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crochet granny squareblanket with bobble edging

A glance back at 2015…

Published on December 29, 2015November 20, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

2015, well what a year, a roller coaster in a lot of ways, but a good year. A year of progress and accomplishment and growth…. and of course craftiness.

There have been walks that have embraced the changing seasons.

Beautifully chilly

Enjoying the very new spring sunshine

November 2015

December 2015

There has also been craftiness that has not been yarn related…

Valentines craft

pretty pumpkins

Christmas dog wreath.

Of course I did indulge in yarniness too, although at times making time for this proved difficult, but nevertheless, I did…

Rows of popcorn stitches

A pretty granny.

Blooming flower cushions.

100 patch granny

tree house pimping

Sprinkly donuts

Winter blooms.

Sunflower in progress.

Certainly, a lot less hooking than previous years, but for very good reason. As I eluded to at the beginning of this glance back, 2015 has been a year of progress, growth and accomplishment.

from this…

to this.

Walls demolished and a new kitchen installed, a new lounge and a whole lot of decorating. And as for the little Robins…

they are growing so quickly... — they are growing so quickly…

well, I guess they’re not that little any more.

Then there was the small matter of studying…

my study buddy…

A new career on the horizon!

assignments...aaagggh!!! — assignments…aaagggh!!!

and throughout it all, through these last beautiful, hard, tiring, challenging and wonderful twelve months that has been my 2015… I have clung to my motto BRAVE... and it has seen me through, it has inspired me, encouraged me, comforted me and at times kicked my butt… it has also taught me…

to be still…

Herb bench

to self soothe…

and that the smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention.

a glut of granny's — a glut of granny’s

So thank you to all those that have journeyed through 2015 with me here, this little, mostly yarny space of the ether. I value your encouragement and appreciate the time you spend dwelling here with me… more than you will ever realise.

Here’s to your 2016…may it be blessed and beautiful and of course yarny.

xxxxx

The Lion, the witch, the wardrobe and the sunflower…

Published on December 28, 2015December 28, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

I spent such a lovely afternoon at the theatre yesterday, in fact I have done nothing but have lovely afternoons lately.

Good old Santa left us a family treat at the bottom of our stocking, tickets to see The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and it was simply MAGICAL, if you get the opportunity to book and go it is well worth a visit.

The Rep, is such a small theatre, but a gem in the heart of the city. I can honestly say we were all enthralled.

WP_20151227_18_44_59_Pro — big wheel

and as we left in the darkness, the city held yet more delights…

WP_20151227_18_53_48_Pro — Birmingham city lights

and we were home in time for some snuggly hooking, the perfect end to a perfect day.

fuschias

daisy

sunflower — sunflower in progress

xxxxx

Mucky pups and cotton flowers

Published on December 21, 2015December 29, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

It’s been a while since I have been able to take the dogs out just by myself, but today I got that chance…even if it was raining!

the dogs enjoyed it... — the dogs enjoyed it…

Muddy and wet, they had fun and I had some fresh air and some space…as well as two very wet, mucky pups that I had to clean.

It was grey and raining when I set out, but the blue sky toiled hard to peak out

and because it was so wet it seemed I had the whole field to myself…

and just as I started home, that blue sky began to break through

the abandoned nest in the bare tree got me thinking about the spring, and so…

dk cotton

Out came the cotton and my trusty hook, once the dogs were cleaned and settled,

Winter blooms

and I began to create spring a little early.

xxxxx

A lost yarny Angel

Published on December 15, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin1 Comment

Do you remember these…I think I must have given all mine away last Christmas, because I’ve searched everywhere for my host of angels and can’t find them…I think it will be off to the shops tomorrow for some pipe cleaners and some sparkly yarn.

This divine angel is made by hooking 2 small granny squares and assembling with a few bits and pieces. I made mine in a white yarn with a silver sparkle…the pattern is by the very talented Priscilla Hewitt (search Granny square angel on her site) and is super simple to follow and in no time at all you could have your own host….

