Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Category: free patterns

  • October Square and Fancy – Threads of Colour – A Year in Squares

    October Square and Fancy – Threads of Colour – A Year in Squares

    It is so hard to believe that after this month, there will be only three squares left to get to the planned sixteen squares. How fast this year has gone!

    It is fall here on the West Coast. The temperature has dropped, the leaves are turning and it has started to rain. And thank heavens for the rain! It was way too dry this summer.

    Fall almost always has me thinking of the past. The past year and the past years.

    Do you save up memories? You know, those moments that you experience that you want to be able to revisit, so you drink in every moment and try to preserve it in your mind’s eye. I have a few of those moments.

    One of them is a fall moment:

    I am 13. We have just moved back to the Okanagan and were living in a house on Mount Boucherie. My parents were looking for a house across the lake in Kelowna. While they looked, I still had to go to school.

    The school wasn’t too far away if you crossed through the orchards. Which I did.

    One morning, it was so frosty that the grasses crunched and the leaves and few apples left on the trees were sparkly. The air was thick and moist, foggy. And that orchard was magic. I walked through, taking it all in.

    I was in the habit of eating an apple as I crossed through the orchard. The pickers had missed a few and they tasted so good!

    This morning, the apple tasted even better. So good. I had never tasted an apple so sweet and so crisp.

    I learned later that certain fruit, like some apples and grapes, improve when they get frostbitten.

    This was my fall moment, and my inspiration for this month’s square.

    Do you have a moment, a memory, that can take you back in time? I would love to hear about it – if you are willing to share.

    This month’s fancy is the companion piece to the August Fancy – the Grand Shell Collar.

    II was so pleased with the results I decided to add a hat to co-ordinate with the collar. So here is the Grand Shell Juliette Cap.

    So if you like vintage looks — with or without beads — this set might tickle your fancy.

    Life here has been busy. I played hooky one weekend. I will tell you all about it in my next blog post.

    And I went down to Victoria to see my daughter and went to Gala Fabrics. I, umm, may have bought a few items. A very dangerous store.

    a bowl of buttons, three types, made of stone.

    Right beside the till, a very dangerous spot, was this innocent looking bowl of buttons. They were all made of stone. And there were enough to actually use on a project – as yet unknown. My button box thanks me!

    I am looking forward to a great start to autumn, aren’t you?

    Happy Knitting,

    Lynette

  • Bonus Block – a Year of Colour

    Bonus Block – a Year of Colour

    August Blooms

    I am really missing my garden. And it is not that I am a serious gardener. I just plant and pray that things will grow. But I am a serious lover of gardens and enjoy them wholeheartedly.

    It took thirty years to develop the back yard in the old house and the last year of waiting for and then renovating the new place has not allowed time for really thinking about my outdoor space. That is about to change. The landscapers will be coming in about 3 weeks and I am so excited.

    So I have been thinking about gardens, in particular, my new garden, a great deal. I won’t be able to get the landscaping done all at once. It will take a few years to get the whole yard finished. But right now I have two things planned.

    1.) A small perennial garden for bees and other pollinators, with a small tree as a center focus. A Pink Dogwood – so pretty and delicate looking. Around it will be Coneflowers, Salvia, Russian Sage and Wooly Sunflower and something called Little Bunny, a small grass – which I had to look up. This garden will be in our small front yard, and will add privacy and interest.

    2.) I need to create a new herb garden. My old one was built by me, 30 years ago. I laid out the bricks in an old-fashioned square grid and filled each grid with different herbs and flowers. It was my favourite place in the yard. It delighted me and the bees both. I could and did sit out there for hours, knitting or reading.

    My new herb garden will be quite different. We live in a bit of a hollow with a long bank down one side of the property. The landscaper is going to build a rock wall along part of the bank and fill it with dirt to level out and create a garden area. I will share the results sometime in September.

    So our new garden won’t be like the old but it will have some wonderful things in it as well. It already has a beautiful rhodo and a gorgeous hydrangea on the front side of the bank. That area may get developed more next Spring.

