Flooding In

Well it is Winter on the West Coast – which means that it is raining!  Right now it is the soft gentle rain, constant and sort of soothing.  Which is how I like life to be, soft, easy and no major ups and downs!

Nanaimo River in the Fog this morning.

Last Sunday the rain came down in torrents and that was after a few days of heavy rain!

(please note here – difference between heavy rains and torrential rains – heavy rains, water runs in ditches and torrential rains, WATER RUNS IN BASEMENTS)

We woke up Monday morning to 3/4 inches of ground water in my basement;  we have been living with huge fans running ever since!  Out came the brooms and dust pans, every swept water up onto a dust pan?  Interesting activity!  Followed by the much more efficient wet/dry shop vac!

On the up side, my basement will get new flooring and the outside of the house will acquire new drainage ditches!

Not sure of the time line as to when all this will happen as quite a few houses were flooded that had never been flooded before and the restoration guys are running around trying to rent equipment to handle more jobs at once than they had ever seen!

To go with the weather I have a few things coming down my creative pipes, ideas overflowing with possibilities and flooding onto my computer screen and on to my needles!

To begin with, a little while ago I started a Facebook Group – LeTissier Design – Pump up your Knitting.  Something where I could create a bit of a community, focused around knitting and friends.  Run a few KAL’s (Knit Alongs), creating small things that will focus on skill building.

All you need – yarn – appox 200 yds heavy lace or fingering weight – sample is Koigu Lace, 2.0mm US 0’s straights, circs or I use 2 dnps’s, approx. 800 to 900 size 8/0 beads and a dental floss threader (usually found by the tooth brushes at your local drug store)!

I am planning my first KAL – Beaded Fingerless Mittens

  • Knitting Skills required – only the ability to knit Garter St!
  • skills learned – threading beads and then working with pre-strung beads

The pattern is an older one of mine – Beaded Pulse Warmers or Fingerless Mittens – I have used it many times to teach this style of knitting with beads.  We can all knit garter stitch – that leaves the mind free to focus on learning how to handle the beads!

If you wish to participate in the KAL, use the code “First”  to purchase the pattern for $2.50 US.

 

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Koigu Lace, Miyuki 8/0 bead and some Zings – how could I resist purchasing the needles – they matched my colours beautifully!

 

And then Stash Dive to find the perfect yarn and beads!  You can use a heavier Laceweight – I am starting a new pair in Koigu Lace, or any fingering weight yarn, one of my favourite yarns for these mittens is Drops Alpaca.  You will need about 800 to 900  8/0 beads for the project – maybe less depending on the chart you choose!  The pattern offers a few options!

The KAL will start Feb 9th and run until approx. March 9th.  The code for the pattern is good until the end of the Olympics Feb 25th.  I am hoping to get my pulse warmers knit by the end of the Olympics – I know how life does like to interfere!  So I gave us all a little extra time!

Isn’t this pretty?

Not into beads and garter stitch, how about some beautiful lace?  A friend of mine is also starting a KAL February 9th.  Selena Miskin of Wayfaring Yarns has a new pattern with kits available.  Check out the KAL for her Frostflowers Shawl.

Coming down the Pipes – the Retreat – Fingerless Mittens embellished with Inlay or Rooistud – the weekend of February 16, 17 and 18.  And one week later – two new patterns for the Buffalo Wool Co!

Happy Knitting

Lynette

 

 

 

Branching Out

I have had a busy year – family, health, designing – all have presented challenges and rewards.  The biggest challenge has been to my time and time management.  I am hoping for better this year!

One of the biggest changes and challenges has been the addition of a new designing outlet.  I am now working with Selena Miskin of Wayfaring Yarns.  We met last year at Rhinebeck and have hit it off both as friends and as designers.  We are selling kits for some of our patterns through our website Sweater Sisters.

 

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My second pattern for Sweater Sisters is still under construction!

My first pattern for Sweater Sisters is being released tonight on Ravelry.  And I am so excited to be sharing this with you!  The pattern and kit will be available as well on the Sweater Sisters website!

 

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Lumi is a hooded capelet.  It is cabled with lace faggoting cables and regular cables, shaped to the neck and at the shoulders, sprinkled with beads and knit with mohair and silk!  I am quite in love with this enchanting accessory!  I hope that you will love it too!
Light and luminous this hooded capelet is the perfect topper for your coat on a cold day or better yet that beautiful evening dress that just needs a little something to keep you warm and beautiful. The open Faggotting Cable makes the basic cable stitch a little more elegant and adds to the ethereal effect of the silk mohair yarn. The Size 6/0 beads are scattered around the edge of the hood and placed on the first few rows of the Garter stitch edging, adding just the right amount of sparkle.

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Detail of the new Belle Starr Shawl

I am continuing to work with Buffalo Wool Co.  That will never change.  Their yarns continue to be endlessly inspiring!  We have two new designs coming out at Stitches West!  I also work full time at Mad About Ewe Fine Yarns!

 

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So much rain lately – Millstone River is barrelling down to the Harbour.
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The ducks are happy!

I am still walking regularly and have the pictures to prove it – I must start blogging more regularly again.  This year is starting out a little chaotic, but it is looking to calm down in the near future, cross your fingers for me!

 

Happy Knitting

Lynette

Random Thoughts and Minor Musing of another Knitter – compulsively addicted to the craft!

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