FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Aspen Baby Blanket

September 3, 2021 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Blankets, Crochet Pattern Tags: 3d, afghan, aspen, bab, babies, baby, baby blanket, baby shower, back post double crochet, basic, beginner, blanket, bpdc, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, fpdc, free crochet pattern, free pattern, front post double crochet, gift, handmade, heirloom, heirloom blanket, holiday, how to, infant, infants, layette, leaf, learn, leaves, pattern, shower, stitch, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

There many different reasons to be inspired. The Aspen Baby Blanket was inspired by friends celebrating the birth of their baby. The Aspen tree was the foundation for this piece. Created using series of front and back post stitches, it creates a repeat texture leaf pattern. The striking three dimensional profile of this project took my breath away. When you look at this overall piece you would never guess that it is easier than you think! I used Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling yarn by Lion Brand Yarn and it was THE most luxurious fiber giving this blanket the absolute softest feel. Follow my video tutorial or written pattern and get your started today!

My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos even if we don’t live together.
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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Lion Brand Yarn Basic Stitch in Frost and Ecru (6 balls of Frost, 2 balls of Ecru or 1100 yards of Frost, and 300 yards of Ecru)
–Size H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:

-Use a smaller hook to make this smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make this bigger
-This is written in US terms
-This took about 2 weeks to make but I did not work on it continuously.
-You can check out yarnsub.com to see yarn substitutions that are equal to the Lion Brand yarn I used in this project.
-This pattern with video tutorial shows the measurement as 35 inches by 35 inches, but you can make it longer by continuing the repeat pattern.
-If you do not want to do a stacked Single Crochet in the first stitch of every row, you can do a half double crochet and that will suffice.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
V-St aka V-Stitch: (DC, ch 1, DC) in same space
BPDC2TOG: Double Crochet 2 sts together
FPDC2TOG: Double Crochet 3 sts together
BPV-St: Back Post V-Stitch
FPV-St: Front Post V-Stitch

Pattern:

Row 1: FDC 203 or Ch 205, DC in 3rd Ch and each ch across (you need 203 sts for row 1)

Row 2: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC in next 2 sts, *BPDC on next 10 sts, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 3: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 6 sts, FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across, ending with BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, ch 1, turn.

Row 4: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts *BPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 4 sts, BPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, turn.

Row 5: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 2 sts, FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, turn.

Row 6: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts, *[BPDC2TOG] twice, FPDC on next 3 sts, BPDC on next st, FPDC on next 3 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, turn.

Row 7: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 3 sts, FPDC on next st, BPDC on next 3 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 8: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 6 sts, *BPV-St on next st, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with FPDC on 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 9: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 6 sts, *FPDC on next st, V-St in Ch sp, FDC on next st, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with BPDC on 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, turn.

Row 10: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 6 sts, *BPDC on next 2 sts, V-st in Ch sp, BPDC on next 2 sts, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with FPDC on 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 11: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 6 sts, *FPDC on next 3 sts, V-st in Ch sp, FPDC on next 3 sts, BPDC on next 7 sts, Repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with BPDC on 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 12: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 6 sts, *BPDC on next 4 sts, 2 DC in ch sp, BPDC on next 4 sts, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 13: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 6 sts, *FPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 6 sts, FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 14: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 6 sts, *BPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 4 sts, BPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 15: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 6 sts, *FPDC2TOG, FPDC on next 2 sts, FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 6 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 16: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts, *BPDC on next st, FPDC on next 3 sts, [BPDC2TOG] twice, FPDC on next 3 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 3 sts, BPDC on next st, FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 17: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC on next st, BPDC on next 3 sts, FPDC2TOG, BPDC on next 3 sts, repeat from * across until 7 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 3 sts, FPDC on next st, BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 18: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts, *BPV-St on next st, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across, ending with FPDC on 2 sts before last, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 19: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC on next st, V-St in Ch sp, FPDC on next st, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, turn.

Row 20: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts, *BPDC on next 2 sts, V-St in Ch sp, BPDC on next 2 sts, FPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 21: Stacked SC in 1st st, BPDC on next 2 sts, *FPDC on next 3 sts, V-St in Ch sp, FPDC on next 3 sts, BPDC on next 7 sts, repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with BPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 22: Stacked SC in 1st st, FPDC on next 2 sts, *BPDC on next 4 sts, 2 DC in Ch sp, BPDC on next 4 sts, FPDC on next 7 sts, Repeat from * across until 3 sts remain, ending with FPDC on next 2 sts, HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn.

Rows 23-42: Repeat Rows 3-22

Rows 43-62: Repeat Rows 3 to 22

Rows 63-82: Repeat Rows 3-22

Rows 83-92: Repeat Rows 3-12
End on a repeat of Row 12 before fastening off. (SEE video tutorial for visual instructions on ending/fastening off)

Border:

Attach Yarn in a corner

Round 1: Ch 2, DC in each st around and in each row on the side, put 3 DC in corners (See video tutorial for visual instructions), sl st to first st, Ch 2, DO NOT TURN.

Round 2: DC in each st around putting 3 DC in the middle DC of each corner, sl st to first st, Fasten off.

Fasten off, weave in all ends.

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 Lion Brand Yarn

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Bumble Bee Romper and Beanie Costume

October 23, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Costume Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby bee costume, baby bumble bee, basic, beanie, bee, bee cosplay, bee costume, bees, beginner, best costume, bumble bee costume, bumblebee, character, child, cosplay, costume contest, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, diy bee costume, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, halloween, halloween 2020, halloween costume, handmade, hat, holiday, how to, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, pattern, stitch, teach, toddler, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 1 Comment

My little guy buzzes all over the place! 🐝 He rarely stays still. He was my inspiration for this busy Bumble Bee Romper and Beanie Costume! Nasir makes the cutest little honey bumble bee around! 🐝🐝
Each year we do epic Halloween costumes, and this year is no exception! A special thank you to Lion Brand Yarn for providing the amazing fibers for this year’s costumes!

My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos even if we don’t live together.
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.

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Lion Brand Yarn 24/7 Cotton in Black (1 Ball of yarn)
–Lion Brand Yarn Basic Stitch in Lemonade (1 Ball of yarn)
–Size H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
-4 Small Buttons in yellow
–Scissors

NOTES:

-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-The video tutorial and written pattern showcase a size Women’s Large US size.
-This is written in US terms
-This romper will fit an 18-24 month old toddler.
-See the VIDEO TUTORIAL for other sizing tips/tricks.
-I do not have stitch counts for smaller or bigger sizes.
-This took about 5 hours for me to create.
-You can check out yarnsub.com to see yarn substitutions that are equal to the WeCrochet yarn I used in this project.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Bumble Bee Romper:

Front Panel:

With Black:
Ch 13
Row 1: HDC in 2nd Ch and in each ch across, Ch 1, Turn. (12 sts)

Rows 2-7: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (12)

Row 8: 2 HDC in first st, HDC in each st until 1 st remains, put 2 HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (14)

Rows 9-17: Repeat Row 8. (At the end of Row 17, you should have 32 sts across)
After Row 17, Change color to Yellow (do not fasten off black, you will pick up that color at Row 20)

Row 18: HDC across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 19: HDC across, Pick up Black yarn from Row 17 and change color from yellow to black

Continue to Change color every 2 rows

Rows 20-43: HDC across, ch 1, Turn.

Fasten off when you have 7 of the yellow stripes, then turn your work around to the bottom again and work the back panel on the opposite end of the foundation row.

Back Panel:

Attach your black yarn to the first stitch on the foundation row of your front panel.

Ch 1

Rows 1-3: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (12)

Rows 4-13: 2 HDC in first st, HDC in each st until 1 st remains, put 2 HDC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (After Row 13, you will have the 32 sts across)

After Row 13, Change color to Yellow (do not fasten off black, you will pick up that color at Row 15)

Row 14: HDC across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 15: HDC across, Pick up Black yarn from Row 13 and change color from yellow to black

Continue to Change color every 2 rows

Rows 16-39: HDC across, ch 1, Turn.

Row 40: Change to Black and HDC across, Ch 1, Turn, do not fasten off, continue with the first strap

First Shoulder strap:

Ch 1

Row 1: HDC in 12 sts, Ch 1, Turn (Leave the rest of the sts on this row unworked)

Rows 2-5: HDC across, Ch 1, Turn.
Fasten off after Row 5.

Second Shoulder Strap:

Count 12 sts in from the left side, Attach your yarn, Ch 1

Row 1: HDC in the 12 sts (if you need to see the video tutorial for visual instructions, see it here)

Rows 2-5: HDC across, Ch 1, Turn.
Fasten off after Row 5.

Weave in all ends.

Assembly step:

Sew 4 buttons to the front panel where the straps will attach.
Sew up both sides of the romper leaving room for arm holes.
See video tutorial for visual instructions

Leg Trim:

SC 48 sts evenly around both leg holes to clean up edges.

Weave in all ends.

Beanie Hat:

With 24/7 Cotton in Black

Ch 2
Work in Continuous Rounds
Rnd 1: 9 HDC in 2nd Ch from hook. (9)

Rnd 2: 2 HDC in each st around. (18)

Rnd 3: [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next st] 9 times. (27)

Rnd 4: [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 2 sts] 9 times. (36)

Rnd 5: [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts] 9 times. (45)

Rnd 6: [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts] 9 times. (54)

Rnds 7-18: HDC in each st around. (54)
Sl st to next st, Fasten off, Weave in all ends.

For the wings, I used this tutorial to learn how to make DIY wings using nylons and coat hangers.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn

FREE Crochet Video Tutorial: Offbeat Baby Cardigan

August 1, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, clothing, Crochet Pattern, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby cardigan, baby coat, basic, beginner, cardigan, child, children, coat, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, jacket, kids, learn, offbeat, pattern, stitch, sweater, teach, tutorial, vest, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

Before you know it, sweater weather will be upon us here in the northern hemisphere. I know it is hard to think about it on a balmy summer day, but as we have learned in previous years, time flies. Why not get ahead of the season with some awesome baby wear? I made this Offbeat Baby Cardigan for Nasir, and it turned out so sweet!! Even though it is way too hot to be dressed in this sweater today, my sweet boy still modeled it like a champ!

Using an eclectic mix of thick and thin striping, this mismatched pattern makes a striking cardigan that is a compliment to any baby wardrobe. I made this one using Brava Yarn by WeCrochet (KnitPicks) in the colors Asphalt Heather and Denim. This combo works so nicely for Nas, but it can be done in any combination of color. And don’t worry if the stripes throw you off, you can follow along without changing colors and make this solid or use only the elements you like to make it your own. Be sure to share your photos with me when you finish!!

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this cardigan:

My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos even if we don’t live together.
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.

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Brava Worsted by WeCrochet in any color (I used Asphalt Heather-250 yards, and Denim less than 200 yards)
–Size H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
-4 Buttons
–Scissors

NOTES:

-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-This is written in US terms
-This took about 2 days to make
-You can check out yarnsub.com to see yarn substitutions that are equal to the WeCrochet yarn I used in this project.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
DC2TOG: Double Crochet Decrease
FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet
BPDC: Back Post Double Crochet
BLO: Back Loop Only

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Offbeat Baby Cardigan

July 26, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, clothing, Crochet Pattern Tags: babies, baby, baby cardigan, basic, beginner, button down, button up, cardigan, character, child, children, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheting, cute, cutie, dual, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, how to, how to crochet, learn, microfashion, offbeat, pattern, shirt, stitch, striped, stripes, sweater, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos even if we don’t live together.
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.

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:

Pattern:

Back Panel:

With Main Color
Ch 47

Row 1: DC in 3rd Ch from hook and across, Ch 2 Turn. (45 sts)

Row 2: DC in 1st st, *FPDC on next st, DC in next st, repeat from * across, ending with DC in last st, Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: DC in 1st st, DC in next st, BPDC on next st, repeat from * across, ending with DC in last 2 sts, Ch 2, Turn.

Rows 4-20: Repeat Rows 2 & 3

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Front Left Panel:

Change colors every 4 rows, working from the bottom up

With Denim
Ch 25

Row 1: DC in 3rd Ch from hook and across, Ch 2, turn. (23 sts)

Rows 2-17: DC in each st across, Ch 2, turn.

(Rows 1-4: Denim, Rows 5-8: Gray, Rows 9-12: Denim, Rows 13-16: Gray, Row 17: Denim)

Row 18: DC2TOG, DC in each st until 2 sts remain, DC2TOG, Ch 2, Turn. (21)

Rows 19-23: Repeat Row 18 until you have 11 sts left.

(Row 18-20: Denim, Rows 21-23: Gray)

Fasten off, weave in all ends.

