nikki gabriel

Remix Magazine

2012-01-18T14:33:00.006+11:00

I've always loved the shoots in this magazine; and was browsing through one the other day at a cafe, and spotted my Hirsute Dress in it, from Winter 11. Nice!

Molly Makes

2011-12-21T08:13:00.004+11:00

A feature in the Christmas issue of MOLLY MAKES

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-15T17:57:00.004+11:00

This is Izzy with a basket of Handspun Bespoke Wool. This range is sold out, but there will be more next year.
Have a beautiful christmas everyone. Looking forward to a nice long break and the start of a new project. Will keep you posted!

Christmas Gift Guide

2011-11-28T17:14:00.006+11:00

Knitting Needles and Wooli in Inside Out Magazine's Christmas Gift Guide!

Melbourne Design Awards

2011-10-13T08:00:00.009+11:00

The Construction Knitting Project picked up an award in the Textile Category for the Melbourne Design Awards. Thank you all who voted for us!!!!!

Summer COLLECTION now in store

2011-09-09T17:39:00.004+10:00

Knitted Camisole Dress in Gold - Linen/Cotton, Silk, Rayon.
Available in Australia at Chiodo.

All Summer Collection photography by Annelise Hough.

Summer Collection

2011-09-09T17:02:00.010+10:00

Mesh Kaftan available in New Zealand from Aroha, and Little Black Crown / in Australia from RPM & Chiodo.

Lace Fringe Top available in New Zealand from Little Black Crown.

Summer Collection

2011-09-09T16:52:00.012+10:00

Lace Chemise available in Australia from Chiodo.

Lace Kaftan available in New Zealand from Aroha & Taylor / in Australia from RPM .

Jersey Dress available in New Zealand from Little Black Crown / in Australia from Chiodo.

Summer Collection

2011-09-09T16:08:00.011+10:00

Filagree Lace Dress available in New Zealand from Little Black Crown & Aroha /in Australia from RPM

Tulip Lace Top available in New Zealand from Taylor & Aroha / in Australia from RPM & Chiodo.
Lace Bloomers available in Australia from Chiodo.

Victoria Lace Dress available in New Zealand from Little Black Crown

HOA TV

2011-09-01T04:56:00.004+10:00

Video by Rakai from Aroha.

Nikki Gabriel - Knitwear Designer from HOA TV on Vimeo.

Vote For Us....

2011-08-18T16:18:00.014+10:00

Wow, our entry for these very prestigious Melbourne Design Awards have been accepted. This award entry is a reflection of the integrity and originality that has been injected into our Construction Knitting Project. The complete project is profiled on the link, which explains the process of how the product was conceived. The public's vote plays a big part in the award - so please vote for us here.

The Handknitter's Yarn Guide

2011-08-10T12:58:00.018+10:00

I remember in my interview with the Design Files I really pondered over the "what's your dream job" question. And I replied that I'd like to travel the world to examine all the rare fibres available, and work out what to knit with them. Well; it came true!!!!

I was actually approached by a publisher to author this particular book: "The Handknitter's Yarn Guide";and I didn't actually travel the world to find the knitting yarn, but I was given a budget to source them, so I trawled the internet (hey - same thing, sort of!) And so for the last year I've had parcels landing on my doorstep from all corners of the world of every type of hand knitting yarn imaginable, made from every fibre possible; animal, vegetable and synthetic. So, I've had time to play, work, and review, and compile all this into a book.

The most amazing I discovered is Vicuna, a rare South American animal; so rare it's US$300 for a 50g ball. 50g's enough to make half a mitten. The most under-rated fibre; Camel - just as fine, soft, warm and beautiful as Cashmere; but you don't see any model/actress come fashion designer releasing a new 'camel knitwear range do you'. I have a list of the most surprising and the most delightful; Seacell (made out of seaweed), Kenaf (from the bark of a bamboo/like plant), Milk (yep; solidified then spun into a yarn), Corn & Nettle. And there's more, my God there's so much more!!!! You will have to wait for the book to come out to discover the rest: March 2012, from St Martin's Press in the US, and Search Press in the UK.

WORKSHOPS

2011-08-02T16:44:00.013+10:00

What a week - phew!! The highlights for me was the actual pitching of the tent , and setting up the ambience for the space/ once the LIGHTLY lamps and pom poms were up I was satisfied it was going to be a productive and beautiful space to share and work for the week at Harvest Workroom. The other highlight of course was the really diverse range of people who attended; one lady brought her elderly mother who has been an accomplished knitter all her life, but can't make the complex and demanding garments she used to make, and can now only knit squares, and so was inspired by the end of the workshop; and then a guy who wanted to learn to knit so he can make something for his girlfried - hoowww sweeeet!! I enjoyed the conversations with all the hospitality workers who had days and afternoons off to knit/ a couple of lawyers, a few designers, artists & fashion students & many textile appreciators. And of course the yummy food / my morning trips to QV Market kept the table filled with pots of tea and fruit, cake, bread, cheese.

Knitting Tent

2011-07-26T18:57:00.015+10:00

Tent is now set up for Knitting Workshops at Harvest Workroom.
There are still some places available for the afternoon sessions - or just pop in to have a look and see the new range of WOOLI yarn, Tools & Construction No 3 knitting patterns.

CONSTRUCTION NO.3

2011-07-15T08:26:00.003+10:00

NO. 3 now ON WEBSHOP

2011-07-13T15:32:00.006+10:00

Construction No.3 knitting patterns & made garments are now available on the WEBSHOP.

Design Files Guest Blog

2011-07-06T13:34:00.008+10:00

See an interview about the knitting workshops by GUEST BLOGGERS on Design Files; and more on the Harvest Textiles Blog.

CONSTRUCTION NO.3

2011-06-28T11:27:00.011+10:00

This is a snippet of Construction No3. This pattern has 3 projects, above is PROJECT ONE > A to C. The pattern includes a further 5 garment formations; that's a total of 7 designs made from squares. The WORKSHOP KIT includes the pattern that makes all 7 garment formations. CONSTRUCTION NO.3C below in WOOLI black.

KNITTING TENT COMING TO MELBOURNE

2011-06-27T12:46:00.011+10:00

I will be installing the Knitting Tent in Melbourne this time for Construction Knitting Workshops at Harvest Workroom
from 26 - 28 July during STATE OF DESIGN FESTIVAL. I will also be making a guest appearance for a day of workshops at Cottage Industry on Sunday 31st July. Will also be launching new products during this week; which I will be posting details of soon....

CONSTRUCTION NO.3A

2011-06-20T15:09:00.013+10:00

Construction No 3 is based on 1 knitted shape: a SQUARE. At Cottage Industry now is a jumbo WOOLI ball that comes with a free knitted pattern that starts off Construction No 3 ; NO.3A is a SHRUG made up of 3 squares.

The rest of No3 pattern shows how to construct a further 6 garments; its easy - just keep knitting squares.

New Tools

2011-06-17T15:06:00.012+10:00

Working with RECYCLED New Zealand RIMU, these knitting needles have been hand-turned and carved from old railway sleepers, then ebonised for this beautiful blackened finish. Each pair is unique. Essential tools for Construction Knitting. Available in Sydney from Shelf Life and The Society Inc , in Melbourne at Cottage Industry, Craft Victoria and Pop Craft.

WOOLI

2011-06-13T14:36:00.024+10:00

My new bespoke yarn arriving into stores very soon - next week in fact. Ahhh boy, its taken months to develop this yarn, nothing's ever easy! It is a very clever yarn if I must say so myself; it's made from recycled fibres from factory remnants - but this is no rubbish; it's CASHMERE, SILK, ALPACA, WOOL, & being New Zealand, a bit of POSSUM. I was beside myself when I spied a rainbow of waste yarn sitting there at the spinning mill, I have no idea where it would have ended up otherwise, but I'd like to think that I've rescued it from being landfill or becoming a removalist blanket (although I think these are pretty cool).

These beautiful fibres have been mixed together and spun into a bulky roving style yarn. It's a bit tweedy where its got these little specs of multicolour dotted through a heathered GREIGE colour, which is all the colours mixed together. This WOOLI yarn has all the beautiful characteristics of each natural fibre; the luxurious softness of CASHMERE, the lustre of SILK, the warmth of ALPACA, the spring of WOOL, and the lightness of POSSUM. I have dyed colours too; black, grey, & burgundy; the multicolour specs are still prominent in these colours. Now here I know I'm revealing myself to be a yarn nerd, but I am so &*^#@$#% excited about this yarn, I hope you are too.

This is a bulky yarn for chunky knitting and you can knit CONSTRUCTION NO1 & CONSTRUCTION NO2 with it, but I have designed also a Construction No 3 for WOOLI, so I will unveil this shortly too. The yarn will come in Jumbo balls for CONSTRUCTION NO3.

New Knitting Construction

2011-05-30T15:27:00.005+10:00

Construction No 3. Knitting Pattern and a new Bespoke Yarn UNVEILED SOON......

Knitted Joanie Lamp

2011-04-18T09:42:00.008+10:00

Great Design Files post on Lightly, including pics of our recent collaboration on the knitted Joanie lamp.

Knitting Symposium

2011-04-18T07:42:00.009+10:00

Made a presentation at Auckland University Knitting Symposium ; keynote speaker was the eponymous author Sandy Black. Sandy is from the London College of Arts; amazing woman, she has a wealth of knowledge of knitting and was a true inspiration to meet. So at the symposium many issues were discussed, about industry, innovation and education; and how these can be improved for the future. With representatives from all of these, there were some really interesting insights. There were discussions that went round and round the issues of technology advancing beyond the innovation applied to it, which leaves a big gap in creativity meeting industry; and why?!
In my opinion one of the key points that was raised was "why do we not train our knitwear designers to program the machines, and shouldn't it be part of the curriculum?" True; I mean to get a graphic design degree, one has to know the design programs, right!? I hope, truly hope; that whatever changes are implemented over time, that the perception of knitting is changed too, and for it to be considered as a valid design discipline that takes just as much enquiry as any design process.

Portman's Window

2011-04-12T11:21:00.007+10:00

If you're on a Melbourne city tram one of these rainy days (sigh! I miss you Melbourne) and you think you just spotted in the corner of your eye a lot of cozy looking fluff hanging in the Portman's window; you weren't imagining it. I've made them plenty of wooli pom-poms, braids and tassels to drape their windows for the launch of their knitwear collections this week.

Urbis Design Day

2011-03-22T12:27:00.010+11:00

Urbis Design Day is a big industry event in Auckland; collaborators of fashion and furniture designers transform showrooms into installation soirees of experiential design that involves an extravaganza of food, wine and object. Taylor paraded my knits with her winter collection, and I quote here from Thread: "The highlight of the Taylor clothing was the Nikki Gabriel handknits which were our best pick fashion wise for the whole day. NZ design at its best."
- woah!

Joanie's Lamp

2011-03-14T07:41:00.010+11:00

A new collaboration with Lightly - working on cozy-ing up the Belle Lamp Frame , I've designed a knitted wool-angora lampshade that reminisces Swedish 70's craft. Using circular knitting technology the product chews up some knitting time so its still quite a limited edition production in that it's a slow production. First featured at Life-In-Style in Sydney 2 weeks ago, Joanie is it's name and you can see it at Lightly's new retail premises in Collingwood.

Taylor Boutique

2011-03-02T16:58:00.010+11:00

2 big cartons of Winter Knits went out to Taylor Boutique yesterday; ready to be racked for the In-Store Launch at the Ponsonby store this Saturday. I'm looking forward to meeting some Aucklanders over some champagne and nibblies.

Fashion Quarterly

2011-02-23T15:34:00.011+11:00

New Zealand's Fashion Quarterly magazine celebrating my trips out to the farmers fields looking for sheep and wool. And a few pages later the lovely Nga Waita reveals her wardrobe secrets, wearing one of my new winter cardigans upside down, and Zambesi of course.

Work

2011-02-02T07:29:00.010+11:00

These Winter pieces are taking on their own celestial-like forms as they consume the studio; I can barely move in here its like sharing a space with lots of winged creatures.

