Valentines Day is just around the corner, so I’m just popping in and out very quickly to share three of my favourite quick and easy ♥ patterns.
Firstly there is my free pattern for my yarny little heart
Secondly, there is this lovely heart stuffie…I love this pattern by MojiMoji Designs
Or do you fancy a C2C heart inspired square then look no further than this great pattern by MA Santos
So, there you have my favourite three heart patterns…what’s not to love.
I have been reviewing my yarn stash…I have lots of little balls and some big balls of mainly acrylic yarn…mostly Stylecraft special dk and some balls of ‘I just don’t know what’. They are leftovers from projects long gone by like my Happy Ripple
and my Very V Blanket
and the Cosy Cottage Blankets I hooked way back in 2014
Of course, I did well last year de-stashing a lot of what I had with the lovely coastal crochet CAL
I was going to gather the rest up and take it to the charity shop…as I have felt for quite a long while that the numerous odd balls of this colour and that colour have been blocking my creative mojo. But, as I gathered what was quite a tangled mess a pang of guilt coursed through me…it seemed so wasteful.
I peered into the bag of what I had managed to detangle, not even sure if I liked the colours anymore, but I couldn’t shake that wasteful feeling. I also felt tired, but I needed to hook; and so before long a simple granny stripe (there are several versions of the pattern out there) began to fall from my hook. Even more surprisingly, the random colours were so very satisfying to my soul…as was the feeling that this odd surplus of yarn was not only becoming useful, but it was becoming something rather splendid indeed!
I am calling it my ‘Make Do’ blanket. I’m not sure what size it will be when it is finished…I’m not even sure how many chains I began with, I’m just making do!
What’s on your hook?
I am so ridiculously excited to tell you about my brand new crochet pattern for these deliciously scrumptious cupcakes...
I wanted to crochet some cupcakes a while ago, but I couldn’t find a pattern that was just what I was looking for, so I set about hooking my own and writing my own pattern.
I have had so much fun playing around and getting the pattern just how I wanted it.
I wanted my cupcakes to be plump and have an amazing icing swirl and I wanted them to be embellished with cute and delicious toppings.
These cupcakes would look just divine as a table display for a special occasion and would also make a very special play set for a children’s kitchen. The pattern is for all 3 cupcakes:
Mint oreo swirl
Strawberry swirl
Cookie swirl
The finished cupcake is approx. 9cms tall and is made in dk cotton.
You may also be interested to know that this pattern has been fully pattern tested by a great team of crocheters. Click below for the pattern…
I have started my new book which I got at Christmas…it has been on my wish list for a while now and I am really enjoying turning the pages and soaking up the next page of words…I haven’t read a book for a long time.
I have put the border on my second ‘Yala’ blanket…I know I have not shown you the first yet, but I am thinking of ordering some cork disc labels to add to them and they are in need of blocking also, so you will have to wait to see them. 
I spent the afternoon baking for the week ahead and we managed to catch the sunset whilst walking the dogs. It was windy and the trees swooshed noisly above our heads. I was grateful to be outside, kicking up the leaf litter and breathing in the cold air; I was even more grateful to come home into the warm, pull on my pj’s and heap my bowl full of slow cooker chilli.xxxxx
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As 2018 draws to a close and 2019 peeps over the horizon, it is that time of year when bloggers from all around the world post their obligatory review of the year.
Yes, this is that type of post…however, I have kept it simple and I have decided to choose just one photo from each month…yarn related of course.
Suffice just to say, 2018 has had it’s ups and downs, as I am sure it has for you; but crochet has, as always been my constant therapy! 2018 was all about busting my stash, finishing Projects Half Done (PHD’s) and learning to knit…I have also released the following FREE patterns this year which I hope you have enjoyed.
Being part of an amazing crafty community means so much to me and I just want to say a MASSIVE thank you to you, whether you are a first time reader or if you are a regular here at the nest. Your support and encouragement is treasured.
Here are my favourite 12 yarny photo’s of 2018…
January 2018
The Grandma Florence Tea Cosy…bright, quirky and a whole lot of fun to make.
