Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Category: sweaters

  • Sunday, Sunday what a Day – Exploring Colour in Knitting

    Sunday, Sunday what a Day – Exploring Colour in Knitting

    I think about colour a great deal.  As a designer, colour is a very important part of my design process.  As a person, colour is an even more important part of my life, of your life.  Colour is embedded in how we describe experience. 

    1. Colour is already in our language

    We experience a lot of things in colour.  Have you thought of how many times we use colour to define the moment?   Here are a few familiar ones:

    • seeing red
    • caught red-handed
    • red-letter day
    • paint the town red
    • in the pink
    • tickled pink
    • feeling blue
    • out of the blue
    • once in a blue moon
    • blue blood
    • green around the gills
    • the grass is always greener
    • green thumb
    • give the green light
    • golden opportunity
    • golden years
    • heart of gold
    • black sheep
    • black mood
    • black-and-white thinking
    • white lie
    • white as a sheet
    • waving the white flag
    • grey area
    • silver lining
    • born with a silver spoon
    • purple prose

    Do we even notice when we’re doing it?  We use colour as shorthand for emotion, character, value, danger and even morality.  As knitters, whether we are aware of it or not we are always assessing colour.  For example, which shade of red is the correct one for your next sweater project? Christmas Red – which can sometimes be confused with Va Va Voom Red, or Vintage Red, something a little quieter and warmer in the Red family?

    I picked Christmas red, which may have been a mistake, not because I don’t like the way the sweater is turning out, but because the association is so strong, people seeing the sweater are calling it a Christmas sweater. Not bad, just unexpected.

    2. Colour affects how something feels  

    Think of the emotional associations in things such as golden-hour sunlight, a storm-blackened sky, new spring green, the grey-blue of a rainy day, the brilliant colour after rain, autumn leaves, candlelight, fresh snow, fog, a spectacular sunset, or the almost artificial colours of the northern lights.

    And colour can communicate without words: red warning signs and stop lights; green meaning go; fluorescent safety clothing; white bridal clothing in one cultural context; black mourning clothes; school and team colours; national flags.

    Have you noticed how the same colour can produce opposite feelings depending on its companions. Red can be romantic, joyful, dangerous, angry, luxurious or cheap. Blue can be peaceful or melancholy. Green can suggest spring and growth—or illness and decay.

    We have a personal colour memory. You can walk into a room painted in the same shade of pink as your grandmothers kitchen or see a garment in a faded shade of brown and be reminded of a place or person that your memory has associated with that colour.

    Colours that we associate with something, or someone, in memory remain important to us, and the memories can linger for a very long time. Purple was the colour of choice the first time my parents decorated my bedroom for me. Purple curtains, purple drapes, and Oh God! purple flocked wall paper. Purple (click link to check out that bedroom) as a colour was my favourite then and is still my favourite colour now, as one of my very old blog posts can attest.

    3. Colour isn’t decoration in knitting

    Right now I am working on “The Sunday Series” an intensive class that is examining colour and how it reacts as it is put beside other colours in a garment.

    We started with the Sunday Slouch – a gauge swatch hat.  That wasn’t its only purpose; it allowed the students to see how well the colours played with each other.  It came about because as I was knitting my sweater I realised that my original colours weren’t working.  The first 3 inches of colourwork on my sweater were ripped back and I started again with a couple of new colours and some of my original colours, including my main.

    So I designed the Sunday Slouch. A gauge swatch hat that would also allow the students to test out the colours they had selected for their own sweaters. And test them they did.

    One student was totally satisfied with her colours. Another only changed one colour, but the others? They had to play a little bit harder to get to where they were happy with their colour choices.

    Isn’t this a fabulous collection of colour – and you can see in here two different reds (to continue with the red theme) and how different each hat is – my Christmas Red, cheerful and bright, and then the warmer, more subdued red.

    I had AI set up a chart for me with the hats and colours analysed.

    Colour creates the pattern, but it also establishes hierarchy and rhythm. Change which colour dominates and the same chart can look remarkably different. Increase the contrast and it becomes graphic; reduce it and the pattern becomes quieter and more textural.

