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September 2011

2011-09-16T10:03:00.004+01:00

We’re going through changes

2011-09-16T10:02:00.004+01:00

It was with great excitement back in July that we took the plunge to formally register JANIE CROW as a limited company. This was a big step for us here in the Crowfoot household and involved quite a lot of sleepless nights, but we felt that it is the way forward for our business and of course - once all the formalities were over - it was really exciting to see the word ‘DIRECTOR’ next to our names!

The amazing response to The Crochet Club was the main reason for our need to register a company. The club has grown much larger than we had ever expected and with this growth comes the responsibility of making sure things are done properly and of course ‘by the book’. Being a limited company will mean that in due course we will be able to accept credit card payments and offer customers more choice when or applying for club membership and when using the web site.

Over the next few months you will see some changes to the web site as it is in need of a little over haul (know how it feels) and needs to be updated more frequently that we have been able to do it over the past year. We are always on the look out for new exciting products to put on there so if you know of anything that might interest us then please get in touch.

The Crochet Club 2012 - Team JANIE CROW

2011-09-16T10:02:00.003+01:00

A whopping 230 people have already committed themselves to membership for next year and payment requests have been sent out via email over the last week or so. You can submit a membership application through until mid December so there is still plenty of time to take a look at all the details on the web site and consider membership for yourself or as a special gift for someone else.

To make the Crochet Club run smoothly we have put into place a dedicated team who will be on hand to help and guide you not only through the process of application and making payments, but also to help you work through the project next year.

The lovely Mr Crowfoot has kindly agreed to deal with almost all of the ‘tecky’ bits that I dislike so much! Andy will be the one who deals with things such as excel spreadsheets, payment plans and web site queries and he has been very busy over the last few months formulating his systems to make sure that everything on logistical side of the club runs smoothly.

The equally lovely Erica Pask has thankfully also agreed to come on board as a member of the Crochet Club team. Erica was responsible for pattern checking this year’s project and was a real asset to me when I was writing the on line tips and techniques monthly updates for the blog. For 2012 Erica will be in place not only to pattern check the new project, but also to deal with any pattern queries or questions relating to any of my designs including the download web site patterns. More news on how to contact Erica will follow in forthcoming newsletters once we have all arrangements in place.

New Book

2011-09-16T10:02:00.001+01:00

Following the success of The Ultimate Crochet Bible, which was published almost a year ago, Collins and Brown agreed to my proposal to publish a book dedicated to the home interior for which projects will include such things as cushions, throws and bean bags.
The title has been a massive undertaking for me as it includes 28 projects which are either knitted or crocheted, some of which are on a very large scale.
The projects have all now been photographed and the book is on course to be published early 2012. The title has yet to be decided, but as soon as I find out for sure the publication details I will let you all know.

Download Patterns

2011-09-16T10:01:00.004+01:00

Work on the new book has meant that I have not had the time to design new download patterns for the JANIE CROW web site. Having the dedicated JANIE CROW team that I mentioned earlier should mean that I get more time to spend on my beloved knitting and crochet, and thus in turn more new downloads for the web site.

I have had many requests to publish the pattern for the crochet butterfly which some of you may have seen either on my blog or on the web site. Many of the colours that I used in the original design have now been discontinued, so I have managed to find the time to redesign the pattern with new colours in order to release it as a download by early October, so you may want to keep an eye on the pattern page on the web site.

The Knitting & Stitching Show

2011-09-16T10:01:00.003+01:00

In October we are once again going to be at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace. The Crochet Club project 2011 will be on display along with a special sneak peek at part of next year’s project and we will of course be bringing along our stock of the lovely Holz & Stein needles and the Prym and Addi range of crochet hooks for you to try. The stand will be a whole meter bigger which means we will have more space to display the cushion collection and we may even have room to sit down! Erica will be on the stand with me on Thursday and Friday and the stand is the same location as last year – Stand M36 in the main hall.

The Knitting and Stitching Show runs from the 6th – 9th October. For advanced tickets (which are cheaper) go to the Twisted Thread web site.

Workshops & Tours

2011-09-16T10:01:00.001+01:00

Debbie Abrahams and I are very pleased to announce that we have once again been invited to tutor a workshop together at the beautiful Chateau St Julien de l'Ars, just outside Poitiers in association with Sue Culligan who now provides a range of workshops set in the countryside of France.
The workshop is designed to encourage guests to experiment with both knitting and crochet to create something for the home. It will be an exciting week of workshops held in an inspirational setting at the beautiful chateau.
For further details and to book a space email sueculligan@gmail.com (there are currently only 9 spaces left)
The workshop runs from the 16th - 22nd September 2012

Debbie and I will also be tutoring a whole range of exciting tours aimed at knitters and crocheters and the destinations currently include the Shetland Islands, Tuscany and Marrakesh. Debbie and I are really chuffed to have been invited to tutor these exciting tours which are arranged by travel company Arena Travel and have the added bonus of a holiday guide throughout.
The tours are aimed at knitters who wish to visit these amazing locations accompanied by like minded people with the added bonus of some knitting workshops within the itinerary. For more information take a look at the Arena Web site.

The Crochet Club 2012

2011-07-15T17:08:00.010+01:00

Following the success of The Crochet Club 2011 - we are proud to announce that we are now ready to receive applications to join the club in 2012. Members of the crochet club will receive all yarns, beads and patterns needed to create the exclusive project which incorporates many crochet techniques and could act as an excellent learning tool for those wanting to enhance their existing skills and learn new methods of working a crochet fabric.

The design for 2012 has been inspired by traditional lace crochet and patchwork design. The project is made up of both conventional and contemporary crochet pieces which, when put together, create a lovely piece which could be used as a small bed cover or throw. The colour palette is feminine and pretty with pieces widely based on floral designs. Techniques used include beading, lace crochet and colour changing.

Club members will be sent a kit containing all yarn and beads in February 2012. Patterns will be sent over the course of the subsequent 6 months via email and club members will also be supported by a dedicated blog which will be updated frequently with tips, techniques and mini master-classes for those in need of a little help and encouragement.
Membership to the club will be limited so that the piece remains exclusive and the patterns will not be published elsewhere. All yarn used will be from the Rowan Cotton Glace range and all beads will be from the Debbie Abrahams range. Membership of the club is open to everyone regardless of where in the world you live and in 2011 we had 250 members from all corners of the world including China, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, France, Germany, Norway and the UK. We have tried really hard to keep the price of membership as low as possible, but the total price will depend on where in the world you live due to variations in postal charges.

For more information on prices and to fill in your application form please visit The Crochet Club page on the JANIE CROW web site.

Innocent's Big Knit

2011-07-02T13:38:00.004+01:00

Worldwide Knitting in Public Day was on Saturday 11th June and it marked the official woolly launch of this year’s 'Innocent Big Knit' and they need your help!
They want to raise £160k this year for Age UK by knitting 650,000 little hats which will go on their smoothie bottles and be sold in stores in November. For every little hat knitted, they will give 25p to Age UK to help them make winter a little warmer for older people across the UK.
Innocent need your help to reach this huge target - they have 3 different patterns to start you off and there will be lots more going up on their website very soon. You can find the patterns by searching 'Innocent’s Big Knit' on Ravelry and the pdfs will also be going up on the website over the next weeks
Every hat counts- so why not get together this Saturday with your Knitting chums and make a few hats for Innocent’s Big Knit?

The Crochet Club Project 2011

2011-07-01T08:36:00.004+01:00

Here we are in June and I can’t believe that the members of my Crochet Club 2011 have now been sent their final set of patterns and that I am getting reports of completed projects from my current members. It is incredible how quickly the last 6 months have gone by – terrifying actually – as my life seems to be flying by me at an absurd rate, but I guess being busy is better than being bored and wishing time away.

I hope that members have enjoyed working through the Crochet Club Project for 2011 and are pleased with the end result. I know that a lot of them have used the project as a learning tool and I have had a lot of feedback from members saying that they have been pushed to master new techniques and try new things that they would not have tackled before. I hope that they have found the way I have written the patterns along with the blog postings a useful learning tool and that they feel have benefitted from being a member of the club - even if they might not be entirely in love with the design!

The project for next year will be based on traditional lace designs and as such will have a more feminine feel with a much softer colour palette. It is really hard trying to design something that will appeal to a large range of people and for a while I found it difficult to get going on the design, spending a lot of time worrying about whether you guys might like it, but eventually my lovely husband got fed up with my turmoil and made this very astute observation:

The second biggest selling album of all time is ACDC’s ‘Back in Black’; the third best seller is Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark side of the Moon’ and the fourth is the sound track from the film ‘The Bodyguard’ featuring Whitney Houston. All these albums sold over 40 million copies each.

I like ACDC and can just about put up with Pink Floyd (in small doses) and I could probably sit through the soundtrack to the ‘Bodyguard’ so long as there was a glass of wine and a good magazine handy, however (and this is my husband’s point), what would fill me with a feeling of complete horror would be the prospect of listening to ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson which takes the number one spot in the list of best selling albums of all time and has outsold the other 3 I have mentioned by over 60 million copies!

Now – I realise that I have probably mortally offended those of you who loved the late MJ, (those of you who can do the moon walk and have a bit of a thing for sparkly gloves and face masks) but unfortunately his music would not even make it into my top 100 even though the equivalent of double the population of the United Kingdom own a copy!

With this analogy in mind I am now well and truly within the throws of my new design (with the saying ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’ ever present in my mind) and although I have not yet managed to post the images I promised you at the end of May things are now on track and there should be some images to show you pretty soon. Please be patient with me – I hope to get the images sorted within the next month and will let you all know when everything is finalised. There is still plenty of time before participants for next year need to confirm their places and you guys will be offered places first so please don’t worry about the time scale. If you havent yet submitted your details so that you will be offered a place for 2012 you can do so by visiting my web site and filling in an on line registration form.

Hook Yarn and Tinker

2011-06-06T18:11:00.003+01:00

Rowan’s team of Design Consultants was set up in 1995 when Kate Buller recognized the need for a team of expert knitters to work within stores to help demonstrate and teach, and of course ultimately sell, all the wonderful yarns that Rowan had to offer. Kate realized that a premium brand such as Rowan needed to have an in store ‘face’ and point of contact for the many knitters who would find themselves in need of expert help. Kate’s team of consultants grew quickly over the course of a few years as knitting became more popular and it was around this time that the media began to talk of the knitting revival.

So here we are, 15 years later, a few more wrinkles and grey hairs along our paths of life, still hearing through different sources that knitting is the new yoga and bang on trend, that it is still big news and a great lifestyle choice. Every few months the Sunday Newspaper supplements will run an article on this ‘new’ trend and suggest that soon ‘everyone’ will be busy knitting! Statistics support the growth of the interest in the field, indeed a survey in 2005 found that over 6% of the female population of the UK and 36% of the female population in the US frequently knitted or crocheted, whilst a more recent survey has shown that the percentage of women under the age of 45 who know how to knit and crochet has doubled in the past six years. I don’t know about you – but this hard statistical proof goes a long way to making me feel a little less of an abnormality amongst my peers and; whilst I don’t imagine that one day I will hop on the bus and discover every single person getting busy with a pair of knitting needles in their hands; I do accept that chancing upon a person sat knitting in public or discovering that someone I know is a knitter is far more common place than it once was.

At times of economic down turn it is common to see an upsurge in people looking to the craft market for ways of filling their spare time and learning new hobbies. We have all seen a massive trend towards the whole ethos of the ‘make do and mend’ era with traditional crafts making a speedy come back and the vogue for all things vintage is abundantly reflected in current interior design, fashion and lifestyle choices. Sewing has been one of the success stories in this new trend with many people either learning to sew or coming back to the craft after many years away. More recently it is the craft of crochet that appears to be at the forefront of this increased interest in crafts as a whole. Indeed, in a recent poll conducted by Channel 4 for the TV programme ‘Kirstie’s Homemade Home’ crochet was the most requested craft that people wanted to learn more about.

Although I learnt the basic crochet stitches whilst at Art School in my late teens/early 20s and was shown the basic methods by my Great Grandmother when I was a small child of perhaps just 8 or 9 years old, it was only relatively recently that I really go to grips with the craft. As Rowan increased the amount of pattern support for the craft I found the desire to improve my skills also increased. In order to remind myself of the craft I attended a ‘Learn to Crochet’ workshop run by a fellow DC and soon found myself completely hooked - even though my first attempts at pattern reading were a complete sham with me producing a misshapen hexagonal piece rather than a traditional Granny Square! Over the past 4 years I have practiced hard and learnt loads of techniques -crochet has become my passion and I rarely go anywhere without a ball of yarn and a hook crammed into my hand bag or pocket! It is brilliantly portable and easy to manage and requires very little in the way of equipment. It is also incredibly speedy and even though it uses relatively more yarn per stitch than it’s knitting counter part it is still a relatively cheap hobby with many projects using up left over bits and bobs or requiring just a few balls of yarn to complete.

It is difficult to establish quite where the craft of crochet originates and for how long it has been around. Unlike the craft of knitting there has yet to be a discovery of crocheted relics from a bygone age, with the oldest pieces of crochet appearing to date back only as far as the late 17th Century, although there is speculation that the craft was practiced by Nuns as far back as the 15th Century. This lack of hard evidence means that we can only be sure of the existence of the craft in relatively recent terms.

It is believed that the craft evolved from an ancient method of embroidery called ‘Tambouring’ which was practiced in China, India, Persia, North Africa and Turkey. Tambour was a form of embroidery which was worked onto a background fabric stretched on a wooden frame. Stitches were made using a small crochet type hook which was pushed through the fabric to catch the yarn which was held to the back and make chain stitches. Tambour hooks were as fine as sewing needles and the thread used was compatibly delicate. It is believed that embroiderers realised that the background fabric was not imperative to hold the stitches in place and that the chain formation of the stitches would remain in position without it. Historians refer to this theory and consequent practice as ‘tambour in aria’ or ‘tambour in the air’.

At the end of the 18th Century there are references to ‘crochet in the air’ which seems to have been popular predominantly in France. Indeed the word ‘crochet’ comes from the middle French word ‘croche’ which means ‘hook’. Fashions of the time included lots of hand made lace; this was costly and time consuming to make and could only be afforded by the rich. The poorer members of the population tried to duplicate the fine lace fabrics using crochet techniques and for a while crochet was stigmatised as ‘poor mans lace’ and seems to have been practiced by only a small number of crafts people, however the reputation of crochet was given a reprieve in the later part of the 1800s when Queen Victoria enhanced the popularity of the craft by crocheting and wearing her own pieces. Indeed in the Victorian era crochet lace was used not only to adorn clothes, but also to decorate household items and accessories too. Hooks used were very fine as were the threads.

From the early part of the 20th Century crochet became a leisure craft for women to practice in their spare time and by the 1940s and certainly during the second World War crochet seems to have taken a bit of a back seat, perhaps this was because yarn was on ration and as crochet uses up substantially more yarn than knitting the latter was the logical choice. However, after the war, crafts such as knitting, crochet and embroidery saw an upsurge once again and by the late 1960s and 1970s crochet had became a popular craft once more. Designers began to push the boundaries of the craft and sourced unusual ‘yarns’ such as string and wire to create their designs and it became fashionable to make quirky fun items such as place mats, blankets and bags and of course who could forget those crochet toilet roll covers? Crafts as a whole took a bit of a nose dive in the later part of the 20th Century, but thankfully (as I have already pointed out) we have seen a steady return in popularity of both knitting and crochet in the early part of the new millennium.

Even though I am a relative new-be to the craft of crochet I have been lucky enough to author my own crochet title in the shape of The Ultimate Crochet Bible which was recently published by Collins and Brown. Working on this title was a massive undertaking for me and the decision to take on the book was not one that I took lightly. As a relative new comer to the craft I was concerned that my depth of knowledge may not be adequate to ensure that I was au fait with all that was needed to complete such a massive project. After a few weeks deliberation and research I was convinced that I really wanted to write the book and that my passion for the craft was enough to overcome the hurdles of working on such a mammoth title.

Once mastered, crochet is quick and portable, equipment is minimal and inexpensive and there are really only a few basic hook movements to master. Today’s crocheters are a new breed of crafter compared to those of a bygone age. They do not crochet to pass away their time, to make a living or as a money saving exercise as in the day of ‘make do and mend’, but rather they see crochet as a life style choice not merely a hobby and are prepared to spend many hours (and plenty of money) on their projects. They are looking to expand their knowledge of the craft and use it not only as a hobby, but also as a therapeutic medium. Indeed it has been proven that crochet not only helps you relax, but can induce a state similar to meditation and can even lower blood pressure and feelings of anxiety.

At a time when financial pressures are high on us all and we all have little choice but to work full or part time it appears that the concept of domesticity appears to be making a come back with many people deciding to spend more of their leisure time at home carrying out domestic based hobbies such as baking, card making, knitting and of course crocheting. At a time when anything ‘vintage’ is the epitome of fashion both for the clothing and interior trades it is no surprise that this wonderful craft has once again come to the forefront of popularity.

Knitting in Stockholm September 16th - 19th 2011

2011-05-25T12:28:00.005+01:00

With it's charming architecture, green spaces, 14 islands and 57 bridges, the aptly named 'Venice of the North' is one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Combine this with a chance to enjoy a workshop in a cosy knitting cafe, plus view some exquisite mitten making, and you have have a fascinating long weekend for knitters of all persuasions.

Led by myself, this tour offers a superb mix of knitting and sightseeing. A visit to a friendly Rowan Wincent shop in the city's Vasasten district ensures a chance to discover some wonderful yarns and sample knitting Swedish Style. A journey out of the city and into the countryside will also give you a real flavour of Swedish Life and traditional knitting techniques.

I am really looking forward to this tour and can't wait to see what Stockholm has in store for us. I'm a real Steig Larrson fan too - so the prospect of bumping into the girl with the Dragon tattoo is adding extra excitement!

If you would like to come along and spend this weekend with me then why not take a look at the Arena Travel Web site.

Finishing Techniques For Handknitters

2011-05-12T17:30:00.000+01:00

My first book - Finishing Techniques For Handknitters - was first published in 2003 and has been reprinted ever since, however this title is now out of print and according to the publishers there are no plans to republish it.

The book is currently for sale at ridiculously high prices (£248 being the highest price I have seen so far!), but you can still get used copies on line for relatively cheap prices if you are prepared to hunt around.

The book was first published in the US under the title 'All Stitched up' and there are new copies of this book available at the recommended retail price should you be prepared to hunt around for it - although the price appears to fluctuate quite alot - of course second hand copies are cheaper! The US version is EXACTLY the same as in the UK it simply has a different title!

Knitting Tours

2011-04-21T11:12:00.002+01:00

Exciting News!

Debbie Abrahams and myself have been asked to tutor a range of exciting tours aimed at knitters and the destinations include Stockholm, the Shetland Islands, Tuscany and Marrakesh. Debbie and I are really chuffed to have been invited to accompany and tutor on these exciting tours which are arranged by travel company Arena Travel and have the added bonus of a holiday guide throughout.

The tours are aimed at knitters who wish to visit these amazing locations accompanied by like minded people with the added bonus of some knitting workshops within the itinerary. For more information take a look at the Arena Web site.

Crochet Flowers @ Charleston House

2011-04-04T14:33:00.007+01:00

On Saturday I tutored a crochet workshop at the amazing Charleston house in Lewes.
I felt extremely privileged to be invited along to take this workshop and was luckier still to be given access to the house kitchen for the day - a room usually out of bounds to visitors.

Within the incredible setting of the house kitchen, surrounded by Quentin Bell's pieces of pottery and Vanessa Bell's beautifully painted furniture, the workshop participants - many of whom had never crocheted before - set about producing their own crochet flowers. By the end of the day many of them had made their own floral design which they could take home and make into a corsage or use to embellish something else.

Charleston run many lovely workshops and events including the Charleston Festival which is an annual literary event which takes place over a 10 day period at the end of May. Now in its 22nd year, the festival takes place in a traditional marquee in the beautiful grounds of the farmhouse garden and regularly attracts a stimulating array of writers, performers, politicians and thinkers, both high profile and up and coming, national and international.

For more information about the house, to check out visiting times and see the list of inspirational workshops, take a look at the web site.

The Crochet Club

2011-03-24T18:46:00.005Z

Members of my exclusive Crochet Club are now half way through their project and have tackled the techniques of beading and colour work and through the exclusive on line blog have been given some handy hints and techniques.
If you are not a club member this year and would like to be offered the chance to do the project in 2012 you can register your details on my web site, by following the link then clicking on 'registration form' at the bottom of the page.
There is also a Ravelry group that you may want to take a look at.

Free Download Patterns

2011-03-24T18:40:00.002Z

We have put most of the free blog spot patterns form the last few years onto the web site as free download patterns. These include the cup cake tea cozy and the oversized frilly corsage pattern.
You can also download the patterns for my cushion and runner collection at a cost of £3.25 a pattern by visiting the shop.
I am hoping to design a small collection of bag patterns over the next few weeks and will add these to the download list once they are completed.

Web Site Hiccups

2010-11-29T19:29:00.002Z

I am aware that quite a few of you have been experiencing difficulties placing orders on the web site. I know how frustrating this can be and can only apologise for the inconvenience caused.
We are doing our best to sort out the links through to Pay Pal and will add credit card payment options within the next few weeks.
Unfortunately the web site has had to take a bit of a back seat while we have been busy sorting out the crochet club membership, but we will be updating it over the next week or so and have a whole new batch of project bags, hook and needle wraps hot off the press and very nearly ready to be put on there in time for Chrimbo.

We also have a good stock level of the glorious Holz & Stein knitting needles which can also be despatched in time to make ideal gifts for knitters.

Crochet Club Workshop

2010-10-21T17:06:00.004+01:00

I am excited to tell you that I will be tutoring a dedicated Crochet Club workshop at Rowan's Mill in Holmfirth which will take place on March 12th and 13th 2011. I am very lucky that the lovely (and very talented with a crochet hook) Erica Pask will be my assistant.

The inspiration behind the Crochet Club 2011 panel is Art Deco and 1950s design and it is made up of both conventional and contemporary crochet pieces which, when put together, create a stunning piece. Techniques used include beading, colour work, textural crochet such as bobbles and wave/chevron patterns.

This workshop offers Crochet Club 2011 members and their friends the chance to work through the project within the lovely surroundings of Rowan’s Mill. Some of you may wish to use the workshop as a chance to catch up whereas others may like to have a sneak preview of the techniques which will be used over the subsequent months.

Participants are asked to bring along their project so far to work on over the course of the weekend, however yarn and beads will also be provided to be used to practice new techniques. Participants who are not members of the crochet club are more than welcome to attend. To see more details on line click here

I have had lots of requests for workshops which focus on the project and am in the throws of arranging a few more so keep your eye on the blog for more information.

Well rested and ready for action!

2010-10-11T16:11:00.005+01:00

After a long sleep and a nice dog walk in the woods Andy and I have been busy unpacking our remaining stock after the show and will start to update the web site within the next few days.The show went really well for us and we met some great people and made lots of new friends! Of course I also managed to squeeze in a bit of shopping myself and had no difficulty finding some really lovely fabrics to use in future projects.

The Holz & Stein needles and hooks received really positive feedback at the show - they truly do seem to be known as the highest quality wooden needles and hooks there are. Project bags, hook and needle wraps went like hot cakes and I have been busy getting the bits and bobs together to start making the next batch. These will be on line in time for Christmas.
The cushion collection was a big hit too and we have been staggered by the amount of people who have been on line and downloaded a pattern over the past few days. We are hoping to update the collection regularly with new designs and are already working on a new cushion idea which should be ready soon....

It was really great to meet so many members of the crochet club and good to hear that many of you are looking forward to starting the project in January. The registration form for the 2012 club is now on the web site if any of you want to go ahead and register. I have decided to offer another 50 places to those people who are already on the waiting list for 2011 and am just waiting to be sure that the lovely people at Rowan can supply the yarn before getting in touch with them all. Hopefully I should be in a position to offer the remaining places within the next few weeks.

Please bare with us while the web site is being updated and look out for all the new products we have in store for you.

The Knitting and Stitching Show (once again)

2010-10-08T19:40:00.006+01:00

Despite previously feeling completely exhausted and pretty much overwhelmed by the whole experience of having my own stand at the show for the first time, I am now, after my first glass of wine and taking my shoes off (in that order), feeling pretty 'normal' once again.
The show has been a real learning curve for me and I have discovered that it is quite a different experience talking to people about my own work rather than other people's products. In the past I have always been on the Rowan stand and have felt more than happy to promote their wonderful yarn range and exciting pattern collection, however, promoting my own design and stock has not been so easy as every design and product is there as a result of my own - very personal- taste and design ideas.
However, I now seem to be very much into the swing of things and have even started to relax a little and enjoy myself! People have been very kind and I have been amazed at the reception that the cushion kits and accessories have received. The hand made project bags have been particularly popular and I will be away within the next few minutes to finish off some more!

The web site is pretty much up and fully functioning now and you can go on line and download the cushion and runner patterns. The accessories will be added next week when we can work out what stock we have left over from the show and more stock items will be added over the next few months.

If you plan to come over the weekend, make sure to come and see me - I am on stand M36 in the main hall.

The Knitting and Stitching Show

2010-10-01T08:51:00.004+01:00

The Knitting and Stitching show takes place at Alexandra Palace, North London, between 7th and 10th October. With over 50,000 expected visitors this is one of the largest craft exhibitions in the UK and is an exciting time for us knitters and stitchers.
This year I have taken the plunge and have my own stand where I will sell my cushion collection patterns and kits along with needles and hooks from the wonderful Holz & Stein range and accessories such as needle and hook wraps and project bags.
The house has been taken over by boxes of exciting products and I have been very busy planning my stock and sourcing some really lovely things which (I hope) should appeal to all you knitters and stitchers.

If you are able to make it I will be on stand M36 in the main hall.
For more information check out the Twisted Thread web site:

The Ultimate Crochet Bible

2010-10-01T08:47:00.002+01:00

As I have told you before, my great grandmother was a demon with a crochet hook and continued to produce ‘granny’ square blankets right into her 90s. She would buy old jumpers form charity shops or jumble sales and produce the most fantastic blankets from the unraveled yarn. I remember being enthralled by the speed of her hands and amazed by her artistic productivity. Over the years she must have produced literally hundreds of blankets of various sizes. All new babies received a cot cover, every bed had a blanket. Nana’s creations were not only given to every family member, but were also donated to charities as raffle prizes or to keep people in need warm through the winter. Family members now live all over the world and I would love to know what Nana would make of her blankets adorning beds in countries that she never got to visit.

Even though I spent my childhood years surrounded by Nana’s crochet blankets it was only relatively recently that I got to grips with the craft myself. Crochet is currently enjoying a huge revival with many people now wanting to pick up a hook in order to create lovely garments and projects for the home. Once mastered, crochet is incredibly speedy and portable. Equipment is minimal and inexpensive. It is easily stowed away in a small bag and can be carried with you on your travels. I am a complete crochet addict and hope that with the help of my new book -the Ultimate Crochet Bible' that you will perhaps become one too!

If you are a complete novice then I suggest you read the book from the very beginning, then, once you have practiced a little and perfected your basic stitches, progress through the chapters. I have included many clear step by step illustrations to help you achieve accurate stitches. You will find that in the first few chapters these pictorial references are abundant, with each tiny step of the stitch process having its own illustration. As you progress through the book the techniques become more complex and thus the illustrations are more intricate. It is assumed that you have a good knowledge of the basic stitches by this point. For each technique you will also find a partnering image. There are over 200 images for you to refer to, each one designed to clearly show you how completed stitches should appear.

The Ultimate Crochet Bible follows a logical path, techniques become more complex from mid way and towards the end I have included a large ‘professional finishing’ chapter designed to help you achieve the best results when putting together your project. So whether you want to learn how to add texture to your work, make crochet lace, add beads and colour, or if you want to learn a specific style of crochet such as Tunisian, Irish, Freeform or Amigurumi then look no further than this book. Adopt the crochet religion, say your prayers, make this your bible and become a yarn disciple like me!

The Ultimate Crochet Bible is published on Monday 4th October
You can order your copy through my web site from Monday.

Omega Style

2010-09-02T16:47:00.005+01:00

In early August I took a trip down to Lewes with my family to visit Charleston Farmhouse, the home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant between 1916 until their deaths in 1961 and 1978 respectively. Bell and Grant were members of the Bloomsbury group – a close knit circle of friends who were artists, writers and intellectuals. The group went on to form the Omega Workshops - a design enterprise which in addition to offering a wide range of individual products for the home such as fabrics, furniture, murals, mosaics and stained glass, offered interior design schemes for various living spaces.

I first visited Charleston as an art student when it opened to the public back in the late 1980s and I remember being blown away by the interior of the house, which was painted by the artists throughout their residency. I recall thinking how wonderful it must have been to have had the liberation to paint and decorate every surface within the home and how fun and liberal life must have been for the occupants of the house. I imagined that one day I would be in a position to decorate my own house in the same way and even returned home to my parents house one weekend and painted a giant vase of flowers on my bedroom wall - this has since been covered by my parents choice of William Morris wallpaper and subsequently a good few coats of vinyl matt emulsion in an eggshell blue!

My return to Charleston has inspired me once again to get out my paint brush and adorn a surface within my home, but right now I simply don’t have the time to do something about this desire and like many other things it will have to sit and simmer on the back burner for a while longer. Unfortunately (for me) this yearning to decorate my home has been exacerbated by a feature in this month’s copy of Country Living magazine which has run a feature on how to decorate your home in the omega style. In order to console myself and so that I don’t make a huge mess of my home by rushing through a design idea I have decided to start myself a small ‘omega style’ scrap book which I will use for design inspiration. It’s not difficult to find pieces which fit in with such a scheme: the paintings of Dufy and Chagall fit in beautifully and the current trend for distressed or vintage furniture also work really well so I shouldn’t be short of ideas...

Kaffe Fassett used Charleston as his location for the wonderful images in ‘Kaffe Knits Again’ and I will be tutoring two workshops there on November 4th 2010.

Hat it again!

2010-09-02T16:33:00.003+01:00

Ready Steady Go –'The Big Knit' has officially cast on!
A regular event in the knitting calendar, The Big Knit 2010 has just been launched so now’s the perfect time to use up your left over yarn and get knitting to support people in later life across the UK.
Every year for the past seven years, people across the land have knitted their socks off in aid of the annual Big Knit campaign run by the chaps at Innocent Smoothies. So far they have received a whopping 1.6 million little hats and raised over £800,000 for Age UK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged) - all to help make winter warmer for older people.
For 2010 each be-hatted smoothie sold in Sainsbury’s stores will raise 25p and the target is £200,000, which is quite a pile of hats. This is why they need your help -simply pick up your needles or crochet hook and make them a little hat. Better still get together with your friends and create a few more.
The basic knitting pattern is only 28 stitches and 18 rows – that’s not even a tension square. Perhaps you could whizz one up during EastEnders or Corrie; imagine how many you could do in a month! In fact the deadline for hats isn’t until 5th October so please try and fit a few!
Innocent will be putting up lots of fun patterns and announcing a competition or two very soon but for now just go to their site to get started.
A huge thank you from everyone at innocent and Age UK.

Quilts @ The V&A

2010-06-16T13:03:00.006+01:00

When I was a 13year old school girl my class at school and I were given the project of making a small patchwork piece in our weekly textiles class. I remember cutting out the paper templates, wrapping them in my fabric pieces and tacking, then sewing them in place with tiny stitches. I remember the satisfaction I felt looking at those neat little hexagons all stitched together to make my own unique piece of fabric. However, I have absolutely no recollection of what my sample became or whether I actually finished it and have never even contemplated doing a patchwork piece again. I remember thinking what a strange past time – to cut up one fabric in order to make another – what a waste of time! In the years that have followed since my days at school the many examples of patchwork that I have come across have done little to dispel my view. Patchwork and quilted items have always reminded me of my 1970s childhood, they remind me of being hard up and of my mum recycling old hand me down clothes for me to wear, and they remind me of Holly Hobby notebooks, Kaftans, allotments and bright orange flared trousers.

So, this said, you can imagine how I felt when I was asked by Rowan to review the Patchwork and Quilt exhibition currently showing here @ the V&A in London. Excited probably is not the word! However, along I went notebook in hand. I hired an audio guide (always a good investment if you want to get the most out of any exhibition) and made my way into the softy lit galleries.

The very first example of patchwork in the exhibition is a small bed draped with patchwork hangings and cover. It is made from small repeated shapes stitched together. The colours are muted yellows, pinks, golds and blues and it’s over all effect is subtle and tasteful. The style of stitch work in this piece is traditional and did little to dispel my (narrow minded) opinion of patchwork. However it was the realization that at the time of their production (17th Century) these fabrics were seen as a powerful status symbol and were an important indication of a family’s wealth that really grabbed my attention. Far from being an indication of being short of money (as it seemed to be when I was a child) these patchwork fabrics were in fact a really important and integral part of family life. At this time the main bedroom of the house was where the whole family would congregate and relax, but it was also a public space; it was where guests were welcomed and entertained and as such it was the place where rich families would demonstrate their wealth and power by displaying their possessions; the bed of course was the central feature of this room and the fabrics used to adorn it were of upmost importance.

Walking through the first section of the exhibition which shows quilts all dating between 17 & 1800 I glean my second piece of exciting information: The quilts from this time period are made from small pieces of taffeta, and silk. Some are made from ribbon, others from small pieces of these expensive fabrics. In 1720, UK Parliament established a law banning the import or use of Indian cotton, in order to protect the domestic linen and silk industries, thus decorative fabrics became contraband and quilt makers had to search out their fabric pieces, often hunting down textile traders selling these illegal printed fabrics from the Far East. How exciting it must have been to stitch a piece of smuggled fabric into the quilt, what a sense of guilty pleasure this must have generated in the mind of the quilt maker! As somebody who has always been too scared of the consequences to do anything even slightly naughty and who – like my 17th century counterparts - would love to show off my worldly goods in the sumptuous surroundings of a textile strewn room I am suddenly hooked to this concept of patchwork and quilting and am eager to progress to the next part of the exhibition.
I find myself being drawn in. I find I am interested in the tales and secrets that these fabrics hold. I am eager to read about the lives of the women who stitched these quilts and to find out the reasons why they chose to include their chosen imagery or why they chose particular fabrics and colours. There are quilts that declare patriotism and loyalty, others that show biblical stories or portray instances of everyday life or declare undying love. Even the paper templates used behind the fabric pieces contain a clue about the history of the piece. The paper was cut from receipts, newspapers and ledger books; there is even one that is reported to have been made using templates cut from illicit love letters.

The quilts from a later period of time, when the trade ban on Indian fabrics was lifted and printed cotton fabrics were more common place, were made by people from the lower social classes. Recycling materials bore witness to a wife’s practicality and the emerging middle classes were eager to display the virtues of domesticity. Patchwork and quilting became more common place and by the turn of the 19th Century it had become big business, stitchers were able to commission a ‘stamper’ to mark out quilting designs onto a fabric and huge co operatives were formed in order to fulfill the demand for hand stitched quilts.

And so I reach the last room in this exhibition. Here, mixed among some older examples are a handful of modern day quilts. There is one stitched by inmates from Wandsworth prison with intricate embroidered panels and slogans, there is a paper quilt made from 38,000 1cm square pieces which charts the sequence of deaths in Iraq between 2003 and 2006 and another depicting modern day life in the style of traditional ‘toile de jouy’ fabric. Just as the exhibition started with a patchwork adorned bed, so it concludes with one. The final piece of the exhibition is an installation made by Tracey Emin in the form of an ‘unmade’ four poster bed with embroidered sheet and patchwork cushions. Emin’s patchwork pieces contain words and sentences that tell us of a troubled background and feelings of danger, betrayal and fear in her past. Whilst Emin’s contemporary choice of words and language are shocking I realize that she has totally upheld the tradition of patchwork and quilting. Her work offers us an insight into her own life and background; she is just like the women of the past stitching their thoughts, dreams and hopes into these wonderful fabrics.

And so I emerge from the exhibition and into the V&A gift shop. Here I am surrounded by fat quarters, sewing threads and pin cushions, sewing books and postcards, people around me are busy selecting fabrics from neatly stacked piles and choosing matching thread. Whilst I do not have a burning desire to rush home and stitch a piece myself, I do have a new found respect for the craft and an understanding of why people would want to cut up one fabric and create another. These stitched fabrics provide a legacy more profound than a knitted or crocheted piece; many contain words, images and slogans used not merely for decorative effect but as a way of communicating emotions, they provide historical reference points whilst also providing the stitcher with a chance to create a unique cherished item which is truly personal to themselves. Who knows, maybe one day I will have the time and space to create my own patchwork item, but for now I am content that I have had the opportunity to appreciate this craft that for so long I dismissed as frugal, old fashioned and futile. How very silly of me!

The Rise of the Woolly Surfers

2010-06-16T12:29:00.002+01:00

I can remember vividly the day my husband and I went out and bought our very first PC. I recall being flabbergasted that my husband was prepared to spend so much money on and un-essential item and even more astounded at the size and weight of the thing. We squeezed it into the boot of the car along with a printer/scanner of epic proportions and a screen the size and weight of a baby elephant.
We got it home, un packed it, connected all the wires and there it sat – in our tiny office room – all lonely and neglected for a few months whilst my husband waded through the instruction manual, occasionally pressing the ‘on’ button and waiting 15 minutes for the desk top screen to come light up while it whirred and whizzed and got scarily hot worryingly quickly.
With two small children in need of shoes, food and nurture I thought my spouse had completely lost the plot investing so much of our hard earned money on this terrifying and pointless addition to our home. Why on earth did we need a computer? Couldn’t we just pick up the phone to people instead of emailing? Couldn’t we just write out any documents and letters on paper using a pen or perhaps our trusty type writer? Couldn’t I have spent some of that hard earned money on yet more yarn?

Our first PC came into our lives only a little over 10 years ago. I slowly (and I mean snail’s pace) learnt how to turn it on, read and write emails, compose simple documents and work the scanner. I even learnt to be mildly patient when it spent ages attempting to ‘dial up’ and get ‘on line’. That PC became part of our lives in a way that I could never have imagined. My children used it as if second nature when playing games on it, pressing drop down tabs, loading programmes and downloading like there was no tomorrow. Documents were occasionally lost and there were a few incidences of things not being saved, but on the whole the terrifying concept that I had that I might inadvertently cause computer melt down at the touch of a button was thankfully never realized.

And so, here I am a few wrinkles along the path of life later, sat at my PC writing this article. The screen is small and the modem relatively tiny. There is no whiz and whir while I wait for it to get on line and no endless wait for pages to refresh. I can cruise the worldwide web from the relative comfort of my office chair. I can find out about even the most obscure things. I can see what free download patterns are available to me and can even check out technique videos on YouTube. My PC is switched on daily and has become an essential part not only of my working life, but of our family life too – and thankfully I am not alone, I am just one of the millions of knitters and stitchers who daily peruse the internet, chat on forums and read blogs.

As Rowan launch the new and exciting on line club for Rowan International members I wonder why us knitters and stitchers seem to have such an infinity with the net. It seems that knitters are a discerning bunch with many of them being happy to trawl the net to find the perfect yarn and patterns. Knitters love to discuss equipment, yarns and techniques and thus chat forums have sprung up all over the internet. It appears that we are also happy to share our knowledge and thoughts through the more recent phenomenon that is ‘blogging’. The word ‘blog’ is a contraction of ‘web and log’ and is a type of web site where the ‘owner’ posts regular entries almost like an on line diary in the hope that others will find it informative/interesting/amusing and will thus check in to read it on a regular basis.

For a few individuals their knitting related blogs became the stepping stone to a change of career. Take, for example, Stephanie Pearl McPhee the author of ‘The Yarn Harlot’ and ‘Crazy Aunt Purl’ author Laurie Perry, both of whom started off by writing blogs under the guise of an alter ego. Pearl McPhee is the author of at least 6 books and now travels the world giving amusing presentations and workshops to other knitters. Laurie Perry started her blog as a form of ‘self help’ following her divorce, Laurie says: ’I started (my) website because I didn't have anyone to tell my stories to anymore. And I certainly didn't have anyone to tell about my knitting. I went online one day to look for scarf patterns and that's when I found there were real folks online with little websites all about knitting and I thought, "Oh! I could do that!’’ Within the past three years Laurie has completely turned her life around and is the author of two books, the first ‘Drunk, Divorced and covered in cat hair’ was quickly followed by ’12 months of Knitting, Cocktails and crazy dates on the path to enlightenment’.

Knitters blogs are common place and on the whole wonderful to look through. On most knitters’ blogs you are bound to find images of current projects in their various stages of completion, stories of yarn shop visits, pattern suggestions, free patterns and tips. You are also likely to find images of food and recipes along with summer time pictures of gardens, flowers, pets, animals and children and even those that profess to be the most extreme knitting blogs focus around the home and family life which leads me to think that us stitchers are a definite breed, we like all things homely, love our knitting and stitching, our gardens our families and have healthy (if not somewhat sweet toothed) appetites.

The abundance of knitters’ blogs proves that we have an enormous desire to share our knowledge. We are willing to pass on as much of what we know about our craft as possible in order to make sure that our beloved craft is not going to fade away and will be there for the enjoyment of others in the years to come. When I did a search for knitting related blogs the results came up with over 6 and a half million results, a search for ‘knitting yarn’ came up with a similar result and a third search for ‘yarn retailers’ gave me a list so long that I would probably have to spend the next week checking out every recommended site. Indeed, over the past decade Rowan have seen internet stockists popping up all over the world, with many of them stocking and shipping out the full range of yarns, magazines and accessories. Rowan were the first to offer knitters an online knitting forum just as they were the first to create an exclusive worldwide club and they have not only learnt to embrace all that the internet can offer, but are also at the forefront of web innovation. The move to publish the RI newsletter on line is the latest development and Rowan now offers knitters a wealth of online information and help. There are downloadable patterns, yarn information, stockist lists and workshop information (to name but a few) all displayed alongside all the lovely Rowan images at the click of a mouse. Whoever would have guessed it 10 years ago when even the thought of pressing the ‘start’ button caused me (and perhaps you) to launch into full blown panic attack!

Make & Bake for Mencap

2010-06-16T11:26:00.004+01:00

The Knitter Magazine have chosen Mencap as it's charity of the year for 2010.
They have lots of exciting ways that you can get involved.
First of all there are patterns to download from the Mencap website including great hat designs from Lynda Bellingham and Mathew Horne. They have also launched a nationwide event which they have called 'Make and Bake for Mencap' which encourages people to hold 'healthy' tea parties with their social knitting groups. So why not turn this into a fundraising event for Mencap? There is a great pack to download on their site.
The pack has lots of ideas about how to raise funds and some yummy recipes - the cinnamon banana bread is delicious. Please do have a look and let’s see if we can really make a difference to this amazing charity.

The Crochet Club

2010-06-08T13:51:00.003+01:00

With the blessing of my close friend and colleague Debbie Abrahams – the brainchild behind the Mystery Blanket Knitting Club- I am launching ‘The Crochet Club’.
Members of my club will receive the yarn and all instructions needed to create an exciting project in the form of a crochet panel which could be used as a hanging or throw. The project incorporates many crochet techniques and could act as an excellent learning tool for those wanting to enhance their existing skills and learn new methods of working a crochet fabric.

The inspiration behind the panel is Art Deco and 1950s design and it is made up of both conventional and contemporary crochet pieces which, when put together, create a stunning piece. Techniques used include beading, colour work, textural crochet such as bobbles and wave/chevron patterns.

Club members will be sent a kit containing all yarns and beads at the beginning of January 2011 together with a pattern for the crochet pieces to be made in that month. At the beginning of the subsequent 5 months the patterns for the remaining pieces will be sent. Membership to the club will be limited so that the piece remains exclusive and the patterns will not be published elsewhere. All yarn used will be from Rowan.

Club members will be supported by a dedicated blog which I will update frequently with tips, techniques and mini master-classes for those in need of a little help and encouragement.

