afghan – Page 6 – Crochet blog

Graffiti Robin…

Published on August 7, 2016August 7, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

There is still time to enter the yarny give-a-way here

I stumbled upon an arty robin last weekend, well I say stumbled… it was more like rode. I dusted off Bella and wheeled her out into the day light, hoiked her onto the bike rack and off we all went.

It had been way too long since the last time we had an afternoon out in the countryside together, and as we cycled our cares flew from us and we felt light. We stopped at points to play in the stream

race each other,

or just to admire the scenery and breathe out.

And then we stumbled upon this…

(You may have to lean back and squint a little)….Not everyone’s cup of tea, but talented and arty non the less, and it made us smile!

We rode on some more, and returned home fulfilled and tired. The perfect excuse to put up my feet and get out my hook.

I didn’t move until I had finished the main body of this Very V blanket, but I had been undisciplined throughout and had not woven in the ends as I had been hooking!!! Oh my, that is what I have been doing this week…Its a good job I don’t mind weaving in those ends isn’t it!

Now to border it before next Friday…

xxxxx

My PHD!

Published on July 16, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin21 Comments

I thought it about time I returned, I know its been a while and it has been far longer than I had planned. So I return with a familiar confession.

I have come to realise that I am actually not as clever as I like to think and so this post is about my PHD….Projects Half Done! I much prefer this to the acronym WIP (works in progress) as PHD sounds so much more positive and well….lets be frank; what I am about to show you is not in progress. Not even by any stretch of the imagination! Abandoned may be a better description.

So, first out of the box is the baby blanket awaiting the hooking of one final square and then construction. So close to a finish, but I need some more cotton.

Then there is this linen stitch blanket…I abandoned hooking because I felt my design may be a bit to fussy…I’m undecided. Do I continue or rip it back and reclaim the wool?….I’ve done that before.

Then there is my knitting loom project, a sumptuous alpaca cowl…I really must restart this…if I can remember how to that is!

The rainbow V stitch blanket is still on the go, not abandoned at all but most definitely a PHD!

And it is with this in mind I need you all to do me a small favour…if you don’t mind that is. If you ever read my words that might even hint I am going to study again then I would like you to hit me over the head with something very heavy!!!

xxxxx

Linen cherry baby bar blanket

Published on April 30, 2016April 30, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

I have had such a lovely slow Saturday; a stark contrast from recent weekends which have been so hectic with essays and research.

I’ve played with colour ways finally deciding upon this colour way I’ve called ‘cherry stripe’. The yarn being Drops Paris 100% cotton in:

green

rusty red

light old pink

dark beige

off white and

moss green

Then I hit you tube to learn a new stitch and opted for ‘linen stitch’. It is actually a very simple double crochet (single crochet), chain stitch combo. I like it because it hooks quickly, is economical with yardage, gives a lovely solid reversible fabric and is just perfect for my new baby blanket design…’Linen cherry baby bar blanket’.

So, that’s a sneeky peek, I’m off to hook some more.

xxxxx

The smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention…

Published on October 18, 2015October 18, 2015 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 — 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.

little beauties…

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.

xxxxx

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?

A Bobbly Baby Blanket

Published on March 6, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

Simply classic

This is my latest finish and to be honest it has been uplifting to have a quick win with this one. It has been a a joy to hook and because the yarn was aran weight and I could use a larger hook, it grew at a pace.

warm and soft

warm and soft

chunky and drapes well

chunky and drapes well

a no fuss edge

a no fuss edge

crochet baby blanket, popcorn stitch

rows of popcorn stitches

The yarn is of course my trusted Stylecraft Special Aran in cream and I did not get to choose the colour this time, as this is an order… I have really enjoyed working in one tone, and the pattern lends itself beautifully to a block of one colour. I will most certainly be returning to this pattern, details of which can be found below. The really fabulous part of this blanket is that the back looks just as pretty as the front …

the back

perfect for any new born.

Pattern details:

Lullaby Luvie by Tiffany Krucek in ‘Crocheting’

published by Company’s Coming Publishing Limited. 2013

The End of my Cosy Journey

Published on January 19, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin27 Comments

: The ‘His and Her’s cosy blanket

As promised, here are the pictures of the ‘His and Her’s Cosy blanket’ set. This most enjoyable hooky adventure started back in November 2014, when I fell upon this oh so easy and yet oh so fulfilling pattern, details of which I will list at the end of this post, so you too can embark on your very own cosy escapade.

'her's' — ‘her’s’

The colour way is simply delicious and has the romance of femininity, which just flounces through the overall blanket, making it just perfect for wrapping up in. For details of yarn and colours, please see below.

‘his’

The colour way of the ‘his’ blanket was inspired by the Eastern Bluebird, both blankets incorporate 15 different colours, 7 of which are common in both, and have identical row placement, giving them the same overall tone and therefore linking them as a set.

the blankets share 7 common colours and row placement

Each blanket is bordered with 4 rows of colour, the first 2 rows being shared by each blanket

denim, camel, plum and rose

denim, camel, turquoise, and petrol

If the truth be told, I’m missing hooking these beautiful blankets… I really have enjoyed my journey and I will definitely be returning to this pattern again and again. I will leave you with some more pictures and the links below.

Cosycattage blanket, ayarnyrobin, crochet blankets

Cosy Cottage Blanket by Attic 24

DSC_0094 (1)

Pattern

Yarn

her colour way

his colour way

xxx

a look over my shoulder

Published on December 27, 2014December 27, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

This is my end of 2014 review… a chance for me to look over my shoulder and reflect on the last 6 months…yes…this little sanctuary of mine is 6 months old and as we trip in to 2015, I feel both excited and content, which I think is a good place to be.

June 2014 saw not only the birth of ayarnyrobin… but the completion of my friendship blanket.

already a firm favourite!

and the Robin’s nest!

tree house rules... "there aint no rules, there never was none, there aint never gonna be none"!! — tree house rules…
“there aint no rules, there never was none, there aint never gonna be none”!!

In July I completed charity headbands

basket of headbands

a happy ripple blanket

happy ripple in progress

a vintage tea cosy

these little roses are gorgeous to hook

and wrote my first tutorial

my first tutorial

as well as spending some ‘down time’ on the river

messin' about on the river — messin’ about on the river

August saw me settle outside to crochet in the warmer weather and do a spot of blog hoppin’.

crochet corner — my crochet corner

I also broke into my sumptuous alpaca stash

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

and enjoyed the summer holidays with the boys, making some special memories

down by the canal

and completed a light weight summer scarf

lightweight glamour... — lightweight glamour…

and wrist warmers ready for the autumn

fingerless wristwarmers

and a much needed Summer break away was enjoyed also.

Tenby harbour

September saw the struggle with my hook to complete this basket weave baby blanket

basket weave baby blanket

which led to a frivolous yarnpom in the park

yarnpom

and the arrival of Jess!

Jess

I lost my crojo completely in October…partly Jess’ fault

crocodile flower by Joyce Lewis

eventually finding it, after much help from some lovely readers, and completed a couple of beanies for the boys.

brainwave beanie with ear flaps

and more than a few poppy brooches,

2014-10-21 09.46.42 — poppy brooch

and Summer turned to my favourite time of the year…Autumn.

walking the dogs x

In November I hooked myself a beanie

my beanie love

and had a great time at the circus

balloons

and was very kindly nominated for the Leibster award

Leibster Award

and very proudly offered my first free pattern.

my first pattern

I continued to enjoy the changing landscapes walking with the dogs and rellished the tranquillity that the peace allowed in my mind.

Gloomy day

and then there was the last minute Christmas hooking in December,

Cosy blanket by Attic 24

which did get completed in sort…and which I have yet to post about in finished splendour (I will in the New Year…I promise).

The 'his' cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24 — The ‘his’ cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24

And finally a traditional Christmas spent with the people I love the most… a perfect way to celebrate my most favourite festival.

our Christmas tree

And there you have it… my 2014 review. May I take this opportunity to thank all of my lovely readers for sharing this journey with me. I have honestly loved sharing my journey with you and appreciate you all so much. I guess all that is left to do this year is to wish you all a very peaceful and healthy 2015.

xxxxx

The ‘his’ cosy colourway

Published on December 18, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

The 'his' cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24 — The ‘his’ cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24

I have been asked several times what colours I am using in my Dad’s cosy blanket, so thought I would show you with my colour pegs

the 'his' colour way — the ‘his’ colour way

so from the khaki at the bottom of the page and going clockwise, I have chosen

Khaki Turquoise

Parchment Meadow

Aster Cloud Blue

Teal Walnut

Mocha Grey

Royal Petrol

Camel Silver

Denim

The yarn is of course Stylecraft Special DK

consistent colours

The above 7 colours are what I am calling my consistent colours… these are the colours that feature in my Mom’s cosy cottage blanket and will appear in exactly the same order in both blankets and will be the common link… so there you have it and now you know!

xxx