Day 18 of
#yarnlovechallenge
and it’s still not too late join in.
The theme for today is ‘gratitude’.
Gratitude…
Tag: photo’s
Selfie…
Day 13 of
#yarnlovechallenge
and it’s still not too late join in.
The theme for today is ‘Selfie’.
Here is my favourite…
Arnie and Yarny…
xxxxx
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January…
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.
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.
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…
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…
Don’t you think?
xxxxx
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2016 Montage
I love this time of year; for me it’s a real time of reflection, a time to look back in wonder at the year gone by.
And what a year it has proven to be, both personally and here at the Nest too. This year I have created a montage of my favourite memories, both hooky and the not so hooky!
January 2016
Started with a lovely little trip to the worlds smallest library…in a phone box and finished with felt flowers.
February 2016
Was filled with my Flower Fiesta installation and saw the release of a yarny little leaf pattern…on the house of course!
March 2016
Maybe one of my favourite months this year as it was full of hookiness, creativity and some much needed soul restoration . Some much needed time away from studying for a PGdip, juggling placements, family, home and a whole heap of essays! There was the Robins Nest Square pattern release, followed by a tutorial for joining with a double crochet and a BIG thank you.
April 2016
Well, April really did whizz by under a heavy cloud of essay pressure, but I did find time to look for some lovliness and learn a new yarny skill despite a Woolly dilemma.
May 2016
Was permeated with bluebells, al fresco dining and a woolly win.
June 2016
Left me feeling chuft!
July 2016
was celebrated with a yarny give -a-way and a growing pile of PHD’s
August 2016
Brimmed with crochet goodness; hooking al fresco, completing the very V blanket and tutorial and not forgetting the graffiti robin.
September 2016
Saw the calm before the storm, a quilting Ouch! and the launch of The Grandma Collection.
October 2016
Oh my days!
October held the secret of happiness…alpaca walking! Enough excitement for one month you might think, but there was also the release of The Grandma Mary Tea Cosy pattern. Too much!
November 2016
Was bleak to be honest, but there was a WOW and a fond farewell
December 2016
Ahh December and homemade damson gin, hooking virus style (post coming soon) and planning for project 2017 (launching in the New Year!!). And there you have it…a whistle stop tour of my 2016.
I do have one more special thing to add before I sign off for 2016 and that is to you…Thank you so much for journeying with me, I love having you along. I am always amazed by folk dropping in and reading what I write, it humbles me to my core. I hope in return you have enjoyed and been inspired, encouraged and been blessed.
Here’s to a very yarny 2017!
xxxxx
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Autumnal sunshine low in the sky
playing hooky
new pattern coming soon
home xx
crispy leaves
hungry birds
an autumn carpet
top secret hooking!
more leaves…
keeping me busy…
new wool delivery
A fleeting glimpse of the super moon…
cheers
my happy hooky space
buttons
even more leaves
cheeky alpacas
road trip
planning patterns
Farewell Autumn…
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Alpaca Walking…yes honestly!!!
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.
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
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A lovely week
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…
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A quilting OUCH?
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
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Hooking al fresco…
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
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Looking for the lovliness…
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.
But mostly these lovelies have been the loveliest…
xxxxx
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