Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Tag: hats

  • 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

  • Crafting Exquisite Beaded Knits: Tips and Inspiration

    Crafting Exquisite Beaded Knits: Tips and Inspiration

    I love working with beads in my knitting. I try to add them to lace knitting at every opportunity. These are a few of my favourite pieces. They each have a story.

    Some, like the beaded lace hat, Galadriel’s Gift, I have knit multiple times. The painted circular shawl is the Garden Gate Shawl, showing my favourite pictures of one of my painted pieces. The Shetland Fascinator, the little lace shawl, has the prettiest little beaded tassels.

    Rhiannon’s Wrap, the purple shawl, is the most beautiful thing that I ever knit, that never won a prize. A story for another day. I never wrote a pattern for this large version. But there is a pattern for a smaller version, the link is attached to the beaded tassel photo in another gallery in this post.

    And Covid Be Damned – The Impulsive Shawl – rainbow, bees, butterfly’s and beads – there are so many ways to add beads.

    If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.

    But when I discovered bead knitting (beads knit into every stitch) I thought that here was a pinnacle of achievement. I have been working towards that pinnacle every since. My inspiration and resolution just got a big boost.

    Treasure

    I was in Victoria not too long ago, spending some quality granny time looking after my Grandson. As he is in school I had some time to wander around during the day. I visited family, met up with a friend and got myself into trouble of the best kind.

    My daughter lives close to a wonderful little second hand store. I have been there a few times but this last time I found something I had never seen in real life, not outside of a museum. I have seen pictures in books or magazine articles – I found a small, exquisite, circular knit, beaded bag!

    I did not buy it immediately. I went back to my daughter’s and slept on it, as it was not cheap. It was not useful and I wanted it. So I didn’t do much sleeping! I kept thinking and thinking and in the morning rushed back to the store and looked at it again. Who was I kidding – it was mine!

    It is tiny, only 3 inches across and about 2 and 1/2 inches high, maybe three inches high if you include the closure. But it is perfect. A perfect little coin purse.

    Kid Leather lined, designed to sit upright on a table, lavender cotton lace top and a beautiful, twisted silk cord… And the BEAD work!

    Micro Bead Knit bag with Pink and Yellow and roses, deep green leaves and the bottom is a beautiful spiraling bottom, in a leaf and bud pattern. There is just 1 loose bead, you can see it resting in the center of the bottom of the bag. For its age it is in great shape!

    This bag is roughly dated to the 1920’s and 30’s and unlike most beaded bags, which were designed only to hang this bag was designed to sit on the table and hold a few essentials, a bit of “mad” money, a compact perhaps, just the necessities necessary for a evening on the town.

    These bags were mostly knit in Europe at this time. I can see a woman in a garret apartment in Paris madly knitting away and creating a bag for her month’s wages. I have knit with beads, a lot. But knitting circularly with such fine thread and micro beads… it boggles the mind.

    My other beaded treasure was a gift from a customer, someone who wanted the bag saved and appreciated. I call it the Napier-Hemy bag to reflect the name of the original owners. This bag came to me in pretty rough shape. It is losing beads and had started to fall apart. But it is still beautiful. The work that went into such creations. The beads are smaller in this bag than in my new treasure. That allows for greater detail in the design. The colours are stronger too – less light exposure perhaps.

    You might have noticed that I have been creating a few things with a tiny circular cast-on. lately I am playing with a crazy idea – I think I want to try knitting a small bag like this one.

    I won’t knit my bag with such tiny beads, I am thinking of size 8/0’s and then of course what kind of pattern do I want to tackle with my beads? It can’t be too complex – I am not totally insane.

    So Many Styles of Working with Beads

    I am not without some experience in working with beads. I have tried a great many different beading techniques over the years. I have knit quite a few other beaded bags. Or shawls and tassels with beaded details. Beaded bracelets as well. I could incorporate aspects of these into a circular bead knit bag.

    Beaded Mesh – Knitting with Beads

    The yarn is BC Garn Tussah Tweed Silk

    This is the Victorian Beaded Mesh Bag. It is a lot of beads and not quite so much knitting. But is was the start of my fascination with beads and beaded bags in particular.

    I also designed a scarf, Victorian Beaded Mesh Scarf to co-ordinate with the bag. It is a little short scarf with beads at both ends. I have just started knitting myself a new version.

    Being a small piece, knit in two pieces and grafted – it knits up relatively quickly and gives a great finish! It is also fun to wear!

