"This Is Knit"
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Introduction
At the beginning of this assignment, we had a lecture about different materials used to make yarn. This prompted me to reflect on how humans consistently take things out of their natural or true position and force them into a new form to meet our needs. This concept is particularly evident in the context of clothing and textile production, but it applies to many aspects of our existence.
This reflection led me to consider the properties of knitting as a technique and its typical applications. I wanted to explore using knitting in an unconventional way and identify what its qualities might suggest as a suitable purpose. Knitting is usually associated with creating soft and stretchy fabrics like jerseys, where the garment's shape is less critical since it is designed to adapt to the body's contours. However, I aimed to manipulate the knit to create stiff or tailored garments. I thought about pleats, recognizing that it is a broad topic with numerous methods to control fabric and create different types of pleats. I sought to investigate these methods to incorporate pleats into knit. While working independently on the machines, I initially had a very clear vision of the expression I wanted to achieve. I started with sample sheets but quickly realized that things would not turn out as I had envisioned. This led me to decide to approach the machine with more intuition rather than trying to impose strict control over the process. It was only then that I found it truly enjoyable to work with knit. I used a Dubied machine to achieve the tactile expression I desired and opted for a Shima machine when I needed more control over pattern-making or when I had to knit a specific pattern into the fabric.
Process
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Introduction
The brown project explored my relationship with the color brown and its various associations. My initial connection to this color was with soil — the most natural and neutral element, yet essential to life.
I began by researching different definitions of brown and how it serves as a symbol in various contexts. I discovered that in the Bible, brown symbolizes the earth and is often associated with a monk's robe, representing humility and God’s connection to the ordinary and commonplace. As humans, we constantly attempt to separate ourselves from nature, but we have evolved to a point where we may struggle to recognize our origins. Modern humans often find themselves at odds with their natural state. To express this idea, I aimed to create an animalistic representation of the human form by removing the soul from the body, leaving only what connects us to nature — the physical construction of our bodies. Just like everything else in nature, we grow, simply exist, decay, and ultimately return to the soil
