UNIT X: REFLECTION

The last two weeks of knitting have been extremely busy and at times stressful. These last two weeks are where I have had to focus on identifying a chosen style of working. I began the first week evaluating over my samples and identifying the techniques I thought would work most effective.

I didn’t attend the tutorial on Tuesday which I personally felt was a disadvantage in terms of sampling; because I didn’t speak to a lecturer I felt unconfident as to whether my ideas were strong enough to be incorporated through knit for my collection of final samples. I spent the beginning of the fifth week sampling and using my own initiative to develop the lace hole samples I had produced earlier on.

With influence from knitwear designer Alison Woodhouse, I began knitting samples, which expressed strong colour stripes within my palette.

Alison Woodhouse Knitwear Influence

Experimenting with colour striping

 



 

The fifth week of Unit X is where I began understanding the yarn qualities, I began knitting with different yarns which I felt expressed a better understanding for my context. In the first weeks I experimented using acrylic yarns however, when reflecting over these samples they look very flat and I felt like the yarns did not give the quality of movement and sculptured effect that I was hoping for. I began working with 2/16 merchandised cotton, these yarns gave my samples a lot more exciting qualities. Focusing on these particular yarns, I began knitting colour stripes in correspondance to my mark makings. Using a range of blue, navy and turquoise I began incorporating lace holes and ladders where I felt was relevant to express movement.

I have really enjoyed knitting, at first I found it a struggle to pick up all the techniques however, personally I feel like I have put a lot of time and effort, attending all of the taught knit sessions to build up my skills in this area.

Relating to my research, I wanted to create structure within my samples, I have incorporated lace holes because this is a great way to add thin wire through the yarn, expressing the textured movement.

Sample produced with lace holes and
                                                         laddering

 



 

I have really enjoyed knitting, at first I found it a struggle to pick up all the techniques however, personally I feel like I have put a lot of time and effort, attending all of the taught knit sessions to build up my skills in this area.

Relating to my research, I wanted to create structure within my samples, I have incorporated a number of lace holes and ladders because this is a great way to add thin wire through the yarn, expressing the textured movement.

Experimenting with adding movement into
                                               my samples

 

When reflecting on the work I have produced, I feel like I could have gathered more visual research at the beginning of the project because at times, I have felt slightly confused and un inspired. Even though I chose to work within a high street fashion context, I could have expanded in this area by going to high street shops and photographing knitwear, which relate to my passimentory sampling.  

I need to add the final touches to my samples, which is incorporating structural elements in the knit by using wire and stitching which will result in me creating a collection of samples that reference my context. I would like to continue working to create knit pieces in the near future, I want to be able to further my experience in sculptural knitting and I feel that the 3 dimensional approach to knitting would be really interesting.  

UNIT X: LINES OF ENQUIRY

The third week of Unit X is where I feel I finally grasped the feel for knitting, throughout this week I became more confident on the machines and I was able to experiment with a range of techniques both for my technical file and general sampling ideas which I have included in my sketch book.
I have continued to use the same yarns in relation to my colour palette, whilst introducing a couple of new colours to add excitement as I felt I had restricting myself to a simple palette in the previous week. 

Over the Easter holidays, I began researching further contextually to broaden my project. Mark Fast in particular is one knitwear designer which strongly inspired my designing.

Mark Fast SS/09 Knitwear
        Collection

Mark Fast SS/09 Knitwear
        Collection

Mark Fast produces very cob web inspired collections, mainly using one colour within his collections, he is able to produce very skilled finished structures.

Working with strong influences from Mark Fast I began to develop my understanding of using the knit machines. After having such a long Easter break it was hard to remember all the technical information. I felt like I had reached a dead end within my project and so I began to further my drawings and mark makings from the research I had found through the holidays, in particular at the Whitworth Gallery. By reflecting over my research, I spend the rest of the third week completing my technical file samples where I was surprisingly intrigued by how I could manipulate my samples using the hooking up technique.

In the fourth week, I started to reflect on the samples I had made so far, as I wanted my edges for my garment to have structure and movement, I began focusing on using the hooking up technique, incorporating lace holes and also the laddering technique. I personally find lace holes and hooking up to be a juxtaposition when knitted together. It is really interesting how two completely different techniques can effectively work together when using the correct yarns. Within my experimental samples, I have used a white acrylic yarn with a selection of dark and light sheer yarns, the difference in yarn qualities correspond really well with the techniques and I feel that if I continue to experiment with these yarns I could end up creating some interesting passimentory samples.

       Ladder experimenting with acrylics
               and merchandised cotton yarns

 

Experimenting with hooking up yarns- creating
                                                   textural movement

 

Overall, over the past two weeks I feel that my line of enquiry has developed and I am interestingly sampling to produce edges within a fashion context. I personally feel like within the next two weeks, I need to focus on my context more as I feel that now I understand the techniques I am intending to use, the nature of the edging will start to become apparent. At first I had complications with hooking up as a couple of the yarns I was using did not agree with the machine due to yarn qualities and machine tension settings, resulting in the sample falling off the machine half way through however, I feel that I have become more confident in this area.

