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Knit Experimentation & Tutorial 7-8/5/15

In preparation for my tutorial today, I spent the day on the knitting machines yesterday. My aim was to experiment with the knitted wire and work out ways in which I could incorporate my ideas/drawings and photoshop prints. 

I mainly played around with pattern cards and looked at how yarn and wire could work together. I worked from my drawings and photoshop design.

PATTERN CARDS ON KNITTING MACHINE

Switch UP - will read pattern card (i.e. move down each row)

Switch DOWN - will stay in one place and repeat same row (can be used to create stripes etc.

Switch turned to F (fairisle) 

Yarn 1 in door, yarn 2 out (close door on yarn 2)

In my tutorial with Helen, we discussed which knit samples I should pursue for my final A4 samples as this was something I was struggling with. I am going to stick with my original idea of printing my digital print onto fabric, and creating 2 more knit samples to compliment this. The samples above were the ones I am going to develop further. Feedback I got from Helen in order to do this successfully was:

Colour palette - need to be careful working from digital colour. Need to go back to photos and drawings and select brighter colours. 

Work into wire knits by hand, mirroring digital print.

Make them work together as a collection.

Do some context research and link with either fashion or interiors. (I have now done this and researched a few designers which I can use on my final boards)

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LECTURE - Signe Rand Ebbesen 7/5/15

Born: Denmark

Educated Royal College of Art, London - MA Woven Textiles

Now based in Bulgaria

I enjoyed listening to Signe talk about her work. She is an extremely positive person who takes every opportunity that comes her way. Her work is extremely beautiful, but also unique. Her innovative ideas come from simple subject matter, which she mood boards methodically to create a clear vision. I think I will consider this kind of “mood board research” in my next unit.

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Sublimation Workshop 1/5/15

PROCESS:

I tied pieces of polyester fabric in various ways using various materials such as string, elastic bands and paperclips. These then went into the steamer for about 45 minutes. During this time I used the sublimation dyes to create different surfaces, on brown paper (shiny side up). The dye then transfers onto the polyester fabrics when placed in the heat press for 1 minute on 180 degrees C. 

I am happy with how my prints turned out. It was an interesting technique to learn and I think given more practice I would be able to manipulate the fabrics in a way which would create prints linking to my work. I will

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Juliana Sissons 5/5/15

Black knitted sample with shaped ladder technique - Cotton

Oyster/gold mix and deep wine red knitted sample with eyelet holes, stripe, ladder and partial knitting technique - Cotton and lurex mix, copper wire and wool

Oyster and warm gold knitted sample with stripe, weave and loop technique - Cotton and copper wire

Oyster, coral pink and warm gold knitted sample with stripe, tension variation and ladder technique - Cotton, copper wire and elastic

Black and gold knitted sample with stripes, tuck stitch, transfer stitch and tension variation - Cotton, copper wire and lurex

Oyster and warm gold knitted sample with stripe, tuck, ladder and transfer stitch technique - Cotton and copper wire

I absolutely love these pieces by Juliana Sissons. They have elements of knit which I would like to be able to transfer through my samples, but up until now was unable to visualise how this could be possible. I think these examples could help me bring my drawings into knitted wire samples with a bit more dimension and character. I am going to experiment further with this idea.

Below are some examples of how her samples translate into context.

Sources:

vandm.ac.uk

dazeddigital.co.uk

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Carol MacDonald 5/5/15

These are a variety of mono prints by Carol MacDonald. She has used knitted yarns and wires as her subject matter, which links closely with my work. What strikes me most about these is the fact that they don't look like prints, they look more like the actual knits. 

These have made me think about structure and scale of my knits and how I could incorporate different scales depending on the scale/nature of my drawings. The colours are also very natural, almost rust like, which I also feels links closely with my work and my use of wires.

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Lena Ohlen 5/5/15

Ink on Canvas

In this work, Lena Ohlen is studying the light through the trees. I particularly like it because the textures remind me of the knitted wire samples I have created. They have made me think about different ways I could approach the wire knitting: creating ladders and working back into the samples with yarns.

