stylecraft yarn – Crochet blog

Lockdown baby…

Published on May 17, 2020 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

If you have read my previous posts you will know we are awaiting the birth of a precious niece any day soon. Little did we plan the birth of someone so longed for and precious in the middle of a global pandemic and a national lockdown!

However, the rainbows that adorn the windows of homes all across the country and that have become the symbol of communities united and a sign of thanks and of hope over the last 8 weeks or so, have inspired me to hook something for babies born in lockdown.

You probably could have guessed it would be a bonnet…they have become my favourite things to make!

What do you think?

These are available to buy in my shop…just click the picture and you will be magically transported there. Or if you fancy hooking your own, you can purchase the pattern from my shop too…the pattern is for the basic bonnet so you would just have to change your yarn to the rainbow colours in the last 6 rows (the last row been the main colour of the bonnet). The ears are optional! Of course if your not sure just pop me a message.

I have had a lot of love for these and have just sold one to a lovely Mama who is expecting a rainbow baby (a baby born after pregnancy or child loss) and one to a Mama to be who wants to use it as part of her pregnancy announcement.

I really do feel so privileged to make bonnets and hats and to help create special memories for parents and carers.

xxxxx

Crochet Rainbow Pattern…

Published on May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

Hi, I just wanted to drop by to share with you this fabulous and free crochet sampler rainbow pattern by the amazing Sharon from The Stitch Foundary

It’s a quick make and looks fabulous hung up in the window to show support to all of our key workers at this unbelievable time and to add some cheer and unite in community spirit.

From a crochet point of view, the pattern is free, easy to follow and has several different stitches which give the rainbow some lovely textures. There is no gauge to worry about and you can make it from scraps…what’s not to love!

I did alter mine slightly…sorry Sharon!

I used 5 stitches to complete my popcorns in the orange row, instead of the recommended 3 stitches…just because it made my popcorns fatter and I like nice fat popcorns! Then on the last row of red I chained 5 and missed a stitch, instead of chain 3 between each stitch…just because it made the row less ruffled and more arched and I preferred the more simple finish.

Anyway, it’s a fabulous pattern and will make you smile if you hook it!

xxxxx

Baby Bear Bonnet – New pattern release…

Published on March 28, 2020February 19, 2021 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

Oh my days…I hope everyone is well and staying safe…what strange and frightening times we are living in! I am still having to work, but the rest of the Robins are tucked up tight at home with Mr R for safe keeping.

Photo credit: with thanks to @homeandangelmum on instagram

In between my shifts for the last 4 weeks I have been trying to distract myself by pattern writing…and today I have been able to release my offering of this adorable baby bonnet. It has taken me 4 weeks to write, get pattern tested, product tested and edited, so it has kept me well distracted from the worry in this world.

(If you want to skip the rest of this post, you will find a 20% off coupon code at the bottom of this post!)

Photo credit: with thanks to @kyliesianmed on instagram

This beautiful baby bear bonnet is sure to make a perfect baby shower gift for a precious little one. Or indeed this cute little bonnet would make a sweet photo prop to take along to a newborn photoshoot. Of course, it would also be great for dress up and everyday wear too!

What do you think?

Photo credit: with thanks to @mrslozmiller on instagram

Fancy hooking your own beautiful baby bear bonnet? This beautiful pattern is easy and quick to hook up and comes in sizes

Newborn
0 – 3 months
3-6 months
6 – 9 months
9 – 12 months
1 – 2 years
2 – 5 years

Materials you will need:
Aran / worsted weight yarn – pattern recommends Stylecraft special, but any aran/ worsted yarn may be used (5.0mm) crochet hook
Tapestry needle
Tape measure
stitch marker (optional)

The pattern is written using UK crochet terminology and has a handy conversion of stitches into US terminology provided in the pattern notes.

You are welcome to sell what you make using my patterns – I hope this bonnet sells well for you! Please do include a link or reference to my shop for the pattern. This pattern including photographs are copyright protected and you are not permitted to reproduce, redistribute, copy, share or re-sell.

