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Crochet Process – Creamsicle Crochet Baby Blanket

I sat down with my Tunisian crochet hook and Fall on my mind and before I knew it,  I had crocheted up a creamsicle. Read more about my inspiration behind this design over here.

A finished green creamsicle Tunisian crochet square.

Yarn

I used Big Twist Baby Yarn which is now, unfortunately, discontinued. Does anyone else feel like a lot of good yarns are very transitional? How do you manage to work with these types of yarns/keep the inspiration alive? I honestly loved this yarn. It was super soft and worked up very nicely! Oh well, I do still have some left in other colors! This was a size 4 worsted weight yarn most comparable to Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice yarn or Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn.

Crochet Squares and Joining

I was able to crochet up each square in about 15 minutes and really found the repetitive nature of the pattern soothing! I am also a sucker for symmetry and this pattern delivered! After completing each square, I tried to weave in ends as I went and it really helped! Once I completed all twelve of the squares, I had a hard time figuring out how I should join them. I wondered if I should crochet all of them together or if I should sew them together! I tried both and found that crocheting the squares vertically and then sewing rows together worked best for this pattern since my bind off was too tight to get the crochet hook through the loops at the top of each square.

Finishing Touches

I also added a zig-zag stitch like effect horizontally with the stick color for the area where I had sewn the rows together since it looked too bare and lacked the grid-like pattern I was going for. Then I finished off with a simple border using the stick color. I was thinking of doing a multi-colored border but decided the contrast of the stick color would look better! The last step was to block. I initially tried to block each square as I went but I just got too lazy and ended up blocking the whole blanket row by row after joining all of the squares!

If you are interested in the pattern, I will be releasing it very soon! It has been sent out for testing! You can join my mailing list here to get all of my updates and find out when I release the pattern!

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Crochet Baby Blanket – Creamsicle Pattern Testers Wanted!

Anyone else feeling like we’re in a limbo between summer and fall? Here I am wearing my buffalo plaid pajamas and joining the squares for my Creamsicle Crochet Baby Blanket. I recently finished making it and I am so excited because it is finally ready for testing!

Joining the squares for the Creamsicle crochet baby blanket pattern.

This is a fun crochet baby blanket pattern that uses the Tunisian crochet colorwork technique over twelve squares. Each square measures about 7 x 8 in. and works up quickly with worsted weight yarn! It can easily be adjusted to make a bigger or smaller blanket by adding or removing squares! This pattern includes video references for how to do Tunisian crochet colorwork and how to change colors from TL Yarn Crafts Sweet Gingham Baby Blanket Pattern. The best part is that the creamsicles can be pretty much any color, the possibilities are endless!

Pin it now, read it later!

Creamsicle Crochet Baby Blanket Progress and Completed pictures. Pin it now, read later!

Read more about my inspiration for this design here. If you like the pattern, fill out this pattern tester application and I’ll take a look! Testers will be notified within the next 2 weeks! Let me know if you have any questions via e-mail [email protected] or in the comments below! Before you go anywhere, let me know which one you prefer, lime or orange creamsicle? I love oranges so you know which one is my favorite!

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Summer 2018 – A Recap of My Summer

An Ode to Summer

Summer rolls around and I am usually that person who keeps saying “ugh, it’s too hot”. Although I prefer cooler weather, there are some things that I do love about summer. I love being able to walk out in sandals and not having to bundle up Bubs in a huge jacket! Sunsets during this season give me all the heart eyes. Since I’m Indian, summer weddings usually each last a week and are full of fun dancing and singing. So naturally, I love dressing up for them.

I am also thrilled that I get to see my family from near and far! Essential seasonal fruits like watermelon and mangoes make me drool. I find them to be so refreshing and delicious! I also love popsicles and ice cream although now I have to share with my little man anytime I eat them. Whenever I have a popsicle or ice cream, it takes me back to my childhood when I used to enjoy these treats with my cousins during the hot summer days while watching shows on Nickelodeon. Speaking of popsicles and ice cream, if you haven’t yet, you should check out my blog post about an upcoming creamsicle baby blanket pattern over here.

Recap of My Summer

Our summer began with Bubs turning 2! 

Summer 2nd Birthday
Bubs turned two and on his birthday we took him out in his new ride!

A few weeks later we celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr, the Eid that follows Ramadan!

Bub's Eid Outfit
Here’s Bubs counting the money he got for Eid-ul-Fitr while sporting the prayer hat I crocheted for him!
Eid outfits
Me and my hubby in our Eid outfits! Yes, I crocheted the prayer hat for him as well!