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Asta Masiulytė 5/5/15

“Asta Masiulytė was born in Lithuania. From an early age she watched her grandmother using the loom to make traditional Lithuanian quilts and weaving mats out of old clothing scraps, while her love for knit-wear came from watching her mother work at a knitting machine. In her teenage years, Asta was often embroidering and crocheting, her house was always full of thread, fabric and knit wear, so it's not surprising that later she choose to study Textile Art at Kaunas Art Institute Vilnius Art Academy.

Asta Masiulyte is a designer who focuses on the mixing of textiles and handmade details. Her priority is always natural materials: silk, wool, and linen. At the moment Asta’s focus is on hand painted silk scarves and their promotion. She believes that hand painted scarves are wearable art; it is not mass production without a human touch. Hand-work is a direct contact between a designer and a consumer, it's something spiritual.”

“SEA BEADS”

100% Silk “This scarf is made of natural silk and hand-painted with hand rolled hems. It bears the designer's hand embroidered signature and each scarf is unique. Refreshing beads, perhaps those of an underwater corals or forest berries, perhaps those out of the grandmother's coffer. The dripping of the beads create a feeling of a game and sound. Warm shades are tasty and satisfying.”

“GREEN GARDEN”

100% Silk

“This scarf is made of natural silk and hand-painted with hand rolled hems. It bears the designer's hand embroidered signature and each piece is unique because it is impossible to reproduce exactly the same pattern.”

"MORNING DEW"

“This scarf is handmade of polyester.”

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Oaffi 5/5/15

Oaffi is a seattle based surface design company that creates prints and patterns for "fashion related industries including apparel, interior décor, paper products and all other designer goods in need of 2D expression"

I love the style of these drawings; the way the contour lines create a sense of movement and depth. They remind me of some of my drawings (style and colour) and how I could improve my drawings by adding complimentary colours such as these.

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ARTIST RESEARCH: Mille Marotta 5/5/15

Millie Marotta works as a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer. She has worked on a range of commercial projects which have included food packaging, designs for textiles, book illustration and greetings cards. A lot of her work is surrounding flora and fauna - a focus in my current work. 

“Animal Kingdom is a colouring and doodle book for grown-ups as much as it is for children, published by Batsford.

Each page provides not only an opportunity for you to add colour, but also to embellish the intricate illustrations with your own patterns and drawings.”

Packaging project for Marks and Spencers' food spring gifting collection 2013.

Card collection commissioned by Lov li Design.

Digital work - Totem

More patterns.

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If you have a spare minute, please fill out this online survey for my uni research, thank you!

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Lecture - Sarah Corbett, Craftivists 30/4/15

Craftivist = Craft Activism 

Grew with a background in activism - her family campaigned against the demolition of local social housing when she was 3 years old.

Has worked for Christian Aid/Oxfam.

Uncomfortable with traditional forms of activism such as the use of aggression and placards, as she questions the effectiveness.

Sarah got into craft (cross stitch and embroidery) as a form of de-stressing, and slowing down.

“Stitching words is a way of taking ownership” - as they are your words that you are creating. 

Everything is kitsch - non threatening, subtle, cute, always tries to be positive as she believes it is a more effective way of getting a message across. 

Book: “A Little Book of Craftivism”

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Talk With Grainne - Lightbulb moment 29/4/15

Work on knit samples - approach in a different way!!! Instead of actual growing organisms within the knit samples, an alternative would be to mirror growth using yarns, by pushing through the samples - using drawings to determine pattern/colour etc.

IDEA FOR 3 FINAL SAMPLES:

Digital print, based on photoshop workshops. I really enjoyed developing the prints was taught about how to create prints that compliment each other as part of a collection. This could work by basing my knit designs around a digital print, by picking out elements and experimenting. I am going to develop this idea further by creating more prints in photoshop.

