November News

We have been really busy getting quite a few patterns ready for release in the lead up to Christmas. A few weeks ago we released the Glitzy Stocking project which originally featured in Inside Crochet magazine and this week we have released the pattern for the crochet project I designed for my recent trip to Peru - I have named it Catalina after the monastery we visited in Arequipa. Emma has been busy getting some technique videos sorted over the last few weeks and she has made one that shows how to work the flat braid join - a technique I have used in the pouch. You can also find videos for beading and more information about the project by following this link.

This week I have been putting the finishing touches to my project for the festive workshop which I will be tutoring with Debbie Abrahams in Bournemouth this time next week. I have gone full on bling and used almost 600 beads in the project, so it promises to be really sparkly! I have ordered plenty of patterns, so will be releasing it to everyone in a few weeks time once the workshop is over. We will also be releasing the beaded mitts pattern that I designed for the same workshop last year, so do look out for these over the next few weeks.

We have lots of patterns for festive projects, many of which are fabulous stash busters and won't take too much time to make. You can find them by following this link or by clicking on the images below:

​Beaded Decorations

Festive Decorations

Festive Mini Stockings

Twinkle Bunting

We have a relatively good stock level of project kits and you can find them by clicking on the drop down menu on our home page. On the whole, stock of kits that contain Stylecraft Life DK (my favourite!) are pretty healthy, but we are waiting for quite a few shades of Special DK, so any kits that contain that will be back in stock soon.

​Persian Tiles - Peppercorn

Andy has been busy prepping kits for the West Yorkshire Spinners 'Peppercorn' version of Persian Tiles and you can find those here.

As I said in the introduction, I have been embracing the colder weather and longer evenings and have been enjoying some time with my knitting in the evenings. Having my blankets around me is bringing me a lot of joy and I just adore seeing them piled up by the sofa ready to warm anyone who's feeling a bit chilly! In the image above you can see (top to bottom) Mystical Lanterns, Spirit of Flora, Persian Tiles Marrakesh, Skimming Stones and another Spirit of Flora at the bottom. My original Royal Garden blanket is on the chair - watch out for a couple of new versions of this blanket in the new year! ​

I was so lucky to tutor an amazing textile workshop trip to Peru during the summer. It is a truly incredible country, and I adored it! When I was designing the project for the workshops I was very mindful of not copying traditional patterns and I wanted to keep it relatively simple.  ​

The Catalina pouch is mainly worked in panels so that the project is portable and easy to work on while travelling. Crocheting just a few stitches in rows can be quite quick to do and using stitch markers will help you keep track of your row count.

Peru has an amazing heritage of textile and yarn production, so I decided it was suitable to use a beautiful yarn that includes alpaca fibre from Rowan Yarns. I also used some lovely beads from the Debbie Abrahams range which, I think, give the project an extra special quality. The project uses 7 shades of yarn, but you could use fewer, or make it a stash busting project and use as many colours as you fancy! You can find more information by following this link.

The patterns from the Spirit of Flora Collection can be used to make a myriad of projects. You can make bags, cushions and blankets and I just love seeing what you all come up with so please continue to post your makes on social media using the hashtags #spiritoffloracal and #janiecrow or #janiecrowpattern so that we can see them.

I love designing crochet projects that use different shaped blocks to create blankets, but as a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to the finished shape of my projects, I often end up designing half and quarter motifs to ensure that they can have (at least two) straight edges. It is a personal preference of course, and I know many designers who like their projects to have shaped edges created by the motif contours, but too many wavy edges, or oddly shaped borders don’t really sit well with me.

When designing Spirit of Flora I thought it would be good to create a half motif that would enable crocheters to make either triangular projects, such as shawls, or a square blanket with a fancy edge, made from the half motifs. The Pair of Roses motif leant itself really well to also becoming a half motif and I am really pleased with how it turned out. 

You can find a free download document that contains guidance on how to make the Festival of Flowers shawl by clicking on the image above and you can find more information about the Spirit of Flora collection by following this link. You will need three of the Spirit of Flora patterns to make the shawl - they are Leaf Trellis, Evelyn and the Pair of Roses motif, which also includes the half motif instructions. ​

When we were children my brother and I would place hessian sacks at the end of our beds on Christmas Eve for Father Christmas to fill with gifts overnight. The sacks felt huge back then and I remember how we would drag them into our parent’s room on Christmas Day, probably at some ridiculously early hour. We would rummage through them and tear open some small gifts and find satsumas and nuts right at the bottom that we would eat during the day.

