Little Edie

Isabell Kraemer designs fantastically! I love how she designs wardrobe staples that are effortless to wear. Edie is no exception. Continuing my love of making summer tops, I finished Edie prior to my summer trip. It looked like the perfect casual piece to add to my wardrobe.

I used Quince & Co Sparrow in Surf. I purchased the yarn online thinking it was blue. Turns out it is a blue color that was intertwined with a beige/ sandy color. The mix is very subtle to the eye. This was my first time working with Quince & Co yarn and I really loved the linen/ flax blend. I especially appreciated how the top has washed up. I have washed it several times and the color has stayed vibrant and the integrity of the yarn has upheld.

I made the XS size which does not allow the 2″ of positive ease at the bust line as stated in the pattern. I also did not complete the optional final edging around the neck. I slipped one stitch at the beginning of every row which kept everything looking neat. The biggest modification I made was to shorten the top significantly. I didn’t want a crop top, but more of a shorter top that just hit my hips. My smaller torso get lost in a lot of fabric.

So here I am in the Whitsundays (Australia) hanging on the beach in my Edie top! The linen is so light and airy to wear on the beach. I will most certainly be working with this material again.

What are your thought on knitting with linen?

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

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Yarn Shopping in Katoomba, Australia

Katoomba, Australia is about 2 hours by train from downtown Sydney. As you saw in my last post we visited the Blue Mountains and Katoomba is one of the easiest ways to get access to the mountains. Since our adventures in Sydney have kept us busy I hadn’t been able go to a yarn shop. On a whim, I googled ‘yarn shops in Katoomba’ and to my luck one popped up! The yarn gods were smiling upon me.

The Granny Square is a cute shop about 400m from the Katoomba Train Station. It is situated right across from the Street Art Walk. When I entered the shop I noted that there was a winter sale! Woot woot! My goal was to find either some cotton yarn (for a future top) or some great sock yarn.

The sales associate was friendly and she let you do your shopping independently. Several customers had questions and she was more than happy to help. The store stocked mostly Morris and Co Yarns. This is a company that started in Sydney as a needlework business and then in the 2000s added yarn sales. The Granny Square also stocked quite a bit of Manos de Uruguay as well as Rowan yarn. The sock yarn selection was decent (German wools), but to my surprise the husband turned down picking out yarn for a hand knit pair! 😱 No worries! More yarn for me! The cotton selection was pretty limited, but I did manage to score 4 of these pretties.

They are 100% Pima Cotton and feel oh so soft. Plus they were really affordable ($27AUD for 4 skeins). A tank top or short sleeve top is in the foreseeable future.

The Granny Square was a cute shop. They stocked basic accessories, pattern books, and lots of wool to keep you happy. The sales associate was friendly and accessible. The shop prices were overall affordable, but the selection was a bit limited. If you are ever in Katoomba or the surrounding area I suggest you stop by for a peek in the shop!

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Blue Mountain Cowl

Recently, I picked up my yarn and needles and let my hands dictate the design that unfolded. This process knit resulted in a gorgeous cowl.

I decided on the name Blue Mountain Cowl as it got some use on the trails of the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Australia. Australia is in the middle of winter right now so the temps in the mountain were a bit chilly. We started the day with it being 1°C and I think it got up to 13°C in direct sun with no wind. The cozy Merino/cashmere blend felt like a little piece of heaven.Originally, I had socks in mind, however, the yarn didn’t have enough nylon content for me. I kept ending up with really baggy socks, which were a no go. I have suffered too many years with baggy sock. The curse of tiny feet! 😫

The yarn is String Theory Caper Sock in Stella Blue (merino wool/cashmere/nylon), which I purchased in Burlington, Vermont last summer. I love the subtle color variegation in this yarn. The yarn was also soooooo soft to work with. To be honest, I was a little sad for the project to end.

The Blue Mountain Cowl was worked over 4 DPNs. I wanted a texture panel, so I worked a modified seed stitch over the first needle. The remaining stitches were purely stockinette. I was aiming for one big tube, but then I remembered this cowl from PurlSoho. I loved how the front panel draped lower than the back. What a great idea! Don’t you hate tugging your neckwear down to seal the cold out of the front of your jacket? Inspired, I added about 1.5″ to the front section only.

Well here I am in my Blue Mountain Cowl in the Blue Mountains! It was a pretty spectacular day. The sun was shining and the cool air kept us somewhat temperature controlled during our 8 miles of hiking. It was good to be out in some crisp. I think my body is happiest in cooler weather.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Places You Can Knit

Since being out of China I have really had the chance to catch up on Instagram (IG) and my blog reading. Due to the internet restrictions, it can be really difficult to load pictures or really any internet content that isn’t Chinese. Social media, such as IG, is such an inspiration for me. I love to see what people are making/ creating as well as catching up on the latest pattern releases.

All this inspiration lead me to start thinking about how I express my passions in life. So I am starting a series of posts via Instagram (@knitsbywhitsf) about knitting while traveling Australia this summer. If you would like to join in spreading knitting love use the hashtag #knitwhiletraveling2018.

I look forward to seeing where you love to knit!

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Summer Update

Well we have made it through our first year in China! Woot woot! We had many ups and downs and no matter what we expected the experience has changed us forever.

The one thing I have loved about our time so far abroad is traveling. Having much of Asia less than a 5 hour flight away has been pretty awesome. Our favorite spots have been Tokyo, Singapore, and Guilin.

It has been a challenge to keep up knitting as much in China. There is a serious lack of LYS in Guangzhou that sell natural fibers. There is a lot of acrylic going on. I am making a more conscious effort to seek out yarn shops when we travel, which has made for great souvenirs. I also managed to figure out online shopping (Taobao) to purchase some of the larger name brands (Debbie Bliss, Quince and Co).

This summer we will be in California and Australia for a total of 5 weeks. I am super excited and have already started looking up yarn shops in Sydney! If you would like to read about our travels please do so at Smithberrys Abroad. Or connect with me on IG @knitsbywhitsf

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Gemini Top

Fist off I am in love with this color. I really love jeweled tones and this yarn was such a rich shade of teal I couldn’t resist using it twice! (See my Bankhead Hat). The yarn isn’t a natural fiber, but it passes the ‘pet test.’ Meet my newest finished garment Gemini.

This pattern features a lace yoke panel that can be worn to the front or back depending on your mood. The pattern was very straight forward and the yarn/needles size combo made for a quick knit. I worked the small size and have about 2-3″ of positive ease. I did modify the length of the body as I am petite and have a shorter torso.

Another short sleeve top to add to the stack! Since my Gemini top isn’t straight cotton it will make a good layering piece when the weather does finally cool down. I am thinking a collared shirt might look cute underneath. The endless possibilities that come with creating your own wardrobe!

Until Next Time,

-Whit-