The knitted me..!: August 2014

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Final Garment:

The front:

The Back:

Process Photos:

First understand the meaning of working with a garment pattern . <Front>

<Back>

The white yarn that will be Dyed.

The things you will need.

Put half of each pack in the dye. Leave it in for 30 minutes.

Rub the dyed half with the white half.

Grey dye rubbed off on some parts of the clean white yarn.

Lay out for dye.

Dyed yarn is ready for knitting.

Knitting the back pannel.

The back pannel Finished.

Role up the back pannel.

Secure it with elastics.

Dip half of the roled up pannel for 1 hour in the dye.

Dip the other side in the dye for 30seconds.

Back pannel, after dying and dried, but was not quite happy with the end result.

Took a brush and painted lines on the pannel, aswell as used the brush to splat dye over the back pannel. Afterwards, rub the wet fresly painted dye with the rest of the knitted pannel.

Leave out to drye.

Finish Front piece.

Fiished front pannels after they were knitted with the yarn that were dyed.

The pattern i worked out to create the sleeves.

Ribbing were only used for the arms.

The two sleeves which are finished knitted.

The Materials task..!

Materials Task

Knitting and weaving differences:

Knitting and weaving are two different techniques but mostly gave the same result as a piece of art. In the process of knitting, it is made by using two-dimensional fabric which is made there in yarn or also known as thread. In the technique of weaving, the thread will always be in a straight line running parallel in lengthwise or also in crosswise. By contrast the yarn which is used in a knitted piece of fabric follows a course and create a synthetic loop on the top and bottom mean path of the yarn. A knitted garment can as much as 500% stretch it all depends on the yarn that is being used as well as the pattern one is busy following. This were in the beginning what knitting was made for because of the elastic or stretch to response to the wearer’s notions for example socks even hosiery. The thread that designers use in creating a weave is most of the time finer that what designers will use in a knitting pattern and for that reason it gave knitting the ability to form bulk and less draping that a fabric which if woven.

Different types of Ribbing:

The reason behind the design of rib stitches it that your garment doesn’t curl up vertically nor horizontally and that it remains a flat surface. It is also designed to give your knitting a rib effect or a vertical ridge. By the use of a basic rib it is made out of stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch that is alternated. The stripes that the ribbing make is also known as wales. The yarn which is use in ribbing is passed between stiches, from the back of your work for the knit stiches, to the front for purl stitches. The knitted pieces which is ribbing will always feel thicker than stocking stitch so it has a firm fit, as well as it will be knitted in a smaller needle than what is used to knit the rest of the garment. Knitted ribbing is use in garments for the cuffs, the edged around the garments, scarves, mats, rugs as well as fitted thick winter garments.

Single Rib: a Single rib is made out of knit one, purl one. It is mainly used for the edge of the garments. Single rib is the most common use for knitted garments and also have the most elasticity.

Double Rib: By using double rib, it is not limited to just use as cuffs but can be use right through the whole body if the designer want a more snuggle fitted garment. The elasticity is is much less in double rib as it is in single rib.

Other Stiches that is used as ribbing to form panels: Both Garter as well as moss stich can be used in the sense of ribbing but is only use when one need a wider rib.

Farrow Rib Stitch: This ribbing is much neater than the rest with a flat appearance and slight stretch because of the moss stitch that took place between the ribs. When done correctly, both of the sides will look identically and is a bit more open than a basic rib. It is not made to be used as cuffs because its elasticity is weak. Each of the rows are knitted the same therefore it is easier to master the technique.

Sand Stitch rib: Using the technique of sand stitch ribbing, it is knitted in a vertical row with a sand stich between every second knitted stich in a rib pattern. It is mostly use to accommodate wider rib stitch patterns. It has a very neat finish as well as a different appearance and most of the elasticity is lost that a proper rib stitch contain. It is made out of a right and wrong side and is mostly not recommended for scarves neither edgings.

Fisherman’s Rib: This technique is originally invented for the fisherman which goes out in cold winter on the sea. This technique take up much more yarn than other ribbing almost doubled to be exact. It creates a think, soft spongy feeling garment where both sides look the same. An advantage of fisherman’s rib stretches both in width and length and forms deep loose ridges with a soft feeling.

Mock Fisherman’s rib: Mock Fisherman’s rib as different from original fisherman rib which gave a more loose rib with fairly prominent ridges. It mostly have the same characteristics as other types of ribbing where it has slight elasticity but lies flat and both sides are the same. It is also no as neatly as Fisherman’s rib but still is more attractive and always neat.

Different types of Shoulders:

Drop Shoulder Sleeve:

The drop shoulder style is one of the simplest design pattern of any style sleeves. The body is shaped as a rectangular with very little shaping. The body with goes over the actual shoulder line and is possible that no sleeves is necessary making the garment into a pullover. The shape of the sleeves are also a basic rectangle that is finer by the wrist. The sleeve will always be created shorter than the actual arm size where the upper part of the sleeve does not reach the shoulder. The length of the upper edge of the sleeve equals two times the depth of the armscye. When the whole garment is put together the sleeves will form the right body angle.

Set-In Sleeve:

The lines of a set in sleeve express itself as simple but when shaping take place of each individual piece, it became more complex that what a drop shoulder is. The area of the shoulder is cut away so that that whole of the arm can be exposed. The armscye begin at the side seam which then curves to the body in an even increasing slope until the armscye line is more or less in a vertical line. The sleeve tapers from the bicep line towards the waist, where above the line of the bicep, the sleeve cap gently moves towards the shoulder point. Often you get knitted garments that are designed so that the sleeve cap and front and back armscye are symmetric where in reality, our bodies aren't that symmetric, but the stretch in knit fabric allows for this tiny cheat.

The Raglan Sleeve:

When one want to pull of the casual or sporty look, raglan was the style to use. Instead of the armscye seam goes right over the shoulder, the sleeve of a raglan goes from the underarm to the neckline and results that the back panel, front panel as well as the sleeves are taper towards the neck. It all depends on what your garment design looks like, the upper edge of the raglan sleeve will form a substantial part of the neckline, and also may shape to blend with the curve of the front and backline. The seam edges of the back panel, front panel, as well as the sleeves are placed in a straight line which is formed by decreases at regular intervals. There will sometimes be a curve or as a tweak to fit in correct number of decreases before running out of the upper body as well as the sleeve rows.

The Dolman Sleeve:

The Dolman style sleeve is directly formed with the rest of the body, where only substantial seams are put under the arms. There are a large amount of space provided under the arms to give movement, where the garment is usually very loose fitted even if the sleeve forearms are tight. They are usually designed as a one knitted design in two ways; either knit sideways like cuff to cuff of knitting from the front to the back. It is possible to alter this shape to provide angled sleeves with strategically placed increases and decreases or short rows, or alternatively by working the front and back separately.

Different types of Neck Shapes:

· V-Neck

· Crew Neck (a basic "T-shirt" or "rounded" neck opening)

· "Sport" Neck (This neck most likely resemble a crew neck, except for the front of the yoke is slit open and plackets are knitted on each side of the opening.)

Gauge in knitted designs:

The term Gauge is both used in machine knitting and hand knitting. It refers to the number of stiches per inch where in our case if will work in centimetre and not to what the size of the garment are.it is measured by a number of stitches or even a number of needles over several centimetres which is then divided by the centimetres in width.

The gauge will also depend on how many stiches of the pattern fit into the fabric, the kind of yarn use, what size needle you use as well as the tension the knitter use. For example, the ribbing and also the cable patterns tend to "pull in" which gives more stitches over an identical width than stockinette, garter, or seed stitch. Even the same stitch produced in two different ways may produce a different gauge. Thicker yarns will produce larger stiches that what thinner needles would have produced. Because of the large stitches that larger needles provide, there will be fewer stitches in a row per centimetre. By changing one’s needles is the best possible way to have control over the gauge for any given pattern as well as yarn. The tension of the knitter plays a big role where it can affect the gauge significantly. One can play variation gauge in a single garment where when you become more relaxed with the stitch pattern one will become more relaxed to stitch differently and produce different gauge. Designers deliberately alter the gauge in a garment usually by needle size for example the smaller stitches will be knitted with smaller needles, this is usually used for the collar or the cuffs of the sleeves.

To produce a knitted garment where the dimensions are given, doesn’t matter if it is from one's own design or from a published pattern, the gauge must match as closely as possible; significant differences in gauge will lead to a deformed garment. Most patterns that once can buy will always suggest gauge for the project.

What I Did for my Garment:

Because I didn’t had any traditional pieces I could work off and also the reason of being far from home, it clogged my design thinking, material wise. Because I focused more on the person I am today and to things I can access, rather than trying to think into the past and not getting access to what I was maybe looking for, I decided to focus on tie dye because it stays a big part in who I am, and the mellow vibe I’m usually in.

T-shirt fabric is the easiest to dye and just my luck it came already in yarn form. There are 3 different balls in colour wise; black, white and light grey. The white I took and dyed half of it black making it another shade of grey, the black I first knitted and then dyed black merging the two shades of grey into each other.

We had to use the Raglan pattern. At first I was scared because I’m not a fashion designer and I don’t know how to make garments. We first had to draw out a regular pattern on paper followed by a raglan pattern. The arms also had to be worked out. The raglan front and back panels are easier to knit as the arms are. I chose the colours specifically to contrast the good and the bad in my life with the vines flowing of the tie dye method much so how my stories flowed.

The back I started with a 15mm needle, using 50 stitches, I knitted 12 rows and switched to a 20mm needle where a few rows were knitted and I tried the double wrap knit to create bigger stitches for 5 rows. I only knitted 3 more rows before I began to decrease. I knitted a stitch and then two together, knitted the rest of the stitches till only 3 were left on the needle I knitted two together and knit the last stitch, this followed for every row till there were only 20stitches left and I finished off the piece. I decided on a cardigan because I personally doesn’t not like jerseys and jackets that is closed, I like open garments. The front panels are 15 stitches each ranging between the normal knitting and the double wrap for long stitches. The arms is plain continental knitted in black so that the focus is more place on the front and the back. I didn’t want a neckline because it uncomfortable and unnecessary. I wanted to experiment with my garment, testing my own pattern and don’t work from an original one. Ribbing were just incorporated in the arms for a tighter fit where as for the edges around the garment I liked garments that are chunky and hang loose as well as the roll up effect the knitting panels provide.

After the sewing up were done of all 5 pannels, i ran out of time and wished there were more time to put in a colour, but overall im happy with my first attempt of knitting a jersey!

Insperation..!

Why Choose Tye Dye as my main Insperation:

Iv always have been a bubbly person. Wearing tie dye is my way of showing comfort, it is what best describe me. All tie dye techniques express a bundle of emotion almost like going to the carnival, its loud, cheerful and full if colours, not to mean the spiral it express as the life pattern runs in a circle.

The vains expressed in tie dye techniques also known as the running lines would express my family tree, as well as the support system I have. The garment is composed out of three colours namely black, grey and white. For those who knows me well will know that is my bases colour I wear evryday with a slight dash of colour in either a T-Shirt or socks or even shoes.

Some of the stories reflecting in this jersey were written by a friend of mine, Marlie in a previous post called “A friend wrote my story”. Basicly it goes about me who is living with an illness for the rest of my life and because of greater illnesses in the family, scared that my illness would develop in something more serious over the years. Another part is my grandfather who died which had an impact on me as to the way I am. This part were reflected on the back pannel of my jersey which I first knitted and then dyed. Because I was not so happy of the end result of the back pannel, I desided to take a paint brush and paint lines on the back with dye and express myself by dipping the brush in the dye and splat it on the back pannel. Because it were still wet it allowed me to rub the wet dye across the jersey making the lines not so obvious. There are a lot happening at the back expressing my past and my fear of illness, where as for the lines at the back is more represented by my family who always protects me and support me no matter what. It can also be seen as scars in a way of stitches that is sen up seing it as a wound that is beginning to heal.

