'MINI-ME' BACKBONE CARDIGAN

(Cable stitch for back-bone back detail in cashsoft cotton)


Whilst also working towards my products to be launched at the Twisted thread shows, 8th-11th October at Alexandar Palace, I managed to fit in a smaller version of my previously blogged 'Back bone cardigan'. This mini-me was for my daughter for a friends wedding.

...this mini version used padded love-hearts for the fastenings instead of the previous vintage heavy brooch....a wee bit more child friendly!

...the cardigan used mohair, silk and cashmere in a soft mixture of muted pinks to form an interesting mix. The sleeves ironically used old bones rib.

...the back cable detail follows on from the shawl collar and ends underneath the lower rib. This not only adds unique detailing but serves to help anchor the collar.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DISORDER MAGAZINE

Last year I was lucky enough to be chosen to take part in a photo shoot for Disorder magazine....

....These photographs are just a small selection from this shoot; I rediscovered them when I was in the process of reinstalling my images after my virus...

....The twinset was hand knitted from Cashmere, Silk, Mohair and Alpaca.....and was themed from the images of how beautiful the inside of the body can be for the collection , Hung, Drawn & Quoted...

...I have a wedding invite in a few weeks time, and have decided to finally grant my 8 year olds wish and make her a mini-me version to wear to it....

....I have bought some different yarns for it, this time being a very beautiful yet expensive silk with mohair from knitwitches and pure new wool from Wensleydale sheep shop, I will combine these with my left over yarn when my ROWAN competition pattern writing has been finished which uses Rowan organic pure cotton. This will give me a pretty but more unusual blend of soft and raspberry pinks; my plan is to create a face made up of little raspberry coloured strawberries! for a more suitable fastening for a little girl rather than the vintage brooche utilized in the original catwalk version.....Hopefully I will have time!

...IN A COUNTRY GARDEN-new collection

One of my many ongoing projects! Finished title 'In an English Country Garden...' A collection inspired by the lovely flowers of England and the way the images of cells of the body can often mimick flower style. Crochet plays a huge part in this collection with Lily, Rose, Poppy, Daisy, Bluebells (my favourite flower along with Poppies) and Foxgloves all having a say.


...I am working on this project to have finished A3 size samples and 1-2 finished garments for my launch at The Knit and Stitch Show at Alexandar Palace, London in October. But its hard going as I am also working on 3 other collections to have samples made for this. Including Bridal, Vintage (inspired by iconic figures) and Harajuko dolls (Younger funkier collection, which if I have enough time! will take part in the Leeds Fashion Show 2009). So far at least on this 'In a Country Garden...' collection I have all the 9 design boards finished and am working on the A3 swatches.

...The collection includes use of curved seams and natural fibres, with silk, bamboo and milk yarn crochet details.

...This image shows my workings so far on Poppies, Roses, Daisy and Bluebells, all in crochet in Sirdar Juicy bamboo on a 3.5 hook.

...Image depicts mood board for the collection.

....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

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.

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.

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...