Welcome to the third yarn a long Sunday…March is certainly flying by!
Thank you so much for last weeks natter…I really enjoyed your suggestions and helpful thoughts about how to fix my unravelled grannies…I think the general consensus was leave longer tails and weave them in more thoroughly!!!
just in caseyou want to catch up and of course you can still join in with any of them.
If you are returning then welcome back…and thank you.
Now, this weeks yarn a long is based upon one of my life mottos
I have loved this quote for a long time; I know some people say to me why would you want to jump out of a window? Mr. R included…he is not a fan!
But to me the sentiment behind these words is extremely powerful. I guess no one would jump out of a window given the choice…well most people wouldn’t. I’m guessing the window ishigh up…if you have to grow wings on the way down, then there is a bit of a free fall one would assume.
Jumping out of a window is a last resort, it’s desperate, it’s uncomfortable and frightening and your on your own. I have found it is in these places in life, in the struggle, in the heartache, in the mess, that you find a strength you did not know youhad…your wings if you will.
For me my faith soars and the thing with wings is… you can fly. And if you can fly then you can flutter higher than any window you have to jump out of, you can rise and swoop in freedom.
So, I cling at times to this Ray Bradbury quote and at other times I am motivated by it and occasionally I soar, and often I just seem to flap about like mad!
Do you have any life motto’s I’d love for you to share in thecomments thread below.
Welcome to the second yarn a long Sunday…I hope you have grabbed yourself a coffee or something else to drink. Last week’s yarn a long was all about why you crochet, knit, craft… and I shared my story of post natal depression.
Thank you for sharing your stories. I think the two common elements were overwhelmingly how crochet links us with our memories of our older relatives such as grandparents and the importance of passing skills down through the generations. Secondly, how crochet and creativity links with easing stress and impacts upon our wellbeing. I also enjoyed exploring new to me blogs too!
If you want to read last weeks thread you can access it just here.
Todays yarn a long is about your help: Just take a look at this
This is my 100patch granny and some of the granny’s have come unravelled…
x2 questions really…
Why is this happening?
and
How can I fix it?
It’s making me reluctant to start another modular blanket and I so want to, but I wan’t it to stand the test of time too!
Pearls of wisdom welcome in the comments thread below.
Yay…Welcome to the first yarn a long Sunday…If you have just stumbled here by accident, I do hope you will stay for a while and join in too. I am a teensy bit anxious about this to be honest as I have not done anything like this before and I’m worried no one will join in, although I have had some very positive feedback…thank you if that was you…you will know who you are.
The purpose of my yarn a long is to get to know you a little better and you I; and so I am hoping that you will join in with me by commenting in the thread below. My hope is you will also get to know each other a little better too and discover new blogs and other such yarny lovliness.
So, shall we begin… Todays yarn a long is:
‘Why do you craft…crochet…knit?
Shall I start?
I have wanted to write about this for a while because crochet has become my default…it is almost like my reset button. I was introduced to crochet a long time ago now; about 8 months after my youngest Robin entered the world and I was suffering with post natal depression. My Health Visitor was great and along with other structured support suggested I attend a local group of Momma’s that ate cake and drank coffee and crafted…well she had me at cake!
An elderly lady named Eileen, came along soon after I joined and she taught me how to hold a crochet hook and chain stitches. There was something very soothing about the rhythm of making those chains and before long Eileen, had me making treble crochet stitches (double crochet stitches if you use American terminology). Those first stitches were far too tight and I got frustrated easily, but the company was healing and Eileen, was patient and kind and the cake tasted good! I must have swatched 20 or more uneven little squares before it clicked…I’m a slow learner…but, when it did, click that was, I made a giant granny square blanket for my boys. We still have that blanket today and do you know I have never taken a photo of it, because it isn’t well hooked or perfect or in great colours… but it is in the colours they chose! My boys still use it though and who knew that it would lead me on the most wonderful hooky adventure.
I have taken a photo of that 1st blanket and here is the exclusive just for you… but don’t look too closely!
That was nearly a decade ago and since then I have immersed myself in learning new stitches… thank you to video tutorials, blogs, books, magazines and good old trial and error. I have also immersed myself in yarn and lots of it!!
Crochet saved my mental health back then along with some good medical support and the love of an amazing family and crochet continues to soothe me still in the beautiful chaos of life…
Last weekend Mr R and I took the train and embarked upon a wee Scottish adventure.
