Author: Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin

Mostly enjoying this busy, beautiful life with lots of yarn and a hook! I'm hooked on God, my 3 boys, Mr R and if your reading this then you'll know I'm hooked on crochet too!! So thanks for stopping by...feel free to have a good old poke around...and I hope you enjoy your time spent with me because you are very welcome here xx
Vintage Market Tote

Vintage Market Tote…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

Vintage Market ToteAutumn is creeping in and I can feel the joy rising in me.  I adore the Autumn and all of her treasures; it awakens my soul and wraps me with comfort. 

I know not everyone feels this way…Mr R mourns the Summer, but I am celebrating her arrival. 

A great deal has gone on here at the nest over the Summer months and there is still much more to achieve.  New windows and doors have been fitted, outdoor adventures have taken place, three weddings have been witnessed and celebrated (we still have two more to come), decorating has commenced, and children have been coming and going and then coming back again only to go off once more it seems! 

I have taken great delight in my crochet time, which has been a little bitty.  I wanted to share this Vintage Market Tote with you…pattern details and links can be found at the bottom of this post.  I made it for my Mama’s birthday and it hooked up quickly. 

Vintage Market Tote

The pattern is free and I found it to be well written with clear, concise instruction.  I altered the length of the handle by about 20 stitches, making the straps a little longer, but that was just preference. 

women's institute yarn

I used a lovely  aran weight cotton blend yarn by The Women’s Institute, which flowed from my 5.5mm hook with ease.  I crocheted using x2 strands to make my tote more sturdy,  which meant I used  just over 300g of yarn and finished with a chic black and white spot ribbon.

Vintage Market ToteI will definitely return to this pattern…and my Mama loved it! 

Pattern by Dorianna Rivelli – Vintage Market Tote

xxxxx

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seasidestashbustingblanket

Seasidestashbustingblanket weeks 25 – 28

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin2 Comments

seasidestashbustingblanket
I am still behind on my 

#seasidestashbustingblanket …

I have just completed  week 29 and I think the CAL is now up to week 31, so I really want to push on and catch up with this as the CAL is almost done.  I think there may be a couple more weeks of rows before it is time to border and finish.  So I am going to make this one of this week’s hooky priorities; especially since it has cooled down a lot around here.  These weeks pictured contained some more filet crochet, bobbles and some more basket weave! 

I am loving these colours there are 11 in total which I had in stash and they are stylecraft special dk. I did have to go a buy a ball of yarn yesterday as I was short and didn’t want to introduce a new colour so late into the blanket and I really felt that it should feature in some of the last rows.  Other than that I am just picking from these yarn balls randomly, and I like the surprise of that.

I have been hooking some other little makes and have found some wonderful patterns and I will share those with you soon.

xxxxx

crochet zebra

Amigurumi zebra…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin14 Comments

 

crochet zebra

I’ve been wanting to introduce  this rather charming crochet zebra to you for a couple of weeks now, but I have been working overtime (urgh!!!). 

This is Abe…isn’t he just a dude?  I started hooking him a little while ago…my first foray into the world of amigurumi and most definitely not my last.

crochet zebra
I really struggled to put him down, he was such a joy on my hook.  I absolutely loved every paintbox cotton stitch.  I have made a lot of mistakes and he certainly has taught me  a lot and for this reason he is mine to keep…I am a bit like a 4 year old child at the moment, moving him from room to room so he is with me!!!   

crochet zebra

I think the hardest part for me was sewing him together…Not only was it a bit like a zebra horror show, he proved to be a little tricky.

crochet zebraTo begin with I sewed his ears to his nose…I was extremely frustrated at this point and so I do not have the photo to show you. It was late in the evening and his ears were the first things I joined together for him.  I was feeling rather chuft with myself and  I didn’t make the sickening discovery until just before bedtime.  I lay there trying to go to sleep, but it was no good.  I had to get up and perform some late night intricate facial surgery.  It was silly o’ clock when I finally got back into bed, but worth the midnight oil not to wake up to such a silly mistake.

crochet zebraIf you look closely at that arm and you have a trained eye you will notice that it is actually inside out…another lesson learnt.

crochet zebraBut I just love his cute little face and his stripy pyjamas.

crochet zebraHis limbs have just the right amount of dangle.

crochet zebraOnce he came to life it wasn’t long before his character began to shine through…posing zebra alert! 

All in all I love this dude and I have found a suprising new love in amigurumi (crochet toys)… You can find the free pattern details at the bottom of this post.

crochet zebrapattern by amvabecreations

 

xxxxx

 

 

mixed stitch crochet blanket

Seasidestashbustingblanket weeks 20 – 24

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

mixed stitch crochet blanketHere’s just a little update on the lovely

#seasidestashbustingblanket …

I confess I have fallen a week behind with this CAL.  I am laying the total blame for this at the feet of Gareth Southgate and the England world cup team for smashing history and those penalties…apologies if you are reading this in Columbia. 

I am also totally going to blame the UK heatwave…the hottest and driest summer since 1976…which was also before I was born!  It is glorious but it makes hooking blankets hot work.  If you look closely at week 24’s photo you will see just what I have been hooking instead… but I will write a separate post all about that next time.

xxxxx

Yarn a long Sunday #8

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

 

Well this is the last yarn a long Sunday in this June series.  Apologies for this last session being a bit late…It has everything to do with a manic weekend, a 16 mile charity walk and a wedding in a field!  It is still Sunday in the UK…so only a bit late eh!

