Getting in the crafty christmas spirit!

4/12/2020

Quick Catch up

My goodness! Just like that it is Friday again and I am here with a quick catch up email. As usual it has been a bit of a bonkers week here at Janie Crow and Just Knots HQ but we are feeling really positive this Friday after a week of better news in regards to the pandemic here in the UK at least with the Pfizer vaccinations getting the go ahead. We know that we will still face lots of restrictions over the coming months, but hopefully better times for all of us are not too far away...

Last weekend we managed to get the Christmas decorations down out of the loft but the boxes have remained unpacked all week, so hopefully we will make it a priority to get the house decorated this weekend. I love getting the festive bits and bobs out, but it is going to be strange for us all this year with pared back arrangements and less interaction with the extended family and friends. I hope that whatever your situation is that you have managed to make at least some plans for a little celebration.

From a creative point of view I am very pleased to report that my crojo has definitely returned after a few worrying months where I was feeling wholly uninspired. So many of you emailed me with great tips about how to cope with a loss of motivation and you were all so supportive, thank you!

I have a few things to tell you about this week so I hope you have 5 minutes for a quick catch up and wherever you are and whatever you have planned I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

Getting into the Festive Spirit

There will be just 7 of us getting together for a few days over Christmas, but we are still looking forward to the festive season, partly because it will mean a little bit of time off and that all important rest and recuperation so that we are fit and ready for whatever 2021 will throw at us.

I am a big lover of the summer time, when days are longer and warmer, but I also really like this time of year at home when we can shut out the dark and cold and enjoy cosy nights in front of the fire and some hearty, warming meals together. As I sit here at the studio writing this email it is dismal outside, almost as if it is getting dark at 2pm and so I am already thinking about what project I might pick up and work on in the comfort of my settee later on! The thought of twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, some lovely scented candles and a few festive treats makes this thought even more enticing..

Yesterday evening I had a sudden urge to rearrange our bedroom and in the process I managed to sort out the light up decorative tree that we usually have here at the studio. I have put an image of it on the Janie Crow Lifestyle Instagram page this morning along with an invitation for you to tell me your thoughts on the big fake vs real Christmas tree debate. If you want to see the post you can find it here.

Our main tree is an artificial one. I bought it about 10 years ago when the children were small because I fell in love with the snow covered look that came into fashion around then. A decade down the line and I am not sure I would make the same decision again, but I still love my tree and envisage it being a lifelong companion. What I miss about a real tree is the smell of fresh fir, but I certainly don't miss having to vacuum the pine needles up daily or having to do quick clean up jobs when the tree has an accidental wobble!

There are lots of facts and figures about whether it is ethical to have a fake tree, but there are lots about having a real one too! I suppose in an ideal world we shouldn't really have either (bah humbug!) so I guess the best way to approach it is to stick with a fake tree if you already have one (the suggestion is that you should have an imitation one for at least 10 years) or, if you are a fan of real trees try to make sure you get one that comes from a sustainable source and dispose of it in the correct way as trees that end up in landfill can create a lot of methane gas. There is an article here that you might find interesting in regards to weighing up the pros and cons of both.

If you are looking to create a sweet festive treat that could also make a great gift for someone, Summer has posted her recipe for rum & raisin fudge on her Instagram feed Rosie Baker. I can vouch for the fact that the fudge is amazing, but do be careful with the amount of rum you add as this will have an effect on how well it sets!

We have some great stocking filler type gifts in stock within the new lifestyle brand on Janie Crow. The Friendly Soaps have been going like hot cakes, so we have just created another order and hope that more stock should arrive here next week. The Travel Soap bars are brilliant 'all rounders' and can be used as body soap, shampoo and can even be used to wash your clothes. I am currently in love with the Cinnamon and Cedarwood bars, which smell wonderfully festive. Other good choices are the Rose and Geranimum, which smells and looks like Turkish Delight and the selection boxes, which make a really great treat! You can find a video on the Friendly Soap YouTube channel that shows their production process by following this link.

All Friendly Soaps are made in Yorkshire and this is what they have to say about them:

'We’re a wee bit obsessive at Friendly, and putting ethics before profits underpins everything here. That’s why our products aren’t just vegan, or cruelty-free, or made by people paid a living wage, without using plastic, preservatives, sulphates or triclosan. They’re all of these things. Sure, we could make more money doing things less ethically, but all we ever really wanted to make was a difference.

For soaps this ethical we use a cold-process method handed down through generations of makers. It creates no by-products and relies on old-fashioned elbow grease, with every bar poured, cut and packed by hand, right here in Yorkshire. The soap is biodegradable too, so it’s better for the planet even once you’ve used it. Our recycled and recyclable packaging is just us being sticklers.'

*Please note that some of the shampoo and conditioner bars are not suitable for hard water areas.

If you are looking for some little gifts we also have some great telescopic metal straws that come in a metal case that can be attached to your bag or your key ring. These come in silver or rose gold and are super handy. My final recommendation, although not strictly the kind of thing you might use as a stocking filler, is one of the fabulous fragrances of Scence deodorant. This is a product that we all really love here and out of all the items we have chosen for the Lifestyle range this is probably our favourite so far. The deodorants smell good, don't leave a sticky mess on your skin and come in cardboard packaging that does not break down in any way during use. With a £12 price tag these do seem expensive but they honestly last for ages. I have been using the same one daily since the end of October and am barely half way through the tube. Oh! and they really work!

If you are looking for a great festive drink then you might fancy giving Andy's Marmalade Gin a try. A few years ago we were introduced to the delight of this drink by a friend of ours who had made it for one of her pre-Christmas parties and Andy has been making it ever since so it has become a firm favourite with our family!

This scrummy gin is good on it’s own with lots of ice, or served with tonic or sparkling wine and it is super easy to make! You need to leave it to rest for a couple of weeks, so this weekend would be the perfect time to get it ready!

You will need:
A large airtight Kilner type jar - sterilised.
A muslin cloth and a funnel for straining.
A bottle to store it in once it is ready.

Ingredients:
A bottle of cheap gin – no need to use the expensive stuff!
A jar of good quality marmalade.
2 bay leaves.
A large slice or 2 of fresh orange peel - not zest.

Method:
Add all the ingredients to the Kilner type jar and stir well.
Seal the jar and leave it in a dark place for 2 weeks giving it a little shake every few days.
After 2 weeks strain the mixture through muslin a couple of times to ensure there is no residue left in the liquid and transfer to your (sterilised) bottle.

Cheers!

Supporting Designer Makers - Jo Smith

I have known Jo for a long time and I have always admired her fabulous use of colour. Jo is a crochet designer unafraid to use bright clashing colours in a way that works brilliantly making her crochet creations perfect for decorations, shawls, blankets and jewellery. I am really happy to have a fabulous collection of Jo's handmade creations for sale in the Janie Crow shop just in time for the festive season.

Jo is a crocheter, knitter, early years specialist, grandma, gardener, and crochet teacher. Jo loves sharing her skills and has regularly led crochet workshops at the Knitting and Stitching Shows and at Waltham Abbey Wool Show. Jo’s work has an exuberance and childlike energy and joy. She uses a cacophony of colour and sparkle, making pieces that are vibrant, sometimes gaudy and always joyful. Her colour choices may look like a crazy random mix of rainbows and neons and sparkles but are always carefully considered so each complements or contrasts with others to make the piece sing.

Jo has been crocheting for over 50 years and makes blankets, wraps, bags, cushions garlands, etc. if it can be crocheted, Jo has crocheted it. Jo delights in experimenting with colour, pattern and texture. As she makes one thing she’s already working out different colours patterns and stitches to try next. So you will never find 2 things the same. Everything she makes is unique.

You can find a link to more information about Jo here on the Janie Crow web site and there is a link to the items that Jo has designed in stock here. I am particularly smitten by the bauble style crochet 'bead' necklaces and bracelet! Click on the images for more information.

I think all of Jo's creations would make the perfect way to brighten up a quieter Christmas than usual...

Give a Hog a Home
Sarah Hazell

Since moving into their home on the edge of Dartmoor, my brother and his wife have started providing food, water and shelter for hedgehogs in their garden. I thought you might like to see and read about what they have been up to, so this is what Simon has to say:

'Hedgehogs are brilliant! They are not only amazing creatures to have roaming around the garden, but they do a very effective job of hoovering up those pesky slugs that otherwise create havoc in the veg plot and flower borders. However, while there were an estimated 30 million hedgehogs in the UK during the 1950s, there are now fewer than one million roaming our gardens and hedgerows, which is a 50% decline since 2000 alone. Organisations such as the British Hedgehog Preservation Society are looking to alleviate this, along with the help of the eco-friendly British public.

