family – Page 3 – Crochet blog

January…

Published on January 18, 2017 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin7 Comments

With life now returning to a more normal ebb and flow following the festive jollity, I feel like I am back on the treadmill!

So I am being very careful to make sure life at home is given the highest priority. Which of course means in part getting out and walking with the boys and Mr R and of course the dogs.

Special Happy Birthday to Old Alf who was 11 at the beginning of the month xx

Wellies are my favourite type of footwear!

Now the photo’s I am going to share with you may seem some what gloomy, particularly if you happen to live in a warmer part of the world. But, I have taken great comfort from pulling on my wellies and feeling the sometimes quite squelchy ground, and at other times the cold and frozen ground under my soles.

Jack Frost has painted this leaf... — Jack Frost has painted this leaf…

wp_20170108_14_45_14_pro — A little spiders home sweet home.

There was much fuss made in the media about the UK being hit by a polar storm, we were quite excited at the prospect of maybe being snowed in for a while…

The polar storm — The polar storm was a little underwhelming…

You will be relieved to know that I survived the polar storm of 2017 and even managed to get into work!!!!!

I think I have enjoyed the walks just before dusk the most, when the mist clings to everything and envelops all…

because lurking just underneath the ground is the promise of spring. I can feel it when I’m out in the countryside. The biting cold is soon to be replaced with a milder air, a warmer breeze and a brighter light.

But, until then I am happy to stomp around in my wellies, looking at the footprints of what has stomped before me,

and exploring trails I have not been down before.

Getting cold and breathing in that damp air, because it means coming home is all the more cosy…

crochet by the fireside.

crochet in bed.

Don’t you think?

xxxxx

The grandma Mabel Tea Cosy, ayarnyrobin

Introducing the Grandma Mabel Tea Cosy…

Published on December 4, 2016November 14, 2017 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

I am thrilled to be finally introducing the ‘Grandma Mabel’ tea cosy to you. The second cosy in the Grandma Collection

Dedicated to my Granny Mabel, whom I knew as Granny Jason. Granny Jason was named so by myself when I was still in terry towel nappies. Named after her dog Jason, it was my way of distinguishing between my two Grannies.

Granny Jason was born in August 1914 in Southern Ireland and in her younger days enjoyed driving tractors. Moving to England in 1960 when my Mom was a little girl, she worked in factories and finally as an Auxillary Nurse before she became too unwell to work. I was privileged to have had her in my life for just 10 years before she left this world at the age of 73.

I have precious memories of my Granny Jason, who although unwell always found a way of making me feel loved. She was a humble and unassuming woman, who was always busy in the kitchen and always had her hair done and was house proud. She would always give you the best of what she had and keep the worn out and old things for herself.

She loved shoes and made daisy chains and made the dog (Jason) a cup of tea with a sugar in, poured into his bowl, each time she made my Grandad a cup of tea…which was often!

Granny Jason was often unwell, seriously now I realise as I am older, but she tried hard not to let it show. I remember as a small child counting her tablets into a big medicine jar. There were all sorts of pills; round ones, oblong ones and all sorts of colours…

I loved this job…

maybe it was the beginning of my fascination with public health and my nursing career.

But I think family was the most important thing to her, because she cared so much about her family and cared so well.

This cosy has been inspired by my memories of her. The buttons representing those many colourful pills that I used to count, not understanding the gravity of how poorly she really was. The pretty colours of the cosy reflecting her beauty and the lace representing the finest dress a tea cosy could have.

I know Granny Jason would have been proud to put this cosy on her teapot, to put that teapot on her hostess trolley and wheel it from the kitchen to serve her guests.

So that is the Grandma Mabel tea cosy in all of its glory, I will post the pattern in the week.

xxxxx

button heart

Wow…

Published on November 20, 2016November 20, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

Humph!!…did you hear that…or is it just my tinnitus again? I think it was the sound of me falling onto the sofa from a parallel universe; where the last few weeks have spun by in a blur and may have possibly been the fastest few weeks in history.

A fleeting glimpse of the super moon... — A fleeting glimpse of the super moon…

I was hoping to have posted this weekend about the second tea cosy in the Grandma Collection, but that may well be next week end now…so sorry. It would have happened, but I think that in exiting the parallel universe I left my little pencil case of hooks as I can’t seem to find them…most distressing.

There has been quite a bit of Christmas hooking going on, but that will have to remain under wraps for now, enough to say I am in love with the pattern and can’t wait to share it with you all.

So, whilst I acclimatise back into the earthly realm, I will leave you with a little snap shot of the last few weeks…

An Autumnul walk — Autumn is slipping into winter

wp_20161029_16_13_35_pro — but glorious colour can still be found

and if you know where to look you can still find cosmos — and if you know where to look you can still find cosmos…

The boys are still being boys... — The boys are still being boys…

getting balls stuck up trees... — getting balls stuck up trees…

I do love them so... — I do love them so…

taboggoning at the snowdome was pretty awesome also... — taboggoning at the snowdome was pretty awesome also…

instagramcapture_eb859cc2-9408-4743-bac4-7d3e0bfa058d — A sneek peek of some of the lovlinesss in store for the second tea cosy in the Grandma Collection….

