sock it to me Baby!

Published on August 22, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin2 Comments

Socks, socks,socks…I’m seeing so many beautiful sock creations. A lot of you ladies that leave me comments are sockaholics… you know who you are!!!

The socks that fly of your needles are amazing, you’ve inspired me to visit my local yarn store and covet sock yarns, those self striping, oh so soft yarns are just gorgeous … not only to the eye but to the touch also.

Alas, I am a hooker (of the yarn variety) and am not a knitter at all, so socks seem hugely daunting to me… in fact they terrify me….. besides which, I own a washing machine that eats socks… Just take a look at my odd sock pile…

have you ever seen such a huge odd sock pile!!!!!

So for now I will continue admiring your sock creations and maybe one day… who knows?

I wont be able to post a YOP update this Sunday so I will leave you with a teaser of what I have been up to (yes, I know it’s quite obvious!)

my away project x

And I really must just show you this…

manicure just done x

After just 6 weeks of growing my nails, which I have bitten for 30 plus years! I was able to have my first ever proper manicure, see here for week by week photos. I know it’s a little sad to mention here, but I am just soooo not ashamed of my hands any more… and that’s a big deal for me. Any how, bragging done I would just like to wish you all a very good week and I will check in again as soon as I am able…

xxxxx

lacy obsession

Published on August 17, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin20 Comments

This week has seen this glorious baby alpaca wool

glorious alpaca yarn

hook up into a fabulous lightweight cowl… that is mine for keeps!

lightweight glamour... — lightweight glamour…

I love it’s geometric pattern and love even more that it was sooo simple to follow the pattern, made up of just chains, doubles and trebles. The pattern called for x20 pattern repeats, but I stopped at 10 as I didn’t want a bulky double wrap cowl… I wanted a delicate, just now piece.

infinity cowl

This means I have wool left over to make some pretty little mitts…

mine for keeps!

The pattern is called Lacy Infinity Cowl by Anniken Allis, the Queen of lace, and the yarn is

: in “Lichen”

Click here for more project details

I’ve also done a little blog hoppin! which was fun, and I have been teaching the not so little Robins how to French knit…

french knitting

mission completed!

Next project on the hook, a basket weave baby blanket called Chilli Pepper…which was not on my original list, so has been added…

chilli pepper baby blanket

For a brand new arrival…. “Jackson Richard”

My list is looking quite healthy and I am ticking off the FO’s with satisfying regularity. To check it out for yourself then take a look and if you are not YOPing yet, it’s never to late to join, just get your list together and head on over here!

xxx

Bloghoppin

Published on August 15, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

So this is a blog hoppin post, which means I have been tagged to write a piece by the lovely Ruth over at My Spare Moments.

I have been given 3 questions to answer, which is quite fun and I hope that you enjoy this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Question 1: What have you been doing/making/scribbling at your desk/making table?

Well, firstly I wish I had a desk/making table, but I don’t… our house is way too small…and way too busy for that! I do have my outdoor crochet corner for when the weather is fine, but I live in the UK, so I’m not out there that often..

crochet corner — My crochet corner

There has not been any hooking out there for a good couple of weeks, hooking has had to come indoors as the weather has changed, but hooking always continues and I always have several things in progress

mini squares for my scrappy afghan

chilli pepper baby blanket

infinity cowl

doodling future makes... — doodling future makes…

Question 2: Where are you currently finding inspiration?

My inspiration for projects comes largely from need, but I like to feel I am moving forward in my hooking abilities and stretching myself too. The chilli pepper baby blanket is a gift for a family member who has just had a baby… and I wanted to learn a new stitch technique in with this project, hence the basket weave. Most of my makes are gifted, so the person I am making for becomes the inspiration for the project. For example the roses and posies tea cosy made for my friend, who is a chain tea drinker, and the happy ripple made in bright colours, for a friend who needed to be reminded that she had a bright future ahead of her!

these little roses are gorgeous to hook

for a special couple on their wedding day!

That and my love for colour inspire me the most. Right now I am looking forward to my most favourite time of year…. Autumn, so am thinking about cowls and mitts and boot toppers and such other lovliness.

