I prepared a family favorite that is not only easy to make, but is a meal that can stretch the dollar! I love making meals on a shoestring and this one cost just around $10USD and can feed the ENTIRE family! With a family our size, recipes like these come in handy!
Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
Tips; You can substitue low fat, low sodium ingredients (soup, sour cream, cheese) without compromising flavor. You can also substitute a variety of cheeses and still get rich creamy/cheesy results. Use what you like. You can also substitute 2-3 chicken breasts with 4-6 boneless skinless thighs. The beauty of a recipe like this is, it is very versatile and still produces GREAT results.
2 10.75 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz. can of diced tomato w/ green chili (Rotel)-you do not need to drain
2-3 chicken breasts
1/4 c. sour cream
1 c. of shredded cheese (I used mild white cheddar but you can your preference)
1 lb. of spaghetti noodles (cooked)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika(optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Start by placing your chicken breasts in the crockpot. No prep necessary. Add both cans of cream of chicken soup and can of tomatoes with chilis. “Frost” the tops of your chicken breast and cover crockpot. Set on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
Once your chicken has been cooked, remove from crockpot and cut into bite size pieces. Add your seasonings-salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika to your crockpot. Add your cheese and sour cream. Mix well. Add your chicken bites back into sauce. Mix well and put back on high for 3o minutes.
While your chicken finishes the last stage in the crockpot, prepare your spaghetti noodles as per direction on package. Cook al dente.
Once your noodles are cooked, add them to your crockpot chicken and mix in well. The noodles will blend with your rich creamy sauce making a mouth-watering dinner guaranteed to please some of the most picky eaters! Let sit until sauce thickens.
Serve alone, with a side dish, or garlic toast and Enjoy!
Here is a simple step-by-step recipe that is sure to wow your guests at any dinner party or satisfy the most insatiable craving for homemade bread you have EVER had! Trust me when I say, when you make your very own loaf, you won’t want to stop at just one! You will be a bread making aficianado before you know it! Follow my recipe below and watch my step by step video to guide you through this easy process! By this afternoon, your house will smell like rich homemade bread and your meals will be next level with this fantastic recipe!
finished loaf of artisan bread
Recipe AND Video Below:
We made a quick artisan bread loaf using only four (4) ingredients! No kneading! No mess! Easy step by step tutorial to help you achieve the greatest results proving that you don’t need to exhaust yourself to make fancy, delicious bread!!
Easy to Bake 4-ingredient, no-knead artisan bread
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp quick rise instant yeast
2 tsp kosher or cooking salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (Not hot! Luke warm 130*F or 55*C)
(You will need parchment paper)
Mix all ingredients in one bowl. Dough will be sticky. Let sit for 1-3 hours until dough doubles in size. (A perfect time to work on your crochet projects!) Preheat oven to 450*F (232*C) and set empty cast iron Dutch oven inside with lid on while oven preheats. Heat empty Dutch oven for 30 minutes. NOTE: This bread dough can be kept in refrigerator for up to three days and made later. The time in the fridge can even enhance flavor!
While oven/Dutch oven preheats, sprinkle a little flour on clean surface. Roll your dough onto floured surface and fold each ‘side’ into itself. I do 6-8 folds until dough forms nice round ball. Place dough on parchment paper and transfer dough ball into clean bowl. Using sifter, sprinkle a small amount of flour onto dough ball top surface. Using a lame or sharp knife cut design onto top. Let sit for duration of time it takes to preheat oven and heat up Dutch oven.
a slice down the middle, fresh from the oven!
AFTER 20-30 minutes, using oven mitts, remove HOT Dutch oven from preheated oven and carefully remove lid. Your cast iron pot is going to be EXTREMELY hot!! Use caution. Place parchment with dough ball into the hot pan and replace lid. Place back in oven and bake with LID ON for 30 minutes. AFTER 30 MINUTES, Remove the lid from your Dutch oven pot and bake bread uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until you have a nice and toasty brown crust! Guaranteed your house will smell amazing! Carefully remove bread from pan and let cool for 10-15 minutes on cooling rack. Slice and serve! It tastes incredible with fresh butter melting on warm bread!! Mmm mmm mmm!!! Be sure to share with us how your finished loaves turn out!!!
a beautiful slice of warm, fresh made bread slathered in butter!
Since everyone here knows Nadia so well, and is familiar with her and her craft, Fuad and I wanted to introduce ourselves to this audience. We hope to get to know you more, as well as opening our home and hearts to you, as we take some new direction with YARNutopia.
We are Nadia’s parents, Fuad and Shannon. We are the behind-the-scenes operation team of YARNutopia. As we prepare to take this platform to new places, we thought it would be a great time to share more about ourselves beyond what has popped up from time to time.
Getting To Know Us
Fuad and I have been married for 35 years. We have three wonderful adult children; two of whom are married. We have three grandchildren. We are also foster parents to three teen girls. Fuad and I have been licensed foster parents for just over two years and are trained in Level 4 Trauma-Informed Foster Care.
Outside of family, we love to explore nature, travel across the globe, and even find adventure right in our own back yard. We live in a rural community in North Central Wisconsin and love this area tremendously. It is full of an abundance of nature and wildlife; much of which we hope to explore more with you here.
Our hobbies include photography, videography, woodworking (visit our Etsy shop HERE), jewelry making, cooking, baking, home projects, DIY, decorating, and so much more! We ARE BUSY and hope to show some of these activities to you. In our spare time, Fuad loves to tinker on cars, film and photograph wildlife(you can find our other YouTube channel HERE), and I love to read and write – when life quiets down enough to pull out a good book. Be on the lookout for some book reviews as well! When I read a fantastic novel, I want to tell the world!
Not so long ago, I used to work in leasing and together we ran a portrait studio, Image By Fuad. Now we are busy with home and family, as well as running our small businesses. We also stay VERY active as a treatment foster home to teens. We have a lot of experiences to bring to the table. We are so glad you are along for the ride!
So join us as we begin this new adventure here on YARNutopia. Keep coming back each week to see what we have going on in our world and we guarantee that you will love what we have in store!
It has been no surprise that Nadia has had her hands full with Nasir and motherhood. She is extremely busy and has scaled back considerably on her crochet. She is still busy creating and sharing her work, just not at the level you have grown accustomed to. Understandably so. Nasir keeps her on her toes!!
We have a fantastic audience of creative individuals that check in daily to see what is new in our neck-of-the-woods. For that reason, our family has decided to take YARNutopia in a new direction. Crochet has, and always will be, the foundation for this platform. Nadia will continue to create and share her creations as often as time allows. Fuad will continue to film some of those creations as well. We know you have grown to love this combination of easy-to-follow patterns and clear, precise videos that allow the viewer to see everything in detail. That will still remain. However, we hope to grow this platform in new directions. It is for that reason, we have decided to add a few more elements to our website for you to enjoy.
What to expect
Many of you know Fuad as our cameraman. You have seen him on camera from time to time. He is also busy behind-the-scenes with us doing much more than working the camera. We hope to use YARNutopia to share some of those interests and make this more of a family/lifestyle blog. As Nadia’s parents, you may not see us as often in front of the camera but we stay quite busy in other contributing ways to this platform. We enjoy much more creative outlets in our spare time and together with Nadia, we want to share some of those with you. Things such as cooking, woodworking, DIY projects, and so much more. We will be changing our name to YARNutopia & More to encompass all that we hope to share with you!
We look forward to you staying around to see some of the new changes, as well as enjoying Nadia’s newest patterns. Keep those crochet hooks handy! You will need those! Her hands may be full but she still keeps them busy with crochet projects every day! We just plan to add some fun family and lifestyle blogs alongside her crochet projects! Don’t go anywhere, because there’s a lot of exciting content about to come your way. Stay Tuned!!
Happy Hooking & More!
Fuad, Shannon, & Nadia
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!!
It’s been quite a while since I have last written an update both regarding my health and also Nasir’s diagnosis of autism. As far as my health goes, I feel I’m in the best place I have been in years. I have occasional setbacks, but over-all I have been feeling very good. I’ve been following up with doctors, continuing my biologic medication, and trying to practice a healthier lifestyle. I have been going to the fitness center several days a week. The gym is two-fold. One, for my physical and mental health, and secondly for Nasir. He is socializing with his peers more and more, and the gym’s childcare services provide an opportunity for him to do just that.
Where we started
Since I last blogged about this, we were in the middle of a whirlwind of overwhelming hits coming at us from every direction. Nas wasn’t meeting his appropriate age mile markers. I was battling my own health issues with my Crohn’s disease and mental health, the most difficult being post-partum depression and anxiety. You can read more here.
Soon after the doctors told us Nasir was on the Autism Spectrum, we were thrust into a new normal of therapies of all kinds. Speech, behavioral, occupational, and more. Nasir was nearly two years old and other than making some babble sounds, he didn’t say actual words, mimic our sounds, answer or respond to his name, he wouldn’t make eye contact often, he played independently from other children (other kids didn’t interest him much), he obsessively watched or paid attention to only certain things like specific TV shows that he watched over and over. We would discount or rationalize them, or chalk it up to other things – “maybe it’s his hearing” or “he was born a little early, he’s just a little delayed.”
What came next
Getting the diagnosis of ASD was bittersweet for our family. It’s one of the most overwhelming things to process, but we also have a solid reason for the why’s we were experiencing. We could finally move forward with all the wonderful resources our community has to offer.
Where we are now
Nasir is in therapy nearly every day. He is now talking non-stop. He has lots to talk about and share. He has big opinions and now that he has discovered his voice, he is eager to discover new words, things and experiences. He loves adventure, to play, and to build. He swims and loves the park. He has friends and learns a lot from parallel play. He recently started dancing and his love of music has always been strong. Magna-tiles have opened up his imagination, and he is a master at building castles. He sings, counts, says the alphabet, and identifies so many objects we see throughout the day. He loves his family. Mama and Daddy are his favorite people followed by his grandparents, all his aunties, uncles, cousins and his amazing therapists. He loves reading books, and presently, The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is his favorite TV show. (We shout “OH TOODLES” a dozen times a day!)
We have come SO FAR in a just under a year. The therapies have provided Nate and I small windows in our day to have a break. Despite Nasir’s achievements, he is still demonstrating behavior that do not allow us many moments for breaks. He’s still a wild toddler, of course, but he also never sits still, his attention span is very short. We are having less meltdowns, but they still occur daily. My entire life is devoted to this sweet boy and facing all the challenges that come our way.
Moving ahead
When I do get a chance, I’m trying to get back into my crochet. I feel that spark coming back. I feel several sparks returning. I’m beginning to feel more like myself. Therapy has helped – my own therapy. It’s been life-changing. Little by little, I have been able to piece myself back together. I’m stronger than I have been in a long time. I can do hard things, and I’m doing them every day. If Nas is doing hard things, then I need to continue to set an example and do the same. We continue to take baby steps toward doing more crochet projects and hopefully soon, things will be back into full-swing.
I am currently working on one crochet project per month, and I have a goal of doing 3 to 4 projects per month like I used to do. At the time of creating this blog post, I am anticipating planning out our Halloween costumes for the family this year. You know we have to go all out like every year! Can’t wait to share what we have up our sleeve in 2022!
Our Annual Halloween Costume Reveal is here! Nate is a Rainbow to my Pot of Gold and Nas is our lucky leprechaun!
We had a heck of a time trying to decide on a costume that could be worn by our trio. It was such a challenge to find something that didn’t require a huge commitment and large amount of hours. Lately, our days are spent with Nasir doing occupational therapy and speech therapies for his autism.
This change has left me with only pockets of time in a day to work, so it has been quite challenging to pull this years costume together.
We managed this crazy ensemble. Not as thrilling as years past, but still fun and colorful like our family. AND we managed to get Nas to sit still and give us a couple smiles. He melts my heart. He is our true gold.
I hope you enjoy our trio and until next year…Happy Halloween!
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to read my latest blog post regarding my absence from YARNutopia lately and the next chapter we are heading into with our son Nasir. I have been overwhelmed with so many emotions from the outpouring of love and supportive kind words you left on my posts, in my messages, and the texts I received all day.
There is no way for me to individually reply to all of you, but just know I read every word and took it all to heart. I appreciate all the openness you shared from your personal experiences with friends, family members, or even first-hand experiences with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I am currently educating myself on all the different types of therapies and discussing with the specialists what they advise in helping Nasir progress. We hope to see some changes in the first month of this new therapy. We are extremely hopeful.
Reading all the comments and messages that flooded in gave me so much encouragement and hope for my little guy. I know he will accomplish great things in his life, and luckily, we can be his advocates for his success.
In the meantime, please continue to support YARNutopia by sharing my patterns, watching my videos on YouTube, visiting my blog, and purchasing the Wood Be Fancy Crochet Hooks. That helps tremendously during this transition!
Like most of America, and the world, I am staying home as ordered by our state officials. It is such an unusual and unprecedented time and everyday things are changing. Our situation is so fluid meaning what we hear on the news in the morning, can completely change by the evening. I don’t know about many of you, but this unsettled world has me feeling so anxious and nervous. It also puts me on high alert because, as a person with a severely compromised immune system and a long history of health issues including asthma, I am fearful of everything I am learning about this illness.
Presently, I take immuno-suppressant medications that keeps my chronic disease under control, but severely taxes my system leaving me little to fight off infection or illness. I fall into that segment of society who are at high-risk of danger if I come into contact with anything going around.
Plans Change
I have not left my house for over 3 weeks. I don’t know if you recall through my recent posts and videos, but Nate and I had a trip to Colorado planned for our second anniversary and Nate’s golden birthday. (He turned 30 on March 30th) We were going in early March to Denver. Everything was booked, ski-hill passes were purchased, airfare and lodging reserved and paid for, sightseeing plans and a special anniversary/dinner was in the works. Nasir was going to Grammy and Grampy’s house for the week. We were so excited.
As more and more news broke out, it became apparent that we would have to cancel our vacation. I called my doctors and they advised me NOT to travel. They had insisted that in my condition and with little to no immune system to fight, going into an airport or on a plane was too dangerous at this time. Was I sad and disheartened to cancel all our plans? Absolutely. However, I trust my doctor, and if my doctor issues a grave warning like she did, there is no way I would go against her recommendations. I have been through too much in my life not to heed her warnings.
Everything Is Canceled
So, we, like many of you, decided to retract and cancel all our plans and reservations and stay home. Glued to the TV and internet we watched everything unfold in real-time. Rapidly changing, constantly fluid and more frightening by the moment, we stayed in and were gripped by what was happening in the world and right here at home. I needed to walk away from the screens and try to salvage what I could of our “vacation” by re-inventing a plan to enjoy our anniversary and Nate’s birthday. And we did. We kept Nasir home and the three of us did a “stay-cation” in our living room. We binged Netflix shows, took a few countryside drives, walked a trail or two in isolated places, we cooked a nice dinner on our two celebrations and WE STAYED INDOORS. My extent of “leaving the house” is going into my backyard.
Our Options
Nate is fortunate to have several weeks of vacation and PTO (Paid time off) that he is using up from his “essential” job. He works in a plant that has numerous employees, and from all indications, we felt that his going to work at this time was not wise because of community spread and he was able to use up his vacation to stay home so far. On the advice of my doctors, they suggest he take time off and stay home indefinitely, as to not bring anything home with him that puts me or Nas at risk.
It has been extremely stressful to work through the decisions of him returning to work versus staying home if he is able. Like many people, this serious crisis is forcing our hand to make hard choices to protect our family and none of the choices are easy. He stays home, we cut off our main income for the indefinite future. If he goes to work, then he risks exposure and bringing “it” home in a household that deals with an individual with little to no immune system to fight off any of this. I can’t tell you how scared or anxious I have been!!! I know I am not alone in saying this. ALL of us are scared.
We will find a way
As we navigate through the uncertainties and worries of this ever changing situation and confide in our doctors and families, we have been able to come up with Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Each one comes with its own set of concerns and heartaches. Do we take no pay? Can we survive on just my income? (I have exhausted myself looking into options –FFCRA-the Families First Act or Paycheck Protection-none of which apply to us) Do we send Nate to work? Should Nas and I stay with my parents and be apart from Nate for an indefinite duration?
We, are faced with life-altering decisions while we press ahead into the unknown. At least we have what we need. At least we can manage through each plan despite the difficulties of each choice. At least we have support. I remind myself all the time of the blessings I have before me and focus upon those. Many are not so fortunate, and it hits me over and over to imagine the unimaginable. We will work this out. No matter what sacrifice we make, it is small in comparison to so many others. No matter what, we all have had to work through so many rough spots of this situation and it’s not easy.
