afghan – Crochet blog

Baby Blanket pattern Testers Wanted…

Published on February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobinLeave a comment

So, I have a new blanket on my hooks. It has been a long time since I made anything bigger than a hat, so I am really enjoying the hooking and process of writing the pattern…even if I did have to frog an enormous amount…see here for the proof!

I am also on the hunt for a handful of pattern testers, so if you are interested here are the deets… there will be 2 sizes of blanket

baby blanket and stroller blanket

You need to provide your own yarn – dk weight (approx 400g in main colour and 100g in accent colour…I think…I’m still not done making the original!

Time – I need you to be able to complete the test within 4 weeks of receiving the pattern and i’m hoping to release in March.

Spot any typo’s, pattern mistakes or make suggestions if you have any.

Finally, be able to share with me a clear well lit shot…think insta worthy!

In return I will send you the full edited pattern and also another pattern of your choice from my designs and I will love you forever. So, if you are up for testing then dm me, leave a message or contact me via insta and let’s become hooky buddies.

XXXXX

August…October!

Published on October 9, 2019October 9, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin2 Comments

It feels like it jumped from August right in to October without September ever being! Sorry I have been absent…my excuses are below; however if you don’t fancy reading about them you can skip to the crochet I have to show you, below!

It feels like we have entered a whole new life season here at the nest…all of my boys are now in high school and we are all trying to figure out a new normal. My evenings consist of co-ordinating logistics with Mr R, ferrying each to various sporting activities, or taking girlfriends home or picking up from girlfriends houses or trying to figure out whether it is ok for them to get the train to and from football on a Friday evening…I feel like I am constantly asking myself the question, is it safe? Turns out very little seems safe these days, but I guess that is how they grow up…I’ve just got to let them…some how!

Whilst we’ve been adjusting autumn has tiptoed in quietly but surely, but I am yet to appreciate its glory and splendour. Mr R has done some serious damage to his knee and it has put pay to our usual long walks. So all in all life has been up in the air a bit, but we are beginning to settle now, I think.

I do have some crochet to show you though. The arrival of Autumn compelled me to start a new blanket.

The blanket pattern is called ‘The dark wave Throw’ by Redsparrowcrochet

you should really pop over and take a look, Esme, has some stunning patterns available…I am in awe!

It is a brand new skill set for me as it is mosaic crochet, which I have never done before. The pattern is very well written, but it is definitely not a project for in front of the tv as I do have to concentrate very hard and focus on what I am doing. As a consequence I am making slow progress, but the thrill of watching the pattern emerge is hugely satisfying.

I have also been making some more bear hats

pattern by Rachel Glassco

(some alterations to pattern made by myself)

and I have been making orders for this very cute Santa hat.

The pattern for this hat is the ‘Mint elf hat’

by East Coast Stitches

The faux fur trim is a polyester yarn by James C Brett called ‘Chinchilla’. I have never used a faux fur yarn before as I thought they would be tricky to work with. However, I found this easier than I thought I would. I felt for the stitches rather than seeing them and I just love the look of this hat. The faux fur is just so super soft and the oversized pompom finishes this hat off just perfectly; needless to say I have a few orders for these so will be hooking some more in the coming days.

I have also been working on a pattern for a sensory teething ring, but I am still in the very early stages of this, so I will update as I make progress. So, I think that is about it, if you have got this far…thanks for stopping by. I’m off to do a little more mosaic crochet, with a cup of coffee…now there’s a nice safe thing to do!

xxxxx

My Charming Harbour Blanket is finally finished!

Published on August 6, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

Wow…I have a finished blanket to show you! You may want to take a seat at this point as it has probably come as quite a shock to you. It may be even more shocking when I reveal that it has taken me over 18 months to get this stunner finished.

You can read the original post I wrote way back, when I initially put it on my hook just here. It has been neglected and unloved for much of that time, which is crazy because I have thoroughly enjoyed hooking every last stitch. The new owner of this handsome blanket now has it in his possession and I am so thrilled as he always was the intended heritor of this creation. I am also thrilled that I finished hooking the main body and border of this blanket in and around Brixham Harbour which seemed so fitting as I had named it the Charming Harbour Blanket.

I couldn’t resist adding four enormous pom poms to each corner. Mr R did not approve…but inside I squealed with delight at those fat poms!

I love this blanket and I love that it is certain to have more seaside adventures in a happy little camper van…because every camper van needs a little (lot) of crochet!

Now I’m pretty certain that a finished item equals buying more yarn…right?

xxxxx

My Make Do Blanket…

Published on February 5, 2019March 12, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

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

crochet v stitch blanket, rainbow blanket — Very V blanket from 2016

and the Cosy Cottage Blankets I hooked way back in 2014

Cosycattage blanket, ayarnyrobin, crochet blankets — Cosy Cottage Blanket by Attic 24

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?