    My students discovered this all firsthand.  Everyone chose their original colours carefully, but they still needed to shift/change some colours before they started their sweater! The swatch hat did its job.

    Colour also creates proportion. We are all working with six colours. If we used them all equally, except perhaps for striping, it could look chaotic. Used properly, the same six colours – one dominant, two supporting and three appearing as highlights – the knitting takes on a control and a sophistication.

    The patterning I am using is borderline chaotic as I have been trying to use the bulk of the patterning colours fairly evenly, but spread throughout the garment. I have kept the background very defined to keep the colours under control. Cheerful is how I am thinking of the effect.

    When we talk about colour and colour in our knitting there is the “unexpected” colour. The colour that doesn’t seem to fit at first glance, but becomes the colour that makes the other colours sing together and move naturally in the mix. For my sweater the unexpected colour is the light blue. It is the one colour that was both different and important. Its job in my sweater was to cut down any similarity to Christmas, and change the emotional “feel” of my background colour. It does it for me – though not for everyone. Many still call this my Christmas sweater.

    So, for fun, the next time you pick a colour, think about why you chose it.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Making Feeds Making

    Making Feeds Making

    Making Moments and Fall Class Projects

    Do you label yourself? What is your view of yourself? Is it defined by your work, your hobby, your family? How do you view the way you interact with the world?

    I know that I define myself by what I do now – what I did in the past helped form what I do now but does not define how I see myself now. For example, when my children were younger I defined myself as a mother. That definition is part of me but is not how I define myself now.

    I am a Maker first and foremost. I make things.

    Mostly, I knit. And when I knit, I design.

    Then there is everything else. I love to cook. And bake. And make jam. I particularly love to make jam. I find it very meditative and soothing. I grow herbs in my garden to add to my cooking. Does that qualify as making? It does in my world.

    And I sew clothing for myself when I am in the mood.

    crabapple jelly in the sunlight
    Crabapple Jelly in the Sunlight.

    Everything I do leads to everything else I do. The colour of the jelly leads to me looking for the colour in my stash – couldn’t find it – so I settle for a bright pink. The colour of the gorgeous sunset last night.

    Sunset at Cowichan Lake
    Warm pink knitting in the sun!

    In your knitting are you influenced by your environment? Does a walk in the woods or along a lake make you look at the shadows created by sun and leaves and see a lace pattern or watch the waves along the shore and see the classic old shale pattern?

    Or are you more influenced by a direct need or want?

    For example my latest Fall Intensive Class started with my students. There was a request for a cardigan type of sweater as a major class. Then other requests – I really want to try a shawl collar – could it be fair-isle – I have never tried raglan sleeve shaping – what about a simpler version of the sweater. As I mulled those requests, I was heavily influenced by my interest in a new sweater for myself. In red.

    So the base colour for the sweater is red. And a few of my favourite colours for the patterning. Plus I need to make sure that there are a few other skills involved in making the sweater. So let’s do a traditional Fair Isle sweater, that will also include a steek, afterthought pockets, a belt, plus the requests.

    Sketch of long red fair-isle cardigan
    AI generated sketch of the pattern based on my notes and actual sweater to date.

    So I designed a long Fair Isle cardigan, with a raglan sleeve shaping and a big shawl collar and the fine tuning details I thought needed to be added. Including a simpler style sweater. One that picks up some of the details of the original cardigan, ribbing, v-neck and raglan sleeve shaping.

    simpler sweater in blue ribbing with raglan sleeve shaping
    AI generated sketch of the simpler sweater based on the sweater knitting to date – complete except for the raglan shaping.

    Once I started knitting my red sweater I realized I hated my original colour choices. So I ripped out the 4 inches of knitting beyond the ribbing, picked new colours and started the sweater patterning again. Much better colour choices. Umm, my students might have the same problems, so I designed and knit up a gauge swatch hat. Now I have a means for my students to check out their original selections and save them ripping out the sweater itself.

    sketch of fair-isle hat
    AI generated sketch of gauge swatch hat.

