Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Tag: walking

  • Starting My Granny Blanket: Excitement and Challenges

    Starting My Granny Blanket: Excitement and Challenges

    Firstly, I have finally updated the Granny Blanket pattern. So if you have been waiting to start, now is the time. I am starting the blanket itself today! The stitches will need to be doubled from the pillow cast-on and the yardage needed per wedge, tripled. This will be a lot of work. But so worthwhile in the end. It is a good accompaniment to the long term Blanket Squares Project that I have going on as well. It will break up the boring knitting with the blanket squares and fancies!

    I am so excited to be starting. I want to get a few wedges knit before it gets too hot! Who is starting with me?!

    Granny BlanketDownload

    Secondly, the main part of the house is completely done. I still need to do more organizing and it is an ongoing process. I change things around trying to find the best possible spot. The pictures are the hardest. I have so many. My mothers needlework, family pictures, and art I have collected over the years.

    I have put up pictures and then moved them. And then moved them again. I can see this may take a while. These few are in their final place. I hope!

    Thirdly, the yarn room is about to be started. It got delayed as it needed more work than expected. Which meant the plans had to change etc. But it sounds like it is going ahead, starting midweek.

    Getting the yarn room done will help with my organization project as well! More room available, but with more stuff coming out of storage. This will be the start of the final cull. I am sure that this will be both challenging and rewarding. I may be looking or some second opinions.

    Walking in the Canyon

    Last weekend we went for a walk on an absolutely glorious Sunday. We went to my favourite place on Nanaimo River. The canyon by Cassidy. It has great swimming in the Summer and great walking all year round. You can see that others enjoy the walk as well.

    Everything is starting to bud. The fawn (or curly) lilies are in full blown and carpeting the underbrush. Did you know it takes 7 years before even 1 flower comes from the root? Amazing. How long it must have taken to create this display.

    A few weeks ago I started with Odd Bunch vegetable delivery. A box is delivered once a week, or less. You decide how often you want the box. The box varies in price with the size. I get the small plus box. It is $26.00 per week plus delivery and it comes right to the door. Below is last weeks box.

    It has been very interesting and I think it has proven to be a good value. It has been challenging to cook some of things I wasn’t totally familiar with. I gave the butternut squash to my daughter. Maybe I need a new cookbook! LOL! The quality has been good. Only 1 item in one box was disappointing. Strawberries – just a little to close to the edge. I should have noticed and used them sooner.

    Happy Knitting and Happy Cooking!

    Lynette

  • A Walk in the Sunshine

    A Walk in the Sunshine

    Wednesday in Nanaimo was gorgeous. The sun was shining, the skies were clear and it wasn’t even looking like rain. Rain which had been pretty continuous before Wednesday and again after Wednesday was nowhere in sight. This morning the skies were dark grey and the rain was pounding down and, at times the rain was a little chunky with bits of snow!

    So, in this wonderous sunny break my husband and I went for a walk around Buttertubs Marsh and it was beautiful!

    We saw basking Painted Turtles, a Grey Heron, well camouflaged by the marsh itself, loads of duck, mostly heard and not fully seen and and the Marsh itself, beautiful in tones of golden brown, deep brown and green with sharp notes of red Hawthorn Berries and soft notes of downy bullrushes. There is something percolating in my brain. There might be a pattern here.

    Do you walk in your local parks? What are your favourites? I hope that you get a chance to walk in the sunshine yourself. It is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy your surroundings and be inspired.

    This week I also saw the windup of the Winter session of Classes at Mad About Ewe. Last Saturday I taught the second workshop with the feather stitch. This is the Feather Slouch.

    The right hand hat was knit with Mecha in the Piedras and Rosalinda. The left hand hat was knit with two shades of Highland Alpaca Chunky.

    I also finished up the Top-Down Yoke Intensive. I have to do a little more work on the pattern to make it Ravelry ready. I will let you know when that happens. The pattern is called Ocean Legend.

    Ocean Legend was knit with 3 shades of Eco Scandinavian Chunky. A couple of years ago I designed a hat, Legend.  I loved the pattern on the hat and always wanted to turn it into a sweater yoke and so Ocean Legend came to be created.

    I have got a tentative plan for Winter/Spring Classes and have already started knitting some samples. And if you haven’t heard I am planning a blanket for next year. A square a month club, free from my blog. All you need to do in subscribe below.

    Have a Great Day and Happy Knitting.

    Lynette

  • Long Weekend – Colours of the Fall

    Long Weekend – Colours of the Fall

    It was a very productive, very busy long weekend here. We were Grand-dog sitting and I was working on a pattern. We binged some tv and generally had a quiet weekend.

    In the past I created the charts for my patterns with the Word program on my computer. I beat it into submission (maybe it beat me into submission! LOL! ) and learned how to create charts for cables and colourwork. I considered it an Ok system, not perfect, but serviceable!

    A few years ago I discovered Stitchmastery and It is much more than serviceable! Stitchmastery is a software tool for designers that allows the designer to create beautiful charts. The learning curve was a bit of a challenge at first. It still is, but I am learning more about what Stitchmastery can do every time I use it!

    So this weekend i decided to work on a set of charts for my next release in my Salish Sea Collection, Spirit Bear! The transfer is going along fabulously. I took the biggest chart, the back, it required 4 pages to create with word and took it down to one page using Stitchmastery! I was so thrilled with those results! The rest of the pattern will go much faster as I learned all the shortcuts as I worked on the back chart!

    Maybe I will finish the rest of the charts for Spirit Bear off this coming weekend!

    We walked the dogs, Sophie, our 13 year old beagle and Alfie, my daughters 3 year old, at a beach every morning this weekend, Piper’s Lagoon, Neck Point and Departure Bay beach. Every morning was glorious – grey and foggy and sometimes even a little wet! The tide was out and that gave the dogs so much beach to run on every morning. It was a great start for them and for Tom and I.

    Check out my walk around Neck Point on Sunday, always one of my favourites. We were there around 7:00am. See the beauty of the fog, the soft greys of the sky and the colours of the foliage. See how calm the sea was. It was a beautiful morning.

    A profusion of Turkey Tail Fungi!
    My favourite view in the park, always!
    The skies might be varied shades of grey but check out the mix of fall colours in the foliage.
    The poA lone eagle in the distance
    The point at Pipers Lagoon and Shack Island through the fog.
    More fall foliage!
    Beach debris.
    I do love the Fall foliage! I never seem to tire of the shades the nature creates, just by changing the temperatures!

    On Monday I made a blackberry pie with some frozen berries. It was like a little bit of Summer had come for a visit!

    We still have five batches of berries frozen for pie. It will keep the Winter at bay.

    How as your long weekend? Was it productive? Or was it lazy? It is sometimes hard to decide which is best!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Early Morning …

    Early Morning …

    … Walk at the Nanaimo River Estuary.

    The link above will take you to Walk B.C. review of the estuary, which includes a map. Their information is a little outdated, as a great deal of work has been done to restore the area back to the natural state of the estuary. There are new, informative signs and a couple of lookout areas. The blackberry bushes and man made berms are gone.

    This how we started our morning. From the glorious sunrise outside our door to the perfect last bit of blooming Queen Anne’s Lace. I hope that you enjoy the walk…

    Happy Day

    Lynette

  • Walking in the Woods…

    Walking in the Woods…

    … Sitting in my garden

    They are my favourite places to relax and recharge at the start or the end of my day.

    Both give me peace and joy! Both help to still my mind and clarify my thoughts. They are constant inspiration for my designs, and life. Their scents and sights bring me great pleasure and are a powerful relaxant to my sometimes churning thoughts. They make me stop and take note of the small things that we sometime miss as we rush through our days.

    What are your places? Where do you find peace and joy? Are they one and the same or are they different?

    I hope that you have a great day! Be well.

    Lynette

    Neck Point Park
    • flowering snowbell
    Good Morning Garden! I wish you could smell the heady scents of rose and honeysuckle, damp earth and the incredible scent coming from the little weeping Japanese tree that is to the left of me as I sit in my chair. It is covered in very fragrant white blooms right now and is quite heavenly!

    Fragrant Flowering Japanese Snowbell

  • It’s Been a Long Haul

    It’s Been a Long Haul

    I know we are all saying it, but I am going to say it anyway – I am so tired of Covid!

    The First Camellia of the Spring

    March was a bad month, My computer died, several files were corrupted. I lost all my contacts, all my original pattern charts. I had to re-load the pattern program but that didn’t remake my original charts. Many Thanks to StitchMastery for their help. I felt totally frustrated and overwhelmed for a while. I even didn’t feel like knitting.

    I am, I think, back on track, much more my normal self. April is turning out to be not too bad!

    Good morning from Maffeo Sutton walk way sometime last week.

    For those of you who were at the Mad About Ewe Retreat 2020 – Diamonds are a Knits Best Friend – please contact me re receiving the finished, fixed and updated pattern.

    I took this last week off of work and knocked a couple of things off of the too do list.

    I finally released last years Retreat patterns – they are half price on Ravelry until April 21, Diamonds are a Knits’ Best Friend. Use the code Retreat2020.

    We built and filled two small raised garden beds and we are going to finish off the brick paths in the herb garden I started quite, ahem, a few years ago (never did finish the bricks then). No plants as yet, it is still a little chilly but next week I am planting spinach and pea seeds. I like to cook, maybe it is time to grown a few fresh vegetables to add to the table.

    I rested, went for a few walks, read a little and planned at lot. I may or may not have knit a little!

    We were walking at Morden Colliery Park yesterday morning – what a gorgeous walk. The weather was perfect. There were still raindrops on the Trilliums, and the happy Skunk Cabbage was in full bloom. They have just finished a bit or restoration on the tipple – well worth the time.

    So …..what’s next?

    I am working on another e-book. This one about colour and texture, working with hand-dyed yarn, stash busting and various takes on those themes. The projects will include hats, shawls, fingerless mittens, cowls, a vest, and a tea cozy. The techniques will include cables, stranding, lace work, embellishing with beads and buttons, knitted embellishments in the form of fancy stitches and of course full on three dimensional knitted embellishments. Tea Cozy anyone?

    The focus will be on Stash Busting to use up either single hanks of yarn, or single hanks paired with other single hanks. Stash busting up bits of left over colours in the same weight. Stash busting odd balls of yarn in unusual colours or textures for special effects.

    What are the most prolific odd balls in our stash – well in my stash – they are the hand-dyed yarns. The absolutely gorgeous colourway that you fell in love with or were gifted with or have for what ever the reason, it sits in your stash waiting to be used, maybe one of these patterns is the perfect one!

    There will of course be exceptions! And you know that the first rule of stash busting is that you generally have to purchase more yarn! LOL!

    As well as the patterns there will be a couple of written articles about the yarns we could be using and about the techniques I am sharing – so I am expanding the scope of my efforts to include some real writing – I will try not to bore you all!

    Be well and knit happy!

    Lynette

  • A New Pattern on the Way!

    A New Pattern on the Way!

    Why knit one hat when you can knit three?! I have really been loving knitting hats lately! And I can’t seem to stop – though I have this new idea for another shawl niggling in the the back of my mind!

    I love the new wools I have been playing with, BC Garn Bio Shetland and now this new one from Ancient Arts Yarns, Lascaux Fine. I knit up a little cabled hat this week, I think that I am going to knit up some co-ordinating fingerless mittens as well!

    Lascaux Fine is an intriguing blend of Manx Laoghtan wool and Punta Arenas Wool. Manx is an old breed – lots of horns and brown toned wool. Punta Arenas is a new breed and is a merino variant.

    Together they create a wool that handdyes with a heathered brown undertone. Very rich and deep colours that blend beautifully!

    Aren’t they wild?

    Flatiron – cables and twisted mini cable flat ribs. Check out the brown heathering.

    The colour is very hard to capture with a camera, it is really more green than blue. But I think that you can see the richness. Ancient Arts is having a sweet giveaway of this yarn right now on facebook and instagram. It is open until midnight tonight!

    There was no baking this weekend. I did contemplate brownies, maybe next weekend. But the knitting, and the Superbowl (a great excuse for knitting) won out.

    I am working on another hat in the bio shetland (this will be my third hat in the Bio Shetland) and I really want it done for next weekend – its called Valentino for obvious reasons – but why is it when you set yourself a deadline – everything conspires to make sure that it will be a challenge. My next move on the hat will be frogging the last 7 rounds. Such is life.

    Valentino under construction – before ripping back!

    It was a gorgeous day yesterday we went walking at Divers Lake. They have done a lot of work there recently. The Cedar walkways were so fresh and aromatic, they added a lovely scent to the air. Blackbirds were singing and darting from tree to brush and the ducks were just hanging around. There were squirrels overhead scolding us as we walked by and the air was crisp! I love the marsh right now, the dead growth is just as intriguing as new growth, sometimes more so!

    I hope that you had a great weekend as well. What were you up too? Were you knitting, sewing, baking, or something comepletely different? Are you a walker? Or a more serious hiker when a glorious day shows up?

    Be well and knit happy!

    Lynette

  • It’s a New Year

    It’s a New Year

    And its a new plan. There is no Retreat this year. It is kind of odd to have that space vacant. I have no planning to do, no sample knitting, my time is free.

    Not that I won’t knit, or plan or even have that much free time. I am bound by my creative nature to keep on creating – a new yarn, a new colour, an idea that blooms as I experience a walk, or a book or a conversation – I never lack for ideas! But I won’t have that event to shape any of those ideas around. Some what freeing from my regular focus at this time of the year!

    So what shall I knit in the next months? I do have a couple of projects that I need to finish.

    Serenity Wave – the pattern is complete except for the cover picture – I need to finish the edging. It will be done before the end of the month.

    7 Hats More – there are a couple of small projects left to finish for that book. They also will be done before the end of the month.

    I need to complete the patterns for two shawls – Roamin… or Lizzie’s Hap and the Georgia West Hap. I am also aiming to have those done by the end of the month.

    Hmmm…. Busy month! Maybe I should add a few extra days to the timeline – anyone know how?

    I did muck my initial plans up a little by adding another shawl. A Shetland styled lace stole in BC Garn Bio Shetland. Scrumptious wooly wool with a great crisp hand that creates well defined stitches. I gave myself this last week to work on it and I am almost halfway. It will be hard to put down as I work on the planned completions!

    I am not sure what happened to the last couple of months of the last year – not really sure what happened to the last year. I have been struggling to cope – keeping busy does help me deal with the stress I feel. Writing usually helps – but I was too busy knitting – I am working on a balance. Funny – when I read my last post I was working on balance then too! Maybe this year I will be more successful.

    My Schiehallion yarn has become Failte – a cozy beanie!

    What are you working on? How do you balance life and stress right now? I would really like to know.

    I haven’t walked every weekend – but more than I was before. I am watching what I eat! Way more than I should this last month! But it is my favourite time of year! And I did do some Christmas baking – I have a little dark cake and shortbread left. Just a little lingering sweetness to extend the Christmas Season. The tree and decorations came down yesterday and the lights today.

    So today I start my planning for the New Year – you are part of my plan! Talk again soon!

    Be Well and Knit Happy!

    Lynette

    PS – I baked a blackberry pie today – my husband picked the berries this last Summer. So we are smelling the sweet smell of summer blackberries as the pie cools on the counter. I hope that you can smell the sweetness of the pie and of life too.

  • Working on Serenity

    Working on Serenity

    The title this week is perfect on a number of levels:

    a.) I am finally able to work on the edging of The Serenity Wave Shawl. I have had a back issue for the last few weeks that required pain killers and muscle relaxants. Apparently drugs, knitting lace edging and adding beads to said edging do not work well together! Who knew!? So the shawl edging had been on hold for a couple of weeks. I got back to it this week and I am at about 40% of the edging done. I can hardly wait to finish the knitting and block the shawl.

    b.) I have been working on my own Serenity. Peace of mind in this crazy time has not been easy for any of us. And I had been having a rough time of it lately.

    So I took this last week off. I napped. I rested. I knit. I visited one of my favourite relatives, my Aunty Evie, and really tried to work on looking after myself. It has been a good week.

    My auntie and I share a love of sewing and fabrics. So I had to show her my new purchases from Gala Fabrics – the best fabric store and another reason to visit Victoria. They have this vintage woolens section…. $10 a metre. It was so much fun!

    My back is starting to feel better, my shawl edging is finally under way and my ebook, 7 Hats More is slowing growing.

    I added a new pattern on Tuesday, Diagonal Spin and will be adding another one tomorrow.

    Usually my knitting keeps me sane, but some weeks are more challenging than others. I have been feeling challenged lately.

    Do you have tasks or activities that you indulge in that helps you look after your sanity?

    For me – I knit – first in line. I bake and/or cook – second in line. And I love to walk on the beach or in the woods – third in line. And lately harder to do, harder to make time for, simply harder.

    Perhaps because it means leaving the house – leaving this very safe place and entering a not so safe environment. I use up all my courage heading out the door every weekday morning to go to work! Don’t get me wrong – I love my job, but in these Covid times everytime we step out our doors we are adding a little risk to our lives. I am newly risk adverse. Well not newly – I am not much of a risk taker in any way, but I have never before considered walking out my door risky business.

    Perhaps I am channeling my inner Bilbo.

    “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.

    Lord of the Rings

    So I am determined to add a walk to every weekend. We will see how I do. The payback is worth the risk.

    Earlier this week, between the rains we went for a short walk at Departure Bay Beach, just down the hill. It was the morning after the big windstorm and there was debris, shells and leaves on the beach. The skies and views were still very grey, so that the colours of the leaves and shells popped!

    I also practiced a little yarn therapy. Never heard of it? I thought not. It is also called retail therapy. I bought some new yarn. Technically I ordered new yarn and it arrived this week.

    Kate Davies is one of my favourite knitting writers and she also creates wonderful yarns. Schiehallion is her new yarn and it is a bouncy, wooly, dk weight yarn that comes in all of my favourite colours (I added a little extra purple as well)! How could I resist?!

    I hope that you manage to find some serenity in your life.

    Be well and knit happy!

    Lynette