Say hello to Abigail (@knitsandknotsbyAME), the designer behind knitsandknotsbyAME, and our Ribblr of the week!
Hi Abigail! Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Abigail and the face behind Knits and Knots by AME (KKAME Designs). Outside of my creative business, I am a mental health professional and behavior therapist for children with special needs.
When did you start crafting and how?
I started crafting in university. I wanted a unique lanyard for my university ID and decided to try to make one. I never stopped crocheting since then! People started asking me to make things for them then challenging me to make outfits for their kids, sending me photos of outfits for themed kids parties and paying me.
And how did you start designing?
I started designing in 2018. I always made children’s costumes and amigurumi but never really thought I could make something for myself or even making patterns. One day the thought just came to me and I made my first top. People kept asking for a pattern and the rest is history! I love designing so much and constantly thinking of making new things.
We see you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community​
- we would love to know more!
My wife and I have been married for 5 blissful years now. She is my best friend and most supportive fan!
The LGBTQ community is filled with so many talented artist and is literally bursting with creativity. I believe art is such a big part of the queer community because it is an expansion of ourselves, expressing who we are, and a way to cope with the very real challenges that persons in this community face. I love supporting our queer community in our city and constantly inspired.
Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
Okay, believe it or not, my favorite craft is not crochet or knitting. I actually love embroidery the most. It is very versatile and allows me to express what is on my mind in a creative way. I design things mostly for myself. They usually touch on what I think are big issues as a third culture kid, mental health, and a lesbian.
What was the longest project you worked on?
The longest project I ever worked on was a cross stitch project of Van Goghs Starry night! I know I am jumping all around the place with mediums haha I love fiber arts in general so do almost everything fiber arts related.
And the shortest one? (excluding frogging!)
The shortest project I ever did is an No-sew amigurumi whale which takes about just 15 minutes to make and is actually one of my bestsellers when I did craft fairs and also drives a big portion of my blog traffic for its free pattern.
What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now? 
Nothing! I just finished a Pride design called the Meadows Summer Top not too long ago that drops on Thursday (June 15) as a kit on Lion Brand Yarn and as a premium pattern on Ribblr and with a free version on my blog. I actually rarely have more than one WIP going on at a time. I am trying to get better at giving myself space to celebrate finishing things before I move on to a next design.
You have many amazing designs. Which one are you most proud of?
Haha! Oh my gosh! It is so funny but my most recent design is always the one I am most proud of! (photo attached the black top) So stay tuned this Thursday for the pattern for the Meadows Summer Top.
What is your usual process of designing?
When designing I like to make a mood board. After that I make a swatch (soooo important!). Then I actually try to write the pattern (at least the bones of the pattern) based on the gauge before even crocheting it. I then start crocheting and making notes/adjustments to the pattern and take pictures of the process as I go . After I am finished, I take pictures of the top because at this point I am so happy to just be done with it. I send a million photos to my wife who is usually at work and always say it is the best design yet! In which she always says it is so pretty and I outdid myself yet again haha. Then I sit down and try to make sense of my notes, 90% of the time I do not understand. I swear, each time I say I am going to get better at note taking and write more explanations as I take note… yeah no, does not happen haha I spend the most time grading patterns into different sizes which is the last and my least favorite part of the design process.
Time for pop culture! Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend? 
Books are my first love! I am not a bookworm, I am a book dragon. If I am not creating things, I am reading. I would definitely recommend reading The Little Prince if you haven’t (my absolute favorite), if you loved the Gone Girl movie or the Netflix show You then you HAVE to read the books. These both were actually my favorite books before they even reached the big screen. The books are sooooo much better! Imagine getting inside the head of Amy and Joe!
It’s Monday! Care to share a funny story that happened to you recently?
Geez, I honestly cannot think of anything at the moment. I work with kids so I am just constantly dealing with random incidences every so often. Maybe this. The other day I went to see a client and was so careful to put my sandals up because last time I visited them their little dog had peed on my sandals. I go on and talk to the child’s dad. Now the dog is following me and licking my toes as we talk, I am over there thinking the dog is so excited to see me. After talking, I look down and see the dog had actually peed all over my maxi dress as we were talking!
Oh no 
funny, but also annoying!
We’d love to know, what is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
I really like the import an existing pattern feature. As a designer it really makes uploading patterns easier. I also really like how Ribblr prevents theft and that patterns are interactive!
Thank you for sharing Abigal! 
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I’ll have to say that now too 