Dictionary of Dyeing

2011-01-10T11:19:00.011+11:00

I received this awesome present from my husband. A first edition print (1862) of 'A Dictionary of Calico Printing and Dyeing' by Charles O'Neill. This out-of-print book he found at the Antiquarian Bookshop, which for me is one of the most amazing places to spend time in in Melbourne.

I love the references to the guilds O'Neill was member to; Fellow of the Chemical Society of London, Member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester. I think it was the fashionable thing for the 'free thinkers' of this time to be part of a guild; the early 1900's Arts & Crafts community was abuzz with new research & discovery, disbanding superstition for science.

My favorite part of this book so far is the 4 page description of BLACK,
"In a philosophical point of view black is not a colour. It is the abscence of colour, or the extinction or absorption of all the coloured rays of light, ........ There is no purely black body; such a body would be perfectly invisible, since it would neither emit nor reflect any rays of light by which it could be seen.".... it goes onto describe how to achieve black..... "The famous family of the Gobelines, whose success in dyeing was imputed to supernatural assistance, produced their best blacks by a mixture of the elementary colours - red, blue and yellow."
So the cloth was dipped first with red (pure madder), then blue (pure indigo), then yellow (weld), apparently producing a very perfect, but expensive black.

I'ts got me intruged - invisible cloth! - Although I might not be able to find the ingredients for some of these recipes, eg:
'DEEP HAT BLACK' for Silk without Galls.
2lbs. fustic chips,
1 lb, quecitron back
6 oz verdigriz,
6 oz copperas

Doesn't matter, I'm still finding it fascinating reading; and what a treasure to have, all wrapped in plastic in a protective acid free box.

Darker Work

2011-01-09T17:28:00.007+11:00

Hair and Make-up by the lovely Cushla Bower, and photography by Chiappin.

Work

2011-01-08T12:00:00.011+11:00

sneak preview of winter11.

Play and Rest....

2011-01-03T13:49:00.015+11:00

Urewera National Park in New Zealand: The turangawaewae of the Tuhoe People, overlooked by the celestial Mist Maiden Hine Pukoku Rangi.

4 days of walking and camping through this amazing part of New Zealand. It was soooo still here that it felt otherworldly at times. I learnt after the walk that " 'The Patupaiarehe' - the fair-skinned fairy people, are believed to be everywhere in the Urewera forests - mystical spirits that shadow intruders who invade their sacred haunts..... and one can hear their feint singing above the sighs and murmurs of the breeze." Paul Rush, Herald on Sunday 26 Dec.
I couldn't help but stop and touch as often as I could; delicate wispy mosses that cascaded off little branches. Oh the inspiration for knitting textiles from this mesmerizing vast place. If I had a needle and thread on me I could have made some little dresses from all the petite foilage found on the forest floor and left them as gifts. I didn't hear any singing but sometimes wondered if we were being watched.

Craft Christmas

2010-11-30T16:02:00.008+11:00

I like Craft Victoria's E-Catalogue!! - Bespoke Wool for Mum's, and as Lucy from Design Files, suggests - pick up some Ebony Needles from Penny at The Cottage.

Tools & Materials

2010-11-23T17:38:00.005+11:00

Bespoke Wool and Ebony Knitting Needles for Construction No 1.

Inside Out Christmas Gift Guide

2010-11-08T12:29:00.009+11:00

My CONSTRUCTION TOOLS are mentioned in Inside Out Magazine's 100 Inspiring Christmas Gift Ideas. You can buy these handmade ebony knitting needles from: Melbourne - Cottage Industry, Sydney - Shelf Life, & New Zealand at Aroha.

Work

2010-10-21T10:40:00.012+11:00

Summer's coming....

2010-09-22T15:20:00.014+10:00

Waiting for that sunshine to come!!
Summer collection going into store now - RPM, cardiganstore.com, House of Aroha.

Film for 3 Jumpers Project

2010-08-19T14:42:00.004+10:00

Film For 3 Jumpers Project from Antuong Nguyen on Vimeo.

Featuring works by myself for the The Endless Garment Exhibition.

SYDNEY DESIGN

2010-08-18T12:09:00.019+10:00

Sydney Design at the Powerhouse was huge. So big, (and so busy) in fact that I didn't get a chance to get around to any of the exhibits. Regretfully missed the Castiglioni retrospective, and Benini both at the Powerhouse, only a level or two up from the Knitting Workshop Tent where I was.

It was a joy getting some beginner knitters on the needles and churn out a scarf or two in the workshops; they were so surprised and chuffed at how easy it is; but also at how design can improve an outcome by making the process more accessible. The theme of Sydney Design this year was about how design has a story, and how the designer connects their ideas with an audience through that story. It was great to participate in this process, and be part of these symbiotic conversations.

WORKSHOP AT SYDNEY DESIGN

2010-07-30T13:30:00.019+10:00

I'm getting a lot of emails about the Workshop and what standard of knitter one needs to be to attend. So, I just want to confirm that the Construction Knitting Patterns are for really basic knitting skills, and they are so easy. In one workshop you should be able to whip up a whole garment. It's big chunky knitting so it grows quickly; and the shapes are easy and uncomplicated knitted rectangles and squares. And I'm there to show you how to join the pieces following the pattern, to make all the different garments.

So, I'll be running Construction No 1 in the morning workshops, and Construction No 2 in the afternoon workshops.

Now these strange little shapes that you keep seeing, are the shapes of the pieces you knit to create these different constructions.

CONSTRUCTION NO 1:

& CONSTRUCTION NO 2:

For example; this shape below corresponds to to this piece (A: SCARF) to start you on your Construction No 2 pattern.

WORKSHOP TENT

2010-07-26T07:31:00.012+10:00

Intense workload this week/ screenprinting 60 metres of fabric for the Workshop Tent. The Tent will be shipped all the way from New Zealand to Sydney / Look out for it at at the PowerHouse Museum for the Construction Knitting Workshop.
Don't miss this space!!!

Construction KIT No. 1 a>f

2010-07-23T07:10:00.013+10:00

K I T N o. 1 a > f is available in stores now; to knit up complete sections of Construction No 1 Knitting Pattern; from 'a-c' or 'd-f'. The Kit contains complete Manual (the knitting pattern) and Materials (the bespoke yarn) / the Tools (handmade ebony knitting needles) are also available to complete the Construction Project.

TimeLines

2010-07-20T09:25:00.011+10:00

Managed to catch this show at the NGV which included Portraits by an old friend Rod McNicol, love this one of the iconic Jack Charles from the film Bastardy. Rod did this shoot for me in 2002 of my Winter collection; he was my neighbour in Smith St, Fitzroy then. He only ever used natural light in his studio/ which poured in from old glass ceilings which his oversize plants used to lap up/ he loved that colour GREEN of the plants, the same colour as his background wall which was his permanent fixture; his spot of provenance. The only fashion shoot Rod has ever done; I feel fortunate to have these amazing portraits as part of my collection.

METROPOLIS

2010-07-17T18:01:00.004+10:00

Just did a whirlwind trip to Melbourne; but managed to drop into my favorite bookstore for some inspiration and restock Construction Knitting Patterns at Metropolis Bookshop.

SYDNEY DESIGN

2010-07-06T15:55:00.016+10:00

I'm running a KNITTING CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP during Sydney Design at the PowerHouse Museum; August 15-18.
There's only 20 per class; which will be a nice hands on group size for me to show how to make pieces from the Construction Knitting Patterns and join them to make different garments. I will be adding little annexes (some extra shapes) to the patterns in these workshops and I'll show how to get some extra variations within the constructions. I'll also be sharing some stories on how my bespoke yarn is made; images of where I source it and the way its processed. I'm also going to have some new products on display - I'll keep that a surprise; and new yarn colours at the YBM Design Market.

Sustainable Living in New Zealand

2010-06-19T08:49:00.007+10:00

A mention in NZ's GOOD Magazine.

CHARCOAL ALPACA

2010-06-11T14:41:00.012+10:00

Made my way out to the Alpca Farm and Mill today to pick up the long awaited CHARCOAL YARN. So, its now in stock on the webshop only; for all those who have patiently waited. All backorders will be sent out tomorrow.

This yarn is an even finer quality than what was produced before; have managed to source some black fibre from the South Island and some beautiful white fibre locally in Hawke's Bay. This is an amazing deep & lustrous charcoal.

