WEEK 5 - CONNECTIONS

This week I started to develop my research on sustainability and natural dyes. I realised my key research became quite muddled into other parts of my sketchbook, so I created research boards that pulled the specific important research onto them to make my concept clear. I began looking into fashion context images that had a relation to my work,

Looking at different ways wool was used and knit was really inspiring for me. Looking closer at the knitted fashion that stood out to me, I realised that there was a similarity in my collages, with the structure of the lines that I had used within them and the bright vibrant natural colours. I began picking out inspiring imagery and placing them next to my collages to see how they related, and then created a context sketchbook analysing specific areas of the fashion images that were inspiring. This week felt productive due to me figuring out my context, with it most likely being colourful, knitted fashion samples that had patterns based on my collages.

After spinning some more yarn again and discussing with my lecturers about sampling, I had to be realistic on how much sampling I could produce with such a slow time-consuming process. An idea I took forward is researching into traceable yarn brands based in the Scottish Highlands and combining their premade yarns with my own. This allows for a less time-consuming process that still showcases my theme of traceability. I began emailing companies that had these key elements, asking for potential sponsorships. I am yet to hear back from some, so I may email again or purchase the yarn itself.

I started to do some more knitted technical samples that explored combining my own yarn with coloured textural ones that the university provided. It allowed me to see how the mix of different yarn would look together in a sample, and I thought it looked very effective and added an extra dimension of texture and look to the knit. I will be taking this forward.

I am quite notorious amongst the studio for my newfound obsession for raw wool, and I received an email from my textile technical and the knit technician that 3 bags of raw wool had been dropped off at the university free use hub. They grabbed it for me, knowing I would make great use of it. The wool had a number written on it, so I called it and started speaking to Phillipa, a woman who lives close by the university. Her family owns a farm in the Scottish borders, and by a turn of events she had no use for the wool and dropped it off at the university hoping it would go to good use. She was very excited to hear that I would be using the wool and gave me lots of information of the type of sheep used and the background. She is very keen to come to my degree show, to see her family’s wool being celebrated just like she wanted. I am very excited to start processing the brown wool, it has a naturally rich and beautiful colour that I feel does not even require dye.

This has been a very busy week, filled with lots of insightful conversations with many different people.