Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Category: thrumming

  • 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

  • Squared Off

    Squared Off

    A square is a pretty simple shape, but it hold so many possibilities. For a knitter a square is often a nuisance, an “I told you so!” and “…really, do I have too!”

    And yes “Really you do! Or should!”

    I swatch a lot. As a designer it is really important to understand the yarn chosen, what it can and cannot do and make sure before you start that the results will be as expected. So I swatch. And I make a lot of squares to find the perfect yarn for the project in my head.

    Sometimes my swatches are not square – they are round! They are hats! Loads and loads of hats! Elizabeth Zimmermann often swatched a hat to test out a circular gauge. Someone always needs a hat! But most of my swatches are square.

    This morning I finished another swatch. This one isn’t just square. This one has dimensions, this one has “POUF!” It is a Poufy swatch for a Poufy Vest. A new Spring Class that I am developing! While knitting this swatch and thinking about the class I came up with a couple of ideas for using this particular swatch. So I have created a little pattern to go with my list of uses!

    The Gallery below might help with your process as you try one of these squares out!

    Squaring AroundDownload

    I hope that you give this a try. It has been fun and wait till you see what this is a swatch for!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

    These are the East Coast Mittens – don’t they look like fun. Click on the photo below for the Ravelry link.

  • East Coast – Twillingate Thrummed Headband

    East Coast – Twillingate Thrummed Headband

    I don’t like to wear hats. It takes a really cold day before I plop a hat on my head. I don’t like the look of myself in a hat. Very few have suited me.

    But I like cold ears even less.

    So, I finished up the Thrummed Headband for myself. I now consider myself officially ready for Fall and Winter. I have a new sweater… and a hat. Maybe I should make some fingerless mittens in the same colours as the headband? A light grey pair, with multicoloured dots. Ok, almost ready for Winter!

    If you want to knit a Thrummed Headband for yourself click here.

    The thrumming really intrigues me. It is easy to do and adds an extra layer of warmth. I am thinking that I may need to make myself a puffy vest, double layered with thrums in between. Would you wear something like that?

    Yesterday I also knit up a swatch from the Eco Scandinavian Chunky I bought myself last week (for another sweater). I want this sweater to be very colourful and in the Muhu style. This style is from Estonia and features a lot of natural patterns, birds, bees and animals in very bright, not so natural colours. The patterns will be much larger and definitely very visible.

    I love my swatch, but I think I need to add some green and maybe some black to make the other brights pop!

    Happy Knitting!

    Lynette

    PS – I am getting so excited! The GreenMan KAL starts next week! In between my other knitting I have been slowly working away at each section of the shawl. It is looking just as I imagined!

  • East Coast Thrumming

    East Coast Thrumming



    What is Thrumming?

    Thrumming was born in Newfoundland, off the east coast of Canada.  It is a technique for adding a layer of wool
    roving to create a very warm and almost totally wind and waterproof mitten.  Pieces of roving are knit in to
    individual stitches with the extra length of the roving remaining inside.  With wear, these rovings’ felt, creating the
    barrier needed to protect hands from the icy winds.

    It is really important to note that thrumming works best when knit with non-superwash wool and non-superwash sliver. The scale on the surface of both fibers work together to bond and keep the fibres from separating.

    Thrumming in action

    Thrumming can be used for items other than mittens as well. Hat, slippers or a headband (which I am currently designing). And I am thinking of designing a vest. A double sided, thrummed vest would be perfect for our climate.

    Happy Thrumming

    Lynette

  • What’s Now? What’s Next?

    What’s Now? What’s Next?

    Tomorrow we are going to Surrey (across the big water). The World Men’s Fastball Championships are there. So we are going for a day of ball! I am going to be knitting as well as watching and there is nothing like Ferry travel to enhance one’s knitting time!

    I will be taking a half knit sweater for myself. I started it a couple of years ago with some beautiful Italian Wool from Gathering Yarns. Just a basic top-down v-neck and since the yarn was limited I had to get creative with the colours. Just some simple striping but it is very effective with the slightly varigated colours.

    It is such a rich yarn, full of texture and the two colours are blending beautifully.

    Why wasn’t it finished a while ago? Well, one time when I tidied, the project went in one place and the yarn went in another. I would find one and never the other. So this time when I found the extra yarn I put in on my desk, after I had cleaned it up and had a clear surface! Remember that big clean up? Yesterday I stumbled across the project! A match! And it is so close, arms and maybe a third of a body and it is chunky!

    Looking for the next project? I seem to be in constant search lately. I have several projects on the go. My main focus is the Greenman Shawl and it is really taking over. I am already planning the next section. But I do need to look to my classes for work as well. What is your next project?

    I am working on the thrummed mittens to go with the headband. I do enjoy thrumming such a relaxing way of working in colour. And I love the wool I am using, Shelter, by Brooklyn Tweed.

    Look deep into my mitten. Doesn’t it look warm and cozy?

    And for something new I am going to try to finish off the sleeves of an old sweater. Knit with Mountain colours hand dyed Weavers Wool it is gorgeous. It is now slightly felted and starting to wear at the end of the sleeves. So I am going use an old English (or European Technique of finishing things that wear with leather. I found an absolutely stunning piece of leather from Gala Fabrics last time I was there. It is a glorious shade of blue and is perfect!

    Has anyone tried this technique? Any tips!?

    I hope that you are having a great day!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Class Samples

    Class Samples

    I have finished two of the class samples. Still at least three more to go! I am happy with the results so far! They include a thrummed headband and a cabled pillbox style hat. I took the pictures in different lighting conditions, just to see how the colours would change.

    I have no name for the headband pattern, but the pillbox is going to be called Candy Cables – just something about the colour. The white base with the glowing peach mohair looks like candy to me. Check out the mohair halo – so pretty!

    I hope that you have a great day!

    Happy Viewing!

    Lynette