Knitted monofilament
Monofilament, or fishing wire, is an unexpected material to knit with. It's plastic, more rigid than wool, and consequently rather unruly and harder to manage; it's a slow process, but the results are interesting. It comes in various thicknesses and colours. I have knitted with it before, but wanted to research different ways to create form with this strange material.
During this module I have knitted two forms in thick red monofilament. The rigidity of the plastic means that the knitted sculpture retains its own form, and the knitted construction means that it can also be stretched or tensioned, so there are plenty of possibilities.
Because the plastic is so slippery and hard to control when it's knitted the line is transformed into a glittering, ethereal, irregular web. I see it as a form of drawing.
As I have been think about situating my work in more public spaces, I've also been thinking of materials that would be appropriate. Monofilament would certainly be weather proof, as its plastic, but I'm becoming more and more resistant to using man made materials outside. It's a shame, in a way, as the potential for installation could be endless.
During this module I have knitted two forms in thick red monofilament. The rigidity of the plastic means that the knitted sculpture retains its own form, and the knitted construction means that it can also be stretched or tensioned, so there are plenty of possibilities.
Because the plastic is so slippery and hard to control when it's knitted the line is transformed into a glittering, ethereal, irregular web. I see it as a form of drawing.
As I have been think about situating my work in more public spaces, I've also been thinking of materials that would be appropriate. Monofilament would certainly be weather proof, as its plastic, but I'm becoming more and more resistant to using man made materials outside. It's a shame, in a way, as the potential for installation could be endless.
Knitted monofilament 1
I started this on a small circular needle so that the stitches are tight and consequently very dense. I then progressively changed to bigger needles and the stitches became more and more irregular and unruly. I think this change in control is the most interesting thing about this piece. I'd like to knit more of this, possibly with bigger needles still, letting myself be led by the strange materiality of the fishing line.
Knitted monofilament, 2
I knitted this on the thickest circular needle I have. It was even harder to control and required a very high level of concentration, which is unusual for me when I knit. To begin with I just knitted in a spiral, but the work began to curl, so than i tried to knit one 'row' and pearl the next. This made it curl less. I find the aesthetic very appealing. It's like a drawing with the variation in thickness of the lines. That it is knitted is not obvious, apart from the presence of the knitting needles.
