September Newsletter

​We finally have patterns and kits for my Indigo and Crimson Dreams blanket, which originally featured as a crochet along project in Inside Crochet Magazine.

You can find kits for both colour ways, Indigo (shown below) and Crimson (shown above) by following this link and the 24 page paper pattern brochure by following this link. Download patterns are available via Etsy and Ravelry.

Please note that due to the postal strikes over the forthcoming days, orders will not be dispatched until Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Parcels to customers who request the paper pattern in US terms will have their orders sent towards the end of next week as we are still waiting for patterns in US terms to arrive. 

You can find more information about this project and all links on the website page here.

It was so fantastic to see so many of you at Yarndale at the weekend. It was good to be out in the wild again alongside so many yarny folk and it was fabulous to hear all your crochet stories and to know just how many of you are enjoying working through my designs.

We had a really large stand at the show and I am so grateful to my Janie Crow team for the weekend (Sarah, Paul, Charlie and Andy) for their incredible support.

We sold lots of patterns and kits and the DellaQ bags and wallets were also incredibly popular. The bags are designed with knitters and crocheters in mind and they include yarn guides, yarn cutters and stitch markers incorporated within the design of the bag. Some of the bags also include pattern pouches and magnetic boards to make crafting on the go even easier.

I have a messenger bag that has pretty much become my go-to everyday bag and Sarah is a big fan of her lovely saddle bag. Andy has been through the stock we brought back from the show so our listing on the website is up to date. You can find all the items in the DellaQ range here. You can also see more fabulous images of the range on the DellaQ Instagram page here.

As I said in my introduction, it is a strange time here in the UK with so much negative news and it can be hard to see the positive side to life at the mo, but I am trying my hardest to see the silver lining in everything that is going on. One positive thing, for customers in the US and Europe anyway, is that because our pound has taken such a tumble against other currencies this week, our prices look even better value than they did already. With the dollar and the pound pretty much level it might well be a good time for those of you who don't live in the UK to have a good browse of the website.

Of course I am hopeful that things are going to get better for our financial market over the forthcoming weeks, but I am painfully aware that many of us are in for a struggle in regards to our energy costs this winter, so I have been having a think about the kind of projects that would make great stash busters so that you can use up some of the yarns you already have without having to invest in anything new. 

Many of my designs would look great using stash yarns, but here are a few suggestions and links to their hashtags on Instagram so that you can see them made in different colours.

​Mystical Lanterns - Instagram colour ways here

Summer Palace - Instagram link here
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Magic Circles - Instagram link here ​

As the evenings start to draw in and we begin to spend more time indoors I am looking forward to spending more time crocheting on the settee. I have a large blanket to put together over the next couple of weeks, so I am hoping that the process of joining the blocks with it all on my lap will be a good way of keeping cosy without having to crank up the heating! The design I am working on will be a crochet along project (with a slight twist) which will start in Inside Crochet Magazine in January - I am looking forward to revealing it to you soon!

The video that accompanies Part Five of my Sunshine and Showers blanket pattern is now live on the Youtube channel here. ​

The videos for parts one through to five are available for free on my YouTube Channel. The patterns for each part of the CAL, which are split into 12 pieces, are available for just 95p each with the 'Getting Ready' document available to download for free here. You can find more information about the project by following this link.

Some of the boxes that contain the Everyday DK that I have used to make my Sandalwood version of Persian Tiles arrived just as we were walking out the door to travel to Yarndale on Thursday. Unfortunately one shade was missing in the delivery we received and we are still waiting for three boxes of yarn to arrive. As a result there will be a bit of a delay in getting the next batch of kits for this project packed and dispatched.

We will be prioritising the kits that were ordered at Yarndale at the weekend and then, hopefully, we will be able to get the rest of our stock on the web site. If you are waiting for a kit please keep checking the website as they are likely to go quickly once they are added to our stock.

I am already looking forward to next Thursday (6th October) when I will be taking over the Knit Lounge at London's Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally. I will be showcasing the technique of adding beads to crochet and will have some kits for my beaded decorations in a festive colour way for sale on the day should anyone fancy getting stuck into a bit of crochet with me.

I will be on the Stylecraft stand on the Friday and Saturday too. It would be great if you can pop by to say hi if you are visiting on one of those days. Stylecraft will have kits for sale for my Fruit Garden and Indigo Dreams Blankets as well as Mystical Lanterns and Eastern Jewels.

I have dug my slow cooker out of the cupboard this week and have already used it to make a scrummy five bean chilli. Slow cookers are so economical to use so I am going to try to use it more over the winter. 

We have a few 'one pot' type cook books so I am wondering if some of the recipes in them might work in the slow cooker. I have been told that it is possible to do risotto this way too, so I might well give that a go over the next couple of weeks.

My Dad makes his rice pudding in his slow cooker and it is always delicious. There is a recipe here on the Slow Cooker Club website if you fancy having a go at making a similar one. My Dad uses milk and not cream and puts cardamon pods in his to give a it a lovely fragrant flavour. This recipe calls for vanilla essence but I think cinnamon or nutmeg would be lovely too. I am going to have a go at cooking some potatoes in the cooker at some point as there are instructions on how to get great jacket spuds on the same website.

I am excited to be heading off to Blackpool today to spend the weekend with some yarn loving friends. I have never been to the town before so I am really excited about going. I will try to post some images of my trip on my Instagram feed.

Since we got back from our summer break I feel like our feet have hardly touched the ground. With Yarndale last weekend, Blackpool this weekend and The Knitting and Stitching Show next week, I feel like I have been writing constant lists and prepping endlessly. To make me feel a little more in control at this busy time I have marked my next free weekend with a big red cross in my diary with hopes that it will be a relaxing 'homey' couple of days when I will finally get to potter around the garden and do some baking. I love to be busy, especially when it comes to yarny things, but it will be nice to have a slower pace for a few days when the time comes.

As usual I would love to hear what you have planned for the weekend. Also - if you have any tips for energy saving recipes or money saving pass times please send them in so that I can share them in my next newsletter. If you fancy a bit of a laugh, then check out Billy Connolly's recollection of the way he kept warm in bed as a child - it's an ancient bit of film, but still funny! 

I look forward to seeing you here again in a few weeks time. In the mean time keep safe...

Janie x