June News

Looking through the images I have taken on my phone over the last couple of weeks I can see that the predominant shade in my life has been pink! I have gravitated towards pink flowers, pink yarns and pink clothes, in much the same way as butterflies are more likely to be drawn to pink and purple too! Having bursts of brightness around me at this time of year makes me feel so happy and calm, and even on the cloudier days, it is so affirming to see a shock of gorgeous colour, don't you think?
 
I have had a busy couple of weeks and was even lucky enough to have a short break away with one of my oldest friends, so life is all good here at Janie Crow. I hope that it is treating you well too and that you have a few minutes to catch up with all my news.

I ordered this gorgeous box of sixty mini balls of Ricorumi cotton from Wool Warehouse last week, along with a couple of balls of the super cute ‘Nilli Nilli’ chenille (which you can find by following this link), and I got really inspired when I opened it on Tuesday morning! The colours are just so cheery and the little balls are perfect for smaller projects.
 
I am going to use the yarns to create some more beaded festive decorations and, whilst it does feel a bit strange working on a Christmas project in the relative heat of June, I am really enjoying playing with beads and this lovely yarn.

Emma and I have been a little out of love with Instagram lately, partly because we were very engrossed in our Zero to Granny project for quite a while, but also because the algorithms on there now seem to be throwing up a lot of stuff we don't actually want to see.
 
That said, we have always loved the way our feed looks and the way that you guys interact with us on there, so we are determined to give the platform more attention going forwards, starting from next week. You can find our feed by following this link, or by clicking on the image above.

Andy made this lovely crochet basket using a kit from The Left Hookery. 
It was the perfect vessel for displaying my gorgeous peonies from the garden recently and I am really proud of him for picking up his crochet hook again after a long break. The kits from the Left Hookery are perfect for those who want to make a relatively quick project and the leather accessories and high end yarns mean that the projects turn out so lovely.  
 
Andy has lined up the fabulous Glastonbury basket kit as his next project, but Tamsin has plenty more projects to choose from over on her website. You can find it by following this link. 

We have stock of quite a few yarn packs still, but as one of the shades that I tend to use a lot in my designs has been out of stock for a while, we are beginning to run low on some. You can find kits by following this link.
 
The warmer weather always makes me want to work on smaller projects that won't create extra warmth as I make them. This is a perfect time of year to work on shawls, cushions or bags, or even get well ahead of the game and start thinking about your Christmas decorations like me! 
 
Don't forget that you can also get Janie Crow project kits that contain natural fibres via Wool Warehouse, who currently have kits in stock for my Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles.
 
Within the next couple of weeks they will also have kits for a brand new version of Mystical Lanterns (shown below) that has been made using their Superwash Merino range of DK yarns. Of course it includes quite a few shades of pink and purple and the colours are so bright and scrummy that I am smitten by the palette.
 
I have created a copy of my Sandalwood version of Persian Tiles using the Yarnsmiths yarn range too and that should be in stock soon, so do keep an eye on the Jane Crowfoot area of their store for stock updates.

Emma and I recently spent a huge amount of time creating our Zero to Granny, Learn to Crochet Course and so we are incredibly pleased with the fabulous response it has received since we launched it in early May.
 
There is something so special about the humble Granny Square and I am really proud to have been asked to support Simply Crochet Magazine as a Granny Square Day Ambassador later on in the summer. The date is 15th August, so I am busy coming up with a new crochet design for the day. 

Due to a cancellation there is one last spot available on my West Yorkshire Workshop trip with Stitchtopia at the end of the month. You can find more information by following this link.
 
Although it is more than a year away, there are also now only a couple of places left on my workshop trip to Turkey in 2026. I am already incredibly excited about this tour, which has an amazing itinerary, jam packed with yarn and textile inspiration. You can find more information by following this link or by clicking on the images below.

The charity Knit For Peace have recently updated their website and it is looking great! I am especially impressed by the new store page where they are selling high end yarn bundles made up of items they have been donated. There is a really lovely lot of Malibrigo yarn (in pink!) that caught my eye and some gorgeous Rowan Kid Silk Haze, alongside many others, so do go and take a look if you need a bit of a yarn fix!

I have been reading about the importance of protein in our diets and how we should be trying to have a good amount in all our meals. Evidence appears to show that it is particularly important during menopause and as we get older, so I have been more conscious of getting my daily amount. 
 
Our lovely Sarah, the clever brain behind our pattern query service, recently sent me a fabulous recipe book by Dr Rupy Aujla and I have already made quite a few things from it. Last weekend I made the daily bread using a recipe that is very similar to this one and it was delicious! Incredibly quick and easy to make, and packed to the max with protein filled seeds, nuts and oats, it is a bit high in calories, but you don't need much to feel full and the nut content means you don't need to add butter or a topping, so it's a total win!
 
On Wednesday I made the red bean stew with chocolate and spices from the same book and it was really good too. I used sugar free dark chocolate, which gave it a really rich taste and texture without adding a ton of sweetness. I did go a bit heavy on the jalapeños, but I do love them and the kale on the side gave the perfect combinations of flavours.
 
You can sign up to Dr Aujla's mailing list via his website or just peruse his recipes - I have lined a few up for next week already!

I was really lucky to be able to spend a few days away in Lisbon with one of my oldest friends at the end of May. I really loved the city - it was so easy to navigate and walk around and the public transport was super efficient and cheap! We had such a lovely time and I came home with a phone full of photos for design inspiration.

​Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day, which I like to think also makes it a great day to crochet out in the wild! I often have a ball of yarn and a hook in my bag, so crocheting in public is nothing different for me, but I am hoping that I might see others out and about tomorrow. I would love to know what you have planned for the day. I might take my project to the pub garden as the weather is forecast to be good for most of the day after a little rain early on. 
 
Talking of knitting, did you see this incredible lace wedding dress knitted by Marii over on Instagram? It is amazing! 

​I am signed up to try a Zumba class tomorrow morning. My strength training sessions have proved that I have terrible co-ordination, so I am hopeful that the class might help me with this. I am assured that it is really hard work, but great fun too, so I am really looking forward to it, even though I will undoubtedly be the hot sweaty mess at the back of the class, out of time and out of energy very early on! 
 
I have volunteered to puppy sit on Sunday, so I am looking forward to a day in the garden with some toys and a few games of fetch with the lovely boy. Andy is away this week, so I the pup will be my sole responsibility - I will need to have my wits about me, so not too many drinks in that pub garden tomorrow!
 
I had a lovely birthday a few weeks ago and I am really thankful for all your lovely messages. I really can't believe how fast the years are starting to pass, but it is really good to know that I am in much better shape this year than I have been in the past and that 56 feels better on me than most of the last decade! 
 
I hope that wherever you are, and whatever you have planned for the weekend, that you are in good place too and I look forward to being back in your inboxes in a fortnight with the Janie Crow Quick Update.