summer Palace Blanket
Following the success of my Summer Palace wrap design, which was released a couple of months ago, this week we have put a blanket version of the design on the web site on a pre sale basis.
Following the success of my Summer Palace wrap design, which was released a couple of months ago, this week we have put a blanket version of the design on the web site on a pre sale basis.
In light of the article above I am now thinking that either version could work really well as my winter wrap/cape tucked into a belt, so I might have to steal them away from the studio for a while to test out that theory, especially as it is set to get colder here this coming week! Or I could just stick to the existing wrap version shown below?
It's nearly the weekend!
So, (for me anyway) it is now past 11pm and it has taken me a full 3 hours to sort out this week's newsletter, thus it will most definitely need to be known as a Friday newsletter on a Saturday - I hope you will forgive me for it's tardyness!
Over the course of this evening I have (as usual) been distracted from my original mission and instead been taken down a few rabbit holes looking at the winter trends and thinking about what little delights I might want to add to my wardrobe this year! I have been kind of considering a fashion diet for 2019 - my good friend and fellow Blogstar Emma Varnam has spent the last year on a Fashion Fast (you can read about it on her blog here), but as I don't actually buy all that much new stuff anyway and as a fast might involve me having to think about my yarn purchases too I think a true fashion diet may be a step too far for now. I do love this time of year though in regards to looking at clothes. I love that all the sparkly party dresses are appearing in the shops alongside cosy looking winter coats and boots and I REALLY love it when the new ranges of brushed cotton PJs and fluffy warm slippers make an appearance!!!
I am looking forward to a weekend at home at last and not only am I home, but it looks like all of the Crowfoot Clan may actually coincide within the house at some point - something that is a bit of a rarity these days! We do have plans for an early morning sprint to IKEA to pick up some new shelving for the studio tomorrow, but apart from that the weekend currently holds few plans.....
What will you be doing this weekend? I would love to hear about it, especially if you have something crafty lined up. All being well I will get to spend some time on my Between the Lines shawl and I hope we will light the open fire. It's the simple pleasures in the end isn't it!
I will be back next week with a piece about the art of Freeform crochet as requested by a few of you - I hope you will join me.
Wishing you a happy weekend lovely people!
Over the course of this evening I have (as usual) been distracted from my original mission and instead been taken down a few rabbit holes looking at the winter trends and thinking about what little delights I might want to add to my wardrobe this year! I have been kind of considering a fashion diet for 2019 - my good friend and fellow Blogstar Emma Varnam has spent the last year on a Fashion Fast (you can read about it on her blog here), but as I don't actually buy all that much new stuff anyway and as a fast might involve me having to think about my yarn purchases too I think a true fashion diet may be a step too far for now. I do love this time of year though in regards to looking at clothes. I love that all the sparkly party dresses are appearing in the shops alongside cosy looking winter coats and boots and I REALLY love it when the new ranges of brushed cotton PJs and fluffy warm slippers make an appearance!!!
I am looking forward to a weekend at home at last and not only am I home, but it looks like all of the Crowfoot Clan may actually coincide within the house at some point - something that is a bit of a rarity these days! We do have plans for an early morning sprint to IKEA to pick up some new shelving for the studio tomorrow, but apart from that the weekend currently holds few plans.....
What will you be doing this weekend? I would love to hear about it, especially if you have something crafty lined up. All being well I will get to spend some time on my Between the Lines shawl and I hope we will light the open fire. It's the simple pleasures in the end isn't it!
I will be back next week with a piece about the art of Freeform crochet as requested by a few of you - I hope you will join me.
Wishing you a happy weekend lovely people!
Welcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine....
As usual it has been all go here at Janie Crow this week - At the time that this email will drop into your inbox I will be at the Breidagen Show in Holland where I am joining the Stylecraft Blogstars for a couple of days. I will be teaching 2 'Crochet with Beads' workshops and 2 shorter 'Mystical Lanterns' mini workshops, for which there may well still be some tickets, so check out the web site for more information. If you are coming to the show, then make sure you come along and say hello! Do also be sure to check out my Instagram page so that you can keep tabs on me and my fellow Blogstars to see what is going on - I am getting a little better at remembering to post images on there!
The Netherlands is a really growing market for us in regards to crochet, so we will be heading back out there in a couple of weeks time to exhibit at the KreaDoe show in Utrecht, so it would be fabulous to see you there too!