The next two weeks of this project are going to be busy however, I am looking forward to begin creating final samples using my chosen knit techniques. I am excited to no longer sample within a range of techniques and instead focus on the context, using chosen yarns from samples that previously worked well. I would like to introduce wire and elastic within my passimentory samples, as I feel that using these materials will sculpture and create 3D textural movements in relation to my drawings and research.

 



Unit X: RESEARCH

The launch week of Unit X was very important when working towards the brief, Passimentorie.
The trip to Blackpool was the initial starting point to my project, I focused on photographing movement and natural mark makings. When walking along Blackpool promenade I was drawn to the random patches of sand which had been blown over from the sea. The qualities in these patches of sand was something I knew would be interesting to begin working from. I found the marks in the sand fascinating because they had been randomly created either by the wind blowing the sand to create these textures or by random foot prints and vehicle wheels.

 

                                                   Blackpool Promenade- initial inspiration

Movement created through natural mark making

 

Focusing my initial research on my photography of the sand, I began thinking how I could relate this idea through passimentorie. At first, I found it difficult to focus my mind set in a knit context as I had never knitted using domestic machines before and my hand knitting knowledge was only very basic however, after producing a range of drawings from my photographs I began to feel like I had a better understanding about how I could translate my drawings through knit.

After spending a few days, creating monochrome mark-making drawings using Indian ink, bleach and gouache paints I felt more confident to progress onto the domestic knitting machines.

Indian ink, bleach and gouache paintings-
                                                                  mark making

 

 Textural mark makings - oil bars & bleach

I was quite clear that I wanted to work within a fashion context as I felt inspired by my contextual research, I personally felt that my research could lead to an interesting outcome when knitting with thin, light weight yarns. Relating to the brief passimentorie, I am hoping to express the movement of my mark makings and everyday printed textures around the neck line of a females garment.

Cornelia Parker 'Bullet Drawings'- Whitworth Art
                                                                Gallery

When visiting the Whitworth Gallery, I was inspired by Cornelia Parker’s installations, in particular the ‘bullet drawings’ which were created with wire, I am going to take the qualities from her art work and translate into knit, techniques such as laddering and lace holes.

I was excited to begin the second week of Unit X as I had my first knit induction on the machines. It took me a while to understand how to thread up the machine and after a number of failed attempts to plain knit, I began to finally pick the process up. I found this week challenging as at first my knits kept falling off which resulted in me getting very frustrated and annoyed. However, as my confidence built up I felt that I was able to enjoy the idea of knitting. I chose to begin experimenting with a white acrylic yarn incorporating a selection of blue yarns, this helped when identifying the particular yarn qualities I tend to work with.

 

                  Experimenting with laddering- C. Parker
                                                                              influence

 

                                                         Experimenting with laddering and lace holes

Depending on how well I continue pick up the process of machine knitting, I would like to work towards creating edges which express structural qualities, I am hoping to work with sheer light weight yarns and incorporate wire to create definition

 

Three Weeks of Specialising: Third & Final Week of Print

My Third Week of Print has been very busy, as I have been working hard to create exciting digital prints whilst continuing my research and contextual references.

This week I have been experimenting on Photoshop to produce final architectural digital prints to fit within the target audience and style of genre I am designing for. As I am designing an interior wall statement for a modern space either apartment, penthouse or city home I have been focusing on making sure my colour palette and edited prints will suit this context.

After the second week of print, I personally felt that I needed to develop my photoshop digital print samples further, taking this into account I researched into one of my favourite designers Teatum Jones as I have always found her collections inspirational.

Taking Teatum Jones prints as influence, I produced a number of mark making prints and textural paper samples. Focusing on working with the defining blues, greys and blacks I have within my colour palette, I incorporated a range of media- inks, guoache paints, fabrics, pleating of materials and transparent papers/foils to produce exciting backgrounds in which I later worked into my final digital prints.

I have enjoyed the freedom of specialising the last three weeks as I feel I have been able to produce work, which express a personal approach to the way I work.  

PE Task 2: Sampling Reflection

Embroidery:

I focused my initial research around my trip to the museum as the collection of crystal and rock forms was the influence to my three-dimensional structures within stitch.

Paula Kovarik was a contextual artist whom referenced my sampling throughout the three weeks, her work cleverly expresses simplicity in a detailed form, she works with layering and adding texture to produce interesting structures.

As crystals/rock forms are the initial resource for my embroidery samples, I chose to work with dissolvable fabric. In relation to my research, I wanted to create defining structural shapes through using the free-machine foot on dissolvable fabric, as the result would be a juxtaposition of structure through stitch and dissolving between fabric.

I felt comfortable working with mixed media as I enjoy the challenge of introducing materials both paper and fabric forms. Similar contextual references I researched into are Carolyn Saxby and Sally Mancus.

