surface tension on water | rectangle garment
The way that water moves is truly a wonder in my eyes. Time and time again, I am fascinated by the way is ebbs and flows, drapes and stretches, ripples and splashes. For this piece I attempted to capture that dynamic essence and tension that exists on water's surface. Specifically, I wanted to focus on its elasticity when that surface tension is broken, for example when an orca surfaces for a breathe of air. I saw the surface of water as a kind of drapery that stretches tightly around and gently drapes over a form.
concept board
In an attempt to capture the texture and movement of rippling water, I decided to explore the technique of space dyeing and planned pooling, a method that involves hand dyeing yarn intended to create a specific pattern when knitted. The process of space dyeing was a worthwhile learning experience and through much experimentation in the dye lab and testing on the machine, I was able to discover certain techniques that would produce the resulting pattern I hoped for.
sketches and experimentation
ruffle lichen | final garment
My final garment builds on my dyed fibers collection on life in the soil, concentrating on ruffle lichen in particular. I was captured by the lively forms of the curls and ruffles. The frills of the lichen look as if they would spring to life at the slight touch of a hand. In my knitted piece, I aimed to capture the spring and bounce of these lichen fronds in each trailing tendril. Building upon my short-rowing shaping samples, I used techniques such as short-rowing and gathering to create the frilly and lumpy textures that trail down the back and up the shoulder on one side.
machine knitting techniques | spring 2021
knitting samples
stripes
eyelets and ladders
shaping using short-rowing
punchcard
tuck stitch
short-rowing shaping exercises
shaping using hold button