You can visit the blog: http://cachetcrochetclub.blogspot.com/

Email me and I will send you a registration form: janeknits@yahoo.co.uk

Time is hard to find.....

2010-05-11T08:57:00.003+01:00

Over the past year it has become increasingly difficult for me to find the time to design and make a monthly free knitting or crochet pattern. I have been busy writing a crochet techniques book and hope to have another book on the horizon which will take up a lot of my time. I am also working on a kit collection and continuing to do design and technique work for The Knitter magazine and workshops and design consultancy for Rowan, this unfortunately means that there is less and less spare time to dedicate to my blog, especially as there are always children needing dinners and nurture and dog and husband needing a little attention every now and again.

I am hoping that I will be able to offer you all a free pattern on a less regular basis say every couple of months instead of monthly and hope that you would like to remain on my mailing list so that I can keep you up to date with what I am up to. If you would rather not receive any further contact from me then please let me know.

Fairisle Spring Beret

2010-04-13T08:08:00.008+01:00

This month instead of sending you a free monthly pattern I am asking that you support the emergency medical aid charity ‘Medicins Sans Frontier’ (Doctors without Borders) by donating a fee to them in order to download my spring beret pattern which was featured in The Knitter Magazine.

P/hop = Pennies Per Hour Of Pleasure!
The brain child of Natalie Fergie, UK knitter and dyer, P/hop is a charity knitting project that raises funds for the emergency medical aid organisation MSF who provide an amazing and invaluable service in countries where medical aid and good health care are impossible to come by. The charity is currently heavily involved in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake and is in urgent need of more funds.

Knitwear designers such as myself have donated their time and knitting patterns to P/hop. These patterns are available for you to download. The idea is that you donate based on how many hours of pleasure you’ll get from knitting your p/hop pattern. There is no set price for a pattern; you can donate 50p or £50. It’s entirely up to you –
P/hop has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year to include p/hop swapping, knitting events and the one year birthday blog-a-long. It is open to anyone to get involved and you are more than welcome to have a go at developing it in new ways. For more information click here

Knitting in Italy

2010-03-16T11:47:00.004Z

Fancy a really self indulgent mini break in the delightful surroundings of the Italian Countryside?
Why not join me and designer Sarah Hatton on this 5 day long workshop in the idyllic setting of Masseria della Zingara in Puglia Italy. The workshop aims to introduce participants to the key principles of knitwear design whilst also sharing some trade secrets and professional tips and techniques along the way.

Participants will be shown how to work from a visual design source to devise a basic knitwear design. They will also be shown how to add design features such as pockets, necklines and embellishments to enhance the design. Tips on colour work, beading, textural knitting and professional finishing will also be encompassed within the workshop programme.

Workshops will be relaxed and informal and participants will be given the opportunity to explore and enjoy the surrounding area. There will be informal knit and chat sessions in the evening which participants can dip in and out of at their will.

For more information visit the Twisted Thread web site:

http://www.masseriadellazingara.com/pages/Textileholidays.html

Sparkle Necklace

2010-03-03T10:33:00.002Z

Here is a picture of the free pattern for March. It was inspired by a similar one that I found an image of on the pages of a fashion magazine - the necklace in question retails at £300 so this is my budget copy!
It only uses a very small amount of yarn, beads and ribbon so would make an economical gift. I would think that one ball of Rowan Lurex Shimmer may even be long enough for you to make 4 of these and one bag of beads will also go a long way.
Finding plastic rings to crochet around can be tricky, especially the larger sizes, if you are feeling particularly resourceful you could cut up a plastic container lid or use a piece of bent wire.

Stitch Therapy

2010-02-22T11:07:00.002Z

Although I was taught to knit as a child and even went on to Art school to do a degree in textiles it wasn’t until the birth of my first child when I was in my mid 20s that I really became addicted to hand knitting. My son was a model baby who had a 3 hour nap most afternoons and slept through the night from 6 weeks old. I had given up full time work to be at home with him and suddenly found that I had lots of time in which to do a quiet fulfilling hobby and my knitting fitted the bill perfectly. I had my routine down to a fine art and would relish my peaceful serene time spent knitting between changing nappies, feeding and doing all those things that mummies do. My knitting became my salvation because at the end of even the most trying of days (which may have included temper tantrums, bumps and bruises, thrown up food and screaming fits) I had something tangible to show for my day – perhaps one or two inches of knitting - which (when added to on a daily basis) soon became complete garments.
Over the years I have taken my knitting with me pretty much everywhere I have been and have rarely had a day when I didn’t pick up my needles (or my crochet hook) and work a few stitches.

The crafts of knitting and crochet have for a while now been described as the ‘new yoga’. This is not only because it has rivaled yoga in the popularity stakes (ok so that may be a slight exaggeration) but also because of the therapeutic benefits that a little time spent with yarn, needles and hook can provide.

In order to knit or crochet, many of you have to schedule some specific time into your hectic lifestyles. I have met many people who view their time spent practicing their hobby as their ‘reward’ at the end of their busy day. Some people choose to knit in front of day time TV whereas others knit well into the night once the children are tucked away in bed perhaps. Rather like going for a facial or a massage, the time spent knitting is classed as ‘me time’ and in today’s climate, where other pass times are becoming more and more expensive, many of us cannot imagine a more rewarding way to spend these precious moments, but did you know that not only are you relaxing whilst you knit, but you are also giving your brain a bit of a workout?

Dr Maoshing Ni is an anti aging expert who believes that there is a link between acts which use fine motor skills and the health of our brains. He has discovered that using your finger tips to practice fine work such as playing the piano, using an abacus, knitting and crocheting stimulates nerve endings which lead directly to the brain, thus increasing circulation, which in turn feeds our brains.

The brain is an incredibly complex piece of grey mush, with different sections of it controlling the various things that we do. A large proportion of our brains are left unused and as we get older our brain power diminishes. Therefore (so researchers believe) the more we boost our brain power in early and mid life, the less likely we are to suffer from illnesses such as Alzheimer’s in later life. By engaging in acts which use both hands simultaneously we encourage our brains to use both the left and the right sides at the same time. Our brains are contra lateral; this means that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and visa versa. It is believed that by teaching the non dominant hand to exercise you will be giving your brain a bit of a boost. Some researchers have even suggested that we spend a little time each day making our ‘lazy’ hand do a little bit of work it is un-used to. For example, if you are left handed; try writing your name or tying your shoe lace with your right hand. (This is not anywhere near as easy as you may think!) It is the left side of our brains that we all really need to nurture. This area of the brain is not only associated with skilled movement, language skills and hand eye co-ordination, but is also linked to positive emotions, whereas the right side of the brain is linked to negative feelings such as anxiety and stress.

I would imagine by this point of my article many of you (especially those of you who have knitted for a long time) are feeling pretty smug for having the foresight of learning to knit or crochet and thus exercise the left side of your brain. However, just as you were getting ready to pat yourselves on the back, I am going to pull the rug from under your feet – because - it seems that not only do we need to exercise the left side of the brain, but we also need to challenge it by constantly teaching it new tricks!

In her article ‘Purls of wisdom’, Irene Sege, who was concerned about her own ‘grey matter’, tells how her Doctor told her to learn to knit, master a new dance step, learn a new language or musical instrument because this would open up new neurological pathways within her brain that traditional puzzles such as crosswords and the more recent phenomenon of Sudoku could not. Irene says: ‘Years ago, common wisdom held that human beings are born with a finite number of brain cells, some number of which die as we get older. Lately scientists have discovered that the brain is capable of creating new connections throughout our lives. To be sure, the younger brain is more adaptive than the older brain, but even older brains are capable of generating new pathways.’

Betsan Corkhill is another believer in the benefits of knitting and crochet. Betsan is a medical researcher who has recently become a bit of a knitter’s guru. To begin with it was Betsan’s objective to set up groups and clinics within hospitals in order to help patients suffering from issues such as chronic pain, stress and depression by using the medium of knitting to divert the brain’s attention away from ailments. As Betsan’s work and research progressed it became clear to her that the crafts not only provided people with a means of occupying their brains, but also appeared to have possible physiological, neurological, psychological, behavioral and social benefits. Betsan says: ‘The skills and feelings experienced whilst knitting and stitching could also, potentially, be used to facilitate the learning of techniques, such as meditation and relaxation, taught on pain management courses, or in the treatment of depression. This could make their benefits available to a wider population. In addition, valuable life skills are developed, which can be utilized in education and the workplace.’

It is clear that many of us believe in stitch therapy although we may view it or use it in differing ways. Through my research for this article I have come across many instances of people using knitting and stitching as therapy. Some have used it to give up smoking, drinking, or over eating, whilst others use it as stress and pain relief. For some people it is the attendance at knitting groups which has broken their cycle of negative behavior or helped them make new friends. Others feel that they are using the craft to delay or prevent the onset of illnesses in later life. In whichever way we decide to view the craft it appears that we must not be complacent and must try to push our knowledge and test our abilities. Why not take the opportunity of attending a knitting workshop or visit a Rowan Design Consultant for tips on learning a new skill? For those of you who only knit – why not try to learning to crochet? As for me – I’m off to try and learn tai chi, the clarinet, the German language and macramé……

http://www.stitchlinks.com/research.html

Whoops its February!

2010-02-03T14:56:00.005Z

I cant believe that we now find ourselves most definitely in the month of February. Quite where the second half of December and the month of January went I am not certain, but what I do know is that I have failed to come up with a decent design for both January and February's blogspot freebies....
That isn't to say that I haven't tried! I have had two quite wonderful ideas, the first for a covered brick doorstop design and the second for some coasters and place mats, but both have failed to materialise in practice the way they looked inside my head!
January really has been a mad month. I am in the throws of finishing off my crochet book and am also working on two other exciting new projects (watch this space)so sadly the blogspot has had to be neglected.
I know that some of you eagerly await the new patterns. Indeed, I was amazed to receive pictures of Gwyn's version of my Christmas Bird within days of me posting the pattern. Alas this month I am to let you all down once more - but with the promise that I will send out a new pattern in March once life has calmed down a little.
In the mean time I have posted a couple of images to inspire you: I really adore these crochet covered stones (these were the inspiration for my door stop idea)and - much along the same lines - these crochet pebbles which have been felted and put together to make a mat. Perhaps you will be inspired by them too!

Free Pattern for Christmas

2009-12-09T11:53:00.004Z

Here is an image of this month's project.
Little birds appear to be everywhere this Christmas for use as decorations for trees or within displays of some kind. I tried making real small birds to hang from the tree, but they just looked like unfortunate baubles or birds who had been involved in an accident of some kind!
Anyway - this one can be used as part of your festive flower arrangement or could be poked into a plant pot or vase to create a good effect. If you don't want to mess about with wire and beads you could use large feathers for a tail instead.
I have used left over bits of Rowan Cotton Glace as this is my favourite yarn and I have a lot of it; of course you could use up lots of bits and pieces from your stash.
It doesn't take long to make and you could always make things simpler by not crocheting the beads into the design.

Advent Calendar to knit

2009-11-28T08:38:00.002Z

OK - so we haven't got very long to knit this wonderful advent calendar, but isn't it just fab? The pattern is free to download on the Rowan web site and has been designed by Design Consultant Manager Jemma Weston.
Its a really clever idea - the knitted pockets (each with it's own embroidered number) hang by means of a toggle fastening to a ribbon which in turn is attached to a handle that you can pop on a hook. You can fill each pocket with a lovely surprise for your loved ones right up until the 25th. Jemma tells me that the pockets are big enough to hold small candles, lip balm and such like and - of course - plenty of chocolate treats.
To download the pattern go to: www.knitrowan.com

Knitting Profiles

2009-11-26T08:51:00.003Z

Having been a workshop tutor for more than 10 years I have – over the course of this time- met literally hundreds if not thousands of knitters and crocheters. I have attended workshops in a diverse array of locations; church halls, hotels, yarn store stock rooms, private sitting rooms and even a French Chateau. I have met doctors, teachers, housewives, architects – you name a profession – I’ve met someone who does it! Yet despite the differences in workshop location and attendees professions and backgrounds all the workshops I have ever done have shared some very common characteristics; namely that there is rarely a moment of quiet, I have never had a group who did not get on with each other and I have never left a workshop feeling deflated or disappointed by the outcome of my day (hopefully attendees feel the same way!).
A friend and I have a game and we have traditionally played it the night before weekend or residential workshops. It is especially effective when tutoring @ Holmfirth, the home of Rowan, as we can spot a lot of knitters in a relatively small area. To avoid detection as the billed workshop tutors we do not wear any knitwear ourselves and position ourselves in a prominent place – such as a café or bar – and decide when each new person enters the room or walks past us whether or not they are coming along to the workshop. We are rarely wrong because, of course, there are usually some major clues. I remember following a woman up an escalator at a John Lewis store and deciding that there could be no denying she was heading to the same place as me. She was wearing a hand knitted ‘farm scene’ sweater complete with little 3D knitted sheep and cows, she had a ‘granny square’ crochet shoulder bag, a garter stitch matching scarf and hat and a very large raffia bag bursting it’s seams with what I could only assume was knitting yarn and equipment. Other times the clues can be a little more subtle: the knitter or crocheter could be given away by the size of her bag, her chosen jewellery, her shoes or even the style of her hair!

It seems to me that knitters and crocheters fall into some definite categories. There are knitters who enjoy colourwork, others who like lace or cables, there are freeform knitters who ‘do their own thing’ and there are others who adore to rigorously follow patterns. I thought it would be a bit of fun to give you a few of my Knitting profiles, who knows, perhaps you are a definite member of one of my groups or perhaps you can identify at least a few elements of a stereotype within yourself.

The Technique Geek:
You have knitted for many years and fall into the 50+ age group and may well be called Janet or Mary. You adore colour work and knitting techniques and are unafraid to experiment. You love knitting reference books and readily soak up new methods. You are a whizz at Fairisle and Intarsia and have a flair for combining colours and patterns. You have a wardrobe full of Kaffe knits, although you are likely to also be a fan of Sasha Kagan and Brandon Mably. You have completed many complicated knits such as Kaffe’s ‘Foolish Virgins’ and produce hand knitted socks at an alarming speed, you are also a member of Debbie Abraham’s mystery blanket club. You have a stash of epic proportions which includes some of Rowan’s most beautiful yarns from over the years, such as Silk Stones, Kid Silk and Scottish tweed. Your favourite yarns include mohair, wool tweeds and variegated colourful yarns. Your current favourite is Kaffe’s Colourscape. You love surfing the net for knitting patterns and enjoy reading blogs, you also belong to online chat groups.
You have an artistic flair with fashion and love silver and beaded jewellery, unusual shoes and expensive accessories.
Style icons: Rosita Missoni & Judi Dench

The Perfect Purler:
You were taught to knit by your mother or grandmother and knitting has always been part of your every day life. You are aged between 30 and 50. You love your home and all things to do with family life and own either a Labrador or a Scottish terrier. You have a tidy house and you are very organised and methodical, even your stash is orderly and systematic.
You strive for perfection in all your finished projects and derive great satisfaction from knowing that you have used the best techniques. Your favourite designers are Kim Hargreaves and Amanda Crawford. You love precise detailing and fitted garments, you are petite and have a tendancy to wear light to mid colour tones such as cream, grey, brown and icy pastels, you don’t wear anything too glitzy and you like small intricate (non fussy) pieces of jewellery. You love to shop at Habitat and Ikea and your style icons are Keira Knightly and Princess Grace.

The Hip Knitter:
The legendary ‘yummy mummy’ and ‘domestic goddess’ unite to produce this hybrid knitter. You are relatively young and have taken a career break to look after your small children. You love home baking, sewing and gardening and regularly meet with friends to drink coffee and chat in Starbucks. You knit in the evening after the kids are wrapped up in bed with a glass of cold Pinot Grigio by your side. You like to knit baby things and garments for the children and perhaps the odd thing for yourself. Your favourite designers are Erica Knight & Debbie Bliss. You tend to knit plain uncomplicated things and love garter and moss stitch. You are bang up to date with all the latest fashions, you like to dress in labels such as Mango, Fenn Wright & Mason and Monsoon and your style icons are Sarah Jessica Parker and Emma Bunton.

The Stitch Sister:
This knitter loves anything a bit ‘off the wall’ and you will turn your hand to knitting absolutely anything, the more unusual the better. You like to attend workshops and love to push the boundaries of your knitting ability and are happy to cut, felt, embroider or deconstruct your knitting in some way. You are not a perfectionist, but enjoy a more organic knitting process. For you the creation of an item is as satisfying as the finished result. You relish your stitches and have no problem with ripping back or even discarding projects that are not working for you. You have a mammoth stash that spills from behind the sofa, but it doesn’t bother you as you feel comfortable amongst clutter and often verge on the edge of chaos. You like to knit accessories and often choose space dyed or sparkly yarns to produce your projects. You have a slightly ‘hippie’ style and enjoy mixing vintage and new fashion to create an eclectic look. Your style icons are Kate Hudson and Kate Moss.

(Just so that you know I think I am a cross between the ‘Technique Geek’ and the ‘Stitch Sister’)

Sew Much Fun!

2009-11-18T20:11:00.002Z

When I was about 8 years old I was taught to use a basic sewing machine by the craft teacher at school. The sewing machines were old and heavy – I’m sure you know the sort – black and gold with a foot pedal and a wheel to one side - not an electric plug in sight! To build up a good stitching speed we had to pedal as fast as we could. So busy was I (pedalling like mad) that the outcome of the stitching on my fabric was always a total disaster, with uneven stitching, loops of thread at the back of the work and (in the dim recesses of my brain) I seem to remember an incident where I managed to sew my school tie to my work and had to be cut free! Using a sewing machine was a messy – and sweaty – affair; needless to say sewing machines and I never really hit it off!
Over the past couple of years we have seen a dramatic rise in the number of people taking up the art of sewing and all things crafty. Rowan have been busy building a stunning fabric collection and now have a huge diversity of prints and plain fabrics on offer, including designs by Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett and Heather Bailey. The Rowan team have created a range of sewing workshops too and it was with some trepidation that early one Saturday morning in September I set foot once again into a room full of sewing machines and fabrics……

The Heritage Suite at Liberty was the setting for the day long ‘Learn to Sew’ workshop tutored by Rowan Consultant Jenny Stillwell. I took my place at the table along with 9 other ladies all of whom explained that they too either had bad memories of child hood sewing or had never sewn before.
We started by cutting out our paper patterns, and (surrounded by pots of tea and Danish pastries) were soon on the path to finding our inner sewing skills.
With Jenny’s expert help and patience we pinned out our patterns making sure we had them in line with the warp of the fabric (which Jenny explained was vital as we did not want to cut our fabric on the bias), we tentatively cut out our fabric pieces then stitched and pressed our seams, swore a little and un picked a little when things went wrong, drank more tea and ate some more cake. We learnt how to read a pattern, how to stitch in a straight line using a cm guide on the machine and how to top stitch. The atmosphere was relaxed and chatty and by 4.30pm we had all completed our sewing project in the shape of a rather nifty fabric bag with a contrast lining and base, stitched handles and hemmed top.

My day was over far too quickly and it was with regret that I left the sanctuary of the sewing room. Jenny had shown us all lots of wonderful projects that we could go on to tackle, such as a larger bag, a cushion cover or a pillow case and there are even a range of follow on workshops which teach more skills such as inserting a zip and making button holes. Emerging out onto Regent Street into the late afternoon sunlight I felt like the sewing world was my oyster and I was eager to start my next project.
A few of my fellow class mates headed off down Oxford Street in search of a sewing machine to buy, others were off home to dig a machine out from the attic, desperate to recreate the excitement of the day and tackle their next project.
As I headed home I wondered why I felt so elated. In my time I have produced countless knitted garments, probably meters or even kilometres of both knitted and crochet fabric, I have created thousands of stitches and have worked the most complicated of patterns, yet I couldn’t remember feeling so excited or proud about anything else I have ever produced (other than my 2 babies obviously). For the past month my little bag has been taken everywhere, it has held my lunch, my knitting, my library books. I have told anyone that wanted to listen that I made it myself and I have even bought a matching corsage to decorate it. Goodness knows how I would feel if it got left on the bus or devoured by the dog.

I realise now, a month down the line, why I love this little bag so: not only is it very handy and the fabrics I was given to make it with are very pretty, but it is also the embodiment of something us knitters and crocheters know very little about – that thing is instant gratification. When I knit or crochet a project I will select the pattern and the yarn knowing full well that it could be a couple of months before my hard work even half resembles something wearable or useable, yet my little bag (reversible I might add) was made in approximately 5 hours. It had started the morning just like all the other meters of fabric on a bolt in Liberty’s store and had materialised like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. I realise that the craft of sewing offers its followers the chance to create projects in a relatively short space of time and (with the vast and sumptuous range of Rowan fabrics available) there are patterns out there for pretty much anything from floor cushions and duvet covers to skirts and baby changing bags. I am no longer scared of a sewing machine or nervous of my sewing ability, (ok so I may not be able to tackle something complicated just yet) so to finish, I have just three words..

BRING IT ON!

A message from Juliet @ The Knitter Magazine

2009-11-06T08:26:00.005Z

Macmillan Blanket Campaign
I wanted to say a huge thank you from everyone at The Knitter and Macmillan Cancer Support to all of you wonderful knitters who took part in our Comfort Blanket campaign. Not only have you been amazingly generous with your precious knitting time but you have also created such beautiful blankets. You helped us smash our target of 100 blankets and we think we will actually have nearly 200 once they are all in. The commitment you have all shown towards helping people affected by cancer has been outstanding. The coffee mornings you organised together with our monthly stash bag page will have raised nearly £31,500 what can I say? You are amazing. This incredible sum of money will go towards making a real difference to people living with cancer as well as their family and carers. As a small token of our gratitude we have set up a special subscription offer of 3 issues for £1 for the UK and some great rates for overseas. To receive this offer go to the address below

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/x419

Please stay in touch. Juliet.

Giant Corsage

2009-11-02T15:24:00.003Z

Have you noticed that it is currently really fashionable to wear really giant corsages? Top Shop are currently selling the most beautiful flower corsages made from netting and VV Rouleaux have also created the most exquisite massive corsages made from ribbon and fabric.
Here is my crochet version for you to have a go at. It uses Rowan's Shimmer yarn and will be a great addition to your party frock - so long as you are happy to be noticed big time!
To receive the free pattern simply email me and ask to be added to my mailing list:
janeknits@yahoo.co.uk

Petal Power

2009-10-14T12:09:00.004+01:00

This is my new kit! Its a rather large intarsia floor cushion, which - like the Kaleidoscope cushion - is knitted using short row shaping.
Its quite a project to tackle and measures up at approx 70cm diameter, but I think it creates a really dramatic feature for my sitting room. The kids have already requested another one in a darker colour way, so watch this space....
All yarns Rowan Cotton Glace and the kit includes an easy to read pattern with some step by step images for the short row shaping technique used.
If you would like to order the kit, email me and I will send an order form. It is £72.00 plus £4.50 UK p&p (total £76.50)

Pablo the Pumpkin

2009-10-06T10:18:00.002+01:00

The weather here in London has taken a definite turn for the worse. As I look out the window my lovely green lawn is looking decidedly soggy and all the leaves are beginning to gather in yellowy brown masses in all the unswept nooks and crannies and there seems little hope of getting the washing dry!
Autumn seems to have arrived with a bang so it is logical that my mind has started thinking chilly thoughts! The blanket knitting will have to start again and I will soon dig out my slippers and thermal socks. (Worryingly I have already spied my husbands gloves left out and ready for action on the dressing table - lets hope he is being a little pessimistic and that gloves are yet to be a necessity)
Above is an image of Pablo the Pumpkin - my free pattern for October. He can be used as a vase for an autumnal display or you could use him as a night light holder (so long as you use strengthened glass and are careful not to put the flame too close to the knitting) alternatively you could stuff him and gather his top to make a Halloween inspired toy. A larger version could work as a trick or treat bag perhaps!

The Yarn Revolution

2009-09-16T16:34:00.003+01:00

I realise now that my Grandmother has quite a lot to answer for! If, like me, your Granny knitted her way through the early 40s by making socks for the allied troops, and crocheted her way through the 60s and 70s making anti-macassas (used to drape on the settee) and the 80s making dishcloths and baby blankets then, as a modern day knitter, you too are owed a debt by your ancestor! The debt is not great in magnitude and in no way compares to the debt owed by many of our past world leaders and politicians, but it’s effect is felt pretty much world wide on a daily basis and continues to put the hair on the back of my neck on end and makes me grind my teeth every time I think about it. Whilst there is no doubt in my mind that my Nanny B was a capable and accomplished knitter (my goodness she knew how to turn a heal of a sock and how to make gloves in the round) and that it was she who would give me knitting tips and donate me her scraps and left overs, I now find myself blaming her (along with the majority of her generation) for being one of the perpetrators who inspired the now notorious urban legend ‘Knitting is for Nannas!’

Nanny B, was indeed the archetypal ‘knitting Nanna’. She would set her hair daily and always wore a pinny indoors. She made dinner at lunch time and had tea at dinner time. She read romantic novels and her house and garden were her castle. Everyday had its timetable, with each day of the week following its predetermined pattern. Monday was wash day and Tuesday was shopping day. On Friday, dinner was always Fish and Chips and my Granddad was allowed a pint in the pub at 12 noon. Knitting was given a time slot between about 2 and 4pm on some days, on others it was left untouched. The craft of knitting (and subsequent yarn stashing, pattern hoarding and needle buying) did not consume my Grandmother in the way that it consumes me. She did not wake up in the morning with achy hands from too much strenuous cabling the night before, she would never have stayed up far too late with a glass of wine knitting and chatting with her friends (only to have to unpick it the next day) and certainly wouldn’t have spent the amount of money I do on yarn. My Nanna’s hobby was not the result of a passion, but merely an expected and accepted pass time for a lady of her era.

During the 2nd World War, people contributed to the War effort by knitting socks and gloves for service men. With yarns on ration, the saying ‘make do and mend’ was born with many knitters unravelling old sweaters in order to re knit another garment. Yarn available was restricted to pure wool and fine crochet cotton. Knitting was seen as necessary money saving exercise and not the luxurious hobby we class it as today.

Although nylon was produced by DuPont in 1938, synthetic yarns were not widely available until after the war and by the 1950s the look and feel of knitting wool had changed quite dramatically. Most synthetic fibres, which are derived from coal or petroleum, tended to be a cheaper alternative to wool or cotton. With advances in technology blended knitting yarns were produced, yarns containing mohair, alpaca and even cashmere became available to the consumer. Around this time Haute Couture also played a major role in the growth of the hand knitting industry. Hand knitted ski jumpers and fitted ladies’ cardigans were de-rigor, with Vogue especially producing hundreds of fashionable knitting patterns. Washing machines replaced the scrubbing boards and mangles, gas and electric ovens were common place and pretty quickly house wives found they had much more time on their hands, time that could be used to knit and sew.

All this wonderful progress in the yarn world sadly escaped my poor Nanna B who continued to knit as if she still belonged to war time Britain, blissfully unaware of the yarn revolution which had unfurled in front of her. Anything synthetic was a definite ‘no no’ and anything a little luxurious such as Alpaca or Mohair was certainly far too expensive for her skimpy purse strings (and moreover almost certainly foreign) so that too was also left to go untouched by her hands, never to be trusted to knit something wonderful. So thus she continued with her woolly creations – itchy school sweaters that would rub a layer of skin from your neck within half hour if hastily put on without a shirt and tie. Pure wool socks that made your feet come out in prickly patches and gloves that of course made your fingers and wrists irritated and fidgety. I would say that my Nanna never knitted anything that wasn’t useful, never knitted something that was beautiful or that made people gasp in recognition of the skill and craftsmanship that had gone into it. She would never have attempted a cable or colour work and certainly wouldn’t have entertained the notion of adding a sparkly bead – all that decadence wouldn’t have been any good for anyone would it?

When presented with the new yarn choices from Rowan each season I find myself becoming nervous and excited, the expectation of what Rowan may have in store for me is always a thrill, so it was with baited breath that I opened my package that was duly delivered by our post lady early one morning recently. I usually save my jiffy bags to reuse and send on, but the one containing my Rowan yarn didn’t stand a chance, from the shreds of the packaging I was thrilled to behold the new yarns for Autumn - Rowan seem to have surpassed themselves with their choice of new yarns once again. There are two wonderful new additions to the Felted Tweed range (Aran & Chunky) which I’m sure will be an instant hit. There is Alpaca Cotton, so soft and tactile that when I first set eyes on it (and once I had finished rubbing it against my cheek and taking in deep breaths of its wonderful aroma) I wanted to search out my knitting needles and get going on a piece of knitting there and then – caught half way between my breakfast cereal and the school run! There is Lima, an amazing yarn that looks a little like a crochet chain and comes in a lovely palette of 12 traditional Rowan colours which reflect the Yorkshire country side. There is Silky Tweed, made from 100% natural ingredients and so soft and gorgeous that I would be happy to just drape a few skeins around my neck to wear as a scarf. Then, finally at the bottom of my shredded bag of goodies there was a ball of British Sheep Breeds in a DK weight. This yarn should (I decided last Autumn) be the absolute opposite of all that I hold dear in a yarn, the pariah of the yarn world! My preconceived ideas about this yarn – derived from years of dealing with my Nanna’s knits - was that it would be itchy, prickly and hive inducing. Incredibly this couldn’t be any further from the truth. This yarn knits up easily and evenly, it gets better with each and every wash, it is hard wearing and really warm and (having forced myself to use it) I am now a complete devotee. Amazing isn’t it, Rowan can even make British wool sexy – how cool is that!

I’m pretty sure that even these wonderful yarns would have failed to charm my Nanna B. If she were still alive today I am certain that she would still have that uncanny knack of finding the most uncomfortable unforgiving and ghastly yarn possible. She would still be venturing into the yarn store with her shopping trolley and asking for a nice sturdy, hard wearing, cheap yarn like she used to get during the war and would even still be using the same V neck pattern sweater that was produced at a time when the male models in the photographs stood in front of by-planes wearing knitted balaclavas and holding pipes in their gloved hands. I imagine that you think I am being a little hard on my poor Grandmother. She was – as all Nannas should be - a kind and caring person, she made amazing cakes and jams, had endless patience when it came to paper, pens and crayons, always looked out for me and my brother and I hold her memory very dear in my heart and will of course always love her. However (as I said right at the beginning) she has to be blamed for the bad press we knitters get. I am not, however, suggesting that my Nanna was single handedly responsible for the thousands of ignorant people who on a daily basis say to a knitter ‘I thought knitting was for Nannas!’ No, I couldn’t blame just her for a crime of that magnitude. I blame all those Grandmothers of that era who didn’t have a love affair with yarn. There were plenty of them for sure as I was not alone in being the chaffed, sore and itchy child in the school playground – there were many of us, all with Nanna’s who knitted out of necessity and not love.
Many new knitters are keen to stretch the boundaries of their creativity to produce individual and personal knitted fabrics and garments. The new breed of knitters wish to make an item to cherish, one that bears the hall mark of originality and the love and the time that has gone into it, yet one which also has a professional polish that makes one proud to own it. Rowan is at the forefront of this movement, the company continues to provide the knitter with a treasure trove of exciting yarns and patterns and has a larger workshop programme than ever before. The lesson that I have got to learn from the mistake of my predecessor is to teach as many people to learn and master the art of knitting. I have to try and pass on this yarn love affair to as many people as I can. I must continue to move with the times. I must embrace each new step in the evolution of the wonder that is yarn. I must attempt to make sure that future generations don’t know of the urban myth that once was ‘Knitting is For Nannas!’ Hope you will join me.......

Rowan International Magazine July 2009

Ollie the Owl

2009-09-01T10:00:00.004+01:00

I have it on good authority that Owls are really trendy! Indeed you don't have to look far to find Owl inspired fabrics, stationary and toys.
For this month's free pattern I was, of course, tempted to make an Owl shaped cushion cover, but decided that this was probably taking my cushion addiction just that bit too far so I decided on a small version which could be used as a paperweight or decoration instead.
Ollie stands approx 16cm (6in) tall and is made from just a few balls of Rowan Handknit cotton and shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to make.
To receive my free monthly patterns and join my mailing list please email me:
janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Kaleidoscope Circle Cushion Cover

2009-08-17T17:18:00.006+01:00

Just to let you know that I have launched my first kit in the shape of a knit and crochet cushion cover called Kaleidoscope Circle. It is featured in this month's 'The Knitter' magazine.

This cushion cover combines the crafts of knitting and crochet and is the ideal project for those of all abilities. The pattern contains step by step images of the knitting techniques required and has simple and easy to follow crochet instructions.
The pattern, yarn and all beads needed to complete the project are provided.
(The recommended knitting needles, crochet hook and cushion pad need to be purchased separately)

The cushion measures approx 20in across and is worked using short row shaping, with a crocheted beaded centre piece. All yarn is Rowan Cotton Glace and all packaging is 100% recyclable. The price of the kit is £45.00, plus £4.50 p+p (UK first class)

If you would like to order a kit please email me and I will send you an order form.

janeknits@yahoo.co.uk or janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Image courtesy of The Knitter magazine

MacMillan Coffee Morning

2009-08-08T13:14:00.005+01:00

I belong to a knitting group called the ‘Barknitters’ (a pun on the word Barnet – not a reference to establishments serving alcohol) and we have decided to get inlvolved in the MacMillan coffee morning campaign which will take place on Friday 25th September.

The Macmillan Comfort Blanket campaign is really gathering momentum and both Macmillan and The Knitter magazine are astounded at the response they have had from knitters who are getting involved, knitting squares, hosting coffee mornings and supporting by creating blankets to raise awareness of Macmillan's fuel poverty campaign.

"People undergoing cancer treatment have to spend more time at home as they're often too ill to work. They feel the cold more because their immune system is weakened, and put the heating on more so their fuel bills are higher; all at a time when their household income plummets - they're trapped. It's a vicious circle and that's why it's so important to freeze out fuel poverty for cancer patients." - Sam Philips Macmillan
As well as producing blankets, the activity will also help raise awareness of the issue and hopefully encourage more people to register for a coffee morning, therefore helping Macmillan to provide services to even more people affected by cancer.
Macmillan is supported by leading knitting magazine, The Knitter, and Rowan Yarns, who have lined up some of the biggest stars of the knitting world to design patterns for the campaign, including Debbie Bliss, Alice Starmore, Meg Swansen, Marie Wallin, Jared Flood and Teva Durham.

All of the patterns are available as a free download from the Macmillan website www.macmillan.org.uk/theknitter, where people can also register for their coffee morning or make a donation.

Rowan are currently in the process of receiving more 'designer patterns' which will be available on the Macmillan site in the coming weeks, including those by Kim Hargreaves, Martin Storey and Marie Wallin to name but a few. Rowan have also worked with Kirstie Allsopp to produce a square design which will be launched next week.

Garden Bird Cushion Cover

2009-08-08T12:46:00.002+01:00

This month's free pattern is for this cushion cover.
It uses both knit and crochet techniques and would be an excellent project for those new to crochet. It is approx 30cm square and uses only a few balls of Rowan Cotton Glace.
As you may have noticed I do have a bit of a 'thing' about cushions. I love them and am currently (although slowly) trying to re-cover all the cushion pads I have accumulated over the years. I have a black sack full of them in my wardrobe (along with part of my secret stash) and hope one day to have covered them all in either knit or crochet.
I was knitting at the swimming pool this week (I hasten to add that this was whilst my kids were training and not while I attempted knitting and breaststroke simultaneously)and one of the young girls training alongside my daughter Summer asked if everything in our house is knitted or crocheted. The answer - not yet, but I'm working on it!

Strawberry Charm

2009-07-14T15:04:00.004+01:00

This month's free pattern is for this strawberry charm.
I made mine whilst sat in front of the men's singles tennis final at Wimbledon a few weeks ago, but have failed to find the time to write the pattern out sinse so apologies that it is a little tardy.
I originally designed it to hang from my mobile phone, but it turned out rather larger than expected and so is probably better as a bag charm or key ring.
It only uses a very small amount of yarn and is great for using up yet more bits and bobs from your stash.

If you are not on my mailing list and want to receive my free patterns you can email me: janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Eye catching Glass

2009-06-30T14:43:00.002+01:00

My friend Paul Hazell has made me a really lovely piece of stained glass. His wife Sarah gave it to me for my birthday recently and up until this week it took pride of place hanging from the window in front of my desk, catching the light and grabbing my attention every time I looked up from the keyboard of the PC.
However with the wonderful change in weather this week I have decided to hang it under the lilac tree in the garden along with some hanging baskets and other light catchers.
It looks really lovely and the stylised flower that Paul has designed reminds me so much of the dandylions that are springing up all over the front lawn ready for the kids to blow the seeds away.
If you would like to know more about Paul's stained glass then do email him: paul@urbanhens.net

Cup Cake Cozy

2009-06-02T09:12:00.003+01:00

I freely admit to being a complete tea addict and even now the weather here in North London is warm and the sun is shining I still need my fix of boiling hot tea.
I have been planning to make a tea cozy for ages and - in the winter months - when my tea was getting chilly pretty quickly - I imagined a big woolly furry cozy, perhaps knitted in the lovely Rowan British Sheep breeds and maybe felted in the washing machine. Unfortunately I never quite managed to get one designed, so instead here is my summer time equivalent.
It is knitted in Rowan Cotton Glace and (as the world seems to have gone cup cake crazy) I thought it should have a quirky theme. It is made by making tucks in your knitting - this is a relatively easy technique and I hope I have made it simpler by adding the two tone blue stripes.
The cozy will fit an average sized pot. My pot makes 4 nice big mugs of tea and probably holds about 2 pints of the lovely steamy stuff!

If you would like to go on my mailing list and receive my monthly free patterns then email me:
janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Design Inspiration

2009-05-08T10:08:00.003+01:00

I remember many years ago a guy at a party standing open mouthed as I gave him my response to his question ‘So what is it that you do then?’ Expecting, no doubt, that I was going to tell him that I worked part time in a supermarket, or was a PA, a bank clerk or a stay at home Mum, he was pretty dumb struck when I explained that a lot of my time was spent encouraging people to brush up their knitting skills.
I’m fairly sure he made one of those noises that men are good at – a cross between a cough and a suppressed laugh. ‘No, I meant what do you do for a living? He said.
I think that this man had visions of me sitting in a dingy living room with a bunch of old grannies discussing tea, cakes and the young folk of today and all that was wrong in the world. So, through gritted teeth, I explained to him that I did demonstrations, talks and workshops, that I wrote for magazines and that I had done 3 years of training to degree level in textile design as my background to enable me to do my job well.
Needless to say our conversation was pretty much over before it started and no doubt he wondered if I was having him on. Maybe I became the topic of later conversations when the party got into full swing. I imagine my career being discussed in the same style as a bad joke – ‘Hey, have you heard the one about the girl who teaches people to knit.....?’ With much raucous laughter ensuing.

I have many friends who still don’t quite understand what it is I do. This doesn’t actually bother me any more, because to be fair, I probably don’t understand quite what it is that they do! What does bother me though is my friends’ assumption that my job is easy and that given half the chance they would quickly learn to do it as well as me, a bit like me assuming I could handle a complicated set of accountants books within the first hour of me buying a calculator. Most of my friends -when asked if they would like me to teach them to knit- have said ‘No thanks, I don’t have the time to knit’, as apposed to ‘I don’t have time to learn to knit’. In my experience adults actually take longer to teach to knit than children, I think the reason for this is that having made the decision to learn they are surprised not to pick the needles up and have a sweater hanging from them pretty sharpish. Adults assume they will not make mistakes and get cross when they do, whereas children tend to enjoy the learning process more, not caring if they have dropped stitches or end up with double the amount at the end of the row. Children are used to learning slowly; they don’t expect to grasp things the first time round, whereas the adults around them seem to be in a continuous hurry to learn as much as possible in the shortest possible time.

In the same way that novice knitters expect to grasp the stitch techniques quickly the identical thing can be said of experienced knitters wishing to design their own knitwear. Over the years I have met many workshop participants expecting to walk away from a design class knowing all there is to know about the design process. Well known designers such as Kaffe Fasset and Martin Storey have spent many years perfecting their skills. They have probably produced literally hundreds of sample swatches and have also almost certainly experienced a fair few disappointments when the design that they have carried in their head doesn’t work out the way they had envisaged. This frustration, however, does not stop them from designing, in the same way that a dropped stitch does not prevent us from knitting. The keys to learning to design then have to be patience first and then practice.

Many designers surround themselves with their ideal inspiration. For Kaffe this inspiration comes from colour and geometric surface pattern, such as tile and brick patterns. Debbie Abrahams –author of many books and the brain child behind The Mystery Blanket Club- is another fan of surface pattern. She finds her inspiration in greetings cards and wrapping paper and collects these by the dozen to create her mood boards which act as a catalyst for her design stimulation. For other designers such as Sarah Hatton the inspiration comes from texture, so she is no doubt interested in creating the perfect feel and touch for her fabrics which often feature intricate stitch combinations and cables. Alison Crowther Smith -author of Shibori knitted felt and Little Luxury Knits- says ‘My inspiration comes mainly from vintage fashion, knitting and home publications and magazines. I love old fashion magazines and books on clothing design from the 1920s to the 1950s. I also turn to modern interior design magazines and source books especially for inspiring use of colours and textures, which can often be very successfully applied to knitted fabric, especially if felted. I am at heart a texture girl - texture from knitted features such as big fat cables and tactile bobbles, or extras such as frills, beads, sequins...’

You will notice that many designers also have their own favourite colour combinations. Kaffe tends to design using colours from the warm side of the colour palette, such as red, burgundy, orange and pink. Kim Hargreaves on the other hand often opts for a much cooler palette, preferring light blues and greys. She also uses cream and ecru tones a lot which are great for showing stitch definition and the finer design details. If you want to get seriously involved with colour it is worth investing in a nice colour wheel which you can get from an art shop. Try and find one which shows the complimentary harmonies of a colour. Colour wheels are really useful if you are thinking of changing colours in an existing design.

When Stephen Sheard and Simon Cockin came up with their first yarn shades for hand knitters they found they had a palette which reflected their Yorkshire surroundings. They chose earthy browns and yellows, heather shades and brick reds along with stormy greys and dusky shades of blue. It was this range of colours which first captured the eye of Kaffe Fasset who stumbled across them and was instantly smitten. The Rowan colour palette is now far greater than either Stephen or Simon could ever have imagined, with every conceivable taste being catered for. Not only that, but advances in the way that yarn is sourced and dyed now means that you can get your hands on almost any thickness of yarn in more or less any fibre content.

Knitting from a pattern takes a lot of skill, I have already established that, but it is the design process and the mastering of it which will take the knitter another step forward on their quest for absolute knitting fulfilment! Seeing your own design through from the early stages of pencil drawings, magazine clippings and mathematical calculations to the finished knitted pieces is an incredibly awarding experience and one that I heartily recommend. Whilst there is no getting away from the fact that the design process (as with the learning to knit process) can be pretty laborious in the early stages, the rewards are worth it. And, if you ever bump into that guy at that party, and he asks you what you do, you can answer him safe in the knowledge that what you do in your spare time is far more exciting, productive, relaxing, therapeutic and fun than anything that he might be doing!

Free Pattern For May

2009-05-01T22:41:00.003+01:00

This month I have yet again been seduced by the lure of a crochet project over a knitted one. I think it is the 'bling' factor that I just cant resist, putting beads into crochet is just soooooo addictive and rewarding!
I have called this cushion cover 'Icicle'. It is approx 40 x 40 cm and once again uses the lovely Rowan Cotton Glace. It makes a really nice companion for last month's bolster cushion and is relatively simple to make.