    I am making myself a new version just long enough to tie around my neck. You can see it’s progress in the pictures above.

    You can use beads in so many ways in your knits! Below are just a few. Some of these are just pretty pictures of my work (well, I think they are pretty). If you want to know more about the pictures below click on the picture. Some of them are linked to patterns.

    Just in case you want to be crazy too! Here is some information on different styles of working with beads in your knitting.

    Beading Techniques:

    Placed while Knitting – knitting with beads – beads are placed in pattern, but not creating a solid beaded surface

    This technique is the most commonly used technique in modern knitting. A bead is carefully placed on a stitch as your knit. It can be placed before or after the stitch has been worked. When you place the bead determines which row it sits on.

    The bead is placed with a small crochet hook or beading tool. The size of the hook is determined by the weight of the yarn and the size of the hole in the bead. I have a small collection of hooks from a .60mm to a 1.25mm. I always try to use the biggest hook possible, but some beads, especially the ones with the beautiful finishes have smaller holes.

    .60mm hook with 8/0 bead – hook is ready to pick-up the stitch
    picking up the stitch
    bead has been slipped onto the st
    stitch is ready to be worked

    This technique allows you to place beads exactly where you want them as you knit.  It requires a very small crochet hook – 0.6mm – 0.75mm most commonly (bead holes can vary, sometimes a bigger hook will work).  Pick up a bead with the tip of your crochet hook, use the crochet hook to remove the next stitch from the left hand needle and then slide the bead down the hook and onto the stitch, return the stitch to the left hand needle and then work the stitch. 

    Beading Techniques: Pre-Strung Beads

    Three beading techniques requiring pre-strung beads that I use; beaded long-tail cast-on, beads between purl stitches and knitted in beads.  These are all pre-strung beads, easiest in one colour, more complicated with several colours.

    Notes on Pre-stringing beads:  All three of these techniques require that the beads be strung onto your yarn before you start knitting.  The first time that you try knitting a pattern with beads I recommend that you work a pattern with knitted in beads, keep the pattern simple. A small repeat something that mistakes won’t show as much or will be easily fixed.  That way as long as you have enough beads there won’t be any problem with beads not being strung in the right order.  This is the simplest way of learning. 

    After the first time you will be able to decide if you want to knit in a coloured pattern.  When working a coloured pattern the beads must be strung in the correct order.  In order to do this you string the beads in the reverse order that they are being knit.  The first bead knit is the last bead strung.  Flip your chart upside down and use the reverse chart for the bead stringing order. 

    Pre-stringing Fixes:  If the beads are out of order you will need to cut your yarn and fix the problem.  An extra bead can be crushed with pliers.  Work very carefully if crushing a bead the sharp edges can cut the yarn.

    Beaded long-tail cast-on – beads are pre-strung and I usually bead every stitch or every other stitch, but for special beads, a different shape or size, the beads might be added less frequently. These beads are on the the tail (the length of yarn over your thumb).  Start with your slip knot and immediately pull up 1 bead to rest close to the slip knot.  *Cast on 1 (2 ) or desired number of stitches and then pull-up another bead.* Repeat from * to * until you have run out of beads and then finish your cast-on – this should give you the right number of stitches for your cast-on, if you had the right number of beads.  Always check your count.

    Beads between purl stitches – This is the easiest of the pre-strung  beading techniques.  The beads are pulled up and placed between your purl stitches  The purl stitches hold them in place.  This technique does not work well between knit stitches as they will fall to the purl side.

    Fretwork mitten cuff – beads on the cast-on and beads between stitches in the ribbing.

    Bead Knitting – creates a solid beaded surface

    Method and rules:  Knitted in Beads –

    1) When knitting in your bead you will always knit into the back of the stitch on which you wish to place your bead. The twisting of the stitch by knitting through the back of the loop insures that the bead will be locked into place.  

    2) When the needle is in place in the back of the stitch, pull up the bead up to approx ¼ of an inch away from your knitting.  As you knit the stitch, pull the bead through to rest on the front arm of your stitch. 

    3) The bead will be furthered anchored when the stitch on top of it is also knitted through the back of the loop.  This is done when knitting the next row of beads in place.  If beading the next row you will automatically twist the stitch with your current bead.  If no bead is being knit into place simply knit into the back of the stitch above the bead to finish the anchoring process.

    The beads have been knit in and are sitting on twisted stitches. You can see the twist below the beads. The bead have just been pulled through the stitch and the stitch is about to be removed from the LH needle.

