My life would actually be quite different if I hadn’t “met” you all those years ago on typepad. I was a very novice knitter, still am really! You encapsulated everything I was looking for. I was stuck in a dark infertility spiral and decided I’d learn all the things a “grown up” should learn. Baking, knitting sewing. You did them all and gave me hope that one day I’d have a baby of my own. I planted tulips because of you, made a quilt inspired by Ophelia Plum, a few cushion covers. Your rock bun recipe is in regular use!
I’m now over 40, a Mummy and although I don’t knit or sew much anymore my life is brighter and tastier for having found you all those years ago.
Hello Gemma, it's so nice to hear from you and to know you are still reading. I am also very touched by what you say and happy to hear life has turned out better than you used to think it would. Love, Jane x
I read your Yarnstorm Substack articles with pleasure.
I love that I am able to read to the end - without meeting the “paid subscribers only” wall.
I willingly would buy you a coffee, from time to time, as the monetisation of words and thoughts saddens me.
I think we are all mulling thoughts around, not all thoughts make a story or a book, but they are worth sharing and self-publishing makes this possible.
I adore the easy style of what can be offered up as a blog.
As did I. When I divorced a couple of years ago, I could not find my copy when I moved out. I was fairly gutted. One of the first things I did once resettled was repurchase it - harder than it sounds since I’m in the U.S. and wanted THAT specific cover!
Yours was one of the first blogs I read and inspired me so much.
I used to love the photos you took of your shoes and whatever beautiful surface was around you. I loved the creativity, the recipes and just your joy of all the little things. I started my own blog in 2009 but something knocked the wind from my sails and in 2012 I stopped.
It’s really lovely to find you on here Jane. You have a real talent for writing.
I want to thank you for your newsletters. I like the combination of text and art. I found Yarnstorm and your newsletter through (as I remembered it was from the referens list, but now I can’t find it so maybe I googled) in a book about quilting which I found in a second hand bookshop in Copenhagen last Christmas holiday: The gentle art of quilt-making. If differed from other quilt book as there is an explosion of colors and patterns and I love the book. It has inspired me to plan to start quilting again. I say plan because I have so much desire to do textile art and craft but I work too much. I find peace in knitting though. I need some more ”lugn och ro” as we say in Swedish.
Happy Anniversary! Congratulations on 20 years of wonderful writing and so many achievements. I would also happily purchase tea and a bun for you at any time but mainly I am grateful that you give of your all to us. I started with yarnstorm 20 years ago and still have it bookmarked as it is still all there. I was so pleased to have bought the gentle art. I can clearly remember going to Waterstones in Brentwood specifically for the purpose and there it was, glowing on the shelf. I was so pleased that you came back to Substack and am delighted with Phoebe’s insistence that you did. Thank you Phoebe. Here’s to the future and many Sunday mornings of joy to come
Thank you so much, you are a shining light in a naughty world and reading your column on a Sunday morning always makes me feel so much better about the everything. Congratulations on your anniversary!
I love your Sunday newsletter, I loved Yarnstorm the blog. I borrowed the Gentle art of Domesticity so many times from the library that I truly believed it was mine. I love the wonderful combination of words and pictures each Sunday. Like many others, I find it’s the perfect way to start the day and it’s always my favourite thing on Substack. I would very gladly buy you a tea.
Happily I now have my own copy of the Gentle art … but even after 20 years, I’ve still never knitted a thing, and it really doesn’t matter.
Thanks from me too. I was sent your first Substack post by my daughter who said ‘I think you’ll like this, Mum’ - and I did! Very much. There is always something striking, thought provoking, amusing, or that simply has me thinking, yes, she’s nailed it. And the picture - words interaction in each post is great. Happy Sunday!
This is an excellent piece, says everything I think about Substack. I don't have a fraction of your followers, but I'm nearly at 700, which I find thrilling, every time I get a new subscriber email I smile inside. And I don't charge, I think there are people on here who need the money, and readers should prioritise them! Like you I would hate to feel obliged to write every week, or to write to some strict recipe...last week was a book review, this week will be a biographical piece, next week I've still no plan! But I will be speaking at the CUP bookshop in Cambridge on 20th February, looking forward to visiting your beautiful city!