Last week I spent a pretty bonkers couple of days at The Knitting and Stitching Show here in North London, where I was lucky enough to be given part of the Black Sheep Wools stand. Thank you to those of you who came along to say hello and see the new designs - it was wonderful to see so many of you and to hear your crochet stories.
As usual it has been all go here at Janie Crow this week - At the time that this email will drop into your inbox I will be at the Breidagen Show in Holland where I am joining the Stylecraft Blogstars for a couple of days. I will be teaching 2 'Crochet with Beads' workshops and 2 shorter 'Mystical Lanterns' mini workshops, for which there may well still be some tickets, so check out the web site for more information. If you are coming to the show, then make sure you come along and say hello! Do also be sure to check out my Instagram page so that you can keep tabs on me and my fellow Blogstars to see what is going on - I am getting a little better at remembering to post images on there!
The Netherlands is a really growing market for us in regards to crochet, so we will be heading back out there in a couple of weeks time to exhibit at the KreaDoe show in Utrecht, so it would be fabulous to see you there too!
Last week I spent a pretty bonkers couple of days at The Knitting and Stitching Show here in North London, where I was lucky enough to be given part of the Black Sheep Wools stand. Thank you to those of you who came along to say hello and see the new designs - it was wonderful to see so many of you and to hear your crochet stories.
One of the things I love about The Knitting and Stitching Show is that it attracts so many high profile knitters and crocheters who come along to do book signings, talks and demonstrations. I was chuffed to bits to finally get to meet Norwegian designers Arne and Carlos (above) and it was great to catch up with old friends and new alike at the UK Knitting and Crochet Awards - I will post some images of this in a few week's time.
This week my lovely friend and yarn aficionado Juliet Bernard has put together some words about her recent trip to The Shetland Wool Week. Juliet has also shared some more fabulous pictures and information about her trip on her blog 'A Kingfisher Morning', which you can find by following this link. You can also find an interview with Juliet on the Knitting and Crochet Guild web site, by following this link.
The Shetland Wool week is a huge event in the knitting (and yarn) calendar and the event is growing year on year with people travelling from all over the world to attend. Having been to Shetland a few times now I know first hand how beautiful the islands are and how friendly the people, so if you are thinking of a trip, then Wool Week is a perfect time to go. Next year will be the 10th Annual Week and it will run from the 28th September to the 6th October. You can find more information by following this link to the official web site.
I won't be flying home from Holland until Sunday, so I am really looking forward to my Dutch weekend away. I have only ever driven through Holland on my way to Germany, so I am excited about spending more time there. I have it in mind that it is a country of friendly people who understand the importance of craft and are taught it from an early age. I am also hoping that the food is all that I think it will be - I am thinking chips, mayonnaise and lots of apple pie! Oh and beer, but for now I leave you in the capable hands of Juliet and her lovely piece about Shetland Wool Week.....
This week my lovely friend and yarn aficionado Juliet Bernard has put together some words about her recent trip to The Shetland Wool Week. Juliet has also shared some more fabulous pictures and information about her trip on her blog 'A Kingfisher Morning', which you can find by following this link. You can also find an interview with Juliet on the Knitting and Crochet Guild web site, by following this link.
The Shetland Wool week is a huge event in the knitting (and yarn) calendar and the event is growing year on year with people travelling from all over the world to attend. Having been to Shetland a few times now I know first hand how beautiful the islands are and how friendly the people, so if you are thinking of a trip, then Wool Week is a perfect time to go. Next year will be the 10th Annual Week and it will run from the 28th September to the 6th October. You can find more information by following this link to the official web site.
I won't be flying home from Holland until Sunday, so I am really looking forward to my Dutch weekend away. I have only ever driven through Holland on my way to Germany, so I am excited about spending more time there. I have it in mind that it is a country of friendly people who understand the importance of craft and are taught it from an early age. I am also hoping that the food is all that I think it will be - I am thinking chips, mayonnaise and lots of apple pie! Oh and beer, but for now I leave you in the capable hands of Juliet and her lovely piece about Shetland Wool Week.....
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Shetland Wool Week 2018
For a whole year I have been looking forward to attending Shetland Wool Weekwith my friends and this event was one of the most uplifting and inspirational I have ever been to.
