February Newsletter

14/2/2020

After another busy week I most definitely have the Friday Feeling today and I hope that wherever you are you are looking forward to the weekend too.

This is the first ‘proper’ newsletter of 2020. January went by in a flash and it is had to believe that we are already half way through February. With the India trip on the horizon at the turn of the year it was hard to think about plans for 2020, but, as I said last week in my mini catch up, I am beginning to sort out my ideas for the year and am looking forward to sharing more images and information with you over the forthcoming weeks.

My focus since coming home from India a fortnight ago has been the new CAL design that I will be releasing in the spring. The patterns are written and are being checked and we did the photo shoot yesterday – I am almost at bursting point in my eagerness to show you the inspiration for the project, the design itself and the fabulous images from yesterday, but I have to sit on it for a few more weeks. We will be showing the design to the trade at a show this weekend and so sneaky peeks and more info is not far away…..

With the design process for the CAL now over I am beginning to think about new projects. I have a few ideas for new designs and will be giving some older projects a 2020 makeover. Within the next few weeks I will be re-releasing a project called Imogen, which was originally designed as a christening blanket. As soon as we have the patterns I will share a link with you.

I have quite a few things to tell you about this month – I have included a quick summary of the trip to Mysore, which is accompanied by a piece that Sarah has contributed about the history of Indigo dye and Kantha stitching. I also have some of the usual features, including my Instagram Favourite and Eco product of the month.

I hope that you are able to find the time to settle down in my company for a few minutes and that there will be something within this email that inspires you, whether it be an idea for a crochet project, or the recipe for ‘Vegan Richa’s’ yummy breakfast cookies that I have provided links for lower down….

Mysore 2020 - Knit For Peace

I talk about luck all the time and I would really hate for people to think that I take for granted the experiences that I have been able to have due to the kindness of other people or the happenstance of being in the right place at the right time. I don’t believe in sayings like ‘you make your own luck’ and am a huge believer in fate and love the idea of karma. I know that for many people trips like the one I have recently experienced with the Knit For Peace group are out of reach financially and physically, so when I say that I am incredibly lucky to have been invited to teach in India for a third time I really do mean it.

We were in Mysore for almost two weeks, well 10 nights if you take into account the time spent travelling. I was lucky enough (see there it is again!) to have Juliet Bernard accompany me as my workshop assistant this time and, with a group of 23 knitters, I was incredibly grateful for all her help.

Over the 6 week period before leaving on the trip I had been busy preparing two workshop projects for the group. One was a knitted bag design, the other was crochet, and I based my inspiration for the pieces on a lovely handmade patchwork throw I found in the Green Hotel Boutique on my last visit to Mysore. The throw features small squares of block printed indigo dyed fabric, pieced together with Kantha stitching and decorated with mirrors and simple embroidery. You will find more information about Indigo dye and Kantha stitching in Sarah’s written piece lower down this email. While looking at the origins of Kantha stitching I came across a piece about an award winning Kantha stictcher in Bengal – you can find the piece by following this link where you will find loads of amazing inspiration!

The patterns for the Mysore projects may well be available later on in the year, so do look out for them if you fancy having a go at some of the techniques I used. One side of the crochet bag is based on my ‘Summer Palace’ design, which in turn was inspired by the Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Mysore.

On weekday mornings the group had 3 hours of workshop time in the Hotel gardens and in the afternoon they were free to go shopping or sightseeing. On certain days we visited some of the charity’s initiatives around the city, including a school library, the slum projects (that include a feeding programme for malnourished children, support of a doctor and give some basic education), a visit to the boy’s orphanage (an incredibly joyful experience) and a chance to see donations for the Good Gifts catalogue in situ – this year we visited a lady who had been given 6 goats and had done such a good job looking after them that she now has 16!

It is always a joy to be in the company of other knitters and crocheters. Gather a group of knitters and crocheters together in one place and it seems to me that they will instantly find common ground and make great friendships. It has been a real privilege for me to take part in this process and I love the fact that I belong to some really fabulous on line groups formed of participants on workshops. The Knit For Peace holidays are a not only about learning new techniques and visiting incredible projects, they are about making friends and creating lasting and meaningful associations with others.

