Fashion and Textiles Introductory Weeks

Technical Skills:
Knitting:

 On the second day of our introductory lessons in the Fashion and Textiles Pathway we were taught how to use the knitting machines. Operated by hand, these machines are a relatively quick and easy way of producing knitted textile products. We spent the day making several samples, trying out different stitching techniques.

We were first taught how to set up the machines and thread them with wool. These contraptions have a row of perhaps a couple of hundred needles and we were shown how to twist the wool around these, starting with a row of about 20 or so stitches. This was difficult at first as it was easy to drop stitches or get the wool twisted round the wrong way. There is also a handle that runs along the needles through which the wool is threaded. When the handle is pulled across it tugs the wool though the needles, thereby knitting a row of stitches.

Threading the machine

After dragging the handle across several times the knitted wool has to be weighted down to prevent it from catching. The needles were delicate and caught the wool easily, meaning it was sometimes difficult to avoid stitches being dropped. This fact and the heaviness of the handle made it hard to find a balance that pulled the handle across gently enough to avoid bending the needles and creating holes in the fabric.

Plain Stitch

Weighted down rows of stitches

However, after a few practice attempts I think I got the hang of it and it became quite enjoyable, and proved even mildly therapeutic to use the machines. We started out just learning how to use a plain stitch and made a small sample but after this we were taught some more complex techniques.

Stripped Sample

We were taught how to thread the machine with two different colours to create stripped knitted fabrics and then how to use a varying number of needles to create a spiral design (which I found very difficult and didn't work that well on my sample). We were then taught how to drop stitches intentionally, in a way that would not make the wool around them unravel, to create cut out designs in a knitted fabric. This is called a lace stitch. My first attempt at this technique was a bit sloppy but the next technique we were taught, the honeycomb stitch, I enjoyed and found easier. This involved rethreading stitches onto the needles to bunch up the fabric. It can be used to create interesting fabrics and I liked the effect. 

Lace Stitch

Honeycomb Stitch

Getting the hang of the basics when using the knitting machines and making these samples took up most of the day, however, in the afternoon we were given about 20 minutes to create on last sample using whatever of the techniques we had learnt throughout the day that we wanted. I started out hoping to make a scarf, but ran out of time. Therefore my final sample is a rectangular length of wool with a diamond pattern on it, which I used the honeycomb and lace stitches to achieve. I was reasonably pleased with my final sample as I was able to finish it without dropping any stitches or making any mistakes. Overall, I fond this day enjoyable and wish we had had more time to experiment with the machines and make a finished product.

My Final Sample: