The Art of Knitting : inspirational stitches, textures and surfaces

By: Jantiene van Elk

Francoise Tellier Loumagne has taught textile and knit design for more than thirty years. With this experience, she made a series of beautiful The Art of textile books. The books are an inspiration to professional textile designers and students and to anyone working with or with an interest in textiles.

About the The Art of Knitting :

"(...) I decided to create a book that will try to change the way in which knitted textiles are perceived, and so encourage readers to personally express themselves. I hope it will be a work that builds a bridge between technicians and vice versa, and that makes communication more 'objective' and more creative; a clear source of information that allows new pathways of innovation to be discovered." (from the Introduction by Francoise Tellier-Loumagne)

In the book you can find patterns for industrial and domestic knitting machines, and for hand knitting. The techniques for each are explained. Simple knits, jacquards, fine jersey knits, interlock, open work and many other fabric types are explained. Inspiration for the author is the natural world and one´s personal surroundings. The sources of inspiration and the fabrics are presented next to each other.

The Art of Knitting : inspirational stitches, textures and surfaces / Francoise Tellier-Loumagne. - London : Thames & Hudson, 2005.

Francoise Tellier-Loumagne´s other books (The Art of Embroidery and The Art of Felt) are also available in the Textile Museum´s library.

Library treasure III

By: Jantiene van Elk

After the First World War, women´s emancipation had a huge influence on fashion. A boyish look, with flat chest and little waist, was in fashion. Paul Poiret, parisian couturier, banned the corset.

At the same time, underwear became more comfortable. In this picture you can see some examples of this comfortable underwear. A camisole with straight nekcline, knickers, a camisole with a V-neckline, and a bra, all knitted.

Unfortunately the patterns for these underwear garments are missing, because I love 1930s fashion a lot!

Nieuw gehaakte en gebreide kleeding / Otto Beyer. - [s.i.] : Beyer, [ca. 1930]. (Beyer´s handwerkboeken : serie H ; nr. 63)

Stretch knitting yarn

By: Lise Lefebvre

The museum's Yarn Library (Garenbank) has recently sourced a new stretch yarn blend, very suitable for the advanced knitting technique called Knit and Wear. This specific technique makes it possible to knit entire garments, for instance sweaters or trousers, without seams. To render this possible, the Stoll knitting machines available at the TextielLab are engineered to use only every other needle of the needle beds to allow the stitches to be transfered from the front and back bed.

While it makes knitting elaborate tubular fabrics possible, it also makes the results very open, as the yarn "skips'' every other stich. This is where the stretch yarn comes in: in the knitting process the yarn is slightly stretched as it forms the stitches, and in turn creates a fuller, denser fabric when the knitting is finished. The elasticity of the yarn is also very helpful as it prevents the yarn from breaking in the very demanding movements of the needles during this special knitting process.

This particular yarn is a comfortable blend of Viscose and Elastil, a stretchy form of polyester. It has a very soft touch with a slight shine to it.

For more information, contact Lise Lefebvre at the Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg /Textile Lab.

Knitted Worlds in the TextileShop

By: Suzan Russeler

Christien Meindertsma is one of the designers whose knitted products are sold in the TextileShop of our museum. Her well-known stool, called Urchin Pouf, is knitted from thick felted woolen yarn. This oversized, stuffed stool can be used as soft seating or object to play with. Meindertsma also developed a special do-it-yourself-knitting-set with naturally dyed yarns.

Another interior product is the KaLaKabellampe by young German designer Jana Walliser. Walliser combines craftsmanship and industrial production ´hiding´ the power cord in a plastic tube of jointed elements and a knitted cover. The flexible tube plays the main part in the design. You can bend it in every shape you want. A knitted tube Walliser also used for a set of necklaces, available in different measurements and colours.

From knitting designer Petra Vonk beautiful, light scarfs from cotton or mohair combined with lace are available.

Do you feel inspired to knit yourself? In the shop you´ll find selected yarns like bamboo yarn, glow-in-the-dark-yarn or knitted linen ribbon.

