Primavera Means Spring in Italian

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As I have already said in the introduction above, we are very pleased to have a new project to tempt you with this week. The Frida's Flowers CAL was launched in 2016 and it has been fabulous seeing it made by people all over the world ever since. The original blanket, which features bright flowers on a black background, was inspired by the iconic costumes and personal style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and it was made using Stylecraft Classique Cotton. As this yarn is now discontinued I decided it would be a good idea to update the yarn listing for the new Organic Cotton DK. You can find the newly updated yarn list here should you like the idea of making this original colour way. You can find more information about the CAL and yarn packs for this version by following this link.
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A few years after the release of the original Frida blanket I asked Lucia if she would create a new colour way of the project and was really excited when she produced her version, which she named Primavera. Until now, the kit for this blanket has only been available as an exclusive kit from the Janie Crow web site, but now, to coincide with the release of the CAL project as the featured make along project for February, we have decided to give Primavera a wider release. Yarn kits should now be available via your local Stylecraft stockist and the yarn substitution document is available as a download. We have created some kits for the project, which include a printed yarn substitution document, by following this link. You can find more information by following this link. 
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I have written a blog post about Frida and Frida Primavera, which includes lots of ideas for alternative colourways, by following this link. 
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​It has been quite grey and gloomy here in North London and very chilly, so we sent out a plea on Facebook for followers to show us photos of their colourful crochet work to brighten the days. Here are just a few of the wonderful makes that were shared with us:
 
Below is Gay Horne's Sunshine & Showers blanket - nearly finished! 

Elizabeth Beswick-Watts has created a fantastic version of the Mystical Lanterns blanket, but says she regrets not sewing in her ends as she went along!  ​

Andrea Dahncke is working on her colourway of The Blue House Blanket. We haven't seen many of these out in the wild yet and think her choice of colours is really pretty. ​

Another design that we don't see so often is the Imogen Blanket. Michelle Withey has just finished hers.
Hasn't she made a fantastic job of it?  ​

Thank you to everyone who shared images with us over on Facebook. We do love seeing your work and in particular your exciting colourways of Janie Crow projects. Hopefully the images above will inspire you to root through your yarn stash to create a very personal piece of your own crochet.... ​

art 4 of the Indigo Dreams Crochet Along has now been published in Inside Crochet Issue 144 and we are loving seeing your progress over on the dedicated Facebook group, which now has almost four thousand members! In this month's instalment you will be making the Rosewood Motif and the Love Heart Granny Squares.
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​Ever in search of quick and easy recipes to make at the end of a busy day, Gemma has recommended this recipe for really simple homemade falafels, which she found over on the BBC Good Food website.

If you're feeding the family for a main meal Gemma recommends doubling the recipe and if you prefer your food a little bit more fiery, you might want to tweak the spice content as they are quite mild. ​

Did you know that it is 1900 years since Hadrian's Wall was built? Well, apparently it is, and to celebrate this occasion the Vindolanda Charitable Trust have launched a Bunting Challenge!  

The Challenge is to create (by knitting, crocheting or sewing) 1900 flags of bunting, which will decorate a replica section of Hadrian's Wall at the Roman Vindolandia, in Hexham, Northumberland, in an exhibition between 22nd-30th October 2022.

Crochet patterns for the bunting, designed by Lynne Barber, are available to download on the project website, which you can find by clicking on the image above or here. You can also find a knitted flag pattern here. It could be a good opportunity for some new year stash-busting too! ​

I have a couple of train journeys ahead of me this weekend and I am already looking forward to a few hours sat crocheting as I speed through the English countryside. I think the weather forecast is looking good too, so a spot of sunshine will be very welcome.

What do you have planned for this weekend? We always like to hear about what you have on your hook or your knitting needles and which projects you are getting excited about. Simply hit reply and let us know. ​

Janie x