​16.2.21 Knitted monofilament and performance

I have revisited my knitting and installation research and reflected on it ​at 15.2.21 Knitting with monofilament. I had forgotten that in 2012 I also documented a series of performances involving knitting with monofilament. It's part of my ongoing knitting in public series, I knit therefore I am.

This series of images documents the more public parts of this particular I knit therefor I am performance; in other images, I'm knitting at home, obviously more privately. When I knit with wool in public, it's familiar and instantly recognisable; knitting with monofilament is not instantly recognisable as it's such an unusual material. However, as it grows, it looks so unusual that it still acts as a curiosity hook and, consequently, prompts conversation. 

There are also a couple of photos of the knitted monofilament sculpture being worn at various stages:

In the first photo, I'm wearing the knitted monofilament and in the second, a few days later, when it's larger, a friend wears it. It's like some kind of strange, shiny, cloud surrounding my head and then her body. The knitted plastic is knitted on large knitting needles and so it's very flexible and stretchy. In a way it now makes me think of my Body cocoons, except here the body is only partly hidden. It's also a flexible version of Body cage 1 and Body cage 2.

​I especially love the way Nicola holds herself within the net.

I think the translucence of this particular colour of monofilament works well being worn. I wonder what impact other colours would have? I'm just about to start knitting with a selection of green monofilaments, so I'll have to make whatever I knit big enough to wear!

​I would like to explore this further at some point too.