THE POM-POM PROJECT

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1021804@N23/

My good friend Alison introduced me to a fabulous project being generated through Flickr. The rules are to make a woolley more than 6 inch pom-pom and take photographs of it tagging places. In the Autumn there will be an exhibition of the pom poms all together hanging from trees in Bournemouth, UK.

I decided to have some fun and use film titles as my inspiration. The upper image was entitled

'Fatal Attraction' and the lower image 'Gridlock'

Other titles I used were 'The Italian Job' and 'Sweeney Todd' these involved tomato ketchup and pom poms made from spaghetti!

Please come visit the pom poms in Bournemouth.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

TUNISIAN CROCHET HALTER

Unusual for me to use Acrylic but this crochet top was made from plain and a mottled yarn. The yarn was from left overs in a charity shop so guess its kind of still recycling. The top uses plain treble and doubles on a 5.00 hook in double knit. I used the mottle yarn to emphasise the top area, with the plain to edge it. Tunisian or as I have on some occasion heard it Turkish style crochet has been used for the mid drift section, using simple double Tunisian crochet stitch...

...The lower body has been a mixture of trebles and chains and plain trebles. It has a tie back fastening and pussy bow to the neck. This piece was intended to steer my crochet to a more commercial vein and orginally was going to be a maxi dress. However it worked best as a top which can be worn in layers. It is now in E & A boutique Glasgow.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

RECYCLED CROCHET BRACELET

Today I have mostly been working on.......recycling my left over cabbage! yarn. This also makes use of the inside of certain spun yarns around inner cardboard tubes...

...Take one inner cardboard tube and Crochet a 4 treble width band until it is long enough to wrap around the tube, inside and out. Once long enough wrap around the tube which has previously been painted in a corresponding tonal colour. Then slip stitch using a darning needle the ends of the band together to secure on the tube.

...Then pick up (using a mixture of your left over yarn ends) a stitch of the wrapped around band and make chains, anchoring at random points up and down, around the bracelet. On this one I have made a focal point by creating a circle of chains at one point which has been reworked into to form a free style flower. The chains can then be reworked if desired with rows of doubles and trebles to form a sculptured look.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.
http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

WHEN IS A KNIT NOT A KNIT?!!!!

One of the things I love experimenting with is the mixture of knitwear with wovens, to construct a new idea which is not what one would necessarily preconceive as being knitwear...


....Also I wonder why there seems to be very little mixture of crochet working with handknit???? Yes we see knitwear with finishings (sealings) of crochet but not when both are implemented into the main..... On my collection 'The Line of Beauty' (Which is a phrase used to describe the sinulous 's' shape formed by the female ideal) I used basic Treble crochet with basic stocking stitch hand knit with knitted and crochet bobbles. Debbie Bliss 100% pure silk was used along with reminants of cashmere, Alpaca and mohair Silk

The 2 work really well together and by doing this it makes for half the work as the seams are joined during the making and not at the end, which are much neater and less bulky.

Slight mixing of the needle size can also add texture without over complicating the pattern writing.

This image depicts a swatch sample using knit , crochet and wovens, albeit the woven in this case being flesh, naked; to give the appearance of the knitwear floating.

....I will be launching my designs at the forth coming Twisted Thread, Knit & stitch shows 2009.

http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

ECO - THE NEW STRING VEST!

This was a project close to my heart. The research of how fashion and knitwear can be ecological. I looked into not only materials but production and employment

I loved the idea of string! and found some organic biodegradable string from a local shop...this gave me the idea of playing with the stereotyped string vest

It took many hours to de-ply the strands of string to create a crochet lace weight yarn

Other fibres I chose to work with were banana fibre, bamboo and Soya silk

Some of the fibres I sourced from Wingham wools, Yorkshire and had my local spinners group spin it into suitable weights, before hand dyeing with natural dyes

This banana, possum and bamboo fibre yarn was dyed using beetroot.

.......

I will be showing at this years Twisted Thread exhibitions......http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/listExhibitions.aspx

PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT?

Artistic first interpretation or developed work practised upon? When I first started out I worked with the ideas in my head and used all the ideas....

...before going back to University I began a European discussion on a new site which sparked many a international comment: Being that does education in the arts make creativity staled and institutionalised?...


After being in the University environment I now find free form style knitwear much harder than before and tend to work from a swatch samples design side...

...results being that although I now can quite quickly produce a plethora of knit samples/ knit swatches, which conform to industry standards...the question remains within me have I sold my soul to the devil?!!!!!

