Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Tag: teaching

  • 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.

    Hurry Up HatDownload

    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

  • Another Possible Class Project

    Another Possible Class Project

    Would you like to learn how to knit a tea cozy like this?

    I love to knit tea cozies.

    This is a different yarn from the usual. Ray Gentleman, whom I work with, challenged, suggested, put an idea out there about creating a West Coast Cozy with the Prairie Sea Fusion from Custom Woolen Mills.

    The idea stuck in my head and I had to knit it out!

    So, if you take the class you will make this charmer of a cozy. You will also learn how to strand the yarn in the proper way for a West Coast knit. Oh and look at that fringe! Learn how to finish the cozy with the fringe on top…

    This is The Dancer Cozy. I am quite enamoured with it.

    A few years ago I started designing with the Cowichan style of wools. Nowadays that includes Briggs and Little Country Roving, Prairie Wool and Prairie Sea Fusion by Custom Woolen Mills. At the store we were always being asked for the Cowichan patterns, which were really the old White Buffalo and Mary Maxim patterns, not the true West Coast patterns. Those are the intellectual property of the original knitters.

    I try to create patterns respectful of the past and the present motifs of the West Coast. They reflect my lifetime of living, mostly on the Coast but also in northern Canada and Malaysia. The OOkpik childs set is based on a childhood memory, a small stuffed snowy owl that my father had given me, named OOkpik. I designed and knit that set for my Grandson. The Standing Tall Gauntlets are based on memories of the gauntlets I wore when living in Northern Manitoba. You needed that extra heavy layer over the basic mittens or gloves – it was cold up there!

    The Dancer Cozy reminds of both the Button Blanket dances of the West Coast and the Shadow Puppets of the Malaysian Peninsula. The shapes are both stylized and simplified, taken right down to suggestion and imagination.

    The Spirit Bear will be my next sweater pattern release in the Salish Sea Collection.

    Spirit Bear
    Bento Box
    Wolf Song
    Wet Coast
    North Sea Hap
    OOKpik
    Standing Tall
    Sitka Poncho
    Spirit Toques
    Cowichan Inspired Toques

    So much inspiration, never enough time! I love where I live!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Lynette

  • Circular Cast-ons

    Circular Cast-ons

    My favourite cast-on is the Emily Ocker Cast-on, also called the German Pinhole Cast-on.

    Do to technical difficulties I am going submit a short video and then a series of photo’s on how to start the GreenMan Shawl.

    Tools that will make the cast-on easier; a straight crochet hook or a hook/point tool, it simplifies the moving of the sts from the hook to the needles. Wooden or other lightweight dpn’s, they are a little sticky and very light, metal needles are usually quite heavy and slide out far too quickly.

    If you have never held a crochet hook I can recommend a simple cast-on;

    Cast-on 6 sts to a single dpn, transfer the sts as the photo tutorial below, join into a round and start to work the shawl. The center of the shawl will not be as neat to begin with but when finishing your shawl the tail can be used to gather up and gently close the hole in the center.

    In the video you will see the yarn, tail to the right and underneath the working end of the yarn. There is no sound, but the written description is below the video.

    Please note: I am not a confident crocheter and you will see that in the video. But that does not mean I can’t fumble my way through a single crochet.

    Emily Ocker Cast-on also called German Pinhole Cast-on

    Grasp the ring where the yarn crosses

    • with your hook go through the ring and hook a loop of the working yarn
    • pull through the ring
    • hook the working yarn again and pull through the loop already on hook.
    • I single crochet is on the loop

    Repeat from the top five more times until there are 6 loops on the hook.

    Below is the step by step set-up and first rounds of the shawl.

    6 single crochets on the hook
    Slide the stiches to the end of the hook
    Divide the stitches onto 3 dpn’s, 2 sts per needle
    Pull the tail to tighten the loop
    Work the 1st set-up round, *YO, K1; repeat from * 6 times – 12 sts.
    Work 2nd set-up round – K12.
    Work 1st round from charted or written instructions ; Double YO, K2tog, 6 times – 18 sts.
    Work 2nd round of charted or written instructions – K1, P1, (K2, P1) 5 times, K1 – 18 sts.

    Once you reach this point the needles will start to co-operate and the knitting will go more smoothly.

    I hope that this helps you start your shawl.

    I am hoping to make the video as promised with sound and moving pictures – perhaps tomorrow. Getting my tools to co-operate has been a challenge.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette