Archives for November 2025

Cardinal Christmas

November 10, 2025 By Yarnitect (Dana)

Cardinals aren’t just sport mascots, they are a gorgeous reminder of Christmas. The cardinal from Birds of a Feather, Volume 1 is a lot of fun to use for decorating and gifting. Here’s how I’d use the 3 pictured above:

Smallest cardinal (right) is crocheted in cotton thread and would be adorable looped on a handbag as a charm.
Medium sized cardinal is crocheted in medium worsted weight yarn and is the perfect size for hanging on a tree (see photo below).
Largest cardinal is crocheted in super bulky yarn and it’s big. It would be a noticeable accent on a dinner table or bookshelf.

cardinal made from yarn from 2 small granny squares. Hanging as an Christmas ornament on an evergreen tree.

Want to know more about how to crochet smaller or larger granny square birds? Check out our blog post: Granny Square Birds in Different Yarn Weights blog post.

Birds of a Feather on Etsy

We have 19 granny square birds available in 2 volumes. Learn more on Etsy:

Birds of a Feather, Volume 1 (includes the cardinal + 8 other gorgeous birds and a mini pumpkin)
Birds of a Feather, Volume 2 (includes more 10 birds and step-by-step instructions for making all the birds into a cell phone holder or zipper pouch!)

Filed Under: Accessories, Animals, Bags, Christmas, Crochet, Home Decor, Patterns for Sale, Toys Tagged With: cardinal, christmas

Granny Square Birds in Different Yarn Weights

November 10, 2025 By Yarnitect (Dana)

3 Cardinals crocheted in different size yarns from the crochet pattern "Birds of a Feather"

Can you use larger or smaller yarn to crochet the Granny Square “Birds of a Feather”?

Great question! We’ve been asked if the granny square “Birds of a Feather” crochet pattern can made with larger (chenille yarn) or smaller (cotton thread) yarn. The simple answer is, Yes!

No changes are needed for the crochet portion of the pattern if you want to make a bird in larger or smaller yarn. As expected, the thicker or bulkier the yarn, the larger the bird and conversely, the thinner the yarn, the smaller the bird. The only change you’ll need to make in the pattern is the size of the eyes and crochet hook.

Pictured above are 3 cardinals made with different size yarn with NO changes to the crocheted portion of the pattern.

Left: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, super bulky, 79% acrylic, 20% wool, 1% other
Middle: Lion Brand Heartland, medium worsted weight acrylic
Right: Aunt Lydia’s Cotton Thread #5
Rubber Duckie: (pictured below): Paton Grace #3 light weight yarn, mercerized cotton

Observations about Working with Different Size Yarn

For most yarns we used a hook 1 or 2 sizes smaller than the yarn label recommended.
Thicker yarn will made a bird that may feel more squishy and appear more holey. It’s great for cuddling.
Thinner yarn makes it more difficult to see your stitches. Cotton thread creates a stiffer bird. Great for creating little charms for bags or Christmas ornaments.

Pattern Modifications for Change in Yarn Size

EYES

You’ll want to increase or decrease the size of the button or safety eye depending on the size bird you crochet. Here’s what we used in those pictured on this post.

Large cardinal used 5/8” buttons (loop back button which looks similar to a safety eye).
Medium cardinal used 10 mm safety eyes.
Small cardinal used 5 mm mini brads (like those used in scrapbooking).
Rubber Duckie used 6 mm safety eyes.

Birds, Birds, More Birds

There are so many beautiful birds in the world…and we’ve recreated several of them in 2 different crochet patterns. Each bird in these sets are made from 2 granny squares with color changes at just the right place to create different birds. Here’s what’s in each volume:

Birds of a Feather, Volume 1

The original set has 9 gorgeous birds that are fun to decorate with and for gifting. Birds of a Feather, Volume 1 is available on Etsy and includes the following birds:

Sunflower Chicken
Bald Eagle
Bluejay
Cardinal
Goldfinch
House Finch
Parakeet
Robin
Turkey
+ Bonus: Mini Pumpkin

Duck, duck, goose. 3 birds each made from 2 granny squares. Left is rubber duckie, middle is a mallard, right is a goose.

Birds of a Feather, Volume 2

2 new features were added to Birds of a Feather, Volume 2. The step-by-step instructions for turning granny square birds (any from vol. 1 and 2) into a cell phone holder or a zippered pouch! Volume 2 also introduces some fun techniques to create birds with texture like furry feathers and 3D feathers! This set includes several exciting new birds including:

Blackbird / Crow / Raven / Dove
Black Breasted Red Phoenix Rooster
European Robin
Flamingo (2 styles)
Goose / Mother Goose
Mallard
Red Winged Blackbird
Rubber Duckie
Seagull
Stork with Baby Bundle

The crochet pattern for these fine feathered friends are available now on Etsy:

Filed Under: Animals, Patterns for Sale, Tips & Tricks, Toys Tagged With: birds of a feather, yarn weight

Ruana with Fur in “I Like Crochet” Magazine

November 4, 2025 By Yarnitect (Dana)

Cover of I Like Crochet Magazine December 2025 — Photo courtesy *I Like Crochet* magazine.

The Mocha Luxe Ruana I (Dana) crocheted for I Like Crochet magazine December 2025 made the cover! Woo hoo! This is very exciting. As you may know, my sister and I don’t often make garment type projects. But I took a chance on a one-size-fits-most project and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

My goal was to make something soft, luxurious, and … easy. Yep, I selected these stitch patterns specifically so that the project would be approachable for newish crocheters. There are stitches with varying heights, but there are no decreases or other more complicated techniques.

A ruana is kind of like a blanket you wear as a coat. There are no buttons or sleeves. The front panels can be thrown over the shoulder to create a shawl-like appearance. I was very, very sad to have to mail this to the magazine for photos. I may have to make a second one that I can keep and wear. Goodbye coat, hello ruana.

I also loved this project because my mom helped me with the beading. We raided her stash and found some baubles that accent the sides of the shawl perfectly. Hmm…beading. I may incorporate those more often into my crochet projects.

Knit Picks Yarn

The crown jewel of this garment is the luxurious fur yarn. I had a blast crocheting with Knit Picks Fairy Tale Fur yarn. Yes, it is difficult to see the stitches, but you it’s easy to feel where the next stitch goes if you use a taller stitch like double crochet. It’s also forgiving if you miss a stitch. It is so luxuriously soft, I started dreaming of other projects I can make with this yarn. I highly recommend this 100% polyester yarn for any project needing fur.

The main portion of the ruana used Knit Picks Brava Worsted. This is a work horse yarn that’s easy to use. It’s 100% acrylic and gives great stitch definition. It pairs beautifully with the Fair Tail Fur.