Question 3: How important is being creative to you? and how do you blend with work/family balance?

Well this question is simple… its like oxygen to me… I have to hook!

My Coffee Coaster

An elderly lady taught me to hook, when my smallest robin was a tiny baby and I had post natal depression, she came to a group that my Health Visitor had coaxed me into… and quite simply I have never looked back and have hooked ever since. It has become my default setting and just satisfies a part of me that nothing else seems to… no one else at home can crochet, so it belongs to me and yet everyone appreciates my pieces (or seems too!). Hooking is so portable too, which means I can hook anywhere… more often than not its on the settee in the lounge, amongst the boys playing on mine craft or making loom bands! or at the kitchen table, whilst the dinner is cooking. Sometimes, at the park sitting on a bench, whilst the boys play, or in the car when I’m waiting to pick the boys up from school, sports or cubs. It fits in so well with the most important things in my life… my family!

precious!

so, there you have it… time to tag another for a blog hop. I would like to tag Kim at Aunt Maud Knits a truly talented lady, whose projects are simply gorgeous and who may introduce you to Aunt Maud!

mention who tagged you.

What have been the doings/makings/scribblings at your desk/making table this week?

Where are you currently finding your inspiration?

How important is being creative to you and how do you blend this with your work-life-family balance?

My week in Pictures

Published on August 9, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin14 Comments

A busy week… lots of fun and work… not much craftiness… here is my week in pictures!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

That’s all for this week, hope you all had a good one!

xxx

Alpaca All the Way

Published on August 3, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

Week 5

So if you are a regular here you will know that I didn’t have much to show you in terms of photo’s of progress last week, but had things in the pipeline as it were. Well, this week has seen the completion of the Happy Ripple which I was really pleased with… and actually had a hard time parting with it, but part with it I did on Thursday, when I gifted it to my friend who had been made redundant. My friend immediately burst in to tears and said that she would cherish it forever and would cuddle under it even when she was 80 years old, to which I replied that she would be the envy of the nursing home!

I also completed my first ever tutorial, the bobble edge tutorial which is a step by step photo heavy, how to. I do not know who to attribute the technique to, I wish I was that clever to have come up with the design myself, I had so much fun hooking it though, that I just had to show you guys how to hook it to! If you have a go, let me know what you think of the tutorial, as I say it’s my first… On my original list I wanted to make a tutorial for broomstick crochet and now I have completed 1 tutorial, I am feeling more confident about the process… so watch out for that in the near future!

alpaca yarn - Louisa Harding yarns - Orielle — alpaca yarn – Louisa Harding yarns – Orielle

I took the alpaca yarn down from my bed post and started my summer scarf… a rare project that I’m making just for me and one that I think will occupy me for the rest of August. The yarn is divine and has little flecks of gold metallic running through it, which gives it a very subtle shimmer

glorious alpaca yarn

Here is my progress so far

infinity cowl

This gorgeous 8 row repeat geometric pattern is working up with an almost Argyle look. The pattern is by the Queen of lace… Anniken Allis.

So, that’s my progress… slow but steady.

xxx

It’s A Wrap!

Published on August 1, 2014August 5, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

A true labour of love

I love to gift my creations, as I’m sure most of you do. It is very rare that I keep what I make. Often, I will hook a project and think I must make one of those for myself, but I never seem to get around to it!

Handmade… it just says ‘you are so special, I took the time and thought to make you something unique, individual… just for you.’ It is a tangible and often practical expression of love.

The saying that it is better to give than receive is so true. That is why I think it is important to present your gift with just as much attention to detail as the actual gift itself. I think that a gift should look as beautiful as it can to excite and shout…

‘LOOK AT ME – I’M JUST FOR YOU!’

For me a gift is not only the present it’s the experience of receiving as well. Here is the Happy Ripple ready to go

gift tag — hand crocheted tag

I even wrote a little poem!

