Jane ,the Frida’s Primavera and myself…
Many of you are probably aware of the new version of Jane Crowfoot ‘s Frida, and now, that the blanket has been published , I can tell you about this amazing project I have been so privileged to be involved with!
I will start by saying that I have been a fan of Jane’s work for a long time , I have most of her publications and,over the years, I have collected her patterns
and I followed both CAL she made in collaboration with Stylercraft: the LILY POND and the original FRIDA, both of which I made the blanket in a larger size.
My Lily pond is in Italy with my mum , I still got the original Frida at home. here is a photo of them both:
Before working together I met Jane briefly at Ally Pally, Yarndale and at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, as I always make a point to visit her lovely stall, and I always found her and Andy really polite and helpful regardless of the crowds that always surrounds them at shows.
So when I became a Blogstar I was thrilled that she was part of the group and in February at, my first Blogstars meeting, I had a proper chance to chat with her.
Jane was particularly interested in how I mix colors and yarns in my blankets. I didn’t think much of it, besides been really happy that she was so complimentary about my work, so when I got an email saying if I was interested in re-coloring the Frida I was like ohhh WOWWW!!! I said yes on the spot !!
1stly because I m very impulsive ( comes with the Italian blood),
2ndly because how could I let an opportunity like that pass me by???,
3rdly because I love a challenge.
Then reality settled in and I realized that I had to really raise my game. Blanket designing is my hobby, colors are my work and also my passion, I am very lucky in that sense as I do something I love, having said that it requires a great amount of work, research, trials and a baskets of failed attempts, now if it is just one of my blankets, I am not that fussed as it involves just myself, but working on a commission for someone else it is a totally different story.
I started revisiting Frida Kahlo’s paintings, life, pictures, the environment where she lived, her friends, her house and her studio.
I didn’t want to make a version that was either too pastel or too bright simply because pale hues will have been far too removed from what Frida and her work were about, and a prime colors version would have been far too similar to Janes beautiful piece.
I settled for spring, sea, sun and flowers.
How could I not incorporate the flowers which so often adorned her hair and clothes, the flowers from the beautiful gardens of Casa Azul, the ethnic jewelry with corals and turquoises, beautiful hibiscus and hot pinks from the bougainvilleas, colorful hummingbirds and the odd monkey or two.
I made a few trials and what you see now is the final result of a lot of thought, trials and work; and I really hope you all think I gave both Frida and Jane justice.
I have received a few emails requesting details on colors and the position of them, unfortunately, I can’t provide that because although they are my work and choice the copyrights are Jane’s.
Jane and her team have spent considerable time and money transforming my crude list and details into a fabulous printed brochure which they supply as part of a kit with all the yarn you need plus the printed brochure. The brochure is 7 pages of details and close-ups, each motif has a round by round list of the colors. There is also a final color chart of the entire blanket and the position of the different hexagons.
Finally, I hope you all enjoy my blanket, and I have to take this opportunity to thank Jane and her team https://janiecrow.co.uk/presta/ for giving me this opportunity and having faith in my abilities, and Annabelle and her team at Stylecraft https://www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/ for supplying copious amount of yarn for me to play with!
lots of Love,
Lucia xxx
(ps if you attempt the Frida Primavera, please make sure to show me some results!!)
As usual, Lucia, I LOVE your colors! I am hoping to make the Frida….and I think I will choose the Primavera version! Both are gorgeous. Still have the Norlan and Macaroon on my list. I will happily be crocheting until the end of time!
thank you Kathleen 😀
Last year i have made the first version of Frida. The Primavera version is really beautiful with these colors. I can’t wait to start.
Hello,
Can you tell me with yarn and how much of each yarn. I can not find it on the internet.
Thank you, Nienke
Hi, as said in the blog I made the Frida Primavera but the copyrights are Jane. you can find the kit with the instructions here: https://janiecrow.co.uk/presta/crochet-along/422-frida-s-flowers-primavera-yarn-pack.html
Hi
Please help I want to make this beautiful blanket in Primavera but I cannot find the colour list for this one . I have the original pattern. Janes site no longer do the pack which is fine but I need the colour mix.