It was business for Mr R but I tagged along with my hook and yarn. The temptation of a long train journey without the little Robins was just too much, even if it did mean an early start!
It provided a whole few hours of just sitting watching the world go by with just Mr R for company and the opportunity for guilt free hooking…what was not to love!
I got some more rows done on my Charming Harbour Blanket…I am still hooking away at this. It is rather slow going, not because of the pattern, more the sheer size of the thing and the fact that I am only working on it every now and then. But, I am enjoying the hook and I do not have any deadline pressures with this one.
Charming Harbour blanket PHD
The journey to Glasgow and then onto Ayrshire was hassle free and I can highly recommend hooking on a train…there is something about the rhythm of the hooking combined with the uniform clickety clack of the train which hushes one into a calm serenity.
Mr R got the business thing done quickly and we wound our way down to the north Lake District and found a charming little place to stay in Cockermouth before heading back home to the little Robins because by then we were really beginning to miss them!
2017 has certainly had it’s ups and it’s downs. I am pleased to report that it is ending on an up. I have really enjoyed perusing back through my posts and have picked out my favourite from each month in way of reviewing 2017 here at the nest. Before we begin I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of my seasoned readers, to those of you that have recently discovered this little corner of yarniness and to you if you have just stumbled across this post by accident.
Without all of you, I would just be here, hooking and writing and hooking some more; annoying my family by taking photo’s every 2 minutes and whilst that would be ok, it is so much more fun with you dropping by and saying hi every once in a while. You encourage me and inspire me to keep blogging about all things yarny and for that I am very grateful.
So grab a glass of prosecco or the bottle! or maybe a cuppa if you prefer and lets look back at 2017 here at the nest.
January 2017
crochet in bed.
2017 began with shawls, having completed x2 virus shawls I had the bug for more. This‘ is the ‘pink shawl’ by Cecile Balladino, and it is still one of my favourites although I still can’t call it the ‘pink shawl!’
February 2017
I had so much fun doing the yarn love challenge during February. A post a day was a challenge, but I relished the daily prods to share.
I’d love to do this again in 2018.
Here is a little link to my favourite #yarnlovechallenge post and another favourite… well I couldn’t just pick one!
March 2017
Sunday Shawl hooking
Another month another shawl…This time the beautiful Sunday Shawl by Alia Bland. This project proved to be the perfect way to jump into spring, maybe it was those delicious pastels against the warmth of the grey.
April2017
Alpaca cake…
A milestone birthday, an alpaca birthday cake, and a graduation. I couldn’t have imagined a happier set of celebrations. I was so blissfully unaware of the catastrophe about to beset us.
May 2017
Interlocking stitch
At least I got some crochet in whilst juggling hospital trips and the absence of a critically ill Mr R…crochet is not only my joy it’s my default when things get tough…my sanity.
This Baby Wilmer blanket, filled me with hope, a new life just entering this world, whilst life at the nest felt as if it had paused in some horrific nightmare.
June 2017
yarnbomb
Mr R had prayerfully turned a corner and our healing had begun, it was time for some fun and this yarny gate installation celebrated that!
I fell so in love with these adorable C2C (corner to corner)hearts that I just couldn’t stop hooking them! I couldn’t!!
They fell off my hook so quickly that before I knew where I was I had enough for a blanket of hearts.
I have to confess that I still need to border this lovely…yes it is still a PHD (project half done). In my defense I just can’t decide what colour to border it in!
September 2017
Corfu – Barefoot sandals
September felt much more ‘normal’ although I don’t know why…I spent a large majority of it bobbing around on a lazy river being drenched in golden sunshine on the amazing island of Corfu. I didn’t forget about you though…look I made these barefoot sandals by the pool… here’s the link to the free pattern just in case you fancy a pretty 20 minute hook up!
Finally, the release of my newest tea cosy in the Grandma Collection…the Grandma Dot tea cosy. I don’t know why this took me so long to publish but it did. Anyway, thank you for your frankly very kind feedback about this free pattern…there will be another one coming very shortly in the new year.
December 2017
loom knitted beanie…
I told you 2017 ended on an up…the hat fit!
Enough said.
Thank you 2017 for the joy, for the triumphs, for the challenge and even for the heartbreak…for all the folk that have stood alongside me whether that has been for a few minutes, a few days or for those lifers that are always cheering me on… you know who you are.
Finally, thank you once again to you, for riding this journey with me… I think you are amazing and want to wish you all a very blessed and extremely yarny 2018…
What do crochet, senior moments and mud have in common?