    Gardens and garden themes have always been important to me. Quite a few of my patterns have been influenced by gardens. The August Bonus Square is the newest of my garden-inspired knits.

    The pattern includes a photo tutorial of how to create the Daisy Chain stitch.

    The Daisy Chain stitch is a fun knit. A little fiddly but worth the payback as every 4 rows of the pattern creates almost an inch of fabric. It is also a great pattern for using up the bits of coloured yarn leftover from our other squares.

    I also think that interesting textural stitches like this are often overlooked. They can look more difficult than they really are. Or maybe we don’t want to think beyond what we always knit. I believe that sometimes we miss out when we don’t try those new things, those new stitches.

    Why Daisies? I have always loved daisies and all daisy-shaped flowers. Coneflowers, Lion Daisies and the lovely little English Daisies that grow wild amongst the grasses. Daisies and pansies (my other favourite flowers) were the flowers in my wedding bouquet. These flowers have faces and can come in so many different colours. And it is August, and I am missing my garden and so I unearthed the Daisy Chain Stitch. It just made sense to play with them in this square.

    I have used it a couple of times before. In a little hat for the purple hat campaign, Daisy Chain Cap. It made such a cute child’s cap. The other pattern is a shawl pattern, Peace, Love and Understanding.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Knit Your Way Through August: The Blanket Project

    Knit Your Way Through August: The Blanket Project

    Busy Times

    It’s August already – the last full month of Summer. Before long September will arrive, bringing with it a whole new rhythm of busy days. Sometimes I wonder… can life really get any busier?

    I don’t know about you, but I already feel busy enough.

    It has been a wonderful month. I spent some quality time with Beth and we went walking at Neck Point Park. It is my favourite park in Nanaimo. We have been going there for over 30 years, even before it became an official park. We would walk, picnic on the cliffs and explore the beaches. It was a haven from life’s chaos, no matter what time of day we visited.

    I have also spent a fair amount of time knitting the samples for my fall classes. They are finally coming together, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you next week.

    Threads of Colour – August Square is Live

    Blackberry season came early this year. It has been so hot and so dry – the berries have ripened early and don’t have quite their usual texture and juiciness. But they are still beautiful and their colour is still ripe and vibrant. The blackberries were the inspiration for this month blanket square.

    Purple berries on a Green background inspired the Bead Stripe Square.

    This month’s Fancy is pretty Fancy. I went a little off the beaten path for this one. So much so that it actually got its own blog post. See the story here. I was pretty excited when I got this one completed.

    As you can see it got the star treatment. Buttons and Beads and a little bit of shimmer from the yarn itself.

    If you have never worked with beads before check out this blog post for more information and tutorials. I also think this collar would be beautiful without the beads. It only takes less than 100 m of fingering weight yarn. Got some spare light fingering weight that you want to play with?

    Whats Next for our Blanket

    Well I have decided what I want to do with my squares. I hope that you like this idea, if not, I will be sharing other options, but I think I have pretty much figured out what I want. Even with that I have two options. I do love options.

    With either option I will be working on the diagonal.

    With this option I will have to knit a lot of plain squares. I am using Navy as my edging/finishing colour. If I went this way every patterned square would stand out for the beauty it is with the navy as the backdrop. Knitting a lot of plain squares is a bit of a deterrent for me. I get bored easily. On the other hand, they would make excellent tv knitting.

    This is the option I am leaning towards. I would have to knit quite a few doubles of the patterned squares or design more of the squares themselves to make the blanket as big as I like. With the diagonal as well I particularly like the cut off corners. It makes for a more interesting shape. If I go for the diagonal layout I think that I might make my blanket a square.

    I really like the diagonal layouts. They are unexpected, almost more quilt like. They seem to offer more interest than the straight up and down layouts.

    How to Knit the Triangular Filler

    • Working with a worsted yarn and 4.5mm US#6 needle, cast-on 2 sts.
    • Turn work, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
    • Turn work, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
    • Turn work, K1, M1, K3, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
    • Turn work, K1, M1, K5, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
    • You can see the progression developing. Each time you start a new RS row there will be 2 stitches more between the M1’s. Continue in this way until there are 56 sts in your triangle. Bind-off.
    • Triangles will need to be blocked.