Bubs and I had many moments of random dances throughout these past few months and I loved each and every one. Whether it was after dinner, before breakfast, or randomly in the middle of the day. However, my absolute favorite dances were the ones under wide open skies with rays of sunshine beaming through while walking the beautiful trail near our home!

Summer Toddler Dances
Here’s a quick snap of bubs and I busy dancing in the middle of the trail!

Those dances were good practice for the wedding we attended! 

Summer Wedding
Bub’s enjoying the singing and dancing at my sis-in-law’s brother’s wedding.

We also took Bubs to the zoo for the first time, that day we just wore a couple of cute hats on a hot day and stared at a lioness falling asleep because I mean how else are you supposed to do summer, right?

Summer First Zoo Trip
Bubs and I enchanted by the sleeping lioness.

Then off to Canada we went to spend the last bit of summer and celebrate Eid-ul-Adha with family and friends!

Eid Outfit Pic
A funny pic from our Eid-ul-Adha photoshoot! Pretty much sums up our relationship!

And we ended our summer by taking a long overdue trip to Niagara Falls!

Summer trip to Niagara Falls
We ended our summer with a long overdue trip to Niagara Falls.

I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about what summer means to me and how I spent my time this season! Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list here to get updates. 

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Crochet Baby Blanket – The Creamsicle Baby Blanket

Creamsicle Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern – The Inspiration

It’s funny the way our subconscious mind works. When I sat down with my yarn and Tunisian hook, I knew I wanted to make a Tunisian crochet baby blanket but I wasn’t sure what it would look like. Although I was trying to get into Fall mode, creamsicles were at the back of my mind. I guess I’m not ready to let all summery things go! This along with the fact that I recently made the Sweet Gingham baby blanket (pattern by Toni from TLYarncrafts) and that I have constantly been looking at my book “Tunisian Crochet Workshop” by Michelle from Poppy & Bliss helped the concept formulate in my mind! Completing the Sweet Gingham Baby Blanket ignited a love for Tunisian crochet colorwork and constantly seeing the bright colors that are a signature of Michelle’s work made me subconsciously want to design something with these components!

Below you can see the back of the orange creamsicle crochet square before and after weaving in the ends.

  • Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket Square
  • Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket Square

Creamsicle Tunisian Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern – The Details

This Tunisian crochet baby blanket is my first granny square style blanket using the colorwork technique. I used Big Twist Baby Yarn in Dandelion, Cotton Tail, and Lime. This is a 100% acrylic yarn in weight 4. I also used Caron Simply Soft in Bone which is also a 100% acrylic yarn but in a weight 3. Each square measures approximately 7 x 8 in. So the blanket works up pretty quickly. I am still working on joining the squares and making a border. So you’ll have to wait for another blog post soon to see the finished piece. I’ll be looking for pattern testers soon so be on the lookout for an application by the end of next week! Join my mailing list here to get all the updates!

Inspiration in Sweet Summer Memories

This pattern fits in perfectly with the feelings that I have towards summer. When I think of summer, I think of popsicles and ice cream. I still do love eating these treats although now I have to share with my little man anytime I eat them. Whenever I have a popsicle or ice cream, it takes me back to my childhood when I used to enjoy these yummies with my cousins during the hot summer days while watching shows on Nickelodeon. Read more about what summer means to me and see a recap of my summer over here.

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Knit and crochet patterns for children – Why I want to design

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – The Journey 

I initially opened up shop to sell my finished knitted and crocheted pieces (read more about that here) but never really thought about where it would take me. Over the course of this past year, I have learned so much about the Fiber Arts industry/community. I have learned even more about myself and what my true passion is when it comes to working with all things yarn. My heart is in creating unique knit and crochet patterns for children. 

My contribution to last year's Little Hats Big Hearts Campaing held by the American Heart Association. These hats were made using free knit and crochet patterns.
Here’s my contribution to last year’s Little Hats Big Hearts Campaign held by the American Heart Association!

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – The Heart of the Matter

I want to capture all that childhood brings with it and put it out into the world as knit and crochet patterns! I want to be the source of inspiration for other mama-makers to make cute things for her little ones. Something that is fun and exciting for her and will end in a finished piece that she can wrap her little ones in with cozy handmade love. I want this to be true whether she has infants, toddlers, or older children.

