general – Page 6 – Crochet blog

weaving in the ends and life….

Published on April 10, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin21 Comments

A couple of days ago…after 3 weeks of working shifts on placement as well as working my regular job and juggling Easter holidays with the robins and studying until the wee small hours…..crazy, absolute crazy…. I had the day off!

this is what sanity looks like!

Who would have thought that weaving in ends (millions of the things) could be so therapeutic… but it was. The warmth of the spring sunshine and the peacefulness of being by myself…the boys went off making all sorts of dens with big branches…close enough so that their laughter made my heart smile, but far enough to just allow me to breathe and weave in ends.

I love these colors — I love these colours

all done....just like my placement! — and the view

A busy few weeks, which explains, my absence here…it is so good to have a hook back in my hand. This giant granny is a long over due gift for a very special lady…who is patiently waiting. The colour way is delicate and pretty and of course it’s good old stylecraft special dk.

So, I need to get this wrapped and mailed, before the second wave of study hits…

xxx

Another busy week…

Published on March 15, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin12 Comments

It’s been another busy week at the Robins Nest…but we have still found time to get together and just be together…and I love that!

through the gate and down the path...

through the gate and down the path…

enjoying the very new spring sunshine

enjoying the very new spring sunshine

a birds eye view from the top

a birds eye view from the top

whose home could this be?

whose home could this be?

grape hyacinths

grape hyacinths

and tete a tetes

and tete a tetes

looking very spring like in my kitchen windowbox

looking very spring like in my kitchen windowbox

with University and work and the boys, life is taking over somewhat and not much hooking has been done. I have one blanket that is almost done and that I really want to get finished and sent off before I start my placement at the hospital in a couple of weeks. It’s just a simple granny and I am so near to finishing…

Alpine Nanna

Since this photo I have added a 3″ border of the base colour, which has given it a more finished edge…just deciding whether to fringe or not…What do you think?

Beautifully Chilly

Published on January 20, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

iced by Jack Frost

My usual walk with the dogs lately has just been so beautiful….chilly at an average of -3, but beautiful. The bright, freezing mornings that fill my lungs with crisp air have also cast long shadows, which make me smile, as I make the short journey over to the fields with Alf and Jess.

long funny shadows caused by the glaring low sun

The field down in the hollow, with all it’s grass and mud iced like the top of a frosted chocolate cake

As I climb out of the hollow and up the hill the sun shines in a blue, blue sky, but it can not chase away the bitter cold

Alf stops and pauses for a photo

Big Old Alf

Not one to be out done, Jess poses too

hasn't she grown...at 6months now! — hasn’t she grown…at 6months now!

Tiny footprints temporarily fossilised by the ice

footprints highlighted with frost

every bare and exposed surface has been visited by Jack Frost, over night.

such beauty

so blessed

xxx

BRAVE…

Published on January 11, 2015January 11, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin12 Comments

Autumn leaves

I have not made resolutions for a number of years… I feel like I am just setting myself up for a fall and lets face it, life can be complicated enough with out sabotaging yourself! I do like a new year though, I have friends who say that it is just another year and nothing changes, but I suspect that has more to do with their attitudes being unchanging rather than anything else.

down by the brook

A new year is different, after all it’s how we mark significant events, birthdays and anniversary’s of various things, both positive and not so, and I know for sure that there have been some years that I have been really pleased to see the back of and some years that have been extrodinarily memorable for me.

Last year I adopted a word, which kind of just happened and helped me through, not a resolution as such, more a spirit of attitude that I sensed was key to my journey through 2014. That word was ‘Flow’ as in the ebb and flow of the tide. In other words I just went with the flow.

That flow has delivered me into this blustery grey January and already I am sensing from deep within my soul a new key word for my 2015. I have had to wrestle with this word as I am finding the thought of what it means a tad daunting. I don’t just invent the word…if I did I would think of something like ‘wealthy’ or ‘creative’ or just plain ‘happy’. If you know anything about me you will know about my faith in God, and as I have sought direction in my alone time with Him, this word is just filling my soul.

The word is ‘Brave’

Be Bold – go all out for it

Rest in God – take time out to

Advance – Keep moving forward

Victory will come

Enjoy even when it’s tough / Effort – put it in

A bit daunting, but exciting don’t you think… I feel a little intrepid mixed with a great dollop of hope… I feel like this year is going to be really challenging but that this challenge will prosper not only me, but my family as well!

A peek in to Christmas

Published on December 9, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

One of the things that I have really enjoyed this December, when peeking into other blogs and generally taking a good look around, is glimpsing how other people do Christmas… so here is a little peek around the robin’s nest.

our Christmas tree

I love the designer trees and the minimalist trees in the shops and I always catch myself thinking how I would love to get one. This year I fell in love with an all white one with sherbet coloured decorations… but I adore more, our tree, decorated by the boys with our mismatched decorations that we have accumulated over the years, most of which are attached to a lovely memory…like the spherical robin bauble at the bottom of this photo, gifted to us by dear friends.

deck the halls... — deck the halls…

pretty Christmas bows

stockings...just waiting to be filled — and stockings…just waiting to be filled

party shoes! — party shoes that I just couldn’t resist!

the nativity — and the nativity

Certainly the most important part of Christmas for us…the reason for Christmas…the birth of Jesus.

Would you like a Leibster Award?

Published on November 7, 2014November 7, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

Leibster Award

You may or may not have heard about the Leibster Award, if you are shaking your head and are unfamiliar with the Liebster Award, it is a purely online award that is passed along from blogger to blogger, in the hopes of promoting new and aspiring bloggers with less than 200 followers. Since it is promoting newish / small blogs, there are a set of rules that are attached for each person nominated to follow,

The rules differ from blog to blog, but these are the general rules;

1. Thank the person who nominated you with a link to their blog
2. Display the pink Liebster Award in your post (or any other Liebster Award button! Doesn’t have to be pink!)
3. Answer the questions that are posted
5. Nominate 10 other bloggers with up to 200 followers and inform them by commenting on their blog or contacting them
6. Write ten questions for the bloggers you nominate.

So I’m off to answer the set of questions I have been asked by the lovely Lauren, who nominated little old me and writes the handmadehandmaiden blog and will be back soon, so you can all have a read. I have decided to allocate my 10 nominations to the first 10 aspiring bloggers that comment on this post stating that they would be up to the challenge…. So my first question is

Do you want to be nominated for the Leibster Award?

Just let me know!