Moving forward
As we move forward, sometimes slowly, sometimes at a mad pace, the least I can do to keep myself occupied is what I do best. Crochet. So for the next weeks, months, whatever it takes, I will continue to bring you what I can of my craft. I will show up. Every day. I will bring some new projects, new patterns, light, laughter and a distraction from the craziness that is swirling around us. So, join me as we keep moving forward. Bring your hooks and your yarn, and for a few minutes a day try to focus on other things that distract us from our worries, and relax with our craft. Because in a time when so much is out of control, one thing we can be in control of us the choice to take a few moments to do something we love.
“It is how we embrace the uncertainties in our lives that leads to the great transformation of our souls.”
When we reach the end of this, and we will, I hope we can all move forward with more love, patience, and understanding of one another. The lessons we learn will be immense.
I hope you all stay healthy…
~Nadia
P.S. A huge thank you goes out to everyone in the world who are on the front lines of this insanity. ALL the helpers. ALL the essential workers. ALL the people who risk their lives so we can be home. Our gratitude knows no limit. And for the families this may reach, I hope and pray that all of you are well and safe. I am sending every bit of goodness your way.
I don’t know who needs to hear this as I hope no one is breaking these rules, but if you are one who was told to stay home, please do. Follow the guidelines of what has been mandated so that those who are unable to be home with their families can stay as safe as possible during this time.
Sending you lots of love.
Share with us how you are getting through this difficult time.
Introducing my Family Fair Isle Hat. This is a fun pattern for everyone! OOOH Yeah! This is the perfect hat for the season, for the family, for ANYONE on your gift giving list-and don’t forget to make one for yourself! I have provided you the pattern to make one in several sizes-baby, youth, teen/adult, XL adult, and I took the guess-work out of this pattern for you. In our family photos, I have done a variation on the color scheme in each hat using the beautiful colors provided by Marly Bird’s Chic Sheep yarn. Find the selection of colors here! You can find the perfect combination for everyone.
One of the loveliest things about this pattern is the versatility. Not only can you make it in any size, you can use a yarn pom, no pom,or a furry pom found here. You can keep the earflaps or make it a simple beanie or ski hat and leave them off. You can put braids or tassels on the earflaps – MAKE IT YOUR OWN! But, if you do, be sure to share those photos on my Facebook page, tag me on Instagram, or Snapchat me your pics! I can’t wait to see what you do.
If you are giving a handmade gift this hat alone or paired with a matching set of my Fair Isle Knee High Socks would make anyone delighted to find these under the tree. Be sure to check out my knee high socks here and get started on these great patterns today!
Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this hat:
My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos when I move away.
Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials even after I move into my new home!
There will be an added expense of more travel and hopefully this won’t deter our ability to provide consistent videos on a weekly basis.
Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
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!
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
-You can do as many rows of this pattern as you want to make it as tall as you want.
-This hat is in a multiple of 4 so make your foundation chain in a multiple of 4 that fits around your head.
-Work your Single Crochet Stitches into the CENTER of the stitch and NOT in the top loops. See the video tutorial to see exactly the location you should insert your hook into the stitches.
Small: Fits Size 3-6 Months
Medium: Fits Child
Large: Fits an adult (female)
X-Large: Fits large adult (male)
Introducing my Family Fair Isle Hat. This is a fun pattern for everyone! OOOH Yeah! This is the perfect hat for the season, for the family, for ANYONE on your gift giving list-and don’t forget to make one for yourself! I have provided you the pattern to make one in several sizes-baby, youth, teen/adult, XL adult, and I took the guess-work out of this pattern for you. In our family photos, I have done a variation on the color scheme in each hat using the beautiful colors provided by Marly Bird’s Chic Sheep yarn. Find the selection of colors here! You can find the perfect combination for everyone.
One of the loveliest things about this pattern is the versatility. Not only can you make it in any size, you can use a yarn pom, no pom,or a furry pom found here. You can keep the earflaps or make it a simple beanie or ski hat and leave them off. You can put braids or tassels on the earflaps – MAKE IT YOUR OWN! But, if you do, be sure to share those photos on my Facebook page, tag me on Instagram, or Snapchat me your pics! I can’t wait to see what you do.
If you are giving a handmade gift this hat alone or paired with a matching set of my Fair Isle Knee High Socks would make anyone delighted to find these under the tree. Be sure to check out my knee high socks here and get started on these great patterns today!
My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos when I move away.
Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials even after I move into my new home!
There will be an added expense of more travel and hopefully this won’t deter our ability to provide consistent videos on a weekly basis.
Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
Share your work on Facebook!
Add me on Snapchat: YARNutopia
Follow me on Marly Bird’s Chic Sheep yarn
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!
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
-You can do as many rows of this pattern as you want to make it as tall as you want.
-This hat is in a multiple of 4 so make your foundation chain in a multiple of 4 that fits around your head.
-Work your Single Crochet Stitches into the CENTER of the stitch and NOT in the top loops. See the video tutorial to see exactly the location you should insert your hook into the stitches.
Small: Fits Size 3-6 Months
Medium: Fits Child
Large: Fits an adult (female)
X-Large: Fits large adult (male)
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
FPHDC: Front Post Half Double Crochet
BPHDC: Back Post Half Double Crochet
SC2TOG: Single Crochet Decrease
HDC2TOG: Half Double Crochet Decrease
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.
With Brim Color (I used Polo in my hat)
Small: Chain 56 Medium: Chain 72 Large: Chain 80 (this is the size I demonstrated in the video tutorial) X-Large: Ch 96
(You can chain any multiple of 4 that fits around your head and make this pattern according to the instructions)
Rnd 1: Sl st to your first chain to form a large ring, Ch 1, HDC in each Ch around, sl st to the first HDC, Ch 1. (56, 72, 80, or 96 sts)
Rnds 2-5: FPHDC on first st, *BPHDC on next st, FPHDC on next st, repeat from * around ending with BPHDC on last st, sl st to first st, Ch 1.
Fasten off brim and change color to Linen
Attach Linen to any stitch around. Ch 1
Rnd 6: SC in each st around working in the top of the stitch, do not join (continue to work in continuous rounds for the rest of this hat
Rnds 7-8: SC into each st around (see video tutorial for visual instruction on working INTO the stitch and not in the top loops of the stitch) This will create the Knit looking stitches.
NOTE: Work OVER THE TOP of your unused yarn when changing colors so frequently during the rounds. This will save you from having to sew in so many loose ends. (See video tutorial on this technique)
Fasten off Linen and change to your main color. I used Lipstick red in my main color of the hat.
Rnd 9: Attach Lipstick Red to any stitch around, Ch 1, SC INTO each st around.
Rnd 10: SC with Main Color in first 3 sts, *Change to Linen after the 3rd stitch and put ONE SC of Linen in the next stitch, Change color right away back to your main color, and make a SC in each of the next 3 sts, repeat from * around ending with a SC of Linen in the last stitch, switch back to your main color right away for the next round. (If this is written confusing, please see the video tutorial for visual instructions).
It is quite difficult to explain in writing, until you know what’s being explained. Moving on.
Rnd 11: With your main color, SC INTO each st around (you will not be changing color at all during this round)
Rnd 12: With your main color, SC in the first st, Change to Linen after that first st, * put ONE SC of Linen in the next st, Change color right away back to your main color, and make a SC in each of the next 3 sts, Change color to Linen after the 3rd st, repeat from * around, ending with SC of Main color in the last 2 sts, Do not change color for the next round.
Small: Rnds 13-26: Repeat Rounds 9-12
Medium: Rnds 13-34: Repeat Rounds 9-12
Large: Rnds 13-38: Repeat Rounds 9-12
X-Large: Rnds 13-46: Repeat Rounds 9-12
Cut your Linen yarn, you will no longer need it.
The next round after you are finished with the fair isle design:
All sizes: [SC in next 2 sts, SC2TOG] repeat around. (This decreases the top to cinch it closed)
Last round: [SC in next st, SC2TOG] repeat around (decreased more)
Fasten off with long tail for sewing.
Cinch the top closed with the yarn you cut and tie it off to close the top of the hat.
add a pom to the top of the hat.
Earflaps: MAKE 2
All sizes:
Ch 13 Row 1: HDC in 2nd ch and each ch across, Ch 1, Turn. (12)
Rows 2-5: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (12)
Row 6: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 8 sts, HDC2TOG, Ch 1, Turn. (10)
Row 7: HDC in each st across, ch 1, turn. (10)
Row 8: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 6 sts, HDC2TOG, Ch 1, Turn. (8)
Row 9: HDC in each st across, Ch 1, Turn. (8)
Row 10: HDC2TOG, HDC in next 4 sts, HDC2TOG, Ch 1, Turn. (6)
Row 11: SC across and continue to SC around entire piece.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Sew to the inside of the brim on either side of the hat (See video tutorial for visual instructions)
Add braids to each earflap
Weave in the rest of your 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 Red Heart Yarns
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 28th 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!
Transitioning to so many new changes following the wedding, I found myself spending a lot of time alone. I live quite a distance from my parents now, in a new city, and have slowly begun to fully settle in to my new life here.
Working from home, I found that now the planning for the wedding is no longer consuming my days, I am finding a lot of extra time on my hands and hours to fill while Nate is at work all day. I stay busy. I have my YARNutopia blogging and tutorials to keep me quite active, but 10 hours a day I find myself alone. This is something I have been trying to adjust to and it hasn’t been easy.
Living with my parents, there was always a flurry of activity in our house. People coming and going, lots of stuff to do and very high energy made time pass quickly. I was never lonely. Here, my new house is very quiet all day, and it has taken some getting used to.
Fur-baby First
Nate and I have been considering adding a pet to our household for some time now. Even before the wedding, we really felt a fur-baby would be a welcome addition to our new family. We decided on a kitty cat just to have some companionship for me while Nate is away.
On Saturday, we spontaneously decided to go check out a pet rescue called Chasing Daylight. We went with an open mind and heart. Since we have been planning to adopt a cat or a dog, it wasn’t too surprising to fall in love with a pet right away. Nate has always wanted a cat, I wanted a small dog. We ended up seeing both, cats and dogs yesterday and fell in love with one little kitty right away.
For a pet to be available for adoption, the facility (Chasing Daylight Pet Rescue) has to spay/neuter the animal, give the animal a full check-up and shots. We loved that the facility was very clean and all the animals were very well cared for. They let the cats all run around in an open room together for socialization.
She captured our hearts
We immediately were drawn to a little kitty that was approximately 6-8 months old. She was a stray and had never been previously owned. She was so sweet and such a cuddly little thing. She was fully vaccinated and spayed and ready for adoption.
We filled out an application. They needed full disclosure on info; the obvious- if we have ever been arrested for animal abuse and other important necessary facts. They needed to know who lives in the household and who will be the main care giver. Basically the rundown on making sure we would be good pet parents.
They were so kind to us and we were approved with no problems. We told them we were recently married, and it is just us two living in our home. I work from home and Nate works outside of the home. Someone will always be home and a full-time companion for this little sweetie!
It was set. We could come to pick her up 10am Sunday morning and take her home!
When we arrived Sunday morning to pick up our little kitty we went in, we were expecting to just adopt one cat, but when we got there, another cat was super social and was playing with “our” kitty, so we were so moved by their antics, we just could not resist and within a couple of hours we were bringing home two!
