We began to work together
on Sunday afternoon adapting the idea of the ‘jumper’ cut
out to a ‘glove’ form,
something that Hazel wanted specifically to explore. The glove
is a key piece in the knitted repertoire and is a difficult object
to knit well. She cut out a simple hand shape and we went around
Burrrastow House capturing anything that took our eye with a
digital camera. As we reviewed the images some things immediately
said ‘glove’, others were simply crazy and stimulating.
The cut out frame gave us new perspectives to both the potential
forms and patterns of gloves. So on Monday
in College we chose three key images with which to experiment – the
jewel-like mosaic floor from the studio staircase, an old mysterious
romantic portrait of a past Burrastow resident, a section of
a striking black and white geometric print hung in the House.
The
colour and simplicity of the mosaic image related well to the
Fair Isle two-colour knitting method. We explored scale using
a tiny hand cut out to isolate and zoom in on knitted samples.
By wildly exaggerating the size of the stitches ideas for very
chunky 'big knit' gloves emerged.
The portrait
image just had to become a luxurious lady's
evening glove – something to wear at a ball or a night
at the opera! We experimented with print transfers on various
fabrics, silk and cotton, and some types of off the peg cotton
gloves. Despite problems with print quality (the ‘plastic’ nature
of the transfer) the unusual integration of a historical
portrait onto a glove form made for an intriguing article
with scope
for future development, For example, the extension of the
image up
the arm into an elbow glove – an exclusive hand printed
product embellished by hand skills.
I wanted to consider introducing
actual ‘light’ into
textiles and was keen to explore how electro luminescent
fibres could be knitted together – if at all. These
sample fibres are marketed as dance clubbers’ accessories
so are playful and funky. Hazel selected a pair of large
knitting needles and
began to deftly knit the fibres together using the traditional
two- colour method.
The knitting was limited by the short
lengths of the fibres. We switched them on and a fabulous
pattern of ‘knitted
light’ appeared. We made
various ‘light
knit’ experiments with different coloured fibres,
playing with the options of timed pulses of light. To record
these experiments
properly we set the work up in the darkest place – under
the back stairs – and took some video. We forgot
about the microphone on the video camera. On replay we
heard the amazement
of discovery in our voices – like children again.
We would have responded so differently to the same structure
made in yarns,
to the colour and the feel of the fabric only. Using light
to illustrate the stitches brought about a new response
to a traditional structure.
During the group discussion
on Wednesday lots of ideas about the application of the
light fibres were suggested.
Could
the fibres be woven/integrated into textiles/gloves for
both decorative
and safety purposes, for example cycling at night? Large
scale knitted panels, like textile neon could illuminate
walls and spaces.
With Walter’s help several flat
knitted samples were made from the black and white geometric
print.
The image had a kind
of tribal/jungle feel to it. The fabric samples were
chunky and needed to be cut into - so we felted them for a
more stable
material.
After some play to explore the finishing methods and
the structures we could make with the hand/glove knitted piece
two options emerged:
one, a simple mitten constructed from two cut out samples,
with the over-sized, over-locked seam reducing the digits
to
three
for a practical construction. The bulky seam became a
key feature, on the outside; the other, a multi purpose felted ‘bag’ worn
on a belt, accessed via the top of the glove. Both
struck us as realistic, potential knitted products extending
the form
of the ‘hand warmer’, with scope for mass-production
using digital imaging and computerised knitting technology
along with many kinds of fibres and yarns including Shetland
wool.
By using more commercially obvious ‘Shetland’ images
or patterns, the knitted product could be given a ‘Shetland’ identity.
So
how does our ‘Hand and Glove’ project help
to revalue and extend the traditional skills and indigenous
crafts
of Shetland? The light knitted images offer a new response
to traditional knitted pattern and structure. The three-dimensional ‘sketches’ we
produced suggested a range of potential gloves and accessories
based on the traditional concept of patterned ‘hand
warmers’.
By looking closely at sources of imagery in the everyday
environment, making reference to Shetland history and
heritage, we have
tried to draw attention to and re-value the local and
specific. However,
we have also tried to extend the traditional glove by
the introduction of digital imagery, new materials and
extended
forms. We have
explored simple and accessible methods for enhancing
creativity by the ‘cut outs’ – framing and seeing things
afresh which could be developed as apart of an educational resource
for future knitters.
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