Front Right Panel:

Change colors every row, working from the bottom up

With Gray
Ch 25

Row 1: DC in 3rd Ch from hook and across, Ch 2, turn. (23 sts)

Rows 2-17: DC in each st across, Ch 2, turn.

Row 18: DC2TOG, DC in each st until 2 sts remain, DC2TOG, Ch 2, Turn. (21)

Rows 19-23: Repeat Row 18 until you have 11 sts left.

Fasten off, weave in all ends.

Assembly Step:

Sew shoulders across on front panels to the back panel. Sew up the sides leaving approximately 5 inches for arm holes. (Sew your piece using the whip stitch, sewing it inside out, making sure the Alpine Stitch on the back panel is on the outside when it’s all sewn together)

Arms:

Both are the same, but the color changes are different.

Attach Yarn to armpit section, Ch 2

Rnd 1: Equally DC around the arm hole 30 sts, Sl st to first DC, Turn. (30)

Rnds 2-18: Ch 2 (Does not count as stitch), DC in each st around, Turn. (30)

Rnd 19: Ch 2, [DC2TOG, DC in next 3 sts] 6 times, Turn. (24)

Rnd 20: Ch 2, DC in each st around. Fasten off, Weave in ends.

For the Left Arm, Colors are as follows: Rnds 1-4: Gray, Rnd 5: Denim, Rnd 6: Gray, Rnd 7: Denim, Rnd 8: Gray, Rnd 9: Denim, Rnd 10 Gray, Rnd 11: Denim, Rnd 12: Gray, Rnd 13, Denim, Rnd 14: Gray, Rnd 15: Denim, Rnd 16: Gray, Rnd 17: Denim, Rnd 18: Gray, Rnd 19: Gray, Rnd 20: Gray

For the Right Arm, Colors are as follows: Rnds 1-6: Gray, Rnds 7-10: Denim, Rnds 11-14: Gray, Rnds 15-18: Denim, Rnds 19-20: Gray

Edging:

Attach Gray yarn to center back of neck, Ch 1, SC around entire back, Front, bottom, up the second side, and around the back, Sl st to first SC Do not turn.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, SC around creating button holes on one side of the cardigan (I made my button holes on the right side of the cardigan and I did a Ch 3, Sk 3, then SC in next 6 sts, and did that until I fit 4 button holes, but you can make as many button holes as you want. When you make it back around, Sl st to first SC.

Rnd 3: Ch 1, SC in each st and each ch of a button hole around, Sl st to first SC. Fasten off, Weave in ends.

Collar:

Attach Gray Yarn to one side of neck

Row 1: Ch 1, SC in 3 sts, HDC in 5 sts, DC in 27 sts (across back), HDC in 5 sts, SC in 3 sts, Sl st to next st, Ch 1 turn

Row 2-4: Repeat Row 1
Sl st in next st, Fasten off, Weave in ends.

Once I have a video tutorial the edging and collar will make a lot more sense to refer to as a visual instruction. I do not have a video tutorial yet.

Assembly Step:

Sew buttons to opposite side of button holes.
Weave in the rest of your ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of WeCrochet

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Ombre Striped Baby Blanket

May 12, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Blankets, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects Tags: afghan, babies, baby, baby blanket, basic, beginner, child, colorful, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, ombre, pattern, red heart yarns, stitch, striped, stripes, super saver, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 1 Comment

A very close friend of mine recently had a baby. Prior to the birth, I started this Ombre Striped Baby Blanket, and I finished it in time to leave it on her doorstep as they welcomed this little princess to the world. 😍 The simplicity of the stitch coupled with the surface crochet, make this blanket a fast favorite heirloom for any nursery. Thanks to these lovely photos, we can see it being enjoyed and well loved. Check out the FREE crochet pattern below and the video tutorial linked in this post!

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.

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Super Saver Yarn (I used Aran -With Love, Pale Plum, Orchid, Dark Orchid, Amethyst) You could use Medium Purple too, and I also used Super Saver Ombre in Purple.
-You could also use Red Heart with Love yarn in Eggshell (I showed this in the video tutorial)
–Size K-6.50mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-The measurements of this blanket are 36 inches wide and 40 inches long but you can make this as big as you want with the stitch counts being more or less and the length being as long as you want it to be. The Moss Stitch allows for tons of versatility.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Blanket:

With Aran (main color)
Ch 124 or any even number that you want the width of your blanket to be.

Row 1: SC in 4th Ch from hook, *Ch 1, Sk 1 ch, SC in next Ch, repeat from * across, ending with SC in last ch. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 2, SC in first Ch 1 sp, *Ch 1, SC in next Ch 1 sp, repeat from * across, ending with SC in last ch sp (see video tutorial for visual instructions), Turn.

Rows 3-109: Repeat Row 2

If you want it bigger or smaller, just do an odd number of rows before fastening off.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Surface crochet stripes on every other row, weave in ends as you go. (See video tutorial after 10 minutes into the video and it will show you how to do the surface crochet)

Border:

Attach yarn to a corner of the blanket. (If you are following along with the video tutorial, the border starts at minute 19)
Round 1 of border: Ch 1, SC in same corner, SC in each st and each ch across to next corner, 3 SC in corner, Work down the side working SC in each row down the side and then put 3 SC in the next corner. Do this concept all around, then Sl st to first St.

Round 2 of border: Start in a MIDDLE SC of a corner, Ch 4 (counts as DC, Ch 1 sp), DC in same st, Ch 2, DC in same corner st, Ch 1, DC in same st, *Sk 3 sts, [2DC, Ch 1, 2 DC] in next st, repeat from * until middle SC of corner, in middle Sc of corner, put [DC, Ch 1, DC, Ch 2, DC, Ch 1, DC], then repeat from * again, all around. Sl st to 3rd ch of beg. ch 4. Fasten off. Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Yarnspirations

FREE Crochet Video Tutorial: Ombre Striped Baby Blanket

May 12, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: afghan, babies, baby, baby blanket, basic, beginner, blanket, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, learn, moss stitch, ombre, pattern, red heart yarns, stitch, striped, stripes, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

A very close friend of mine recently had a baby. Prior to the birth, I started this Ombre Striped Baby Blanket, and I finished it in time to leave it on her doorstep as they welcomed this little princess to the world. 😍 The simplicity of the stitch coupled with the surface crochet, make this blanket a fast favorite heirloom for any nursery. Thanks to these lovely photos, we can see it being enjoyed and well loved. Check out the video tutorial on how to make this blanket below, and see the link to the FREE written instructions in this post.

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this beautiful blanket:

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.

FREE Crochet Video Tutorial: Wee One Baby Bonnet

February 23, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby bonnet, basic, beanie, beginner, bonnet, bonnets, cap, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, granny, granny square, granny squares, handmade, hat, how to, how to crochet, infant, learn, moss stitch, pattern, red heart yarns, single crochet, square, squares, stitch, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, vintage, wee one, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

My Wee One Bonnet is a mix of moss stitch granny squares and a few other fun stitches that works up nicely in this cute unisex bonnet! I made this one in Marly Bird’s Chic Sheep Yarn in the color VIP but don’t be limited to that! You can make this in every color of the rainbow for all the babies or Wee Ones that you know!

This little bonnet has a bit of a square shape which makes this have a little bit of a vintage appeal. Many of the old school bonnets had a similar shape and this one is a sweet one to resurrect this fun look. One of these would make a lovely addition to any layette.

This bonnet is a year round wear item, but is perfect for fitting under a hood since it has little bulk. It is also nice for springtime to protect ears from a slight breeze or chill in the air. You can’t go wrong with one of these for your little one or for a gift!

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this bonnet:

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Yarns Chic Sheep Yarn in VIP
–Size G-4.25mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Sloth Lovey

February 14, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in amigurumi, Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects Tags: amigurumi, babies, baby, baby blanket, basic, beginner, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, granny, granny square, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, learn, love, lovey, pattern, red heart yarns, security, security blanket, sloth, sloth lovey, stitch, teach, toy, tutorial, valentine, valentine's day, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 2 Comments

I’m taking it “slow” this morning as I finish wrapping up our Valentine’s puns! I really enjoyed “hanging” with you these past two weeks sharing my projects. I really love it “a sloth.” Now that this series is over I can take a little time to “relax” maybe even have a cuppa “slothee.” Maybe be a little “anti-sloth-al” for a day or two and enjoy Valentine’s with this sweet boy. He will be just “hanging out” with his mama all day. I am not trying to get all “philo-sloth-ical,” but this has been a very “sloth-some” experience to really help me “move slowly” back to a regular crochet schedule. Up until recently, I have been in total “sloth-mode”. Thanks for being so “sloth-ful” and kind everybody! Enjoy the final Punny Valentine!

Nadia, Nate, and Nas

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Yarns Super Saver in Black, White, Cafe Latte, Charcoal, Denim
–Red Heart Yarns Hygge in Latte
–Polyfil
–Safety Eyes
–Size G-4.25mm Crochet Hook and Size I-5.50mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-The Lovey Square measures 18 inches across, but you can make it as long/wide as you want

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
SC2TOG: Single Crochet Decrease
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Sloth Lovey

Granny Square:

Using White and Denim Yarn
Use I-5.50mm Crochet Hook

Ch 3
Rnd 1: 3 DC in 3rd Ch from hook, Ch 2, [3 DC in the same ch as first 3 DC, Ch 2] 3 more times, Sl st to first DC, Turn.

Rnd 2: Sl st into Ch 2 corner sp, Ch 3, DC in same corner, Ch 2, 2 more DC in same corner, *DC in each st until you get to next corner, [2DC, Ch 2, 2DC] in next ch 2 corner sp, Repeat From * around, sl st to first Ch 3 st, (Fasten off color, change color every 2 rows). Turn work.

Rnd 3: In any corner, Ch 3 (counts as DC), [DC, Ch 2, 2 DC] in same corner sp, *DC in each st until you get to next corner, [2DC, Ch 2, 2DC] in next corner sp, Repeat from * around, sl st to first Ch 3 st, Turn.

Rnd 4: Ch 3, *DC in each st until you get to next corner, [2DC, Ch 2, 2 DC] in next corner sp, Repeat from * around, Sl st to first Ch 3 st. Turn. Fasten off color. Change color.

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until your square is as large as you want it to be, I ended on Round 16.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Head:

Use I-5.50mm Crochet Hook

Holding 2 strands of yarn at the same time, use Hygge in Latte and Red Heart Super Saver in Cafe Latte

Ch 2 (work on continuous Rounds)

Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd Ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 SC in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [2 SC in next st, SC in next st] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: [2 SC in next st, SC in next 2 sts] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 5: [2 SC in next st, SC in next 3 sts] 6 times. (30)

Rnds 6-12: SC in each st around. (30)

Rnd 13: [SC2TOG, SC in next 3 sts] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 14: SC in each st around. (24)

Rnd 15: [SC2TOG, SC in next 2 sts] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 16: SC in each st around. (18)

Stuff the head with polyfil before going onto the next round.

Rnd 17: [SC2TOG, SC in next st] 6 times. (12)

Rnd 18: [SC2TOG] 6 times. (6)

Fasten off with long strand for sewing

Arms:

Use I-5.50mm Crochet Hook

Holding 2 strands of yarn at the same time, use Hygge in Latte and Red Heart Super Saver in Cafe Latte

Ch 2 (work on continuous Rounds)

Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd Ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 SC in each st around. (12)

Rnds 3-12: SC in each st around. (12)

Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Fingers:

Make 2 with G-4.25mm crochet hook and Charcoal Yarn

Row 1: Ch 6, Sl st in 2nd Ch and each ch across, Ch 6, Sl st in 2nd Ch from hook and next 4 chs, Ch 6, Sl st in 2nd Ch from hook and next 4 chs. Fasten off with long tail for sewing. (Shape your claws to curl, and sew them to the end of the arm–see video tutorial for visual instructions)

Face Backing:

With White, Use G-4.25mm crochet hook

Ch 6,

Row 1: SC in 2nd ch and each ch across, Ch 1, turn. (5)

Row 2: SC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 3: 2 SC in first st, SC in each st until last st, put 2 SC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (7)

Row 4: SC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 5: 2 SC in first st, SC in each st until last st, put 2 SC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (9)

Row 6: SC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 7: 2 SC in first st, SC in each st until last st, put 2 SC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (11)

Row 8: SC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn.

Row 9: 2 SC in first st, SC in each st until last st, put 2 SC in last st, Ch 1, Turn. (13)

Row 10: SC in each st across, continue to SC around entire piece. Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Antenna:

With Charcoal, Use G-4.25mm crochet hook

Make 2

Ch 5

Row 1: Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, SC in next ch, HDC in next ch, DC in last ch, Turn, SC around entire Piece.

Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Embroider Black Dots for eyes or use Safety Eyes.

Assembly: Sew The white part to the head, then sew the eyes on the face, then embroider the nose and mouth. Sew the head to the lovey square, then stuff and sew the arms to the lovey. Sew the fingers to the ends of the arms if you haven’t done that yet. Weave in all your ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Yarnspirations

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Sweetheart Baby Hat

February 5, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, hats Tags: babies, baby, baby hat, basic, beanie, beginner, cap, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, fur pom, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, pattern, red heart yarns, stitch, super saver, sweetheart, sweetheart baby hat, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

It is not a secret or something I keep *under my hat* but I love puns! Each year I love to *cap-tivate* you with my clever captions and cute patterns. I want you to go *a-head* and enjoy them. I know some are not going to be fans, but what can I do? *Hatters gonna hat!* So, whether you live in *Man-hat-tan* or *Cap(e) Coral* I hope you find something you love. Today’s pattern is the Sweetheart Baby Hat because it was made with my sweetheart niece in mind! Enjoy!

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Yarns Super Saver in Dusty Gray, Baby Pink, Petal Pink, Pale Plum, Cherry Red, Rouge
–SizeH-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-This hat will fit a baby up to 1 year old

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Hat:

With Gray Ch 2

Work in 3rd Loop of the HDC sts (See video tutorial for specific location)

Rnd 1: 9 HDC in 2nd Ch from the hook, Sl st to first st, Turn. (9)

Rnd 2: Work in 3rd Loop of the sts for rounds 2-11, Ch 1, 2 HDC in each st around, Sl st to first st, Turn. (18)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next st] 9 times, Sl st to first st, Turn. (27)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 2 sts] 9 times, Sl st to first st, Turn. (36)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, Turn. (45)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts] 9 times. sl st to first st, Turn. (54)

Rnd 7: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 8 sts] 6 times, sl st to first st, Turn. (60)

Rnds 8-11: Ch 1, HDC in each st around, Sl st to first st, Turn. (60)
Fasten off gray.

Rnd 12: With Baby Pink, attach yarn, Looking at the outside of the hat, (No more turning the hat after each round), Ch 1, SC in each st around, Fasten off, change color.

Rnd 13: With Rouge, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 14: With Perfect Pink, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 15: With Red, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 16: With light purple, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 17: With Red, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 18: With Perfect Pink, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 19: With Rouge, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 20: With Baby pink, SC in each st around, Fasten off, Change Color

Rnd 21: With Gray, Ch 2 (Does not count as a stitch), DC in each st around, Sl st to first st. Ch 2.

Rnd 22: FPDC on next st, BPDC on next st, repeat from * around, Sl st to first st, Ch 2.

Rnds 23-25: Repeat Round 22

Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Assembly: Add a pom to the top of the hat.

Heart: (Optional)

Round 1: Ch 3, 12 DC in 3rd Ch from hook, sl st to first st. (12)

Round 2: Ch 1, dc in the same stitch. [tr, tr, htr] in next st, [dc, hdc] in next st, 2 sc in next 2 sts, [hdc, dc, ch1] in next st, [dc, hdc] in next st, 2 SC in next 2 sts, [hdc, dc] in next st, [htr, tr, tr] in next st, [dc, ch1] in last st, st sl in the same stitch. Fasten off with a long tail for sewing.

Sew heart to hat. (embellish with a button if you’d like!)

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Yarnspirations

FREE Crochet Video Tutorial: Sweetheart Baby Hat

February 5, 2020 By Nadia Fuad in Uncategorized Tags: babies, baby, baby hat, basic, beanie, beginner, cap, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, fur pom, handmade, hat, how to, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, pattern, pom, red heart yarns, stitch, sweetheart, sweetheart baby hat, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this hat:

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:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-This hat will fit a baby up to 1 year old

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: The Sweet Dream Bonnet

October 27, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Costume Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, hats, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, beginner, bonnet, cap, child, crochet, crochet bonnet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, halloween, handmade, hat, head, headwear, how to, how to crochet, learn, pattern, red heart yarns, stitch, sweet dream, sweet dreams, teach, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

Here is the next piece in the costume ensemble. The Sweet Dreams Baby Bonnet and Crown is a two-piece project and each of these pieces can be made independently! Need a bonnet? (check) Need a crown? (check) This video tutorial and pattern has you covered for both! You can make one or the other or combine them to make ONE fantastic headpiece for your baby! Just like the character Max from the book “Where The Wild Things Are,” your little one can transform into royalty and be the king (or queen) of your world!

Here’s our family photo of our costumes:

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Yarns Super Saver in the colors Aran
–2 Buttons
-H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Bonnet:
Ch 2
Rnd 1: 9 HDC in 2nd Ch from hook, Sl st to first st, TURN. (9)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 HDC in each st around, sl st to first st, TURN (18)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next st] 9 times, sl st to first st, TURN. (27)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 2 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, TURN. (36)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, TURN. (45)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, [2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, TURN. (54)

You will now work in rows:
Row 7: Ch 1, HDC in next 48 sts, leave the rest unworked, TURN. (48)

Rows 8-17: Ch 1, HDC in each st across, TURN. (48)

Do not fasten off
Work down the side of the bonnet to make the chin strap:
Row 1: Ch 1, HDC evenly 10 sts down 8 rows, TURN. (See video tutorial for visual instructions)

Rows 2-8: Ch 1, HDC in each st across, TURN. (10 sts)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Attach yarn to other side of bonnet for the other chin strap piece (see video tutorial for placement)

Row 1: Ch 1, HDC evenly 10 sts down 8 rows, TURN. (See video tutorial for visual instructions)

Rows 2-8: Ch 1, HDC in each st across, TURN. (10 sts)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Sew buttons to one side of the chin strap on the inside. (See video tutorial for placement)
Weave in the rest of your ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

FREE Crochet Video Tutorial: Sweet Dream Romper

September 6, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Costume Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: 3-6 months, babies, baby, basic, beginner, book, books, character, child, cosplay, cosplay costume, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, halloween, halloween costume, handmade, holiday, how to, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, microfashion, one piece, onesie, onesies, outfit, pattern, red heart yarns, romper, stitch, story, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, where the wild things are, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

This Sweet Dream Romper has been designed to be part of our Halloween costume. I am planning to release pieces of this ensemble from now through mid-October. Each piece will complete our three cosplay costumes that we designed for “Where The Wild Things Are,” a book by Maurice Sendak. Nasir is going to be Max. Here is the first installment to his costume. This one-piece romper , although made for this purpose, was actually designed with versatility in mind. I considered the other possibilities this could be used for. This could be added to a winter baby layette set. You could change the buttons or eliminate them, make it in any color, or sew on leather knee patches for when a baby crawls.

So many options in one piece! I have released the written pattern that you can find here. Below is the video tutorial for The Sweet Dream Romper. Enjoy!

FREE Written Crochet Pattern: Sweet Dream Romper

September 5, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, clothing, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects Tags: 3-6 month, babies, baby, baby clothes, basic, beginner, book, books, character, child, clothes, cosplay, costume, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, dream, dreams, dress up, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, halloween, halloween costume, handmade, holiday, how to, how to crochet, imagination, infant, kids, learn, max, microfashion, monster, monsters, outfit, pattern, red heart yarns, romper, size, stitch, sweet, sweet dream, sweet dreams, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, where the wild things are, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

Each year, we try to find a fun and exciting costumes for Halloween, and I love to take you on this journey with me. As each piece of the costume is released, I will update my blog to bring more and more pieces to life. Be sure to follow along to see all these updates!

The first installment of this year’s Halloween costume, is this Sweet Dream Romper. Although my intent is to use this outfit for Nasir’s cosplay costume as Max from the book “Where The Wild Things Are,” you will be able to follow through my video tutorial to create one of your own as part of a baby layette. You can change the colors, add knee patches, use smaller buttons or eliminate the buttons altogether. The creative ideas with this fall & winter pattern are endless! One thing I think we can all agree on is that Nas will be the perfect Max. 😍 He’s already happy about it!

Below is the release of my *FREE* written crochet pattern for those who prefer the written instructions. The video tutorial for this pattern can be found here!

***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!

Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
Share your work on Facebook!
Add me on Snapchat: YARNutopia
Follow me on Instagram
Visit My Ravelry Store and add this to your Favorites!
Follow me on Twitter: @YARNutopia
Enjoy this video and subscribe to my channel on YouTube for more tutorials on how to crochet!
Leave a comment, and share with your friends!

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.

Materials you will need:
–Red Heart Yarns Super Saver (Aran)
–Size H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-To make this smaller or bigger, use a smaller or bigger hook size
-This is made from the bottom up
-This romper will fit a 3-6 month old baby
-See the video tutorial for sizing information.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sk: Skip
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
HDC2TOG: Half Double Crochet Decrease
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only

Pattern:

Legs:
Make 2
Ch 27, Sl st to first ch to form a ring

Rnd 1: Ch 1, HDC in each ch around, sl st to 1st st, turn. (27)

Rnds 2-15: Ch 1, HDC in each st around, Sl st to first st, turn. (27)

Fasten off Leg 1 with a long tail for sewing later, Do NOT fasten off Leg 2

Attaching the legs:

Making body

Rnd 16: Working on Leg 2, Ch 1, HDC in each st around, Ch 3, HDC in each st on Leg 1, Ch 3, Sl st to first st on Leg 2, Turn. (54 sts, 2 ch 3 sps)

Rnd 17: Ch 1, HDC in each st and each ch around, sl st to first st, turn. (60)

Rnds 18-46: Ch 1, HDC in each st around, sl st to first st, Turn. (60)
Do not fasten off, continue with the first strap

Left Back Strap:

Row 1: Sl st in next 4 sts, Ch 1, HDC in 10 sts, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 2: HDC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 6 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 4: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 5: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 4 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (6)

Rows 6-9: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (6)

Row 10: HDC in first 2 sts, Ch 2, Sk 2 sts HDC in last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (button hole made)

Row 11: HDC in each st and each ch across. (6)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Left Front Strap:

Skip 6 sts on row 46 of body
Attach yarn to next st

Row 1: Ch 1, HDC in 10 sts, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 2: HDC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 6 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 4: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 5: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 4 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (6)

Rows 6-9: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (6)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Right Front Strap:

Skip 4 sts on row 46 of body
Attach yarn to next st

Row 1: Ch 1, HDC in 10 sts, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 2: HDC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 6 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 4: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 5: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 4 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (6)

Rows 6-9: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (6)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Right Back Strap:

Skip 6 sts on row 46 of body
Attach yarn to next st

Row 1: Sl st in next 4 sts, Ch 1, HDC in 10 sts, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 2: HDC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 6 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 4: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 5: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 4 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (6)

Rows 6-9: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (6)

Row 10: HDC in first 2 sts, Ch 2, Sk 2 sts HDC in last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (button hole made)

Row 11: HDC in each st and each ch across. (6)

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Ankle Cuffs

Do the same thing for both legs

Mark 3 sts evenly around the ankle,
Attach yarn to any stitch on ankle
Rnd 1: Ch 1, HDC in each st around, put a HDC2TOG stitch on the stitches you marked to decrease, sl st to first st when you get back around, ch 1 (Do not turn) (24)

Rnd 2: FPHDC on next st, BPHDC on next st, repeat from * around, sl st to first st, ch 1. (24)

Rnds 3-5: FPHDC on FPHDC sts, BPHDC n BPHDC sts, all the way around, sl st to first st, ch 1. (24)
Fasten off, weave in all ends

**Add buttons to the top straps, add buttons to the front of romper.**

Enjoy!

~Nadia

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

Crochet Tutorial: The Bow-tastic Hat

August 15, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, hats, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, basic, beanie, beginner, bow, bow hat, bow-tastic, bows, bowtastic, cap, child, crochet, crochet bow hat, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, fur pom, hat, how to crochet, infant, learn, pattern, pom, red heart yarns, stitch, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 1 Comment

For those of us who are all about wearing fabulous accessories, let me present The Bow-tastic Hat!! This hat allows for you to interchange the bow in order to match your #OOTD (outfit of the day)!! This winter wear provides lots of chances to take one item and change it up to match several things in your child’s (or your own) wardrobe without investing in numerous looks! Perfect for keeping things to a minimum while getting the maximum looks from one great piece!

Please check the “NOTES” section of my pattern to find ways to adjust the sizing on this hat.

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this hat:

***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!

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.

Materials you will need:
–Red Heart Yarns Hygge Charm in Shooting Star
–Red Heart Yarns With Love Metallic in Teal (or any color you want for your bow!)
–Fur Pom for the Top of the Hat
–Size G-4.25mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-To make this smaller or bigger, use a smaller or bigger hook size
-This is made from the bottom up
-If you work in multiples of 6, then you can make this bigger or smaller.
-This hat will fit any baby that is 6-12 months old
-See the video tutorial for larger sizing information.
–For larger sizes, make your brim any of the following number of rows: 54 rows, 60 rows, 66 rows, 72 rows and then when you are working the top of the hat, SC around the brim that same number of stitches as the amount of rows in your brim that you have. Then, when you are ready to decrease the top to close it up, decrease in the amount of 6 stitches each row until you get to 54 stitches around, then follow the instructions for the rest of the decreasing in the pattern/video tutorial.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sk: Skip
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only

Pattern:

Brim of Hat:

Work in BLO for the whole brim
With Hygge Charm in Shooting Star

Ch 21

Row 1: SC in 2nd Ch from hook and across, ch 1, turn. (20)

Rows 2-25: SC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (20)

Row 26: SC in first 4 sts, Ch 3, Sk 3 sts, SC in the rest of the sts on the row, Ch 1, turn.

Row 27: SC in each st and each ch across, ch 1, turn. (20)

Rows 28-31: SC in each st across, Ch 1, turn. (20)

Row 32: Repeat Row 26

Row 33: Repeat Row 27

Rows 34-54: SC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (20)

Fasten off with long tail for sewing

Assembly Step:
Sew the brim closed (see video tutorial for visual instructions)
Weave in your ends.

Top part of hat: (with same yarn as the brim)

Make sure the Ch 3 holes are toward the bottom half of your brim, attach yarn to the opposite end of the side of the brim (see video tutorial for visual instructions)
work in BOTH LOOPS of this section of the hat, Work in continuous rounds (insert a stitch marker if you need to mark the beginning of your rounds)

Rnd 1: SC 60 sts evenly around the brim of the hat. (if you made more rows of your brim, be sure to SC any multiple of 6 on this round)

Rnds 2-15: SC in each st around. (60)
(for larger sizes, do a few more rounds before decreasing)

If you have more than 60 sts, decrease 6 sts evenly every round until you get to 54 sts, then go onto round 17 instructions.

Rnd 16: [SC2TOG, SC in next 8 sts] 6 times. (54)

Rnd 17: [SC2TOG, SC in next 4 sts] 9 times. (45)

Rnd 18: [SC2TOG, SC in next 3 sts] 9 times. (36)

Rnd 19: [SC2TOG, SC in next 2 sts] 9 times. (27)

Rnd 20: [SC2TOG, SC in next st] 9 times. (18)

Rnd 21: [SC2TOG] 9 times. (9)

Fasten off with long tail, sew top of hat closed.
Sew a fur pom to the top of the hat.

Ear Flaps:

Make 2 in your main color

Ch 5

Row 1: SC in 2nd ch and across, ch 1, turn. (4)

Row 2: 2 SC in first st, SC in each st until 1 st is remaining, 2 SC in last st, ch 1, turn. (6)

Row 3: SC across, ch 1, turn. (6)

Row 4: Repeat Row 2. (8)

Row 5: Repeat Row 3. (8)

Row 6: Repeat Row 2. (10)

Row 7: Repeat Row 3. (10)

Row 8: Repeat Row 2. (12)

Rows 9-16: SC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn.
Continue to SC around the piece. Fasten off with long tail for sewing.
Sew to each side of the hat on the inside of the brim (See video tutorial for visual instructions.
Add braided tassels to the ear flaps (optional)

Bow:
Using Red Heart Yarns With Love Metallic
Work in BLO and in continuous rounds.

Ch 48

Rnd 1: Bring chain around to the first ch, SC in 1st ch and next 19 chs, Sl st in next 4 chs, SC in next 20 chs, Sl st in last 4 chs.
Rnds 2-8: SC in 20 sts, Sl st in 4 sts, SC in 20 sts, Sl st in last 4 sts.
Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Slide the bow through the chain 3 holes on the brim of the hat.

Enjoy!

~Nadia

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

Why Nasir Came Early

July 11, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts, Health Update Tags: babe, babies, baby, baby blog, birth, birth plan, c-section, child, chronic illness, clinic, complications, crohn's disease, delivery, difficult, doctors, early birth, emergency, high risk, high risk pregnancy, hospital, ibd, ileostomy, infancy, infant, inflammatory bowel disease, invisible illness, knowing nas, miracle, mommy blogger, nasir, new baby, nurses, operating room, ostomy, pregnancy, pregnant, pregnant ostomate, premature, pubis dysfunction, sciatica, struggle, the book of nas, yarnutopia 42 Comments

It has been 4 weeks since Nasir was born. He came into this world a true miracle and is perfect in every way. I am overjoyed that he is here, happy, healthy and growing like crazy. His due date was June 30^th and throughout my high-risk pregnancy, it was understood that with so many health issues, surgeries, and not having a rectum or anus, the probability for me to deliver him in a traditional birth was going to be out of the question. I was told by not one, two, or three doctors but EVERY doctor on the team, that it would be the safest for me to have him via c-section and to do it a week before his due date. Although this didn’t coincide with my idea of the “ideal birth plan,” I ONLY cared about having a safe and healthy delivery for me and safe birth for him. It doesn’t matter how our babies enter the world, it only matters that they arrive safely in our arms!

High Risk Pregnancy

Throughout my pregnancy, many of you are aware that I had numerous issues not only with my Crohn’s disease but also that I had to cease all my medications that keep my disease in remission. I also had severe Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, I had problems with tearing my adhesions and scar tissue from previous abdominal surgeries, I have a Septate Uterus, I had terrible sciatica, I had anemia, I lacked the nutritional support for myself and Nas because I don’t have my large intestine or parts of my small intestine, and I had a herniated ostomy that prolapsed. Because my anatomy isn’t like most, my intestine pooled to one side of my body and my baby was restricting the digestive flow. I also had the general issues of constant heartburn and swelling like a lot of moms-to-be deal with. I tried to be grateful, thankful, happy, joyful, and appreciative for this miracle; and I was. However, I won’t sugar-coat it, I was freaking miserable in my body. I hurt every single day and probably complained to Nate or my mom incessantly EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. all while keeping a smile on my face and forging ahead because I kept telling myself that if this is the sacrifice I have to make to have him here, then I can do this! It was only temporary. My “this too shall pass” mantra was on repeat every moment of every day. I was miserable. But, just to be clear, I would do it ALL over in a heartbeat for this outcome. Nasir is magical…

Things weren’t going well

Over a month before I was to deliver, I was rushed by ambulance from the hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin up to Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota because I had a severe infection and could not keep anything in. I needed IV support and to be monitored because they thought our baby would make an appearance MUCH earlier than we thought. I was so scared. I was alone in the ambulance with the lights and sirens going as we rushed down the highway. I knew Nate was somewhere in a car behind me, my mom also, but being alone and not knowing what would happen was terrifying.

Thankfully, the doctors were able to hold off delivering Nas and just treat the infection. I was hospitalized for about a week before going home, but we were advised that due to the complicated nature of my pregnancy, I would be on “bed rest” (which couldn’t actually be bed rest because I have a history of forming blood clots), so I took it really easy. The doctors recommended I move to temporary housing in Rochester to be closer to the hospital, and I was there a few days before things began to decline again. Read more about our Temporary Transition here.

We couldn’t wait any longer

Although I was advised to hold off on delivering Nasir for as long as possible to give him the best chance for development, the doctors also understood the gravity of my health situation and knew it would be dangerous to wait too long. Not long after my hospitalization, I was still having problems and was not doing well. I woke up on the Wednesday before he was born feeling terrible. My entire body felt like I had one big bruise covering every inch of my skin. EVERYTHING hurt. The slightest touch hurt, and I was swelling up like a balloon. I called, and the doctors said to meet them up at the hospital. My mom took me in because Nate was at work. After a short examination, the doctors suspected that my infection set off a full body flare of my Crohn’s disease. They couldn’t wait any longer. If they didn’t deliver him soon, I might have gone into labor and could have potentially faced a threatening situation where it would be too late to assemble the ENTIRE team of doctors necessary to bring Nasir into this world and keep me safe in the process. Not only was my disease creating a serious health risk, the baby was breech. There was no time left. It would be way too perilous to wait and risk going into labor and a vaginal delivery. Delivery was scheduled immediately for next morning.

I crumbled under the weight of everything and started to cry.

I wanted more time for him to develop. I was scared for him, what if something went wrong, I was worried about the risks, and the surgery and, and, and….and then I took a deep breath.

I called Nate at work.

“You need to come to Rochester right now. They are going to deliver our baby tomorrow morning…”

“Are you serious? Is this for real?”

“Yes, just please come as soon as you can. I need you…”

I don’t know if Nate could even think after that phone call, if he could even concentrate enough to finish his work for the day, or if he was on autopilot all the way up to Rochester. He made it up there by 10 pm that night and we stayed up nearly all night talking. He kept reassuring me the entire time that everything will be OK.

An assembly of sixteen

When Nate and I arrived at the hospital the next day, along with my mom, dad, and my brother, I was ushered into a room immediately. I was a bundle of nervous energy but also ready to meet my baby!!

Shortly after arriving, I was given an IV and little by little the entire assembly of doctors and nurses ushered in team by team to see me. All in all there would be 16 medical staff in the room with us to deliver Nasir. HOLY MACARONI!! 16!!! I was only allowed one other person with me, and of course that was Nate. I was then taken into the OR alone while he was told to get garbed up.

While I was in the OR, it was freezing. More IVs were placed. There were so many lights, so many machines, so many instruments, and so many people. I started to shake uncontrollably. I was given an epidural and a spinal, but the placement was giving me issues. They kept telling me to sit still. I couldn’t stop shaking. I hugged a pillow tightly to my front while they put the needles in my spine. It took forever. At one point, I felt a severe pain in my hip. They hit a nerve and my leg involuntarily shot out and kicked without me doing it. Yeah, this wasn’t working. They moved it a little higher in my spine and it was better.

From there, things moved so fast.

I was put on a table with my arms spread out wide. I had all the IVs in me, they erected a curtain up in front of me. So many people ushered in and out. The anesthesiologists, the surgery team, the OB-GYN team, the colorectal team, the nurses..SO MANY people! That team of 16 was in full action!

I wanted Nate and asked them to check on him. They said he was outside pacing. I wanted him with me, and it wasn’t much longer and he was able to come back into the OR. As soon as he walked in, they started to open me up. The doctors were wonderful about talking me through every step. I had the best cheerleader by my side. Nate was incredible. The anesthesia team was also very supportive and kept encouraging me softly, cheering for me, kept me comfortable, and just made me feel safe. I get choked up just thinking of these moments–moments I wanted to be fully present to remember.

I started to feel a severe pain in my right shoulder and started to get afraid. I told the doctor and they said they had my uterus out. The uterus is connected to the nerves in the shoulder and the pain I was experiencing was called “referred pain.”

He’s here!

It was only moments later when we heard our baby’s tiny cries. Nate started sobbing, I started sobbing. They lifted him over the screen so we could see him. My first thought was how tiny he was. They quickly moved him to the warming table so Nate could trim the cord and the team moved fast to get all the baby stats. Within moments, they brought this tiny naked baby to me and laid him on my chest. I could barely see or breathe I was crying so hard. HE WAS BEAUTIFUL. So precious. My miracle.

It took some time for the surgeons to close me up because they had to clear out scar tissue from former surgeries. They excised my old scar from the time I had the wound vac, and cleaned all of that tissue to make my incision a cleaner closure. It took quite a while, but I wasn’t even paying a moment of attention to that. Instead I was counting toes and fingers, memorizing my little boys face, and through my tears and laughter, I was rejoicing in this miracle.

We are a family

As I was wheeled into a recovery room, Nate went to tell my family that our baby arrived. We wanted a few minutes alone to relish our first moments as a family of three. We also had an overflow of emotion that was just indescribable and we wanted to bask in the intimacy of sharing these very personal feelings together.

I remember when they lifted our baby over the screen after we heard his cries. I recall looking at him and instantly knowing that his name in my heart would be Nasir, but I didn’t say anything. To be fair, I wanted to hear Nate’s thoughts about his name. As soon as I asked him what our baby’s name should be, he said Nasir! We both felt it. We both knew. His name is Nasir Nathan.

Nasir is a Pakistani/Arabic name that means “Victorious,” and there is no more appropriate name fitting to this little boy than that. After all I have been through, all the health struggles and trials, I look at him and I know it was all for this moment.

This miracle.

This victory.

~Nadia

He’s Here: Our Newest YARNutopian

June 15, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts Tags: babies, baby, baby boy, birth, birthday, boy, c-section, child, children, debut, finally, grand entrance, he's here, hospital, i'm new here, infant, kid, kids, life, nasir, new, new chapter, newborn, parent, parents, pregnancy, pregnant, welcome to the world, yarnutopia 123 Comments

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!

A Temporary Transition

June 4, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts, Health Update Tags: babies, baby, break, care, child, crohn's, crohn's disease, dehydrated, dehydration, dehydration and pregnancy, disease, health, health issues, health risk, healthy, high risk, high risk pregnancy, hospital, hospitalization, illness, infant, infection, mama, mayo clinic, minnesota, mom, mommy blogger, mother, moving, mum, pregnancy, pregnant, risk, rochester, severe, sick, sickness, social media, transition, update, viral, virus, yarn, yarnutopia 100 Comments

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!

Until then, Happy Hooking!

~Nadia

Nursery Sneak Peek!

April 24, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts, home decor Tags: amazon, art, babies, baby, bed, bedding, bedroom, black white, black white gray, blue, boho, boho baby, boho nursery, child, children, colorful, Crafts, crafty, crib, crochet, crocheted, crocheting, decor, decorate, decoration, decorator, gray, hobby lobby, infant, interior, interior decorating, kid, kids, nursery, ottoman, paint, pinterest, pinterest inspired, sleep, sleeping, wall art, wall hanging, wayfair, yarnutopia 14 Comments

Here’s a look at our baby’s nursery!! We’re expecting his arrival in June 2019 and here’s his new room! It’s a work-in-progress, but this is how far we’ve gotten on his “crib” so far!!

We have a lot of decorations from Hobby Lobby as well as Wayfair and Amazon!

The sign “Welcome to my Crib” can be found here from Hobby Lobby

The Chevron Basket can be found here from Hobby Lobby

The Furry Rug can be found here from Amazon

The shelf holding the books can be found here from Hobby Lobby

The Cloud Hanging Rack can be found here from Hobby Lobby

The Sheep Ottoman can be found here from Target

The arrow wall hanging was found at Hobby Lobby, however, I am unable to share a link to that piece.

The dresser, changing table, and crib came as a set from Wayfair and it can be found here.

A Precious Miracle

April 15, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts Tags: babies, baby, bag, beyonce, child, colitis, crohn's, crohn's disease, dad, daddy, father, fetus, goddess, health, health history, health issues, healthy, high risk, high risk pregnancy, hormones, ibd, ileostomy, infant, inflammatory bowel disease, life giving goddess, mama, model, mom, mommy, mother, mum, mummy, ostomate, ostomy, ostomy scars, photo shoot, pregnancy, pregnancy and crohns disease, pregnancy hormones, pregnancy photo shoot, pregnancy photos, pregnant, pregnant ostomate, professional photos, scarring, scars, surgery 120 Comments

Disclaimer: This blog contains sensitive pregnancy photos. I ask everyone to be respectful and any negative comments will be deleted. It took a lot for me to be vulnerable to share these images. With my health history, I wanted to be as transparent and open as possible with this miraculous pregnancy.

Many of you already have been following my journey and know that my health history has been plagued with illness, numerous surgeries, and plenty of setbacks. I had my colon removed in 2008 because my Crohn’s disease was so progressive. Doctors, worried about the dangerous potential of colon cancer and with fast deterioration of my colon, removed it to save my life. That journey was wrought with so many setbacks and ongoing severe illness. Chemotherapy, biologic treatments, thousands of procedures, multiple ostomies, hospitalizations, and repeated surgery had severely impacted the quality of life I was living in my late teens into my 20s. Most of my dreams were put on hold just to survive.

The one dream I held onto and hoped for was to one day be a mother. Doctors could never give a definitive answer as to whether or not pregnancy could even be possible. It was always a “wait and see” possibility. Without my large intestine or parts of my small intestine, even carrying a baby to term was a huge risk. And, it has been. This miraculous pregnancy has been filled with many issues, illness related problems, and so much worry. Yet, this sweet little boy growing inside me is a fighter. Just like me.

That is why, as we came closer to my due date, I dreamed of having pregnancy photos taken to mark this extraordinary time in our lives.

My colo-rectal surgeon told me last week, despite all the complications, try to enjoy this. “Enjoy being pregnant, Nadia.” She said, “Time goes so fast, we forget these moments. Try to remember how exciting it is to feel him moving…” And it is! This is so true! I have to appreciate everything I am going through to bring him here, and I love him so much that I don’t care how much I have to endure. This is temporary and so worth it.

Next week, I stop the last of my medications needed to keep my disease in remission, so our baby has the best chance and can be his strongest at birth. That part is very unsettling because I don’t know what my body will do without those medications. I am hoping that the last dose will sustain me through the final weeks until delivery and beyond. With that in mind, I decided now was the best time to do these photos. While I felt as good as I can expect to feel, I wanted to capture the power of this moment and the profound feelings of this health and pregnancy journey. I channeled my inner “life-giving goddess” for these powerful images!

I want to thank my mom and dad for their help in bringing my vision to life through these photos, and a huge thank you to Nate for being the most amazing husband and best friend on this journey. I couldn’t have done this without him..obviously..haha!!

“Life reveals her beauty one precious miracle at a time.” ~Flavia

Enjoy the photos.

~Nadia

Crochet Tutorial: Star Ring Rattle Teething Toy

April 6, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: amigurumi, babies, baby, baby blanket, baby toys, basic, beginner, child, children, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, how to crochet, infant, kids, learn, pattern, rattle, rattler, red heart yarns, sensory, star, stars, stitch, teach, teether, teething, teething ring, toy, toys, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 1 Comment

I tried a new project that is simple enough for the beginner and fun for the seasoned crocheter! The Star Ring Rattle is perfect for any baby nursery, gift, or layette!

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make this project:

**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.

***These patterns are copyright YARNutopia © so PLEASE DO NOT COPY, SHARE, ADJUST OR RESELL MY PATTERN. I wrote and tested this pattern myself, from beginning to end. It took a lot of time and work, and I would really like to have it remain “my pattern.”

***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!

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.

Materials you will need:
–Red Heart Yarns Scrubby Smoothie (I used Royal and Coral in the one I demonstrate on camera)
-F-3.75mm Crochet Hook (Find the hook I used in my video tutorial here!)
–Polyfil
–Wooden Rings
–Rattle Inserts
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-Watch the FULL introduction of the video tutorial for frequently asked questions and watch the full video for tips on how to make this smaller or bigger.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
SC2TOG: Single Crochet Decrease
SC3TOG: Single Crochet 3 Stitches Together

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Star: (MAKE 2)

Ch 2 (or start with magic ring)
Rnd 1: 9 SC in 2nd Ch from hook, Sl st to first SC, Ch 1, TURN.

Rnd 2: 2 SC in each st around, sl st to first SC, Ch 1, TURN. (18 sts)

Rnd 3: [2 SC in next st, SC in next st] 9 times, sl st to first SC, Ch 1, TURN. (27)

Rnd 4: [2 SC in next st, SC in next 2 sts] 9 times, sl st to first SC, Ch 1, TURN. (36)

Rnd 5: [2 SC in next st, SC in next 3 sts] 9 times, sl st to first SC, Ch 1, TURN. (45)

Now you will be making the points of the star, you will be working in rows. (See video tutorial for visual instructions)

Row 1: SC in 9 sts, leave the rest unworked, ch 1, turn. (9)

Row 2: SC in each of the 9 sts across, ch 1, turn. (9)

Row 3: SC2TOG, SC in next 5 sts, SC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (7)

Row 4: SC in each of the 7 sts across, ch 1, turn. (7)

Row 5: SC2TOG, SC in next 3 sts, SC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (5)

Row 6: SC in each of the 5 sts across, ch 1, turn. (5)

Row 7: SC2TOG, SC in next st, SC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (3)

Row 8: SC in each of the 3 sts across, ch 1, turn. (3)

Row 9: SC3TOG, ch 1. DO NOT TURN
Continue to Sl st down the side of the point back to Round 5 of the circle

Repeat Rows 1-9 of the point starting in the very next st.

Repeat this until you have all 5 points made.

On the first star, fasten off.
on the second star, DO NOT fasten off

Assembly step:
SC around both stars attaching them together (See video tutorial for visual instructions).
Before Fully closing the star, be sure to add stuffing and the rattle inside.

Strap:
With another color, Start with long tail before you make your slip knot to start this section.

Ch 6
Row 1: SC in 2nd Ch from hook and across, ch 1, turn. (5)

Rows 2-20: SC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (5)
When you finish row 20, Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Assembly:

Wrap the strap around the teething ring and sew it together
Sew the other side of the strap to the star. Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

I Know I’m Not Alone

March 21, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts, Health Update Tags: baby, challenges, changes, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, depressed, depression, fashion, free crochet pattern, group, growing baby, growing belly, health, hormonal, hormones, how to crochet, infant, issues, learn, light, love, love yourself, mama, mom, mood swings, mother, pattern, postpartum, pregnancy, pregnancy hormones, pregnant, prepartum, problems, self care, share, stitch, struggle, struggles, support, teach, therapy, tutorial, venting, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 40 Comments

I am typically pretty upbeat and positive by nature. I have had to overcome a lot in the past decade, and I have spent some of that time feeling situational depression due to battling illness, surgery, dealing with body issues from having so many scars and a permanent ileostomy. When I found out I was able to get pregnant, and subsequently carry this baby, I was over the moon! Depression wasn’t even on my radar at that time.

I Knew It Wasn’t Going To Be Easy

I am extremely high risk. I have a team of doctors and specialists across three hospitals that will be involved in bringing this baby into the world safely. Of course, I am a bit nervous, but I also have great faith and trust in this team to do everything to help bring this baby boy into the world, keeping us both healthy and happy.

Here’s where I struggle. I am supposed to be happy. I AM happy. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to feel baby move and happy to know I will hold him in just a few short months. However, what is happening to my body is bringing me so low. I am just not feeling overall happy, and I didn’t expect that.

A Complex Medical History

Without delving too deep into the graphic details, I’ve had 14 surgeries which have left my entire abdomen full of scars. I have numerous scars running up and down, diagonally, and across my torso. Drain scars, former ostomy scars- just scars, scars, scars! Following one surgery, I had a serious infection so my abdomen had to be re-opened, and I was put on a wound vac to help heal by secondary intention. That process left my tummy full of puckered and thick scar tissue. All this scar tissue causes adhesions. As my abdomen stretches, the scar tissue is stretching and tearing both on the surface and internally. It has been challenging to deal with. This, along with changes in my ostomy with my intestine prolapsing outside my body, has left me feeling depressed over all these reminders that my body isn’t quite the same as others.

Pre-Partum Depression

This pre-partum situational depression has hit me hard. I am struggling with my body and disease and with my hormones running amok. I have found myself in tears quite a bit lately. I am not writing to complain, NO, but to confront what is happening to me and to share this with others who may struggle with these same feelings during pregnancy or at any time. I know that this is supposed to be the most blessed and happy time of my life, so why am I feeling so blue? I don’t have the answer.

Crochet IS Therapy

During this time, my comfort and refuge is found in my craft. I am so grateful for a loving and supportive husband and the support of a fantastic family, but when I am alone, I find solace in the stitches and the repetitive nature of crochet to help distract and focus my mind on something other than these feelings and the pain from my scars.

Lately, I have been working on so many crochet projects for not only my little guy, but also for my sister-in-law who had a baby girl in January. My niece is the perfect model! These projects, alongside my work here at YARNutopia, has given me a deepened purpose, and these goals have helped me focus on more than the issues I am dealing with.

Self-Care

I know I’m not alone. I know that this is only temporary. I know this is a very small price to pay for bringing my baby into the world. I know I have support and love of an amazing husband, family, and community. I know all these things. I also know it is ok to feel. It is ok to be sad. It is ok to hurt. It is ok to ask for help. It is ok.

After spending a little time yesterday on self-care – I bought myself some springtime flowers to brighten my home, I did some retail therapy and bought myself a few feel-good things, I had my nails done, I took a long walk in the sunshine, a short drive and played my favorite music, and I talked for hours with my mom-I am happy to say that I feel a little better. Today has started off on a good foot and writing this has helped. Also, it has helped to be working on some crochet projects, and I went to brunch with Nate. Each day may present a challenge, but I am thankful be able to face each one in strength and resolve and overcome those challenges!

Share with us:

Please share your stories of pre-partum or post-partum depression or your struggles with feeling out of control. Share your stories of how crochet has brought you comfort during a time of need.

Thank you for letting me share.

Be love, Be light.

~Nadia

Crochet Tutorial: Baby Hiking Sandals

March 8, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby booties, baby sandals, basic, beginner, booties, boots, camping, character, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, hiking, how to, how to crochet, infant, learn, pattern, red heart yarns, sandals, shoes, stitch, teach, trekker, tutorial, video tutorial, wild, wilderness, woods, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 2 Comments

Summer season is around the corner. Time to start getting that wardrobe ready. Here is a cute little addition for baby’s layette. These baby hikers can be made in any color and added to any outfit for just the right touch!

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make these sandals:

**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!

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.

Materials you will need:
–Red Heart Yarns Baby Hugs in Bluie and Dolphin
–Red Heart Soft in Guacamole
-G-4.25mm Crochet Hook (Find the hook I used in my video tutorial here!)
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
FSC: Foundation Single Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Sandal: (MAKE 2)

Inner Sole:
With Bluie:
Chain 10
Rnd 1: 2sc into 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next 5 st. Hdc in next 2. 8Dc in last ch. Working on other side, hdc in next 2, sc in next 5, 2 sc in last stitch where beginning 2 sc are. Don’t join. (26 sts)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in 1st st from last row, 2 sc in next. Sc 7, hdc in next, 2hdc in each of the next 6 stitches, hdc in next, Sc 7, 2 sc in last 2 stitches. Do not join – (36 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next. Sc10, 2sc in next 2 stitches, sc in next 6, 2 sc in next 2 stitches. Sc 10, 2sc in next. Sc in last 2 stitches. Sl st to next st (42 sts) Fasten off, Weave in ends.

Outer Sole:
Same as Inner sole, but DO NOT fasten off. Go to Assembly Step Next.

Assembly Step:
Slip Stitch Inner and Outer sole together (See video tutorial for visual instructions)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Front Toe Strap:
Count 10 sts evenly on the front toe of the sole. Work in BLO of the Inner Sole and the back Loop of the Slip Sts you created when attaching the two pieces (see video tutorial for visual instructions)

Row 1: Attach Yarn to first st, Ch 1, HDC 10 sts evenly across front of toe, ch 1, turn. (10)
Row 2: HDC2TOG, HDC in 6 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (8)
Row 3: HDC2TOG, HDC in 4 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (6)
Row 4: HDC2TOG, HDC in 2 sts, HDC2TOG, ch 1, turn. (4)
Rows 5-10: HDC across, ch 1, turn. (4)
Fasten off with a long tail for sewing.

Side Straps:
See video tutorial for location on where to put these straps. (Also see photos)
Attach yarn to side (where ankle would be)
Row 1: Ch 1, HDC in 4 sts leaving the rest unworked, Ch 1, turn.
Rows 2-6: HDC across, Ch 1, turn.
Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Opposite Side Strap:
Do the same exact thing as the first side strap, just on the opposite side.
(See video tutorial for visual location)

Gray Straps:
Strap 1: FSC 11 sts (Start with long tail and fasten off with long tail for sewing)
Strap 2: FSC 15 sts (Start with long tail and fasten off with long tail for sewing)
Strap 3: FSC 22 sts (start with short tail and fasten off with short tail and sew in your ends to hide them)

Assembly Step:
Sew gray straps to sole of sandal (weave Strap 1 and 2 through the front toe piece)
Add Strap 3 and sew the front toe piece and side strap piece down OVER the top of Strap 3.
I show exact locations and visual instructions for this section in the video tutorial.
Add a button to Strap 3.
Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

It’s a…. Gender Reveal!!!

January 19, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts Tags: 17 weeks pregnant, babies, baby, blogger, boy, character, child, children, creeper, crocheted, crocheting, dad, daddy, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, father, free crochet pattern, free pattern, gender, gender reveal, girl, handmade, how to, how to crochet, human, infant, mama, mom, mommy, mother, onesie, pattern, pregnant, reveal, update, week, weekly update, yarnie, yarnutopia 39 Comments

It didn’t matter – girl or boy – we would still be filled with the same joy!! We are over the moon excited to announce that we are having a….

Thank you for sharing in the joy of this experience. We are so happy!!

My mom found the onsie on Etsy, you can see it here.

The tutorial for the baby booties is coming soon!!

~Nate and Nadia

Crochet Tutorial: Wiggles & Giggles Baby Blanket

January 9, 2019 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Baby Items, Blankets, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby blanket, baby blanket pattern, basic, beginner, blanket, blanky, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheted blanket, crocheting, fashion blogger, free crochet, free crochet pattern, free pattern, giggles, handmade, how to, how to crochet, infant, learn, pattern, red heart yarns, shell, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, waves, wiggles, written pattern, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia, zig zag 4 Comments

Well, the time has come to start stocking up on a few nice essentials for baby! I made the Wiggles and Giggles Baby Blanket as the first piece in my baby’s layette! This design uses the double crochets to make a zig-zag design that creates beautiful rich texture. It also creates a completely different profile on the other side making this a fantastic reversible blanket and one that is sure to be treasured for years to come!

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this blanket:

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.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Yarns With Love in the color Minty (1300 yards–4 Balls)
–Red Heart Yarns Super Saver in the color Dusty Gray
-H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-This blanket is 36 inches wide and long but you can continue the repeat to make it as big as you want.

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
RS: Right Side
WS: Wrong Side (Back Side)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Blanket:
Ch 133 or any multiple of 3+1

Row 1 (RS): DC in 5th ch from hook and next ch, Go back to the chain next to your first stitch, DC in that ch, (See video tutorial for visual instructions), This will be a diagonal stitch over the 2 DC you made, *Sk next ch and DC in next 2 chs, DC in sk’d ch, repeat from * across until 1 ch remains, DC in last ch. Turn.

Row 2 (WS): Ch 3 (Counts as a DC here and throughout), *Sk next st, DC in next 2 sts, turn work around to see the RS, DC in sk’d st, Turn work back to WS, repeat from * across until 1 st remains, DC in last st, turn.

Row 3 (RS): Ch 3, *Sk next st, DC in next 2 sts, DC in sk’d st working in front of the 2 DC’s you just made, repeat from * across until 1 st remains, DC in last st.

Rows 4-54: Repeat Rows 2 and 3 for however long you want then go onto the border
(Scroll down to see border instructions)

Do not fasten off

Border:
Round 1: Looking at RS of your work, SC around with your main color putting 3 SC in corners, sl st to first st.
Fasten off main color and change color

Round 2: Attach new color and SC around putting 3 SC in each corner, Sl st to first SC and Fasten off.

Round 3: Attach main color to any corner SC, Ch 3, [DC, Ch, 2, 2 DC] in same st, Ch 4, Turn work, Sl st in beg. Ch 3 st, Turn Work, Ch 1, 7 DC in ch 4 sp you just created, *DC in next 4 sts on Round 2 of the border, Ch 4, Turn work, Sl st in 1st DC of 4 DC grouping, Turn work, Ch 1, 7 DC in ch 4 sp you just created, repeat from * around putting [2DC, Ch 2, 2 DC] in corner and making your wave over the corner. Sl st to first corner when you get back around. Fasten off.
(It was very hard for me to explain Round 3 in writing, so I highly recommend seeing this in the video tutorial provided on YouTube)

Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

The Cat’s Out of the (YARN) Bag!

December 26, 2018 By Nadia Fuad in baby, Blog Posts Tags: babe, babies, baby, baby on board, basic, beginner, bowel, bowels, breaking news, character, child, christmas, chronic illness, colitis, cravings, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, crohn's, crohn's and colitis, crohn's awareness, crohn's disease, daddy, emotional, emotions, family, family planning, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, growing, health, health issues, health related, how to crochet, ibd, ibs, inflammatory bowel disease, learn, little, mommy blog, mommy blogger, party, pattern, pregnant, red heart yarns, stitch, surgery, symptoms, teach, tutorial, uterus, video, video tutorial, we're pregnant, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 75 Comments

It’s no secret that my battle with my health has been mostly an uphill one. Numerous surgeries have taken their toll on my body for the past ten years as I continue my fight. My Crohn’s disease has to be considered in every facet of my existence. My life, daily decisions, activity, diet, my body, and my future are ruled by this illness and how it will affect my daily living. After ten years, it is “Normal for Nadia” to be at the mercy of this condition. It just is that way. Like a habit, living with severe Crohn’s disease becomes part of my routine.

Doctor appointments, daily meds, regular testing, procedures, and so many details have worked their way into the fiber of my ordinary existence. Even getting married in March was overshadowed by the very real possibility that I may end up sick or in the hospital on our wedding day. It’s just the reality of living with chronic illness. Fortunately, adrenaline was my friend on March 17, 2018 and it helped carry my aching body through the day without incident! Our wedding was the most glorious day ever. Sure, I paid for it afterwards, but I would do all of that 1,000 times over just to relive that beautiful day!

Hardcore family planning

Nate and I always knew we wanted a family, we also knew that it would not be an easy path to having one. Several months after getting married, we sought help from my doctors to find out if I can safely support a pregnancy since I have such a challenging health history. I underwent a series of tests, some incredibly invasive (dignity be damned). A team of specialists were assembled to oversee my care if we were able to get pregnant. According to all these insane tests, there was no reason, despite my health battle, that I couldn’t get pregnant. We were so relieved! We were aware it would be very risky; the warnings from the medical staff came across loud and clear, but we have confidence in the high-risk team overseeing my care. They were very realistic but also reassuring. I was facing my 28^th birthday, and although we weren’t aggressively trying, we weren’t being careful either. So, in early November–two days after my birthday–with symptoms that screamed that I might be pregnant, I went to the store and bought a half dozen pregnancy tests.

My internal dialogue was: “I just spent a small fortune on something I am going to pee on. Who cares!??? I need answers!”

It all comes down to a (+) sign

It was a Friday afternoon, November 9th. My friend Sarah was coming to town for a visit, and I was planning on picking her up at the bus station in a few minutes. I only had a small window to privately check out my pregnancy suspicions. So like millions of women before me, I peed on the stick and nervously waited through the minutes that could change everything. I was pacing, nervous and fidgety. How do you distract yourself for those moments without constantly checking if you have your answer? If “a watched pot never boils,” does frantically fanning a pee stick prolong the results?! Because that 5 minutes felt like a flippin’ lifetime!

The test read (+) and I freaked out! I called my mom on Skype immediately, and I was hyperventilating and crying and couldn’t get out what I needed to say. I completely freaked her out because she thought something tragic had happened. I couldn’t speak, and my dramatic reaction had her thinking the worst. I was able to show her the pregnancy test and get her expert opinion on what it was saying. (Like I didn’t already know, right?!) Were these tests saying what I thought they were saying? Of course they were, but I needed Dr. Mom!!! She talked me through it and asked me what Nate said about it…

Oh. My. Gosh. Nate!!! I had yet to tell Nate! How did I not think of that?

She suggested that maybe I should have called him first! Oh my goodness, absolutely! I was a bit of a frantic mess. Where’s my coat?! I’m wearing it. Where are my keys?! In my hand! I had only a few minutes because Sarah’s bus was about to arrive! I jumped in the car and decided to stop at his work! Woops! Was that a stop sign? Just kidding! I am grateful I didn’t receive a citation on the way to tell my husband!

We are having a baby… What do we do now?

Nate came out to the car and I had the test stick in a Ziploc bag. I told him I have to tell him something and without asking, he just said, “You’re pregnant.” I cried, I laughed, and I shoved the pee stick in the Ziploc at him and told him to look at it. We were so happy! He said he had a strong feeling. He knew. What emotions! So high, but then reality started to sink in like “What are we going to do now”? Even though we didn’t know what direction to take at that exact moment, we would figure it out together. We called my mom again from the car in the parking lot at Nate’s work. After talking to her, we knew I had to see my doctors first. We had to keep this quiet for a while. By all calculations, I was only about six to seven weeks along. Things were so precarious with my health and we wanted to make sure the pregnancy was viable and baby was healthy. We also needed to be sure I was fully healthy enough to actually support a pregnancy. On a scale from one to ten our emotions were off the chart. What ARE we going to do now?! GAHHH! WE ARE HAVING A BABYYYY!!

Game Face and A No Colon Surprise Party

Nate went back to work, and I had to pick up Sarah. How was I going to keep a straight face? How do I keep this from my best friend? Although I was busting to tell her to the point I was getting twitchy, I knew I couldn’t. I am the WORST at keeping a secret, God knows, and it was stressful to not blurt it out! I put on my best game face and decided to get it out of my mind (yeah, right!) and enjoy the weekend. Little did I know that the reason Sarah was really coming to visit was because my mom, Nate, Sarah and Nida were planning a surprise party to celebrate my birthday tied into a No Colon, Still Rollin’ – 10 years later party! WHAT IS HAPPENING!??? Saturday afternoon my entire family and all my friends surprised me and I couldn’t say a word to any of them! I ate three poop emoji cupcakes just from the stress of it all. Only Nate and my parents knew, and I couldn’t talk to them with everyone around! Again, ALL THE EMOTIONS!!!

Thank goodness for poop emoji cupcakes. That’s all I’m sayin’.

Well, it’s true! We’re pregnant.

I scheduled my first appointment and we had our first ultrasound. I knew going into this that it wouldn’t be easy. Nausea, heartburn, extreme fatigue, restless legs, extremely sensitive boobs that have grown 10 times their size, body pains off the charts, visits to the ER to check scary symptoms caused by adhesions from past surgical scar tissue, phantom sharp pains in my non-existent anus, my ostomy is shifting to the side as my tummy begins to grow, the scars on my tummy are being stretched, back pain, sciatic pain, vivid dreams and nightmares, itchiness, sleeplessness, aversion to certain foods, no appetite to ravishing hunger, even more profound vitamin deficiency (particularly folic acid and magnesium), chronic asthma symptoms to the point I need my rescue inhaler constantly and now a nebulizer, and more issues are plaguing me night and day, and I’m only past my first trimester!

But, it’s all worth it.

Especially at that very moment when we saw our baby on the ultrasound.

Suddenly, it all became real. We heard the heartbeat and we laughed and cried.

We called it our “little bean.”

We instantly fell in love.

Our baby is due in June 2019, and our hearts are so full.

What now, doc?

We had our first minor complication. There was a subchorionic hemorrhage (a blood clot) that was found on the ultrasound. The doctor said it happens in implantation, and unless I had excessive bleeding (I was only having some bleeding), not to worry too much about it, and it would be monitored. I also had to cease a bunch of my medications. In stopping the meds, I risk some complications, but I have been managing things pretty well. One medication I can’t stop is my biologic injection. I am so worried about taking it, but I can’t risk getting sick to the point it would put me and baby in danger. My team has warned me over and over not to stop it.

I have to be truthful, I was contemplating stopping my biologic injection. The grave warnings from all my doctors have me reconsidering as I face having to take it this week. There is no evident risk to baby, but to me, if I stop, it would be very grave. I could become too ill and not be well enough to sustain the pregnancy, putting both of us at risk. Every doctor concurs. I do have to stop taking it at thirty weeks into the pregnancy to best insure that baby comes into this world the strongest and healthiest it can be. I am concerned without the protection of any medication to control my disease, my body won’t cooperate. I am hopeful. I am optimistic. I am scared. I won’t lie, I know what I am facing, and I know it will be worth it, but I also know this isn’t going to be an easy journey. Nothing this wonderful ever is. I have learned this lesson over and over in my life; I am familiar with how this goes. I am familiar with the bargaining process.

Now we are three!

We are now in the planning stage. I am almost 14 weeks pregnant, and have been following all the doctors’ instruction and am closely monitored. I am also chronicling my pregnancy on The Bump Phone App! According to the app, today our baby is about the size of a lemon! I have regular doctor appointments both with my standard team as well as a high-risk OB-GYN in Rochester, Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic. I couldn’t ask for a better crew of docs overseeing our care! They are so thorough. My last appointment with the specialist was two hours! We are in great hands, and we’re hopeful that things will continue to go well. I just pray that I stay healthy and strong for our little sweet pea. My heart is so full and all I want is to provide the best for this tiny baby despite my challenges.

Merry Christmas to Us!

We told Nyle, Nabeel, Samantha and Des over Thanksgiving. We also went to visit Nate’s dad and gave him a special “Grandpa” shirt.

We also told Nate’s brothers that weekend, too. Other than immediate family and a couple close friends, we decided to wait and reveal our news to everyone else over Christmas! Our family and friends are elated, and some told me they “just had that feeling!”

Today, I wanted to share this with our YARNutopians now that our extended families and close friends received the news. Now, my crochet project list grows! Baby stuff galore! I already have some baby projects on our agenda! What an exciting year of crochet we have ahead of us! I hope to continue with our filming and projects as long as I can and will continue after baby’s arrival! We all have so much to look forward to in the New Year. Not only are we expecting a new addition, but my brother and his wife are also expecting a new baby in January! So many reasons to crochet! Haha! I am excited and filled with joy to share our news with all of you. Cheers to 2019! Thanks for being with us on this crazy and wonderful journey!

“You are so loved, little one.”

~Your Mommy and Daddy

~Nadia and Nate

Crochet Tutorial: Vintage Style Baby Bonnet

June 12, 2018 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, baby bonnet, basic, beginner, bobble, bonnet, child, children, clothes, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, dress, fashion, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, happy, hat, heart, hearts, holiday, how to, how to crochet, infant, kid, kids, learn, learning, micro fashion, outfit, pattern, red heart yarns, squares, stitches, style, teach, toddler, tutorial, video, video tutorial, vintage, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 1 Comment

I love to create matching layette sets when designing items for babies. I love the idea of a cute dress with matching accessories. Today, I have the second installment for the Happy Hearts Baby Dress. I designed a Vintage Style Baby Bonnet.

This sweet baby hat has similar ruffle detail as seen on the cap sleeves of the Happy Hearts Baby Dress. Using similar colors with this matching detail, this tiny bonnet is the perfect pairing for this sweet outfit.

With more pieces to come, this is the perfect set to start now and add to as the pieces become available! This will make a wonderful gift!

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make this simple bonnet pattern:

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.

Materials you will need:

Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
–Red Heart Scrubby Smoothie Cotton yarn in Aqua and Loofah
-H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Ribbon
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-I used 2 colors but you can use as many colors as you want
-I used a size 4 medium yarn, you can use any worsted weight, DK, or Aran yarn for this project

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
Puff: [YO, Insert Hook, YO, Pull through] 3 times, YO pull through all 7 loops on the hook, Ch 1 to close the st.
Cluster: [YO, Insert Hook, YO, Pull through, YO pull through 2 loops] 3 times, YO pull through all loops on hook.

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Add this bonnet with the Happy Hearts Baby Dress.

Bonnet:

Ch 4, Sl st to 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 2, Beg. Cluster in ring, [Ch 2, Cluster in ring] 3 times, Ch 2, Sl st to beg. cluster. (4 clusters)

Rnd 2: Sl st into Ch 2 sp, Ch 3 (counts as DC), [DC, ch 2, 2 DC] in same sp, *Ch 2, [2DC, ch 2, 2 DC] in next ch 2 sp, repeat from * around, ending with ch 2, Sl st to ch 3 st.

Rnd 3: Sl st in sp between DC sts (see video tutorial for specific location), Ch 1, Puff st in same sp, *Ch 1, Puff st in Ch 2 sp, Ch 1, Puff st in sp between next 2 DC sts, Repeat from * around, ending with Puff st in last Ch 2 sp, ch 1, sl st to 1st puff st.

Rnd 4: Ch 3 (counts as DC), DC in same st, *2 DC in next ch 1 sp, 2 DC in next puff st, repeat from * around, sl st to beg. ch 3 st. (64 sts)

Work in rows now

Row 5: Work in between posts, sl st in sp between DC’s, Ch 1, Puff in same sp, * sk 2 sts, Puff in sp between next 2 DC’s, ch 1, repeat from * 24 more times, leave the rest of the sts unworked. Fasten off, change color. (25 puff sts)

Row 6: With new color, attach yarn to last st on row with RIGHT SIDE facing you, Ch 3 (counts as DC), DC in same st, Sk ch 1 sps across, put 2 DC in each puff st, Fasten off, change color. (50 sts)

Row 7: Turn your work so you are looking at the WRONG SIDE, Sl st in sp between 2 DC grouping, Ch 1, Puff st in same sp, *Ch 1, Puff between next 2 DC grouping, repeat from * across, Fasten off, Turn your work, Change color.

Row 8: Repeat Row 6

Row 9: Repeat Row 7

Row 10: Repeat Row 6

Row 11: Repeat Row 7

Row 12: Repeat Row 6

Round 13: Starting in corner of front of bonnet, SC around entire bonnet with Loofah
Do not fasten off, continue working along the front of the bonnet

Row 14: Ch 1, SC in same st, * Ch 3, Sk 1 st, SC in next st, repeat from * 24 more times. Turn.

Row 15: Sl st into 1st ch 3 sp, Ch 2, *[2HDC, ch 2, 2 HDC] in NEXT ch 3 sp, repeat from * across. Turn.

Row 16: 6 HDC in 1st ch sp, *SC in gap between the HDC st groupings, 6 HDC in next ch 2 sp, repeat from * across, ending with SC in last ch 2 st. Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

Assembly step:
Weave ribbon across Row 12 of the bonnet.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

Crochet Tutorial: Happy Hearts Baby Dress

May 25, 2018 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, clothing, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, basic, beginner, bobble, child, children, clothes, crochet, crochet dress, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, dress, fashion, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, happy, heart, hearts, holiday, how to, how to crochet, infant, kid, kids, learn, micro fashion, outfit, pattern, popcorn, red heart yarns, squares, stitch, teach, toddler, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 3 Comments

It has been quite a while, but I finally completed my latest infant fashion piece! My Happy Hearts Baby Dress is a lovely one piece cotton frock made with cotton yarn

This lovely dress has tiny popcorn stitch detail on the skirt creating two stacked hearts. The simple ruffle creates a cap sleeve on the bodice. I added a tiny ribbon accent to complete the piece. Each detail was carefully thought out to create this wonderful project.

Easy enough for all stages of crocheters, this infant attire will be a hit for everyone!! As a crochet artist you will love the simplicity of this design while making it, and the final product is sure to WOW the masses! Andddd, I can guarantee that any little baby will look adorable in this frock

Below is a view of the back of the dress.

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make this dress:

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.

Materials you will need:

Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below

Although I used Red Heart Yarns in this project, here is a great substitution of yarn that works great as well. Brava yarn by WeCrochet/Knit Picks

–Red Heart Scrubby Smoothie Cotton yarn in 3 balls of Aqua and 1 ball of Loofah
-H-5.00mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-This dress is 13 inches wide and 15 inches long but you can make it longer by watching the video tutorial for tips!
-This dress takes 410 yards of yarn
-I used 2 colors but you can use as many colors as you want
-I used a size 4 medium yarn, you can use any worsted weight, DK, or Aran yarn for this project
-This dress is worked from the top down and the sleeves are added later

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet
BPDC: Back Post Double Crochet
PC: Popcorn Stitch: 5 DC in same stitch, remove hook from loop, insert hook in 1st DC of grouping, put loop back on hook, pull through the stitch and pull the yarn tight to make the stitch “fold in half” to make a popping stitch. (See video tutorial for visual instructions)

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Dress:
With Aqua
Ch 60, sl st to first ch to form large ring
Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as DC), DC in next 6 Chs, *3 DC in next ch, DC in next 14 chs, 3 DC in next ch, repeat from * 2 more times, DC in last 7 chs, sl st to ch 3 st.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, FPDC in first 8 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, *FPDC on next 16 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, repeat from * 2 more times, FPDC on last 8 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (76 sts)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, FPDC in first 9 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, *FPDC on next 18 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, repeat from * 2 more times, FPDC on last 9 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (84 sts)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, FPDC in first 10 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, *FPDC on next 20 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, repeat from * 2 more times, FPDC on last 10 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (92 sts)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, FPDC in first 11 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, *FPDC on next 22 sts, 3 FPDC on next st, repeat from * 2 more times, FPDC on last 11 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (100 sts)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, FPDC on first 13 sts, Ch 8, Sk 24 sts, FPDC on next 26 sts, CH 8, Sk 24 sts, FPDC on last 13 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (54 sts, 2 ch 8 sps)

Rnd 7: Ch 1, FPDC on first 13 sts, DC in each of the next 8 chs, FPDC on the next 26 sts, DC in each of the next 8 chs, FPDC on last 13 sts, sl st to first FPDC. (70 sts)

Rnd 8: Ch 1, FPDC on each st around, sl st to first FPDC. (70 sts)

Rnd 9: Ch 1, [DC & FPDC] on first st, *FPDC on next st, [DC & FPDC] on next st, repeat from * around ending with FPDC on last st, sl st to first FPDC. (102 sts)

Rnds 10-12: Ch 1, FPDC on each st around, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 13: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, BPDC on next 15 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 14: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 3 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next st, PC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next st, PC in next st, HDC in 3 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 15: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 2 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 2 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 16: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 3 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 7 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 17: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 4 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 5 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 4 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 18: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 5 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 5 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 19: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 6 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next st, PC in next st, HDC in next 6 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnd 20: Ch 1, FPDC on 53 sts, HDC in next 7 sts, PC in next st, HDC in next 7 sts, FPDC on last 34 sts, sl st to first FPDC.

Rnds 21-28: Repeat Rnds 13-20 once.

Rnd 29: Repeat Rnd 13

Rnds 30-31: Ch 1, FPDC on each st around, sl st to first FPDC.
Fasten off and change color.

Rnd 32: With 2nd color, HDC in each st around. Sl st to first HDC.
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Scroll down for Sleeves

Sleeves:
Attach yarn to last stitch on shoulder. See video tutorial for visual instructions.
Row 1: [Ch 3, Sk 1 st, SC in next st] 11 times, turn.

Row 2: Sl st into first Ch 3 sp, Ch 2, ([2HDC, Ch 2, 2HDC] in next Ch 3 sp) 9 times, HDC in last ch 3 sp, turn.

Row 3: *6HDC in next Ch 2 sp, Sk 2 sts, SC in between stitches, Sk 2 sts, repeat from * across ending with 6 HDC in last ch 2 sp, Sl st in ch 2 st at the end of the row.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Repeat the same concept for other sleeve.

Assembly:
Add a ribbon around waist and have the ties in the back.
Weave in all loose ends.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

Crochet Tutorial: Winter Winds Ski Cap

September 23, 2017 By Nadia Fuad in Crochet Pattern, hats, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, basic, beginner, cap, child, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, earflap, fashion, fashion blogger, free crochet pattern, free pattern, handmade, hat, how to, how to crochet, kid, kids, learn, pattern, ski cap, ski hat, stitch, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 5 Comments

When we get the opportunity to create something special for the pint-sized ones in our lives, and you have one of the cutest little guys on the planet here to model, you do what you can to make it all worthwhile! He even picked out a name for this latest creation! The Winter Winds Ski Hat! I used Deramores Chunky Yarn for this project, and it was absolutely divine! Soft, warm, and oh, so wonderful! The best combination anyone can ask for!

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this project:

Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials

**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 definitely sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!

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

-Watch the FULL introduction of the video tutorial for frequently asked questions and watch the full video for tips on how to make these smaller or bigger.
-I used Deramores yarn, but you can use any worsted weight or chunky yarn for your project.
-The hat I demonstrated in the video and wrote this pattern for is for a child size, but you can increase more to make a bigger hat if you need to. You can also stop the increases sooner to make a smaller hat. (See video tutorial for verbal instructions on sizing)
-The number in parenthesis ( ) at the end of each row means the amount of stitches in that round.
-This is in US terms

Materials:
Click here to get the full pack of yarn pack included in this project!

–Deramores Studio Chunky Yarn in Jade
–Deramores Studio Chunky Yarn in Cornflower
–Size I-5.50mm Crochet Hook
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors
–Measuring Tape

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
Cross-SC: Insert hook in next st, YO, Pull through, insert hook in previous stitch, YO, pull through, YO, Pull through all 3 loops on hook.
HHDC: Herringbone Half-Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Pattern:

With Cornflower
Ch 3
Rnd 1: 9 HHDC in 3rd ch from hook, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (9)
Rnd 2: 2 HHDC in each st around, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (18)
Rnd 3: [2 HHDC in next st, HHDC in next st] 9 times, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (27)
Rnd 4: [2 HHDC in next st, HHDC in next 2 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (36)
Rnd 5: [2 HHDC in next st, HHDC in next 3 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (45)
Rnd 6: [2 HHDC in next st, HHDC in next 4 sts] 9 times, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (54)
Rnds 7-12: HHDC in each st around, sl st to first st, ch 1, turn. (54)
Fasten off Cornflower
Add Jade to any stitch around.
Rnd 13-16: Cross-SC in each st around, sl st to first st, ch 1, do not turn. (54) (See “Special Stitches” and video tutorial above for visual instructions)
At this point, do not fasten off, go on to making the first earflap.

Earflap #1:
Row 1: Ch 1, Cross-SC in 10 sts, leave the rest of the sts unworked, ch 1, turn. (10)
Row 2: Cross SC in 9 sts, ch 1, turn. (9)
Row 3: Cross SC in 8 sts, ch 1, turn. (8)
Row 4: Cross SC in 7 sts, ch 1, turn. (7)
Row 5: Cross SC in 6 sts, ch 1, turn. (6)
Row 6: Cross SC in 5 sts, ch 1, turn. (5)
Row 7: Cross SC in 4 sts, ch 1, turn. (4)
Fasten off first earflap. Then go on to making the second earflap

Earflap #2
Skip 18 sts on row 16 of hat, attach yarn in next st.
Row 1: Ch 1, Cross-SC in 10 sts, leave the rest of the sts unworked, ch 1, turn. (10)
Row 2: Cross SC in 9 sts, ch 1, turn. (9)
Row 3: Cross SC in 8 sts, ch 1, turn. (8)
Row 4: Cross SC in 7 sts, ch 1, turn. (7)
Row 5: Cross SC in 6 sts, ch 1, turn. (6)
Row 6: Cross SC in 5 sts, ch 1, turn. (5)
Row 7: Cross SC in 4 sts, ch 1, turn. (4)
Do not fasten off
HDC around entire hat to clean up the edges.
Sl st to first HDC, and fasten off. Weave in all ends.

Assembly:
Make a pom to go on top of the hat, make 2 tassels to attach to the bottom of each earflap. See photos/video for visual instructions.

Enjoy!!

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Deramores

Crochet Tutorial: Little Lion Baby Booties

August 15, 2017 By Nadia Fuad in Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: babies, baby, basic, beginner, booties, boots, character, child, children, christmas, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, granny, granny square, halloween, handmade, holiday, how to, how to crochet, infant, king, king of the jungle, learn, lion, lion king, lions, micro, microfashion, mufasa, nala, pattern, pride, pride rock, rafiki, red heart yarns, scar, shoes, simba, slippers, stitch, teach, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia Leave a comment

These are another addition to my Exotic Animal Baby Booties Series. I’m not “lion” when I say, you will have people “roaring” with compliments over these Little Lion Booties! Make a pair for your tiny “mane” man or “purr-fect” little princess. Take “pride” in making these as a gift for someone you love!

These booties can be adjusted to make teddy bears by removing the mane and the tail, or with some creative ingenuity, you can turn them into other fun zoo animals!! Enjoy!!

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make these booties:

Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials

**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.
***These patterns are copyright YARNutopia © so PLEASE DO NOT COPY, SHARE, ADJUST OR RESELL MY PATTERN. I wrote and tested this pattern myself, from beginning to end. It took a lot of time and work, and I would really like to have it remain “my pattern.”
***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
Share your work on Facebook!
Add me on Snapchat: YARNutopia
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Visit My Ravelry Store and add this to your Favorites!
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Enjoy this video and subscribe to my channel on YouTube for more tutorials on how to crochet!
Leave a comment, and share with your friends!

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.

Materials:

–Red Heart Yarn Soft in Gold
–Red Heart Super Saver in Carrot
–Red Heart Super Saver in Black
–Red Heart Super Saver in White
-G/6-4.25mm Crochet Hook (Find the hook I used in my video tutorial here!)
–Polyfil
–Stitch Marker
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

NOTES:

-This project uses less than 100 yards of yarn.
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-Watch the FULL video tutorial for visual instructions for each row and tips on how to make this smaller and bigger.
-Weave in all the ends as you go so you don’t have to weave them all in at the very end.
-If the instructions above are confusing, please message me on Facebook, and I will answer any questions you may have. Please be specific in your questions. Thank you!!
-The measurements for these booties are 5 inches (13 cm) long and will fit a 6 month old baby. (find other sole measurements here)
-Use a basic Slipper or Bootie pattern in any size and then follow along with the embellishments of this pattern to make these in any size. I do not have stitch counts for larger sizes in this pattern.
-I found a great pattern by HodgePodge Crochet for adult sizes on the slipper! Find it here! Then follow along with the Embellishments of my pattern for the lion design!

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
St(s): Stitch(es)
BLO: Back Loops Only
prev.: Previous
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
SC2TOG: Single crochet decrease
HDC2TOG: Half Double Crochet Decrease
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.

Booties: Make 2
With Charcoal
Chain 10
Rnd 1: 2sc into 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next 5 st. Hdc in next 2. 8Dc in last ch. Working on other side, hdc in next 2, sc in next 5, 2 sc in last stitch where beginning 2 sc are. Don’t join. (26 sts)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in 1st st from last row, 2 sc in next. Sc 7, hdc in next, 2hdc in each of the next 6 stitches, hdc in next, Sc 7, 2 sc in last 2 stitches. Do not join – (36 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next. Sc10, 2sc in next 2 stitches, sc in next 6, 2 sc in next 2 stitches. Sc 10, 2sc in next. Sc in last 2 stitches. Fasten off (42 sts)

Rnd 4: Attach Yarn to BLO of the stitch you fastened off in, sc in BLO of each stitch around. Join to 1st sc. Ch 1 (42 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc in same as join, and in each sc around. Join, ch1. (42 sts)

Rnd 6: Hdc in same as join and in each stitch around, join with ss to 1st hdc (42 sts)

Rnd 7: Sc in same st as join, sc in next stitch, sc2tog, sc 7, hdc2tog 10 times, sc 7, sc2tog, sc in last 2 stitches. Join, ch1. Don’t turn. (30 sts)

Rnd 8: Sc 9, hdc2tog 6 times. Sc 9. Join and ch 1 (24 sts)

Rnd 9: Sc 9, hdc2tog 4 times, sc 7 and join. (20 sts)

Rnds 10-12: SC in each st around, Sl st to first SC, Ch 1. (20 sts)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Nose/Mouth
Ch 2
Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd Ch from hook, sl st to first SC. (6)
Rnd 2: Ch up 3 (counts as DC), DC in same st, [HDC, SC] in next st, [SC, HDC] in next, 2 DC in next, [HDC, SC] in next st, [SC, HDC] in next, sl st to ch up 3. Ch 1. (12)
Rnd 3: 2 SC in first 2 sts, SC in next 4 sts, 2 SC in next 2 sts, SC in last 4 sts, sl st to first SC.
Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Assembly step:
Embroider nose, mouth, whisker dots on Nose/Mouth Piece. You can add whiskers too if you want! See video tutorial for visual instructions.

Ears: With Gold
Work in continuous rounds and in BLO
Make 2 per bootie
Ch 2
Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd ch from hook. (6)
Rnd 2: 2 SC in next st, SC in next 2 sts] 2 times. (8)
Rnds 3-4: SC in each st around.
Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Eyes: With White
Make 2 per bootie
Ch 2
Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd Ch from hook. (6)
Fasten off with long tail for sewing.

Assembly step:
Add a little tick of Black in the eye with Black yarn.
Sew ears and eyes to booties.
Weave in any loose ends.

After you attach the eyes, make the MANE!!
Attach the yarn on one side of the bootie, *ch 8, Sl st in same spot, sl st in next spot, and repeat from * around the face of the lion. (See video and photos for a visual guide)

Tail:
With Gold
Work in continuous rounds and in BLO
Ch 2
Rnd 1: 6 SC in 2nd ch from hook
Rnds 2-9: SC in each st around
Fasten off with long tail for sewing
Stuff tail
Crochet loops on round 1 of the tail.
See video tutorial on how to make the loops.
(Attach yarn, *Ch 6, Sl st in same st, Sl st in next st, repeat from * around)

Enjoy!!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the 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.

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Red Heart Yarns

Like these booties?? Try the Elephant Booties!!

Crochet Tutorial: Easy Elephant Baby Booties

August 2, 2017 By Nadia Fuad in Baby Items, Crochet Pattern, Crochet Projects, Video Tutorial Tags: animal, animals, babies, baby, basic, beginner, booties, boots, character, child, children, christmas, crochet, crochet tutorial, crocheted, crocheting, cute, elephant, fashion, fashion blogger, fashionable, free crochet pattern, free pattern, granny, granny square, handmade, herd, holiday, how to, how to crochet, learn, mammal, pachyderm, pattern, red heart yarns, safari, shoes, slippers, teach, tusks, tutorial, video, video tutorial, yarn, yarnie, yarnutopia 3 Comments

“Pack-aderm” your “trunk” full of “grey” yarn, ladies and gents! Are you up to the “tusk” of making these adorable Easy Elephant Booties? Last I “herd,” the word about the Flamingo Booties was pretty great, so I decided to add another great design to my Exotic Animal Booties Series!! I will continue to use an “elephant” of surprise when introducing these new patterns. So keep watching and sharing my page! Some may find this pair “irrelephant” but hopefully many of you will think these are as “elephantastic” as I do! Thanks a “ton” for all the love! Play around with color for some fun and whimsical elephant designs for the little one in your life

Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this project:

Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials

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.

Materials:
Click here to get the whole KIT!!

–Red Heart Yarn Soft in Charcoal
–Red Heart Super Saver in Gray Heather
–Red Heart Super Saver in Black
–Red Heart Super Saver in White
-F-3.75mm Crochet Hook (Find the hook I used in my video tutorial here!)
–Polyfil
–Stitch Marker
–Yarn Needle
–Scissors

You can buy any of the items in this kit. Buy all or buy one item. Check it out to see the supplies you can get online to make these booties!