The second cat was previously owned, the owners moved to Georgia. She is approximately 1 year old. She has been spayed and up to date on all her distemper, ringworm shots as well.
We packed them in the carrier and off we went home to start this new adventure!
What’s in a name?
First line of business was giving them a name! We waited to get them home and watch over them a bit, but Nate and I were both so transfixed by the color of their eyes. They both have such beautiful green eyes that it soon became evident that those would be the defining factor in finding their forever names.
We decided on Jade for our older cat and Fern for our little kitty.
We are looking forward to this newest adventure in pet parenting and sharing our lives with these two darlings-Jade and Fern.
I know for myself, it will help make my days feel a bit less lonely with these two around, and I will love having some crochet companionship! I can’t wait to share their antics with all of you!
Share a bit about your fur-babies in the comments!
UPDATE: 4/5/2019
We have had these kitties for a year now and they have made our life so much better! We really don’t know how we lived without them! They are always putting a smile on our face! Fern is the best snuggle bug and Jade loves on us when she’s hungry. Haha!! They are both so different, but they love each other and you can always find them together! Here are both of their birthday photos when they each turned 2 years old.
Jade’s 2nd birthday was September 7th, 2018
Fern’s 2nd birthday was March 26th, 2019
As you can see, they are extremely spoiled and deserve all the delicious treats in the world! We love them so much and we’re so happy they chose us.
~Nadia
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
I am often asked, “How did you learn to crochet”? My go to answer has always been the same, my mom gave me a skein of yarn and a hook during one of my hospital stays and from there, with her help and the help of other YouTube and internet crochet artists, I learned to hone my skills. If I wanted to dig deeper into this question, I would say that maybe, just maybe, this fine art of crochet is part of my early genetics and ancestry!
A family history lesson
When I was young, I had a class assignment to write about my genealogy. I remember at that time, my paternal grandparents were visiting us in the United States from Lahore, Pakistan. I recall sitting with my grandfather as he shared with me the tales of our family members and generations before me. He had instilled in me a deep appreciation for our rich family heritage and we often conversed about our family lineage and how steeped in history our family roots ran. He shared things like in his village of Jalalpur Jattan, which is now in Pakistan (before the split of Pakistan and India), my great-grandfather Dr. Imam Ud Din (Born in the 1870s) came from a long line of weavers and tapestry artists; their skills were sought after by all the villagers and beyond.
They made textiles, tapestry, and blankets made from weaving wool called thussas. Several other family members were also gifted in this craft. To this day, our village and family are recognized for their legendary skill. Along with my paternal great grandparents, many other family members were also very skilled in sewing, crochet, and knitting. These fiber art talents were passed on from generation to generation.
Here is a photo of my Great Grandparents:
This is another vintage photo of one of my family members as she works on a beautiful tapestry piece:
This is my Great Aunt who was known for her exceptional quilting skills:
My dad has mentioned often how wonderfully gifted his sisters are in these areas as well. I even found photos of my great grandfather weaving together the ropes on an outdoor lounge bed called a charpai. He even took time out of his busy life as a doctor to participate in this activity.
Coupled with the fact that my paternal side of our family was so gifted, on my maternal side of the family, my great grandmother Rose also had an incredible talent for crochet which is carried over through my mom and Aunt Gail, it was easy to deduce that I possibly inherited a wee bit of their skills. It is fun to imagine that I could be the bearer of these gifts and hope to continue to pass these talents on, not only here in this global arena, but to my own children someday. I am thankful to be a part of such talent on both my paternal and maternal sides of my family!
Centuries old
I have read that crochet has been around since the early 16th century and some proclaim even earlier. This had me thinking of the earliest history of crochet and how many generations ago these skills were truly used for survival. I found an interesting blog on the Crochet Guild of America Website giving insight into the history of this craft.
We have all learned from someone or somewhere. Whether this art-form was passed on to us from generations that came before us, or if we learned from the latest technology provided to us from online crochet artists or teachers, it continues to survive and thrive. I have deep respect for those who came before us that created such remarkable pieces of crochet artistry without the help of YouTube or Ravelry yet. I thank my lucky stars for having those resources today! It is truly remarkable that after all these years, decades, and centuries that the love for crochet is never-ending! Knowing my personal history, I believe these skills have been woven into my DNA.
Where did your love of crochet come from? Who was your first teacher? Share in the comments section!!
If I could crochet a colon for myself and anyone else who has lost their intestines due to Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, I would. If only it was that easy. I would stitch until my fingers fell off!! Unfortunately, I would have to crochet for millions of people who sadly have had total proctocolectomy surgery due to the devastation of inflammatory bowel disease. Today, May 19th, is World IBD Day. It is a day to recognize the millions of people worldwide who suffer from these debilitating diseases.
I crocheted this colon (large intestine) as a symbol of loss. Crohn’s disease claimed my large intestine in 2008, only one week before my 18th birthday. On the very cusp of colon cancer, my disease was extremely progressive and surgery was my only option. The fight never ends because sadly, there is no cure. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon and rectum. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract from mouth to anus.
This colon represents each major surgery; each stitch stands for each procedure, x-ray, scan, or test that I have undergone. This may seem like an unusual analogy to represent an organ or diseases that most people rarely, if ever, think about. To me, this disease changed my entire life and those changes led me here, crocheting my very own colon, and using my voice and skills to advocate for others who don’t have a platform to help spread awareness. Many of whom are no longer with us. Our diseases may appear invisible, but we are not!
Silly, strange, serious, or an obnoxiously bold statement, however you view this piece I created, hopefully it will generate conversation for inflammatory bowel diseases. Not just on May 19th, World IBD Day, but every day of every year until we find a cure.
