It's Cool To Crochet

Janie's Friday Feature

Welcome to this week's Friday Feature Newsletter - the Janie Crow equivalent of a Sunday supplement magazine....

Hello! Here I am at last with a Friday Feature newsletter. It is two weeks since I sent the last one, but it feels like an age! As usual we have been silly busy - this time mostly because of the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, which took place last weekend. We had an amazing time and it was so great to see so many of you on the stand.

It is so nice to be back to the calm surroundings of the studio after a week away. Sue has taken 4 days off to visit her Mum (and probably also to get over the fact that she was left all alone in the office last week while we went to Scotland) and so it has been pretty quiet round here - which definitely makes a change!

I love this time of year when the weather is starting to get brighter, the days are longer and there is a promise of Spring around the corner. The blossom is in full bloom in the garden and the surrounding streets and some lovely sweet smells are filling the air. I always feel really inspired to design at this time of year and have already started work on a CAL project that will be released in collaboration with a magazine later on in the summer - I will be able to talk more about that in June and can't wait to show you....
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I found the image above on Instagram this week. It was linked with the hashtag #janiecrow and shows a beautiful version of Persian Tiles in a colour way close to that chosen by Lucia Dunn for her Eastern Jewels version. The blanket and the image are from @nelebe54 who has some other really lovely images on her feed, so do take a look.

I am hoping to be able to dedicate the next month to getting the new web site up and running properly. It was never our intention to have it unfinished for so long, but circumstances have meant that many items still have not made it on to the site. Thank you so much for your patience with this! We know that the web site is seeing a lot of traffic, so we really will make this our mission over the next few weeks.

This week's newsletter has the usual features such as the Colour Palette of the week and my Instagram favourite. My main feature was not pre planned, but has come from an on going discussion on social media this week - the subject is linked to the recent diversity debate in relation to the yarn community, but is focused more on the reputation that crochet has within the fibre world. I am hoping to start a discussion thread on this subject on my social media platforms over the weekend and would love to hear what you have to say, but if you would rather respond directly to this email then please do so by clicking on reply. I hope you will enjoy the piece and I look forward to hearing from you...
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'Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's Party!''
- Robin Williams -

The Poor Cousin?

When we exhibit as Janie Crow at yarn shows we tend to get a mixed bag of reactions as people come onto the stand. There are those who come striding on to the stand, confident that their skills are up to scratch and keen to chat all things crochet. These are the die hard crocheters who have already discovered the joy of the craft and who have already made it one of their favourite pass times. We also meet the relatively new crocheters - those who want to move on to the next steps and learn new techniques to push themselves creatively. I love seeing these people on the stand - we share a common joy in our craft and it is easy to chat and share our passion.
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I also really enjoy meeting another group of crafters - the knitters who never imagined that 'crochet could look that good'. We get comments like '...at first I thought it was knitted, but then realised it was crochet....', comments like these are often followed by reminiscant stories of Grandmothers crocheting blankets by the fire, or dabbling with making Granny Squares as a 'phase' back in the 70s! I love the fact that seeing my crochet designs has sparked a reaction in these people and I am always extra happy when they say they have been inspired to go home and pick up a hook again.

And then, there is another group......

Those who walk past the stand and say, 'Ew! it's crochet!' or that say (after close inspection of one of my crochet designs)  'oh yes I can see how she's done that' and carry on walking, noses slightly turned into the air.

I used to get really offended and defensive of my craft and I have always disliked the fact that as a crocheter my skills appear to be considered inferior to those of a knitter, but more recently I think the reactions have actually made me a more resilient designer and more determined to show people what a creative and beautiful craft it could be. That aside, I cannot tell you how chuffed I was to see that someone finally voiced the apparent division between the kudos of being a knitter vs a crocheter - her name is Gaye Gillespie and she is my hero!
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Gaye (aka GGmadeit) has been at the very centre of the recent important discussions on the subject of diversity within the fibre community and if you haven't come across her before then I urge you to take a look at her podcasts on Youtube and follow her on Instagram.

Last weekend GG posted a piece on Instagram that has sparked the conversation of how crocheters feel within the yarn world. Many crocheters told her that they felt that yarn store owners and vendors at shows made assumptions about spending power, yarn choices ('they only use acrylic') and skill levels when faced with a crocheting potential customer. GG made a point about there rarely being crochet samples on display to show how yarn looks when worked in different stitches and talked about how yarn labels rarely indicate hook size or tension for crocheters.

Take a look at GG's video here to listen to Gaye's thoughts and make sure you also watch her other videos about diversity.

Here is Gaye's Instagram post from the weekend:

'...Can we talk? Something has been on my heart for a while. You guys know I'm bistitchual right? Knit AND crochet. I knit more but you get my point. As we chip away at this inclusion/diversity ice are we leaving out those that don't knit? I have a large group of friends that only crochet and I often hear how they feel left out or ignored. I have heard horror stories about yarn shop visits or experiences with other knitters. Please check my stories today and join the conversation. We are a powerful community and we are making change, let's not leave anyone out.'

Gaye's comments got me thinking about WHY crochet might be viewed in the way it seems to be. I wondered if it was because a lot (and I mean A LOT) of design harks back to traditional projects - the granny square being the obvious one, and lacy doily type work being another. And then I wondered whether it was to do with the relative speed of producing large projects and the fact that crochet is yarn hungry....

I don't have any answers, but what I do think is that we have to make a point of challenging the preconceived idea that crocheting is less skillful than knitting and that we need to be really proactive in challenging the negativity that surrounds our craft.

My recent inclusion on the Fruity Knitting podcast has been really interesting in terms of people's reaction to me. At Edinburgh Yarn show last weekend it was particularly clear that people had been surprised by the historical part crochet has played (within the UK anyway) and that by me also talking about the mathematical side of the craft many knitters had a new found admiration for crochet. Of course I am not saying that one appearance on a podcast can change the way crochet is viewed worldwide, but I am so pleased to have seen these comments aired in many open forums over the last week.

The issue of diversity in terms of race and colour within the fibre community is something that we all need to be up to speed on and it's importance should in no way be hijacked by a discussion about crochet, BUT if a second (but massively less important) sub discussion is that the importance of crochet within the fibre world is also recognised then how cool is that?
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What's New?

​I am a really big fan of West Yorkshire Spinners - not only are they a lovely bunch of people, but they are also continuously busy creating products that I really love - one of which is the new Colour Lab DK yarn, a beautifully bouncy 100% British Wool made in Yorkshire. The yarn comes in a fabulous range of shades and as soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to make something using the range - how fortuitous then that they asked me to contribute some new crochet designs to their brand new range of patterns!
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I have wanted to design a 'proper' garment for a while and have carried the idea of a swing jacket around in my mind for ages. The design brief from WYS gave me the perfect opportunity to test my design and I am really really pleased with the way this project - Audrey - turned out. I think it would look really lovely worn over an evening gown or summer dress on a chilly evening - the yoke has a beaded detail to give an extra bit of sparkle.
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The Janis shawl, shown above, is an example of me once again playing with tessellating shapes and I love how the motifs combine to make different patterns when joined. The design uses 4 shades, but I think it would look amazing multicoloured too!

I know that Just Knots have stock of the yarn and the patterns, but I am sure many other stockists have them too!
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Colour Palette of the Week

​The new Van Gogh in Britain exhibition opens at The Tate Gallery in London this week and I am really looking forward to visiting the show, especially as there will be quite a few works within it that I haven't seen before.

I recently found some books that focus on Van Gogh's love of nature and in particular the way he painted flowers. Within one of the books I found the series of paintings of blossoming orchards - mostly of peach trees and almond branches and I decided that the painting below (Pink Peach Trees) would make the perfect image for this week's colour palette.
 

Flowering orchards is a series of paintings Van Gogh executed in Arles in Southern France in 1888. Van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888 in a snowstorm (he painted this too) but within 2 weeks of his arrival the weather changed and the fruit trees were in blossom.

'Appreciating the symbolism of rebirth, Vincent worked with optimism and zeal on about 14 paintings of flowering trees in early spring.'
 

Instagram Favourite(s)

I have a few this week - all related to the discussions about the reputation of crochet within the fibre world....
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The first one is pretty obvious - it is the wonderful @GGmadeit Go and check out her brilliant discussions and her fabulously orange feed!

The second is the very talented crochet designer Linda Skuja @elevenhandmade, who not only designs the most beautiful and wearable crochet garments, but is also a great authority on yarns and techniques. Linda has been at the forefront of discussions about crochet this week, so I urge you to take a look at her lovely IG account.
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And finally, my third choice is Louisa Sheward of @thefibrelounge - make sure to look at her feed and her podcasts. She is little yarn shop owner with a BIG crochet passion - another strong voice in the discussions about crochet.
 

Five Day Retreat in Rural France

Fancy a bit of TLC and a cheeky little bit of me time in the company of crocheters and Alpacas? Sounds amazing doesn't it! Sarah Lally sent me the information on what sounds like a really lovely little break in rural France:
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Relax and crochet, enjoy the pool and Jacuzzi, drink wine (or tea) and enjoy the peace and quiet from June 3rd to 7th at the Alpaca bed and breakfast near Limoges, France.
 

The stay includes collection from and return to Limoges, or Bergerac; en-suite accommodation; meals - using locally sourced organic products where available; Jacuzzi and swimming pool; instruction on a project - materials (courtesy of the alpacas! ) included; meeting the alpacas; an evening at a local restaurant before you leave (meals payable at local restaurant).

There is no local transport (train station 3kms) so if you prefer to be a bit more independent and include a bit more exploring you may want to pick up a rental car at the airport for your stay.

Prices are really reasonable, but can differ depending on room or single occupant. Go to the B&B website for more info, booking etc.
 

It's nearly the weekend!

I am so excited by the prospect of a weekend at home. I worked out that over the last 6 weeks I have only had 5 days off, so I am really feeling in need of a bit if me time! I also appear to be on the edge of the post Edinburgh Yarn Festival lurgy, so I think a couple of good lay ins will do me the world of good!!!

We will be doing all things mumsy on Sunday and will have my Mum, my Mother in Law and my Sister in law, plus significant others all coming over for lunch, so I have my fingers crossed for good weather - the sun is shining beautifully outside at the moment, so I am hoping it will stay that way! If you are sharing Sunday with your mum too, then I hope you have a lovely day. I know that Mother's day can be hard for lots of people too, so if you are one of them, please be sure to take care of yourself and maybe make your own special arrangements for the day....

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing you stay happy, well and warm - if you want to let us know what you are up to then please hit reply and let us know - we do love hearing from you!

Sending crochet love and yarny kisses.

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