flower – Page 3 – Crochet blog

Crowning glory

Published on May 15, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

It seems that I am busier than ever before which makes any spare time very precious. So as the sun has chosen to shine for a brief couple of days (Seriously…this could be the sum total of the British summer time!!!) I have chosen to spend my time outdoors and make the most of it.

WP_20160505_17_10_01_Pro — Dining al fresco in the garden

The warmth of the sunshine has caused an explosion of foliage and weeds! So I cleared a patch of rogue nettles in the growing garden and rediscovered a little hosta…

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Mr. R dug up the blackberry and raspberry bushes which quite frankly were looking very ugly. I have pondered their removal for some time, but sometimes you just have to cut your losses. Their fruit bearing has been lousy and that’s a polite way of putting it!

WP_20160508_17_48_04_Pro — So we have a blank canvas of a flower bed which is going to include Jasmine

Talking of losses, we lost our last chicken this week…sad news! We have decided not to replace them, so the chicken run has been dismantled and we are deciding what to do with this space.

I also made a return to bluebell wood, and was met with this utter spectacle…

And I just had to stop the car to photograph the present crowning glory of the British countryside…

Fields of just WOW!!

All this colour led me to the garden centre

in pursuit of summer annuals for my kitchen window box

a sweet pea tipee

and a little bit of something yummy…

lettuce and spring onions

so not much crochet time, but I did get half an hour in this morning

Have a great week.

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

Looking for the lovliness…

Published on April 24, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin7 Comments

Well, I’m sorry for my noted absence, there are just two weeks left until exam and essay deadlines and to be truthful I’m worried that one of the boys might fall into the laundry pile and never be seen again!

I’m shattered and busy, busy, busy… my mind has many yarny creations whizzing around and I really need some colour therapy, but I feel overwhelmed and hence my hook has fallen silent (temporarily). So to keep my creative mind sane I have been looking for the lovliness that surrounds me daily… and taking photo’s…this is April.

A birthday breakfast

WP_20160412_10_53_31_Pro — elevenses with my Mom and Dad.

A heart from Mr R

A coffee made with a whistle always reminds me of Gran

A lovely present from a friend

Alf in his favourite puddle... — Alf in his favourite puddle…

Rhubarb sprouting

hellebore raising its head

WP_20160423_14_10_19_Pro — clematis budding

WP_20160423_14_07_32_Pro — climbing clematis well…climbing!

Spring is here sort of... — Spring is here sort of…

It was warm enough yesterday for the first cuppa out in the garden

but today it has been cold, so these tulips brought the spring inside

But mostly these lovelies have been the loveliest…

the Robins xx

xxxxx

Contagious creativity…

Published on April 11, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin2 Comments

Easter yarn shortage…

Published on March 28, 2016March 28, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin6 Comments

Following some much needed soul restoration on Friday, the theme has lingered here at the nest over the Easter weekend; and I can deleriously report is continuing today too. However, hooking came to a very abrupt halt yesterday!

After a chaotic but funny Easter egg hunt, in which I muddled the clues up somehow; and hearty singing of praises in church. Followed a mixed weather walk just down by the brook,

up over the big field and back home through the daffodils…my favourite flowers in the whole world.

I love carefully picking my way back home through this flowery path…

Back home for some quiet hooking

which was fine until…

I realised I had only this much red cotton left and four robins nest motifs left to square…I told you the hooking came to an abrupt halt! Which was only soothed by this wonderful Easter tray that I received from my lovely brother and Sister in Law (Thank you Kate xx)

Which proved just perfect to hold my coffee whilst I ordered more yarn

xxxxx

Flower Fiesta

Published on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin16 Comments

This is my flower fiesta art piece… a colourful creative explosion of all things flowery… and that now occupies prime wall space in the Robins nest. It’s exclusive purpose is to cheer and gladden, created specifically to subconsciously brighten the spirit. Made from yarn, felt, buttons and a few beads here and there.

Sweet mandala’s

Felt flowers

Cotton flowers

(The links under each of these photo’s contains relevant pattern details).

So, my part was done. What I needed now was for Mr. R to work his magic, making a frame…

it's fabulous having a handy husband! — it’s fabulous having a handy husband!

Whilst he hammered and stapled, I tied off all of those loose ends…

and once the frame was finished, I began to plan out this fiesta of flowers, in all of their splendid colours

I used skewers as temporary stems and then using a hot glue gun, secured each flower into position.

and began to hand embroider the stems.

I then set about hooking some little leaves; which I am rather thrilled with. I hooked these without a pattern, whilst the boy robins watched a film and I sat snuggled watching the rain.

Rainy days are always the best hooking days!

Anyway…I digress. I did scribble my little leaf pattern down and you can find it just here. Several rainy afternoons later, when I had made many,

I began the final stage of fixing them into position, with (yes you’ve guessed it) my trusty hot glue gun.

Finally, I set about finishing this piece; creating a signature and dating tag.

I simply LOVE this Flower Fiesta

xxxxx

Cotton flowers…

Published on February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

cotton flowers

Thursday evening’s hooky happiness… you may recall that I made a flower like this back in December, well I decided that I liked it so much I just had to hook some more.

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xxxxx

Sweet mandalas

Published on February 3, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

Hooking these sweet mandalas has been so lovely…I actually hooked them last week so can include them in January’s makes.

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The pattern is by the very talented Robin Sanchez over at onceuponapinkmoon

Just had to share these with you.

xxxxx

Felt Flowers

Published on January 31, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

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Happy Sunday to you all.

This is what I have been up to this weekend… felt flowers.

They are so sweet and tactile, I wish that photo’s were able to convey the sumptuous (ness) of these little discs of happiness.

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They are super quick to make too, the above is all that is required along with a hot glue gun or some super glue… and your own creativity of course.

Cut out your felt into circles, I chose two different sizes, achieved by drawing around a beaker and an egg cup.

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then decorate… I used cotton yarn (dk), buttons, beads and felt balls

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There are good tutorials on you tube for blanket stitch and french knots

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Be as creative as you like

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Just have fun

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This one has a very special button, from my Gran’s collection… she would have been 99 years old this year.

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So, that’s my weekends make… hope you have had a good weekend too.

xxxxx

Possibly the world’s smallest library and crochet of course!

Published on January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon an article in the local newspaper, which has led to a little adventure today. Today being a wet and grey and cold day, today being my first week day off since Christmas. So as you can probably imagine, today is a treasured day and one just right for a wee adventure.

So, after diligently completing the school run, I drove just ten little minutes into the very wet countryside

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into a sweet little village, which I have only visited a couple of times before, for the annual scarecrow festival held in September, when it would seem the whole world turns up. Today, it seemed as if I was the only one here.

My adventure was not a wild one, but it made me feel hopeful of humanity and I did find the tiny, little library

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nestled on the corner of an ordinary street…

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from a little way off you would hardly guess what an alternative purpose was hidden inside,

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but once inside there were treasures to behold…

my current read!

and I had come prepared…a gift for the library…an old book no longer required.

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So I nestled it on the shelf, wandering who would choose my book. I also left a little yarniness…

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some cute paper clip bookmarks , and I wandered some more about who would choose these…

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and so with happiness in my heart, I drove the ten minutes home, feeling cold and wet…but not a bit grey

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and made myself a brew, ready to come and tell you all about what is possibly the world’s smallest library, the back story of which can be found just here, and the often times, lovely spirit of humanity.

xxxxx

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