Unit evaluation

It was exciting to be able to write my own brief for this unit, although it took a while to decide on a clear concept. Once I got started though I feel I built a good body of visual resources with interesting qualities. I used more photography this time, manipulating light to give abstract imagery which connected well to my concept. As it was helpful in the last unit I worked with keywords to visualise my ideas and think about processes.

(development of own monoprint)

When it came to sampling and finding the right yarns and colours I found it a bit difficult to fully translate my imagery. I should have perhaps done some more development work in my sketchbook to dissect my photos, however with limited time I felt I needed to get on with sampling. Better planning of my samples and quicker decision making would improve this and would mean my final samples would communicate more of my concept.

I wanted to work with fibre optics and reflective yarns. I sampled these but didn't achieve quite what I envisaged so decided to move on from this and looked into Inkodye to create shadow fabrics. I tried it on different fibres and gauges of knit, a close knit cotton gave the strongest colour but I also really liked the effect that came from combining viscose with lambswool. I have enjoyed experimenting with this dying process and am pleased with the results. There is lots more potential for future development as well; the technique works best on a woven fabric so it would be interesting to look at incorporating this with knit.

(Inkodye onto lambswool with cotton woven in)

I decided to do the Branding project for my live brief as I thought it would be good practice to work to a specific aesthetic and in a different way to usual. My efforts for this were focused over three weeks, I was concerned if I would be able to reach a conclusion in this shorter time but I think I achieved some lively outcomes that fulfilled the brief. I took time to research the identity of my chosen brand and pick out key elements to develop myself, this has improved my analytical skills and made me think about what the signatures of own practice might be.

I have learnt a lot from this unit, I found juggling the two projects tricky and I could have kept the momentum going on my self initiated brief better whilst working on the branding one. However I have grown in confidence with taking more decisive action and realising ideas in a shorter time frame. Following the success of dying my knits with the Inkodye, I am keen to explore other unusual and innovative processes and feel I am building the skill base to do this.

Self initiated_ finalising a collection

During this final week I have been knitting for a final range of samples that mimic and complement one another. I wanted some samples to be darker and some lighter almost as if some could be shadows of others.

I have finally got my colour to be concise so I have constantly been referring back to this yarn wrap and my research whilst working.
 

The sample below is much heavier than the rest but I wanted to include it because it reflects some more of my 3D research and I like the way it creates a strong shadow itself.

 

 

Self initiated_ development and refinement

This week I have developed my samples, making links between ideas in preparation for a final collection. Some of my earlier samples were a bit muddled and felt removed from my research so I have  tried to be more sensitive and respond to whats in my sketchbook. 

I have been working on the dubied machines, which give a more refined look than the domestics.

The drop stitch works well with inlay to give a sense of line and form and reflects some of the abstract shapes in my research. 

I like the movement in this sample and plaiting the yarn gives a nice layered effect; it just needs to be less regular.

I have continued experimenting with the Inkodye on different yarns with varying success. One of the most interesting ways is to scrunch the knit before exposing (as below), leaving a random pattern with subtle colour changes. 

As I want to include the inkodye into my final collection, I need to bring the rest of my colours in line with this so I have dyed some yarn with a slight gradient and will build a sensitive range of other colours around this. This will reflect some of the more grey hues in my sketchbook. 

(section of mono print_colour influence)

Self initiated_ sampling

This week I have returned to focus on my self initiated brief, starting to develop my drawings into samples and looking at yarn and technique choice.

My sketchbook is mostly monochrome so I am looking to develop a colour pallete of different dark tones with amounts of bright/ light interspersed. I have chosen clean yarns of different weights to reflect my photographs and drawings with some mohair to soften and break up the palette. I think my colour is heading in the right direction although I am still working with quite a range to figure out what works best.

Some of my research feels quite challenging to translate so I have been analysing what qualities I want to communicate. 

In the sample below, I wanted to achieve an undulating effect with the lines to create form. I think it has worked nicely but could be more exaggerated and I would like to experiment with different yarns.

(lambswool + mohair, partial knit structure)

I have also been experimenting with specialist reflective yarns and fibre optic strands. I was aiming for something that caught the light and shined. They are interesting but aren't as impactful as I had hoped; I think the viscose and metallic yarns will actually give the results I want.

Shadow printing with the inkodye has been another focus his week, in the sample below I used a cotton base yarn with mohair; I find it interesting how the dye takes to the cotton much more than the mohair. Blocking sections here didn't really work so I will work on how to achieve a pattern/ mark along with yarn combinations.

I have lots of starting points but all need development and refinement, I will continue sampling next week consulting my sketchbook to work effectively.

Self initiated_ contextual research

In the early stages of my research I came across a number of innovative designers, working with intelligent textiles, which I have found really inspiring.

Ying Gao is a fashion designer who challenges assumptions about clothing through conceptual collections and projects, combining technology and design.

(Berlin-Nagoya)

A transformative dress/ scarf inspired by urban life.

(living pod)
Embedded sensors react to light, moving sections of the garment, as if it were breathing.
http://yinggao.ca/interactifs/living-pod/

http://yinggao.ca/eng/

Another inspiration is The Unseen, a design collective who fuse chemistry and textiles to create fabrics that interact with their surroundings and reveal unseen processes/ occurrences.

(Air)

Using an innovatively developed wind reactive ink, this garment reveals the air currents around the body.

http://seetheunseen.co.uk/archive/

I am keen to explore interactive/ intelligent materials myself in this project, as I want to be able to express the transitional, temporary and illuminative nature of shadow and light.

One idea is to look at incorporating reflective yarns and fibre optics into my knitting.
I have also been recommend a dye called Lumi Inkodye which is light sensitive, developing under UV light. It gives a similar effect to photograms, using shadows to create a pattern/ mark. I have trialled this and although varied the results are really interesting and I am keen to experiment with it on different knitted surfaces.

(Inkodye on fine calico)

I think it could be a very effective way of translating some of the delicate marks and subtleties in my sketchbook.

Live brief_ resolution

This week was the final week for working on the branding brief. I have had to work quickly and decisively to bring my ideas together into a collection of final samples. By developing and refining my body of sampling I have strived to create a range of different outcomes that have a good balance of colour and most importantly respond to the Sibling brand.

My resolved fair isle design: I used the technical back of the knit because it has an unusual sketchy quality and is different to a traditional fair isle. I think it would work well alongside other patterns or techniques.

This is one of my most successful samples, I think. It has some good colour and texture in it and I like the almost graphic quality that the black adds. It would make a really interesting scarf or even the sleeves of a jumper.

I like the texture created by weaving in yarns here and I think the colours work well. I put the ladders in  as they are quite Sibling, I could have made them more extreme though for a bigger impact. 

For this sample I used very large needles with multiple yarns and then embellished the piece with some latex shapes that I had left from an old project. I enjoyed the hand knitting and would have liked to explore the latex idea more, had I had time.

Overall I feel my samples reflect the identity of the brand and my theme, I think I could have just made everything bolder and bigger to really express the Sibling look and ethos. There were also ideas that I wasn't able to fully explore due to the time restraint of the project. This was a new way of working for me and a much quicker pace than I am used to, from what I have learnt during this project I have more confidence to tackle something similar in the future.