    How to Knit the Diagonal Filler – solid block garter stitch

    • If you are interested in creating the solid block fillers. Work the filler triangle, but after increasing to 56 sts – Knit 2 rows – start decreasing.
    • K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 – 2 stitches decreased. Turn work – knit back
    • Continue in decreasing pattern until you have 2 sts left.
    • Bind-off and block to size.

    I’ll continue experimenting with finishing ideas for the blanket over the next month, and I’ll be back in September with another square – and another possibility for bringing the blanket together. Until then enjoy these last weeks of Summer.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Embrace Summer Joys: The Blanket Project Update

    Embrace Summer Joys: The Blanket Project Update

    Waves and Sunny Daze

    It is July already and I am not quite sure how I got here. How are you feeling? Is time getting faster in your world this year?

    I have really been focused on The Blanket Project, Threads of Colour – A Year in Squares for the last six months. And the Renovation. And now the final bit of the last years move – the Organization. In between I try to fit in some life. This last week had a lot of “life” in it.

    La Dolce Vita – living a life.

    It has been a beautiful Sunny week. With a little bit of rain here and there. We popped up to Fanny Bay Inn to meet some family on Wednesday and had a lovely lunch. it was a gorgeous day and the views were spectacular.

    On Saturday we drove down to Victoria to catch some baseball with our Grandson. The afternoon before the game we popped over to Cadboro Bay for lunch and a wander down to the beach. Tom had read about a new Olympic sport being practiced there. It was a combination of running and rowing and then running again – Rowing Beach Sprint. It was being run in timed heats. It showed potential I think.

    As for the game – the Harbour Cats won the night and Logan was thrilled.

    We stayed the night and made our way leisurely back up Island. We stopped at Goldstream and wandered a bit. Checked out the Farmers market and had lunch with some friends… A very satisfactory week in all.

    So I took a few photos over the week as we travelled.

    Threads of Colour – the July Square and Fancy

    I have a new block and a fancy for you today.

    For the block I went with the tried and true. One of my favourite Shetland Lace patterns, Old Shale, is always beautiful and always effective. Here it is representing Waves. Reminding me of Summer leisure time, idling away hours at the beach, swimming and reading.

    Are you a Summer reader? I read more in the Summer than I do in the winter. Light reading, science fiction, mystery and romances to while away time when I feel too hot to knit. And not so light reading, research for my fall classes and patterns – I love delving into my knitting book collection and playing with ideas!

    So this month I took a look at double knitting and decided the technique would create a fun fancy. How about a bookmark to go with the Summing Reading.

    This one is light weight, totally revesible and was a really fun, quick knit!

    The Sunny Daze Bookmark.

    The July block is the start of the second half of our block collection. If you have knit all of the blocks so far you will have 8 blocks completed. I am having fun playing with technique and colour and hope to add a few more colourful, textural options in the next couple of months.

    Planning Ahead

    If you have been knitting every block you will have 8 blocks completed. I will be knitting 20 blocks for my blanket (maybe 24) so I have to decide which Squares I like best and knit an extra one or two. If you want a more Afghan sized blanket your will need to double up on a few of your squares as well. The 12 or 16 squares I have planned for the year will make more of a lap robe sized blanket.

    I have started to play around with how to connect our blocks into an interesting and useful blanket. Of course we could keep it simple with just the basic connections outlined. Those ideas will be covered. As well as a few more unique ideas. More on that in the next blog post.

    Happy Knitting

    And Happy Canada Day!

    Lynette

    Our Collection to date. Only the February fancy is not here. It is currently attached to a hat, which is somewhere in my very disorganized yarn room.

  • Monthly Knitting Adventures: June 2026

    Monthly Knitting Adventures: June 2026

    June Square and Fancy

    It has been an epic month. The reno is complete, the storage locker is empty and the house is currently a work in progress with stacks of boxes in each room. We are at the stage where every box is an adventure. What does it contain? Do we really need it? etc. More on this later.