Sometimes just being underneath crochet is enough!….

Published on January 13, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin18 Comments

I have not been overly productive on the crochet front since the New Year began, largely down to a chest infection and it’s lingering gift of tiredness. So I have settled for being under my crochet instead…

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.

Whilst adding the border this morning I relished the feeling that time had slowed down and I drank in the atmosphere here at the nest…home, sweet home. I enjoyed the sound of my youngest two robins chitter chattering to each other and tried to absorb all of them, even their bickering. They are growing so quickly, and I know that in a blink of an eye I will be sat here hooking, wandering what they are doing and when they might visit.

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.

My plans for the week are particularly hectic…today may well have been the calm before the storm; so I plan on spending little snippets of time through out the week doing more of the above, wherever I can…because sometimes just being underneath your crochet is enough.

I hope you have a good week whatever your plans.

xxxxx

Sheraby Baby Blanket…

Published on November 20, 2018December 15, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin19 Comments

Oh my days!

Life seems to be on fast forward at the moment…It is nearly December already…how can that be?

I have been hooking, but a lot of what I am doing is

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’.

You might be thinking what about all those pesky ends? Well, I just crocheted over them as I went, so there were no pesky ends at all.

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?

xxxxx

seasidestashbusting blanket…The End!

Published on October 9, 2018December 29, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin19 Comments

It’s done! I have made the last stitch and woven in the last end of my beautiful #seassidestashbusting blanket.

It’s huge and I simply love it!

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!

Thank you so much to Eleanora over at Coastal Crochet for hosting such a marvellous and well organised CAL (crochet-a-long) and to all the lovely people I have met a long the way; who have encouraged and inspired me with kind words or blankets of their own. I have really enjoyed scrolling through the IG feed #seasidestashbustingblanket and seeing so many wonderfully unique contributions.

I am keeping this blanket for myself because honestly, I just can’t bear to be parted from it. I have hooked in so many memories of my year…like the sunny glamping rows, the foot surgery rows, the world cup rows, the too hot to crochet rows and the snowy day bobbles and I can relate each memory to the specific rows. I will leave you with my photographic journey…

Love, love, love this blanket.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do without the weekly rows…

xxxxx

Seasidestashbusting blanket weeks 29 – 32

Published on October 2, 2018December 29, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

Here’s the penultimate update on the gorgeous

#seasidestashbustingblanket …

These rows were finished a little while ago and I am onto the border now…but, I wanted to show you my progress in chronological order.

I didn’t think this blanket would match any décor in the nest, since it is just made up of stash I had hiding under Little Robin’s bed, but it is looking fine on my bed…

and in the lounge…but to be honest it is so flipping lovely it would look amazing anywhere.

So, I’m off to finish the border and I will be back soon with the final post for this beautiful blanket.

xxxxx

Seasidestashbusting blanket weeks 25 – 28

Published on August 21, 2018October 2, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin2 Comments

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

Seasidestashbustingblanket weeks 20 – 24

Published on July 9, 2018July 9, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

Here’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.

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I have not been overly productive on the crochet front since the New Year began, largely down to a chest infection and it’s lingering gift of tiredness. So I have settled for being under my crochet instead…

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.

My plans for the week are particularly hectic…today may well have been the calm before the storm; so I plan on spending little snippets of time through out the week doing more of the above, wherever I can…because sometimes just being underneath your crochet is enough.

I hope you have a good week whatever your plans.

xxxxx

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Oh my days!

Life seems to be on fast forward at the moment…It is nearly December already…how can that be?

I have been hooking, but a lot of what I am doing is

Secret Santa type of top secret and the like. I can show you this, however

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’.

You might be thinking what about all those pesky ends? Well, I just crocheted over them as I went, so there were no pesky ends at all.

What do you think?

xxxxx

Share this:

Like this:

It’s done! I have made the last stitch and woven in the last end of my beautiful #seassidestashbusting blanket.

It’s huge and I simply love it!

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.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do without the weekly rows…

xxxxx

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Here’s the penultimate update on the gorgeous

These rows were finished a little while ago and I am onto the border now…but, I wanted to show you my progress in chronological order.

I didn’t think this blanket would match any décor in the nest, since it is just made up of stash I had hiding under Little Robin’s bed, but it is looking fine on my bed…

and in the lounge…but to be honest it is so flipping lovely it would look amazing anywhere.

So, I’m off to finish the border and I will be back soon with the final post for this beautiful blanket.

xxxxx

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I am still behind on my

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

xxxxx

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Like this:

Here’s just a little update on the lovely

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.

xxxxx

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