Hello Sarah, unfortunately we shall be away on that date, otherwise I would have come to your event. Hope you enjoy Cambridge - the best pain au chocolat can be found at The Cambridge Oven on Hills Road if you are walking in from the station, and the Fitzwilliam is amazing if you have time x
Many happy returns! I’ve been reading yarnstorm since I was a university student, and in fact your writing for Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer was part of the inspiration for the topic of my undergraduate thesis—that food could have literary significance. Your perspective on the intersection of the visually beautiful, the quotidian, and ordinary delights has been a huge influence in my life from the tender age of 19 to now. It’s been wonderful to find you back online in the years since. And your books still have pride of place on my shelf. Thank you, Jane.
Thank you for this. I first discovered your work as a lonely American mother of littles recently moved to a new city where I knew no one; my first books of yours were Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer and Turkish Delight, which gave me many wonderful ideas for books and things to do. I have two copies of The Gentle Art of Domesticity, one whose binding I converted to spiral-bound so I could flip through it more easily. Reading Yarnstorm is one of the great pleasures of my week, and I've learned so much from your lovely writing. Here's to the next 20 years!
Like someone else here I think I found you via Dovegrey who I still miss. Your flapjacks in the Gentle Art are my go to - they never fail! You're often in my thoughts at the moments as I'm knitting the School Colours blanket from the Knitting Gentle Art. Thank you for the inspiration, I'm on the second scarf. It may take some time but I'll get there. I'll happily buy you coffee and cake if you decide to put the button up.
I'm one of those who read Yarnstorm from the start and you're one of a few blog writers who inspired me to have one myself for quite a few years. Really glad when I found you on here as I love your writing. The Gentle Art of Domesticity is still a fav and one of my 'comfort reads'. Glad you're keeping it free for now(although totally understand if you change in future) as the paid aspect of substack can be tricky as I can't afford endless subscriptions. I have two currently and that's about my limit. Really look forward to your Sunday newsletters. Happy 20th anniversary! 😊
My life would actually be quite different if I hadn’t “met” you all those years ago on typepad. I was a very novice knitter, still am really! You encapsulated everything I was looking for. I was stuck in a dark infertility spiral and decided I’d learn all the things a “grown up” should learn. Baking, knitting sewing. You did them all and gave me hope that one day I’d have a baby of my own. I planted tulips because of you, made a quilt inspired by Ophelia Plum, a few cushion covers. Your rock bun recipe is in regular use!
I’m now over 40, a Mummy and although I don’t knit or sew much anymore my life is brighter and tastier for having found you all those years ago.
Hello Gemma, it's so nice to hear from you and to know you are still reading. I am also very touched by what you say and happy to hear life has turned out better than you used to think it would. Love, Jane x
Goodness, this made me choke. How wonderful that Jane had such an inspirational effect on your life. X
Thank-you.
I read your Yarnstorm Substack articles with pleasure.
I love that I am able to read to the end - without meeting the “paid subscribers only” wall.
I willingly would buy you a coffee, from time to time, as the monetisation of words and thoughts saddens me.
I think we are all mulling thoughts around, not all thoughts make a story or a book, but they are worth sharing and self-publishing makes this possible.
I adore the easy style of what can be offered up as a blog.
Thank-you.
I bought The Gentle Art of Domesticity when it was first published and it is still one of my favourite books ❤️
As did I. When I divorced a couple of years ago, I could not find my copy when I moved out. I was fairly gutted. One of the first things I did once resettled was repurchase it - harder than it sounds since I’m in the U.S. and wanted THAT specific cover!
Yours was one of the first blogs I read and inspired me so much.
I used to love the photos you took of your shoes and whatever beautiful surface was around you. I loved the creativity, the recipes and just your joy of all the little things. I started my own blog in 2009 but something knocked the wind from my sails and in 2012 I stopped.
It’s really lovely to find you on here Jane. You have a real talent for writing.
I want to thank you for your newsletters. I like the combination of text and art. I found Yarnstorm and your newsletter through (as I remembered it was from the referens list, but now I can’t find it so maybe I googled) in a book about quilting which I found in a second hand bookshop in Copenhagen last Christmas holiday: The gentle art of quilt-making. If differed from other quilt book as there is an explosion of colors and patterns and I love the book. It has inspired me to plan to start quilting again. I say plan because I have so much desire to do textile art and craft but I work too much. I find peace in knitting though. I need some more ”lugn och ro” as we say in Swedish.