    If you are looking for more information on Knitting with Beads or Bead Knitting the Mary Thomas Knitting Book is still one of the best. It was originally published in 1936 and most of the modern writing on the topic references back to this book.

    A New Project in the Planning Stage

    I have collected so many colours of beads over my years of knitting. More than enough to create a completely bead knit bag. I would work it in Handmaiden Lace Silk. I have a good quantity of that to hand. It would certainly be easier to work with than a linen thread – if I could find some of this thread strong and long enough. The yarn for bead work like this has to be strong and long with no knots if I plan on stringing thousands of beads. And I am. Am I crazy?

    So am I crazy? Or what? Are you crazy too?

    If you are interested in more – I have just been looking at beads for the background. I usually order from Bead F/X in Toronto when I need a larger quantity of beads. They offer design size pkg of beads – approx 9000 beads per 250 grs of 8/0’s. These are the three possible colours that I am considering. Maybe you might want to check our some options for beading your knits.

    Crystal Ab
    Sparkle Pewter
    Light Steel Blue

    I will probably only order two colours, but first I have to decide on my pattern colours and then pick the background! This may require some swatching. I dusted off my swatch instructions for bead knitting. If you are interested in giving it a try, this swatch is a fairly inoffensive way to begin.

    Bead Knit Swatch updateDownload

    I am going to start playing with some swatching – I will keep you updated.

    Happy Knitting and Planning

    Lynette

  • Creating Beautiful Knitting Patterns: Jelly Bean Hat & More

    Creating Beautiful Knitting Patterns: Jelly Bean Hat & More

    It has been very foggy around here for the last few days. It does create a very different world when it surrounds and softens our world. Even as it lifts in the morning it leaves behind traces of singular beauty.

    The Frost this morning was amazing! It gives of the sparkle of diamonds in the sunlight and rims each petal and leaf in lace.

    Today is Wednesday, the middle of the work week and my day off. To rest, grocery shop and work on my knitting, patterns and blog! Maybe to nap as well. LOL!

    Now it is Thursday – yesterday got interrupted by some serious knitting. I am almost ready to place the thumb stitches on my glove onto some waste yarn!

    The Qing Fibre is so pretty.

    My project/sample knitting is going along swimmingly while my pattern is writing lagging behind my knitting. Which is normal because I would rather knit than write! I am much better at the knitting and struggle with the writing. I blog because it does in improve my writing abilities and it fools me into thinking my pattern will write themselves, so far, this has been proven to be a fallacy. LOL!

    As a knitter and as a designer I love texture and colour. Slip stitch knitting offers so many opportunities to combine both! Slip stitch knitting is very similar to Mosaic knitting in that you are never working with more than one colour at a time. The other colour in the round is slipped as you come to it. The Jelly Bean is a good example of slip stitch knitting.

    I have been working on the pattern for the Jelly Bean Hat. It is just about ready for release. The charts are done and the pictures. It just needs some fine tuning.

    The yarn is Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino in 4 colours. But it could just as easily be worked in 2 colours or every stripe of “jellybeans” could be a different colour. Knitters choice 🙂

    My remainder of the samples for the Winter/Spring classes are coming along. I really only have two samples left to knit.

    It is getting bigger. I am just a little ways away from dividing off for the underarms.
    • The Puffy Vest, which will take a while as it basically knitting two vests and then knitting them together. AND…
    • The Beaded and Twisted Cast-on which won’t take very long even though there are two variations on the same theme.

    I am going to use gloves and socks for the samples, Which will keep the sample knitting The beaded and twisted start really could be used on almost any garment or accessory. It’s just that I particularly love it’s effect on smaller items!

    The basic gloves for the class will be sampled with one of the versions of the beaded and twisted cast-on. They were started with a long-tail beaded cast-on. The yarn for the glove body is Qing Fibre Sock in the Blackhare colourway, paired with some basic black sock and size 8/0 beads.

    • Version 1 – gloves started with the beaded long tail cast-on and then twisted.
    • Version 2 – socks started with the beads randomly spaced on the knitting and then twisted.

    The other example will be my Sailors Knots Socks. In this twisted and beaded cast-on the beads are placed randomly as you knit.

    Epic Fail

    I really struggle with the technological aspects of being a small business person in our modern world of computers. Every improvement in technology requires a new learning curve. Usually it doesn’t involve the blog but…

    Yesterday I got a note that one of my posts had an error – there were two different versions, so there was a conflict. I had to pick one version. I picked wrong. SO….

    My Granny Blanket post has suffered some kind of calamity and will have to be rewritten. I will work on it this weekend. Apparently it was a “me” problem I jigged when I should have jagged! I mangaged to delete the whole thing. I somehow still have a draft version that was never finished so I will use that as a base.

    My Granny Blanket Swatch is building quite quickly though. I will be working less wedges than I thought (originally 16). I am currently thinking that 13 or 14 wedges might make the circle.

    I hope that you are having a wonderful week. With lots of knitting and no technological glitches!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Are You Feeling Lucky?

    Are You Feeling Lucky?

    Are you Superstitious? I am, just a little. Most of my superstitions center around numbers. For example, my lucky number is 13. Many good things have happened for me when that number is involved. And a Friday the 13th is the best.

    I am participating in the MarlyBird 24 Days of Quickies which is 24 days of free patterns, each day a new knit and a new crochet pattern! My pattern Lucky Sevens will be available for free on Dec 15 from early morning to early morning Dec 16. I really wanted Dec 13 but it was already taken. So I went for the 15th, seven days after my birthday. This is new for me and with all those lucky sevens I am hoping that it will be a lucky for me as well!

    UPDATE: Well Lucky Sevens is no longer free but the link will take you to other free patterns from the Marly Bird site. I hope you “get lucky”!

    The number “seven” is a lucky number in many cultures and religions, and is especially significant in most Western Cultures. For example: seven days of the week, seven wonders of the world and Lucky Number Seven. So here is another lucky seven, the Lucky Sevens Beanie or Toque.

    This hat has the number seven in abundance.  Each cable is 7sts, a very traditional way of making the cables, not much seen nowadays.    There are seven twists on the beanie style hat and seven full cables on the toque style hat.  The cables are short, making them rounder than tall cables.  They are sometimes called “Coin” cables. Gold coins are a treasure in any culture and the colour red is a power colour. Symbolism abounds in these hats.

    These lucky “Coin” cables are mirrored and move up the body of this beanie or toque styled hat.  The cables are worked into the crown and then are evenly decreased as part of the crown, creating a flower finish.

    This pattern is easy to memorize, as the cable pattern repeats both around and up the hat, making it a a quick and easy knit. The recommended sport weight yarns are not too heavy, but the cable pattern keeps it warm. Make your Lucky Seven a beanie (gold hat) as shown or add one more Cable Chart repeat (8 rounds) for a more toque (red hat) like finish.

    The gold beanie was knit with Ulysse by de rerum natura in the colourway. The red toque was knit with Estelle yarns in their Eco Tweed DK. The sizes are small/medium adult or medium/large adult and either hat can be knit as a beanie (short) or as a toque (8 rounds longer),

    Materials: 50 grs 185m sport weight yarn will make either sizes, 3.5mm US #4 40cm 16inches circ and dpn’s, cable needle, markers and the regular notions.

    Lucky Sevens is available from my Etsy Shop or Ravelry.

    Happy Knitting!

    Lynette

    I hope that you are feeling very “LUCKY”!

    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.

  • Quickie Update

    Quickie Update

    It is time to start thinking about Christmas Knitting. I made a few of these Shetland Stars last year. I think that I will knit some more this year.

    Well I am at that point where a decision needs to be made! I have enough yarn to cast-off nicely or I need another ball to make a bigger shawl.

    I am really leaning towards another ball. Right now I am at about 12 inches wide and about 5 feet long, without minor blocking. I really do not want to block it at all! I will lose all of that glorious texture – so make it bigger so I do not have to block at all!

    While I have been considering my options – I was also knitting the November Hat for the Year of Hats. Meet Bobbity, especially created for Angie who really wanted to learn how to knit bobbles! I think this will fit the bill!

    Bobbity was knit with Estelle Yarns Highland Alpaca Tweed Chunky. A lovely alpaca/wool blend chunky, new this year.

    This morning we went for a walk around Neck Point Park. It was the perfect morning, perfectly clear skies and a gleaming sun reflecting off the water. Neck Point has long been one of my favourite walks. We lived close to it when we first moved to to town, 35 years ago. It wasn’t even an official park then. I used to take the kids there when they were little and we would have picnics. Such a beautiful place.

    I hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day as well1

    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

  • New Year

    New Year

    New projects, more plans, life goes forward. I have many plans but no resolutions, I seldom keep a resolution, but plans can be changed and adapted to fit the moment. How about you? Do you make or keep resolutions?

    I have finished knitting the Moebius and I am very happy with the result. I love a fringe bind-off. It takes an extra long time, but the effort is so worth it. I wore the Moebius to work on Thursday. It looked great, the feedback supported my thoughts on the matter, and felt good. I did not block it as I really wanted to keep it deeply textural.

    I will need to reknit the moebius with a different yarn for the workshop in March. Gathering Yarns Popcorn is not currently available, so I am going to use Fleece Artist Slubby Mix.

    Slubby Mix is a Merino/BFL blend, thick and thin single ply, and it will give me the texture that I really loved about the Popcorn. The pattern I designed I think will look good in a smooth yarn as the pattern is a very simple knit and purl texture. But it looks fabulous in a textured yarn that adds extra depth to the textural pattern.

    This full day workshop will run March 22, 10:00am to 4:00.

    The Year of Hats, a series of 4 hour workshops, will start in a couple of weeks. Each hat will focus on different techniques. Some will be easy, some will be more challenging. There will be homework to do before each workshop. The ribbing or band will need to be completed before the workshop so that the class time will focus on the technique being featured in each hat.

    Jan Cap
    Feb Cap – Beret
    March Cap – fair-isle beanie

    It will start with the Jan Cap, something a little simple to set us up for success as we work our way through the possibilities. This cap is a little slouchy with a seed stitch body, a slip st detail and is finished with a jaunty tassel. This workshop will run this January 25th from 11:00am to 3:00pm with a 4 hour workshop.

    The Feb Cap is a classic Beret. This Beret has a little bit of stranding for detail and a little I-cord loop as a final flourish. This workshop runs February 22nd from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

    The March Cap is a fair-isle beanie, the Sea Star Beanie. A 3 colour fair-isle band is topped with a textural knit and purl sea star crown. This workshop runs March 29th from 11:00am to 3:00 pm.

    Any curling fans out there? I will be going to Kelowna to watch the Brier, at the end of February. While in Kelowna I will be teaching a couple of classes at Kelowna Yarn and Needle Crafts.

    If you live in the area and want to take a class, or are coming to the Brier and want to add on something a little different, check out the information below and/or contact Kelowna Yarn. I usually bring a few extra samples to touch and wear so if there is something that you want to see…. maybe I can accommodate.

    First there will be a workshop on double knitting, and a then a class on knitting the perfect pair of gloves.

    I am designing a new double knit pattern for the workshop. Winter Florals, knit with Ancient Arts Superwash Merino DK in the Cranberry and Mineral colourways. I am very pleased with the way the pattern is knitting up.

    If I have time I will finish a pair of gloves that I have already started for myself. They feature a beautiful beaded cuff. The beaded pattern looks simple but is very effective. The beads are pre-strung and then knit in as the cuff progresses. The remainder of the gloves will be plain stockinette.

    This year I will be focusing on finishing some projects already started and hopefully expanding my designing skills. There are still so many things to share! I know you must have something that you want to make or learn how to make. Let me know and maybe a new class can be created.

    Around the house we have gone back to “normal”. The Christmas decorations are down and there is a pot of pea soup simmering on the stove. I don’t have any baking planned today. We are kind of taking a small break from sweets. I ate waay to much over Christmas and New Years.

    We do have a very big plan this year for ourselves! We are downsizing! Heaven help me! How will I fit all of my yarn into a smaller place!? That is a future problem that will take all of the next few months to figure out!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Dec 1, 2024

    Dec 1, 2024

    This the beginning of the Christmas Season for many of us. Especially those of us in retail. As I work at my LYS I need to get my Christmas Mojo in place and be ready to help those who need my help, either with gifting ideas or help in sorting out problems with finishing those special things.

    I love this time of the year. It doesn’t matter what you celebrate or how you celebrate, most cultures celebrate the Winter Solstice in some way. Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Soltice or Saturnalia, they are celebrations of joy and sharing! And an acknowledgement that the longest night of the year has come and gone. So every year I like to share a pattern through Ravelry or here on the blog (now that I know how! LOL!) So here is my gift to you free for the month of December and running through early January!

    I was thinking about this and realizing that for the Southern hemisphere this will the shortest night of the year! Still any excuse to celebrate is a good one!

    I thing that Cyclone is a good basic hat pattern. Not too fussy, will look effective in alsomost any colour and it notes the kind of year that many of us have had! Chaotic and cyclonic. So I made it my Christmas pattern. It will be free for the month of December and going into early January.

    The stitch pattern is a fairly straight forward mosaic stitch. I love mosaic stitching because you are never working more than one colour at a time! No carries! Because of the size of the mosaic pattern there is really only one size, but notes are included to adjust the size a little up or down to accommodate larger or smaller adult/teen size heads.

    CycloneDownload

    Just to be different there will be a couple of free patterns this year. I turn sixty-five this month as well. So I am going to celebrate that too! And no, retirement is not part of my plans. After all, I am already working at what I love. So, I would like offer up another pattern for free for the month!

    Cozy Bells is a tea-cozy designed to celebrate Christmas every day of the Year. The bells will jingle softly as the tea is poured and your tea will remain warm for quite a white! I recommend printing this pattern in colour as there are many how to pictures to go along with the embellishing.

    Cozy BellsDownload

    Life has been rough for the bulk of the year so I am seizing this moment to share some joy! I hope that you like the patterns and will take this opportunity to try them out.

    On a sad note, Sophie, our beautiful beagle passed away last week. She was thirteen and had lived a good life. She was always happy, tail wagging at every greeting and never, ever, passed up a treat that came her way. She was loved by all who knew her and never met anyone she didn’t like. She is missed every day.

    At work we are starting to organize our ideas for next years classes. And I am going to offer up a “Year of Hats”. A series of workshops, each one about a hat, or headgear of some type. There will be different weights, different techniques and yarns to work with. Quite a few are already done. There will be a blog post, maybe next weekend, all about this project.

    I am really excited about the turquoise item below – the technique is colourwork slip stitching! You a never working with more than one colour! I am working with several colours of Patagonia Organic Merino. Wouldn’t it look great with the drops done in a hand-dyed yarn? What do you think?

    I am also going to resurrect a few of my older projects. Things that I really want to finish – either patterns or projects. A mixture of both! You can see that I am setting up my New Years’ resolutions as I work my way through this!

    Squared Away Blanket – I umm started it before Logan was born, 9 years ago. Maybe next year….
    And I really want to get back to my Dress.https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-a-dress-with-me
    And these gloves – there are so many patterns I need to finish!
    A Sweater for me…
    A new use for reinforcing yarn…

    I am playing with a new yarn – Cedre, by Waxwing Yarn Co.. This is an all Canadian endeavor. The yarns are sourced and scoured in Ontario. Then they are spun in Quebec.

    Cedre is a woolen spun single, I would call it a solid 4-ply in weight. It has a lovely roundness to it and is very springy. I am putting it through its paces while working this mini poncho. I started with a 2.75mm and have settled on a 3.75mm for the body. The stitch definition is crisp, even at this needle size and I can hardly wait to finish this project. I want to see how it reacts to blocking.

    So, Happy December!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Turbulence

    Turbulence

    OK, life here has been a bit chaotic! How about where you are at? Here are a few Sunday ramblings to share.

    I have been productive though. Jingle Gnome Chapeau and Mittens is up on Ravelry. One of my students, Christine, brought in her finished Chapeau! I love her colour choices!

    And this morning I added the Turbulence Beanie to Ravelry. Use the code Turbulence to download the pattern for half price! The code is good until midnight October 31/24.

    It started as I was rummaging through my stash and stumbled upon this lone skein of Ancient Arts Superwash DK Merino, in the Water Lily Colourway! Apparently I needed to knit this skein, like right away! Because I could see the finished beanie, before I even started! I am really loving the results.

    I know that it is a bit early to start thinking about Christmas. But a great many knitters I know think about Christmas ALL year long! What we are going to knit and who we are going to knit for! So here I am knitting something for Christmas.

    Though it certainly doesn’t look much like Christmas right now. The skies are grey and the rain is pouring down. I have a beef soup stock simmering on the stove and I am thinking about making some shortbread cookies… So maybe it doesn’t need to look like Christmas to think Christmas thoughts!

    I working on a Christmas Tea Cozy for my last class before Christmas! I have just started the basic body. I think that it is going to be so cute! I can see it with a poinsettia and holly and berries, maybe some small ornaments on the top….

    Have you started thinking about Christmas?

    Are you a tea drinker? Maybe you need a new cozy? Maybe a Christmas Cozy? Or even a Dancer Cozy? That pattern will be coming soon! It is almost complete!

    Be Well, Knit Happy, Winter is on its way! With many knitting opportunities just starting to show on the horizon!

    Lynette