and the theme I'm going to flow with this time, is.........
Some people can have a "stuck in the mud" attitude toward knitting. They think it's "what Nanas do!" I guess they are right in some ways, 'cos, yes, some Nanas do knit, and the knitting they do, leaves some of us for dead......and so do some amazing contemporary textiles designers/artists. Knitting, or working with knit material is very creative and very stimulating, like this for example...........
Isn't that crazy cool, the patterns, the colours, the shaping, just what I love!
And I reckon some Nanas would know how to knit this Tao CdG corset/short set I discussed in my previous blog. They would fully understand the different knitting styles/forms that make up the garment. How stimulating is that!
So much knowledge of these skills is being lost today. Many younger people have no idea what knitting is about, but those that do, wow, are they creative with the craft.
Having said that knitting appears to be a dying art/craft, there has been a strong drive over the last decade to raise the profile and encourage people to give it a go. I remember going along to a "knit along" at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was great. They gave out needles and wool and you sat down and had a Friday out knitting..there was also a bar!
The movement was going on every where....here are some images of "knit ins" going down in New York. Looks a lot of social fun. .jpg)
Another interesting woman encouraging public and private knitting is Rachael Matthew. She wrote an interesting book, "Knitorama, 25 Great & Glam Things to Knit".
I ordered her fun Hand Grenade pattern. It is such a cute kit, came with 2 balls of wool, a key ring & little kilt pin and knitting needles...I just haven't knitted it yet!
Another fab. knitting textile artist is a wonderful woman called Freddie Robins. She made an appearance on Kevin McCloud's "Grand Designs" a few years ago. She and her husband had the most fabulous residence constructed, which they filled with their respective works of arts....extremely creative!
Doesn't she look fab...I love her boots!...the whole image...
Freddie said, re the construction " We got to a point in the building process when we had spent enough money and made enough decisions. So we decided to use only the materials that we already had on-site. I really enjoyed that philosophy, so I've started to apply it to my work too. Now, rather than deciding what I want to make and then choosing and buying new materials, I am just working with what I already have and allowing the object to dictate the work". That is so interesting, because that is what I did with a collection I worked on a couple of years ago. I worked with what I had on hand, considering it a strong and important sustainable factor.
I attended a study day at the V & A where Freddie Robins was a guest speaker...very bright and inspiring...even tho' she thought she was a bit "brain dead" 'cos she's just had her first child and her mind was somewhere else!
She creates fabulous knitted concepts...
..suss her out..especially...
and you could knit your own Freddie Robins design..the whole thing about the gloves is a lot of fun.
Another of her many interesting works relates to houses....'Knitted Homes of Crime', which are the homes of female killers or the houses where they committed their crimes!
Freddie says," People are drawn to woollen things because they perceive wool as a friendly, domestic material, and that allows me to talk about difficult subjects in a way that other, less familiar materials would not". Very interesting.
Continuing with the theme of houses, are some fantastic knitted and crocheted concepts. In blog number one I discussed the "village girl with the knitted levis"
A fabulously innovative designer, Yoshikazu Yomagata is responsible for this concept. He often collaborates with another wonderful knitting artist,Mafuyu Murakami,.The two of them worked together on this, oh, so inspiring knitted, and crocheted collection "My Town in My Home". I love the peggy squares!
These are images of the houses being worn..fab, don't you think.
If you click on the "exhibition" icon, then go onto "2007" you can get some more info re "My Town in My Home". I always like learning about a designer's concept behind the inspiration for their collections.
The last time I was in Napier I came across an absolutely cool shop called "Gather".
It is just divine, and based on the coolest concept..."Knit basic shapes and construct multiple garments by assemblage" The owner, Nikki Gabriel, has designed knitting patterns which build structures that experiment with techniques and forms. As usual, I purchased one of her patterns...just haven't knitted it yet!! (Are you getting the idea that knitting is not really my most active activity.....never mind, maybe I will make up for lost time one day.)
Take in Nikki's web site for more info and, of course, you can purchase her patterns on line.
There are so many fantastic knitted textile designers. These are just a few I have come across....
Katie Witham, a London College of Fashion graduate, creates a collection inspired by how people alter their bodies
Go on to this web site to see more of her cool patterned and weirdly shaped "stuff".
Isabel Berglund, a danish textile designer, who knits objects and installations that play with reality and perception...I love it!
Take in this web site. I'd love to experience this exhibition....
Katie Jones, a Central Saint Martin grad., puts a modern twist on traditional crafts...great fun....bring back all those crotcheting grannies!