Happy Anniversary! Congratulations on 20 years of wonderful writing and so many achievements. I would also happily purchase tea and a bun for you at any time but mainly I am grateful that you give of your all to us. I started with yarnstorm 20 years ago and still have it bookmarked as it is still all there. I was so pleased to have bought the gentle art. I can clearly remember going to Waterstones in Brentwood specifically for the purpose and there it was, glowing on the shelf. I was so pleased that you came back to Substack and am delighted with Phoebe’s insistence that you did. Thank you Phoebe. Here’s to the future and many Sunday mornings of joy to come
Thank you so much, you are a shining light in a naughty world and reading your column on a Sunday morning always makes me feel so much better about the everything. Congratulations on your anniversary!
I enjoy very much the writing and pictures Thankyou for keeping it free - appreciate that a lot
I love your Sunday newsletter, I loved Yarnstorm the blog. I borrowed the Gentle art of Domesticity so many times from the library that I truly believed it was mine. I love the wonderful combination of words and pictures each Sunday. Like many others, I find it’s the perfect way to start the day and it’s always my favourite thing on Substack. I would very gladly buy you a tea.
Happily I now have my own copy of the Gentle art … but even after 20 years, I’ve still never knitted a thing, and it really doesn’t matter.
Thank you Jane.
Thanks from me too. I was sent your first Substack post by my daughter who said ‘I think you’ll like this, Mum’ - and I did! Very much. There is always something striking, thought provoking, amusing, or that simply has me thinking, yes, she’s nailed it. And the picture - words interaction in each post is great. Happy Sunday!
This is an excellent piece, says everything I think about Substack. I don't have a fraction of your followers, but I'm nearly at 700, which I find thrilling, every time I get a new subscriber email I smile inside. And I don't charge, I think there are people on here who need the money, and readers should prioritise them! Like you I would hate to feel obliged to write every week, or to write to some strict recipe...last week was a book review, this week will be a biographical piece, next week I've still no plan! But I will be speaking at the CUP bookshop in Cambridge on 20th February, looking forward to visiting your beautiful city!
Hello Sarah, unfortunately we shall be away on that date, otherwise I would have come to your event. Hope you enjoy Cambridge - the best pain au chocolat can be found at The Cambridge Oven on Hills Road if you are walking in from the station, and the Fitzwilliam is amazing if you have time x
Many happy returns! I’ve been reading yarnstorm since I was a university student, and in fact your writing for Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer was part of the inspiration for the topic of my undergraduate thesis—that food could have literary significance. Your perspective on the intersection of the visually beautiful, the quotidian, and ordinary delights has been a huge influence in my life from the tender age of 19 to now. It’s been wonderful to find you back online in the years since. And your books still have pride of place on my shelf. Thank you, Jane.
Thank you for this. I first discovered your work as a lonely American mother of littles recently moved to a new city where I knew no one; my first books of yours were Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer and Turkish Delight, which gave me many wonderful ideas for books and things to do. I have two copies of The Gentle Art of Domesticity, one whose binding I converted to spiral-bound so I could flip through it more easily. Reading Yarnstorm is one of the great pleasures of my week, and I've learned so much from your lovely writing. Here's to the next 20 years!
Like someone else here I think I found you via Dovegrey who I still miss. Your flapjacks in the Gentle Art are my go to - they never fail! You're often in my thoughts at the moments as I'm knitting the School Colours blanket from the Knitting Gentle Art. Thank you for the inspiration, I'm on the second scarf. It may take some time but I'll get there. I'll happily buy you coffee and cake if you decide to put the button up.
Congratulations on 20 years of colour!
Delightful, thoughtful, insightful. Thank you.
I'm one of those who read Yarnstorm from the start and you're one of a few blog writers who inspired me to have one myself for quite a few years. Really glad when I found you on here as I love your writing. The Gentle Art of Domesticity is still a fav and one of my 'comfort reads'. Glad you're keeping it free for now(although totally understand if you change in future) as the paid aspect of substack can be tricky as I can't afford endless subscriptions. I have two currently and that's about my limit. Really look forward to your Sunday newsletters. Happy 20th anniversary! 😊