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I've taken a leap and transferred over to Tumblr, so I can keep you up to date more easily with what I'm up to, as well allowing you to have a sneak peek into my inspiration collecting & other little treats.

Visit: iamejp.tumblr.com

Please join me over there, it would be lovely to see you!

Degree Show Set-Up

Knit Cut Fabric

Taking inspiration from my wood cut pieces, I wondered whether I could create a similar effect on fabric. I tested this idea with the technique of broderie anglaise, machine stitching the individual shapes to then cut out the centre. Mimicking the wood cuts.

Inspiration: Yarn Bombing

Inspiration: Tanvi Kant

Uses the technique of "whipping" - binding fabrics with thread, to create contemporary jewellery pieces. 

Yarn Wrapped Wood Cut

To bring in some colour to the wood cut I had been experimenting with, taking inspiration from yarn-bombing and Tanvi Kant's "whipping" technique, I took to wrapping some of the cut out areas in brightly coloured yarns.

Knit Cut Wood

As an expansion away from the use of fabrics, I looked into the use of materials the opposite of fabric & yarns flexibility; coming to rest on wood. I began to explore the idea of the organic shapes in the knitted structure I had documented earlier on, on to this new choice of media.
To start off with, I cut out the knit design in balsa wood, as it was easier to cut by hand to get an idea of what the effect would be.

Deciding I liked the effect of the wood cut in the knit design, I decided to do some samples using MDF board, cutting out using a jigsaw.

Hand Drawn Knitting Diagram Digital Prints

I also hand drew some of the knitting pattern diagrams on a couple of the print designs, to create a different look. Making them look more organic to the shapes of the knits.

Knitting Pattern Diagram Digital Prints

I decided to introduce some more simple design into my collection, focusing on the black and white knitting pattern diagrams for a more graphic effect. With select areas as close-up knit photographs.

Patchwork Digital Prints

Three of my final collection prints, using different elements from throughout my project. Such as photography, hand illustrations & knitting patterns diagrams as well as lettering.

Inspiration: MissPrint

MissPrint are a duo that design and produce a collection of designs for use towards wallpapers, fabrics and interior items. All design start out as hand drawings, taking inspiration from their surroundings, such as nature set into an urban surrounding. Their products are design and made with the environment in mind, working to create as little negative impact as possible.

Website: MissPrint

Development: Foiled Knit

From using screen printing techniques such as foiling and flocking on normal fabric, I decided to try them on the knitted surface. Pulling the glue through a screen created a very fine effect on the surface, so there was only small amounts for the foil or flock to stick. However, if I painted it on by hand it created a better surface of glue on the stitches for the techniques to be applied.

I also tried forming patterns, such as stripes shown here. 

Inspiration: Alexander McQueen Prints

Found inspiration in the reflective nature of fashion house Alexander McQueen's prints. As well as the bright and bold use of colour.

Development: Knit Overlay

To add to the patchwork print ideas, I toyed with bringing in over layer to it by overlaying a cut-out section of knit from some the exploration photography I did at the beginning of the project.

I then tried repeating them & found that one form worked a lot better than the other.

I like the abstract look of the repeat of this print, taken inspiration from Alexander MCQueen's fashion prints.

Development: Patchwork

Taking inspiration from Squint Textiles, I began to select certain areas from the flat, relief designs I had done. As well as using my starting point, exploration knit photography as well as my sketches. Building up different designs to create a digital patchwork.

With these designs, I took them to try out digital printing on to cotton using the pigment printer so my designs were printed straight on to the fabric.

I also began to play around to with repeating my designs in different ways and altering the size of the repeat tile.

Inspiration: Squint Textiles

Squint Textiles is an London based, independent design company that creates these beautiful, bespoke interior pieces. I found this modern & contemporary approach to a patch-work effect of different colours and prints very appealing. Also the way they have applied it to a variety of surfaces.

Website: Squint Textiles Limited

Development: Laser Cutting

From drawing out knit patterns by hand, I knew the patterns within the structure were the same shapes repeated over and over. So I set about creating line drawings of the repeated shapes digitally, looking at different kinds of shapes. This made them very orderly and uniform, like the stitches of the knit samples I had done on the domestic knitter, as apposed to knitting my hand. 

With these repeated shapes, I decided to try cutting them out of different papers using the laser cutter, which was a new technique in my work. Being a fan of paper cut art as it was but use to doing it by hand this was an exciting new development for me!

After my pieces were cut, I experimented with layering up the laser cuts over the top of knit samples, photos and knitting pattern instructions I had collected throughout my research, to different flat print designs, almost patch working them together.

Exploration: Colour Trends: Trend Bible

I researched into trends and colour palettes by looking at Trend Bible.

Website: Trend Bible Blog

Exploration: Colour Ideas

Personally, I am always drawn towards bright colours. When I've been looking around different stores and knit-ware for interiors tends to follow the trend of natural or neutral colours. So I wanted to work with bright colours of yarn and areas of print. So I began to build a collection of colours from looking at trend boards and their colour palettes.

Website: Design Seeds

Exploring Knit: Drawing

Following on from creating different knit samples, I took to capturing the shape and structure of the knit by sketching. Looking at how the yarn loops over itself and using different ways of capturing the look of knit, from line drawings to repeat stamp patterns.