Oh ok then, just a very quick look at some of the Christmas hooking…

just don't tell anyone...promise. — just don’t tell anyone…promise.

xxxxx

Alpaca Walking…yes honestly!!!

Published on October 21, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin15 Comments

I have been so looking forward to writing this post; you see I have been on the most amazing adventure. However, this post should really come with a warning, so here it is…

This post will make you fall in love; quite a bold claim I realise, so it might be advisable to get yourself a cuppa (or a glass of something bubbly!) depending on what hour of the day it is that you are reading this…and if you are sitting reading this and you are in England then oh my, I take no responsibility!

So warning done, now for the adventure.

instagramcapture_896916e9-a8ca-4ec6-8aa2-6a9d2ef2a82d — A road trip

It started a month or so a go when the lovely Mr. R booked an anniversary trip of a different kind (don’t worry, this is ‘U’ rated honestly!). So on Saturday, after counting down the days, we got up early with the boys and headed on a short road trip. Destination…

To say I was excited was an understatement, it took every ounce of control I had not to burst through the gates looking insane. You will be pleased to know that I think I managed to appear fairly normal!

We were greeted and welcomed into the most amazing farm house by Trish, Zoe and Helen

We were made to feel so welcome and were provided with as much coffee, tea and squash as we desired. The girls allowed us to relax and take in the view as they chatted and answered all of our questions that we could think of about alpacas; whilst Pip and Tavish the farm dogs snuggled up to us for a bit of fuss.

After a laid back cup of coffee or two we pulled on our boots and headed outside to be greeted by these lot

Right to left

Teddy, Zeus, Tex, Arnie and Brownlee…

all adorable and all ours for the next two and half hours, well not quite, I think Trish had sussed that I was verging on gaagaa over them!!

Arnie chose me to be his walking buddy, he led the pack and was well behaved; gentle and funny. His top lip got all jittery when he stopped to have a scratch.

Inquisitive and cautious he constantly surveyed the path ahead, peering his neck around corners to check it was safe to continue; his ears a constant twitch.

We wandered and explored and all the time Trish and the girls guided and chatted and generally put us at ease. The countryside was just glorious…(Mr R. had ordered the sunshine) and walking with these beautiful creatures filled me with an incredible peace.

We paused for a long while next to a babbling stream, drank more juice and paddled, whilst these guys watched us. We had time to take photo’s too

and Yarny and Arnie bonded a little more…

(Did you know that alpacas have the most delicious smell; a bit like popcorn).

Eventually we wound our way back through orchards and fields back to the homestead, where I tried to put Arnie in the car without Trish noticing. Alas, this did not work and I had to settle for one more photoshoot in the glorious sunshine.

Before we were treated to more luxurious hospitality, in the form of mince pies and hot cross buns…we had a little chuckle at the clash of Easter and Christmas nibbles, I don’t think I have ever come across that combination before.

At the end of this unique experience,

I felt like I had partaken in a little peice of heaven and I can’t wait til I can return to Temevale alpacas to get up close and personal again with these adorable creatures.

xxxxx

The Grandma Mary Tea Cosy

Published on October 2, 2016November 14, 2017 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin7 Comments

Introducing the ‘Grandma Mary’ tea cosy…the first in the Grandma Collection

Grandma Mary Tea Cosy

Dedicated to my Grandma Mary who was a truly inspirational woman. Born in October 1916 and christened Vera Mary, she grew up in England in the West Midlands and trained as a primary school teacher. I was privileged to have had her in my life for 34 years before she left this world at the grand old age of 94. Granny Mary played a huge part in nurturing my creativity as a little girl, teaching me how to make pompoms and to French knit using a wooden cotton reel and some nails that my Grandad would have made. She was a gentle and patient woman, who always had a smile and a piece of chocolate. I once asked her what the best invention of her life time had been and without hesitation she quipped…’washing up liquid!’

Granny Mary worked hard, but always took time to make things pretty… whether that was pansies in the garden, geraniums in the porch, sugar on a peeled apple, a pretty apron whilst doing the housework or a tea cosy for the teapot.

Prettiness was important because it was the way she cared for people and her care was a true blessing.

So this cosy had to be pretty, in colours that evoke memories of her and of course had to be covered in flowers.

The beads at the bottom of the cosy actually belonged to her. I have a bag of broken plastic beads that she gave me – she never threw anything away!

I am honoured to put them to good use…I think she would be really very pleased with their new use.

So that is the Grandma Mary tea cosy in all of its glory, here is the pattern linky thing.

xxxxx

A lovely week

Published on September 16, 2016September 16, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

Well put out the crochet bunting….I’ve qualified!…a long hard slog, but it is done.

So of course celebrations have been ongoing (both alcoholic and non alcoholic), but my favourite (and the one I am going to share with you) was a blissful week at home, pretty much to myself. Doing this sort of thing…

wet Jess — Bathing Jess…

InstagramCapture_3735a626-ffcc-447a-8415-d1f7727bedbf — she looks so cute once she gets a blow dry…

drinking coffee from my special mug — drinking coffee …

working on a new tea cosy pattern — working on a new tea cosy pattern…

Enjoying suprise gifts left by a neighbour — Enjoying suprise gifts left by a neighbour…

planting out my winter window boxes — planting out my winter window boxes…

and hiding daffodill bulbs under the ground — and hiding daffodill bulbs under the ground.