( I will be exhibiting at the Twisted Thread, knit and stitch shows, England In 2009, dates to follow. Please come visit me)

KNITTING FOR CHILDREN

Knitting and crochet for kids I believe should be fun, and does not need to be stereotypical. It can be both funky and classical. The illustration shows a machine and hand knit coat which is padded like any other winter coat with an interlining of 'recycled plastic bottle' padding and lined in breathable organic cotton. The outer knit I have designed for a Dubied machine which creates pockets for more of the white bottle fibre to give the fun resemblence of snowballs. However I am sure it could be recreated in handknit or crochet. It is complete with cotton velvet trims....which makes for a very posh classic little girls coat.

Mittens!...or at least one of them! mmmm I have had this silk multi-coloured yarn for some years now, and began to crochet a lovely coat from it for myself. However it is one of those yarns that somehow seem much nicer on the ball than when made up. (one of the reasons I never finished it and of course time....am so busy making for everything else that things for me get left....so for Alison! ( http://knits-and-pearls.blogspot.com/ ) haha who has been trying to get me to finish the cardigan, I decided to make fun things for my daughter out of it instead)

So.....I managed to make her new mittens, with a plan to make a hat and some leg warmers.....anything else would be far too much as she would insist on wearing them all at the same time!...but typical she wore them once and lost one...so guess when the bad weather comes round again I will be having a case of Deja Vu.

Trying to find a new P.e bag has been an issue. Whenever I buy one for my daughter they end up having draw strings which go wrong and are left trailing just ideal for falling over. So since I am working on a new collection which is younger than my normal client profiling, being based on Harajuko dolls, I practised and made her a crochet bag with Harajuko cats. (she loves hello kitty!) The main bag used side saddle stitch, which is ideal as it alternates direction and therefore helps eliminate over stretch.

U.K. KNITTED TEXTILE AWARDS

After graduation I entered the U.K Knitted textile awards and was chosen to be a finalist at the twisted thread exhibitions. The garments I choose for the touring exhibition are shown in the images. I won the free place at the exhibitions at Alexandar Palace, London, The N.E.C, Birmingham and The show ground, Harrogate, along with a years subscription to Knitting magazine (please click on the link opposite stating Finalist......)-( or click on the title link)

Evening dress showcasing my skills in hand knit, crochet and industrial and domestic machine knit. Along with wovens. This dress was sold to a lovely lady in the states to be worn on New Years Eve 2008.

Hand crochet back detail cocktail dress, still in my possession and in consideration to be shown again on my own stand at the Twisted Thread shows 2009, along with many new works.

My favourite piece, now sold, again to somebody in the U.S, to be worn at christmas.

ROWAN VINTAGE LITTLE KNIT

Today I actually managed to complete a project!!! I have been designing, sampling and illustrating a Vintage design for a Rowan competition and now have it all parceled up ready for the post office in the morning.

I used Rowan Purelife Dk and 4 Ply but am also in the process of working out the first draft of the written pattern. So I decided that the toile garment would be for me and ended up using Sirdar yarn as it came in the kind of blue I liked. It is a combination of handknit and crochet; using relief trebles in a honey comb pattern for the waist.

The concept came from the film '9 to 5', in which Dolly Parton is wearing a machine knit peach number with nipped in waist and 'A' line skirt. I added vintage crochet elements and thought that the alternative 80's route (when the film was made) would be on trend with a slight angle.

Now all I have to do is finish MY dress! ....and dream that Rowan start to notice me.....Rowan is based in Holmfirth (where they filmed 'Last of the summer wine'), which is 15 mins drive from where I grew up. Oh how fabulous to get paid for knitting and working in one of my favourite places.....;0

PARCHMENT CRAFT FOR LACE ILLUSTRATION

One of my ongoing projects are bridal designs using crochet lace, made from Eco-ideal materials. I am sourcing organic silks/cottons and my favourite is Soya Silk in both woven and yarn. I have also sourced Thai Silk which although it has to travel (It's so hard to tick all the boxes when it comes to environmentally friendly knitwear and fashion...very frustrating, especially on a budget), I have bought direct from the maker. i:e from the farmers who take care of the silk worms and then obtain and spin it using tradional methods. Also this means that the manufacturer is getting a fair price as it is the price they wish to ask.
mmmm...question is what about the poor silk worm.....Should Silk worms have rights?

I am always looking for new alternatives to illustrate my designs and rendering delicate crochet lace when it is mostly in white is always an issue. However I have now discovered that Parchment craft lends itself to this job perfectly.
I intend to photoshop a border with all the specifications and print out on A3 to fit my usual portfolio style, then the parchment can be laid onto this, with tiny actual fabric samples so that it shows through the paper on the circles (as seen in the image) to give close-up style snap shots of the textile.