And this was another handmade of mine, gifted as a wedding present.

presents should be pretty x

So wrap happy!

xxx

It’s all in the ripple…

Published on July 29, 2014July 29, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

Rippley, colourful, squishy, gorgeous, playful, bright, fun…

all of the above could be used to describe my Happy Ripple.

happy ripple — neat ripple by Lucy – Attic 24

I am so thrilled with it! I don’t want to gift it.

wish I could keep it!

happy ripple in progress

it was so much fun to hook

happy ripple 1 — bobble edging makes this blanket fun

and the bobble edging just gives it that extra special something!

happy ripple — such a rhythmic pattern to hook

all of the pattern details can be found here and here is the link for the bobble tutorial.

xxx

Messing about on the River

Published on July 28, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

Well, not much done this week in terms of anything to show you guys, but there has been some work in the background that shall bear fruit very soon.

Instead this week has seen a lot of this

sun cream

and lots of this

and lots of ice cream!

and some messing about on the river with friends…

lazy days with friends

We spent the day in a gorgeous little place called Hampton Loade, not too far away and splashed the whole sunny day away!

serene

DSCF4786[1] — how far do you think I can throw it!

DSCF4803[1] — boys, boys, boys!

DSCF4796[1] — Mr R

I so nearly completed the Happy ripple… honest I did, just gotta weave those ends in! I cant wait to show you… It’s such a playful blanket and has the most amazing edging on it, that was so much fun to hook. I have learnt a new technique with this edging and am putting a tutorial together for it, because I think I need to share the joy I had hooking it with you all… so watch this space, I will pull it together over the next few days! So for now I will leave you with a picture of my al fresco crochet corner…

crochet corner — my little spot!

and the yummy alpaca yarn that I have for my next project… a summer scarf

too lovely to hide away while it waits to be hooked!

xxx

Roses and Posies tea cosy

Published on July 20, 2014October 21, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

Roses and posies tea cosy

So this week has seen the start of the Roses and Posies tea cosy by Nicki Trench. It is the tea cosy that you can see on the front of this book….

Nicki Trench book

So here is my progress this week…

components for roses and posies tea cosy designed by Nicki Trench

I really enjoyed whipping up these roses and hooked them all over the place this week, mostly in the car, whilst waiting for one or more of my Little Robins (as their social life is so much better than mine!!).

tea cosy wip — naked tea cosy

these little roses are gorgeous to hook

and here it is my second Finished Object

roses and posies tea cosy by Nicki Trench

If you knew my friend, then you would know that she is just going to love this tea cosy!!

Tea Time x

I have also made a start on my scrappy afghan… I want this to be huge at least big enough for Mr R and I to snuggle under together, so I’m not even going to do the maths and work out how many squares… as that may be rather disheartening to know! But, this is the width and I’m x3 rows in, so I’m a happy Robin. It’s a long term project always in the back ground, but always a joy to hook. It’s a bit like having an old friend that you get excited to see, you know you can always pick up where you left off from, easy and relaxing and just a pleasure to be with, well that’s this blanket!!

tiny little granny squares

I love a simple granny!

The happy ripple is almost done too, no pictures this week, but there will be some next week… About x5 more rows and a border and it will be done ready to gift at the end of this month.

Continue reading “Roses and Posies tea cosy” →

Crochet ripple blanket in progress, showing wavy stitches worked in soft yarn on crochet hook

A Happy Ripple

Published on July 13, 2014February 5, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin17 Comments

A Happy Ripple

Progress this week has been good… despite a trapped nerve! I have started the ripple afghan by Lucy over at Attic 24, which I am making for a friend at work who has just been made redundant… that bit sucks!

I have chosen happy colours, so that she can snuggle under a rainbow and remember that she will be missed greatly, but also that their is a bright future ahead of her. So with out any further ado here is the proof of my progress!

happy ripple in progress

ripple so far

I have also made a start on the headbands for bowdazzling a charity for young girls undergoing chemotherapy….

basket of headbands

Nicky Trench flower

circle headband — one dot headband

pastel band — dotty headband

bow headband

small bow headband

turban style headband

So there you have it week 2 wrapped up x