Some new babies I just couldn't resist capturing, they were cautious but keen to come over; there they are in the background

this dude wasn't shy:-

NEW PACKAGED KITS

2010-06-10T08:42:00.010+10:00

New 25mm ebony knitting needles in store soon; and new kits.

AROHANUI

2010-05-22T12:33:00.008+10:00

means big love....
Winter pieces at House of Aroha

winter 10 colours

2010-05-10T08:32:00.005+10:00

3 Jumpers Project

2010-05-07T14:13:00.015+10:00

These garments were created for the 3 Jumpers Project; Wholegarment Design exploration for the The Endless Garment Exhibition. The project was set up to present the design dialogue between designer and technician. In the exhibition catalogue the email conversations are recorded over 5 pages; which very interestingly (and candidly) reveals the process from idea to outcome in this project. My intention with these pieces was to reduce the knitted form to just thread in 3 processes.

Endless Garment Catalogue

2010-05-03T08:48:00.008+10:00

Finally have an exhibition catalogue in my hands.

New Selvedge

2010-03-25T16:17:00.009+11:00

New Selvedge issue has arrived with a nice little article on the The Endless Garment Exhibition. It features Issy Miyake's APOC piece which was exhibited. Theres a good reference to the APOC concept on
Design Boom. Apparently Dai Fujiwara's lecture at RMIT filled a theatre of 700 people. A complete sell-out. Overall the exhibition showcased a really broad range of designers using new machine technology. It closes this week, and there's been loads of reviews; but my favourite one is from Real Time Magazine. I think the machine component created a very interestng and different perspective for the viewer; and a very favourable one too.

Life in Aotearoa

2010-03-22T16:05:00.032+11:00

New stockist in Napier, House of Aroha showcasing the best of NZ fashion, art, & music.

Selvedge Magazine

2010-03-13T13:07:00.011+11:00

Editorial in Selvedge MagazineJan/Feb issue; My mag arrived only this morning looking pretty tired, must have come across by sea, and on its arrival finally jammed in the letterbox folded in half with the fold across the 'do not bend' sticker. Must have had a tiff with my Napier postman while it sang - "I'm a long long way from the UK!"

Winter 10

2010-03-08T10:24:00.014+11:00

Snippets of winter collection; mohair handknitted detail - going into store soon.... to Alice Euphemia and RPM.

End of Summer

2010-03-02T11:56:00.015+11:00

1 March is officially beginning of Autumn; its usually my benchmark to get A/W deliveries out the door and into store. Will be posting Winter images soon; so goodbye Summer 09 collection - I was particularly fond of this one; silk and linen knits; both hand and machine. xx

Bangarra Dance

2010-02-19T09:16:00.016+11:00

Costume created for Designer Jenny Irwin for the Bangarra Dance Company ; 'hot wind dress' for 'Clan' performance in 2005. These images were part of the presentation I made during the artists floor talk on 12 February 2010.

Works at the Exhibition

2010-02-17T14:44:00.013+11:00

I gave an artists floor talk on 12 February for the The Endless Garment Exhibition at RMIT Gallery. During the lecture, I got asked questions like… "so now your clothes are hanging in a gallery space; do we call it art?” Disappointingly to some, I didn’t care to make the distinction (between art and fashion); I’m not fussed about the word ‘art’ as a reference for a higher culture; or as an improvement on a culture. Art happens everyday, like fashion. Fashion is an interesting communication tool; a creative visual language. It’s a system of symbols much the same as graphics, or even music for that matter. And within that communication system there will be parameters of complexity and layers that averse, repel, delight and inspire to aspire to broad audiences with differing receptivity; it records a moment in time; an historical imprint. One must find their own meaning in it; that’s what’s interesting about fashion exhibitions.

The 3 Jumpers Project: whole garment knitting machine technology.

The 3 jumpers project I saw as an opportunity to create 2 pieces that progressed from form to thread; where thread was used to exploit or benefit the garment rather than used in the absence of stitches; this could only develop during the process of knitting. Once the first swatch was knitted it was easy to determine the forms based on the movement and integrity of the fabric. The technician was pivotal in that decision making process; and in the recommendation of structure to hold its integrity and for me to then decide where to push the disintegration of the fabric; to create movement, and to balance light and density; and then to decide on shape – where to increase and decrease stitches in the garment to determine its manouver over the body.

