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,

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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,

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,

Yarn Shopping: Innsbruck, Austria

Innsbruck is such a charming town I almost have to pinch myself to make sure it is real. Imagine pastel colored buildings seated in front of snowy mountains that follow the curves of a gorgeous river. This is Innsbruck in a nutshell.

Being that the town is set in a snowy place I suspected there was a yarn store. My suspicions were correct. I found this small shop on the outside of the Old Town.

Glattverkehrt is about what the sign advertises… wool. If you are not a wool lover this yarn shop is not for you. Aside from alpaca and a very tiny cotton section, the stock in this shop is all about wool. This disappointed me a little as I was looking for a bit more variety as I live in a super hot climate and wool can be worn maybe 1-2 months per year.

Another warning… this shop is very narrow. I was with my infant and her stroller barely fit in the shop with enough room to walk around. However, the shop keeper was super nice and helped me get the stroller in and out of the shop without destroying anything.

A plus side to Glattverkehrt was that it had decent price points as well as a great stock of sturdy sock yarn. This yarn is the stuff you use when you want socks to last and last. So did I buy anything? I did! I purchased a DK weight Austrian wool. I picture it will be a nice cowl or maybe tunic for the baby.

This shop wasn’t terrible, but it wouldn’t be my go to LYS as I like to knit with a little bit of everything. What kind of fiber do you like stocked in your LYS?

Until Next Time,

Solving the Underarm Gap While Sweater Knitting

Why have I not investigated this earlier? This is the age of technology for heaven sake! All knitting related knowledge is often just a Google or YouTube search away. I like to try to figure out things on my own, but let’s be real that takes up valuable knitting time. Especially if someone has figured it out already.

I had just finished my third Flax Sweater in the family of Flax Sweaters I had been making for Christmas. I got to the armholes and was again frustrated by the gaps that appeared at the underarm. Ugh! Normally I duplicate stitch the holes, but I figured there has to be another way out there.

So I finally took the time (this was after I had finished all of the sweaters) to look up some tips for ‘minding the gap.’ Better late than never right? I plan to try this on my next sweater.

What is your favorite technique for avoiding underarm gaps?

Until Next Time,

-Whit-