Jess

Published on September 30, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin1 Comment

it's hard to get a good photo of her as when she is awake she doesn't stand still for a moment! — it’s hard to get a good photo of her as when she is awake she doesn’t stand still for a moment!

It’s been 48 hrs since little Jess arrived and so far so good… the first night she yelped for 10 mins before settling to a full nights sleep and last night she took herself into her crate and drifted off for the night without so much as a squeak. I think having Alfie our lab around has much to do with the suprising amount of sleep we have managed since this little ball of fur arrived.

bath time

She did require a bath however as she wasn’t that fragrant and the smell of her litter mates and no doubt her Mom, was sending Alfie a little grumpy…

she was all of a quiver

Jess, protested throughout her bathe, but seemed to enjoy the hair dryer and she smells much more pleasant both to us and Alfie, I think!

2014-09-29 09.53.22 — Alfie, interested in Jess, but not too sure yet!

House breaking is also going well, only x2 accidents so far, so I am very proud of how well she is doing. Her favourite thing is exploring the growing garden. That is where we have just come in from now and she is zonked!

sooo cute!

The cedum in glorious autumn splendour from Jess' point of view! — The cedum in glorious autumn splendour from Jess’ point of view!

Other progress made is that Jess is happy to wear her collar complete with name tag, which I am pleased about as you can always hear where she is, as it jangles gently when she runs, which is also very sweet as she runs and springs about like a baby lamb with a slight tendency to lean to her left as she goes.

All in all she is lovely xx

It’s all Jess’ fault!!!

Published on September 29, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

My head has been turned a little recently and I have done absolutely no hooking what so ever…. diddly squat….nothing…

and this is why

5 weeks tiny xx

This is little Jess, just 5 weeks old in this picture, we didn’t get her til yesterday, when she was 8 weeks old, but the anticipation and waiting has rendered me unable to settle to anything let alone hook. So now that she is here maybe, just maybe I will pull out that hook!!

Yarnpom!

Published on September 16, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

So here it is… to celebrate the submission of my application to University, to return to nursing….(drumroll)

my yarnpom!

yarnpom in all it's splendour! — yarnpom in all its splendour!

so simple…so fun!

Operation pompom

Published on September 14, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

Following the creation of my pompom board on pinterest and being inspired by so many different ways to make pompoms, my excited and inspired mind whizzed and whizzed, whilst my hands made more and more pompoms…

making several pompoms all at once

a little trim here and there

26 minutes later... 12 little pompoms made — 26 minutes later… 12 little pompoms made

and before I knew where I was… I was sitting under an avalanche of prettiness. This yarny magnificence was also, if the truth be told, a welcome distraction from the University application which I should have been filling in!

101 pompoms later

It wasn’t long before this clutch of fluffiness had been strung together for one yarny purpose

yarnpomming!

all ready to go!

I just need to find the right place now… so give me a couple of days and I will show you my yarnpom reveal.

Tiddly…um..pom…pom

Published on September 8, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

Following my flirting with pompoms the other day which led to the creation of yet another pinterest board, today I have experimented with different ways of making pompoms. Not only have I learnt new techniques that are sheer genius, I have also de-stashed and Operation Pompom has commenced also… but, more about that some other time.

a new use for chair legs!

makes several pompoms all at once!

recycling cardboard tubes

produces larger pompoms

So you see, it’s been a pompom sort of day!

Chilli pepper Baby blanket

Published on September 7, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin7 Comments

2014-09-06 17.09.49 — Chilli pepper baby blanket

It’s done and it’s gorgeously cushy and it is a baby blanket that any Great Grand Mother would be proud of, BUT…….

I’m not in love with it, and because of this I am hugely disappointed.

It is a fabulous colour…Chilli red and not the traditional blue for a boy. and I love that. I also love that it has made up so densely and is beautifully warm and snuggly for the winter… I have also mastered blanket stitch!

2014-08-16_13.28.01_medium2 — about the yarn…

That’s where the positive ends for me tho…. although the yarn is soft in the finished blanket, it was not that pleasurable to work with…it didn’t slide on and off the hook and was a bit splitty and annoying.

chilli pepper baby blanket in s.l.o.w progress

It has also taken me soooo much longer than I had planned and I can’t work out whether this is one of the reasons for my poor relationship with this blanket, or… because I wasn’t having much hooking joy, that it has taken me longer than anticipated to hook!!

This blanket became a real block for my other hooky plans too… another reason for my lack of love for it.

So, to get my crojo back, I thought about the last hooky thing that really rocked me…that pompom border on my happy ripple…..

and I got creative by making a brand new pompom board on pinterest… go on I dare you to have a peek!

Oh...the potential! — Oh…the potential!

and once I had done that… I felt much better…and found myself thinking maybe a basket stitch blanket in a thinner yarn would be nice…

How Ironic!!

Published on September 1, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

It’s ironic that I have been hooking a winter hat whilst on my summer holiday. It’s not that the weather was all that bad, we had days that were windy and rainy and sunny and sometimes all at the same time… but then we were on the beautiful coastline of South Wales, and we had a ball, spent some really lovely family time together and made memories that will last us a lifetime!

2014-08-23 20.47.25 — Sunset over Tenby Bay x

I had packed up a project bag that had a ridiculous amount of yarn in, as the boys had asked me to make them beanies for the Autumn Term. They had all placed their pattern and colour order with me in preparation, and of course they all wanted different colours, hence the bursting project bag! However, I didn’t hook that much whilst away, as we were just too busy. I did manage to finish Little Robin’s hat though…

minion hat

This is the minion hat that he chose and once I had it done, he wore it everywhere xxx

I also hooked up another 10 rows or so of the chilli pepper baby blanket, this is not going as quickly as it should, I think I’m just a little bored of it!

I thought I ought to show you these lovelies too, not made on my holiday, but just before, out of some of the left over alpaca yarn from the infinity cowl

Pattern details can be found just here. So just a couple of finishes then and some additions to the YOP list… more beanies!

So, I will leave you with a few more holiday snaps as I cling on to the remaining hours that are left before the boys go back to school tomorrow…. and I must return to work!!!

xxx