Self-Initiated Brief
Developing Designs and Samples

Photograph of foam shapes and kinder egg toys

This week I have been experimenting with different ways to incorporate my abstract and bold concept into knit. My initial idea was to stuff the pockets of my knit samples with kinder egg toys, however when the time came to use these objects they were too big to fit between both needle beds. After deliberating on a conclusion to this error of judgement I decided that the toys were perhaps too childish for the ideas behind my concept. The foam shapes are representative enough of the accumulation of objects.

Testing which techniques that best represented my concept was another key factor of this week as i gave myself time to analyse what works and what was not successful. Practicing the techniques and ensuring that the tension and stitch size were perfect in order for the fabric to be tight and look professional was also important as I want my final collection to be technically correct.

The technique that seems to be working well is tucking as it presents an element of uniformity, creating tidy squares that resemble the ones in my drawings. More attention is needed in terms of foiling the fabrics as I want the foiled shapes to be clear and not fragmented. I will also be utilising the mock rib technique as it reveals flashes of colouring an effective way that also relates to my drawings.

As I am beginning to generate designs and ideas for final samples I am doing so with a particular audience in mind. I see the samples being one-of-a-kind knitwear pieces due to the fact that they are very conceptual and intricate. Further finishing such as foiling and beading will bring an element of exclusivity and attention to detail.