Lissa Snyder knows that designing is a process – sometimes, a very frustrating process. From mismatched pinstripes to a run-in with a hungry kitten, her latest design truly tested her patience. Despite those and other problems, she kept knitting until she got it right. She says it’s now one of her favorites!
Lissa’s Little Man Waistcoat is featured in the new issue of Jane Austen Knits. She was inspired by men’s waistcoats from the Regency era, which were often pinstriped. Instead of stranded colorwork, it’s worked back and forth – knitting only with the main color of Berroco Ultra Alpaca – in stockinette with a purl channel every few stitches. The contrast color is added in those channels later using a crocheted slip stitch. The edging is knit in garter stitch with short rows used to make mitered corners.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a stay-at-home mom of four and the wife of a soldier. Our oldest is expecting our first grandchild in the spring. I homeschool our youngest, run the middle two to all their various school and friend-related events and spend my spare time knitting and crocheting.
Did you design this for anyone in particular?
I saw the call for submissions and had recently seen last year’s issue of Jane Austen Knits, which had a men’s waistcoat pattern. A friend was expecting a baby boy and I thought she would love a little waistcoat for him.
Any interesting stories about your process?
I’ve had a lot of people ask me where I get my ideas – they come from several places. Pinterest is my go-to site. I look through knitting and crochet stitches and patterns and pull little ideas from those. I’ll also look up a specific era, like the 1920s, and pin fashion photos that inspire me. Sometimes someone will say something that triggers an idea or I’ll see some yarn I want to work with and come up with something for that.
What’s your favorite thing about knitting?
I love everything about it, but I think my favorite thing is challenging myself to learn something new, whether it’s a new technique, a new way to put together a basic pattern or a new stitch.
Do you have a cool design you want to share? Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn? You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.