WORKSHOP

2010-02-03T10:45:00.006+11:00

I will be conducting a Workshop on the knitting construction patterns on 12 February at RMIT Gallery 2-4 pm. Reserved for only a small group, so get in quick to get these new and limited edition handmade ebony knitting needles as part of the material kit; the essential TOOLS for the CONSTRUCTION KNITTING PATTERNS. It will be a hands-on workshop to guide you through the making of the pieces in the Construction No 2 pattern. The material kit will also include BESPOKE ALPACA YARN + the knitting pattern.

The New Craft of Machine Knitting

2010-02-02T13:09:00.008+11:00

The Endless Garment Exhibition opens at RMIT Gallery on 12 February. A few of my archive pieces will be on exhibit. I feel very honored to be making a special address on the opening night 11 Feb; and being the only Australian designer amongst a line up of some very awesome internationals: Issey Miyake, Sandra Backlund,
Walter Van Beirendonck, Cooperative Designs, Mark Fast, Yoshiki Hishinuma, Saverio Palatella, Freddie Robins, Sibling.... WOW!! Don't miss lecture by Dai Fujiwara Creative Director of Issey Miyake, Wed 17 March, part of the Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program. I will be conducting an artists floor talk on 12 February from 12 - 1 at RMIT Gallery.

Melbourne Magazine

2010-02-02T09:56:00.012+11:00

The coveted editorial squeeze in the quarterly Age mag. The copy is a bit misleading in the article, so please note.... The knitting patterns and wools are available on my WEBSHOP. In Melbourne the patterns are also available at Craft Victoria,
Greville St Bookstore
and Metropolis Bookstore.
The fashion collections however; will be available at RPM in Carlton; first Winter deliveries early February.

more early work

2010-01-22T10:51:00.010+11:00

polaroids have a beautiful ageing quality....
photos by Chris Kapa
Summer 2002: machine knitted cotton viscose boucle yarn

construction no 2 knitting pattern poster....

2010-01-16T11:37:00.007+11:00

Illustrated knitting instructions are on the reverse of poster.

early work...

2010-01-09T10:35:00.005+11:00

machine knitted cotton viscose boucle yarn.
photograph by Chris Kapa

A thought to share

2009-12-27T14:12:00.002+11:00

for the new year......

Christmas Wishes

2009-12-21T16:29:00.007+11:00

Christmas always eludes me as its usually my busiest time; but somehow I managed to make a few of these one year. Wish I had a few extra to send out with all those balls of Bespoke Wool heading off to New York. Must be the snowy weather that's fitting for those hoodymittenscarfs.

Back to Knitting

2009-12-14T10:11:00.002+11:00

I've had enough time now to acclimatise to New Zealand pace and way of life; what a beautiful country; so green, air's so clean, and the light so clear. Aaahhhh!!! Anyway, back to it; its time to work again.

Off to the Land of Plenty

2009-10-16T12:01:00.006+11:00

Well New Zealand does have plenty of sheep, water, wine,..... What more does one need!!! And it's still pretty close to Aus, but far enough to be away. And I will be away there forever I hope. I will still be stocking my favourite Melbourne stores; and I have some new interesting collaborations coming up, so will report on them soon. Of course the on-line store is still open, as I'm very busy designing more wools and patterns; - it's just now I'll be working from New Zealand.

New Knitting Kit

2009-09-21T10:22:00.007+10:00

The Construction KIT NO1g follows the theme of the Construction No 1 Pattern, adding a new shape 'G', a mittenscarf to 'A' hood, gives you the "Hoodymittenscarf". Available to buy on the Webshop.

In the Farmers Shed...

2009-09-07T16:18:00.006+10:00

An antique carding machine that was once used for Millinery. If this was mine, it would be polished and living in my loungeroom.

NEW SUMMER COLLECTION

2009-08-14T14:04:00.004+10:00

The first trickle of Summer Deliveries are in store now at RPM .

