Category Archives: Teaching

Knitting an Estonian Garden

This afternoon I am off to Kiwi Cove Lodge for Mad About Ewe’s Annual Retreat.  This is our 18th Retreat and I will be teaching Rooistud or Inlay, an embellishment technique common to Estonian Knitting.

Inlay is the dominant technique that I will be teaching, but there are other techniques as well, other small embellishments that compliment the project.  The other Estonian techniques that are included in the retreat handout come with names like peas, peppercorns, roses and most involve colour – lots of colour and lots of play!  My favourite types of knitting.

Click here for a downloadable photo tutorial on inlay.

Our projects are fingerless mittens.  From a simple ribbed cuff to wildly adorned options – the idea is to pick and choose – personalize and play!

I have been trying to improve my media skills – with varying success.  Check out my facebook page for a video of the Travelling or Horizontal braid that I use in one of the mittens.

I hope that you have a great weekend!

Happy Knitting

Lynette

 

Still Waiting….

Fall is in the air and on the ground.
Fall is in the air and on the ground.

… But Fall is in the air, Football is back on TV and all is right in the World.  The baby will come when babies come.  Sunday, Sept 13 was the due date – but a first baby is seldom on time.  LOL!

Forget-me-nots are blooming beside the Millstone River.
Forget-me-nots are blooming beside the Millstone River.

Life is back to its normal rhythm.  I work during the week, we walk on weekends and I knit all of the time!

This last weekend we walked through Bowen Park and the Morden Colliery Park.  Leaves are falling and in the morning there is a real feel of coolness in the air.  The last week has brought some moisture to the ground as well.  There is damp loamy smell around us as we walk that has been missing all summer.

My favorite walk in Bowen Park is along Millstone River.  Right now Millstone is not much of a River – it is more creek like as it moves through the park.  I love walking under the branches of the trees beside the River, listening to the rills of water as they tumble down towards the harbour.  It is a peaceful place.

I love this View!  I have seen it calm and serene in the Summer and wild and raging in the Winter as the water pounds and pours through on its trip to the Ocean!
I love this View! I have seen it calm and serene in the Summer and wild and raging in the Winter as the water pounds and pours through on its trip to the Ocean!
Still Pools capturing perfect reflections.
Still Pools capturing perfect reflections.

Morden Colliery is a different kind of walk.  A little wilder, the land is on an old coal mine and the trail an old rail bed.  It goes over marsh – right now beautiful grasslands surrounding still pools – it has been such a dry summer.  The grasslands are alive with birds and song.  The path moves from the mine to the marsh and on to the River.

The Big Leaf Maple trees are large around the path.  Thick old trunks covered in moss and towering overhead.  There was a heavy breeze and the tops of the surrounding trees groaned and creaked as they moved.

Maple seeds hanging heavily overhead.
Maple seeds hanging heavily overhead.

The Maple seeds are turning rapidly brown.  The trees branches were heavily laden with the Fall offering.  They were helicoptering down onto my head through the whole walk!

I felt like a child again, memories of playing with maple seeds playing through my  mind.

The dry grassy marshes allowed me new views.
The dry grassy marshes allowed me new views.

It has been a busy Summer.  Lot’s knitting, lot’s of family and lots of life.

I am now on Instagram – as LeTissierDesigns – please come by and say hello if you are there too.  I find that I like taking a quick shot and sharing what is happening around me.  It is mostly about my knitting and just a little about life.

As you know I am about to become a Granny.  I have been knitting just a few things for the baby, LOL! – it will get worse as the baby gets older – I am going to have so much fun!  You can expect some children’s patterns to start appearing in the next few months and years to come.

Beaded Baby Booties
Beaded Baby Booties
Spirit Bear - first of three designs for the Cowichan Style sweater class.
Spirit Bear – first of three designs for the Cowichan Style sweater class.

Right now my focus is on the fall classes for the store.  Beaded Baby Booties, and Cowichan Style Sweaters and Hats are the two new classes.  Very contrasting both in sizing and techniques!  For more on the Classes check out the Mad About Ewe Class Schedule.

I am also working on new ideas for the Retreat.  It will be coming up fast and it is always a challenge to come up with interesting, new projects.

How has your Summer been!  Lots of company family and visiting?  Or have you been the travellers?

Whatever your Summer I hope that is has been a great one!

Happy Knitting

Lynette