Most importantly, as a mom, I know how hard it can be to convince ourselves to take pictures. Matching with my toddler gives me a big reason to smile and get in front of the camera. I want to be that reason for my fellow mama-makers to proudly get in the frame with their little ones!

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – Are you Ready to Join Me?

So fellow mama-makers, are you ready to make all the cute things for your lil’ bug(s)?!

Here are Amy and Josie sporting their Mommy and Me set of Butterflies Fluttering by Ear Warmers! How adorable do they look?! Get the PDF pattern on Ravelry or Etsy! 

Amy and Josie posing with their matching mommy and me set of Butterflies Fluttering By Ear Warmers. Follow along for more Knit and crochet patterns.
Amy and Josie looking adorable in my first published knitting pattern: The Butterflies Fluttering By Ear Warmer pattern available on Etsy and Ravelry!
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Mompreneur life – How it all came together

Mompreneur Who? – Craft as Therapy

I learned how to knit in 2010, around the time my father passed away. When I think back, I realize that it was a big part of my healing process. I am so grateful I had my aunt there to teach me the basics. I found it so peaceful knitting row after row and somewhere in between I accepted that my dad was in a better place. At this point, knitting was for healing and I never thought I would become a mompreneur.

As time passed, I honed in on these skills by watching a LOT of YouTube videos! I also tried my hand at crochet. Although it requires just 1 hook, I found crochet to be more difficult. I took a break but never entirely gave up. When I came back to it, I got the hang of it and improved over time!

Mompreneur Life – My First Design

Fast forward a few years and I got awesome news: I was going to have Bubs! This meant I could finally make something for my own tiny baby! Being a Spring baby, he became my June Bug and I decided to make a bug-themed blanket for him. I designed the caterpillar applique because I didn’t like any of the designs online. When I was done, I loved how he turned out! I know there are a ton of mistakes which show up here. For instance, my circles were messy as I hadn’t perfected the magic circle technique. Also, I could have done a better job in sewing on the applique. Despite all that, I loved that I was able to take something that was in my mind and make it a reality. It was a one-of-a-kind caterpillar made for my June Bug to come!

This little guy, #noorsknitapillar is what inspired me to become a mompreneur! He's the very first thing I designed for my own June bug!
My caterpillar applique, my first ever design made for my lil‘ June Bug to come! Here, I used Lion Brand’s Pound of Love in Honeybee, Antique White, and Bluebell and used Lily Sugar’N Cream in Warm Brown 

This is when I knew I wanted to share my talent with the world beyond making gifts for my loved ones! It worked out perfectly because I wanted to stay home with Bubs for the first couple of years. I opened up my Etsy shop in October of 2017, just a few months after Bubs turned one!

Mompreneur Life – Growing with My Business

After almost a year of having my business and learning from the maker community, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to focus exclusively on design. Read more here about why I chose children’s pieces as my design focus! With this shift in my business, I really wanted my story to show in a way that people would know my why as soon as they saw my logo. That’s where my Knit-A-Pillar and Hooker-Fly come in. The Knit-a-pillar represents the caterpillar applique which was my first design and the crochet hook butterfly adds to my focus on clothes and accessories for lil‘ bugs till they become butterflies!

Mompreneur Life – Noor’s Knit-a-Pillar

In honor of my blog launch, I created a free pattern for this little guy. You can find the free pattern below or head to my Ravelry store for the pdf. The PDF includes written instructions and a full video tutorial for how to make the caterpillar applique and how to sew it onto a finished project! You can access this pattern and video tutorial on Ravelry by clicking here! If you end up making it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #noorsknitapillar and link back to my blog! I can’t wait to see which projects he’ll be cutely crawling into!

Noor’s Knit-A-Pillar Applique Pattern:

With Color A, make a magic circle and dc 12 into the circle, sl st into the top of the first ch 2. Pull tight and close the circle. Leave a 15 in. tail and cut. Repeat once.
With Color B, make a magic circle and dc 12 into the circle, sl st into the top of the first ch 2. Pull tight and close the circle. Leave a 15 in. tail and cut. Repeat once.

Sew on the 4 circles to your finished knitted or crocheted piece by aligning them as shown in the pictures above.

With Color C, add the antennae, eyes, nose, mouth, and legs as shown in the photos above.

If you would like the inexpensive printable PDF with the full video tutorial, head to the pattern on Ravelry.

If you’re a mama and/or POC knit or crochet designer – I would love to feature you on my blog! Head over here to find out more!