Janie Crow - October newsletter

23/10/2020

October Newsletter

Welcome to the October newsletter. It is a bit of a mish/mash of things this time with no real theme running through it, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. If you want to see my quick video that summarises what is in the newsletter then click here or on the image below.

I have recorded another technique video as a response to your questions from last month. The video focusses on adding a crochet border to fabric so that you can create a decorative edge or attach a fabric lining to a project. The video help was requested by Caitlin Jamieson who wants to add a fabric backing to a crochet cushion cover, but this technique would also work really well to add a border onto an existing item (such as a Janie Crow tea towel, which you can find here) or to decorate a greetings card for example.

This is a lovely technique and is so much easier to do than you would expect. You can use it to decorate pretty much anything - you could add a crochet border to the cuff of a sleeve or a crochet collar to a sweater. You could even add a crochet detail to your favourite pair of jeans or use it to cover a hole in something! Whatever you decide I hope you will find the video useful and have some fun! Goodness knows we all need a bit of fun at the moment!

You can find the video here.

We have quite a lot of exciting things in the pipeline that I am eager to tell you about including a new 'Janie Crow Lifestyle' section of the web site that we plan to launch next month. We are also beginning to think a little about Christmas and have some really exciting new products to share with you including a range of beautiful jewellery created by our fabulous friend Suraya Hossain of Mahliqa Wire and the patterns for some festive crochet decorations that I have designed. Look out for more information on the web site soon!

This week I have finally added our new range of hand made project pouches and crochet hook wraps to the web site and you can find more information about these lower down this email and we have quite a few project kits back in stock including the Magic Circles wrap kits in the original colour way. There are just 3 of these left and 1 of the shades is now discontinued so the kit will not be available in the same colour way again.

We also have a limited number of project kits for the Imogen Blanket in stock too. The design was inspired by traditional Victorian crochet and one of my first crochet along projects from 2012. There are currently 2 kits in stock on the Janie Crow web site and a couple in stock on Just Knots.

As I have said already this newsletter is a bit of a mish mash that showcases some of the things that have caught our attention over the last month. Sarah has shared a scrummy peanut butter cookie recipe and I have a new Instagram favourite to share with you.

As always if you want to get in touch please hit reply - Sarah and I do get back to you, so if you are expecting a reply it might be an idea to check your spam folder as our emails occasionally end up going there!

Support Fruity Knitting

I met Andrea and Andrew of Fruity Knitting here at the studio almost 2 years ago when they interviewed me for one of their fabulous YouTube videos. They are both lovely people, totally dedicated to what they do and determined to highlight our wonderful community by providing quality content on their feed that aims to educate and inspire people to knit, crochet and craft. The videos, of which there are now more than 100 episodes, are a fantastic free resource.

Andrea and Andrew have worked incredibly hard to build their business which has gone from a hobby to a full time career for them both over the last few years. They have no income other than support from their patrons and via voluntary donations, so do not have the luxury of being 'looked after' by a larger company when things go wrong.

This week we have heard that Andrea and Andrew have been hit with some really tough news and are looking to the fibre community for some support. I know that the last few months have been really hard for many, but I hope that you will head over to their feed for more information and consider making a donation to support them as they could really do with your help.

Morris & The Story Box Collective
Sarah Hazell

This image from Instagram really caught my eye this week:

As usual I followed the trail of bread crumbs that the image enticed me with and ended up being led down a little Instagram rabbit hole, but it was worth it to learn about a group of artists, makers, designers and writers who work together to breathe new life into old objects and stories.

The Story Box Collective are currently working on a project with the William Morris Society that is inspired by the legacy of William Morris. As a member of the society I am looking forward to seeing what emerges. If you would like to find out more too then check out the Facebook page here, where you can find out about the work they are doing and meet some of the artists.

Small Changes - Delicious Munchies!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Sarah Hazell

During our monthly Zoom call, Jane, Gemma and I chatted about trying to live more consciously and make better choices in the supermarket. Small changes lead to bigger ones, so, when doing the shopping this week I opted for a non-palm oil peanut butter so that I could make these lovely little cookies. Although the calorie count is high on these little beauties I enjoyed them all the more for making this small change!

They are so quick and simple to make, so I thought I would share the recipe with you:

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix together 250g peanut butter, 200g soft brown sugar and an egg.

Shape into small balls and then flatten with the back of a fork.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 mins.

Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Try not to eat too many in one go!

For the original recipe on the BBC Good Food web site follow this link.

I do love a touch of bling!

Wherever we are in the world it looks like we are all destined to be staying pretty close to home over the next few months so leisure wear is very much at the forefront of the autumn trends. The exciting thing is that designers are very keen on jazzing things up, so you may well see that although items have been designed with comfort very much in mind there are some lovely touches of bling and sparkle appearing in the stores.

Silver is a big trend this year, with all things metallic being at the forefront of fashion, but the difference this year is that rather than the trend being for silver evening dresses and formal wear it is far more fun, with beads, sequins and studs appearing on jersey tops, leggings and sweaters.

Jumper dresses are also a huge trend. I remember these from the 1980s and loved my big baggy sweater dresses, but the new trend is far more glamorous, with much nicer shaping and features that mean there is less chance of looking like a sack of potatoes! I love the one shown below by Mint Velvet.