Well the answer is me!
It has been a looooong week…let’s just say that. Yesterday I was the Duty Health Visitor in the office, we take it in turns to triage calls and sort out various problems…I won’t bore you with the detail. I took a call from a worried parent and said I’d get the Duty Health Visitor (which was me…I just forgot!!) After several enquiries amongst my colleagues I was gently reminded (actually,ribbed to the max) it was me. I returned to the phone and in a posher voice said Duty Health Visitor, how can I help you?
This was followed later in the day when I received an email from my GP asking me to attend a well woman check (for women over a certain age)…sigh!
Then…yes there is more! I had to ask to borrow my Mom’s glasses for the very first time ever to read a food packet.
Oh my!…little signs.
Another feature looming large in my week has been mud…lots of mud. I have become a rugby mamma and I need help! How on earth do I get this….erm…earth out of his kit.
Proud of my boy…he sure can tackle!
Please let me have any top tips for getting rid of all this mud!
I also need your crochet help…pattern recommendations. I want to make a few beanie style hats for Christmas, male and female. I have a few, but they always seem to come off my hook too large or I am always a little disappointed with them. Can you wholeheartedly recommend a superb pattern? I would be so very grateful.
A beautiful Tuesday too, a happy day off for me catching up with family, drinking lots of coffee and I must confess a little nap before the school run instead of crochet.
a blustery Sunday walk in the countryside
So, I thought I would post the pictures of our lovely blustery Sunday countryside walk this weekend.
a British adder snake
We were all thrilled to find this adder snake slithering across the path. I have never seen an adder before, they are a rare sight. They are also our only poisonous snake in Britain, so we got the dogs back on their leads quickly and let Mr adder go on his way.
We continued our walk, chatting and planning and breathing in the crisp air and generally being amazed by the beautiful British countryside.
Once home I curled up with my hook and began a new pattern which has been long overdue.
A new tea cosy for the Grandma Collection. I am almost done with it, so I will release it here very soon I promise.
xxxxx
all photographs in this post are provided by Mr Little Brother…
15000 riders came past the bottom of our street yesterday, on a 100 mile ride on closed roads. I made a coffee and took the very short walk in the early morning sunshine with the boys.
I sat with my neighbours as we watched all sorts of people from all walks of life zoom past.
They rode so fast it made me a little dizzy, but they were so inspiring. I guess all of them having different motives to complete the challenge.
A lot of folk had been moaning about the extensive road closures…but I was excited, a few hours of something completely different and a rare chance for our community to come together and drink coffee on the pavement together and chat.
I can’t tell you what 15000 riders looked like, I just know that for hours they poured down our hill, determined and pumped and probably a little exhausted, but exhilarated and achieving.
I returned home, empty mug in hand
I made a fresh coffee and settled down with new yarn and began to hook my newest project
a new blanket…
a masculine and handsome edition to the blankets I have hooked in the past. I’m 13 rows in and loving it!
The profit of a non working day is, I have a little crochet to show you.
I can’t tell you of the glorious simplicity that being at home has afforded; even if it is just for one day in the working week.
I just know that Tuesday is going to be my favourite day of the week from now on.
I took Little Robin to school…Oh how I have missed doing that! Then, I headed straight for my crochet hook and finished off my barefoot sandals.
Which I am super thrilled with.
Shame it was too cold to wear them!!!
Instead, Mr R and I headed out on a little bike ride
Which took us around our local paths where Autumn is beginning to creep; kissing the leaves with it’s colour.
The leaves are just beginning to turn Autumn yellow in places
Our ride took us over the golf course,
and by the old church.
To the café at the park, where we stopped for a bit of fruity refreshment.
Before being chased home by a very large rain storm.
We made it home without getting wet, stopping briefly by little Robin’s school to hear the children playing in the yard (and to get my breath back!). Happy sounds of children’s chatter and laughter which made me smile inside very much. We also stopped at a badger carcass in the woodland, well it was the smell which stopped us…hundreds upon hundreds of maggots feasting upon dead badger!
I did not take a photo of either the school yard for fear of being arrested; or the dead badger as I could not stomach the stench long enough… and besides I couldn’t decide on the badgers best angle!
I did get a snap of this though on the last stretch home!
It is still there after all this time, well worn and stretched by the rain now; with holes where the birds have pecked at it. But, still there…well loved it would appear…which made me smile inside all the more.
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