GRADUATE CATWALK SHOW

In 2008 I graduated, having shown at Graduate fashion week, London. Where I was nominated for The Pringle Visionary Knitwear award. (Please click on the above title to see more images) My collection was titled 'Hung, Drawn & Quoted' which was based on the inside of the body, using bones, cells and brains as inspiration for my knitwear patterns. HD&Q was also a play on words; Clothes are hung, designs drawn and hopefully the collection would be quoted......

.....Thankfully it was and a very lovely review was written on fashioncapital.co.uk (http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/content/view/9357/)

My favourite collection piece was this handknit frontless cardigan which made use of the backbone in cables. It was part of a twinset in Cashmere, Alpaca and Silk. The garment has now sold.

HOME AT LAST!---Aspergers syndrome

So I finally made it home albeit with now the battery light coming on so its back off to yet another car Dr in the morning....so far this year we are talking, a new alternator, new silencer, new fan belt, new clutch grrrr if i thought it would help I would crochet a new car! p.s it only 4 years old. So whilst, stranded I busied myself writing a new knit/crochet pattern which is to be entered into a competition (images to follow. Lol Just don't have strength right now after a 4 hour drive) and discovered parchment craft which my mum is now into in a big way. Its an excellent way of illustrating my bridal crochet lace designs.

Above is an image of some of my developing crochet lace bridal Jewellry.

Anyway back to my how did I get where I am now story.....

in 2004 I discovered that my son had Aspergers Syndrome, it is part of the autistic spectrum. Although he is very high functioning life can sometimes be tough for us all as a family unit. He is affected mainly by memory and this makes learning hard. However he is doing fabulous in drama. I found a news story earlier about an Australian teenager with AS who vanished and turned up 600 miles away having cycled, he had merely forgotten to tell his mum.......mmmm good job I have crochet and knit to steady my nerves .

Finally...

I am busy building up my sample stock to hopefully launch my work at Alexandar Palace, London in October at the Twisted Thread show.....I am contemplating donating 5% of any orders/sales to the Autistic society and 5% to Scope (my train of thought being that this part of my charity donations could go towards a sponsorship to walk the Inca Trail, which might allow me to source eco yarns being produced by these people first hand as well as for a good cause)

STRANDED!

(Image of my light sculpture made from PVA glue! for my end of year on art access course)

Ok so I am stranded! my car has decided she needs a new clutch and no garage is open over Easter and I am 180 miles from home at my parents house! Don't you just love cars???!

As part of my big life change I started a foundation access course in art and design as a pre course to my B.A. , the above is from my end of year show exhibition

TODAY IS BUSY, BUSY, BUSY....Winghamwools

(Today's project is to progress in my swatch samples for my Vintage Eco starlets collection, made from milk yarn . This one is entitled 'After Marilyn')

Today I travel to Yorkshire...to mums, no matter how long I am left it still feels like the journey home.....with me I am taking lots of projects and going with the intention of research. There is a lovely little place at Wentworth, where you can purchase environmentally friendly fibres such as soya and camel and even recycled plastic bottles, I am hopeing that this time they will spin and dye for me.

I also need her to help me ball up a skein of beautiful Thai silk I purchased which is very fine and should make fabulous bridal lace when crochet up.

Ok time to get on the road...

2004 CAME WITH LOTS OF CHANGE

In 2004 Grandma passed away, she was 98. It made me think a lot. Only 2 months later I found out my son had Aspergers Syndrome and I also separated from my husband......All this makes a girl think! I began to paint and draw again after a very long time and also writing poems.

One of which was about my children;

Cosmic Kids


With her smile
The world awakens.
A contender for the blazing sun.
The beams of light
Repel the hatred,
Without her help I'd come undone.

I can feel the heat
Shinning through from her upturned face,
Even in the blinding dark.
With her pen she fills the paper,
A two-year-old packed out with colour.
I hope one day
Upon the world she'll make her mark.

With his eyes
The mischief gleams.
Twinkling orbs of bright full moons.
The beams of light
Repel the loneliness,
Without his help there'd be no tune.

I can feel the love
Suffocating from his upturned face,
Even through his frustrated tears.
With his energy he fills the world,
A six-year-old packed with imagination.
I hope one day
With trust and care he'll loose his fears.

My daughter; my Sun,
My son; my Moon,
A twosome of sparkling stars.

Angel Hatton 2004