Use code

STAYATHOME20

for 20% off pattern price valid until 04.04.2020.

Stay safe lovelies.

xxxxx

Heart baby blanket…

Published on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin19 Comments

Here it is, my beautiful grey and white heart baby blanket…

I love this pattern, thanks to the very talented @emmacartercrochet for sharing this fabulous pattern which is called ‘The Ombre Heart C2C Blanket’ and which is also free!!! How generous to share such a brilliant pattern.

It is a corner to corner construction and therefore works up quite quickly. The version in Emma’s pattern has 5 colours which fade into each other, but I opted for a solid grey heart this time. I say this time, because this pattern is addictive and I already want to make more.

I opted to add a simple double crochet (single crochet) border in grey, and added one of my natural sustainably sourced cork labels as the finishing touch.

I just love the soft texture of this baby blanket…

I think the heart would look amazing in a swirl or gradient yarn, but I have chosen to make a rainbow blanket next, so the swirl may have to wait! After working on these calming grey and whites this is what I’m going to be using next…

My favourite colour…..Rainbow!

xxxxx

All done…Vintage Vibe baby blanket.

Published on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin12 Comments

Thank you so much for all the messages of support for my new Etsy Shop, whether it was over on Insta or in the comments thread here, I have been so encouraged by your wishes.

I have stopped by today though to show you a finished project…yes I know it’s been a while! Do you remember this…

The post is just here, if you want to read in more detail…but in a nut shell, I named this project my ‘Make do’ blanket, because I used the yarn from my stash and just made do with what I had. I honestly thought it would look rubbish…but, I actually really LOVE it.

The random colours coupled with the granny stitch give it a real vintage vibe.

I finished it off with this beautiful sustainably sourced cork label which I have recently had custom made. Check this shop out if you’d like labels like this (no affiliate link…I just love this shop!).

I bordered it in red, as this yarn was what I had the most of, I only just had enough to add one round of granny stitches…I really would have liked to have added several more rows to make a wider band around the blanket, but this is my ‘make do’ blanket, so one round it was.

All in all, I am thrilled with this make, it’s busted some stash, become something beautiful and was quite quick to make. I now have a corner to corner on my hook, if you follow me on insta then you may have seen some sneak peeks, but if not, I will put a post up all about that really soon…It’s an awesome pattern.

What have you got on the go at the moment? I would love to know.

My Make Do Blanket…

Published on February 5, 2019March 12, 2019 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

I have been reviewing my yarn stash…I have lots of little balls and some big balls of mainly acrylic yarn…mostly Stylecraft special dk and some balls of ‘I just don’t know what’. They are leftovers from projects long gone by like my Happy Ripple

and my Very V Blanket

crochet v stitch blanket, rainbow blanket — Very V blanket from 2016

and the Cosy Cottage Blankets I hooked way back in 2014

Cosycattage blanket, ayarnyrobin, crochet blankets — Cosy Cottage Blanket by Attic 24

Of course, I did well last year de-stashing a lot of what I had with the lovely coastal crochet CAL

I was going to gather the rest up and take it to the charity shop…as I have felt for quite a long while that the numerous odd balls of this colour and that colour have been blocking my creative mojo. But, as I gathered what was quite a tangled mess a pang of guilt coursed through me…it seemed so wasteful.

I peered into the bag of what I had managed to detangle, not even sure if I liked the colours anymore, but I couldn’t shake that wasteful feeling. I also felt tired, but I needed to hook; and so before long a simple granny stripe (there are several versions of the pattern out there) began to fall from my hook. Even more surprisingly, the random colours were so very satisfying to my soul…as was the feeling that this odd surplus of yarn was not only becoming useful, but it was becoming something rather splendid indeed!

I am calling it my ‘Make Do’ blanket. I’m not sure what size it will be when it is finished…I’m not even sure how many chains I began with, I’m just making do!

What’s on your hook?