It’s really hard to sum up the experience in words because the whole week was full of memorable moments, amazing workshops, talks and drop in events, but here goes.....
The first thing you need to know is that you should book your accommodation now if you want to be part of next year’s event – it gets booked up pretty quickly.
The first thing you need to know is that you should book your accommodation now if you want to be part of next year’s event – it gets booked up pretty quickly.
The second thing is that it is really worth taking out a premium membership when they are released in 2019. As well as the goodies you get the full timetable in advance so that you can plan all the events you want to attend. When bookings go live there is a real scrum for tickets, so having your wish list ready is essential so you don’t miss out.
That’s the ‘housekeeping’ out of the way.
Once you land in Shetland by air or sea you can expect a very warm welcome. We decided to arrive a few days early so that we could explore because the scenery is quite stunning.
That’s the ‘housekeeping’ out of the way.
Once you land in Shetland by air or sea you can expect a very warm welcome. We decided to arrive a few days early so that we could explore because the scenery is quite stunning.
Everywhere we went we met people in the official Shetland Wool Week hat. It was a great icebreaker and a chance to chat with some of the hundreds of people that travel to the islands from all over the world.
There are lots of places to shop for Shetland goodies such as fudge and chocolate and, of course, yarn! We visited Jamieson’s (shop and factory), Jamieson and Smith and the Makers Market for really unique yarns.
I was lucky enough to get a space on three really excellent workshops, but it’s not just about the teaching. There are drop in events all over Shetland held by local knitting groups who throw their doors open to you. The skills of these ladies (and they are mostly ladies) are astonishing and it’s fascinating to watch them using their knitting belts – they knit so fast, barely looking at their work. Everyone was happy to pass on tips and answer questions.
Then there’s the cake! In Shetland they have 11 O’clocks, 3 O’clocks and 8 O’clocks, which all involve copious amounts of tea and the most delicious homemade cakes. Some days I ate cake 3 times – well, it would have been rude not to!
We had the most brilliant time, so if you get the chance to go don’t think twice. You won’t regret it.
Juliet x x
We had the most brilliant time, so if you get the chance to go don’t think twice. You won’t regret it.
Juliet x x
It's nearly the weekend!
Next week Sarah will be here with a piece about making and giving hand made presents. I can't believe just how fast the Festive Season is approaching, so I am really hoping that Sarah has a few speedy tips for gift making.
I always have big plans this time of year, which mostly fail to materialise on the 'Big Day', but one thing I do tend to get sorted are my knit and crochet related tree decorations and this year I have already nabbed myself a couple of really lovely things in the shape of some knitted butterfly and festive sweater decorations from Anthropologie. You can find a link to these by clicking on the images below:
I always have big plans this time of year, which mostly fail to materialise on the 'Big Day', but one thing I do tend to get sorted are my knit and crochet related tree decorations and this year I have already nabbed myself a couple of really lovely things in the shape of some knitted butterfly and festive sweater decorations from Anthropologie. You can find a link to these by clicking on the images below:
The decorations are a bit of an investment, but I know they will bring me great pleasure and the butterflies are made in collaboration with designer Max Alexander, who has forged a relationship with the store. Anthroplogie say of her:
'Sparked by a desire to always wear something wooly, even in the warmer months, Max Alexander began making knit jewellery in 2009, and expanded into the creation of large-scale knit sculptures and award-winning stop-motion animations. This season, her detailed creatures epitomize the warmth and cosiness of spending the holidays at home.'
Last year I treated myself to some decorations designed by Kate Jenkins, a knitwear and crochet designer that I love. This year she has produced the cute crochet Gingerbread Man shown below. As with the previous images, click on the picture below to be taken to the store.
'Sparked by a desire to always wear something wooly, even in the warmer months, Max Alexander began making knit jewellery in 2009, and expanded into the creation of large-scale knit sculptures and award-winning stop-motion animations. This season, her detailed creatures epitomize the warmth and cosiness of spending the holidays at home.'
Last year I treated myself to some decorations designed by Kate Jenkins, a knitwear and crochet designer that I love. This year she has produced the cute crochet Gingerbread Man shown below. As with the previous images, click on the picture below to be taken to the store.
If you are thinking of making some woolly decorations yourself the Anthropologie site has some great ideas, including pom pom door wreaths and felt garlands, so why not take a look?
If, like me, you are already beginning to think beyond December and into next year then you might be interested to know that there are still places on the Knit For Peace trip to Mysore. The workshops which take place on the trip will be tutored by Renee Callahan and you can find more information by folowing this link.
Tickets for Vogue Knitting Live in New York in January are also now live. The package tickets were released last week, but you can now go onto the web site and purchase class and market place tickets. You can view the main web site by following this link and can book tickets by following this one.
I have had an email from the President of the New York City Crochet Guild and am really hopeful that I can get to meet some of the members at the show. I have emailed the Guild President suggesting we meet up, but have yet to hear back, so if you are a member of the guild could you let me know if the email has been received? My emails can get caught up in spam settings and I would hate to miss the opportunity to meet members of the guild at the show.
Broadway actress and avid crocheter Sutton Foster has been named as the speaker at the Gala Dinner at VKLive, so I am really hopeful that the show will be a great platform for crochet design and that I will get to meet lots of NYC based crafters. If you are planning to come along please let me know - perhaps a group of us can arrange to meet up for a drink and a chat about our love of crochet and all things yarny somewhere?
As October speeds past us I am looking forward to some studio time after the next Dutch show as I am itching to get involved in some new design work. I love the anticipation of new projects, so fingers crossed that my crochet mojo is on the way back!
Wherever you are and whatever you are knitting, crocheting or crafting, as always we would love to hear from you, so do hit reply and let us know what you are up to.
Happy Weekend!
If, like me, you are already beginning to think beyond December and into next year then you might be interested to know that there are still places on the Knit For Peace trip to Mysore. The workshops which take place on the trip will be tutored by Renee Callahan and you can find more information by folowing this link.
Tickets for Vogue Knitting Live in New York in January are also now live. The package tickets were released last week, but you can now go onto the web site and purchase class and market place tickets. You can view the main web site by following this link and can book tickets by following this one.
I have had an email from the President of the New York City Crochet Guild and am really hopeful that I can get to meet some of the members at the show. I have emailed the Guild President suggesting we meet up, but have yet to hear back, so if you are a member of the guild could you let me know if the email has been received? My emails can get caught up in spam settings and I would hate to miss the opportunity to meet members of the guild at the show.
Broadway actress and avid crocheter Sutton Foster has been named as the speaker at the Gala Dinner at VKLive, so I am really hopeful that the show will be a great platform for crochet design and that I will get to meet lots of NYC based crafters. If you are planning to come along please let me know - perhaps a group of us can arrange to meet up for a drink and a chat about our love of crochet and all things yarny somewhere?
As October speeds past us I am looking forward to some studio time after the next Dutch show as I am itching to get involved in some new design work. I love the anticipation of new projects, so fingers crossed that my crochet mojo is on the way back!
Wherever you are and whatever you are knitting, crocheting or crafting, as always we would love to hear from you, so do hit reply and let us know what you are up to.
Happy Weekend!
Janie's Friday Feature on a Saturday!
This is a speedy email to apologise for the fact that you have not been sent a Friday Feature Newsletter for the last 2 weeks and to quickly update you on a few things that are happening over the next week or so......
Last week we were at Yarndale and the lead up to the show was so busy that the Friday Feature Newsletter didn't materialise. This week we have had a bit of a personal disaster in that our home was broken into on Thursday evening so Friday was spent clearing up the house rather than sorting out a newsletter. Thankfully very little was taken, but in the space of the 4 minutes that the burgulars were in our home they did manage to make a huge amount of mess!
I know that I owe you a newsletter which focuses on my recent visit to Charleston House - this will now be scheduled for next Friday, but I wanted to write a quick email today to thank all those of you who drooped onto the stand at Yarndale last week to say hello and to remind you all that we will be at The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace next week - you can find more information about this below.
Today is also the day when the lovely guys at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival release their class lists for next year. I will be teaching 2 workshops and the listings of all workshops will be live on the EYF web site at 4pm this afternoon. You can book workshops next Saturday the 13th October. The link to the EYF web site is here.
I hope that wherever you are you are having a nice weekend and I look forward to getting back to normal and being in touch again next week. If you have anything you would like to share with us, as always, please hit reply.
This is a speedy email to apologise for the fact that you have not been sent a Friday Feature Newsletter for the last 2 weeks and to quickly update you on a few things that are happening over the next week or so......
Last week we were at Yarndale and the lead up to the show was so busy that the Friday Feature Newsletter didn't materialise. This week we have had a bit of a personal disaster in that our home was broken into on Thursday evening so Friday was spent clearing up the house rather than sorting out a newsletter. Thankfully very little was taken, but in the space of the 4 minutes that the burgulars were in our home they did manage to make a huge amount of mess!
I know that I owe you a newsletter which focuses on my recent visit to Charleston House - this will now be scheduled for next Friday, but I wanted to write a quick email today to thank all those of you who drooped onto the stand at Yarndale last week to say hello and to remind you all that we will be at The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace next week - you can find more information about this below.
Today is also the day when the lovely guys at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival release their class lists for next year. I will be teaching 2 workshops and the listings of all workshops will be live on the EYF web site at 4pm this afternoon. You can book workshops next Saturday the 13th October. The link to the EYF web site is here.
I hope that wherever you are you are having a nice weekend and I look forward to getting back to normal and being in touch again next week. If you have anything you would like to share with us, as always, please hit reply.
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The Knitting and Stitching Show
We are so excited that the lovely folks at Black Sheep Wools have allowed us to take over an area of their stand at the forthcoming Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. The show starts on Thursday the 11th and runs through to next Sunday the 14th October. The Black Sheep stand is in the main hall by the large stained glass window.
We will have the new Royal Garden blankets on display at the show alongside the new Summer Palace Wrap and will also be taking all my other blankets, books and patterns. I will be on the stand on Thursday and Saturday, so it would be lovely to see you if you are visiting the show.
There's still time to book your ticket to take part in one of the workshops at the show, but you need to hurry as they only have a limited number of places remaining.
The Knitting & Stitching Show offers one of the biggest programmes of specialised textile workshops in the UK. There are over 230 classes to choose from, all taught by leading experts in their fields. Sessions include dress-making, upcycling, applique, shisha embroidery, wet-felting, screen printing, shibori and many more.
Advance bookings for the workshops cease at midnight on Sunday 7th October (tomorrow). Remaining workshop tickets can be purchased at the show, but they recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
Our lovely friend Luise will be teaching a couple of really interesting knitting workshops - 'How to Knit a Small Sphere' and 'How to Knit a Beaded Button Cover'. You can find more info by following this link. The fabulous Jo Smith will be teaching at the show too and she still has a very limited number of places left on her class programme.
The Knitting & Stitching Show offers one of the biggest programmes of specialised textile workshops in the UK. There are over 230 classes to choose from, all taught by leading experts in their fields. Sessions include dress-making, upcycling, applique, shisha embroidery, wet-felting, screen printing, shibori and many more.
Advance bookings for the workshops cease at midnight on Sunday 7th October (tomorrow). Remaining workshop tickets can be purchased at the show, but they recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
Our lovely friend Luise will be teaching a couple of really interesting knitting workshops - 'How to Knit a Small Sphere' and 'How to Knit a Beaded Button Cover'. You can find more info by following this link. The fabulous Jo Smith will be teaching at the show too and she still has a very limited number of places left on her class programme.
Yarndale 2018
We had an amazing time at Yarndale last week. As always it was a really exciting show and there was a lot going on. It was really great to get to say hello to so many of you and it was lovely to hear about how much you are enjoying the newsletters.
I think the show had grown in size yet again this year and I was especially excited to discover that the yarn company Scheepjes had a stand there - not only that, but they had also invited a group of their amazing bloggers along to meet and greet people on the stand. It was as lovely as always to see our friend the lovely Dedri Uys along with designer Carmen Jorissen (pictured above) and I was beyond excited to finally get to meet the amazing Rachel Carmona (aka Cypress Textiles) who is one of my crochet heroes - if you don't already know about her work then you need to head over to her web site for more info - her Instagram feed is also fabulous!
You can find some images taken at the show on my Instagram feed by following this link.
It is the weekend!
I am feeling a little out of sync today and keep having to remind myself what day it is. The weather here in North London is pretty dismal, so it looks like it is shaping up to be a couch potato kind of a day, but that's probably a good thing after the stress of the last 36 hours or so and given that we have a lot going on next week and over the forthcoming months - when things are busy it is always so nice to know that the weekend offers the comfort of home.
Hoping you are having a fabulous weekend whatever it is you have planned....
Hoping you are having a fabulous weekend whatever it is you have planned....
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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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