“Organic Cable Ripples”
Name: “Organic Cable Ripples”
Dimensions: 155x165 cm
Material: Donegal Yarns Galánta, Tweed & Soft Wool, Cushedale bouclé wool
Technique(s): Organic Cable knit, knitted ripples, crochet
A technique I developed during the final year of my degree: Organic Cabling. Using only a rough sketch for composition, each cable is crossed at my discretion during the knitting. The same is done for the wooly red ripples. The result is a completely unique blanket that ties the designer in with the threads of the cloth.
The path the cables travel is derived from imagery of flames. Assigning certain cable knit stitches to pictures of burning fire in the design development process lays the foundation for this piece.
Donegal wool makes up the base of the cabling and knitted ripples. Crochet accents in electric blue Soft Donegal wool and Cushendale bouclé are attached to the ripples by hand at the very end. The whole piece is enclosed in a clean crochet border.
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Specifications & Concept
“Kinship” is a collection of heirloom blankets centred around fire and the community it inspires. People have an affinity for sitting around campfires- for warmth, ceremony and group gathering. Traditions that have existed for hundreds of years are still practiced today, such as the Hill of Uisneach fire festival. The feeling of belonging and community one feels while sitting around a fire with others is the same as it was at the beginning of civilisation.
These blankets are created to cherish and last through generations. Focusing on the emotional attachment a cloth can hold, these pieces might be gifted at monumental points in a person’s life and used with love for the next owner.
Knitting, weaving, crocheting and hand-manipulation techniques make up a collection crafted with personal touch. Colour is drawn directly from imagery of burning embers and flames. Organic fibres wool and cotton are used to mimic the natural holistic craft of a wood-burning fire.
Keeping a creative narrative is important in the design process; Kinship utilises self-written poetry, imagery and handwriting to emphasise its concept.
The tactile structures of this collection include organic cabling and honeycomb weaves, developed from photography of flames and embers.