Final days of knitting.

My final few days of knitting were occupied with the following-

-Creating shapes of colour within my knit.
This was quite tricky as if the two yarns used were of different width/elasticity etc it could impact greatly on the shape created. I ended up with white dots like the falling snow within my Munch painting.




-Triangles of colour across the knit. Again it was interesting to experiment with different yarns with different qualities, e.g. a fluffy yarn for contrasting textures.




-More experimenting with 'Jours' (lace holes). Including working with straightforward Jersey and also in Cote. Changing the placement of the created holes was extremely effective in that it caused the ribs to twist and turn (see below).










I feel this technique held a lot of potential for further experimentation and I am particularly fond of its ordered, structured patterns which give strong definition.

Evaluation of knit work

This was an interesting practice of analyzing my knit samples as a whole in order to see how well they corresponded with my point of departure, the Munch painting. It was mostly a case of looking to see whether I had used all the possible colours within the painting or whether, as was the case for me, I had concentrate too many of my samples on a certain colour group or only dark colours. I lack many of the bright colours but especially one coloured samples to add calm and bring the collection together as a whole, such as the white snow, the dark green of the trees and the grey of the sky, Cora suggested I do some plainer, simple jersey samples as opposed to always trying out complex knits. On reflection I should have probably got my samples out nearly everyday to see and keep up to date with which colours and techniques I had already used. Remaking the colour composition of a painting through knit samples is still a rather unfamiliar and unusual concept to me. It definitely sets you defined boundaries which I suppose is good as otherwise one could get carried away with sticking to one particular colour, a problem which had troubled me during previous projects at Chelsea. It is however a little frustrating when you are wanting to try a technique out with a particular yarn. As the school do not have a very large colour selection in each yarn Cora will ban you from using it!

Knit update.

I have learnt another technique- vanisage (colour change) grids. These can vary in width, height, sporadically appear etc. It's actually fascinating studying each technique in detail as you suddenly realize how that jumper or that cardigan you've been wearing for months has actually been made. It's a pretty tricky technique to master though as you have to make sure you've picked the right sort of threads or the whole thing will keep falling off.



The organized chaos that is my knit desk-



Back to the painting and I am on a mission to find the perfect shade of red and blue to match the two figures in the foreground. Definitely harder than it seems and without the ability to dye yarn (this is one thing that ENSCI lacks) you have to make do with what's on offer. Basically it takes a lot of experimentation with mixing finer yarns I suppose a bit like mixing paint out of timy amounts of pigment. Oh that reminds me of my dreaded colour work!

More Vanisage knitting

Further experiments with the vanisage technique-


Noppé 2.



Noppé 2.



Bourrelet.



Bourrelet.



Noppe 1.


Cote with rayures (difficult to see stripes due to sporadic quality of fluffy yarn used).



Bourrelet.



Bourrelet and varieur behind.



Both Noppé 1.

Cora tells me that I am concentrating too much on the darker colours within my painting of inspiration and therefore I must make more effort in capturing the lighter, more neutral shades. It is fascinating how different yarns look when knitted in comparison to on their bobbin. That is the great thing about all the yarns here being free. You are able to experiment even with yarns that may initially look ugly and undesirable without thinking "I've got to like this I've just bought 60m!".

Knit colour techniques

We have been furthering our knowledge of all things knit by exploring colour effects using the machine and a few added on components. The techniques are called- .Rayures and Vanisage. Whilst one involves an apparatus which divides two threads on the chariot into an A and B hole- the threads need to be switched manually to create stripes. For the other, one must attach a large arm (see photo) which automatically changes the thread used. This is more appropriate for complicated techniques which involve 'charge' such as Bourelet, Varieur and Noppé 1/2.

RAYURES





VANISAGE

Knitting with colour and adding relief.

I have been continuing with my knitting and thoroughly enjoying it. Despite being able to appreciate the time and slow pace of creation through weaving, there is something equally fulfilling about the quickness of knitting and the ability to experiment with techniques whilst seeing the results almost instantaneously without the constraints of a warp, threading plan etc. I have often been torn between the two and I believe the ability to flit between both specialisms as well as being able to screenprint is something that ENSCI should be applauded for.



The Munch painting provided inspiration for my colour palette I believe I have been able to capture its atmosphere through the careful combination of yarns and the fusion of shades of colour. I am really pleased with the flecked colour within this different Cote Knit samples.





Experimenting with the Plissé and flotté techniques has allowed me to add texture and form into some of my pieces which could form the basis into a whole host of 3D ideas. I am looking forward to Monday's class when we will learn further techniques based on colour, e.g. to create a cloth with a different colour each side.

Slightly more adventurous knitting...

Ok so the second week of knitting has begun and doesn't make back know it! Bending over the machine from 9.30-6.30 with Cora demanding unusual knit structures which I am almost certain I would struggle to understand in english has left me feeling much older but thankfully not cranky!

Monday is our most intensive day as it is the only time Cora instructs us all day and bombardes our brain with far too much information. She does not condone note taking as she believes you should just "get on with it" and only take notes afterwards if your knit is actually a success. By which time I have forgotten what I did, with which yarns, at what tension and so on. Therefore it has very much been an exercise in memory and not only "knit patience". Knitting is difficult. Something I discovered well and truly last year. Knitting in French is extremely difficult. I have picked up two key words- "lâche" and "serré". Everytime I knit a sample it is either too lâche or too serré (loose or tight). Just like in weave, only the most perfect samples will do. And so far I have completed....zero. But having said that, I am actually enjoying myself. Luckily there are only two others in my knit group and so I do not get left behind and iwith such an intimate atmosphere we really help, advise and encourage each other. I have been making visual notes- drawing buttons etc to remember different techniques and though the girls can completely understand by just listening they often refer to my idiots guide illustrated step by step notebook!

We are encouraged to experiment with different yarns- textures and colours that fit appropriately into our chosen painting. I chose a beautifully demure Edvard Munch painting which is currently in his exhibition at the Pompidou. Trying wools, bamboo, linens, silks and synthetic yarns has been interesting and the mixing of yarns has created some aesthetically appealing, unexpected effects.



Below are a few examples of some new techniques I have learnt. I have attempted to note the names but most times I ended up completely confused and lost in translation-



Drawing a pattern into my knit. As you can see it didn't go totally to plan for me. This one definitely needs a lot of thought and forward planning put into it in order to achieve exactly the desired effect.




I believe this technique is a Noppe knit. Although I'm not too sure on the spelling. I'm a fan of the feminine, lacy effect it creates.



This is another take on the Noppe technique It involves transferring loops from one needle to the next on the bottom fronture in order to create the desired bobble effect.




This is another technique which involves displacing loops of thread. It is a delicate, fiddly task but I really like the quality of the scattered little holes.



Textured squares through moving sections of knit back and forward from the back to front fronture and vice versa. Very time consuming but pretty effective. Not sure whether my chunky wool yarn is best at showing the contrasting textures but I will try with another yarn when I have a spare 5 hours!





Planned ladders to give a more fragile, transparent cloth.



I'm looking forward to taking some time to practice and improve on these techniques and the others I have yet to attempt!