Sus out this site for her fabulous collections
http://www.katiejonesknit.co.uk/Nicola Jones loves yarns and fabrics that do something, so "change" is a strong element of her work...
Take in more of her creativity on this web site...
http://www.nicolajonestextiles.co.uk/#!touchweartranfsorm/c118b
Lindsay Degen, another Central Saint Martins graduate, produces quirky contemporary knitwear. Her work is very concept-based.
http://www.degen-nyc.com/
Here's a very interesting concept, the openknit project
http://gerard.tv/198118/1995270/gallery/the-openknit-project
More cool knitwear......
Isn't this the most wonderful garment. It just seems so lovely and warm for a start, but the blending and felting to join together is just fantastic. Blankets and aran jerseys, takes me back to a cosy childhood.
And I love this jumper, it's the interesting sleeve feature, the plaiting. It reminded me of the work my student Zoe did on her Yr 13 project, a cool collection based on the the theme of "Homelessness". Sustainability was a key factor of the project , which inspired Zoe to create a neat wee jerkin recreated from a t-shirt.
This recreating/recycling work is also demonstrated in this denim sweater
Just cut your old jeans into lots and lots of strips, attach them, stitched together would probably be best, get out those wonderful big wooden needles and away you go.....I've even got a suitable pattern!
I am intrigued with this form of technological knitwear. Apparently it's spun out of a random threadery onto 3D prototype forms that resemble couture shapes. I think of 3D printing when I look at this. The use of the word and the image of "spun" is very descriptive.....Check this next image
when you look at this out of the corner of your eye, what do you see? It could be a corset type top couldn't it..., well, check out the video site, it's got spin to it, and explains it all, and it does involve knitting.
Some of them come from infamous collections, which many people, at the time, had trouble accepting as "good" design.
These garments all employ an interesting "weave" design feature. The cream coloured sweater is garter stitiched and basically structured by one straight line panel. I can see the kimono shape in itas well.
These sweaters share the similar "weave" design feature with loose fitting and ample form. As I stated before, these came from collections in the early 80s.
Now take a look at CdG's Fall 2014 RTW collection. There are distant echoes of those earlier days
This collection was described as achieving monstrous shapes, knitted monstrosities enveloping the models. RK said the theme of the collection is Monster. What she was meaning by the use of that word was "craziness of humanity, fear, the absence of ordinariness" She was expressing those concepts by creating something "extremely big, by something that could be ugly or beautiful".
The fab web site, The Cutting Class, takes a good look at aspects of this collection, which you can check on this link:
I love the colour palette of this collection, and found fabric for an inspired creation.
Remember, Rei often puts out garments that connect with the runway collection, but are less "out there"
I put a pattern together, it is an ample shape, infact no shape. Different front and back length and dropped shoulder with sleeve
Here I am working away on the creation. I layered the multi coloured fabric with a cotton knit 'cos it needed a bit more weight to sit well with the other fabric.
Completed sweater. Ample form and loose fitting.
I have discovered another interesting Japanese designer, Chitose Abe, who has 3 labels, Sacai, Sacai Luck and Sacai Man. She worked at Comme des Garcons, where she learned the importance of innovation and doing things from scratch. Remember, Rei's modus operandi is, to create something that doesn't exist. Abe is considered one of fashion's most ingenious pattern makers, a skill I am sure she would have honed at CdG.
Maybe Chitose Abe worked on this collection. She is into one-thing-in-front and another-thing-in-back construction, which I always find inspiring, not everyone's cuppa however.
You know how I stated knitting is a dying craft for younger people today... maybe that is not 100% correct...maybe the craft comes through in other ways....Here is lovely Jade from my Tutor Group, and she has been having a ball creating all sorts of things with "Loom Bands" She's made diary covers, cell phone covers, which I think is pretty cool and creative of her. Keep it up Jade!
Right, I'm nearing my finish and I'm going to go out with this cool little knitted monkey. Years ago,I came across him doing ads with Johnny Vegas. They were hilarious, and Monkey had real attitude. He was employed by ITV digital, and these postcards, with images of Monkey portraying various film characters, were printed.
Isn't he great. Well, sadly, he was made redundant. And things looked grim for him, as this newspaper article described
However, he did make a comeback some years ago, and with Johnny Vegas. Check out this ad they did together, it's great fun.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4IahEqXF_o
And of course I have a pattern for this knitted monkey........just haven't knitted it yet!
SLTSLTBsigning off
p.s. Benjamin Cho is responsible for the knitted dress with the needles
and Steph Smith & Rebecca Partington created the crazy cool one.
