Crossing the Finish Line

For a couple of months now I have had castonitist and at the worst point had 6 WIPs on the needles. This is pretty bad for me. It continued to get worse when I started to buy new needles to accommodate the projects. Generally, I am a monogamists knitter but I kept getting distracted by Knit- A- Longs (KAL) or beautiful patterns on IG.

I am happy to say now I have 5 finished items and two more almost finished items in the wings. Let Part 1 of the show and tell begin!

Pattern: Knot Front Tee by Kerriknits

Yarn: Three Irish Girls in Kaleidoscope

I had already bought this pattern, but had it just saved in my library. Well then I saw the designer was having a KAL so this project jumped to the front of the line. This KAL was amazing! Every week Kerri would send a detailed email about each step of making the sweater. She made a spreadsheet for you to put in your calculations so you could get the perfect gauge. She also include tons of schematics to construct the twist which is the highlight of this top. I learned a ton about pattern design and sweater construction during this process. Plus I ended up with an amazing sweater.

Pattern: Inspired by the Brick Sweater

Yarn: Unknown Acrylic blend with a metallic content.

I wanted a really easy raglan sweater that I could throw on quickly and still look super cute in. Here it is! This sweater is so soft and cozy I may never need another sweater again (hahaha yeah right!). I made this sweater with the same dimensions as the pattern, but it is heavily modified. I did not use the body shaping, made a split hem and added volume to the end of the sleeve. I purchased this yarn at a wholesale market and it was labeled as Cascade Sport. It most certainly is not. There is a nice fuzz factor to it as well as a subtle strand of gold metallic that runs through it. I am looking forward to styling this with some jeans and boots once it finally gets cold here.

There is a pair of socks, arm warmers, a hat and another sweater waiting to be photographed. Check back later for part two of my FOs!

Until Next Time,

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Fabio the Flamingo

What do you make a one year old with roots from Florida for her birthday? Why a flamingo of course! I saw the pattern for Fabio the Flamingo on Etsy and knew he was the winner.

Well a month later and some serious engineering and Fabio is complete! The pattern directions were really well laid out. Everything from the actual making to the finishing was very clear. I used safety eyes rather than embroidering them on as my embroidery skills are terrible. I also made some adjustments to the body and wing size.

My only issue was the neck. The pattern called for you to really pack in the stuffing to get the neck to stand up. Easy right? My reality was Fabio looked like he was suffering from a spine removal. My solution? I inserted a bendable wire and packed stuffing around it. His neck is still a bit wobbly, but nothing is perfect.

Fabio left our house looking pretty good. He got to enjoy some sunshine on the balcony before the typhoon rains hit.

I never thought I would be into creating crochet animals. They always seemed too fiddly. However, previous months of quarantine have taught me that a change in mindset can open so many different possibilities.

Until Next Time,

Knitting Re-Do

Sometimes you knit things and your FO just falls flat. There is nothing wrong with the yarn or the pattern per say, but the result just isn’t making you super excited. This is how I felt about my Abalone Sweater. Ultimately the fit across the chest and length were just not fitting into my intended wardrobe needs. I wanted an everyday sweater that I could use as a work basic. Abalone is intended to not fit across your entire chest, which I thought I was cool with. However, I discovered that my use of cotton (a denser fabric than wool) and the reduced amount of width across my chest created a garment I just wasn’t feeling. So my Abalone sweater just sat in the closet.

My Abalone

Enter quarantine and Andi Satterlund at Untangling Knots was having a sale. I L-O-V-E her patterns so I picked up Rhody, which is a worsted weight bolero style jacket. The sweater met all of the criteria. Cardigan style ✔️ short sleeve (well I could make the modifications)✔️ simple construction with a few special details ✔️. I purchased the pattern and got to unwinding my FO.

I am so happy I made the choice to frog my previous FO! I hope to make Abalone again in the future, but I will definitely see if the greater flexibility in the fabric works out better. In the meantime I will be planning how to incorporate my black Rhody into my back to school wardrobe.

Until Next Time,

Diagon Alley Socks

I bought this beautiful Woolen Boon Sock Yarn on my trip to Melbourne in 2018. The colorway is Mr. Brightside and it was awesome to knit with. It had the perfect blend of wool and nylon and such great stitch definition.

The pattern is Diagon Alley Socks and is featured in Knotions. I knit up the medium (7.75”) size using a US 0 needle. The pattern included charts and written directions and was easy to follow. I didn’t like the heel flap directions so I just kept it plain old stockinette. Other than that I kept pretty much to what was written.

I am loving my new socks! I hope that the color stays this saturated as I wear them. The blues and flecks of neon really pop. I am already plotting making these in and warm tone colorway. Just have to find the right yarn.

Until Next Time,

Amigurumi Friends

It all started with a birthday. My daughter’s friend turned one last month and I decided to make her a cute little elephant. I am not much of a crocheter, but I thought I would give amigurumi another try.

Little did I know this would catapult into a full on thing. I ended up making five more amigurumi friends. I purchased some safety eyes which were a game changer. The eyes of the other animal look way less creepy than the elephants (haha).

https://www.allaboutami.com/elephantpattern/

https://paintitcolorful.blogspot.com

https://paintitcolorful.blogspot.com

https://paintitcolorful.blogspot.com

http://themagicloop.com/index.php/2019/01/24/dexter-dinosaur-updated-crochet-pattern/

In this time of continued chaos, there is something so soothing about creating these little creatures.

What is keeping you grounded these days?

Until Next Time,

Crochet Vegetables

We are slowly approaching 3 months of isolation here in China. Life in the city is beginning to move back to pre- Coronavirus times, but you can sense the trepidation. There is still anxiety out there of contracting the virus. One positive sign is out school just made some of the final decisions to reopen in a few weeks. We will finish out the last six weeks of school on campus. The plans are a little sad for the kids (e.g., They can only play in designated areas with no equipment and at a distance from each other) but I am sure they will adapt.

For the last month, I have really been on a crochet kick. Especially with making toys. One of the fun projects I embarked on is making crochet vegetables for my daughter. Who knew produce could be so fun?

I am attempting to use up my scrap yarn, which has driven a lot of the color/ veggie choices. So far we have a cucumber, mushroom, bell pepper, tomato, and eggplant. Currently in the works is some broccoli and a carrot.

I am not using patterns, nor do I have extensive crochet construction knowledge, so I am just going with the good old intuition method. The hardest one to capture has been the red bell pepper- or capsicum as my Australian friends call it- due to the bumpy contours. With this one I used triple crochet stitches mixed with single crochet stitches to try to get the bumps near the stem just right. Not bad huh?

My mushroom needs a little something I think. Depending on what angle you are looking from, people have confused it with garlic. Maybe it is the color?

I will continue plodding along with this little project as the scraps make themselves available. It is a good filler for those times I am between knitting projects.

Anyone else exploring new crafts?

Until Next Time,

Week 8 of Isolation

I live in Southern China, which means we have been in isolation since February. We are now in Week 8 and I am getting a severe case of restlessness. Like everyone I just want life to go back to normal. On the other hand, I am very thankful that the Chinese government enforced isolation and tried to make life here as safe as possible. Did the country take a hit financially? Absolutely! But in my mind if you have a drop in people available for the workforce and are dealing with something that is going to suck all of the healthcare resources isn’t that more damaging to the economy in the long run? I just hope that the rest of the world gets onboard and tries to do everything possible to make sure that COVID-19 is contained.

The days when we could go where we please. 

A big complaint that I have heard from friends and people on the news is the fear of boredom. I feel like I sound so old when I say, “Well back in the day we were always bored, but we just dealt with it.” When I was in primary school there were tons of time we were bored. We couldn’t rely on the internet or smart phones. We had to get creative and think of something to entertain ourselves with for long periods of time.

Over these last 8 weeks I have been trying to reset my mind. I have been making myself a to do list every day to stay productive. I have found that doing things that make me feel productive give me a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day and combat some of the feelings of idleness. 

Here is what I have been up to.

1. Organizing my house! I hate hate hate hate clutter. So I have started to organizing my house. It has started with the clothes. I took a note from Marie Kondo and I have to say that lady is a genius.
2. Caught up on my knitting. I don’t have a huge stash issue per se, but I do have a queue issue. I love purchasing and downloading patterns so I can be ready to start something new when I finish a project. Right now I have about 15 projects waiting in the wings. One of the top ones is the Clementine.
3. Tried some new recipes. We live in a pretty rural area so I need to do most of the cooking as there are not many restaurants open. This Mango, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad was great with some chicken wings.
4. Online learning. There are tons of resources out there to broaden your knowledge. Find a blog, webinar, and/or Youtube video and learn something new. I am currently learning about how to be better reading instructor. 
5. Learn a language. My husband and I are trying to learn Mandarin. After living in China for 2.5 years (and hiring a Mandarin speaking nanny for our baby) we decided to get serious about mastering the language. We enrolled in online classes. Prior to this we were using APPs and Rosetta Stone. Check out free APPs like Duolingo and Babbel for many popular languages to get started.
6. Get exercise! Our living compound has a lot of open space . We try to take walks at times when there isn’t a lot of people outside. If you can’t venture outside there are always Youtube videos for all types of exercise. I personally love Zumba and Pilates.
7. Catch up with friends. Remember when you use to call people all the time? Like actually picked up the phone, dialed, and communicated with oral language? If you are anything like me you text all the time. Due to the time difference between China and the US,  it is often easier for me to text people. Recently, I have been using FaceTime to have some long chats and catch up with friends.

Social isolation doesn’t have to seem like you are in jail. I am not going to lie it sucks, but I feel it is my duty as a human on earth to do my part to protect my fellow humans. We can all do our part! Wash your hands, stay away from crowds, and take some time to do things that you have been meaning to do!

What have you been up to during your isolation time?

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

4 Square Cowl

Designing isn’t something I do on the regular, but sometimes and idea hits and I run with it. Meet the 4 Square Cowl now available on Ravelry!

This cowl was created so that all knitters have the chance to incorporate multiple colors into their work without using complicated techniques. If you know how to knit and slip a stitch you are definitely able to make this cowl!

What I love about this design is the endless color combinations to choose from. Love sports? Use your team colors! Holiday coming up? Get festive with your knitwear! Have a skein if gorgeous variegated yarn? No problem! The 4 Square Cowl has endless possibilities.

This pattern is intended for worsted weight yarn and knits up pretty quick. The pattern repeats in a series of five stitches so it is very easy to adjust the circumference of the cowl.

Supporting independent designer is something I try to do often. How can you? Head to Ravelry to purchase the pattern and/or favorite it. Also you can follow me on social media (@knitsbywhitsf) and hit the like button. 😁

Until Next Time,

Leaf Love Dress

I was working on a shawl as we were traveling through Austria only to discover I forgot to pack the second ball of yarn. 😑 Lucky for me the internet saved the day. I found a yarn shop in Innsbruck and a pattern on Ravelry and was good to go.

My little one is acquiring quite the knitted collection. It is so nice to have someone else to knit garments for. I chose the Love Leaf Dress mostly due to the yardage and yarn specifications listed. I didn’t want to get into another yarn chicken situation. This pattern is a top down raglan construction with a lace panel down the front. I made the dress more of a tunic length so the skirt is about 5 inches rather than 8.

Now let me tell you about this yarn. It is from Ferner Wolle (Austrian Brand). Wow is it soft and I really enjoyed working with it. It does not have a tight twist, however, I don’t think that affected the definition of the lace panel that much. Since I didn’t bring extra needles I popped into another craft shop along our journey and purchased a pair of Addi circulars. Wow oh wow! I love Addis! They are pointy, light weight, and the cable is super pliable. I may have to look into purchasing more needles from this brand.

It is starting to look like it will warm up around here so I think baby will not have many more woolly knits. Time to investigate garnments meant for spring.

Until Next Time,

CardiZen Cardigan

I am not a big fan of bulky yarn. I have a hard time knitting for long periods with big yarn and the big needles needed to work it up. Plus it is always tricky to weave in ends so that they stay secure. However, I saw CardiZen by Denise Bayron and knew I had to make it. I loved the motojacket feel of the cardigan.

CardiZen is a super well written pattern! The cardigan is constructed sideways, but Denise walks you through every step. She includes ‘tips’ and relevant schematics for each section. This was super helpful as the construction was new to me.

The tip I did not follow was to use an all natural fiber. My funds did not allow for this. Instead I used Loops and Threads Cozy Wool. Due to the small acrylic content in the yarn I could not just fuse the yarn together with wet splicing. I managed to weave in all the ends pretty well, but we will see what happens as I wear it.

The only modification I made was knitting a full sleeve rather than a 3/4 sleeve. My wrists get cold really easily! Overall, I am really happy with this cardigan. It is so cozy. My husband even made comment that he thought it looked cool (this is saying a lot as he rarely comments on my fashion). My only dilemma now is how to style it!

Until Next Time,