Through embroidery, I was able to express a strong connection through stitch and contextual references.


Weave:

Throughout the three weeks of weave, I focused on making samples, which referenced colour proportion through the warp and weft.

Dash and Miller are woven designers whom focus on creating structural woven fabrics in a controlled way. Having based my last three weeks of embroidery on the research from crystal and rock forms, I continued to develop with this research, referencing from linear, geometric rock drawings using a range of yarns and materials.

Using Dash and Miller and Elizabeth Ashdown as contextual references, I was able to produce samples that clearly show links from my visual research of crystal and rock forms whilst also producing a good sense of proportion in colour for my interior context.

Final Three Weeks of Print:

Personally starting my final three weeks of a new subject matter was very refreshing, I was able to work in a rotation where I felt I could personally express passion through a particular style of designing. Print has been the rotation where I have strongly addressed the context for what I am designing for, even though the print rotation can be known as very demanding, I feel that this pushed me to work and establish a strong collection of digital printed samples.

Working with the word ‘Duality’ I researched into a number of designers in which would contextually reference my project. Even though I chose to produce a statement wall print with my context to be within interior space, for e.g. an apartment/studio space, I looked at both fashion and interior designers to influence my project as much as I could.

Mary Katrantzou, Teatum Jones, Hoku Katsui & Nao Yagi, Rozai Nichols, Helmut Lang and Clover Canyon are a few of the long list of contextual designers I researched into for influence.

Katrantzou is one print designer who is forever designing vibrant statement collections, referencing her AW13 Collection I was extremely inspired by her structural prints. After photographing both new and old architecture within the city, I began overlaying my photographs using Photoshop to express my design idea of juxtaposition within a print.  Clover Canyon was another contextual reference in which really influenced my design ideas, Canyon had photographs of architectural buildings and manipulated these beautifully into prints for a fashion context. Canyon’s particular collection in which I referenced throughout my design process was the SS14 Collection. Helmut Langs AW13 Collection and Hoku Katsui & Nao Yagi AW11 Collection were two contextual references, which worked in a similar way. Whilst producing textural backgrounds for defining my statement print, I referenced these designers’ collections because of their abstract, geometric shapes, which had influenced my work.

I personally feel that both my fashion and interior contextual references for Print strongly influenced my digital print and the three final weeks of sampling and I am pleased with the work I have produced for this rotation.

Three Weeks of Specialising: Week Two of Print

Week Two has been an important week because I have began using the research from the first week to develop my understanding of what needs to be completed within a tight schedule.

One of the first things I focused on doing this week is defining my colour palette, I chose a photograph that expresses the juxtaposition of a light and dark mood. Blue is the most dominant colour in my palette, whilst there are a selection of soft greys and a hint of black.

Colour Palette defining a blue, grey and 

black quality

As my design idea is based on the juxtaposition of both the historic and modern architecture within Manchester, I began tearing up my photographs I had taken and collaging the buildings back within each other to create interesting design ideas.

After collaging and producing new imagery to work from, I began drawing from my collages, creating quick linear sketches meant that I could  pick out the important sections of the image I wanted to define using a black fine liner.

The linear drawings have an influence of designer Clover Canyons  architectural ss14 collection, as my original photographs have translated in a similar way into linear sketches as Canyons designs.

Personally, during my second week I feel I should of used my time more wisely. I had initially planned to have designed digital print samples on Photoshop, however I have still not created any finished digital prints.
 Through the  third week I will have to work extremely hard to make sure that I have  created a collection of strong defining digital prints which reference my design thought process throughout the three weeks with the use of contextual research and clear influences.

Three Weeks of Specialising: Week One of Print

Print was the rotation which I have chosen to specialise in for the next three weeks. I enjoyed this rotation first time round and was interested to see how I could make the rotation more personal to my way of working.

I chose to work with the word 'Duality' as my starting point for print, thinking about how duality references juxtaposition, I chose to focus on architecture in Manchester.

For the first week of print I focused on gathering as much visual and contextual research as possible, I took a camera through the streets of Manchester photographing the cities architecture in a juxtaposing way. Focusing on capturing both the modern elements of the city and also the historical side to Manchester, I have been able to build enough materials together to begin mind mapping and planning ideas for my design process.

Photograph taken of the church, Albert Square
Juxposition of 'old, historic' architecture

 

Photograph taken of Emporio Armani, Deansgate
Juxtaposition of 'new, modern' architecture

After photographing the architecture within the city, I chose a number of the photographs in which expressed strong definition of linear structures, this helped me to research artists/designers which had created both linear and geometric prints, in particular fashion designers Mary Katrantzou and Helmut Lang.

Black and White sketch using fine liner

of the Palace Theatre, Oxford Road

(references photograph)

 

Towards the end of the first week I focused on drawing from my photographs and researching contextual references which resulted in me choosing to work towards designing a statement wall print for interior.