No one predicted just how large the demand for the Art of Crochet would be when the partwork launched at the end of December, least of all its publisher, Hachette Partworks, who admitted the title had far exceeded its expectations.

Disgruntled retailers throughout the country were unable to get hold of enough copies to sell to their customers and some reported driving for miles in a bid to track down more supplies.

The publisher is now in the process of supplying extra copies where possible and is re-printing extra copies for retailers.

Despite all partwork publishers running regional test launches prior to putting a title on sale nationally, working out whether one will really take off is notoriously difficult.

So, it will be interesting to see if Hachette’s next launch, Hello Kitty Party, is just as well received. Targeted at both nine-to- 15-year-old girls and women aged between 25 and 40, the series has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. And, of course, it will receive primetime television advertising when it goes on sale on 17 February, catapulting it into the general publics’ consciousness.

Hopefully, Hachette is better prepared for this launch. If possible, you should make sure you are too.