Knit For Peace will be running a trip to Jaipur in February 2021 – you can find a brief summary of the trip below and you can register your interest by following this link.

‘Textile and Handicrafts holiday, February 2012. Charming Hotel (Narain Niwas) centrally placed, with a large garden, swimming pool and spa. As ever with Knit for Peace holidays , a rare opportunity to see lots of projects and workshops not open to the public. Jaipur is arguably the most romantic and colourful city in India. As well as the wonderful palaces, markets and museums, the shopping is amazing!

This will be a slightly different holiday. It will suit knitters and crocheters of all standards. Rather than a formal course, knitters will be encouraged to try different techniques, with knitting doctors on hand to help.

There will be visits to craft workshops, palaces, museums (not generally open to the public). Rajasthan is so rich in wonderful buildings and nature reserves, this holiday provides a perfect opportunity to combine good company, build friendships, enjoy wonderful colours and crafts of India.’

Indigo and Kantha Stitching

Hello again! Sarah here with a bit of background information about Indigo Dye and Kantha stitching – the inspiration for Jane’s Mysore workshop projects.

Indigo:

Indigo is one of the oldest and most easily recognised natural dyes. Translated from the Greek word indikon, it literally means ‘from India’. It has an enduring appeal and never goes out of fashion, despite its turbulent history.

During the 16th Century indigo was traded with Europe along with silks and spices and soon became regarded as the best source of blue dye as it was stronger and more reliable than woad, however, European woad farmers felt increasingly threatened by indigo from India and it became illegal to use it in Europe. Indigo was banned in England until 1660, but was eventually legalised again during the mid eighteenth Century because of its unfailing qualities.

Sadly in the early 20th Century the West exploited many indigo farmers in India, forcing them to plant indigo rather than food. In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi supported the peaceful protests of workers in Bihar. Today many of those indigo plantations have been replaced with rice. Indigo is inextricably linked to Indian culture; blue is the colour of the Ashoka Chakra wheel at the centre of the Indian flag. It is the colour of the Hindu God, Krishna – the God of compassion and love. It is also the colour of the strip worn by the Indian cricket team!

Our fascination with indigo looks set to continue with designers like Tom Ford using it in their catwalk collections and a new generation of crafters and artisans discovering the huge potential of dyeing with indigo.

Kantha Stitching:

Like so many textile traditions, kantha stitching grew out of necessity. Kantha quilts were originally made by poor Bengali women to keep their loved ones warm in the belief that repurposing old cloth kept the wearer safe. Stitching has often been the voice of women over the centuries and through their stitching, Bengali women were able to tell stories. It was common for a quilt to be stitched by at least three generations.

The simplest kantha quilts consist of layers of old saris stitched together with a simple running stitch. The threads used for stitching were taken from the hems of the old saris or dhotis. Running stitches are used to create pattern and texture, sometimes inspired by sacred geometry or religious symbols and sometimes by the natural world.

There is a spiritual dimension to kantha too - ‘making whole again that which is fragmented or broken’. This may resonate with you on many levels. Kantha quilts remind us of how important it is to use our resources wisely, not to discard but to repurpose. When cloth is repurposed, something unique is created and it allows a new generation to tell its own story.

Sarah x
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Eco Product of the Month

My friend and avid crochet fan, Jan Burrel introduced me to the products at Bee Inspired a few months ago when she gave me some fabric/beeswax food covers. The design Jan gave me was William Morris’s Strawberry thief, so the wraps tied in with my recent Climbing Rose Wrap design.