Please *share* this blog post and you may be surprised to find how many people YOU know are silently suffering. There is NO CURE. Help raise more awareness so that I never have to type those words again.
When I arrived in this world, I am told, I was born with a paralyzed side of my face and the inability to open my left eye. From early photos, I always was the one with the very strange expressions and an odd look on my face. My mom always told me how beautiful I am and said it didn’t matter that my eye wouldn’t open, and God made me that way so everyone would think I am giving them a *wink* and fall in love with me. That is how my mom is. She sees the bright side in things. She is looking for the good in every situation–the silver lining–no matter how difficult life could be, she taught my brothers and me the same. Imperfections and differences make you beautiful, and that same thought applies to each piece I make by adding some “imperfect” characteristic.
We never had much, but we always had enough, and we always appreciated everything my parents were able to give us and make happen for us. I was given a strong work ethic, and that is why I do what I do by pouring my heart into each stitch of every piece I create. I could easily be doing any job and the same ethic would apply because it has been instilled in us by a mother that insisted we do the work. We learned how to cook, clean, pick up after ourselves and do laundry from a young age so we could appreciate how hard it is and never take people or things for granted; to have pride in doing and completing a job right from the beginning so we didn’t have to do it again and again.
My mom has walked with me through my journey with Crohn’s disease, and with each step, she has promised that I will never be alone as long as she can draw breath. She is responsible for my love of crochet when she handed me my first crochet hook and ball of yarn and taught me this craft. Little did she know how much this would mold my life and become a lifeline and a form of therapy for long hospital stays. To have the support and love is a gift I shall always cherish. But more than that, I realize I will never be lonely with her by my side, to look for the good and positive no matter what the situation, never feel sorry for myself, and that I always have a forever friend.
My mom is not like other moms. She and I have been through so much in this life. Whenever my brothers and I have troubles or burdens, it’s easier to bring them to my mom and she takes them away and makes everything better. My mom has been by my side at every hospital stay, every doctor visit, every medical test, even when doctors couldn’t help me, she helped me get through it all. I will never be able to thank my mom enough for all that she has done, is doing, and will do for me.
My mom is my best friend.
I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for her.
My mom never gave me any idea that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, or be who I wanted to be.
She has taught me to have appreciation in everything I have and never take anything for granted. She has taught me how to love unconditionally, and she inspires me every day to make a difference in this world, even if it’s to help few or many. She is my biggest fan, and she is the closest thing to Superwoman anybody could ever be. Please join me in wishing her and all the other moms (and dads or role models who fill those shoes) a fantastic day! It’s a thankless job sometimes, and you deserve more than one day of recognition.
Holiday entertaining is right around the corner. I personally enjoy tea with friends. Add a special touch to your table setting with The Joyful Teapot Cozy!
I added the word “Joy” to my teapot, but you can add any word. It’s very simple to chain and sew it onto the cozy. You don’t have to use holly leaves and berries as your embellishments either. Have fun with it and get creative by adding flowers, leaves, or other appliqués to make your teapot cozy personal.
The Joyful Teapot Cozy makes a lovely gift idea. Wrapped around a vintage teapot and filled with specialty teas, this would go far in making someone’s holiday tea-rrific!
Now it’s time to pour yourself a cup of hot tea, pull out your hook and get started today!
Follow along with this video tutorial to learn how to make this Teapot Cozy:
Information at the beginning of the video, Tutorial actually starts at 9 minutes.
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.
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
Questions? Leave a comment! You may sell items made from my pattern, but please reference my name and Etsy Shop (YARNutopia). Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own.
-This pattern is for a standard 4-cup round, side handle teapot with a lid and a curved spout. You could make it smaller or bigger just making more rows on the sides.
-You can make this cozy with any yarn: Cotton, Acrylic, Polyester
-You can make this using a bigger crochet hook if your tension is tighter
-You do not have to add the appliques, you could just have a plain teapot cozy sans the leaf/word design.
-This teapot Cozy is worked from the top down.
Special Stitches:
Ch: chain
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SC: Single Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
Puff: [YO, Insert Hook, YO, Pull Through] 2 times. YO, pull through all 5 loops on hook. Puff made.
Picot: Ch 2, Sl st in 2nd ch from hook
Backing of Teapot Cozy
With Gleam Yarn in Creamy,
Ch 12, sl st to 1st ch to form a large ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, SC in each ch around, sl st to 1st SC. (12 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1, SC in each st around, sl st to 1st SC. (12 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1, [Puff, Ch 1, Puff, Ch 1] in each st around, Sl St to 1st Puff St. (16 puff sts)
Round 4: Working in ch 1 sps: Ch 1, 2 HDC in same Ch 1 Sp, 1 HDC in next Ch 1 sp, *2 HDC in next ch 1 sp, HDC in next ch 1 sp, repeat from * around. Sl st to 1st HDC. (36 sts)
Round 5: Ch 1, HDC in each st around, sl st to 1st st. (36 sts)
Round 6: Ch 1, [Puff, Ch 2] in each st around, sl st to 1st Puff st. (36 Puff sts)
Round 7: In any ch 2 sp: Ch 2, HDC in each ch 2 sp around, sl st to beg. ch 2. (36 sts)
**You will now be working in rows:
Row 8: Ch 1, [Puff, ch 1] in same st and next 17 sts. Leave the rest unworked. Ch 1, turn. (18 sts)
Row 9: 2 HDC in each Ch 1 sp across. Ch 1, turn. (34 sts)
Rows 10-13: 1 HDC in each st across. Ch 1, turn. (34 sts)
(Optional: Continue working these rows until your piece is as tall as you need it to be, then go on to row 14)
Row 14: HDC2TOG, HDC in each st until the last 2 sts, HDC2TOG on the last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (32 sts)
Row 15: HDC2TOG, HDC in each st until the last 2 sts, HDC2TOG on the last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (30 sts)
Row 16: *HDC2TOG, HDC in next 3 sts, repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn. (24 sts)
Row 17: *HDC2TOG, HDC in next 2 sts, repeat from * across. Ch 1, turn. (18 sts)
Row 18: HDC in each st across.