February 2018
February, revolved around guilt free crochet as I ended up on crutches and had to take a month out of work. Luckily, for me I found the beautiful Seaside Stashbusting Blanket CAL hosted by the very talented Coastal Crochet It was the perfect project to bust some of my stash…every cloud eh!
March 2018
On a personal level April was profoundly traumatic and sad here at the nest, but on a yarny level I released the pattern for this beauty. I just love this blanket so, so much and it proved to be a welcome shower of cheer which burst forth amongst the grief. This also fulfilled the remit of completing a PHD!
The free pattern is available just here.
May 2018
2018 saw the beginning of my learning to knit adventure…this is as far as I got. I started really well and perhaps got a little ambitious…which became my downfall. Here are my posts to prove it here, just here and here
I haven’t returned to this project yet as I can’t work out where I am in the pattern! I do really want to finish this off…a New Year Challenge perhaps?
June 2018
We had an unusually hot summer here in the UK, so hooking al fresco was great now that my Seaside Stash Busting Blanket had grown in size. We had a beautiful sunny weekend glamping and those soft pink and grey shells will forever remind me of that recharging break away with Mr R and the Robins. You can read about those glamping adventures just here.
July 2018
The stash busting continued throughout July and inspired me to hook this cheeky dude. I had some black, white and grey Paintbox cottons just sitting in my stash and the most apparent thing to make was a zebra of course.
Having never made amigurumi before I am now completely smitten with all things amigurumi, which came as a total surprise to me! I made so many mistakes with this pattern, but learnt lots about the process of amigurumi along the way…if you want the full details of the mistakes I made take a look here.
August 2018
This was a joy to hook and also busted some more stash. I made this Vintage Market Tote for my Mama…and she loved it
September 2018
The end was in sight for the now glorious Seaside Stash Busting Blanket…and just in time for the change of seasons as Autumn crept in.
October 2018
A real …tadaaa… moment. This beautiful unicorn was made with a lot of love in my heart and no mistakes…well none that I know of! A real gem of a pattern that was easy to follow and so well written. It was an absolute joy to send her to her forever home and I am looking forward to hearing what she has been named. The pattern details are just here.
November 2018
My two favourite things to do when I’m on my own are to crochet and drink coffee and if I can do both whilst watching the world go by then that is near perfect for me.
This is another stash busting win for me also…a super soft and pretty baby blanket using up left over yarn from my Sunday Shawl.
December 2018
This is the sad state of my Charming Harbour Blanket…still in its bag (hangs head in shame!).
This photo is from January…a PHD fail. I have added some more rows over the course of the year…honest I have. I don’t know why I haven’t finished it. The pattern is simple and it is very handsome… and it is not really that far from being finished; but the pretty things call me more loudly.
All in all 2018 has been quite yarny, maybe not as yarny as some, but yarny nonetheless. I have met some amazing crafty friends along the way, busted through a lot of my stash and finished a PHD or two.
xxxxx
Are you interested in being a pattern tester for me?
xxxxx
Secret Santa type of top secret and the like. I can show you this, however
A pretty linen stitch baby blanket, using up my leftovers from my Sunday Shawl…this yarn has to be my absolute favourite at the moment. It is Scheepjes Merino dk and it is so, so soft…I mean really soft and plump and squishy. I started this blanket on a whim and then couldn’t put it down, so it actually hooked up quite quickly. I hooked it in the car,
In the café whilst the boys were mountain biking,but, mostly I hooked it in Sherwood Forest, whilst away for a few precious days…hence the name ‘Sheraby’. 
It is only a small little blanket…car seat size, but I am so pleased with it. This years hooking seems to be about busting my stash and I am really enjoying the challenge of that. I really do like the ‘knitted’ look that linen stitch produces to. It’s a lovely closed fabric effect and is very simple to do.
What do you think?
Oh! what a journey this blanket has been…a beautiful, stitchy, vibrant and meandering journey of colour, crochet and community…not to mention stash busting too! 
Love, love, love this blanket. xxxxx
I wanted her to be white and chose Sugar n Cream worsted weight cotton mix, which gives a lovely texture to her body and face. Her hooves were hooked in a soft lemon aran weight cotton yarn from The Women’s Institute and her mane and tail were created using a dk weight Ricorumi cotton in a baby pink.
xxxxx
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