Knit

I was really looking forward to knit, after enjoying weave so much, I assumed the process would be similarly technical, and essentially in both you are creating a fabric from yarn. However, I am finding knit really challenging. On the first day, I struggled with understanding the machines the knit kept unravelling, getting caught and I just couldn’t work out how to do it. We learnt how to change colour and tensions, which I understood, but found I was very slow. I was fairly disheartened, but in the second session, everything I hadn’t been able to do suddenly was fine! We learnt how to make holes and ladders by passing stitches along the row, and how to extend and reduce the width of the knit, by extending the needles on the edge of the samples and e-wrapping. I still found it difficult to grasp and complete a sample that looked well put together, but this is part of the learning process. I experimented working with thinner linens, which created a loose stitch and looked really good with holes made in it. For my research I have been looking at some loose, floaty knits, which can be very textural and give that uneven surface I have noticed in my objects.

We had more technical workshops, extending needles and looping parts of the knit back on to attach and fold knit, using alternative material, and form shapes and patterns with a second yarn. I became more confident using the machines, but still found the processes challenging. I think the speed and the playfulness of knit is really exciting, and it gives you the scope to be very intricate and precise, or mad and abstract, but I much prefer the technical process of weaving. Something about knitting just doesn’t inspire me and I struggled to translate my ideas and work into samples.

I made these diamond shapes by using a second yarn, extent ending the needles out and e-wrapping. I would like to progress further and possibly use large a-symetical blocks of colour. It felt good to be able to work something out myself, as for most of the knit block, I have felt like the processes just didn’t make sense to me.

We also did some hand knitting and pom-poms. I already knew how to knit, but only garter stitch. I created this simple sample, adding in rows of mohair and alpaca yarns, I like the combinations of textures, and then thin orange row really pops against the natural yarns. I really tried to do stocking stitch, done by alternating garter and pearl. But every time I would do it right for a while, then suddenly I would end up reversing it, without even realising my mistake. Pom-poms are a really great way of visualising an idea and colour scheme very quickly – almost like sketching with wool. The light pink one in the bottom of the picture I washed and dried to felt the wool, this worked really well. I would like to make bigger pom-poms and felt them this way, and maybe cut or sculpt them in some way. You could create an interesting jacket or garment from loads of felted pom-poms stitched together.

I have learnt so much from the past two weeks, and I am gaining a stronger understanding of materials and yarns all the time. Looking at my knits retrospectively,  I had a strong colour palette, but didn’t stick to it, and I think my samples would be more cohesive if I had refined my colours more.