Quick Catch Up with Janie Crow

As we near the end of the school summer holidays this is always a time when I feel the need to organise myself a little. It’s a bit like the back to school feeling I used to get as a child when I would sharpen my pencils, sort out a few new pens and a smart new case. Obviously, I am hoping for quite a lot of good late summer weather, but as we will take our tentative first steps into September next week, I feel the need to tidy up my yarn stash, clear my desk a little and update my to do list.
 
As I near the finishing stages of top-down knitted sweater by Caitlin Hunter I am already lining up my next knitting project. I have really enjoyed working in the round and as purling doesn’t seem to agree with my hands these days, I will probably opt for another one that is made in this way. I am also hoping to get going on a new crochet blanket project and a beaded runner that I have designed for the festive edition of Inside Crochet Magazine.
 
If you are also feeling the need to line up a project for the autumn, we have a good stock of kits to choose from, including the new Paloma version of Frida’s Flowers which is made using Pure Wool. You can find more information about Paloma further down this email along with our usual Words from the Web, Book of the Month and Yummy Recipe, features. I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with all our news.

Thank you for all the love you have shown for the revamped Frida's Flowers design. I was so pleased to be able to use the new Pure Wool from Stylecraft for this new colourway and I love the fact that the shades mirror those in the Special DK range. We do still have some Pure Wool yarn packs for the project in stock in the webshop.
 
If you are thinking of embarking on a Frida project, the original patterns can be downloaded free of charge from the Stylecraft Yarns website and to make the Paloma colourway you will need the yarn substitution document which you can find on the Frida's Flowers page of our website or by clicking on the image below.

There are several yarn shows coming up over the next few months. First up is Yarndale on the 26th & 27th of September, one of our favourites that we always really look forward to. Below is a photo of our stand from a couple of years ago and, as you can see, we make sure not an inch is left uncovered so you can get a good look at all the blanket samples! ​

After Yarndale we will have Knit + Stitch in London's Alexander Palace between the 8th - 11th October. We won't have a stand of our own at this show but I will be joining Stylecraft Yarns on their stand from around 11am to 4pm on each of the four show days. We will have our own stand at Knit + Stitch in Harrogate from the 19th - 22nd November. We'll be in Hall B on stand B205 if you're planning a trip to the show and remember you can get £2 off standard entry tickets with the code JANIECROW. For more info on all the Knit + Stitch shows click on the image below.

For our followers in the US, Mary Maxim have been expanding their range of colourways for the Persian Tiles blanket and in addition to the Original, Light Blue, Sandalwood and Marrakesh versions they have five other colourways on offer, with the latest called the Tri-Coloured (shown below), which, as the name suggests, is a pared-down version using just three colours. 
 
Mary Maxim also stock kits for several of my other blankets, including Sevilla, so do have a browse on their website if you are in the US or Canada and looking for your next Janie Crow project! 

Having taken a long hard look at her yarn stash this month (having added to it after a yarn show visit!), Gemma has been looking at books that focus on using up leftover yarn. For lots of quick and easy projects she recommends Nicki Trench's book ‘Crochet with Leftover Yarn’ and this might be particularly suited to those of you who have more recently learnt to crochet as a great way of consolidating your newly learned skills and techniques. You can read Gemma's review and see some more images from the book over on the blog here. ​

Possibly of interest to those among you who are also knitters, Gemma treated herself to a copy of Laine's  ‘52 Weeks of Scrap Yarn’ and has already identified a fabulous sweater that would make a great project for using up leftovers of hand-dyed loveliness! The Vestiges sweater (shown below) is knitted from the top down in two halves, so has a really interesting construction, which we think will make a fun knit. ​

It's always nice to see the subject of crochet appearing in the news and we came across this article about the Crafting Smiles creative community, helping Hong Kong nationals who have moved to the UK forge friendships and overcome loneliness through crafting. ​

You can find out more about Crafting Smiles on their Facebook page here or read about some of the projects they have been involved in and the recognition the organisation has gained over on their website. ​

We haven't shared a dessert recipe for a while and as Gemma has been busy picking blackberries, which have managed to grow plump and juicy despite the drought conditions, we thought a crumble would be just the thing. This recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and from the BBC Food website, has a lovely topping made with wholemeal flour and oats with seeds for extra crunch.

Three and a half weeks on from my little op I am beginning to feel more like my old self. I am still a bit slow and swollen by the end of the day, but can see the improvement all the time. I am really missing the gym and am still restricted on how much I can do, but everyone around me has been super kind and helpful so I consider myself very lucky.
 
Andy and I are enjoying some time away in the Greek sunshine for a couple of weeks and floating around in the sea is already proving to be a really good healer. No doubt aided by the delicious Greek salads and spinach and feta pies which I find hard to resist!
 
I have a pile of books with me and a few yarny projects, including yet another Sophie Scarf which I am using an almost fluorescent pink hand dyed yarn to make. It is a total joy to work on by the pool, especially early in the day before it gets too warm.

The island we are staying on gets much busier at the weekend, with lots of tourists heading over from the mainland for a few days, so I am hoping to manage the twenty minute walk into town later today to enjoy the hustle and bustle of a busier vibe. No doubt we will all be relieved on Monday when most people will head back to Athens on the ferry, but I always enjoy the atmosphere of people having fun in the beach front bars and restaurants, especially in the evenings.
 
I am incredibly grateful to Gemma and Emma who are busy holding the fort at Janie Crow while we are away. I will be back in a fortnight with the September newsletter, so until then I send you yarny hugs and hope you all stay safe and well…