This pattern is now available as a download from my web site:

Beaded Crochet Bolster

2009-04-01T09:36:00.007+01:00

Above are images of this month's free pattern
It is a crochet one again so apologies to those of you who prefer to knit.
I really enjoyed making this cushion cover and the bolsters take pride of place in my living room.
The accent colours are used in very little amounts, so if you have bits and pieces of Rowan Glace around at home then you will probably have enough. Please note that the Shimmer is used double throughout.
I got the bolster pad from John Lewis. It measures 45 x 17cm and was £6.50.
I am still crochet crazy with knitting taking a bit of a back seat, although I really must get on with Debbie Abrahams' mystery blanket as I am fast getting left behind (still got February's samples to finish!)

This pattern is now available as a download through my web site:

While you are waiting....

2009-03-07T15:29:00.003Z

Unfortunately life has got really hectic over the past month and I have not managed to find any inspiration for my monthly free pattern. Instead I would like to refer you to a really lovely blog called 'little cotton rabbits' which does give a few really gorgeous free patterns especially suited to this time of year and to the fast approaching Easter Holiday.

Check out the blog www.littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk

Helen's Necklaces - Again!

2009-02-17T20:30:00.003Z

My friend Helen has come up with some more beautiful knitted and crochet necklaces. Have a look at her myspace page for more images of her lovely work. I REALLY fancy this crochet one and hope she will let me have it!

I may have to drop a few big hints to the kids about Mother's Day gifts! - Dream on!

www.myspace.com/helenbridgwood

Love Hearts - Of Course!

2009-02-03T13:28:00.002Z

February's freebie pattern is for these small crochet hearts.

They could be used with a bit of broderie anglaise or lace to make a nice valentine card, or could be sewn as a motif onto a tee shirt maybe. They dont take long to make so you could make a string of them to decorate the mantle piece or hang up in the house somewhere. I think I may make a few more and sew them to one of Summer's pillow cases.

If you are not already on my mailing list and would like to receive the free patterns then you can email me at the following address:

janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Summer's Snow People

2009-02-03T10:33:00.002Z

Charlie is off skiing with the school in the South Of France and Summer has made the most of being home from school and playing in the snow. We had about 8 inches of the stuff yesterday, but it is rapidly melting today.

The school have asked all the kids to take pictures of their snowmen. Summer made one over the playing fields yesterday, but it had had it's head chopped off by the time we went back to take a picture, so she decided to make a group this time. I guess there is safety in numbers and less likelyhood of decapitation!

Mystery Blanket Club 2009

2009-02-03T10:17:00.002Z

I am feeling really excited about being involved in Debbie's Mystery Blanket this year. I felt so jealous every time a workshop participant showed me their progress through the farmyard blanket last year and just couldn't wait to start on my squares in January. I thought I would have them done in no time, but - as is always the case - other things took priority and I have just finished my final square from batch one.

I purposely did not open the new batch until the first was complete in order to spur me on. Now I'm glad I waited, because batch two is absolutley glorious! I cant wait to get my teeth into it.

Stash Story

2009-02-02T14:42:00.004Z

My husband tolerates it, my kids complain about it, my friends (who don’t knit) don’t understand it, my house is not big enough for it and I couldn’t live without it!
I am, of course, referring to my STASH.......
I started my now mammoth collection of yarn over 20 years ago when I studied for my textile degree. Back then any yarn I could get my hands on was a God send and I would trawl charity shops and yarn sales for a bargain. For at least five years my stash was relatively meagre, with my financial situation limiting its growth quite considerably. However, once I began working as a Design Consultant for Rowan my Stash started to grow at an alarming rate and I now have yarn stashed in most rooms in my tiny little house. I am one of the many who stuff bags of it down the back of the sofa, squash it into the wardrobe and seal it up in plastic or cardboard boxes in every conceivable bit of space.
A lot of my hoard is a secret – yarn that has been sneaked into the house in an inconspicuous plastic shopping bag or retrieved from the boot of my car in the dead of night when no one is watching.

Over the years it must have cost me hundreds of pounds and I’m now wondering whether my hard earned cash could have been better spent. Does this addiction to my stash and thus my money squandering and covert hoarding make me a bad or devious person? Should I be seeking some kind of help for my addiction? Should I check myself into STASH rehab?
Over the past few months I have set about discovering just how my stash addiction measures up to other people’s and whether or not my stash habits are detrimental to the health and welfare of me and my family......

I recently visited my friend and fellow Design Consultant Erica Pask and she revealed her pretty impressive stash, which she, rather reassuringly, had absolutely no qualms about showing to me. In her studio Erica has a shelving unit along one wall where she displays her yarns as if on the shop floor. Yarn types, shades and dye lots are grouped together in a VERY organised and precise manner and her metres of fabric (which form yet another stash) sit neatly in the bolts lined up and ready for action. There are no plastic bags in sight and certainly nothing rammed swiftly into a vacant space! This is a woman who has obviously admitted wholeheartedly to her addiction and has no shame in displaying it to all.
Another Design Consultant with a healthy and abundant stash is Jenny Stillwell. She quietly admitted to having a dedicated ‘room’ for her stash in the shape of a specially built shed in her Grandmothers garden fit to bursting with yarn, fabrics and all things crafty. This conjured up images in my head of covert goings on at the bottom of the garden in the twilight, a bolted shed door and a shadowy figure hatching a plan and laughing wildly in secret like mad people do in horror films. Jenny - however - was surprising upbeat. I asked if her husband was aware of the extent of her hoard. ‘Of course’ she laughed ‘He built the shed!’

In October I met Yvonne who told me that she rents a garage to house her stash and has been known to put yarn behind the bath panel. Yvonne told me that she even has her knitting patterns and a table and chairs down there so that she can go to the garage for her stash ‘fix’ with no interruptions.
The more people I asked the better I began to feel - indeed my mountainous stash was suddenly diminishing before my eyes. My friend Avril has admitted to having at least 75 projects waiting patiently in the wings to be knitted and at a recent workshop a lady called Claire told me that if just part of her stash fell on her from a high shelf it would probably kill her. Imagine that – death by yarn!

Relieved somewhat by the fact that my stash pales into insignificance when compared to others I now found myself asking WHAT makes us hoard our yarn and buy more than we will ever knit in a lifetime and WHY are we so addicted to yarn?

My friend Lib told me that she forgets that her yarn stash is not considered ‘normal’. That people stand in her living room open mouthed in amazement when surrounded by her artistic mounds of arranged fibres. She compared the ownership of her stash as belonging to a unique club and that ‘outsiders’ do not understand, ‘They don’t comprehend the whole process of yarn fixation. Having to touch it, smell it and feel it every once in a while, my yarn stash is a comfort to me’.
Mira told me that she gets her stash out on ‘rotten, rainy days’ when she doesn’t want to venture out and that this makes her feel better and brightens her mood.
Another lady told me that (for some undisclosed reason) she had had no choice but to downsize her stash. Although this was obviously a difficult thing to do she had decided to keep it eclectic and expensive. She has retained all her luxurious yarn blends including a whole box of cashmere and silk, plus a box of beads. Like Mira she also gets them out when she is feeling down to cheer her up.

I am sure that the size of our stash reflects our relative wealth. Indeed I cannot imagine for one minute that my Great Grandmother managed to accumulate anything that vaguely resembled a stash even though she knitted and crocheted constantly throughout her life. She would unravel knitted garments and re knit them and relied on other people donating their leftovers for her to create her ‘granny square’ blankets. She was a product of the ‘make do and mend’ era where nothing was ever wasted and when yarn was never bought on a fancy (because it was pretty or felt lovely) but rather as a necessity. Indeed even the way that new yarn was sold meant that a stash could never really accumulate as it could be left in ‘lay by’ so that only one ball need be purchased at a time.
It will be interesting to see - at this time of economic down turn – whether our stashes start to diminish. Logic would suggest that knitters will start to consider using up some of their stash and may even return to complete unfinished projects, but I’m not so sure....

The thing that I have learnt through my forage into the world of hoarding is that a yarn stash is not merely a static hoard of fibres, it is, in-fact, an ever changing collection that actually defines the type of person it belongs to. Indeed I have come to the conclusion that without my stash I would feel incomplete and maybe a little sad. Dramatic I know, but touching, feeling, smelling and comparing yarn from my stash provides me with an escape. There is nothing, I now realise, ‘secret’ or ‘forbidden’ about my stash, but rather that there are things in my stash that I simply don’t want to share. There are some yarns that I consider incredibly personal which are kept because they remind me of people and places or of significant times in my life, I know for a fact that these yarns will never be used or knitted because they act as a keepsake and a reminder. Alongside these yarns sit others that are less important, there are some that simply look better in hank or ball form, then there are others that are kept purely because one day I might fancy them again and some that are merely leftovers, but for now they will all remain part of my stash for which I have a new found respect.

(Published in February 2009 Rowan International Newsletter - The Craft Issue)

The Knitter

2009-01-06T20:03:00.003Z

Tomorrow (January 7th) sees the publication of the first issue of a really exciting magazine called 'The Knitter' which promises to be the UK’s first quality, collectable knitting magazine.
The Knitter caters for skilled knitters with more than 10 challenging patterns in each issue
and has beautiful, original patterns and inspiration from world-class designers.

The Knitter promises gorgeous, original designs, inspiring ideas from top knitwear designers and new techniques. What more could you ask for?

For a great subscription offer go to http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/ and save up to 25% on the RRP. Alternatively you can get the magazine from most large magazine sellers such as WHSmiths & Sainsburys.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T19:46:00.004Z

This is an image of January's free pattern.
You may already have it as I often give it out at workshops, but it is really popular and just right for this chilly season so I decided to include it as a monthly free pattern. It doesn't take a lot of yarn and is a fabulous starting place for anyone new to crochet. if you don't want to use Rowan Tapestry then just use any other DK yarn, the Kid Silk Haze is a must though because it is just soooo lovely!

If you would like to go on my mailing list and receive my free monthly patterns then please email me: janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Christmas Is Here Again!

2008-12-23T13:24:00.003Z

I have been trying to find the time to blog for the last few weeks, but December (as always) has turned into some kind of a blur, however, I am home with the kids this afternoon and have magically found myself a spare half hour. Charlie and Summer are both trying out a bit of damage limitation in their bedrooms (I guess they are trying to make room for their new 'stuff') and Andy has gone into town - so things are relatively calm and peaceful.

I've done the mad Sainsburys shop and surprised myself at how well behaved I was considering the number of shoppers trying to be in control of a large trolley of shopping, screaming offspring and of course the nessessary mobile phone glued to one ear while they try to negotiate the isles. I even managed to get everything on the list although when I arrived home I discovered that the residents here at chez Crowfoot have already demolished half the mince pies I'd stashed away. I read a great book once called 'I dont know how she does it' where the heroine of the story buys her mince pies then bashes them up a little then puts them under the grill so that they spill over then covers them in sugar and presents them as home made - sounds like a great plan as I certainly dont have time to make anymore. Hurrah!

I'm really looking forward to some relaxing days at home over the Christmas period. I have cleared quite alot of my workload and hope to complete 'Keld' from The British Sheep Breeds collection. It is the most lovely wool to knit with and smells fab, it's also made my hands quite smooth too. Must be the lanolin I suppose. I am hoping to have it finished in time for the John Lewis clearance sale which starts on Saturday 27th so that I can go to the Haby Department with a clear conscience.

Merry Christmas!

Free Pattern For December

2008-12-01T16:20:00.002Z

This is the first of my free patterns.

It is a festive(ish) beaded plant pot cover. It's really easy and the perfect introduction to bead work. If you would like me to send it to you please email me: janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Embroidered Badges

2008-11-25T22:06:00.009Z

Above are some examples of some really nice badges that I bought in Brighton on Sunday. They are hand embroidered onto silk and are really lovely.

Unfortunately (for me) I bought them for some of my knitting buddies (and not for myself) as small tokens of my affection to be popped in with their Christmas cards.

Brighton is such a great place to shop and so despite torrential rain Andy and I managed to spend virtually the whole day browsing and buying bits and bobs in preparation for Christmas.
The Lanes are especially good for gift buying. We even managed to find a small shop dedicated to outfits for dogs so of course we had to buy Scram a new mac (camouflage with a fur trim hood).

Anyway I digress. These badges are made by a company called 'Sumptuosity' who are based in York, they also make lavender bags, book marks and covered note books all of which are just lovely and not hugely expensive. http://www.sheer-sumptuosity.co.uk/

Missenden Abbey

2008-11-11T13:58:00.003Z

Sarah Hazell and I have just returned from a weekend at Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire where we tutored a 'Crazy Wool' workshop. The Abbey is set amongst the most lovely grounds and has superb countryside views all the way round it. The Abbey belongs to Buckinghamshire County Council and is a thriving business centre offering business training and development courses. Alongside this more commercial aspect, the Abbey is also home to Bucks Adult Learning which runs hundreds of adult learning courses every year, ranging from art history and singing workshops to glass painting, bead weaving and embroidery. You name it - they do it!

The town of Great Missenden (which is lovely) is also home to a Rowan stockist and craft supplies store called 'Rainbow Silks' which has an extensive range of fabrics, beads, buttons, yarns and publications. The shop is next door to a fantastic Roald Dahl museum!

The pics above are images of the work of Donna and Charlie who attended the course. I think these images show just how far you can push the technique of working with Solufleece and how diverse the outcome can be.

Free Knitting & Crochet patterns

2008-11-03T21:11:00.002Z

From the beginning of December I will be producing a free Knitting or Crochet pattern each month. I will post an image of the project plus a brief description on my blog within the first week of the month and will then email the pattern to people who request it.
In order to do this I have created a new contact email address which will be used for this purpose only. If you would like to receive my patterns every month you can request to go on my emailing list. Alternatively you can request them as and when you like them! This is the address:
janecrowfoot@yahoo.co.uk

Rowan's Tips & Techniques

2008-11-03T20:58:00.004Z

This weekend Sharon Brant and I tutored a Tips & Techniques workshop at Rowan's Green Lane Mill in Holmfirth West Yorkshire.

We decided to concentrate on knitting techniques on Saturday and so participants had the chance to learn 2 handed fairisle, Intarsia, cables, lace and texture and beading techniques.

Most of the class were keen to brush up on their finishing techniques too, so on Sunday we covered all things to do with sewing up, picking up and the dreaded tension! We also showed short row shaping and button holes.

We used Sharon's new book 'The complete Knitter's Bible' as our workshop guide. It has very clear diagrams and lovely pictorial images so is the perfect workshop companion. It is published by Collins & Brown and retails at about £25.

Rowan Design Consultants run similar one day workshops across the UK. Details can be found on the Rowan web site.

Satin Sky Bag Designs

2008-10-28T19:54:00.004Z

Walking around the Knitting & Stitching Show with only about an hour until closing time on the Sunday afternoon I came across a stand selling lovely hand made bags.

Satin Sky Designs produce unique fabric bags - every one is different - and all have really nice embellishments on them, such as buttons, beads and dangly bits. I bought a small one which is just the right size to hold a small knitting project and mini needles, but could just as well be used as a clutch bag on an evening out.