Photo: Urchin Pouf and craft product by Christien Meindertsma, KaLaKabelLampe by Jana Walliser

Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting

By: Jantiene van Elk

In 2007 the exhibition Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting was held in the Museum of arts & Design in New York. It was curated by David Revere McFadden. Now, it´s a travelling exhibition (currently not on show). On the website of the exhibition you can find more information.

The exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue, which you can find in the textile museum´s library.

Photo: www.amazon.com

About the Avatar works

By: Chrystl Rijkeboer

Balaclava’s knitted from human hair & prints on Alumount 80x80 cm.
2006

Origin: Avatar
In Hindu (Sanskrit) philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avatarim most commonly refers to the incarnation.

Today: Avatar
Within the virtual world, in which people meet nowadays, one assumes a certain identity through a so-called avatar. This is an icon or photo, which accompanies the communication.

After the work ‘Stolen Identity’ it was a great pleasure for me to find the first balaclava (Avatar-Martine) in the magazine ‘Mc Call’s Needlework & Crafts’ from 1965. I was pleased to find this balaclava in an American magazine. See the post by Lise Lefebvre for pictures of the balaclavas in this magazine.

Today such a cap would be impossible in the Western world. Balaclavas are so emotionally charged, that ideas of an ordinary cap, which is funny and protects against cold, is not from this age anymore. Balaclava’s have a very different impact nowadays. The balaclava is a signal for society: ‘Watch out! Terrorism! and Danger!’

The other 'Avatar' items are made by own design. The faces on the balaclavas are very contemporary: Identity and the fear of loosing it, but also possibilities of choosing new / different identities in the digital world are nowadays issues.

The series portraits named Avatar show people wearing balaclavas made out of human hair. An estranged image in which the identity of the one becomes veiled with the hair of an other.
All models got a preference choice which Avatar to wear. Posing with their 'balaclava type' a surprising inner picture of the models arise.

Photo: Stolen Identity-family
Photo: Cover Mc Call’s Needlework & Crafts 1965
Photo: Avatar –Martine

Grannittin

By: Harco Rutgers

Grannittin is originally a live performance by Robert Witt in collaboration with ‘Mevrouw de Vries’, a knitted art project initiated by visual artist Anne Reijse. Witt's performance consisted of the live manipulation of sounds emitted from contact microphones attached to the knitting needles of the knitting ladies present at the opening of a ‘Mevrouw de Vries’ exhibition.
Robert Witt decided to release his recorded performance through esc.rec., a small record label and platform for adventurous music. Together they figured it could also be interesting to see what other artists would do with the same source material; the sound of knitting needles. Thus esc.rec. selected and invited artists to remix knitting sound as recorded by Robert Witt. 15 different artists (seasoned electronica pioneers and relative newcomers alike) came up with their own interpretations, enough to fill two cd's!

Some artists use the sounds of knitting needles as sole audio source for their piece, others incorporate them in their music. Some artists also recorded additional sources, like Gluid who recorded an elderly lady explaining the simple mechanics of knitting to all of us (in Dutch dialect).

All results are superb listening experiences. The remixes vary from abstract experiments and (complex) structures to warm electronics, (minimal) techno and tasty rhythms.

Grannittin was released as a double cd-r in a unique package, handmade with recycled knitted fabrics. You can listen to Grannittin in the Knitted Worlds exhibition. You can order Grannittin here.

Robert Witt - Grannittin (live in Het Langhuis) (mp3)
http://www.escrec.com/robertwitt/grannittin.mp3

"GAME ON" deel 2

By: Anne Reijse

Last (museum)weekend there were many knitters at the project "GAME ON" in the Textielmuseum. All kinds of people were knitting like crazy, as if they never did anything else before. There was a very nice atmosphere among the knitters.

Talented women were knitting like a fast train. How they did it , I don’t know. They were very, very fast. All kinds of people who never knitted before were trying to knit.

One game is ready now. Three must yet be finished, but soon you can see the small pieces and parts that are knitted. These small pieces and parts must be joined. Then you can see the games coming together.

"GAME ON" is growing in the right direction. We still need knitters!