Quick Catch Up with Janie Crow

A pinch and a punch goes out to you as we welcome the first day of May! I can't quite believe that we are a third of the way through 2026 already, especially as I am only just getting used to writing the '26 when signing and dating things. It seems to me that time just goes faster and faster as I get older and it makes me panic a little that another year is flashing past in the blink of an eye. That said, I guess it is also a reflection of the fact that things are good here in Janie Crow land - when life is a bit rubbish it can drag by, so that has to be seen as a positive!
 
We have had a busy couple of weeks again, with another fabulous show at Wonderwool Wales under our belts and the release of the new blanket design, Sevilla, in the mix. As we head into the bank holiday weekend I have a few things to tell you about, so I hope you can spare a few minutes to catch up with our news…..

We had a fabulous time at Wonderwool Wales at the weekend and it was so nice to have a chat with all those of you who took the time to stop by the stand. I just love getting out in the wild and hearing the stories that surround your crochet projects and it is always fantastic to be in the woolly surroundings of a yarn show that demonstrates just how thriving and exciting our industry is.
 
This year we made the big decision to only take branded stock to the show and so we created a new layout to showcase our kits, patterns and Emma Ball accessories. It was a big step to lose the third party stock, such as needles and yarn, which we have always taken to shows to support our sales. Having a stand that was made up of solely Janie Crow branded items has been my dream, so I was incredibly proud of the way it was received. You can see a video that shows the stand before the show by following this link to our Instagram feed.

I feel incredibly lucky that the amazing Emma Ball continues to create collections of knit and crochet accessories for Janie Crow and it was fabulous to see her at the show at the weekend.
 
We got through so many tins, bags and stitch markers that we only had to pack one small box of items to bring home! The tape measures were a particularly big hit, with not a single one left on the stand by the time we packed up! We have some new items in the Emma Ball & Janie Crow range which haven't even made it onto the website yet, so as soon as we have managed to update our stock we will let you know.
 
You can find the full Janie Crow collection over on the Emma Ball website by following this link.

Last weekend saw the show debut for my new projects, the Majorelle pouch and cushion and the Sevilla blanket and it was great to see them so well received. We have kits in stock for Sevilla (shown above) and you can find them by following this link. Paper patterns can be found here and downloads can be purchased via our Etsy and Ravelry stores.
 
For those of you who might be struggling with the layout of the motifs for Sevilla when doing the making up, you can find a free downloadable document that shows how the motifs are placed, by following this link.
 
Patterns for the Majorelle pouch and cushion were so incredibly popular at the show that we sold out! We do have paper patterns in stock on the website though and you can find them here (we are aware that the images are currently not showing on this page and hope to sort it out very soon!) Download copies are available via Etsy and Ravelry. 
 
Kits for the project will be back in stock next week once we have had the chance to make some up. All the yarn and beads are here, so hopefully we can get going on making these over the next few days.

Over the last year or so, we have been slowly updating the website as it was getting a tad hard and clunky to navigate thanks to the large amount it now showcases. Gemma and Emma have been working really hard to make things more streamlined and easier to find, and they have added some new categories too, such as free patterns, resources and news. 
 
I am incredibly grateful for the support of my little team, who continually show me such fabulous dedication and strive to make the Janie Crow experience as nice as possible. If you haven't had a mooch around the website recently, why not take a look! It's not perfect just yet, but you might come across things you hadn't noticed before thanks to its new look and Emma and Gemma's expert attention.

It's funny how the Persian Tiles blanket pops up when you least expect it. Gemma was working on this newsletter when an image popped up on Facebook. The lovely ladies in the office at Community Learning Partnership in South Oxhey (the fabulous organisation that Gemma teaches crochet and knitting at) had just had a visit from Heather, who was so proud of her beautiful take on the blanket. She used a colour-changing yarn to cut down on the number of ends to sew in (we're all for that!). It has worked so well, together with the light background colour. We completely agree that Heather should be so proud, it's fantastic work. ​

If you're interested in seeing different colour interpretations of a few projects take a look at this post from last week over on Instagram. We're particularly excited to see some images of the Sevilla blanket in progress. Just look at the pretty colours on this one by daisiesdelight…

This month Gemma explored the newly published ‘Crochet Fairy Tales: Cottage Stories’, the latest book by Kerry Lord, of Toft. It's a hard back book with beautiful photography throughout, retelling and creating in crochet six of the most well-known fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, among others. 

​If you are a lover of amigurumi you will enjoy this book immensely as the attention to detail in the patterns is impressive. The variety of design in the costumes of the characters is wide and other elements, such as Thumbelina's lily pad and Jack's beanstalk are also fantastic. If you'd like to find out more about the book head on over to the blog to read more of Gemma's thoughts on this feast for the eyes. 
 
If you are in the UK you can order this book (and any other full price book) from the Search Press website and get 20% off, together with free delivery, by using the code DD88 at checkout. 

The London Marathon, which took place just a couple of days ago, saw a couple of world records broken. The one you might have heard most about is the first completion time of under 2 hours (that's mad right? - 26.2 miles in under 2 hours), but the one that has warmed our hearts the most is that smashed by Simon Fannon aka the Veteran Knitter. 
 
You might remember Simon if you watched the Game of Wool on Channel 4 last year. Well, he decided to try to beat the previous record by knitting a scarf measuring more than 3.7m in length while running the marathon! He didn't only beat it, he well and truly smashed it, crossing the finish line with a scarf measuring 5.59m!

Simon was running (and knitting) in aid of the Huntington's Disease Association and Reorg, a charity that supports the physical and mental wellbeing of veterans and military & emergency service personnel. You can find Simon's fundraising page here if you would like to make a donation. Well done Simon, you were incredible!

Another world record was broken on Sunday in London. This one wasn't a yarn related world record, but all of us here at Janie Crow love our food and tiramisu is a personal favourite of at least one of the team (mentioning no names Gemma!). 
 
At the Chelsea Town Hall a team of 100 Italian chefs worked relentlessly to create the world's longest tiramisu! The previous record was 273.5m and again the record wasn't just beaten, it was completely demolished, with the new record being set at 440.6m. To put it into context that's over four football pitches in length! Tickets to the event included a slice of the tiramisu to take home afterwards with proceeds going to charity. We'd love to know how it tasted, so if you attended the event do let us know! 

We know we've shared tiramisu recipes before, but in light of the above world record, we decided to share it again. You can never have too much tiramisu, right? It's also so easy to make, particularly if you make an eggless version, like this recipe from ‘Inside the Rustic Kitchen’. ​

We christened our new patio space by having a small pizza party in the garden a few weeks ago. We were really lucky with the weather and found that the new patio is in the perfect spot for some lovely sunshine. We have amazing weather here today, but sadly the forecast isn't so nice for the weekend, nevertheless I am hoping to have some time in the garden again to pop some new plants in the bed where we dug up some older shrubs and herbs to make way for the new patio.
 
I love this time of year in the garden when everything is bursting into life. My peonies are looking particularly promising again! The image above shows some that I picked last year - aren't they beautiful! 
 
After a busy couple of weeks I am really looking forward to some time at home. We are set to be relatively home based in May, so I am really excited about having some prolonged time here to potter around and get some new crochet designs under my belt. I hope that the month will treat you well and that those of you in the UK enjoy the forthcoming bank holiday weekend and that you get a chance to crochet too!