We provide the local hedgehogs with dried cat food - the best is chicken and it’s cheap! I have made covered shelters that have a small opening and a further obstacle at the entrance that allow hedgehogs in (and out!) but not cats – our recent night-time video clips confirms that this works. We also provide water in old drip trays or saucers, both of which are shared with the garden birds. To our amazement, the night-time clips also show that the hedgehogs drink from the pond that we dug out during the ‘lockdown summer’. The edge of the pond has a shallow slope, which is important for hedgehog safety.

We feel very lucky to share our garden with such amazing animals, and to also share our clips with those living in urban areas, for whom seeing a hedgehog in the wild is an unlikely event. We are also fortunate in having a caring vet as a close neighbour, who is also on-hand to offer help and advice when needed.'

We will put Simon's video in next week's newsletter but in the mean time you can find a great award winning film 'Hedgehog Close' made by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society by following this link.

Mini Stockings

There is still time to make some crochet decorations and these cute little crochet stockings would look great hung on the Christmas Tree. They are big enough to fit in a small gift, so you could make some to use as an alternative to gift wrapping, or, if you fancy making 24 of them, you could create your own advent calendar and pop in some scrummy chocolate treats to enjoy during December!

The stockings do not use much yarn so are a great stash busting project too! Why not try making stockings with brightly coloured stripes from lots of colours or add different types of decoration on the cuffs like bright pom-poms or bigger beads?

The pattern includes the instructions for four variations of the stocking. Two of the stockings are striped and two have a cuff. One stocking has a beaded cuff and another has a crochet holly detail. The pattern is written for DK weight of yarn and the stockings are worked in the round. The pattern is written in UK terms and has a chart for US equivalents at the front of the brochure.

The pattern is £5.95 and you can get the paper pattern via the web site here or you can download it via Ravelry or Etsy.

Festive Decorations

I love the way unpacking the decorations year after year and arranging them around the house brings back lots of lovely memories and good feelings. Handmade decorations make extra special gifts as they convey that sentiment too and are a great way of using up odds and ends of yarn from your stash.

For these hanging decorations I have used four shades of yarn for a more contemporary, simple look, but I think these would also look great made with all sorts of yarn types and colours with added buttons, beads and ribbon to add in a big splash of fun!

The pattern in written for five decorations and I have included an alternative shade sequence for each one, so you can see I have included ten decorations in the images.

The pattern is written in UK terms, but includes a list of US equivalents. The pattern is available as an 8 page paper brochure or you can purchase a download copy via Ravelry or Etsy.

Walking for Shelter

Team Janie Crow will be walking 10k on Thursday to help raise funds for the homeless charity Shelter. Andy and I will walk whatever the weather has in store on the day here in North London (even though the walk can be done between the 10th & the 13th December) as those living on the streets don't get to choose what type of weather conditions they are homeless in. Sarah and Paul will be walking on the same day in Birmingham too.

We are so grateful to all those of you who have already donated and we are so pleased to have raised £290 already, which is totally amazing! Thank you!

If you want to donate you can do so by following this link and you can find out more about Shelter's invaluable work and the Big Walk by following this link.

Janie Crow Catalogue

Don't forget that you can check out my back catalogue of designs by taking a look at the Janie Crow brochure. Simply click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the full colour download version or pop one in your cart alongside any other purchases on the Janie Crow web site and we will send you a paper copy for free.

It's Nearly the Weekend!

It has been really great seeing all the images of your Christmas makes on social media. I particularly like seeing all the festive decorations made from stash yarns and it has been a treat to see so many of you making the crochet decorations that featured in Inside Crochet Magazine this month.

The yarn substitution document for Part 3 of the Love Is Enough version of my Fruit Garden CAL went live on Tuesday and we do still have some stock of the Night & Dusk packs featuring the Bamboo + Cotton yarn.

As lockdown restrictions have eased slightly this week we are hoping to get out to do a bit of Christmas shopping over the weekend, but with the forecast looking a bit chilly and damp we are sure to be spending most of our time being the 'home bunnies' that we are - pottering around at home and keeping cosy in the knowledge that we are incredibly fortunate to be able to do so.

Don't forget that you can get in touch by simply hitting reply, so please let me know if you have any suggestions for techniques or questions that you might want answered in the December newsletter. I hope that wherever you are and whatever you have planned for the weekend you will find some time to indulge in a spot of crafting too and I hope you keep safe and well.

I have been nominated within the Craft Influencer of the Year category of the Craft Business Awards once again. I was fortunate enough to win this award for 2020 and would love to do so again. If you would like to vote for me then click on this link or on the image below to be taken to the online voting forms.

---Support Me---