Eight

The advice from my last tutorial was to be bolder and push techniques further, so I have been thinking about combination of yarn to achieve greater extremes and how to develop my work in a more contemporary way. I have also been working on samples to inform details for the garment, thinking about scale and positioning.

I have been testing a number of different cuff ideas using the dubied machines. I do like the exaggerated ladder in the bottom sample as it has a good drape, however I think the sense of movement of the ladder in the top sample is more successful and reflects the more irregular nature of my drawings. I dip dyed the sample with indigo after knitting which creates a soft colour gradient and picks out the inlayed copper yarn nicely.

I also tried a new technique on the dubied to create layered ladders. I then used devore paste on the top layer, something I have been meaning to try for a while. I found the technique didn't work in the way I imagined it would, however I do like the holes created as it gives a very delicate nature and idea of something being worn. This process needs more work and is perhaps not best suited to what I am doing at the moment but is something I would like to return to.

(testing devore)

Seven

The priority for this week has been to sort a colour palette and yarn selection to work with and to begin sampling. I have developed the colour palette I used for the Bradford project. I wanted to bring in the indigo dyeing, as I am keen to experiment with this natural process. I also really like the depth of colour that can be achieved with it. There were a few images that I drew my palette from; I put them together to work out proportion and composition.

(Colour inspiration)

I have also begun sampling, developing some of the most successful ideas from the last unit. In the below sample I was experimenting with the embellished lace technique I have explored previously. I like the contrast between the metallic and softer wool.

I have also gone back to my photos and drawings, dissecting them to generate new ideas. I thought the composition of the image of the door below really interesting and wanted to put that into knit. I can imagine how the combination of small and large ladders could be scaled up to work on a garment.

Six_ garment development

I have pushed forward with garment ideas this week. I decided early on I wanted to make garments as part of the project as i think it will be a good way to communicate my ideas. I started by cutting up some old jumpers and piecing them back together to play with the idea of re-working traditional garment shapes. This process generated several interesting starting points which i could develop further into unconventional garments.

After discussing my ideas with Julie I had a moment of inspiration from a clever little cardigan / shrug she had brought with her. I really liked the simplicity of it and the way it draped once on. I worked on developing my own version, using the construction of the shrug as a template. I worked on the stand and with different weights of fabric to test what kind of yarn i would need to use. I will use a medium- heavy weight yarn so that the garment has a nice weight to it but still drapes well. 

(Garment design)

The final garment design is an oversized, open front cardigan. I like the easy/ fluid nature of it and because of its simplicity and lack of obvious shape, it is almost anti-fashion and very a-sexual which is what I was aiming for and reflects my concept. I found inspiration for the garment from a number of designers; Issey Miyake creates timeless pieces that are subtle in colour yet very emotive. I have also been very interested in Saint Laurent's Spring/ Summer '16 collection which takes influence from 60's and 70's androgynous rock. 

(left: Issey Miyake. right: Saint Laurent)