Of course I now wish I'd bought more than one, espescially as they had a show offer. However whilst fishing through my knitting bag on Monday I found a flyer that I must have been given with all the web site details. There are'nt a huge amount of bags on there at the moment. I think that the site is updated periodically with new designs.

http://www.satinskydesigns.com/

Fellow Knits

2008-10-22T10:11:00.003+01:00

I am not all that great at all this blog stuff and was really surprised this morning to find that I have a follower in the shape of Eve from Surrey.
It was Eve that encouraged me to get back to blogging when I met her at a workshop down at Liss Wool Shop near Farnborough way back in the Spring. I have created a section on the blog called 'Fellow Knits' which can be used for people to add their own profiles. Eve has a link to her Craftee website and also lists all the other blogs that she is interested in.
It would be lovely if Eve and I had a few more fellow knits so please dont hestitate to join the group.

Shades Of Autumn - Knitting in France

2008-10-22T09:49:00.004+01:00

Arrived home last night after another fabulous week at the Chateau St Julien l'Ars near Poitiers in Western France. Debbie Abrahams and myself tutored a group of 18 wonderful knitters for the week. They all produced the most amazing work, focusing on a knitted felted bag project and collecting design inspiration from our surroundings. The sheer volume of their work was pretty staggering with many knitters burning the midnight oil (often with glass of vin rouge in hand) and others waking early to get on with their projects.

We visited the local town of Poitiers and the wonderful market in Chauvigny. We did machine and hand felting, beading, colour work, crochet and finishing techniques. Although I am now totally exhausted (slept through for nearly 10 hours) and really fat having eaten all the cheese physically possible and drunk copious amounts of wine, I am also thoroughly inspired and need to get on with a felted project of my own.

Kangaroo are running another workshop in association with Rowan in June next year and may do yet another in September. For more info go to www.kangaroo.uk.com

(Apologies to the French for our desecration of a statuette of national heroine Joan Of Arc who we felt was in need of a little yarn to keep her warm and trendy.)

Divas Dont Knit

2008-10-11T10:28:00.004+01:00

I sat up last night and finished 'Divas Don't Knit' by Gil McNeil. I started reading it on the beech in Greece during the summer holidays and have been dipping into it since. I have tried to restrict myself to a small fix every now and then. Its a lovely book and I knew instantly that I was in danger of reading it from cover to cover in one hit if I wasn't careful. In the mean time there would have been no housework done or dinners cooked so I decided to restrict my reading to tube journeys and Friday nights. How exciting is my life! Was a time I danced Friday nights away in smelly London rock clubs, getting the night bus home at 4am. Now my highlight is a good book and a glass of pinot grigio!

Anyway - I digress... Its a lovely book and well worth a read. Gil McNeil has written others so I hope to track down another in time for the Kangaroo workshop in France next week. Her web site is http://www.mcknits.co.uk/

Pictured alongside the book and my knitting bag is some Jaeger Ascot that I got at Ally Pally yesterday. Three of us shared a pack so it is a complete bargain. We are all going to knit the 'Toasty Shrug' from Winter Gifts by Rowan Classic. Ive already done half a ball - its really lovely to knit with.

Sally's Orchids

2008-10-04T10:40:00.002+01:00

My lovely friend Sally had a special birthday back in July.

She has dropped many hints over the past year or so about wanting a painting from me. This canvas was painted about 2 years ago now and has been hanging in my dining room. Everytime Sal comes over she asks if she can have it so I finally relented and wrapped it up for her birthday along with a bottle of champers.

Problem is that my friend Sue has also been hankering after this painting for a while so I will have to do another one to save any fall out.

Freeform Crochet @ Rowan

2008-10-04T10:15:00.006+01:00

Last weekend I was up at Green lane Mill doing a freeform crochet workshop for Rowan Yarns. The group were AMAZING and really got to grips with the idea of working without a pattern. All participants started off by making a 'flower' from the same pattern, but soon these developed into very different pieces, some became frilly, others had petals and leaves attached, but each one was totally unique and diverse.

Working from a design source the ladies then went on to create their own freeform pieces. Some went on to tackle scumbling which is like a crochet version of patchwork. Others tried to reproduce their design inspiration in a more literal way and ended up with pieces that looked like flowers and leaves. There was even a rather wonderful seahorse produced by Avril.

It was a really great weekend. I hope I get to see some finished freeform pieces......

Rowan Wall Hanging

2008-09-20T16:03:00.003+01:00

This is the hand knitted and crocheted wall hanging made by Rowan Staff for the 30th Anniversary Exhibition which took place at the North Light Gallery - West Yorkshire recently. The exhibition is now off to tour the world, but snippets of it will be on show at The Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally in October.

Crazy Wool

2008-08-21T18:30:00.005+01:00

Coats Crafts (vilene) produce this fantastic disolvable fabric called solufleece. A few Design Consultants and myself were lucky enough to be treated to a workshop on Tuesday this week to be shown how to use it.

Using spray glue we laid lengths of yarn out onto the fabric. Once we were happy with our designs we bonded another piece of solufleece to the top of the design and then using a sewing machine created a mesh design in stitching to trap the yarn fibres.

This is the magic bit.... once we were happy that we had trapped all yarn we plunged our pieces into cold water and 'hey presto' the solufleece disapeared!

I decided to bond my piece to a background fabric, but the other girls created lovely see through pieces.

Freeform Crochet Workshop

2008-08-18T20:43:00.002+01:00

This is an image of the crochet pieces the class @ JLP Oxford Street produced on the free form crochet workshop a few months ago. They were encouraged to crochet without the use of a pattern in order to produce a crochet patchwork. I think this is technically known as 'Scumbling' or maybe 'Scrumbling'. If you look on any US crochet site you will see lots of scary examples, but it can look really good, espescially in Rowan's lovely yarn range!
I am tutoring a free form crochet weekend workshop at the Mill in September where I hope partcipants will be a little more adventurous and come up with much larger free form motifs that they can use for the basis of their own throw or crochet hanging.

Anniversary Wall Hanging

2008-08-16T18:23:00.003+01:00

All the Rowan Design Consultants have been invited to knit or crochet 15cm squares which will be sewn together to make a wall hanging to commemorate Rowan's 30th Anniversary. There are loads of exciting things being organised to make the anniversary year really exciting. Events are being kicked of with Rowan's exclusive exhibition which takes place at the North Light Gallery near Holmfirth at the beginning of September. For more information have a look at the Rowan web site.

Long Time Gone!

2008-01-22T22:10:00.000Z

I have posted all my workshops for 2008.
New Year's resolution= to keep my blog up to date!

Innocent Summer Fete

2007-08-09T08:59:00.000+01:00

At the weekend we were lucky enough to be invited along to The Innocent Summer fete in the Park.

Those lovely smoothie people asked for Rowan consultants to come along and encourage fete goers to learn to knit one of the cute little bottle caps. For each cap knitted and donated to innocent they will donate a wopping 50p to Age concern. That’s a pretty hefty donation considering they only take minutes to knit.

Thankfully the weather was glorious and attendance was huge. At one point we couldn’t see across the marquee for knitters, maybe encouraged by the free gin shots and Yorkshire tea and biscuits! We found that we were inundated with knitters of every age, colour, sex and size!
As the weekend wore on the little hats got more inventive. There were animal faces, flowers, cacti, even Father Christmas made an appearance.

We left weary and slightly crispy pink on Sunday evening safe in the knowledge that we had spread the knitting word. Who knows, maybe the next step will be music festivals. Watch out Reading…here we come!

For more info about Innocent and their little hats have a look at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/supergran/

Fab Fabrics

2007-07-19T16:02:00.000+01:00

Amy Butler is an American textile designer who creates the most beautiful fabric designs. She is inspired by her surroundings and vintage fabrics from the past so her fabrics tend to have that oh so trendy ‘vintage’ feel, often featuring giant flowers, paisleys, vivid stripes and swirls.
Amy has designed ranges exclusively for Rowan, the newest being ‘Nigella’, a collection which makes ‘an exotic, neo Victorian statement. Floral designs collide with feminine romantic flourishes to create a collection of fresh ‘heirloom’ prints with a modern twist.

Amy’s use of colour is to die for. She is a lover of acid greens, aqua blues and vivid pinks which she manages to combine with browns, olive greens and subtle mid tones to create combinations that make your heart beat a little faster!
Her colour combinations compliment the Rowan yarn range perfectly, especially Handknit cotton and Glace and would look amazing alongside any knitting or crochet project.

I dare you not to be inspired!

Cath Kidston …… Eat your heart out!

Felt Your Knitting

2007-07-14T15:58:00.000+01:00

Felting knitwear is something I have done many times by mistake, but it’s quite a different feeling when you do it intentionally and get the results you want!

There are many yarns in the current Rowan range which felt beautifully when machine washed. Country, Tapestry, The Scottish Tweed Family, Big Wool and Little Big Wool all shrink beautifully!
A good tip when looking for yarns to felt is to search for yarns with at least a 70% wool content that ask you to hand wash only. Be careful because yarns which have high wool content, but suggest machine washing have often been pre treated with silicone and therefore resist the felting process.

Above is a picture of the bag I started on Wednesday when I tutored a ‘Felt your knitting’ workshop @ Shipston Needlecraft in Warwickshire.
Jan and David Cohen own two lovely Needlecraft and Knitting shops, the other being in Burford. They stock a huge range of embroidery, tapestry and knitting supplies, plus beads, buttons, ribbons and craft kits.
At Shipston they have a dedicated workshop room and run a knitting café every other Thursday.

Knitted Necklaces

2007-07-12T13:03:00.000+01:00

Helen Bridgwood hand makes stunning button and bead necklaces.

Helen spends a lot of her time scouring shops for her beads and buttons; many come from broken vintage necklaces and charity shops.
Each necklace is made from at least 50 beads and buttons. Each one is threaded onto Helen’s choice of yarn and knitted in when required using thread and fine knitting needles. They can be made to order in any colour range.

To contact Helen email: hbridgwood@aol.com

My Nana Martin

2007-07-09T16:53:00.000+01:00

My great grandmother was a demon with a crochet hook and continued to produce ‘granny’ square blankets right into her 90s. She would buy old jumpers form charity shops or jumble sales and produce the most fantastic blankets from the unraveled yarn. I remember being enthralled by the speed of her hands and amazed by her artistic productivity.

Over the years she must have produced literally hundreds of blankets of various sizes. All new babies received a cot cover, every bed had a blanket. Nana’s creations were not only given to every family member, but were also donated to charities as raffle prizes or to keep people in need warm through the winter.
Family members now live all over the world and I would love to know what Nana would make of her blankets adorning beds in countries that she never got to visit.

Even though I spent my childhood years surrounded by Nana’s crochet blankets it was only relatively recently that I got to grips with the craft myself. Crochet is currently enjoying a huge revival with many knitters now wanting to swap their needles for a hook in order to create lovely edgings for their hand knitted garments or to produce intricate corsages and flowers to sew on as decoration.

The thing that I really love about crochet is that you can create small pieces which eventually end up being something large. Once mastered, crochet is incredibly speedy and portable. It is easily stowed away in a small bag so that I can get a little fix whenever and wherever I like.

So it seems that like Nana I have become a crochet junkie….. it must be in the blood.

Purl and Co - Ipswich

2007-07-09T16:41:00.001+01:00

On Saturday I tutored a Finishing Techniques Workshop at Purl and Co in Ipswich. Located on Silent Street and within easy walking distance of other shops and ample car parking this little shop is a treasure trove for any yarn and button addict.

Owner Sue Palmer obviously has a fantastic eye for colour and design and she creates lovely eye catching window displays often featuring pieces of retro furniture and antique buttons. The shop is relatively small, but there is plenty of room to sit and peruse all the knitting books and magazines. The workshop room is on the first floor, it is light and airy with a large window overlooking the street.
To the rear Sue has a compact but well tended court yard garden. It’s the kind of place that I could happily lose myself for a few hours, in fact I have suggested to Sue that I be allowed to move in!

Purl and Co runs a programme of workshops, some half day, others full day with a variety of subjects and tutors. In the case of full day workshops the fee includes a tasty lunch, tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits.

Georgie's Painting

2007-07-05T10:54:00.000+01:00

I have at last finished a painting for my friend Georgie.

It's a surprise for her so I hope she will like it!

I have been out and bought a new canvas so that I can start the next painting. I have taken some photos of hydrangeas in the garden and may use those as inspiration, although I do rather fancy the idea of pink peonies on a dark purple background.

Oh dear.... another decision.... not too good at those!

Residential Workshop - France

2007-07-04T12:40:00.001+01:00

In June Debbie Abrahams and I were lucky to be invited to France once again to run a week long residential knitting workshop in association with Rowan Yarns and internet stockist Kangaroo.
We had 20 participants from all over the world who stayed in self contained gites within the enclosed walls of Le Vieux Monastere which is situated in the Charente Maritime region of south west France. All students had their own bedroom and shared access to bathrooms, kitchen and communal living room.
The site is an ideal setting for this kind of a holiday. The monastery is surrounded by beautiful country side and is situated next to an ancient church. At this time of year there are plenty of wild flowers and wildlife. The nearest village is approx two miles away.

Almost all catering was included in the price of the holiday and was of an exceptional standard. There was a continental breakfast, a light lunch and large meal nightly with plenty of wine and lively chat.

Debbie and I decided to offer a design based holiday where participants were encouraged to produce design ideas inspired by their surroundings.
After a day long workshop in basic knitwear design students spent their second day on a study visit which included a trip to a modern botanical garden and a nearby Cathedral.
On day three we had another whole day workshop to work on design ideas collected the previous day. Students were asked to design and plot out intarsia/ fairisle designs and come up with their own design ideas to complete over the following two half day workshops which were based on colour work and beading techniques. We used the final half day workshop to put the finishing touches to everyone’s design and to discuss the outcome of all the hard work!
The creativity and sheer volume of work was quite over whelming with many students surprising themselves with what they had produced.

We ran evening activities alongside the day workshops. Many students were inspired by Debbie’s wonderful slide show of her own work and inspiration which took place on the first evening. On remaining evenings we ran a crochet and finishing techniques workshop.
On the Friday evening we held a presentation evening where everyone received a certificate and some were lucky enough to be nominated by their class mates for a prize. It was all quite emotional with many participants vowing to come back next year.

Kate Buchanon, a journalist wrote a daily blog which you can look @ on the ‘Simply Knitting’ web site.

If you would like information about next year’s workshop then contact Sue Culligan @ Kangaroo.

http://www.kangaroo.uk.com/

Welcome to my blogspot

2007-07-04T12:13:00.000+01:00

Hi, my name is Jane and it's about time I got up to speed with this modern high tec world that we live in and got to grips with my own blog.....so here goes!

Jane x