If you live in or near Barrie, ON chances are you’ve already met Liz Fallone. The proud owner of Eliza’s Buttons and Yarns, Liz offers fibre artists a beautifully curated collection of fine yarns and buttons.
Aside from running her shop, Liz also teaches classes and workshops. Where she finds the time to design knitting patterns is beyond us! With fifty-eight published patterns on Ravelry, we’re proud to have Liz as part of the Estelle Design Team.
Liz kindly found some extra time in her already hectic life to sit down and answer a few questions for us.
How long have you been knitting?
I’ve probably been knitting since I was 5 or 6. It just seems like it’s something I’ve always done.
Who taught you to knit?
I believe I was taught to knit through the Brownies program. It’s one of the first badges on my uniform.
When did you start designing your own patterns?
I’ve always tweaked patterns to fit, or changed a section here and there, however I started designing and selling patterns about 30 years ago.
Liz’s Simple 1 Row Cowl is one of the more popular designs on our Free Patterns Page and rightly so! The shifting rib pattern is as simple as the title indicates and has such dramatic effect. Knit with two colours of Estelle Alpaca Merino Chunky, this cowl is luxuriously warm and fashionable.
Do you have a favourite designer?
Not really; I like a variety of different ones because they each bring their own individual style to pieces.
Is there a designer who has inspired your work?
I tend more to techniques for inspiration than individual designers.
Liz’s fondness for technique is evident in her Mosaic Cowl. A beautiful slip stitch pattern in two shades of Estelle Alpaca Merino Chunky, this pattern would be equally beautiful in any of our Estelle Chunky colourways.
What inspires your work?
I imagine situations and what I would wear and that’s where the designs come from. Nature, comfort, and techniques.
What has your work as a designer changed in your life?
As a designer I can go on a retreat in my mind. Designing is like my own kind of daily meditation.
What are your favourite types of items to knit?
I love to knit almost anything. I appreciate stuffed animals and the amigurumi but the process of making them I don’t enjoy. Everything else is fair game.
What’s your current favourite colour?
I seem to be on a salmon and blue kick right now.
Do you have a favourite weight of yarn to work with?
I really like sock and dk weight yarns – they seem so versatile to me – but for really cozy items I like the worsted and Aran weight yarns.
What is your preferred fibre?
I really like cashmere and soft wool; llama is getting up there too.
What other hobbies do you have?
I have just started weaving, but I also like stained glass, and sewing and room staging.
Do you have a favourite technique or tip you would like to share with us?
When you make a left slanting decrease (ssk), on the next round or row work it through the back loop and it will lay flatter and mirror the k2tog decrease.
How did you come to design knitting patterns for Estelle?
I mentioned to the owner Chris at an open house that I designed, and he asked me to make sock monkey inspired wine cozies. I think that was the first pattern I designed for Estelle.
Many years later, Liz’s patterns are still regularly downloaded from our Free Patterns Page. Another of our best-loved designs by Liz is her Alpaca Merino Cape. Knit from the top down, this simple cape is the perfect addition to any wardrobe.
How do you connect to or are involved with the knitting community?
The knitting community is something I’ve been involved with for years, from being the founder of the Barrie Knitting Guild to being a freelance teacher both at home and abroad.
My store allows me to have a home base and create a community through all the different classes and class times, drop-in sessions, as well as social nights, that are offered.
To enhance the community, I still teach at different festivals and retreats. Together with the very talented indie dyer, Dragon Strings, I also publish patterns as Knitacation, a company that creates approachable garments with interesting techniques.
Finally, I am a part of Fibre Spirit, which is a one-day annual event held in Barrie that is used to promote all different fibre arts.
Be sure to check out Liz’s shop the next time you are in Barrie, or subscribe to her quarterly newsletter to stay on top of new designs, classes and events.
Visit our website to download all of Liz’s patterns and then head on over to your LYS to pick out the perfect yarn. Tell them Estelle sent you!
Thank you, Liz, for taking the time to chat with us today and for your gorgeous designs. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next!