April 2025- Max The Knitter
April's Beanie Brigade brings you the cozy, squishy goodness of Highland DK, a 100% Peruvian wool, non-superwash yarn. Soft yet sturdy, this yarn adds a beautiful texture to any project. With its rich, natural feel, Highland DK is the perfect material for hats, offering just the right amount of warmth and comfort as the seasons shift.
Our colorways, “Catch Ya on the Flipside”, were inspired by moments of change—the feeling when something ends, but you know it's just the beginning of something new, much like the hat design itself. Transitioning from a deep bold red to a bright warm peach, embodies the feeling of the biting cold of the winter turning to spring or the curtain falling on the first act, building anticipation for the second and the unexpected twists it will bring. These vibrant colors perfectly capture the essence of the Flipside Hat, making it a standout design for this month’s collection.
Designed by the talented Max the Knitter, who has published over 60 patterns since his debut in 2018, Max has been featured in Laine magazine and co-founded Les Garçons, a yarn store in Montreal. We’ve long admired his unique colorwork and sweater designs, recently showcasing his Floral Your Way Hat at the Woolen Affair festival. The Flipside Hat blends Max’s signature style with our carefully curated colors, creating a project that’s as fun to knit as it is to wear.
April Designer: Maxim Cyr
Q: On your YouTube podcast “Happy Hour” you and Vincent always have a nice cocktail to start off the show, lets start off with your favorite recipe!
A: My go-to cocktail is a smoky Old Fashioned—so good! Vincent got me a smoker for my birthday last year, and I almost burned down the whole apartment with it. I definitely need to be more careful—haha!
Q: Colorwork seems to be the technique you utilize most in your patterns. Would you say that it is your favorite? What do you love about it?
A: It's what sparked my interest in knitwear design and what I always return to. I believe it's the best technique for creating pieces that feel most like me. I love blending traditional with modern.
Q: Let’s play Kiss, Marry, Kill - Stranded colorwork, mosaic, intarsia.
A: Kiss- Stranded Colorwork, my first love! Marry- Mosaic, comfy, easygoing, and always reliable. Kill- Intarsia, that pesky first stitch at the junction never quite behaves!
Q: Candice mentioned that you are an illustrator as well as a knitwear designer, does your illustration work ever inspire or make its way into your knitwear?
A: Yes, it is! It's actually what led me to designing. I've been a children's book illustrator for the past 20 years, and when I realized that a stitch in colorwork is essentially the same as a pixel in an illustration, it completely opened my world to design. I've always loved pixel art, so it felt like a perfect fit.
Q: Podcaster, illustrator, designer, and owner of Les Garcons, you seem extremely busy! Tell us what a normal day in the life of Max The Knitter looks like.
A: My schedule has changed a lot since we opened our brick-and-mortar shop last year. I've never been a morning person or had a traditional 9-to-5 schedule since I've always been self-employed. Now, I'm learning what it’s like to have a routine! I usually start my day with a coffee and two hours of knitting before heading to the shop, where I work on upcoming designs or new projects for the store.
Q: Your first published pattern on Ravelry is from 2019 and you grew incredibly quickly in your first few years. What do you feel most contributed to your success early on?
A: I think having a strong point of view is essential. With my background in illustration, I brought my own style into my designs. Being yourself is key—if a design feels forced, it will show. Always design for yourself, not based on what you think people want. This applies to every creative field, not just knitting.
Q: Where do you like to look to find inspiration for your next design?
A: I've become much more aware of fashion designers and now watch their runway shows on TikTok. It's really inspiring and a great way to discover new colour palettes for upcoming designs.
Q: Hats are featured in your work almost as much as sweaters! What do you love about hats that make you keep designing them?
A: The honest answer? They're quick to knit! Hats are a great way to test an idea without a long commitment. One challenge with knitting is that it takes time to bring a concept to life, and sometimes, after a whole week of work, I realize I’m just not feeling it anymore. With hats, I can see much faster whether an idea truly works.
Q: What is your least favorite part about knitting?
A: I started adding small sew-on tags inside my knits to mark the back and give them a more professional finish. But I'm not great with a sewing needle and always end up hurting my fingers! I procrastinate doing it, but I absolutely love the final result.
Q: If you were stranded on a desert island with everything else you needed for survival but you wouldn't be rescued for at least 6 months, what knitting items would you want with you?
A: A couple of sweater quantities of yarn—because even on a hot island, I’ll still be knitting!
Maxim's Socials
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