Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Category: gloves

  • Creating Beautiful Knitting Patterns: Jelly Bean Hat & More

    Creating Beautiful Knitting Patterns: Jelly Bean Hat & More

    It has been very foggy around here for the last few days. It does create a very different world when it surrounds and softens our world. Even as it lifts in the morning it leaves behind traces of singular beauty.

    The Frost this morning was amazing! It gives of the sparkle of diamonds in the sunlight and rims each petal and leaf in lace.

    Today is Wednesday, the middle of the work week and my day off. To rest, grocery shop and work on my knitting, patterns and blog! Maybe to nap as well. LOL!

    Now it is Thursday – yesterday got interrupted by some serious knitting. I am almost ready to place the thumb stitches on my glove onto some waste yarn!

    The Qing Fibre is so pretty.

    My project/sample knitting is going along swimmingly while my pattern is writing lagging behind my knitting. Which is normal because I would rather knit than write! I am much better at the knitting and struggle with the writing. I blog because it does in improve my writing abilities and it fools me into thinking my pattern will write themselves, so far, this has been proven to be a fallacy. LOL!

    As a knitter and as a designer I love texture and colour. Slip stitch knitting offers so many opportunities to combine both! Slip stitch knitting is very similar to Mosaic knitting in that you are never working with more than one colour at a time. The other colour in the round is slipped as you come to it. The Jelly Bean is a good example of slip stitch knitting.

    I have been working on the pattern for the Jelly Bean Hat. It is just about ready for release. The charts are done and the pictures. It just needs some fine tuning.

    The yarn is Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in 4 colours. But it could just as easily be worked in 2 colours or every stripe of “jellybeans” could be a different colour. Knitters choice 🙂

    My remainder of the samples for the Winter/Spring classes are coming along. I really only have two samples left to knit.

    It is getting bigger. I am just a little ways away from dividing off for the underarms.
    • The Puffy Vest, which will take a while as it basically knitting two vests and then knitting them together. AND…
    • The Beaded and Twisted Cast-on which won’t take very long even though there are two variations on the same theme.

    I am going to use gloves and socks for the samples, Which will keep the sample knitting The beaded and twisted start really could be used on almost any garment or accessory. It’s just that I particularly love it’s effect on smaller items!

    The basic gloves for the class will be sampled with one of the versions of the beaded and twisted cast-on. They were started with a long-tail beaded cast-on. The yarn for the glove body is Qing Fibre Sock in the Blackhare colourway, paired with some basic black sock and size 8/0 beads.

    • Version 1 – gloves started with the beaded long tail cast-on and then twisted.
    • Version 2 – socks started with the beads randomly spaced on the knitting and then twisted.

    The other example will be my Sailors Knots Socks. In this twisted and beaded cast-on the beads are placed randomly as you knit.

    Epic Fail

    I really struggle with the technological aspects of being a small business person in our modern world of computers. Every improvement in technology requires a new learning curve. Usually it doesn’t involve the blog but…

    Yesterday I got a note that one of my posts had an error – there were two different versions, so there was a conflict. I had to pick one version. I picked wrong. SO….

    My Granny Blanket post has suffered some kind of calamity and will have to be rewritten. I will work on it this weekend. Apparently it was a “me” problem I jigged when I should have jagged! I mangaged to delete the whole thing. I somehow still have a draft version that was never finished so I will use that as a base.

    My Granny Blanket Swatch is building quite quickly though. I will be working less wedges than I thought (originally 16). I am currently thinking that 13 or 14 wedges might make the circle.

    I hope that you are having a wonderful week. With lots of knitting and no technological glitches!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Thinking About Christmas Rituals

    Thinking About Christmas Rituals

    Right now I am behind and I will never catch up to my normal Christmas rituals! You know the traditional foods we like to make, or the items we like to create. This is because we (my husband and I) have downsized this year and everything we normally bring out at Christmas is at the back of the storage locker!

    This is not a bad thing, in fact, the downsize will lead to a better living environment – smaller, easier to care for home that will be ultimately cozier! But the changes and renovations have been delayed by a few months and most of our Christmas Stuff is in storage. So this Christmas has a few challenges. Maybe we need to rethink our Christmas Rituals. We knew that some things would change, we would be letting go of some things when we eventually emptied the locker. So I guess we are getting a bit of an early start!

    Challenge one, my yarn for Christmas Baubles is in storage as are most of the decorations and lights. I really don’t need to make new baubles every year – I just enjoy them.

    Challenge two, my current oven is problematical. It bakes, but not evenly. The upper element does not work. So things like homemade shortbread or tarts are not really doable, not easily at any rate. I have found workarounds for roasting and reheating foods but not for baking or any cooking anything that requires an accurate oven temperature!

