Handpainting with dyes and working with Beads!
March 2011: These last 6 months have been an incredible journey for me! The blog and my knitting have been growing together. Last november I walked outside of my comfort zone and entered Vogue’s Magic of Mohair Design competititon. I became one of 12 finalists, the only Canadian, and in January flew off to New York to participate in the first ever Vogue Knitting Live Gala Dinner! A lot of firsts for everyone.
Victorian Falls Wrap and Sheath
At the dinner they announced the winners and there my name was, announced as 1st runner-up – up on the big board! From arriving in New York Friday night to our departure Sunday morning – those were the fastest and most incredible 36hrs of my life.
I have just finished the pattern and it is off to Vogue for publication in June – the Early Fall Edition. What a journey!
I have been knitting for thirty plus years, and designing for only about two and a half years. My early design training was in theatre costume design, and this love of period and costume has been carried into my knitting designs. Many of my designs are beaded, and I have recently started hand-painting my lace designs to use colour to highlight the lace. I still have a lot to learn.
Eleven years ago I started teaching and then working at my LYS, Mad About Ewe Fine Yarns. The teaching is what started me in on knitting design, I needed patterns that were teachable. As I got more experienced, I started to make the patterns more than handouts and then started creating actual patterns.
I am very happily married, I did it right the second time. I have two wonderful children – what else can one say about one’s children! and a cat and a dog! I live on Vancouver Island – the most beautiful place on Earth.
Constant Source of Inspiration
Check out the LeTissier Designs Page on Facebook.
I live in West Vancouver and pop over a few times a year to stay in Qualicum for a week or weekend. I would love to know when you will be having a workshop and would also like to know where your knitting store is so that I can visit.
Please also let me know what Mag/edition you will be published in!
Thanks, Fran.
PS. I am an avid knitter and a hoarder of yarns!
Hi Fran,
Mad About Ewe is in the Old City Quarter of Nanaimo, just up the hill from downtown. Check out the Mad About Ewe website for the workshops and classes. The spring workshops are up and the summer are pending. Workshops are usually on Saturdays in the spring and Thursdays in the summer. Right now our next retreat will be next February sometime – if anything changes we will let you know. Please e-mail us at madaboutewe@telus.net and we will put you on our e-mail list and you will get out regular e-mail newsletters.
I just found out yesterday that I will be published in the Early Fall edition of Vogue Knitting – out sometime early/mid June.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Lynette
Lynette, it is wonderful to see such beautiful objects put together by someone who happens to have the same last name as mine. My great grandfather came from the Island of Guernsey in the English Channel. I live just north of Detroit, Michigan, USA. Earl
Hi Earl,
Thanks for the wonderful comment. It is amazing how small the world is becoming. There is a good chance that we were related somewhere in past generations as my Grandfather was also from Guernsey. LeTissier is not a common name! Hope that you have a great day!
Lynette
I must have come across your blog before … I recognise the shawl at the top of the page – it’s gorgeous!!!
Got the early Fall issue of Vogue and I have to say I love your work and I am glad I found you!
Hi Karen,
I hope that you enjoy the blog as much as you love the Wrap and Sheath!
Happy Knitting
Lynette
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Every aspect of your work transports me – from photography to narrative to painted knitting. Thank you so much.
Wow! Thank-you Annie!
What a wonderful comment! I hope that you continue to enjoy the reading!
Lynette
Letissierdesigns – what wonderful work you display in your blog.
I have a question – you may be able to help me with given your interest in the Vogue Knitting magazine. I used to collect VK books and have a long standing passion with the craft. In one of these issues I used to have was a pattern from memory of an indigo colour “tailored” cardigan, I think may have been designed by Valentino – Opposite to the page with the image oI this indigo coloured cardigan I believe there was an orange coloured garment. I have been looking for this for many years – if you could offer me some assistance I would be very happy and appreciative, thank you for your inspiration
Rose
Hi Rose,
Can you give me a year? I have most of the 30 years worth of the VK knititng magazines and do not have the time to go through them all right now!
I will keep my eyes open for it when I am looking through, but without a year I would not know even where to start!
Happy Knitting
Lynette
thank you Lynette for your prompt reply, as for the year? this is one of the problems I face – 1980s or 90s is all I can think of, most likely in the midst of these years – I will keep searching & very much appreciate your time in responding – Rose
Hello Lynette
Wow, you are one of those women that every other woman wants to be. You’ve got it all sorted out plus your’e crazy-talented. I doubt you’ll be interested in why I found your blog, but I’ll tell you anyway just in case. My name is Tilda, and I came looking for knitting-focused (and craft) blogs for a reason. I do a Blog Challenge, which until now has been focused mainly on writing and a photo challenge. I would like to introduce some more creative elements to the next Challenge, however, which is due to start fairly soon, and I have been thinking of adding a knitting part to the Challenge (as well as drawing, painting, poetry and probably other crafts). But before I commit to a knitting challenge, for example, I need to go around some knitting-focused blogs to ask if any knitters would be interested in participating.
Do you think that might be something that would interest you or your followers? The knitting challenge would simply be that I would offer two themes and then knitters could knit anything they like based on either theme, whichever they prefer. For example the themes might be “rustic” and “sparkle”. Then the knitter (or other craft) could choose whichever theme they prefer and make *anything* they like as long as it incorporates that theme.
If they like, they could participate in the rest of the Challenge and be eligible to earn Awards to be displayed on their blog, and win prizes, but that is purely optional. Here’s my blog in case you’d like to take a look at the current Challenge and if you think you or anyone else would be interested in participating if I included some more creative aspects to it, including knitting and crafts, would you let me know? http://tfaswift.com.
I’m not trying to plug my blog; I just need to know before I start a more creative challenge if any knitters etc. would know where to find it, or whether they’d even be interested! To have someone as talented as yourself make an entry to my Blog Challenge would be an honour, but I do understand that you have so much going on with serious competitions that my little challenge probably seems rather inconsequential. Still, no harm in asking! Thank you so much for your time, and either way, good luck with all your exquisite projects!
Your site is beautifully laid out and very interesting. As for competition idea – I’ll mull a bit. Creativity is not always on call!
The shawl is outrageously beautiful, and if that view is your inspiration then you are one very lucky, and inspired person! That view is truly heaven.
Thank-you for the comments. And you are right – I consider myself one very lucky person to have access to views like that! Neck Point is my favorite place in Nanaimo.
lynette
Ah, Nanaimo! I knew it could not be too far from the Cowichan Valley area. Made me homesick for a minute.