Enjoying a fish and chip picnic

wp_20160908_08_36_13_pro — and contemplating what to do with these bag handles??????

wp_20160909_20_04_04_pro — Enjoying the cosiness of home with friends…

wp_20160909_19_52_45_pro — Yes…a lovely week indeed…Now, the hard work really begins! xxx

A quilting OUCH?

Published on September 8, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin7 Comments

Oh deep joy!!!

The lost hours deep cleaning the back of beyond in my teenagers wardrobe has resulted in screams of delight followed by screams of pain as I fell off the ladder!!…but, I have finally found the long lost quilts….and sprained my ankle. That aside look, look at these…

My bravery in summoning up the courage to venture into the teens room was rewarded well, when on tip toe I stood on one foot, precariously balanced on the handle of the step ladder, which of course was not tall enough. It was also painful to stand on for longer than a second and peering my head into the deep dark recess of the cupboard I could see what looked like a familiar old sewing bag. And so I grabbed a pillow and placed it over the handle of the step ladders (as in the style of an episode of Casualty*); where the impending injury is starkly apparent to all but the poor human it is about to befall. I gave a large tug at the bag, screamed with delight as I cast my eye upon my long lost quilts and then drew in sharp breath as my foot slid of the handle of the step ladders and I plummeted to the floor with the quilts in hot pursuit. I will spare you a picture of my bruises!

It was worth it though.

This is a beautiful single quilt patched from a jellyroll…I made it whilst recovering from surgery some years ago. I have part hand quilted the main section and will have to ponder about how I finish the rest.

This is a lap quilt I began making years ago, before I learnt to crochet. It is a Tilda pattern and I remember the roses around the little cottages took a long time to hand sew. I really must get this quilted before this winter. Alas my PHD mountain has just grown some more!

xxxxx

*Casualty – a BBC drama about an accident and emergency dept

Hooking al fresco…

Published on August 25, 2016August 25, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

I have been so blessed to escape life for one whole week and kick back with the Robins clan…

The weather was more than kind to us, we even braved the sea for a session of body boarding! That in itself may not seem that amazing, but if I tell you that the only water that Mama Robins likes is of the hot and bubbly variety…body boarding in the sea was a small miracle (it was so much fun too!).

Of course I got some hooking in; mostly on the go. Instead of taking a mammoth project like I usually do, I took just one hook and a single ball of yarn. I didn’t even take a pattern and made it up as I went…

The yarn was the hank I had won a few months ago all the way from South Africa from Joey over at her fabulous blog, Littleblackdog, which you can read about here.

The freedom of just one hook and a little bit of yarn meant I hooked every where…beach hooky….pool side hooky…farm hooky…

I met the coolest sheep too, just take a look at him.

But I think the most yarniest place we visited was this place…

Clovelly…a tiny village of quaint cottages that seemed to tumble down into the harbour. The cobbled street is so steep that it is unsuitable for vehicles and can only be accessed on foot or by donkey. To stay overnight at the cutest bed and breakfast, your belongings are transported from the car park at the top to your accommodation by sledge…yes, I said sledge!!

The steep journey down is rewarded with an 18th Century harbour which the boy Robins loved. Taking much delight in hurling rocks into the sea with a catapult!

But, I digress slightly…yes, it is a yarny place. On the way down I discovered this beautiful doorway

And this little cottage with a yarny roof

And a yarn bombed lamp post

And of course I did a bit of my own hooking.

Hooking al fresco has proved quite satisfying indeed.

xxxxx

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

Bluebells, bulldog and crochet…

Published on May 2, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin3 Comments

Well lets start with the bluebells shall we! It is fair to say that the weather around these parts has been bizarre. We have literally had four seasons in a few hours. Rain, followed by blue spring skies and then a few moments later hail or snow and thunder. This is what fell from the sky during little ones football training

It was absolutely freezing needless to say, and totally out of the blue, as the start of the training session had been sunny. Any way, I promised you bluebells, which the crazy weather does not seem to have hindered. Here they are…

These little delicate flowers make my heart very happy and I just love climbing to the top of the hill, where the tall trees stand grandly, graciously carpeted beneath with this blue hue of lovliness.

starting the climb to bluebell wood

the grand trees — the grand trees leading to bluebell wood

emerging out of bluebell wood

Once through the wood and out the other side, the boys played and climbed and we took the long path back to the van. Stopping only to watch a kestrel hunt and to watch miss Jess and a rather handsome springer run rings around each other….oh and to play a game of bulldog. Of which I do not have any photos as in the first instance I was too mesmerised, in the second instance miss Jess was way to fast for me to photograph and lastly an out of breath me isn’t for photographing!

So to the crochet…

mostly hooked at the skate park, whilst the not so little Robin practised ‘jumping the box’ and ‘airs’ on his bmx.

xxxxx