March News

The Getting Ready information for the launch of the revamped Spirit of Flora patterns will go live on the Janie Crow website next Wednesday, 20th March. The free downloadable document includes information about yarns needed, the pattern release schedule as well as crochet related information such as choosing your project layout, how to achieve the correct tension, reading charts and dealing with yarn ends, as well as some background information about my inspiration and design process.

The first four patterns, Leaf Trellis, Moffatt Flower, Merton Abbey Flower and Tudor Rose, will be published on 24th April and you will be able to purchase single patterns or a bundle of all four, either as download or printed copies in UK or US terms. We will release four further patterns in June and the final four in August. The patterns for plainer crochet squares and the three edging patterns will be available for free on the website over the next few months, alongside a download document designed to guide you through the making up and finishing process. 

As I said in my newsletter introduction, we have put a lot of work into making these patterns as easy to follow as possible and I think they are looking particularly lovely, especially as they include crochet charts and layout diagrams, things that weren't a part of the original release schedule in 2023. 

I will be sending an email update to you next week with links to all the information you need to get yourself ready for what we hope will be a really re-run of this exciting project. The email will also include information about pattern prices and links to where you will be able to find them, as well as a chance to purchase a project kit if you want to use yarns in my original colour palette.

I have started to look at design inspiration for the projects I am going to create for participants to make on the Textile Traditions of Peru workshop trip in the summer. The itinerary for the holiday in July includes visits to all the incredible sites, such as Machu Picchu and Lake Ticicacca, as well as outings to textile related businesses. As much of the focus of the tour is on textile production and the creation of beautiful alpaca yarns I have decided to create a knit and a crochet project for participants to make while we are away.

At the Stitchtopia Festival last weekend, quilting and patchwork tutor Karin Hellaby talked about her trip to Peru last year. She told us about the things the group got to do and the places they visited and she showed us some of her incredible images and videos - some of which I have shamelessly copied from her Facebook page to feature here. Karin has tutored more than 60 trips for Arena Travel over the last decade and so it is huge praise when she called the holiday her 'best trip ever'!

There are still a couple of places left on the trip with me in July and you are able to bring a companion at a reduced price if you share a room. The cost of my trip is £1000 cheaper than other listed trips to Peru on the Stitchtopia site as the price has been upheld from last year. If you are interested in joining me please follow this link for more information.

I am so incredibly excited about the opportunity to go to Peru and can hardly believe that the plane seats are booked and the trip is a definite 'goer'. I have created a Pinterest board to help kick start my design process - you can find it here if you fancy taking a look.

Thank you for the brilliant response to the new Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles. Our first stock of kits sold out almost immediately, and there are only a small number of our second batch of kits left in stock. You can find them here. 

You can source the yarn for this project from other Stylecraft stockists and some of them have made up kits too. You can find a list of yarn stockists here and the free download yarn substitution document here.

It has been a week for stock updates for the Persian Tiles kits as we now also have stock of the West Yorkshire Spinners version (shown above) and we have Sandalwood kits in too!

We know that quite a lot of crocheters choose to interpret their blankets as wall hangings and we often get asked about how to mount them. We hang the blankets up to display at shows using poster clip frames, but for something more permanent you may find you need to attach a fabric backing or some kind of curtain tape along the hanging edge to stop the yarns from stretching. A few weeks ago I was sent this lovely image by a lady called Karin Brinza who has created an amazing layout of Spirit of Flora and hung it on her wall. Isn't it great!

As I am quite an impulsive online shopper I decided to put myself on a three month 'buying ban' from the first January. As we near the end of my period of abstinence, I am starting to line up a few things that I might just have to have once my ban is over. One of my first purchases could be one of these beautiful rugs from the William Morris Collection on Ruggable. I am particularly keen on the bird and pomegranate design and think it would look great in my living room. That said, I am wondering whether to prolong my purchasing ban as it has definitely made me really question whether or not I need things rather than simply want them - and of course I have saved a few quid along the way!

We currently have a pretty healthy stock of Della Q Makers Canvas products in stock. We have backpacks, rucksacks and messenger bags, as well as tote bags, needle cases, knit sacks, buddy cases and scissors in various colours.

I am pretty smitten by the new midi backpacks, which I think are the perfect size for transporting a knit or crochet project and all your bits and bobs. The Della Q range now includes a fabulous purple shade which is just lovely!

Muhammara is a roasted red pepper and chilli dip and this yummy stew uses aspects of the dip recipe to create a really delicious chickpea based dish.

I made a version from the One Pot, Pan, Planet cookery book by Anna Jones, but as the recipe is only available in the book I am linking to a similar recipe by Dishing Out Health, which includes blobs of greek yogurt and is served with some tasty looking pitta bread. 

The recipe I used made quite a lot of stew, so we had left-overs which tasted even better the following day after a night in the fridge. This is a really easy recipe, especially if you use roasted peppers from a jar! Definitely a dish I will be making again and again. ​

I had Monday off this week as I was away from home teaching at the Stitchtopia Festival for the whole of last weekend. As a result I have spent all week feeling a bit muddled about what day it is. Tuesday felt like Monday, Wednesday felt like Tuesday and ditto for the rest of the days this week - I was one step out the whole time, so it seems odd to already be writing about what I am planning for this weekend.

The weather has been really naff yet again this week, with loads of rain making the garden incredibly soggy, so I am really hoping that the weekend will provide some brighter days. Our lovely cousin Kassie will be 30 on Sunday so we will be celebrating her birthday with pizza and bowling over the weekend and I will be aiming for a couple of walks as I seem to be sticking to my walking habit. Next week is set to be a busy one and so, as I am feeling a little run down after very little time off lately, I think I will be spending a bit more time than usual snuggled up in a duvet with a book or my crochet!

I will be back in your inbox on Wednesday with more information about the Spirit of Flora relaunch, so do look out for that. Until then, I hope you have a great couple of days and I leave you with this image of Andy and I recreating the now iconic pic of Justin and Hailey Bieber at the Vanity Fair Oscars after party last year. You can vote for who wore it best on our Instagram page here.

Janie x