    If I could create a flow chart from what I am, a Maker, to how I break down what I do, I wonder what it would look like.

    Again, an AI generated sketch of my fall plans and projects.

    Projects for Fall Classes

    These smaller projects are part of the same circle of making. Each one explores a particular technique or idea that can turn up later in a completely different project.

    1.) The Grand Shell Collar – due to the popular response to the pattern I have added it to the Fall schedule of classes.

    2.) Mosaic Hat – Mosaic colourwork is a fun alternative to traditional Fair Isle – and “look Mum – no stranding”.

    3,) Colouring with Cables – I decided to explore the Beret style hat and this hat was an outgrowth of playing around with top-down beret shaping. Which was a total bust – but it became the happy outcome of a really cute hat with fun cables!

    The Beret is such a classic shape I decided to give it a really good look this Fall, which resulted in the last two classes of the Season.

    4.) Classic Beret – nothing new here just a clear, classic beret with a few fine details, folded hem, dip stitch detailing and felted pompom to jazz it up.

    5.) Fulled (felted) Beret – classic beret shaping knit oversize to felt to size. Beret starts from I-cord to create a more interesting edge detail.

    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

  • Its been a while…

    Its been a while…

    Its been a while… But I am still knitting…

    I’ve been busy. Selling my home of 30 years, downsizing, and downsizing some more. There is still a storage locker so there will be more downsizing to come. But I am still knitting.

    Borealis Mitts for a November Class.

    It has been a tumultuous couple of years, both personally and in the world at large. Not sure where it is all going. How about you? How has your life been progressing? Life never stops. But I am still knitting.

    Did you know that I am officially retired. Not from working – though I do work less – I am retired by the definition that being retired means I get to do what I love! As I am doing what I love I am retired and still getting paid – how great is that. So I am still knitting, creating, teaching and hopefully bringing other knitters along with me.

    Ocean Legend – a fall class and a new sweater for me. I am still knitting. I hope that you are too!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Mending 101

    Mending 101

    This Fall and Winter and I am undertaking a self taught mending course. I started it yesterday by mending a few moth holes in my favourite vest and what I call my weekend sweater!

    I had hoped to work on these things in the summer for a Winter Class but the best laid plans….. So better now than not at all! See On the Mend.

    Needle Felting

    Small holes in our knits can be repaired with a few basic needle felting tools and some fibre. I did not realize how easy this would be or I would have tried it years ago! There are some other methods of dealing with small holes, embroidery stitches offer many options! But this is easy and fast!

    All you need is holes, a needle felting needle, fibre and a sponge (which is underneath the hole). I started in the back to give the hole backing. I did not need to do this. Just felting from the front works fine.
    Back is finished.
    Front after the back was done, You can see the shading of the fibre after has been needle felted through the knit. So I felted again on top of this fibre. My hole is a little on the stiff side with two sides needle felted.
    One dot looked foolish, so I added a few more spots.
    You can see that this has been folded for quite a while! Needs a wash and then it will be ready to be worn again!

    The second sweater with a hole was a much simpler project. This sweater is what I call my weekend sweater. I throw it on over when I just need a little more warmth. It was knit with sock yarn when the patterning sock first came out, so about 24 years ago. There was only 1 hole in the back, So I filled it up with fibre and called it done!. I did play around with it a little, added a little bit of an edge and curlicue!

    I had hoped to get another sweater mend underway, this one needs a new ribbing at the wrist. The sweater is over 30 years old but still looks great, no pilling and the colours are still vibrant! Well worth repairing, especially as it’s big, boxy style is coming back.

    Several years ago I had to replace the ribbing on the other wrist, I had caught it on something sharp and that had broken the bind-off (the sleeves had been knit from the top down – best way when yardage was short). I had used up all of my remaining yarn with that repair. So finding a close colour took a while, then the yarn I found got put away in my stash, so this sweater has been waiting for about three years. You can see in the photo the colour is not perfect, but it will make the sweater wearable again, not bad for a 30+ year old sweater!

    Yesterday I put the work in and found the yarn! That took a little time, you know, the needle in the haystack approach! So after looking for the yarn, I did not have time to do the work – but this weekend it will happen!

    The original yarn was a wool from New Zealand, gorgeous blues in 4 tones. The pattern was an early Kaffe Fassett pattern in about 36 colours, so I simplified it a little!

    I have quite a few other pieces to mend and I want to try many different techniques! So my Fall knitting projects are booking up fast!

    How is your Fall planning coming along?

    Happy Knitting and Mending

    Lynette

  • 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!

  • 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

  • A Knitterly Start to the Year – part 2

    A Knitterly Start to the Year – part 2

    So the Three Skein Project is almost complete – just patterns to complete for it.

    So where to next? 

    Well, I have lots of samples that need patterns – it could be that my computer and I will become best buddies. That is very real. I completed one pattern and started two more this weekend!

    Well the classes are coming up;

    I am thinking and doing a Double Knitting Class – lovely little cozy cuffs or wristers. They are totally reversible and quite easy to knit. There is no shaping so the only technique to learn is basic double knitting.

    And the other class will be some kind of specialized colourwork – entrelac maybe or intarsia in the round.

    Do you want see a beading class? A finishing class? A cable class? Our options are so wide and varied – sometimes it is hard to choose.

    Now is the time to make a suggestion!

    I have started to plan a Spring KAL for the store and I am looking for ideas. It would start in the Spring – after Easter. A shawl, a vest, some kind of relaxed garment I think.

    I am starting another sweater style garment for myself – have I finished the last one – well no – but you know – this yarn is calling. I blame it all on Darlene. She just finished a lovely scarf in the same yarn! And another shawl. I really like the way the shape is building up. There is never an end to inspiration!

    So how is your knitting year starting? Are you happy with your choices or looking to scrap it all and start anew? Are finishing one before you start another? Darlene has to finish two items before she starts a new project! We both wonder how long that will last! LOL!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Celebration of Life – Anatomy of Love – Knitting Style

    Celebration of Life – Anatomy of Love – Knitting Style

    Yesterday was my fathers Celebration of Life. A few weeks before that my father passed. Life had suddenly changed, and I have been struggling with what to do with my hands, how to focus on the mundane when a big part of my life was suddenly gone. My Knitting mojo too was gone.

    A week or so ago I started this blog post. I think it still works.

    If you are a knitter (read your favourite craft here) you have most likely made something for someone you love. It is what we do. What can be more personal than a gift made with special someone in mind. Loving thoughts go into every stitch, every small detail and every minute that you spend knitting that gift. Some gifts last longer than others. Some gifts are made better by time.

    Three weeks ago I lost my father. He was ninety. He passed away peacefully in his sleep after four weeks in the hospital. He had lived a good life and had few regrets. We will miss him. We do miss him.

    He had lived with us for the last 6 years of his life and was very much a part of our daily lives. The last 6 months of his life were pretty much lost to dementia as he struggled to find the words to communicate and the everyday actions to look after himself that a few months before had been there. He was stubborn and believed that he did not need the help we wanted to give him.

    I made it to ninety making my own decisions and I will keep on doing so.

    He lived a good life and believed in himself the whole of it.

    Love you Dad.

    We have been cleaning up his space, a suite in the basement, opening drawers, going into the closets and sorting the stuff of dads life that he brought when he moved into the house.

    On a hanger in the back of the closet I found a wool sweater that I had knit for him over 35 years ago. It brought both memories and tears. I didn’t know he still had it. I had not seen him wear it in a long time. He found it too warm. He had never worn it while in the suite.. But he kept it. It was dirty, but intact – no moths.

    When I knit it for him, so long ago – it was quite the job – I had not knit many sweaters yet, certainly not designed any from scratch in this way.

    He was very specific about what he wanted. I think that he was recreating something he had had once. It had to be wool, and not to heavy – no problem – I preferred wool. It had to be red, but just the right shade of red. I went back and forth to the yarn store a few times to find the right “red”! And it had to be wool! It had to be a cardigan, plainly knit – no patterning. (those who know me would know how hard that one detail would be for me) And it had to be wool. Then it had to have pockets and it had to have a V-neck. And it had to be wool. And it had to have silver toned buttons! And it had to be wool. Once I found THE wool, as it had to be wool – not too heavy and just the right shade of red, we struck a bargain.

    I would knit him a Red Wool cardigan with silver toned buttons, pockets and V-neck and it would be plain knit. Except for the button bands and pocket tops, they would have a small pattern. Something that said it was hand-knit just for him by me. And so the bargain was made.

    So I took measurements and went away to knit him his sweater. About 6 months later I gave him his sweater. He was thrilled and put it on right away! It fit! And took it off right away – it was too hot! This was in June! So it was a success, knit with a great deal of love.

    Thirty-five years later I found it in the back of his closet.

    I knew he loved it and I knew he wore it – the food on the sweater said so! But I didn’t know he still had it! That was a gift!

    From me to him and then from him to me.

    So I washed it – soaked it in Eucalan for a number of hours and then rolled it in a towel and reblocked it. So it is now my sweater, a true grandfather sweater!

    I needed to start knitting again. My hands were restless. I had a couple of sweaters on the go for myself, but they weren’t holding me. So I did one of my favourite things. I picked some yarn and found a new stitch to play with and knit a hat, instant gratification and maybe a new pattern. I am going to knit another version and see if it works again.

    The yarn is Mecha by Malabrigo. It is a gorgeous hand dyed Chunky Merino. I chose the Piedras colourway for the background and the Rosalinda colourway for the “feathers”. I think that I will call the pattern Feathers if it works.

    Happy Knitting

    Hug someone you love

    Lynette

  • Time and Tide wait for No Man (or Woman)!

    Time and Tide wait for No Man (or Woman)!

    I think of that proverb often as I am something of a procrastinator! Never mind something of a procrastinator – I can and have at times turned it into a fine art!

    Procrastination, practiced properly is a time management tool that works to my advantage as I tend to work better when under just the right amount of pressure. That is what happens when I practice it consciously. When it sneaks up on me and I get distracted by the new toy – usually yarn – it can cause a bit of a disruption, which why I am releasing two patterns today – I, ummm, kinda missed last weekend somehow. It got lost in the sands of time and distraction.

    It wasn’t that I have been doing nothing. Just not the planned things.

    Two Versions of the bento box. So called because it is a little boxy with options, just like a bento box. PS – that is me in the Lapel version of the vest!

    Today’s releases are the Bento Box Vest and the Garry O’ hat. They represent totally opposite ends of the knitting spectrum.

    Garry O’

    The Bento Box Vest is knit with big needles, 10mm, (I used my super sparkly ones) and super bulky yarns and can be knit in a couple of days if you have a little time. Garry O’ is knit with much smaller needles, 2.5 and 3.0mm, and much finer yarns and will take a little time. Both are very satisfying knits for very different reasons!

    Today has been very busy! The first jam of the season – ummm, strawberry was made and Elise and I had a great photo shoot. Below is a sneak peak at some of the upcoming patterns for the Just Playing Around ebook.

    Some upcoming additions

    I hope that you have had a couple of great weeks. Working in your gardens or knitting up a storm, even working. Life is starting to feel just a little more optimistic.

    I have picked 8 whole strawberries from my pots so far – and I am seeing lots more forming. The peas are coming up almost faster than whatever bug is eating them and the beans and tomatoes are looking pretty healthy.

    It is the flowers that give me the greatest joy! Peonies, Poppies, Roses, Honeysuckle and Lavender are all blooming the thyme and sage as well. The bees are ecstatic and the humming birds as well. We are getting lots of rain right now which is good as this last Spring was way too dry. How does your garden grow?

    Be well and knit happy!

    Lynette

    A sneak peak into a fall project.