    I have knit the square and the fancy for this month and I love them both. I hope that you will too.

    The Square

    Is is lace, need I say more? Take note of the code on the last page of the pattern. It will give you the Rain Shadow Shawl pattern at half price once it is released, most likely Wednesday or Saturday. It will be good for the remainder of this month (June 2026).

    The Fancy

    I went down a rabbit hole with this one. Did you know how many styles of pincushion are out there? I was vaguely aware. But now – I am in the know. Pincushions go back centuries and across cultures and stitchery techniques. I didn’t go too wild. I kept the shape fairly traditional, just added a little colourwork. I hope that you will enjoy the knitting. And may be check out some pincushion sites. LOL!

    We are up to 8 squares now with the six monthly additions and the two bonus squares. So I am starting to think of how we might want to put them together. I mentioned a couple of the standard styles in the opening post, but I have a couple of fresh ideas. I will share them with you later in the month.

    Circular Cast-on – German Pinhole

    Here is a link to an earlier post on the pinhole cast-on used in the two patterns for this month.

    Rain Shadow Shawl

    Just a few pictures to whet the whistle once more. The pattern will be released next weekend. I got caught up in boxes.

    Apparently “later in the month” is a thing. I hope that I can get it all done “later in the month” LOL!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Hearts Ease Stitch Pattern for February Square

    Hearts Ease Stitch Pattern for February Square

    Make-A-Blanket – February Square

    February is the month we celebrate Valentines. It calls for hearts and flowers and all things romantic.

    So I went looking for a heart pattern. I found a stitch pattern called Hearts Ease. I thought it would be perfect for the February Square. Mostly because I could use the stitch pattern to create rows of multiple hearts. Also, because the name of the pattern had special meaning for me.

    Hearts Ease, also known as Viola, are my favourite flower. Johnny Jump Ups is another name for them. That is what my mother-in-law called them. They are closely related to Pansy flowers, of all varieties, all of which were derived from Hearts Ease. My Wedding bouquet consisted of Daisies and Pansies. My friend baked my Wedding cake and collected and dried Pansies. She then used them to decorate my Wedding cake.

    This pattern is a knit and purl textured pattern of repeating heart motifs. Each heart is centered in a square shaped textured outline

    And of course we would need some dimensional hearts as well!

    Soft hearts knit with Malabrigo Worsted in Natural and Very Berry. Perfect for embellishing the blanket corners.

    I am going to call the little extra download a “Fancy”. I intend to add something small and unique each month. This addition is something that we could choose to use to embellish our blanket. Perhaps on the corners or along the sides. Or maybe as extra embellishments on the squares themselves, like the Sea Star from last month.

    For those who can crochet, here is an extra link. It’s a pattern from Knit and Crochet Daily. It features a pretty little crocheted Pansy. A few of these might be a fun addition to our blankets.

    Happy Blanket Knitting

    Lynette

    If you are as fond of hearts as I am, check out my heart inspired patterns on Ravelry or Etsy.

    Smitten – knit in worsted weight yarns, Santa Cruz in Palladium or Malabrigo in Very Berry.

    Valentino – Knit in B.C. Garn Bio Shetland, a light fingering Shetland Style wool.

  • Create a Colorful Knitted Blanket: Tips & Patterns – a year long exploration of squares

    Create a Colorful Knitted Blanket: Tips & Patterns – a year long exploration of squares

    Make-A-Blanket – January Square

    This month is set-up for the Blanket. Pick your colours, decide on the style and knit your first square. The instructions for each square will be both charted and written.

    I am working with Cascade 220 wool. So my basic gauge is 20 sts in 4inches worked with a 4.5mm US #7 needle. After knitting my first square I think that these (my) squares will be about 10 inches wide, approx. 22.5 cm. My current plan is to make 20 squares and lay them out in blanket form and attach them together (no plan for this yet).