DSC_0063 (3)

DSC_0069 (1)

Christmas Tree Hunting…

Published on December 8, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin3 Comments

Christmas Tree Hunting... — Christmas Tree Hunting…

yarn

Equilibrium

Published on November 18, 2015November 18, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

Well, not much hooking has been going on here at the Robin’s nest, mainly because a huge amount of this has been going on…

assignments...aaagggh!!! — assignments…aaagggh!!!

A whole lot of health policy and child development theory and research is yet to come, looming in the shadows. I mourn my part time days gone by, even though this is what I longed for not so long ago.

But, just look at this…

drops muskat cotton — drops muskat cotton…

This is what our lovely postman delivered today and I was reminded in that transaction at the front door, of that lovely word ‘BRAVE’… I have been doing so much ‘advancing’ lately that I have neglected the ‘resting’. So this evening I am resting and hooking a project that I am going to call ‘Nicola Florence’…an art piece, which I will chat to you about next time…

the potential... — the potential…

xxxxx

bones and ribbons

Published on October 31, 2015November 1, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

A crafty little tutorial today…Christmas dog wreaths, for the pooch in your life!

Easy peasy to make, here is what you will need…

wreaths...these are bought, cost £1 each, but you could make one from some coat hanger wire... — wreaths…these are bought, cost £1 each, but you could make one from some coat hanger wire…

your dogs favourite biscuits... — your dogs favourite biscuits…

raffia, or ribbon — raffia, or ribbon…

cut raffia into lengths... — cut raffia into lengths…

tie onto wreath... — tie onto wreath…

Attach a length of raffia to top of wreath to hang... — Attach a length of raffia to top of wreath to hang…

Easy Christmas dog wreath.

xxxxx

Pretty Pumpkins

Published on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

pretty pumpkins

Oh, my delight in these pretty pumpkins. Whilst we do not celebrate 31st October, halloween in the Robins nest, we do celebrate light in this beautiful, busy and sometimes dark world. As you know I love autumn, and pumpkins certainly contain light and autumnal(ness) in abundance.

I also love spending time with friends and that is exactly what is happening here tonight. We are having some very dear friends over to mark the very significant occasion of our homes transition from ‘no space to have anyone around’ to ‘being able to say come on over for supper’ a transition which has taken many years.

the chickens enjoyed a pumpkin feast

So with a three bean chilli and a hearty beef chilli planned for later, accompanied by a bottle or two of red, these pretty pumpkins will help to create the perfect atmosphere for chatter and laughter late into the night.

pretty pumpkins

xxxxx

Poppies

Published on October 26, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin3 Comments

my poppy

You may remember this poppy from last year…unfortunately, I don’t have any time to hook any this year, but maybe you do… here is the link to last years post which contains the pattern details.

remembrance poppy

The smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention…

Published on October 18, 2015February 10, 2026 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin23 Comments

Here it is all complete… and I

love, love, love it.

Made from scraps, excluding the edging, this little blanket has provided me with the hooky colour therapy that I so needed. I had made many of these charming squares at the end of other projects, not really being sure of their final purpose.

mini squares made from scraps

Perhaps a cushion or a giant blanket I thought, big enough for all the robins to snuggle under…yes! that is what I decided upon, a large endeavour of love made from these little, beautiful components and so I started. And so it has remained, unloved at times or loved from afar, but most certainly unfinished and alas my latest commitments made the hooky pleasure of this project impossible.

I love a simple granny!

No, a king sized blanket out of tiny granny squares became a lingering burden…and so with some considerable heaviness, the white yarn was carefully frogged. I felt a sense of failure as I unravelled those stitches and was once again left with a glut of granny’s

a glut of granny's

So, I counted my granny’s out….97….and thought on a smaller scale…hooked 3 more little ones and decided on this 100 granny patch baby blanket.

and as I hooked them back together, in a different way and with a different yarn and with a different purpose, the feeling of failure ebbed away and a new joy arose.

and I discovered that the smallest achievement is always better than the greatest intention… and this little blanket still conveys a large endeavour of love.

If you enjoyed this post you may like to read 7 projects you can start today with yarn you already own

xxxxx