    So we have bought a few things, just enough to feel Christmassy, I bought a tree, small, not real (that was difficult), and a few ornaments. Not too much – very low key. My brother is cooking the Turkey this year. I have cooked the bird for the last 30+ years, not so sure about this! That might be the hardest thing not to do! Maybe this will lead to new traditions next year! But maybe not!

    What are your rituals? What do you really need to have to feel like your are celebrating Christmas? Is it the tree? Or the food? Or the friends and family? Do you need all of the above? I think I do. There is just something about Christmas! I would love to hear about your must have rituals.

    I am not knitting a lot for Christmas this year. Just a few small gifts. Mittens for Logan, maybe a few hats for friends. I am still constantly knitting, but I am mostly trying to get ahead on next years Classes at Mad About Ewe! So many plans are coming together!

    Thrumming, Twined Knitting, Socks on Circs (2 socks at a time) and all of the regular classes. I am also contemplating a couple of other options…. more to follow.

    Maybe a good basic glove – with cuff options, like beads or cables?

    As I continue to dream up ideas, what would you like to see?

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Up and Coming

    Up and Coming

    In this last week I have been very busy. Thanks in part or whole to GoSadi and the designers I am in contact with there! I have spent the week setting myself up for the three following events/activities! Lots of computer work and learning curves.

    First up – the Indie Designer Gift-A-Long – which runs from Nov 20th until Dec 31 on Ravelry. This looks like a lot of fun for all – KALs and CALs, prizes and patterns at a reduced price. I am one of the participating designers and I would love to see you participate.

    Second up – Something special with Marly Bird – stay tuned for more!

    Third up – The Malabrigo Quickies – I sent off 4 different ideas – lets see what comes back! I most likely won’t hear back from them until early next year. So patience is indicated.

    I am also working on next years Classes for Mad About Ewe. I am thinking socks might be a bit too limiting, maybe I will add gloves and mittens. It has been a long time since I taught a basic glove class. Would you like to learn how to knit gloves? I love knitting them. They always fit my hands so much better than anything I can buy from the store.

    Maybe something with a beaded cuff? Or are you looking for something more basic?

    I love fancy gloves – they are always noticed and they still keep your hands warm.

    This morning I went for a walk at Pipers Lagoon and it was a suitably moody West Coast Morning! But there was no wind and no rain so it was a very pleasant walk.

    Even the ferry was moody this morning! This little bit of Old Man’s Beard caught my eye, it was so bright against the drab of the bare branches and dried up Rose Hips.

    The only knitting I have accomplished this week was to add to my Legend Sweater. I am about to separate the sides for a split hem, one of my favourite finishes.

    I don’t think that this version will end up fitting me. I may have made it too small and I have already started another one the next size up. Blocking will really tell the tale, but I am suspicious, it is too close, but maybe not close enough. I am rushing along now just so that I can block it.

    I hope that you are having a great weekend! Just as productive as you want it to be and just as lazy as you need it to be!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Off the Cuff

    Off the Cuff

    Gloves

    Gloves are sexy.  Gloves are demure.

    Gloves are practical. 

    Gloves are glamorous.  Gloves are prim.

    Gloves have been a fashion statement for centuries.

    Gloves have been designed to reveal and conceal.  Jewelry was designed and sized to wear over them.  Gloves are what we wear to be “seen”!

    Gloves for a knitter are a perfect project.  They are small projects and therefore very portable, much like socks, the common choice for an easy to travel with project.  Best of all, unlike socks, gloves are seen immediately when worn.  They can showcase a knitter’s skills and interests.

    There are not many garments that we wear that can be said to reflect such diverse aspects of our individual psyches’.

    Once you learn how to knit the glove hand – the back, palm, thumb and fingers – then there is the cuff.

    When you start to knit gloves, the cuff is kept simple, after all learning all the small points of glove construction are the main points of difference between gloves and mittens. That is where to focus needs to be. There are bridges and forchettes (french for small gusset) in gloves! And fingers, they appear small and fiddly – but a finger only takes about 20min to knit!

    I started to knit gloves because, well, I couldn’t find a commercial glove to fit my non standard hand. I have broad palms and short fingers. Gloves that worked for my fingers would never go over my palm, and gloves that fit my palm would leave me with an inch of extra fingers. I always wanted gloves that fit me, therefor I learned to knit gloves.

    Once I learned to knit gloves – I started to play with the cuffs of gloves!

    What wonderful small places to add so many interesting details! And for a while there was no stopping the experimentation! There were many more ideas tried and quite often ripped out because the idea didn’t work. You can see that beads played a prominent role in my glove designs. Gloves were meant to showcase jewelry and the hands of the people that wore them! And why not knit in our own bling!