We told you last month that ponchos are also set to be a big trend and while the weather is not that chilly here yet I have been busy getting ready for a cold snap - it is usually freezing here by early November so I don't want to be caught out! I would far rather wear a cozy chunky sweater on a bright cold day than a coat, so I already have a nice collection of big shawls and wraps, but I couldn't resist the fabulous knitted poncho style top designed by the Stylecraft Team (shown below left). My lovely friend Catherine knitted this for me in exchange for a Magic Circles Shawl kit and I cannot wait to get all wrapped up in it although I still need to locate some really big buttons to finish it off.

Sarah has also continued to look at trends over the last few weeks and sent me the information below about one fashion chain's efforts to recycle knitwear:

What if a pair of socks could change fashion?

This is the question that popped up in an email I received this week. Many high street brands are trying to turn their ‘fast fashion’ image around by promoting their recycling credentials. Some may say that they are still pumping their stores full of cheap imported clothing that has already done considerable damage to the environment, but at least this is a start and the longer it runs and the more this kind of change is adopted then the more effective it will become. Take a look at the machine that turns old clothes into new and see what you think. You can find it by following this link.

Instagram Favourite

I was so excited when an image of the amazing Michelle Obama popped up on my phone a couple of weeks ago with the accompanying caption reading 'I'm a Knitter!' and in the same week I also heard on the radio that Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is also a very keen knitter and that he too chooses to make lots of scarves, but my favourite star to have outed himself as a knitter recently is our amazing Olympic diver Tom Daley.

It seems Tom, who learnt to knit over lockdown, has become pretty obsessed with all things yarny! Not content with knitting himself and his young son sweaters, scarves and hats, Tom has also now learnt to crochet (with the help of Youtube videos) and has even set up his own 'Made With Love by Tom Daley' instagram page.

Head over to Tom's feed and check out his fabulous makes that include a pair of crochet trunks that he has designed, made and modelled himself.

You are so welcome!

Janie Crow Hook Wraps & Project Pouches

I can never have enough project bags and I am always on the look out for little pouches that suit my needs, so I was really excited when Heather Burgess of Rag Button Designs agreed to collaborate with me to make these lovely items. Heather sources beautiful quality Irish linen to make these gorgeous pouches, which she puts together by hand and then stitches into the fabric, adding buttons, beads, ribbons and some of my hand made crochet flowers to make each one uniquely beautiful.

The pouches come in 4 fabric shades. The small pouches feature crochet flowers (made by me) in a range of shades including light pink, dark pink, red, orange and aqua blue. The large pouches feature the outline of the Janie Crow birds in machine stitching and hand stitched detail. These also have an additional inside pocket. Each pouch is lined, has a smooth zip closure and includes a metal DK ring on the outside seam.

The hook wraps feature intricately hand stitched embroidery as well as some machine stitching and are fastened with a ribbon tie. The wraps will hold up to 15 hooks and we have also included some larger pockets for hooks with big handles or to hold some scissors or other accessories. The wraps come in a protective cotton bag within a sturdy cardboard box, so make the ideal gift for any serious crafter. Hook wraps are made from woven wool fabric on the outside and are lined with cotton fabric with a vibrant floral design.

Because of the handmade nature of the pouches and hook wraps we do not have a large stock holding so if you want to nab one, either as a present for a friend, or a gift to self you might need to be quick!

It's nearly the Weekend!

I was sent this image last week of Bev Woodall's Mum and I just love it! Bev's Mum, Dorothy, celebrated her 90th birthday safe and sound in the care home where she lives and had no idea that Bev had been busy making the C limbing Rose Wrap as a special gift for her. Bev says her mum cried when she saw it, but she looks so happy with it in this lovely picture!

It goes without saying that it is an incredibly hard time for families with loved ones in care homes or in hospital and I know that many of you are unable to visit elderly members of your family at the moment. I have recently signed this petition to allow designated visits by family carers into care homes, so thought I would share it here in case any of you want to head over and add your name to the list.

I visited the local hospital this week for a breast screening appointment. I have had one before as I have a benign lump in one of my armpits, so I wasn't too apprehensive, but I do think that someone needs to design a sticker or rosette that we can pin to our tops when we leave the screening - a bit like the stickers children get when they have been to the dentist. A 'I have been very brave today' sticker!

As usual I am really looking forward to the weekend. If I am honest it has been a bit of an odd month for me. I am struggling a little to find my motivation, not just for crochet, but for a lot of other things too! Andy and I have been talking about it and have decided that we possibly need to have a change of scenery, so rather than stay home this weekend we are going to make plan to head out somehwhere, maybe to a gallery or exhibition, for simply to have a wander around some shops and enjoy lunch out. Here in North London we have been put into tier 2 lockdown which means we are a little more restricted on that we can do, so my thoughts are very much with those of you who may be on the verge of tier 3.

Don't forget that if you have any questions you would like answered as part of next month's Q&A you can get in touch by emailing mail@janiecrow.co.uk.

I leave you with a little video of the boys supported by the charity Masaka Kids Africana which I hope will install in you a Friday Feeling! I love this video and play it a lot - these boys are just so cute and happy despite the hardships they have been through. Click on the link or on the image below:

We send lots of love to you all as we head into the weekend. Stay safe and keep well...

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