Hello! Judy, web-ed, here, and I just wanted to wish you a very merry Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re inundated by chocs and flowers and can hardly make it out of the house for all the cards stuffed through the letter box (that’s why I’m working from home today, honest!) or believe it’s all a money-spinner invented by Hallmark, I'm hoping you’ll find something to smile about today.

After all, an excuse to pay some attention to the people you love, or to yourself, can’t be all bad, right?

And there’s no real reason why this should be a commercially-minded holiday. For us crafty types, it’s a great opportunity to show someone we care by hand making something, however small. We printed six great patterns for Valentine’s suitable gifts in Simply Knitting 89 (including the knitted heart shown here) and the one for knitted chocolates even made it onto the website as a free pattern!

If I had my way, the whole Valentine’s thing would shift a bit anyway. In America people give Valentine’s cards to friends and relatives they love, rather than just those they fancy or are in love with. I like that idea; it’s so friendly and caring, and makes it possible for all of us to get involved in one way or another. I think Valentine’s Day should celebrate platonic as well as romantic love, and be used as a reminder to be nice, to smile at the bus driver, hold a door open for a stranger, or just to make a cup of tea for a colleague without being asked. 

But if all that sounds a bit mushy and unbearable, you might prefer my other idea, which is to turn Valentine’s Day into the perfect excuse to devote yourself to your first true love: knitting.

How ever you decide to spend today, I really hope you enjoy it!

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