Fasten off with Long tail for this side.
When you make the other side, you can cut your yarn short. (See video tutorial for visual instructions.
Attach your yarn to the unworked st from Round 7. Repeat Rows 8-18
Crochet a button hole loop after your last row by chaining 6, and sl st back into st. Fasten off.
Assembly step:
Sew front closed around spout of teapot. (see video tutorial for visual instructions)
Sew button to bottom back of cozy on the opposite side of button hole loop.
Leaf: Make 7
With Patina Gleam Yarn
Ch 9 Round 1: Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, SC in next Ch, HDC in next 4 Chs, SC in next, Sl st in next, Ch 2, Sl back in the same ch,
Working on opposite side of foundation chain: SC in next, HDC in next 4, SC in next, Sl st in last. Do not attach.
Round 2: [Sl st in next 2 sts, Picot] 3 times, sl st in ch 2 sp, ch 2, Sl st in same ch 2 sp, [Sl st in next 2 sts, Picot] 3 times. Sl st to beginning. Fasten off with long tail for sewing.
Berry: Make 9
With Red Shimmer
Ch 2 Round 1: 6 SC in 2nd ch from hook
Fasten off with long tail for sewing. Assembly step:
I recommend watching the video tutorial to learn how to sew all the pieces to your teapot cozy.
Sew leaves and berries to teapot cozy.
For the word “JOY” just chain an amount and pin it to the cozy and sew it on. You can also embroider the word to the cozy if you wish. Have fun with it!
See video tutorial for visual instructions on all the pieces and where they go.
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 Red Heart Yarns
It’s my birthday! I created this Birthday Wish Granny Square to add to our 365 Days of Granny Squares project. It uses variety of crochet stitches to create an interesting design! I hope you enjoy making your square!
A couple disclaimers before you start: Be sure to check your tension and use the correct size hook for your square. I demonstrate with an H-5.00mm crochet hook in the video tutorial, but you can make yours bigger or smaller by using a bigger or smaller hook. Also, if yours turns out wonky when you are finished, you may need to block this square to make it nice and flat.
Watch this video to learn how to make this square:
**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!
Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
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Pattern:
Designed by Nadia Fuad You *may* sell items made from my pattern, but please reference my website YARNutopia.com.
Please do not copy, sell, and/or post this pattern and claim it as your own.
NOTES:
-You can use a smaller or larger hook to make this square depending on your tension. I wouldn’t use anything larger than an I-5.5mm Crochet Hook though.
-The finished square measures 7 inches (18 cm)
-This square is worked from the center outward
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
Beg. Popcorn: Ch up 3, 4DC in same sp, remove hook, put hook in ch up 3, put loop back on hook, pull through and pull tight.
Popcorn: 5DC in same sp, remove hook, put hook in 1st dc of grouping, put loop back on hook, pull through and pull tight.
Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook. Picot made.
Long DC: Double crochet in Picot of Petal
Pattern:
If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial to have visual instructions.
Ch 13
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (12)
Rnd 2: Work in BLO, Ch up 1, turn, Sc across
Rnd 3: Work in FLO Ch 1, turn, SC across
Rnd 4: Repeat row 2, fasten off, weave in ends.
Rnd 5: Sk 3 sts, Attach yarn in BLO of next st, ch 1, sc in same st and in next 5 sts, leaving last 3 sts unworked. (6 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, turn, SC in FLO across. (6 sts)
Rnd 7: Ch 1, turn, Work in BLO, SC across. (6 sts)
Assembly: SC around cake (40 sts evenly) See video tutorial for specific stitches.
Rnd 8: (See video tutorial to learn how to do this round) In top right st of the top layer of cake: Ch 1, sc in same st, Ch 4, sk 4 sts, sc in next st, Ch 4, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 4, sk 3 sts, sc in next st, ch 4, sk 3 sts, sc in next st, [ch 4, sk 2 sts, sc in next st] 5 times, ch 4, sk 3 sts, sc in next st, ch 4, sk 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 4, sk last sts, sl st to 1st sc.
Rnd 9: Sl st in ch 4 sp, ch 1, SC in same sp, *Ch 4, SC in next ch sp, repeat from * around. Sl st to beg sc
Rnd 10: Sl st in ch 4 sp, Ch up 3 (counts as DC), 3 DC in same sp, *[4 DC, ch 2, 4 DC] in next sp, 4 DC in next 2 ch sps, repeat from * around. Sl st to beg. ch up 3.
Rnd 11: DC in each st around, [2dc, ch 2, 2dc] in corners. Fasten off
Weave in all ends.
Frilly siding:
Turn square upside down,
Working in front loops of bottom layer of cake:
Sc in 1st st, *ch 3, sc in next st, repeat from * across. Fasten off, weave in ends.
Candle:
Row 1: Attach yarn to edge round on top center of cake, ch up 1, sc in same st and next st
Row 2, Ch 1, turn, SC in 2 sts
Fasten off, weave in ends.
With Yellow, attach yarn to st, ch 3, sl st in next st, fasten off, weave in 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
Please join me in wishing her and all the other moms (and dads or role models who fill those shoes) a fantastic day! It’s a thankless job sometimes, and you deserve more than one day of recognition.