If you could help that would be amazing
love your blog
Anita x
hi Anita, sorry for the delay in reply, as you know I just designed the colourways for Jane, she will be able to give you advices on how to purchase the kit as i am not involved with the distribution of either the patterns or the kits. https://janiecrow.co.uk/presta/
Sei riuscita ad estrapolare l’essenza di Frida, complimenti!!!!!!!!
Patrizia xx
Grazie Patrizia!!
I adore your new colour scheme. Frida’s Flowers was on my ‘to-do’ list but I think now I will get the kit for this colourway instead, or maybe do both 🙂 I love your colours so much it make me want to make this blanket even more.
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!! your re-working of this blanket has blown me away, love it. I am just doing Jane’s Sunshine and Shower blanket which I am enjoying; I am fairly new to crochet but I am completely hooked!!!! I think that I shall have to go have a look at this pattern. Thank you SO very much for sharing this, I love your blog and look forward to seeing all that you do, thanks again xxx
Your sense of colour is indeed outstanding, Lucia. I admit I feel compelled to work on your version of the Frida blanket. Your colours give my eyes such a relieve, it’s hard to describe what your specific combination does to my soul. Yes, it’s going as far as that: affecting my soul.
thank you, Ingeborg! I am so glad you like it, I made several attempts before getting to what you see, as I had to work the hexagons separately, so the colours combination it might look good standing alone, but sometimes it didn’t look right when added to the others hexagons, so there has been quite a bit of adjusting! I do love it, and I also feel the pictures are great but the ‘real thing’ is even better, it also feels lovely too to the touch, due to the fact that it is a combination of different yarns. so has not been easy but has been great fun!
I simply like all of this. Keep going.
I am very fond of your colourway and I want to “copy” it. Could you tell me please what yarn and how many of the different colours you used? I want to make it with Special DK. I live in Germany and it is very expensive to order from the U.K. I have made the blanket in the original colours and also in Special DK, I love this yarn. So please would you help me?
Hi Andrea,
thank you for your message.
I made the Frida Primavera for Jane, and it is available exclusively, for the time being, from her website. hence I can’t post details of quantities and type of yarn. hope it helps. here is the link to her page.https://janiecrow.co.uk/presta/crochet-along/422-frida-s-flowers-primavera-yarn-pack.html
lucia x
Beautiful! I would really love to make this blanket, but I haven’t been able to find a printable pattern that I can follow step by step. Could you please help me! I promise I will send you photo once I have finished it! Thanks in advance.
Kind regards, Cornelia Ruytenburg
Hi Cornelia,
thank you for your lovely comment.
The original version of the Frida ‘s blanket pattern is available on line on the stylecraft’S website as it was last year CAL.
My colors’ version, the Frida Primavera, I made it for Jane Crow and it is available, for the time being, exclusively as a kit from her website. this is the link https://janiecrow.co.uk/presta/crochet-along/422-frida-s-flowers-primavera-yarn-pack.html.
Hope it helps,
lucia x
A bit late for this, but just ordered the kit. I had started back up with crochet when Frida Flowers came out (2016), but it was way beyond my skill level at the time. Since then I’ve gotten much better, and even picked up my Eastern Jewels pack to work on during quarantine. I’m so glad I did!! I’m in love with the colors and design! So I just purchased the Primavera pack. I hope you’re able to do more collaborations with Janie. Oh and I ordered your Tobermory from Ravelry! I love the popcorn stitch and flowers Thank you for the inspiration. All your colors make me feel so happy
thank you!!!!
would love to do the Primevera version of Fridas Flowers but can’t find a kit pack anywhere or a colour list, can you please help ?
Hi Paula, i designed the Primavera for Jane Crowfoot,she owns the copyrights for the blanket you need to get in touch with her 😀