    There are two styles of blanket options that I have considered. I will lay them both out for you so that you can think about it as you knit your first square. Within these two styles there are other considerations. Do you want your blanket to be a solid colour? Or do you want lots of colour? Do you want your squares to be random or laid out in a quilt style of pattern. I bet you can guess which way I am going! Yup, lots of colour and random squares!

    Blanket 1 – knit in strips, biggest advantage, less seams and less to connect. This blanket could be knit in 1 colour, or in strips of colours with a different colour connecting them. The strips could still consist of squares that change colour with each pattern, or each strip could be knit in one pattern that repeats up each strip. How you put your Blanket Squares together is all up to you.

    I do like the stripes and diamonds on this Jester! His motley costume hits all the fun notes.

    Blanket 2 – knit in squares, no advantage, more seams, more connections! But I like the look better. This blanket was my original idea, Lots of patterns and many differing colours; it has been pointed out to me that I am sometimes alone in my love of the motley. But how could that be – there are so many examples of it all around us!

    My sloth’s intarsia coat was a fun example of a motley coat.

    I did a little sketching with Samsung Note and AI. These are the possibilities my sketches suggested.

    This month the Square is a Diagonal Rib pattern. It is totally reversable. And I am really liking that feature. This may be the square that I knit the most. It could act almost like a back drop for the other squares. We will see what tickles my fancy as the year progresses. This square took me approx. 36 grs yarn to knit. With that information I am figuring that I will need at least 7 skeins of the Cascade plus more for the finishing.

    Notes on working with the Squares. I will try to provide both written and charted patterns for each square. When working with charts every square represents 1 st or if the square is grey the absence of a stitch. That square can be regarded as a space to be ignored on that row.

    • Read all flat chart odd rows – 1, 3, 5 etc from right to left and all flat chart even rows – 2, 4, 6 etc from left to right.
    • Read every round from a circular chart from right to left.

    Also included in this months download is the Starfish pattern. I am going to knit a few of these to sprinkle randomly over my blanket. These Starfish will each take about 6 grs of yarn. I can see quite a few colourful starfish on my blanket.

    I hope that you will share your pictures and progress with me! I am trying to decide the best way. A group on Facebook and/or a thread on Ravelry. Have you got any other suggestions?

    I am having a lot of fun knitting up Sea Stars, this month’s add on! But I think that next month’s add on will be just as much fun! Now what could they be?

    Hint – what is the famous day in February that is celebrated with “?”‘s and flowers!

    Happy New Year!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Make-A-Long a Blanket

    Make-A-Long a Blanket

    2026 is going to be the Year of Making a Blanket.  I need a new blanket for my new living room with my new couch and my new carpet! Every month I am going to make a new square or two. Do you need a new blanket or Afghan? Do you want to join me? This will be free. With a Blog post every month with a new square. You will need to subscribe to get the emails regularly! Post it where ever you knit with the hashtags #newblanket and #letissierdesigns. I would love to see your progress.

    I am going to be working the squares in Cascade 220 wool. I just started my first one! You can choose any worsted weight yarn you like. Or a fingering weight yarn, or any yarn. These are just going to be some squares. Some will be simple, others maybe not, it sort of depends on the other designs I will be working on, I may be trying out some different stitches. Sort of pre-swatching!

    Most of these squares will be based on the blanket I did 11 years ago with The Buffalo Wool Co. I am going to remake the squares in the cascade 220, the originals were done in the Tracks Sock. These will be quite a bit bigger!

    Look for some purple Sea Stars here and there! It is going to be called the Sea Star Blanket! Or maybe the West Coast Blanket!

    I have already started my first square. This is the informal or soft start of the project. I will be adding it formally to Ravelry next month!

    • – Knit one square a month – there will be a lap blanket at the end of the project.
    • – Knit two squares a month – there will be a full size Afghan blanket at the end of the project.
    • – Knit three or more squares a month – there will be a large bed sized blanket at the end of the project.

    So pick out a yarn, and the appropriate needle size.

    Fingering 3.25mm US #3 – Double Knit 4.0mm US #6 – Worsted Weight 4.5mm US #7

    Diagonal Rib Square for January (Shush! I am starting early, so can you!)