These decorative crochet stockings are not large enough to hold lots of presents, but they would make the perfect addition to the fireplace nonetheless and are large enough to fit a few small gifts. The sight of a festive stocking hanging ready by the fireplace for Santa to fill epitomises all things festive don’t you think? To me they symbolise the expectation of celebration and people arriving to make merry with us. you can find the pattern for my Glitzy Stocking by following this link.

Is there any food more comforting than a yummy hot lasagna? I don't think there is and so I am always excited to see recipes for variations. I used to love traditional lasagna made with beef mince and I also used to make a show stopping chicken version that included lots of roasted garlic and a hint of mushroom. It was just so yummy! Thankfully, now that we are vegetarian, there is no shortage of fabulous lasagna recipes and I recently found out how easy the deconstructed speedy 'one pot' versions are.

Last weekend I tested out this one pot lentil vegan version by So Vegan. It is really easy and the vegan 'cheese' (which is made from tofu) is not too bad, which is quite the compliment coming from me as I am usually not a fan of cheese replacements. I think my version could have done with a little more olive oil and (as I used pre soaked lentils and not tins) I also think I should have cooked it a tad longer - but none the less, a good recipe that I will definitely repeat! You can find it by following this link. ​

This time of year many of us find our thoughts turning to warmer climbs and I know the weeks around Christmas see a big upturn in people booking holidays. If you are thinking of booking a yarny get-away and fancy something a little exotic, how about joining the amazing designer Debbie Bliss in Mysore, where she will be tutoring the Knit For Peace workshop at The Green Hotel.

You can find more information about the trip by following this link - ignore the date in the header and in the http address as it says 2023! Dates for next year are 10th through to the 24th January. 

Having tutored this workshop quite a few times I can really recommend India in January. The warm weather, fabulous food and incredible sites set you up fabulously for the year ahead and the price of the holiday includes a donation to the charity, so you can feel ultra good about that too! ​

I joined my friends Jo and Suraya for a visit to the Make Joy yarn festival in Woolwich, London last weekend and had such a lovely time! We attended a couple of talks, the first by the amazing knit designer Sylvia Watts-Cherry and another by the fabulous crochet designer Helda Panagary.  ​

Sylvia Watts-Cherry

Follow Helda Panagary on Instagram

I am sure many of you will know Helda's crochet design. She has a great eye for colour and designs a lot of her projects for Inside Crochet Magazine. If you don't know her work, please head across to her Instagram feed and give her a follow. If you do know her work and think you already follow her, please head over to instagram and double check as she has recently had her account hacked, which means she has had to start a new one. 

Whilst at the show I tried really hard to resist all the lovely yarn that was for sale at the various stands, but of course I succumbed to purchasing some in the end! I fell in love with a knitted waistcoat called Pelica by Rosa Pomar which was on display on the Kettle Yarn Co stand. I haven't knitted for a while as it tends to be a winter pass time for me, but I am completely addicted to this knit already - I find working garter stitch so satisfying!

With a little under six weeks to go until Christmas it always surprises me how early the festive ads start on the TV and radio and I am always a bit reticent about getting involved in all the commercial side of things too early, but that said I have been enjoying the Waitrose adverts which feature many familiar faces and I am intrigued to find out who stole the red velvet cake! You can find part one by following this link.

I have supported Shelter, a charity that supports the homeless, for quite a few years and they have also just released their Christmas ad. It puts the Waitrose one into perspective, but it is a very clever advertisement and I hope it might make you want to support them in some way. Andy and I hope to join the Shelter 'Walk Home For Christmas' walk in a couple of weeks time. You can find more information by following this link.

I was sent the images above by Jan, one of the amazing volunteers who moderates the Spirit of Flora CAL Facebook group. The blanket has been made by Steffi Böhler who used the colours of the flowers in her garden as the inspiration for her amazing palette. Isn't it just lovely! I really like her use of the flat braid join to put the pieces together too.

I am looking forward to the weekend. We are heading into town with some friends tomorrow and have a quiet day planned for Sunday, so I am hoping to squeeze in some more knitting time! I hope you all have a lovely weekend too!

Janie x