The white yarn is firstly dyed with black couloring but because I only left the yarn in the dye for half an hour it came out grey and not black. This mistake I did not mind at all as for it shows me trying to break through everything which were rough in my past. The front is much lighter as to what the back express. The back is the dark side, overcoming the illness aswell a the past by stitching up the wounds and return to who I am. The front, because it is so light reflect on the start of something new, the old me being happy thowhing off the weat which layed like a mountain on my shoulders.

I kept the sleeves simple and black as to what it keep me on earth, the support of family and friends aswell as I wanted the front and back pannel speaking my stories and not my jersey being overly customized.

Insperational Tye Dye..!

Tie dye have an emotional meaning!

Tie Dye

To see or wear a tie dye in your dream suggests that you are feeling upbeat and groovy. You are in a happy mood. It is also symbolic of free love. Perhaps the dream is welcoming a new relationship. You need to open up yourself to love.

Tie Dye poem by West Winds

Tie-Dye T-Shirts

Tie-Dye T-shirts should come with some directions!

This gosh-awful mess will never pass inspections!

The red is really messy, and the black has come undone.

Still, it's rather great to do this and I've really had some fun!

I'll make all these for presents, for Dad and for my Mum.

I hope the dye is permanent and the colors will not run.

Red dye is quite chancy, and you have to wash with cold.

If it works out well, though, the shirts will look quite bold.

This is such a bloody mess, I feel quite horrified.

Don't look at me too closely...

I think I look... just awful... quite like a deadly bride.-

>The Knitted me <-_-> who Am I

>The Knitted me <-_-> Who am I<

An ABC to who am I..

A - Adorable, ambitious, abnormal

B - Bright, brave, big hearted

C - Charming, cheerful, complicated

D - Determined, delightful, denying

E - Eager, energetic, enchanting

F - Faithful, friendly, funny

G - Generous, gullible, good

H - Helpful, hilarious, hurt

I - indulgent, impatient,

J - Joyful, jealous

K - Kind, knowledgeable

L - loving, likable, loud

M - Mature, modern, moody

N - Nice, negative, neat

O - outgoing, obedient

P - Proud, protective, polite

Q - Quick, quiet

R - Respectful, romantic, responsible

S - Silly, smiling, spontaneous

T - Talented, trustworthy, tough

U - Unusual, upbeat, unique

V - Vigorous, valuable

W - Warm, witty, well- mannered

X -*

Y -*

Z -*

What we call tradition..!

Some family tradition..

As long as I could have remember, the one tradition which never changed was to go camping at Swartvlei. The family would all gather at Hartenbos where from there everyone would travel to Swartvlei. For those who doesn’t know where Swartvlei is it is on your way to Knysna between the mountains. It’s all you can ask for, silence with the river walking just in front of your camping site and the sea being just a rock throw away. The baboons and monkeys trying to rob you at night and having fun with building sandcastles. When I got a little bit older and start going to school it became all more difficult for the whole family to travel because of school. I am the oldest on my mom’s side also the first born, and first grandchild. For my grandpa, I was his apple of his eye and had and still have everyone wrapped around my little pinkly.

