Keep calm And Carry On Crafting

Janie's Quick Update
​

I hope this email finds you well and that you are all keeping safe....
 
It is a really strange time for us all, but here at Janie Crow we are trying to keep as upbeat as possible. One of the benefits of being a really small company is that we can pretty much self isolate and still keep the web sites running and of course I can still sit and work on new design projects, so, for the time being anyway, things are pretty much business as usual here.
 

As the majority of us head into isolation over the next few days I know that quite a lot of knitters and crocheters are planning to have a root through their yarn stashes and finish some of the projects that may have been started but put to one side. Working through stash yarns is a brilliant idea, not only in regards to the current situation, but also in regards to the on going desire to think more about the environmental impact of our craft. Gemma and I have been busy over the last few weeks making sure that the Janie Crow Ravelry store is as up to date as possible. Putting my patterns on the site in order for you guys to be able to download them is something we started to put into place towards the end of last year. Downloading patterns massively reduces the amount of paper we use and the carbon footprint of postage, so we hope it is something that many of you will consider doing.

This week we have added the pattern for Imogen to the Ravelry site. You can find it by following this link. If you would rather have a paper copy of the pattern, or would like to get the yarn kit, you can find both on Andy's Just Knots web site. The paper pattern will also be on my Janie Crow web site over the next week or so.
 

I have been working on a new version of my Royal Garden blanket design for a while now. Scheepjes asked me to have a version made in their Colour Crafter yarn, so my ace crocheter Sue Macdonald completed the blanket recently. Scheepjes will be releasing yarn packs for the design soon but have given me permission to publish the pattern via Ravelry. The pattern is written in UK terms and Dutch Language and you can choose to use Colour Crafter or the lovely Riverwashed and Stonewashed yarns. 
 ​

If you are looking for a project to use up small scraps of yarn, then you might fancy having a go at making a decorative crochet egg in preparation for Easter. We have added the pattern for my eggs (shown below) to Raverly as a free download.
 ​

Over the last week, as a lot of you have started to look at what projects you want to work on over the next few months, we have had a lots of people asking about the kits for the Fruit Garden CAL. As it stands at the moment, the timings for the release of kits online remains the same - kits will go on sale on the 30th of March and the first set of patterns will be free to download from the 28th April.
 ​

Images with thanks to National Trust, Standen House, Sussex.

A download called 'Getting Ready' will be published on the 14th April. This will have information about yarn used, tension and hooks required. Some info is already on my web site here. I am hoping to film some YouTube videos over the next few weeks to accompany the pattern releases.

We already have our first batch of yarn packs for the CAL ready here at the studio. If you want to drop by and pick one up you can do so. We have an entry phone system at the studio and can leave anything you purchase in the hallway and buzz you into the building. You can pay with a card over the phone if you want to. The studio telephone no is: 0208 4470040. Please note that we plan to be here week days from 10am to 4pm for as long as we can be - we are not open at the weekend.

We were really sad to have to postpone the CAL launch party that was due to take place here at the studio on Wednesday. We hope to be holding a party in August instead to celebrate the completion of the project. I am also still hoping that some of the workshop tour dates that I have planned for the summer will go ahead. I will be posting the planned workshop list on the web site next week so that you can contact any of the stores involved and sign up or go on waiting lists for any events that you like the look of.
 

It's Nearly the Weekend!
​

​
As the forthcoming days of quarantine start to roll along, it might get a little harder to keep track of what day of the week it is, but we think it is important to celebrate the Friday Feeling regardless, so I will still be popping into your in box on a Friday afternoon to celebrate the start of the weekend. I know quite a lot of people are trying to put a 'Christmas' style spin on things and are likening the current situation to those 'in limbo' days between Christmas and New Year. The big difference, obviously, is that we have no idea just how long this is going to go on for and I am sure that there are very few of us who could maintain the Festive Feeling for more than 2 weeks, especially in regards to our cash flow....

With this in mind we have implemented a 10% discount for any orders placed on Andy's Just Knots web site until Monday 23rd March. Simply enter LOCKIN as the voucher code at check out. This is the first of many offers we have planned over the next few weeks, so do keep your eye out for more.

Today is our son Charlie's 25th Birthday. The three of us will be celebrating with a fish and chip supper and a cosy night in front of the TV - not quite the riotous trip to Amsterdam that poor Charlie and his friends had in mind for the next few days, but at least we know they are all safe! 

I hope, as usual, that the forthcoming weekend will provide me with some time for a few yarny adventures on the settee. The house is in need of a thorough clean, but once that is done the only other place to go is the garden, so I am incredibly grateful to be an avid crocheter whose idea of heaven is a few hours of mindful crafting! I am also considering a few DIY projects to keep me occupied and after all the spring is the perfect time to have a good old sort out!

I urge all of you to stay home if you can and I hope that wherever you are you are safe, well and happy. If you want to let me know about any of your home based plans you might have over the next week, please hit reply....