I am often asked if one of my patterns can be resized. I know that it can become frustrating to see a pattern you love and yet, not be able to make it in the size you need. I do try to make most patterns in a variety of sizes to accommodate all, but sometimes, the pattern I design is size specific. I don’t have a variation or the stitch counts to make it in other sizes. Today’s blog is JUST A GUIDELINE to show you how changing your hook size can make a pattern slightly smaller or bigger JUST by changing this one detail.
Experimenting!
I decided to do a quick trial experiment because, not only do I love to crochet, I love to get answers to longstanding questions. The question posed to me quite often is: Can I make this pattern bigger or smaller?
If I don’t have the pattern adapted to various sizes, I have offered the suggestion to try different hook sizes.
Here I give you a better visual on how much changing the hook size does increase or decrease the size of your piece.
In this experiment, I took six different hooks:
1. D-3.25mm crochet hook
2. F-3.75mm crochet hook
3. G-4.25mm crochet hook
4. H-5.00mm crochet hook
5. J-6.00mm crochet hook
6. K-6.50mm crochet hook
I then crocheted THE EXACT SAME granny square using each different hook. (See this pattern here for the granny square pattern)
I used Red Heart With Love yarn in color Jadeite (worsted weight) Size 4 Medium (equal to DK or Aran yarn).
Once I completed each square, I placed all together using a US quarter coin as a point of reference to show proportion.
Each square increased somewhat in size but also, notice the stitching is not as tight as you increase the size.
The difference in size from the first square using a D-3.25mm hook to the last square using the K-6.50mm hook is a difference of 3 inches (~8cm)
Visuals Help!
If you are like me, it is so much easier to have a visual to be able to put into perspective how much change happens just by changing your hook. It helps so much to see it right in front of your eyes rather than trying to picture it in your mind how much difference this will make.
This trick may not work for ALL patterns but for some, this adjustment will be very handy in making something just a bit smaller or larger.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t allow for HUGE variations in size but just enough for some to get the desired result if you want to go a bit up or down on a specific pattern.
Also, remember, the larger you go, the looser and open the stitches will appear.
Share with us your experience if YOU have tried resizing by changing your hook gauge. Let us know how that helped you make a pattern smaller or larger. We’d love to hear from you!
Below are photos of each square by itself using the quarter as a point of reference.
This afghan block is part of the Wedding Blanket CAL that Marly Bird is hosting on her website!! See more details about it here!
My contribution to this crochet-along is the “Where Love Grows Afghan Block.” It has a floral design to it and it is very fitting to a wedding theme of love and growing together in your relationship.
On the Red Heart team we have a wonderful leader of the Joy Creators, named Ally. Ally got married in May and we wanted to do something very special for her. I got the Joy Creators together and we each made a square to put together to make a wedding blanket for Ally and her husband.
Below is a photo of the whole blanket put together! All the crochet designers that were part of this crochet along had our afghan blocks sewn together to make this patchwork quilt into a beautiful wedding gift!
Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this afghan block:
**You can always contact me via Facebook if you have any problems with the pattern. I am happy to help if you have any questions along the way.
***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!
My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos when I move away.
Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials even after I move into my new home!
There will be an added expense of more travel and hopefully this won’t deter our ability to provide consistent videos on a weekly basis.
Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
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Pattern:
Designed by Nadia Fuad
You may sell items made from my pattern, but please reference my website YARNutopia.com.
Please do not copy, sell, and/or post this pattern and claim it as your own.
NOTES:
-You can make many of these into a blanket of any size. Use the Afghan Size Guide in this Blog Post
-The measurement for my square came out to be 12 inches
-You can use any colors you want. I used a Worsted Weight, Size 4 Medium Yarn but you can use any Double Knitting Yarn or any Aran Yarn as well.
-You do not have to change color so often, but sewing in those pesky ends is a nightmare. Be sure to sew them in as you go.
Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK/Sk’d: Skip/Skipped
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half-Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
TR: Treble Crochet
Cluster: [YO, insert hook, YO, pull through, YO pull through 2 loops on your hook] 3 times, YO pull through all 4 loops on your hook
Beg. Cluster: [YO, insert hook, YO, pull through, YO pull through 2 loops on your hook] 2 times, YO pull through all 3 loops on your hook
LHDC: Long Half Double Crochet
LDC: Long Double Crochet
Pattern:
With Suede,
Start with a Magic Ring or Ch 4 and Sl st to first Ch to form a ring Rnd 1: Ch 3 (Counts as DC here and throughout), 7 DC into ring, Sl st to first Ch 3 st. (8 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 2, Beginning Cluster in same st, *Ch 2, Cluster in next st, repeat from * around, ending with Ch 2, Sl st to first cluster. Fasten off, change color to VIP. (8 cluster sts)
Rnd 3: With VIP, Attach yarn to any Ch 2 sp, Ch 1, * 3 SC in Ch 2 sp, SC in cluster st, repeat from * around, sl st to first SC, Fasten off and change color to Linen. (32 sc sts)
Rnd 4: With Linen, Work in BLO, Attach yarn to any SC, Ch 4 (Counts as DC + Ch 1 sp), *DC in next st, Ch 1, repeat from * around, ending with ch 1, sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4. Fasten off. (32 sts)
Rnd 5: With Linen, Attach yarn to any FRONT LOOP of any st on Round 3 that was not worked into, (See video tutorial for visual instructions), RSC in each st around. Fasten off.
Rnd 6: In any ch sp of Round 4, Attach Suede. Ch 5 (Counts as DC + Ch 2 sp), *DC in next Ch sp, Ch 2, repeat from * around, ending with Ch 2, sl st to 3rd ch of beg. ch 5. Fasten off, change color to Linen. (32 sts)
Rnd 7: With Linen, Attach to any Ch 2 sp, Ch 1, 2 HDC in each Ch 2 sp around, Sl st to first HDC. Fasten off, change color to VIP. (64 sts)
Rnd 8: With VIP, Attach to any st, Ch 1, SC in first 4 sts, * Ch 5, Sk 4 sts, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around, ending with Ch 5, Sl st to 1st SC, do NOT fasten off. (8 Ch 5 sps created)
Rnd 9: Continue using VIP color, Sl st into next st and IN BETWEEN the 2 sts of the 4 SC grouping (See video tutorial for specific location), Ch 1, SC in same spot, *[3DC, 3TR, 3DC] in next ch 5 sp, SC between 2 middle SC of next 4 SC grouping, repeat from * around, sl st to first SC. Fasten off, change color to Linen. (If your work is curling at this point do not worry, it will flatten out in the next few rounds) (8 petals made)
Rnd 10: With Linen, Attach to any FIRST DC of a petal, work in BLO for this round, Ch 1, HDC in first 4 sts, *[HDC, Ch 2, HDC] in next st, HDC in next 4 sts, Long HDC in same spot as SC from previous round, HDC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around, ending with LHDC in last st, sl st to first HDC. Fasten off, change color to Suede. (96 sts)
Rnd 11: With Suede, Attach to any LHDC, Work in THIRD LOOP of each st in this round, (See video tutorial for visual instructions), Ch 4 (Counts as TR), [2TR, Ch 2, 3 TR] in same st, * Sk 3 sts, SC in next 2 sts, SC in ch 2 sp, SC in next 2 sts, HDC in next 2 sts, DC in next st, TR in LHDC st, DC in next st, HDC in next 2 sts, SC in next 2 sts, SC in ch 2 sp, SC in next 2 sts, Sk 3 sts, [3TR, Ch 2, 3 TR] in LHDC st, repeat from * around, sl st to first Ch 4 st. do NOT fasten off. (92 sts around)
Rnd 12: Continue using Suede color, work in BOTH LOOPS of sts, In same st as join, Ch 3, DC in next 2 sts, * [2DC, Ch 2, 2 DC] in corner ch 2 sp, DC in next 3 sts, HDC in next 17 sts, DC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around, sl st to beginning ch 3 st. Fasten off, change color to VIP. (108 sts)
Rnd 13: With VIP, Attach yarn to any corner ch 2 sp, Ch 3, [DC, ch 2, 2 DC] in same corner sp, * Ch 1, Sk 1 st, DC in next st, repeat from * until next corner, [2 DC, ch 2, 2 DC] in corner, repeat from * around, sl st to beg. ch 3 st. Fasten off, change color to Suede.