Another family tradition is Chrismas time. My grandparents live in hartenbos in a security villa. We also have a house there as well as my uncle and aunt. My dad’s mom also moved there after the past away of my grandfather. Each year, the day before Christmas, actually it all started with a week before Christmas, my grandmother send a note to every house in the villa letting them know there will be a Christmas drive, instructing them if they want Santa coming to their house delivering presents all the presents must be delivered at my grandparents’ house on the 23^rd of December with the house number where this black bag of presents must be delivered. The day before Christmas, I being the oldest always were in with what was really going on and ill help my grandmother fill large bags of sweet. Summoned with a single cap truck will be the driver, dressing up as Santa’s elf. There will be a chair placed on the back where Santa (my grandfather dressing up in a Santa suite) will sit on with me as his helper as my grandmother being misses Santa! The truck will start at the first street a bell would be rang very loudly and the children would came running out. At each number we stopped the child is put on Santa’s lap and he will get his presents. So will all the streets be done with the children running after the truck and me and my grandparents throwing them sweets. Not only children were included but with each year the adults became more inventive playing practical pranks on their neighbours by delivering them a lump of charcoal or even just a piece of wood. This family tradition went on for years till this day even if it rains or very hot the tradition continues.

Smaller family traditions will include as a family on Friday night, all will sit in front of the TV and play Noot vir Noot, which is a musical game show and we will become very competitive with each other, checking who can collect the most money if they were playing the real game. December vacations changed from camping in Swartvlei to camping in Hartenbos and going from the whole family to just parents and my brother. Mondays was the night for the Spur burger special. Friday nights was school functions and Saturdays the whole family is alongside the sport fields with me playing hockey and my brother being the rugby player. Because I’m from outshoorn and the only family also living in oudtshoorn is my aunt and uncle and their family, so it would became a tradition if it is one of the children or grandchildren’s birthday all the grandparents will come from Hartenbos and stay with the family where the birthday is.

There is not really family traditions like tea seats that’s being passed down or jewellery. We are a family who created their own little traditions. All piece I can remember is the blanket made out of different coloured block which has been knitted was given to me when I was born and so it was the same with every grandchild thereafter. I got all my art instincts from my grandmother. She was the one who taught me how to do ceramics on an age of 6, then I didn’t really know much and just keep messing around while she was busy. She taught me to paint, make jewellery, making any objects even handmade frames. She were the one who taught me to knit, making me use my hands to create products and not just go buy it. She will be my biggest inspiration behind studying design and being the artsy girl I am today.

A FRIEND wROTE my Story..!

Suzanne

She comes from Oudstshoorn. When she was born there were problems with her mother giving birth and she almost died. After all the drama when she was born they realised that her birthday is the same as her dad. She is the eldest of two and has a younger brother.

Suzanne loves sport and were bought by 4 schools to do hockey and athletics when she was still in school. She also loved to dance she did modern and hip-hop dancing in school. When she was 16 she dated a guy and went on holiday with him and his family. When they came back, as she was walking into the house she found out that her Granddad had just died. Before this happened Susanne was a bubbly extrovert and crazy to the max and she has never been the same again. The same night she and her boyfriend were invited to a party but she didn’t want to go and that night her boyfriend cheated on her and he told her this while laughing in her face. This made her not trusting guys anymore in any relationship.

Suzanne doesn’t like talking much about her feelings she keeps it to herself and after a while she would just explode with emotions. She puts others needs in front of her own. She is a very responsible person especially with tasks given to her. She comes from a Christian background.

She got her creative side from her Grandmother; she taught her everything she knows like painting, needle work and knitting. She lives alone in Cape Town and only gets to go home in the holidays which are not nice because she sees her family very little especially her mother whom she is close with.Her family is known for having great illnesses like Heart attacks, Cancer and Strokes and she is scared of this. She has a lost many family members in the past years due to this.

In school Suzanne had bad headaches which lead to migraines. She went to the doctor and they gave her medicine that helped but as soon as she stopped taking them the headaches came back. Her parents took her to a neurologist and they did tests and concluded that she had muscle disruptions in her brain .This means that her brain works different than ours, the smell of foods and other things triggers the headaches. It is a chroming disease and can only be helped with medication and Suzanne is scared that this will develop into something more serious when she is older.

Written by: Marli Coetzer