Looking forward to a cosy weekend?

​Quick Catch up
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Hello my lovelies! Hoping you are all keeping well and safe. It has turned really chilly here in North London this week so I am looking forward to some cosy time on the settee over the next few days, but before we head home for the weekend I have a couple of things to tell you about quickly, so hopefully you have a few minutes to spare to catch up with all things Janie Crow...
 
This week we have added products from a new Designer Maker to the web store in the shape of our good friend Jo Smith, who creates fabulous crochet decorations and Sarah has put a piece together focussing on shopping small - particularly relevant today on Black Friday!

Thank you so much for those of you who took the time to get back to me in relation to the item I included about plastic waste last week. It was really good to hear that so many of you are also looking at your use of plastics and waste in general and I think it is interesting to hear how lock down has had an effect on the way that many of us have looked at our lifestyles. The positive overview of your emails did make it a bit of a surprise to get an email from one lady accusing me of spreading false propaganda and telling me that I should stick to my crochet design! I have emailed her back explaining that for me the process of designing and running my own business is intrinsically linked to a wish to be mindful of my effect on the planet, but like I said in last week's newsletter, we will all have different view points and priorities, so I hope that whatever your mindset you will find some items in this week's newsletter interesting and inspiring....
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​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.
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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.  
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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...
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Shop Small
Sarah Hazell

​Decisions about how and where to spend our money at Christmas has been brought sharply into focus this year. I think we are all aware of how significant this could be for small independent retailers and designer-makers, so for the next couple of weeks I am going to be looking out for and letting you know about interesting brands and stores that I have come across. There will be many, many more that I don’t know about so please don’t see this as our preferred list and if you come across anybody you think we would be interested in featuring then please let us know. We simply want to support others if we can!
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Emma Dunbar - Artist
www.emmadunbar.co.uk
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I came across Emma on Instagram and was immediately drawn by how similar her sense of colour is to Jane’s! Her paintings have been reproduced as greetings cards, posters etchings and even fabric designs. She is ‘attracted to the vivid colours and Decorative qualities in everyday objects’.
You can find Emma on Instagram here.
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Goldrick - natural living
https://goldricknaturalliving.com/
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Located up in Beverley in East Yorkshire, this lovely company sell lots of sustainable items including some handmade beeswax Christmas candles and paper tape which makes a great alternative to plastic tape! you can find them on Instagram here.

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Quarters Home – seasonal gifts and homewares.
https://www.quartershome.co.uk/
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'The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.' – William Morris. This quote is at the heart of this company with its carefully selected range of gifts and accessories. I particularly like the fact that they feature the work of designer-makers. You can find them on Instagram here.
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Lou Tonkin – artist and printmaker.
www.loutonkin.com
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Lou is somebody I follow on Instagram and I love seeing how her drawings are made into lino cuts before the final reveal of the printed piece. If you love Cornwall, then I think you will like her work too! Find Lou on Instagram here.
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Mini Stockings
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These cute little crochet stockings make a lovely festive decoration and 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!
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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​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.
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​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!
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We have received a mountain of yarn here at Janie Crow and Just Knots this week so we have been working hard to get some kits back into stock. We are really happy with the new cardboard packaging but it is still hard work unloading and repacking so many kits, so we are really looking forward to a few days rest.
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The yarn substitution document for Part 3 of the Love Is Enough version of my Fruit Garden CAL will go live on Tuesday so I will be popping back then to remind you where to find the patterns and accompanying videos. If you are looking for a yarn kit to make the project we now have stock of the Night & Dusk packs featuring the Bamboo + Cotton yarn.

I am pleased to say that I seem to have finally got my crojo back and have started working on some new projects for next year. We already have some exciting plans for 2021, especially as it will be Janie Crow's 10th Birthday, so some brand new design work will make it even more special.
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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 have posted a short video that focusses on working in the round on my Youtube channel this week and you can find it here or by clicking on the image above.

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.
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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.
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