In the Loop Conference - Winchester School of Art

Last week I attended a conference at my art school called 'In the Loop'. They had amazing guest speakers covering a variety of knitty topics from the past, present and future. The conference touched on historical knitted collections from author Jane Waller and the late Montse Stanley and how hand knitters of the 16th to the 19th century (such as the 'Terrible Knitters of Dent' - see previous post for more info)earned a wage from their knitting skills.The Terrible Knitters of Dent
and I discovered what a 'polka' jacket looked like...'The School Girls Hymn' by William Holman Hunt 1858-9. A young girl wears a knitted tight fitted jacket known as the 'Polka'.

Also boundary pushing and avant-garde knitters brought the conference up to date with talks on new technology such as Designaknit and guest speakers such as Sabrina Gschwandnter founder of Knit Knit,
Rachel Beth Egenhoefer - textile artist combining traditional knitting techniques with new technology
Rachel Beth Egenhoefer - image from www.rachelbeth.net, Liz Collins, Lacey Jane Roberts Image from www.laceyjaneroberts.com/images/tink-red1.jpg and Freddie Robbins shared with us the inspiration and motivation behind their work.

There is so much more to say as the conference was jammed with interesting knitty facts and inspirational stories. I nearly blubbed when one of the event co-ordinators said her thank yous and said 'this is the end [of the conference]'. Not only did those words mean the end of a lovely 3 days but to me it also symbolised the end of my three years at Winchester and what a wonderful way to end.

The joys of freeform

When I think of a new piece to knit or crochet I look for inspiration in texture and colour. As a novice knitter I still find it hard to follow a strict pattern and, because I mostly knit or crochet jewellry or small items, I can be as bold as to improvise while I go along - no fear of jumpers with three head holes. So, I'd like to celebrate the technique of freeform, its inspiration from art, and the work of Prudence Mapstone which looks fab and reminds me of paintings by Gustav Klimt (check him out at a current Tate Liverpool exhibition)

and Austrian genius Hundertwasser.

http://www.freeformcrochet.com/designs.html

http://www.eject.com.au/e-motive/prudence/

and for all tea cosies lovers...beautiful freeform teacosies

http://flickr.com/photos/hpnyknits/2005761321/

***SALE***

Fab yarn sale in John Lewis! Check it out girls :)

xxx

escapism

For me knitting is about escapism. Whatever else is happening, you can submerge yourself at some point in a quiet act of making something, all around could be a hullabaloo or debris from life but once those needles begin clicking and the methodical repetition begins then a calm kind of descends. A kind of yoga I guess, something at the very least that goes back to the basics.

Quietly whilst you sit there you end up with wonderful things, to keep or to share.



yellow socks by alabamawhirly, made from hand dyed custom order yarn by skeinqueen

tea cosy by knitwit

picture of knitwit by cardinal wolsey