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Was the decision to take
inspiration from the landscape
for this book a consequence
of lockdown, or is it something
that’s always inspired you?
In truth, books take a long time to make;
from the initial idea, to developing
projects, to working with the publisher
and drawing together a cohesive
vision with a photographer, so that
what is in my head can be translated
not only into beautiful photographs,
but also into garments that work, with
instructions that are simple to follow
for the knitter. So, I have been working
on Texture for a couple of years, and
its publication was inevitably delayed
by the global pandemic and associated lockdowns.
Landscape is something that has always been a huge
source of inspiration for me as a designer, and I think for
a lot of people over the past year the concept of nature
and our relationship with it has been brought into sharp
focus. But by landscape I certainly don’t just mean rolling
hills, expansive views and areas of natural beauty – for
me it’s about observing your surroundings and finding
some beauty in the everyday, often overlooked details.
Can you explain a bit more about the ways in
which the outdoors has influenced the designs?
In our digitally saturated day-to-day lives we are constantly
bombarded by images – on social
media, on television, in magazines
and advertising, but these are very flat
and experienced only in 2D. Viewing
colours, spaces and textures through
our screens offers a somewhat limited
viewpoint and it can be hard to
understand how what you see through
a lens could ever be translated into a
3D tactile object. But getting outdoors
means engaging all of your senses.
As you physically move through a
landscape, the crunch underfoot of a
muddy field on a frosty morning, a shaft
of sunlight casting geometric shadows
from building construction above, or the
sound of the waves crashing over pebbles on
a beach all evoke textures. Cables, ladders, slip
stitches, colour blocks and lace patterns can
all be seen in nature, and I find it comforting
to know that for all of our human innovations
and new ideas, it has ultimately all been done
before. So if you are in need of creative stimulus,
remedy or simply motivation to continue,
it always comes back to the landscape.
Which are your favourite pieces
from the book and why?
Ecotown is definitely the design that feels the
most like me. It’s a little bit experimental and a
piece that evolved very organically, using some favourite
yarns from my stash and working in a free-form way, piecing
together different yarn weights and stitches, and really letting
that thought process show in the finished garment. Having
worked for many years on the industrial side of knitwear
design, I spent a long time trying to perfect my handknits to
have a refined, professional and ultimately machine-made
look, but more recently it’s the process of crafting by
hand that is most important to me, so I like to reveal these
techniques and make a feature of them. Leaving the tail
end of a thread is authentic and becomes the final flourish
of a project, like the signature of a painter on a canvas.
Conversely, I love the mathematical engineering of
the increases and decreases over a rib pattern used to
create the voluminous long coat Thicket, featured on
the cover. There’s nothing free-form about this design
but the exaggerated texture of the rib stitch knitted in
super chunky wool makes a real statement piece.
And for yarn texture, Edgepath, using two yarns held
together, combining a 4ply
weight wool with the superfine
mohair and silk adds a buttery
softness that blurs the hard lines
of the intricate lace stitch, as
if eroded by the elements.‘Slow fashion’ is something
that’s always been important
to you. Why do you think
it’s such a vital issue?
Slow clothes are the antithesis to
fast fashion, whereby brands and
manufacturers over the past 40 or
so years have steadily increased
their volumes of production to the
point where garments are so cheap
they have become disposable,
with one truck load of clothing
being burnt or landfilled every
second. Materials, processes and
workers have become devalued,
and the devastating impact of the textile industry
on the climate crisis cannot be ignored.
As consumers we have the power to create
change, to be more conscious in our choices and
to use existing resources. Reuse, recycle and repair,
knit from your stash, buy less and craft more.As an advocate of the mindfulness benefits of
knitting, can you give our readers some tips
on how to approach it as a mindful activity?
Simply, it’s about embracing the process; it is
slow. We can all be guilty of treating our knitting
projects as yet another item on our ‘to do’ list that
has to be completed against the clock, adding to our
stresses, but craft is about appreciating the journey
as much as the satisfaction of the finished product.
Choose materials and tools to work with that feel
comfortable in your hands and take time to assess
how the yarn feels as it moves through your fingers.
Some projects are more challenging than others,
and for those that involve more concentration give
them your full attention. This may help take your
mind off other worries or allow your brain to work
through other problems, while your hands are
engaged in activity. There is a natural rhythm to
knitting dictated by the process of making stitches
and the repetition of these to make a row and so on. LK“Leaving the tail
end of a thread
is authentic and
becomes the
final flourish
of a project, like
the signature
of a painter on
a canvas ”Turn over for Erika’s Tramline
Gloves, plus details of how to get
hold of a copy of TextureEcotownCoppiceEdgepath