Rnd 14: With Suede, Attach yarn to any corner ch 2 sp, Ch 1, *[SC, Ch 2, SC] in corner, SC in next 2 sts, [LDC in Sk st from previous round, SC in next st on Rnd 13] 14 times, LDC in Sk’d st from Previous Round, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around, sl st to first SC. Fasten off, change color to Linen.
Rnd 15: With Linen, attach yarn in any corner ch 2 sp, Ch 1, 3 SC in same corner sp, SC in each st around putting 3 SC in corner ch 2 sps, sl st to first SC, do NOT fasten off. (144 sts)
Rnd 16: Continue using Linen, Ch 1, SC in each st round putting 3 SC in middle SC of corners, sl st to first SC, do NOT fasten off. (152 sts)
Rnd 17: Repeat Round 16 (You can opt out of doing this round if your square is 12 inches after Round 16)
Fasten off, weave in all ends.
Block your square if needed.
Enjoy!!
This post contains affiliate links, which I may be compensated for when you make a purchase. That means if you click on any link and buy from the linked websites, I will receive a small percentage of the value of your order. The amount you pay is not changed. Thank you for all your support in clicking the links in my blog!! You all are so amazing!! ~Nadia
The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns
We would like to introduce our new baby boy to our YARNutopia community. There are NO words to express how much we are in love with this precious little peanut and how it feels to be first time parents; so instead of doing that at this time, we ask you to please enjoy these exclusive beautiful photos – many of which are being shared here for the very first time.
He arrived a little earlier than expected, and although nothing about his delivery was easy, in the end, holding him in our arms was so worth it! Oh. MY. Gosh. THE LOVE!
Nate and I are overwhelmed with joy and want to share our happiness with our online family community. As soon as I am feeling better, I will write a little more about this entire experience in detail!
So many people tried to tell us how this would feel. NOTHING compares to the real thing. NOTHING!! WE ARE SO IN LOVE WITH HIM!
Name: Nasir Nathan
Born June 13th, 2019 at 12:15pm
Weight: 6 lbs, 12 oz.
Length: 18.9 inches
Things we observed so far: He has his Daddy’s face and wavy dark hair, but he has Mommy’s nose and dimples. He has long fingers like Mommy but Daddy’s toes lol. As we continue to discover one another, we look forward to finding more of these amazing connections. It is the most profound feeling ever to meet this tiny human, see pieces of ourselves in him, and know that we made him!
Many of you have seen my videos on YouTube and commented on the type of crochet hook I am using in a majority of my tutorials. My dad started mass producing these crochet hooks after so many inquiries flooded in. Each hook handle, as demonstrated in this video tutorial, is individually crafted and designed. A great deal of time is spent on every single hook handle.
These special crochet hooks are ergonomically created to fit perfectly into the palm of your hand. I use these in each and every video we film.
I spent much of my early crochet years in the hospital. My mom taught me the basics, and I used crochet as a time pass for those long stays trapped in a hospital bed. I loved watching YouTube just like many of you. I watched the Crochet Crowd, Moogly, and Naztazia and learned more advanced techniques through their tutorials.
I started noticing when using a traditional aluminum crochet hook, my finger and wrist joints would start to pain while holding the thin hook. Most of the pain was in part from being so ill. The disease, and side effects of my medications caused bone deterioration and joint problems. It wasn’t unusual to have swollen hands and rusty joints almost every day. My dad saw my struggle, and when I would tell him it hurt to crochet, we started to brainstorm ways to make things easier.
My dad is not a master craftsman. He didn’t even own many power tools. He didn’t carve or do woodworking, yet, he decided to experiment a little and began to design handles for my crochet hooks. In fact, his early introduction to the world of wood craft had him on a first name basis with the local Emergency Room doctors from all the mishaps he encountered trying to perfect his design. Eventually, he was able to craft this final design, have less trips to the ER, and rarely ends up with stitches anymore!
Not only are these the most comfortable in my hand, but due to those arthritic effects from long term illness, the joints in my hand and wrist feel better with this handle when I work. These handles make it so much easier to crochet for a duration of time and reduce the stress on my joints.
This blog is in part a plug for the hooks my dad makes because, why not? Besides filming and editing my video tutorials, he works so hard to make each and every one of these crochet hooks as demonstrated in his documentary video. Each individual hook is made exactly like shown. The time and care put in to each one is unsurpassed! Just check out the testimonials on his Etsy Shop to hear what others have to say.
More than a shameless plug for this product, this blog is about a dad who cares so much about his daughter that he found a way to make her passion easier on her. He designed this amazing hook handle so that I don’t hurt any more. He took to learning wood crafting and carving, taught himself how to use all these power tools and even sacrificed his own hands to make mine feel better. Those numerous ER trips to get stitches in his hands are testament to how far he would go to make me happy and pain-free.
With Father’s Day approaching, let’s remember the selfless sacrifices our dads have made. The hard work and dedication they show us and their unending acts of love they provide. I am pretty lucky to have one of the best! Thanks, Daddy for everything!
As some of you may have noticed, I have been somewhat MIA on my social media and on my blog for a little bit. I have been posting and have been a little active, just not as much as I usually am. There’s a reason for that.
Last week, I ended up in the hospital. I was having a lot of issues with my body and baby, so I went into the Emergency Room. The doctors here in La Crosse, WI did not feel confident, and the scope of my issues were outside of the range they felt comfortable dealing with. They felt things were emergent to either med-flight or rush me to Mayo Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.
It was decided that was going to be rushed by ambulance, but Nate could not accompany me on the ride. He came behind and my mom met us up at Mayo Hospital. I was in the hospital for nearly a week with several complications making it impossible for me to manage at home.
It was decided that upon release from the hospital, I could return home short term while a social worker from the hospital would work on a short term relocation plan for me. For these last few weeks before delivery, I will be staying in Rochester near the hospital in an extended stay apartment. This way, I will be close by the hospital in case anything emergent happens again.
What is going on?
In the recent blog where I shared my pregnancy photos, I mentioned that the doctors have taken me off of all my medications that help to keep my Crohn’s disease under control while I work towards remission. Now, off of the medication, my body has started to get weaker. I ended up with an infection and the infection put my body into a full-on flare.
Since I don’t have a large intestine, my small intestine has to learn the job of what its old companion had done. I have to draw my nourishment, vitamins, minerals, fluids, and much more from my small intestine similarly to what the body does with the large intestine. Not only do I rely on that intake, that same intake is what is helping to keep baby healthy. When I got sick last week, the function of the small intestine failed me, and my body was having a difficult time absorbing ANYTHING. This made it difficult to keep food down, my body was severely dehydrated, and some of my blood test numbers were dropping making it difficult to keep my nourishment markers where they needed to be.
Because I am pregnant, normal options for treatment aren’t always viable because they can affect the baby. There were so many limitations that the doctors could treat me with. It took some time and patience, but we were able to find a way for me to gain some control over my body without causing more stress to me or baby. At least, for now, it was enough to go home and prepare for this upcoming relocation.
What will this mean for YARNutopia?
I am home for a few days. Soon, I will transition to an apartment closer to the hospital in Minnesota. I will stay there temporarily until our baby is born. Nate will be with me on the weekends, and my mom will be coming to stay with me during the weekdays, as I can’t be alone. All my care will continue through Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
(Pictured above is a photo of my mom and me in the hospital last week)
(Pictured above is me, feeling better)
Because of this transition, I won’t be able to be as active or as present on my social media sites. I won’t be checking out completely though! No way! I love my social media! I will, however, be taking a small step back to get things under control with my health and prepare for delivery. There are LOTS of appointments, checkups, and tests to be done in these last few weeks! But don’t worry! I will do what I can, when I can! So, please keep checking the Facebook page, click on the links I share, share photos of your work. I’ll be crocheting to pass some time, and I hope to keep on keeping on. I will be sure to check in as often as I can!!
I will also try to update you as much as possible. Until baby arrives, the most I will be doing is trying to keep as healthy as I can so he can be inside growing and developing. We need him to be the strongest he can be! We are almost to his due date, so we are hoping for a not so bumpy ride to get there! Haha!
In the next few weeks, I am still hopeful to post some new blogs, a few new posts, and whatever I can do, but in the meantime, I will pull from the archives some great classic patterns, some oldies but goodies, and I will share work from my fellow designers! And once baby is here and I am recovered, I will be back better and stronger than ever!
