Technical Notes

The design of a garment is arguably the most important aspect of what I do, but the actual making part of the process brings me closer to my work rather than it just being an abstract idea. Preparation is one of the most important points in the creation of our designs. I work on a Brother knitting maching and there are many checks that I run through before I have even knitted a stitch. I make sure that all the yarns are running freely through the tensioners, that the carriage is correctly set up and running smoothly and a host of other checks. In this art it is much better to prevent a problem occurring than to fix it after. When I am happy with the setup of my machine and yarns I will cast the yarn on to the needles. This is done by hand and it is essential that the right stich tension is achieved. If the stiches are too tight or too loose the garment will not feel right, either lacking elasticity or not holding the right form. There are a number of different elements that I draw upon to achieve my designs. Colour, stitch tension, stitch size, stitch type, increasing and decreasing numbers of stitches, ribbing and many more which provide an almost infinite number of possibilities.
When I have knitted the different parts of a design, for instance, front, back and sleeves, I will then link the pieces together. I often select a contrasting yarn to link my items which immediately helps provide a mood for the item depending on the colours that I choose. The linking provides a high quality finish to the item, superior to machine sewing found in commercially manufactured garments.
I then hand wash the item, dry it and then shape it with a steam iron. The process from start to finish is time consuming but the result is an item that has be made with care,  a unique labour of love that means each garment is totally unique and has its own character.

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