Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Tag: Christmas pattern

  • Tea Cozies – my Toys

    Tea Cozies – my Toys

    I have been knitting Tea Cozies pretty much as long as I have been knitting. At first – they were just for me. I knit them for my pots and as gifts for friends. It wasn’t until 2009 that I posted my first cozy patterns. Victorian Cozy, Harvest Cozy, Bluebells in a Row Cozy and Thistle and Heather Cozy. They all grew out of my first retreat as the “headline” teacher.

    I think my latest cozy pattern was over 8 years ago, in 2016, Andean Dreams Cozy. So I am wayyy… overdue for a new cozy pattern. This year I am going all out. There will be two new cozy patterns and both will be released in the next couple of weeks.

    Dancer Cozy – a Gentleman’s style cozy in a very heavy wool Prairie Wool Fusion from Custom Woolen Mills.

    Like most of my patterns it has been designed to teach a technique, in this case, West Coast stranding, in the Cowichan style of knitting. The class starts this Tuesday, Nov 5th.

    And just because I can, and just because I think a cozy should be whimsical and more than a little over the top; I have designed a Christmas Themed Cozy. This one is also for a class, a class on knitting and attaching embellishments. There are still a couple of holly sprigs left to attach – ready for a class demonstration.

    Please note that the cozy is not bad looking without the embellishments. So if you are not a fan of embellishing the Cozy will still look great on its own! This cozy has been knit with Estelle Worsted from Estelle yarns. This class will start the Tuesday after the Dancer Cozy is done, Nov 19th.

    Cozy Bells – the latest cozy in the collection. Or it will be shortly! The bells really do take the cozy to a new level. They jingle so softly, all cozied up within the wool bell shapes. They add just the perfect festive touch.

    I have often been asked which cozy pattern is my favourite. I really cannot say as it is always the one I am working on or dreaming up. I honestly love them all. The one I am most proud of though, is the cozy I created for an Australian Cancer Fundraiser. It was the same year as the Tea Cozy Retreat, 2009 – I think!

    It took a lot of time and effort. I called it Waltzing Matilda’s – Wreaths of Hope.

    When I was a child I always saw sheep dancing whenever I heard this song.

    Happy Knitting

    I hope that your tea pot is always warm and ready for your second cup!

    Lynette

  • Season’s Greetings

    Season’s Greetings

    Never quite sure how to acknowledge this Season. For me it means Merry Christmas, not because of any religious meaning, but because it was a merry time of the year for our family. One that included presents, good food, and many friends and family and laughter, there was always laughter. It was my Mother’s favourite time of year and the whole house reflected her joy in the Season. Because of this – it is also my favourite time of the year!

    So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Blessings this Solstice or however you and yours celebrate this Season of Light – I wish you all much joy and love.

    Every December for the last 7 or so years I have published a pattern on Ravelry that I make free for the month of December though January 1. It is my way of thanking you and wishing you all a Wonderful Holiday Season.

    This year’s pattern is the Mendenhall Shawl. This Shawl took a couple of years to come to fruition. It was going to be a joint project between Selena Miskin of Wayfaring Yarns and myself. Selena’s yarns and my patterns. We were the Sweater Sisters.

    Beautiful Mendenhall Glacier – those colours!

    Selena used to dye the most beautiful yarns, but due to health problems she hasn’t been able to dye any beautiful things for a couple of years. I kept hoping that would change – but life doesn’t always work that way. So, I am releasing the as a gift from us both.

    Included in the Mendenhall Shawl pattern is the code to purchase the co-ordinating Mendenhall Hat pattern. If you have purchased the 7 Hats More ebook you will not need to the code as the hat pattern is already in your ebook – the shawl will automatically be added to your ebook in your Ravelry library. This will be the last pattern of the book.

    Good Health, Happy Holidays and a very Merry Season to us all!

    Lynette

  • On the Topic of Buttons

    On the Topic of Buttons

    Do you have a button box? Or better yet your Mother’s or Grandmother’s button box? Do you use them? Or simply admire them? I do both.

    My Mother’s box was lost to time and just one too many moves. It was a huge glass jar that I loved to look through. She didn’t do much sewing, but she would knit occasionally. Like me I think that she just loved buttons.

    But my boxes are pretty full. Collected over my time of sewing, knitting and well, collecting buttons! I love buttons! They are a fabulous item that can just add that perfect touch to your finished garment or they can be applied as embellishments. Adding buttons to button bands, or as design details is the one aspect of finishing my knitted pieces that I actually enjoy! I have also used shell buttons as embellishments in many of my knits – I love their sheen and the way they pick up the colours of the yarn.

    My button collection!

    This morning I was busy finishing off a childs vest – Reindeer Vest – that I had Jana knit up in Patagonia Organic Merino as a store sample. I also got her to knit the doll vest – Mini Reindeer Vest – as well. The original set was my Grandson’s Christmas Gift a couple of years ago. The Mini Reindeer Vest is a free pattern and will fit most medium dolls or bears! The Reindeer Vest is 50% off right now until Nov 30. Use the code Reindeer.

    It was a good thing I found a few button options for the vest as I was scrambling through my button box looking for some buttons! I started to sew on my original choice of button – I thought they were a nice bright red – I realized that the red buttons were really pink – bad early morning lighting! So, I went with another option!

    Not a bad thing to have a button box at hand as buttons seem to be a little scarce right now!

    It has been a good week, beautiful sunrises and sunsets at Departure Bay Beach. Roses still in bloom on the Promenade and always knitting.

    Be Well and Knit Happy!

    Lynette

  • And So it is Christmas….

    And the year just keeps on zooming by!

    These last few months have been consumed by work, and family and a kitchen reno – which is still undergoing! And always the knitting.

    Every year at Christmas time I release a pattern that is free for the month. This year I was running a little late and Legend wasn’t released until yesterday! So it will be free until Jan 15, 2022. I hope that you like it! It is a fairly straight forward fair-isle pattern in worsted and just two colours!

    I am very pleased at how well Legend has been received on Ravelry! In 24 hours it has gone from unknow to number 3 on the Hot Right Now board! Legend has been knit with 2 shades of Noro Haunui.

    I am working on a special secret project for a big yarn company right now – something for next year sometime. I will share when I can!

    The kitchen reno should be done early January. Right now I am working with temporary countertops. Once the countertops and tiling are done I will share some before and after shots – it is going to be so fabulous!

    I hope that you all have a very Merry time this holiday season however you celebrate!

    Be well and knit happy!

    Lynette