    Cast-on 56 sts

    • Row 1 – *(K2, P2); repeat from * to the end of the row.
    • Row 2 – *(K2, P2); repeat from * to the end of the row.
    • Row 3 – K1, *(P2, K2); repeat from *. end the last repeat with K1.
    • Row 4 – P1, *(K2, P2); repeat from *, end the last repeat with P1.
    • Row 5 – *(P2, K2); repeat from * to the end of the row.
    • Row 6 – *(P2, K2); repeat from * to the end of the row.
    • Row 7 – P1, *(K2, P2); repeat from *, end the last repeat P1.
    • Row 8 – K1, *(P2, K2); repeat from *, end the last repeat K1.

    Repeat the 8 row pattern 9 times.  Cast-off evenly.  It should be close to 11-12 inches square! I don’t know the size yet! But I will add it here as soon as I finish the block! LOL!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Here’s a Little More Merry for your Season

    Here’s a Little More Merry for your Season

    Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Happy Hanukah, Blessings, or however your culture may celebrate or note the passing of the Winter Solstice.  I have noted that most of the celebrations involve gifts.  So here is my gift to you.  For the month of December and until Midnight of Jan 1, 2026, the Arrow Slouch will be available for free on Ravelry.

    A beautiful yarn and a simple repeating lace pattern combine to make this soft slouch.  The Arrow pattern repeats up the hat to the crown shaping. This creates soft points and folds as the stitches decrease to the optional I-cord Finish. The pattern repeat is small enough to offer a multiple of sizes so you can pick the head circumference and depth that best suits you.  The size shown is a X-large on a medium head.

    The Arrow Lace pattern grows from a knit3, purl3 ribbing that is deep enough to offer a nice contrast to the lace pattern.

    Pattern is both written and charted.

    The yarn shown is WOOLFOLK TYND! It is a gorgeously soft merino and just begs to be knit into something soft and Oh so touchable! Just like the Arrow Slouch!

    Knit Happy

    Lynette

    Does your tea need a Seasonal Cozy? Cozy Bells is waiting for you to knit.

  • A Time of Giving

    A Time of Giving

    It’s time. Knitters warm your needles.

    There are many reasons’ for why we knit so crazily at this time of year. For me and perhaps to you, It is simply that this season of the year, what ever and how ever you celebrate always seems to involve gifting and sharing what we have and like you I like to create gifts for those I love and for those in need.

    I always try to knit a few quick hats for the unhoused. I give them to a charity to distribute or simply place them where I have seen people congregate. This year things seem more dire than usual and I know that while I can’t make any substantive difference to their lives, I can offer some time to create a few hats. Above is my “go” to pattern. It is a very quick to knit and because of the ribbing will fit almost any head. It is free on Ravelry. But I thought I would make it easy and just put it in my post. Take a bulky weight yarn and knit it single, take 2 chunky weight yarns and knit them together on some 8mm needles. I have just finished my first hat.

    Have you ever noticed that your to do list is greater than your time available? How many times have you given gifts on the needle or even just a picture and a promise? I am particularly guilty of the gifts on the needles. And while I am not sure if I will do as much personal knitting this year, I am sure that I won’t be able to resist creating a few little things….

    One of the things I have been working and thinking on are next years classes at Mad About Ewe. Which techniques I want to teach and how to best present them as good learning opportunities for my students.

    Maybe a unique take on a yoked sweater?
    Or, how about some Cables and Garter St?
    Though I am fond of simple stitchery on top of our knitting! So many possibilities!

    I am also working on getting my patterns on Etsy. This is a bit of a process and takes a little time. I am also working on my Gosadi Site. I think it is looking pretty good. I still have a long way to go. It is in the testing stage for makers so if you are interested you can look at joining yourself and have your say in helping us create a great working space.

    My first gift given for Christmas will be for you! For the last 10 or so years I have released a new pattern on Ravelry as a thank-you for the support thoughout the years. Next Monday, Dec 1, my Christmas pattern will be available here and on Ravelry. It will be free for the month of December. Keep your eyes peeled!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette