THINKING THROUGH DRAWING: PRACTICE INTO KNOWLEDGE

THINKING THROUGH DRAWING: PRACTICE INTO KNOWLEDGE 129

Ian mc Innes

knitting with them to build up the fabric.
There is an intimate sensory, haptic, almost vis-
ceral connection with materials through a practi-
cal engagement in the hand making, discovering
the physical and tactile properties of the yarn and
it’s interlocking loops. There emerges an external
and internal connection with materials, tools and
process (Pallasma, 2009). Machine knitting can
distance the maker from the sensory experience of
holding, wrapping and forming the yarn loop in
building up the structure. I began to see the needles
as drawing tools working in different and compli-
mentary patterns of repetitive motion and synchro-
nized with the wrapping of the yarn as the drawing
medium.
I started with the intention of responding to key
words and themes for each speaker. I was clear that
the choice of yarn, color, stitch and form would be
symbolic and that I would not be knitting graphic
letter shapes and words into the structure. I aimed
to explore a textile vocabulary through the process
of making which was workable in different con-
figurations, combinations and their proportions
and “readable”. I envisaged the knitted fabric as the
paper on and through which was placed a drawn
element such as another yarn color or yarn type or
an alternative stitch.
To discuss every linear structure produced is
beyond the scope of this paper. I have therefore
selected key pieces to illuminate the context, think-
ing and decision-making for and through the mak-
ing.
I choose a combination of contrasting yarn
types at the beginning of the first structure, to nar-
rate the opening remarks and the introduction of
the keynote speaker (Fig 2.) The phrase and words
that I responded to from Barbara Tversky’s keynote
speech were:
“This (image) is an interesting aside, but you will
see from my presentation that I will keep returning
to the line as my main theme”.
I was inspired by this statement in alluding
to the human need to wander, explore, ponder, in
order to consolidate the discovered, the known,
the valued, the constant. The yarn I introduced was
cream colored wool and compatible with the size
of needles chosen. The stocking stitch rectangu-
lar structure produced a stable “paper” on which I
could add a textured linear row of purl stitches at
regular intervals to represent the regular line and
replace the wool yarn intermittently with black

viscose for selected groups of two stitches through

the length of the structure to symbolize the “asides”.

This yarn formed a contrasting vertical graphic line

across the length of the fabric, enhancing this lin-

ear scaffold of connecting themes, which made the

whole.

I was unsure how to respond to the presenta-

tion on “Surgery drawing” because of the sensitiv-

ity of the subject matter. I wanted to be true to the

investigation of the use of drawing during surgical

procedures and pre and post surgery communica-

tions and the different tools of pencil, pen , knife

and stitches. As the presentation unfolded and a

distinct audible response emanated from the audi-

ence, I was moved by what the lines represented in

terms of action, body, tools, materiality, physiology

and emotion, value and purpose. It had to be a dif-

ferent structure from those that had already been

produced. I chose a more literal narration with a

yarn of changing red and pink tone through it’s

length, which when knitted was almost flesh-like

and contrasted with solid color dark grey yarn and

black viscose and a white synthetic yarn. (Fig 3.)

This white yarn comprised a crotchet chain, which

acted as a central vertical core from which one cen-

timetre lengths of horizontal threads were trapped

at regular intervals along its length. This created the

effect of sutures when knitted into the structure.

Figure 2. ‘Tools of thought’ lines