November

I've been to The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, exhibiting as a finalist in the Knitted Textile Awards. My entry is shown above. Sadly I didn't win the £1000 first prize, but I did get an Innovation Award form the Crafts Council which I was very pleased about. I had a great time and met a lot of interesting like-minded people. It was a huge boost to my confidence and I am looking forward to the end of November when the show moves to Harrogate for 4 days.

Here are some of the other finalists, just before before the show opened.

Coasters, snowflakes...

Coasters

I have been designing and making coasters. The felted knitting has to be sliced quite thinly in order for the coaster to be stable enough to stand a glass or mug on, but because they are made from 100% wool they are still heat-proof and can be washed at 30 degrees if need be.

I have made sets that go together but don't match exactly - like leaves, flowers and snowflakes - similar but not the same.

The next image is of my knitting machine where I have knitted a pocket and stuffed it with wool tops (red) but not yet sealed the pocket up.

Autumn already

Well the formal part of my learning is over and now I'm free to make my own choices about what I design and make.

I made some contacts at New Designers and sold some work to Anthropologie. I was also assessed by the Society of Designer Craftsmen and am now a Licentiate which means that I can get some mentoring, sell items through their exhibition and hopefully get accepted as a full member in a couple of years. I am very proud (unlike Groucho Marx) to be a member of a society that had William Morris as a founder member!

Here are the NUCA (Norwich University College of the Arts) exhibitors at New Designers.

The Degree Show at NUCA  was a successful if manic event, and I sold quite a lot of work. My rug was in the window of the Gallery space, see below.

I have been shortlisted for the Knitted Textile Awards and as a result will be exhibiting at The Knitting and Stitching Shows at Alexandra Palace (where I spent many happy days playing and dog walking when I was a child) and Harrogate. It was really hard to find any accommodation in Harrogate that wasn't booked up but I am sorted now.

I have exhibited at a couple of local events and made some new smaller items for these, shown below.

Assessment is over...

And I'm happy with my degree classification (2:1). Graduation takes place this week, followed very quickly by a trip to London for the NUCA exhibition at New Designers 2011. I have used brighter colours for the work I am taking to New Designers. I have also been making jewellery with my 'left-overs' and this seems to be quite popular so I will continue with this - designing from scratch as well as using what I have.

Nearly there...

I have been designing and making almost non-stop for the last few weeks, but the end (assessment) is in sight now. My 'fabric' which started life as something that could be used as an acoustic wall panel has proved to be more versatile than I thought, and has possibilities for interiors in the form of rugs or throws, and for jewellery. It can be chunky or delicate, or somewhere in-between.

Knitting, felting, cutting

Acoustic knitting?

I am starting to develop my designs for my acoustic panels, made from wool and inspired by coral and sealife. My first pieces are made from tracing paper.

                                         

Then I made some using knitted and felted wool

Then back to the drawing board for more inspiration

New year, new project

More photos of coral and fish eggs taken with a digital microscope

                                          Fish eggs

                                                        Sea urchin

                                          Sea urchin

                                          Brain coral

                                                 Drawings

                                          Beginnings of knit