This should have been January News,

as part of my New Year's Resolution

to update the newsletter at the beginning

of every month -oops!

Happy New Year, all the same,

to all my customers, friends, fellow knitters etc!

Exciting media news this month,

as I have work featured in

no less than 3 magazines

- I have to keep pinching myself

to remind myself that it's real!

Firstly the Heart Baby blanket

is featured in the February edition

of Let's Knit

- with Valentine's Day just around the corner

it seemed appropriate to feature Heart motifs

on the blanket (plus it's one of my favourite

motifs, as anyone who has been in my kitchen

will tell you!)

It is also a great opportunity to try out

some new stitches or techniques

including colour work, eyelets

and following a chart.

And as the blanket is knitted

in Artesano's Superwash Merino,

it should hopefully prove to be a blanket

to grow up with...

(it can be thrown in the washing machine

when it gets too grubby from being cuddled

and trailed around!

-Remember Linus and his blanket??)

Secondly Yarn Forward

features my Bonfire Cowl design,

knitted in Manos Maxima

-lovely variegated colours -

very soft and warm.

This is a quick easy one skein knit

which looks good but keeps you warm!!

And lastly, my first answers appear in Issue 55

of Knit Today

on their 'Ask The Expert' pages

- featuring Linen Stitch,

how to line a knitted bag and Intarsia.

(Keep an eye out for my next contribution

which is Issue 57)

Artesano are also offering

the Mother Goose pattern Bo peep

plus the superwash yarn to knit it

if you sign up for a Knit Today subscription -

The latest Freeform Knitting and Crochet Course

was on Saturday February 5th at Cool Contours

- (more details on the Workshops page.)

If you didn't make it to this course

then do email me with your details

and I will add your name to the waiting list

for the next course.

If you ever wanted to do something

a bit more creative with your knitting and crochet

skills then this is the course for you

- knitting 'off piste-

come along and get creative with

a huge variety of yarns

in all kinds of textures and colours.

I am gradually adding more yarns

to the website and offer Free P and P

for yarn purchases.

I have finally been able to upload

the details of the Mother Goose Collection

(see menu under Patterns),

my first collection of Children's patterns

0-5 years for Artesano,

using their Superwash Merino

- lots of lovely colours, beautiful to knit with,

soft to touch and can be thrown

in the washing machine -

what more could a busy mum ask for???

There are new designs in the pipeline

and on the drawing board for Artesano

- some Ladies Superwash garments,

designs for a new yarn,

new Manos lace colours and designs,

and I have just finished 2 designs

using Manos Wool Clasica

for the Lands of Ice and Snow collection.

The Spring edition of Verena should be due

any day, with 2 of my designs

-one in Manos silk and the other

in Artesano 4 ply alpaca with

nearly 800 crystal beads knitted into it!

The designs have been beautifully styled

and photographed in Morrocco

-shame I couldn't do the photo shoot!!

Keep an eye out for other designs

being featured in several UK magazines

over the next few months!!!

Including a new magazine launched

later this month called Simply Homemade

-I am working on something

in Manos silk with beads for a future edition

-watch this space!

As you can see plenty to keep me out of mischief

-in fact the knitting needles were only still

for Christmas Day and by Boxing Day,

I was busy clicking away in order

to meet the deadlines!

If you would like to come along to