Quick Catch Up with Janie Crow

I am writing this email still sat in my sweater and comfy warm joggers, hoping that the next few weeks will finally see some continued warm weather. At least the sun is shining and the days are longer, so I am happy, despite the chilly nip still in the air here in the UK.
 
Emma and I have been very busy putting the final touches to our Zero to Granny crochet course for beginners and hope to get it all packaged up and ready for you to access for free via our YouTube channel and our website next week. It has taken us far longer to sort out than we envisaged as we wanted to get it just right and cover all the bases of learning. Emma has been going through her videos and the accompanying documents with a fine tooth comb to ensure we have covered all the bases and we are really looking forward to sharing it with you.
 
We have some more kits back in stock this week and Gemma has done a great job adding some fab items to this Quick Catch Up email, so I hope you have a few minutes to catch up with all things Janie Crow!  

Yarn packs for the Love is Enough version of The Fruit Garden blanket project haven't been in stock for ages, so I am really pleased to be able to tell you that we have added them to the webstore today. You can find them by following this link.

We now have yarn packs for the Spirit of Flora project too. You can also purchase the printed patterns as a set or cherry pick patterns for the motifs you like best. I think it would be lovely to see items made from some of the repeated blocks and you could always use some of the free patterns (also used in our Temperature Blanket Crochet Along project) to create your own unique layout.

We have the kits for three versions of my Mystical Lanterns blanket in stock. We have the original one and those for the Beatrix and Avice colour ways. You can find them all by following this link.

We have kits in stock for the Sandalwood version of Persian Tiles. These are always very popular and go out of stock quite quickly. We have taken quite a few to the Wonderwool yarn show, so there could be some more added next week if we don't sell them all.

We have now sold out of the kits for the Marrakesh version of Persian Tiles made using yarns from the Stylecraft range, but you can still get them via Wool Warehouse. We have recently collaborated with the team at WW to create kits that include the Yarnsmiths range of Merino Superwash DK and the price of the kit still includes a really generous discount.

Over on Instagram two lucky followers won the Letto crochet hooks that I told you about in last month's Quick Catch Up. Congratulations to @peterb195 and @crochetmad_e. 
 
If you've not discovered these gorgeous hooks as yet, do pop over to @lettoworkshop and have a browse, they really are works of art.⁠

Over on Facebook Gemma kicked off a bank holiday weekend ‘Show & Tell’ with her up to date temperature blanket and a completed beaded pouch that has been in progress for about six months! 
 
Fiona Dobson is also up to date with her temperature blanket. Well done Fiona, we love your colour choices.

We think a furry pooch has already laid claim to Jennifer Haley's almost finished Fruit Garden blanket! Fabulous work Jennifer. ​

If you don't already follow our social media channels you can find links at the bottom of this email. Do come and join us! ​

​We can't believe we missed this earlier in the year, but we just found this article about a giant crochet doily that was a part of this year's Turner Prize winning installation ‘Alter Altar’ by Jasleen Kaur. Crochet teacher Rachael Mills, from Blackburn, created a 5 metre (16 feet) wide doily to cover a vintage red Ford Escort. 
 
There's no clue in the article as to how long it took Rachael to crochet the doily, but it must have been quite some undertaking. Isn't it incredible?

We're very excited to be exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales this weekend. We will be in our usual position on stand W1 in Hall 3. 
 
Tickets for the show are still available and you can find them by following this link. Sarah, Paul, Andy and myself love being at this show and it would be fabulous to see you there! 

How are you getting on with your temperature blankets? Gemma has written about a join as you go challenge over on the blog this week and you can also find the temperature recording chart for May in the post. Click here or on the image below to read the latest…

Gemma has been so busy working on her Bohemian Blooms blanket, and doing the Easter school holiday juggling, that she hasn't had a chance to test out the book she has chosen for April, but here's a sneak peek. She's continuing the theme of stash-busting with this month's book ‘Crochet Makes From Scrap Cakes’ by Naomi Vincent. 
 
Keep on eye on the blog here, for the upcoming post, and in the meantime you can take a look at the other books Gemma has reviewed over the last few months.
 
If you like the look of the book and want your own copy, you can get a 20% discount and free postage by using the code DD88 at checkout on the Search Press website here. 

Gemma here again, to tell you about my latest Bohemian Blooms progress. Last month I had managed to join three sides and just had two more Fitzroy motifs to make to enable me to add on that fourth side. 
 
I'm pleased to report that the Fitzroy motifs are finished, ends and all, and the fourth side has been added to the blanket. Not only that, but I went one step further and also managed to join the two Bloomsbury motifs (that I made some time ago), to opposite ends of the blanket. All that leaves is two more Bloomsbury motifs, to which I can then join the remaining Omega motifs. Those two strips will then be attached to the other ends of the blanket and I will be ready to start on the border. 

I promised to reveal my little mistake this month:
 
I wonder if anyone spotted that I placed my Fitzroy and Gordon motifs upside down! Having noticed of course meant that I could pretend it had been completely deliberate and make sure that all of them were joined that way, so it wasn't a disaster by any means. 
 
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but quite often, when I think to myself that I need to be careful about something I'm about to do, I go ahead and do it wrong anyway! 
 
The eagle-eyed amongst you may also notice that my Virginia motifs on the corners aren't all in the same orientation, despite this being mentioned in the book as something to take care over. I think I just get carried away with the excitement of putting things together! 

This month's target will be to make the two remaining Bloomsbury motifs, join the Omega motifs to the ends, and attach the edging strips to the blanket, ready to get going on the border the following month. 
 
The final blanket will definitely need a gentle blocking as there are a few slightly bulgy areas where the pieces have been quite tight to fit together, but finishing at this time of the year should work well for that, with the warmer weather helping the blanket to dry reasonably quickly. 
 
I'll be back in May with my next update! 

​Broccoli is one of Gemma's favourite vegetables, but she sometimes finds it a bit of a hard sell to the family (well the husband anyway), however she says that there is one sure way to get everyone happily eating it and that is by smothering it in cheese sauce, especially a blue cheese variety! Think cauliflower cheese but with broccoli instead, although if she has both in stock Gemma makes this with both veggies at the same time. 
 
It also works well with macaroni added in to make a pasta bake and, if there are any bread crusts hanging around, Gemma will make a breadcrumb topping to finish it off too. 
 
You can find a simple recipe for this yummy dish on the Riverford website here or click on the image below.

I hope you all managed to enjoy the Easter weekend and maybe treated yourself to a bit of something sweet to celebrate the bank holidays. We managed to make it down to the coast to visit Andy's Dad on Saturday. We were really lucky with the weather and the traffic (which is unusual given the route involves the M25 and M3!) and had a lovely walk on the beach while we were there. It was lovely to see the thrift growing wild on the cliffs and listen to the skylarks soaring above us.

​Andy and I are nearing the end of our eight week diet and fitness programme and are now craving a time when we don't have to think about everything we put in our mouths or ensure we cram enough cardio into our days! That said, the course has definitely made us far more aware about the perils of over processed food and just how many calories there are in everyday things. Being a little more active has also reaped lots of benefits already and there are definitely some aspects of the programme that we hope to continue going forwards.
 
We will be away at Wonderwool Wales this weekend and are really looking forward to being amongst yarn lovers for a few days. We will be setting up the stand as you read this newsletter and I am hoping to post some images of the show on social media, so please do be sure to check it out!
 
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy your knitting and crochet!