Knitting
Maxim & Vincent
Maxim Cyr is a Montreal-based knitwear designer, illustrator, and co-founder of Les Garçons, the creative brand he built with long-time collaborator and partner Vincent Deslandes. Together, they’ve developed a distinctively modern aesthetic that blends playful storytelling, clean lines, and gender-inclusive design.
Maxim brings his background in graphic design and illustration into every pattern, from the elegant geometry of the Lysandre shawl to the bold colourwork of Nevermore sweater. Vincent, equally passionate about fibre and form, leads the development of their exclusive yarn bases—each one thoughtfully curated for softness, structure, and a rich, nuanced palette. They sometimes design together, and launch mini-collections, like the Unbearable or the Rustic Cabin series.
Their collaborative process goes beyond patterns: it’s a conversation between texture, colour, and concept that has made Les Garçons a beloved name among knitters who crave originality and intention in their projects. Whether designing side by side or teaching together, Maxim and Vincent bring warmth, creativity, and a strong sense of community to everything they do.
Soraya García Aldea
“Sori” is a knitwear designer, teacher, editor, and natural dyer based in Amsterdam. Originally trained as a knitwear patternmaker in Madrid, she later moved to northern France, where she founded Yedra Knits—Spain’s first independent knitting and crochet magazine. From 2018 to 2022, the publication reached readers in over 20 countries and featured work from more than 30 international designers.
Known for her textured, construction-driven designs and deep love of color, Sori has taught at major fiber festivals across Europe and Latin America, including BarcelonaKnits, Knit Eat, and Vogue Knitting Online. In 2024, she was honored as the international guest instructor at Expoteje in Chile.
Her background in both acid and natural dyeing—studied in places like Oaxaca, Madrid, and the Textile Museum of Tilburg—adds another layer of artistry to her work. Today, from her Amsterdam studio, she continues to blend her passions for teaching, design, and color through collaborations with publications such as Pom Pom Quarterly, Laine, The Knitter, and LITLG.
Classes
Workshop 1 — Mastering Traditional Colourwork: From Fair Isle to Steeking
3 hours
This intensive and hands-on session is designed as a deep dive into the most iconic colourwork techniques in knitting. Together, we’ll explore the foundations of stranded knitting through classic Fair Isle and Jacquard methods — learning how to manage multiple strands, achieve even tension, and read colourwork charts with confidence.
You’ll work on a series of structured swatches where we’ll practice motif transitions, floats, and colour dominance — setting the stage for one of the most thrilling techniques in knitting: steeking. We’ll demystify how and when to cut your knitting, how to prepare your steek stitches, and look at different finishing options (such as crochet reinforcement or hand-sewing). Whether you’re new to colourwork or want to finally embrace the scissors, this workshop will open the door to a whole new world of creative construction.
Workshop 2 — Q&A with Maxim & Vincent
Join Maxim Cyr and Vincent Deslandes of Les Garçon Knits for a relaxed and engaging Q&A session. Maxim will share the inspirations behind some of his most popular designs—like the Fleurir Shawl and Winter’s Path—and offer a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. Vincent will talk about their custom yarn blends and how fiber choice shapes their overall design vision. Together, they’ll answer your questions about pattern design, yarn development, collaboration, and building a brand that balances style, substance, and inclusivity.
Workshop 3 — Creative Colourplay: Mosaic, Intarsia & Inlay
3 hours
In this second session, we’ll focus on colour as a form of expression — and how to build confidence when combining shades and textures. We’ll start by exploring the principles of colour theory for knitters: warm vs. cool tones, contrast vs. harmony, and how fibre type and yarn structure affect perception.
From there, we’ll dive into three powerful and often underrated techniques:
Mosaic knitting, where colourwork is achieved through slipped stitches and minimal effort.
Intarsia, ideal for bold, graphic shapes and blocks of colour — no floats required.
Inlay knitting, a unique and playful technique where yarns are “laid” onto the fabric and caught as you go, allowing for spontaneous texture and colour without affecting the tension.
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