    Above is a selection of glove possibilities….  A couple of which you will see below as finished designs. The others are waiting to be redesigned or finished.

    Below is a selection of Glove patterns that I have designed and either published myself or had published by others.

    Chihuly Chevron Gloves, Turtle Flower Gauntlets, Ronas Hill Heathers, Tiny Bubbles, #27 Gloves (Cabled and Ruffled Cuffs), Basic 4-ply Gloves, Entrelac Gauntlets, Classic Argyle Beaded Gloves, Viking Gauntlets, Wisteria Beaded Cuffs for Gloves or Socks, Skye Gloves

    It has been a while since I designed any gloves. I think that needs to change. I have this new coat, maybe it needs some gloves. I do have two designs that I am working on. One a classic fair-isle and the other a long beaded cuff in lace… They might work! LOL!

    I do design a lot of fingerless mittens with fancy cuffs as well. They are generally more popular than full gloves, quicker to knit for sure…. but there is something about a pair of fancy gloves…

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • New Year

    New Year

    New projects, more plans, life goes forward. I have many plans but no resolutions, I seldom keep a resolution, but plans can be changed and adapted to fit the moment. How about you? Do you make or keep resolutions?

    I have finished knitting the Moebius and I am very happy with the result. I love a fringe bind-off. It takes an extra long time, but the effort is so worth it. I wore the Moebius to work on Thursday. It looked great, the feedback supported my thoughts on the matter, and felt good. I did not block it as I really wanted to keep it deeply textural.

    I will need to reknit the moebius with a different yarn for the workshop in March. Gathering Yarns Popcorn is not currently available, so I am going to use Fleece Artist Slubby Mix.

    Slubby Mix is a Merino/BFL blend, thick and thin single ply, and it will give me the texture that I really loved about the Popcorn. The pattern I designed I think will look good in a smooth yarn as the pattern is a very simple knit and purl texture. But it looks fabulous in a textured yarn that adds extra depth to the textural pattern.

    This full day workshop will run March 22, 10:00am to 4:00.

    The Year of Hats, a series of 4 hour workshops, will start in a couple of weeks. Each hat will focus on different techniques. Some will be easy, some will be more challenging. There will be homework to do before each workshop. The ribbing or band will need to be completed before the workshop so that the class time will focus on the technique being featured in each hat.

    Jan Cap
    Feb Cap – Beret
    March Cap – fair-isle beanie

    It will start with the Jan Cap, something a little simple to set us up for success as we work our way through the possibilities. This cap is a little slouchy with a seed stitch body, a slip st detail and is finished with a jaunty tassel. This workshop will run this January 25th from 11:00am to 3:00pm with a 4 hour workshop.

    The Feb Cap is a classic Beret. This Beret has a little bit of stranding for detail and a little I-cord loop as a final flourish. This workshop runs February 22nd from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

    The March Cap is a fair-isle beanie, the Sea Star Beanie. A 3 colour fair-isle band is topped with a textural knit and purl sea star crown. This workshop runs March 29th from 11:00am to 3:00 pm.

    Any curling fans out there? I will be going to Kelowna to watch the Brier, at the end of February. While in Kelowna I will be teaching a couple of classes at Kelowna Yarn and Needle Crafts.

    If you live in the area and want to take a class, or are coming to the Brier and want to add on something a little different, check out the information below and/or contact Kelowna Yarn. I usually bring a few extra samples to touch and wear so if there is something that you want to see…. maybe I can accommodate.

    First there will be a workshop on double knitting, and a then a class on knitting the perfect pair of gloves.

    I am designing a new double knit pattern for the workshop. Winter Florals, knit with Ancient Arts Superwash Merino DK in the Cranberry and Mineral colourways. I am very pleased with the way the pattern is knitting up.

    If I have time I will finish a pair of gloves that I have already started for myself. They feature a beautiful beaded cuff. The beaded pattern looks simple but is very effective. The beads are pre-strung and then knit in as the cuff progresses. The remainder of the gloves will be plain stockinette.

    This year I will be focusing on finishing some projects already started and hopefully expanding my designing skills. There are still so many things to share! I know you must have something that you want to make or learn how to make. Let me know and maybe a new class can be created.

    Around the house we have gone back to “normal”. The Christmas decorations are down and there is a pot of pea soup simmering on the stove. I don’t have any baking planned today. We are kind of taking a small break from sweets. I ate waay to much over Christmas and New Years.

    We do have a very big plan this year for ourselves! We are downsizing! Heaven help me! How will I fit all of my yarn into a smaller place!? That is a future problem that will take all of the next few months to figure out!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette