Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Category: Me Made

  • Expanding My World

    Expanding My World

    I have been blogging off and on for about fifteen years or thereabouts. My first blog was simply called LeTissier Designs. It was great until I tried to monetize it and destroyed the work a friend had put into it for me. I sort of gave up on the idea for a while. The blog is still out there.

    Expanding my world is my retirement project. Yes I am still working, but 1 day less a week. Expanding my digital world was me making sure I was always involved and interested in the world of designing, knitting and yarn. And doing so in a meaningful modern way!

    Some of my initial shots of the Victorian Falls Wrap that were the basis of the LeTissier Designs blog site background and my winning pattern for Magic of Mohair in 2011. It was handpainted with dyes in a gorgeous blend of silk and mohair.

    So a few years ago I started this blog. It is a little more about me and less about the knitting, though really the two are so intertwined it is hard to pull one from the other.

    How do these fit together?

    Well about 7 months ago I heard of a new site being developed, something to make being a small independent designer a little easier. So I started to look into it. And was introduced to GoSadi, a centralized site designed to help whomever was registered organize and share their patterns across other selling channels. This site is in the testing stage and I am testing it out.

    So far I am very impressed. Just so you know, this is an unsolicited Rave about my new thing.

    Next year the site goes live and right now they are looking for makers to join and test out the features. It would be similar to Ravelry in that there would be pages for your faves and your projects but the groups would be smaller and people more connected – sort of like Ravelry in the early days. I am less familiar with this aspect of the site. But if they do it as well as they have for the Designers I am thinking that it may be the next big thing in knitting.

    This site does not replace Ravelry or Etsy or a personal website. It simply makes it easier for the designer, me to share my pattern across other websites. And you the knitter to find and keep track of the designers work your love.

    For example I now have an Etsy site – it is about 4 weeks old and I am thrilled. I joined Etsy 10 years ago with the intention of learning how to sell on it! Well that never happened. And here I am selling patterns! Well only a couple so far! But this is a new audience, many of whom have never seen me or my patterns before! And it was easy, so much earlier than I expected.

    So here I am, a technical luddite – but smart enough to take the help and expand my world. GoSadi isn’t free, but it isn’t expensive either and the help provided has been worth every penny. They have opened up new avenues of opportunity. I have an opportunity to send a couple of samples to a Vogue Knitting Event and another opportunity to participate in a Christmas Event with Marly Bird, all because of the new connections.

    Today I added a pattern to Ravelry and 5 minutes later it was up on Etsy! My new pattern is the Abbreviated Vest – a short and sassy vest. A quick and easy knit.

    AI version of my initial sketch of the Abbreviated Vest
    Abbreviated Vest on me!

    So my digital world is growing and I am finding uses for it I had never every conceived of. I hope that all of this keeps on being fun and keeps me young in mind and heart.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Quickie 3

    Quickie 3

    The painted Fan is my first attempt at hand painting with dyes. It has become the basis of my header for the patterns I create and inspiration to keep on trying new things. Pattern was Nightfall Fan by Deborah Robinson.

    Ok – everything is set up and I am at the knit until I am done stage. The only decision left is do I make a scarf or a shawl – I am thinking a shawl! So I will need another ball!

    I already have a plan for the finishing. But I won’t need that for a while.

    Isn’t technical stuff fascinating? My phone has an app. It is AI based of course. But it will take my rough sketch and turn it into art. If only I could really illustrate my knitting pattern ideas so well! It has been really fun to play with so I will be trying this out more!

    Use the slider to see my sketch of “Quickie” and compare to the AI finish!

    I have written up Quickie as a PDF. Click HERE to download the pattern for free.

    QuickieDownload

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Quickie 2

    Quickie 2

    The Hydrangeas are from my new garden – they are aging spectacularly!

    Note – I made a couple of changes the original blog post – stitch count is 370 at the end of the last row. I also suggested a different style of needle to make the first rounds work a little more easily.

    Here are the next two rounds. The body pattern should be ready by Wednesday.

    Transition Rounds

    Round 1 – * K3, YO, K1, YO, K1, (YO, K2tog) 3 times, YO, K1, YO, K3, slm, K2tog (YO, Ktog) 84 times, slm, repeat from * once more – 380 st. stitch count moves like this 19, 169, 19, 169. The long sides each lost a stitch.

    From this point he stitch count will increase by 4 sts on each end, every other round, 8 sts total and the side stitch count will remain the same.

    Round 2 – purl.

    My pattern Metro was knit using the same techniques as we are working with the Quickie pattern.

    The yarn was a Freia Shawl Ball x 2

    Other knitting play this weekend includes exploring a new (to me) dipp style stitch.

    The yarn is my hand-dyed wool for the spring shawl – which may now be sprinkled with flowers!

    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!