2. Knit sample: a knit sample to compliment my digital print. This could link to interiors and be intended for something such as a cushion cover.

3. Depending on how my digital prints and knit samples go, the third sample will be either one of these.

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Refining Workshop 28/4/15

Fringing Exercise

What is good?

What worked well?

Where can improvements be made?

1.  

Warp too largely spaced.

Like the colours but more texture could be good.

2.

End threads would fall out, need to come up with a solution - stitch yarn between weave.

More colour.

3. 

The third sample was supposed to be the most refined, which I think it was but there is still room for improvement:

Needs more colour.

Weaving technique not completely perfect.

This exercise was all about reflection and refinement. This is something I can carry forward within my practice to overcome problems and perfect my work.

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Knitting Machines 24/4/15

Samples created whilst refreshing my memory of the different knitting machine techniques. (left to right: plain knit, stripes, tension stripes, ladders)

Once I had familiarised myself with the knitting machines again, I began experimenting with wire. I intend on experimenting with these pieces and creating more like them, to weave or grow plants or crystals within them. I am going to record all of the technical information of these samples in my technical file. 

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I am interested in the idea of being able to sustainably grow our own textiles. The process itself is something I would like to experiment with however due to needing a chemical to stimulate growth I think it is unlikely that I will be able to do this at this time. 

I also like the idea of being able to mould the fabric whilst it dries to create a seamless garment.

This product is still in the process of being developed with problems such as not being waterproof which need to be overcome - However it would be a great product to help with issues surrounding sustainability within the fashion world. 

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Suzanne Lee 24/4/15

Suzanne Lee is a London based fashion designer working on fashion and future technologies.

She is a Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Director of The BioCouture Research Project.

http://www.biocouture.co.uk

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Carole Collet 26/4/15

“Plants could be genetically engineered to produce textiles at the same time as food, according to this synthetic biology project by designer and researcher Carole Collet.

"Would you eat a vitamin-rich black strawberry from a plant that has also produced your little black dress?" questioned Collet, whose Biolace concept responds to the need to produce enough food and textiles for the world's rapidly expanding population by proposing that the DNA of plants could be adapted so they produce synthetically-enhanced foods and lace-like fabrics grow from their roots.

"Biolace proposes to use synthetic biology as an engineering technology to reprogram plants into multi-purpose factories," explained Collet, who is a full-time academic and deputy director of the Textile Futures Research Centre at Central Saint Martins College in London.

"Plants become living machines, simply needing sun and water to be operational. In such a scenario, we would harvest fruits and fabrics at the same time from the same plants."

Collet believes that by 2050 advances in biological technologies could enable the "hyper-engineered" plants to be grown in huge greenhouses with their roots embedded in a mineral nutrient solution.

The project proposes four genetically-engineered plants including a tomato plant with high levels of a nutrient called lycopene that could help improve the skin's resistance to sunburn and protein-rich edible lace growing from its roots, and a basil plant that could produce anti-viral medicines as well as perfumed lace for use in decorative fashion applications.

"The aim of this project is to bring to light the potential of emerging living technologies and to questions the pros and cons of such extreme genetic engineering," said Collet. "Could biological engineering promote a new kind of sustainable textile manufacturing, less reliant on chemicals and less energy-hungry than our current models of production?"

"The aim of this project is to bring to light the potential of emerging living technologies and to questions the pros and cons of such extreme genetic engineering," said Collet. "Could biological engineering promote a new kind of sustainable textile manufacturing, less reliant on chemicals and less energy-hungry than our current models of production?"”

article and images taken from: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/11/30/genetically-engineered-plants-that-produce-edible-textiles-by-carole-collet/

I am really interested in the idea of growing textiles and the fact that one day plants like this could be grown not only to feed us, but to clothe us. Carole Collets work and research is still in the making but it has inspired me to think more about growing plants and how I could potentially bridge a connection between textiles and growing plants.