Beeswax bowl or food covers are a really great alternative to clingfilm and plastic bags and the covers from ‘Bee Inspired’ won the Beauty Shortlist Best Eco Product in 2018. Here is what the web site says:

‘Designed to wrap sandwiches, cover any food or leftovers, with the exception of raw meat or fish. Either wrap the food or cover containers with these flexible cloths. Use the warmth of your hands to seal the wrap. Beeswax does not absorb smells nor bacteria which is why these are so perfect!
They are reuseable, just wash in cool or cold water with a little mild detergent and air dry. When your wrap looks worn out simply place on a piece of baking parchment in a cool oven (110 0c) for a few minutes to refresh. Use and re-use – save the planet 1 wrap at a time!’

You can find a link to the bowl covers here and a link to other products on the web site here.

Gotta Love a Good Cookbook!

I have already used the book a few times. The recipes appear to be easy and hassle free and there are so many to choose from including main courses, side dishes, puddings and cookies.

The book is called Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen and you can find it here.

This weekend I am hoping to make Richa’s Breakfast Cookies. Andy and I are both big fans of breakfast, but, despite the fact that I made breakfast for my kids every day of their school lives, neither of them seem to be too fussed about eating before they head off to work, preferring to stay in bed a bit longer and grab a breakfast bar or cookie from the shop on their way to work!

To cut down on the amount of pre-packaged food they eat I am hoping that they will be fans of these and will be happy to chomp on one on the tube each morning! Summer has already perfected the art of making vegan brownies (the best on the planet) so I have my fingers crossed that she will enjoy making these too.

The recipe, along side loads of other free recipes, features on the Vegan Richa web site here. I will let you know what they are like.

Instagram Favourite

Emma Littlefair is a brand new member of the Stylecraft Blogstar team. She published her first crochet book in 2017 called ‘Round and Round the Crochet Hook’, but learnt to crochet a chain stitch when she was only 11 years old. Learning from books and YouTube videos she still loves to try out new techniques and stitches to bring into her designs.

Emily says she.....

'finds inspiration all around. She sees possibilities for crochet everywhere she looks, shapes and patterns in nature, architecture, anything really. An idea can pop into her head at any time. When she is designing patterns, she tends not to plan things and let the hook and yarn take over.

Her eye for colour is refreshing and one of her most popular designs ‘Connie’s Ray of Hope’, perfectly captures this. The round wall hanging was designed in memory of Connie Johnson (a fellow Australian) to raise awareness of breast cancer.

For 2020 Emily is planning a Mindful CAL. She has always found crochet to be a coping mechanism, whether it be just a little escape from reality or some ‘me’ time. Lately, she is finding it to be very mindful and is paying more attention to what she is doing instead of being distracted by the simplest of things.

If you crochet, you are a crocheter. It doesn’t matter how fast or how much. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day, or if you’ve been crocheting for 20 years. There is no test to pass, no licence to earn, no membership to get. You just crochet.''

You can find Emily's web site here.

Interview with Debbie Bliss

I worked with Debbie many moons ago and she taught me a huge amount about design work and teaching. She is one of my crafty heroes so it was great to see and hear her looking so well and positive on this recent interview from Love Crafts.

Patron of The Knitting & Crochet Guild

I feel very honoured to have been asked to be a patron of the UK Knitting and Crochet Guild.

Crochet has traditionally been seen as the poor cousin to hand knitting, but it's popularity has been growing steadily over the last decade and many designers are finally managing to shed the 'Granny Square' image and are really pushing the boundaries of the craft. The crochet community are artistic, creative, diverse and more and more representative of BIPOC designers and makers, which I feel makes this is a really exciting time to be given the chance to play a role within the guild.

It's Nearly the Weekend

When I was younger Friday was the night that we would go clubbing. We used to head to the pub first then jump on one of the last tube trains into London and dance the night away at the Astoria Rock Night, heading home around 4 or 5am on the night bus! These days my idea of an ideal Friday night is a lovely soul feeding meal at home followed by an evening of crochet or knitting on the settee, so I am hopeful that this is what this evening has in store for me!

This weekend we have the threat of another storm here in the UK, so I hope that wherever you are you stay safe and happy and I want to leave you with a saying that I feel is apt on Valentines Day, especially as not everyone can share it with a loved one...