I now have  a little collection of cute summer projects and if you follow me on Instagram you will know what has captured my heart…but I will post about that separately in the week.

This week’s topic is

‘Ask me a question…yes you can ask me anything!’

ayarnyrobin

Go on don’t be shy!

xxxxx

 

 

Gorgeous Glamping…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin14 Comments

Just a couple of weekends ago, I abandoned work early, gathered my brood and made a little journey to a truly magical place. We only travelled 30 minutes away but we found ourselves in a different world. 

glamping

We went glamping…that is camping in style!  

And let me tell you it was absolutely luxurious.  Running hot water, flushing toilet, the most comfortable bed in the world (honestly I felt like I was sleeping in a cloud) and a roll top bath with a gorgeous and very private view. 

glampingThe boys happily shunned their screens and devices and spent hours splashing in the hot tub

glamping

and lighting fires

glampingWe cooked contently on the dutch oven (although there was a large wood burning stove inside our abode)

And we cycled the short distance into Arley where the great Severn Valley Railway passes through.

severn valley railway

glampingIn the evenings we lit another fire and made use of the blankets provided for us;

glampingand we chatted and laughed and breathed in and out deeply inhaling as much of the tranquillity as we could whilst toasting marsh mallows and drinking bubbles.

glamping

glampingOf course I took my own blankets and they looked so pretty out on the decking…which has fairy lights at night.

glamping

(Yes, that is a candelabra you can see on the dining table! )

There was also plenty of time to crochet

glampingand knit

learning to knitThis place is a true gem…and look what I found in the dresser…

glampinga happy piece of yarn!!!! 

So thank you Mark and Sonja for all of the fairy dust you sprinkled for our stay with you….we loved it!

woodhouse farm luxury camping

xxxxx

Yarn a long Sunday #7

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

Oh my word… you guys have hooked, knit, sewn and crafted in some amazing places…but I think the most out there has to go to Connie who hooks whilst being a pillion passenger on the back of  a motorbike!   Yes you read motorbike!!!!

Now that’s extreme crochet and some serious nerves of steel.

S0, welcome to  this Sunday’s yarn a long.  So far this month we have nattered about our crafty hacks and our alfresco crafty habits in honour of world knit in public day.  

This week I thought I would like to gather your ideas about what you like to hook, knit, sew, or craft in the sunshine.  The weather here in the UK has been quite pleasant of late and I have several blankets on my hook and it’s just too warm to be hooking under a blanket for any length of time.  I did write a blog post about the top 5 things to crochet when it’s hot which is  just here…they included

top 5 things to crochet in the sun
pattern by Sandra at Cherryheart

gloves and tea cosies

crochet tea cosy free patterns
The Grandma Collection

But, I have hooked these now and am looking for some fresh ideas…What do you hook, knit, sew or craft when the temperature starts to rise?

xxxxx  

This series is also on Instagram @yarnyrobin

 

My Yarny Knitting Adventure part 6…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

 

  In which fire is involved!

Campfire that is and a little fizz of course.  I am now feeling much more relaxed when I knit; well with this pattern anyway. I think it is because I know I can undo a mistake and put it right, the pressure of getting it right or starting over from the beginning is no longer a looming threat.

learning to knitSo, I took my knitting alfresco last weekend and enjoyed every single second of it!

I even managed some around the campfire…

learning to knitI am so pleased with this little (BIG)project…I have made some more progress since these photo’s…I am now half way through the second pattern repeat, but still a long way to go before it even starts to feel blankety. 

What do you think?

XXXXX

PATTERN DETAILS:

The pattern is this rather magnificent blanket... by Purl Soho inspired by Barbara Walker. 

 

OTHER POSTS FROM MY KNITTING JOURNEY ARE JUST HERE:

part 1 of my knitting adventure is just here

part 2 of my knitting adventure is just here

part 3 of my knitting adventure is just here 

part 4 of my knitting adventure is just here

part 5 of my knitting adventure is just here

 

 

 

 

Yarn a long Sunday #6

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

 

top 100 crochet blogWelcome to  this Sunday’s yarn a long.  Firstly, thank you to all of you who took part last week…I have learnt some very cool crafty hacks.  I think one of my favourites was using dental floss on an aeroplane to cut thread instead of having your scissors confiscated  as suggested by @laurahoueltextiles over on Instagram…you should go and check her beautiful feed out…very talented! 

So to this weeks yarn a long. 

As it has been ‘Happy world wide knit in public day’ this week

I thought I would ask…Where is the strangest place you have knit, crochet, sewn, crafted? 

I tend to end up hooking whilst the little ‘big’ Robins are doing their sports

At the skate park…

I am sure you can tell me of stranger places.  Let me know in the comments thread below.

xxxxx  

Last weeks yarn a long is just here if you want to read or share your crafty hacks.  This series is also on Instagram @yarnyrobin

 

crochet blanket cal

seaside stash busting blanket weeks 17- 20

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

crochet blanket cal

I thought you might like another little update on the slow CAL (crochet a long) I’m participating in which is being hosted by the lovely Eleanora over at coastal crochet. You can also find lots of other amazing blankets and makers participating in this CAL  across social media by searching #seasidestashbustingblanket.

You can read about  my weeks 1 – 4 just here

and  weeks 5 – 8 just here

weeks 9 – 12 here

and weeks 13 – 16 here

 

Here is how it has been growing…

crochet blanket calcrochet blanket calcrochet blanket calcrochet blanket cal

Now, I’m off to catch up with the rows for week 21!

xxxxx