Blending textures

I began sampling immediately after the Christmas holidays, constantly reminding myself to combine unusual textures through my choices of yarns, embellishment and any other techniques that I might use to manipulate the appearance of the sample after they had been knitted.

I began by blending materials such as lametta and monofilament with much softer and hairier yarns such as mohair (see left). Using contrasting and unusual yarns was a way of communicating the care free attitude Sophie had towards her drawings, using a strange combination of colours and media to create her marks. I felt like this was something that was working well and that should be a constant feature throughout the sampling process. The sample in the photograph also featured technical aspects, such as the Picot Edge, which the lametta was made to appear from. I think blending free use of colour and texture, combined with using refined techniques and attention to detail is what will allow the samples to work as a whole.

I particularly liked the way that the hairy quality of the fluro mohair was contrasted against the plasticity of the monofilmanet and how the stitches in monofilament seemed to contain the hair and only allowed it to come through at certain intervals.

 

 

I'm slightly concerned that the monofilament will be quite itchy to the touch and this may mean that it isn't appropriate for a fashion fabric, howvever as part of an edge or a trim, it may work well.