Construction No 2

2009-08-08T17:11:00.007+10:00

Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky fiber. Spun, it is warm, soft, luxurious and glossy. The preparing, carding, spinning,and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool. The black Alpaca fibre used for my production, although the loveliest of the colours, is also the rarest of breeds in Australia. They are full of character, mostly gentle and peaceful, sweet and curious.

Construction No 2 is a pattern written for the Bespoke Alpaca yarn. The shapes have a nice pliable sculptural quality when knitted up, and there’s some clever joining to construct the pieces in this pattern.

The Wool Story

2009-08-06T12:38:00.038+10:00

So what does it mean to suggest providing an All-Australian harvested & hand-produced spun wool; in natural colours, without any chemical processing and harmful substances. Well, exactly this: A supply chain that benefits the grower, the designer, the customer, and therefore - the community. In the same fashion as the slow food movement, herein lies an opportunity to bring back a focus to yet another quality product, and a quality lifestyle, by creating a direct relationship between that which comes from the land - our farmers; and the raw material they supply to our producers and designers - our innovators; and the products we make for our customers - our community. As consumers WE make the choice, the choice based on sustaining our lifestyle and our consumption based on our needs: our need for clothes, our need for self-expression & creativity and our need to be part of the community.

So herein lies a balance. This balance has taken me years to establish, in a trade dominated by big industry and monopolised supply chains. Producing a small bespoke wool production seemed impossible; how so, in a country that boasts to be the largest wool producing nation in the world. Growers were mistrustful, mill spinners sceptical and costs for small manufacturing blown out of the market. I did reach a turning point eventually and was met with some enthusiasm and fair prices from few. A small window of opportunity presented itself, and I grasped it. I found growers looking to share a fair go, a spinning mill yearning to be creative, and customers wanting to be part of that story.

So here is the story: This wool is designed to not look mass produced; it is a bespoke product. It comes directly from small farming communities after the sheep are sheared in Spring. The wool is then washed, scoured, carded (so all the fibres run in one direction), drawn (stretched to go through the spinner), and hand controlled spun so the thread is nice and chunky, slubby and bumpy, leaving it natural, light, fluffy and handmade. All this takes many months.

My first Bespoke Wool is available to buy on my new WEB SHOP. It knits up quickly, with big needles and is the inspiration to my first knitting pattern; Construction No 1. A manual on how-to-knit basic shapes, and make many garments creatively by joining the shapes. It is a playful yarn to work with, as the pattern is designed to engage you in the creative process by building, forming, inventing and interpreting. This knitting construction pattern is the first in a series of many more patterns to come; I will keep you posted.

HandMade 2

2009-07-31T10:25:00.006+10:00

A new edition of Handmade in Melbourne

Pop Up Shop

2009-07-13T16:40:00.005+10:00

I was cleaned out - but glad these babies have gone to some good homes! Out of the 14 collections, some of these pieces were hard to part with; but back to the drawing board for me; and I'd say the next sample sale won't be around for a long, long while.

It's all in the Detail

2009-07-10T07:53:00.003+10:00

Handmade touches.... Summer 09, going in to store soon!

Summer 09

2009-07-08T14:34:00.006+10:00

A peak at some new summer pieces; going into store August; silk thread machine knitted so fine it curls like wet paper at the edges and Crisp handknitted Linen Lace.

The Age

2009-07-03T13:19:00.004+10:00

The Craft of Press: The Age

POP UP SHOP

2009-06-29T14:07:00.004+10:00

Sample Sale:
Not blogging much lately as I've been busy beyond repair almost. (nursing an rsi shoulder); So, developed the new summer collection and started production for August deliveries into store; building a website and trying to archive 6 years of material, + developing a new product which will be launched on the website - really soon; and doing a clean up of the studio!; Now there are 14 collections of archived samples in boxes that I need to move; so 1 of everything I've ever made will be for sale; (at a small fraction of the retail price) - get in for first dibs at the POP UP SHOP: 2 days only on Sat 11 & Sun 12 July -
41 Gamon Street, Seddon. I look forward to seeing you there!

Summer 06

2009-06-15T15:14:00.003+10:00

Silk Leather Wool

2009-05-28T13:29:00.000+10:00

W05: a mix of materials

another old collection

2009-05-13T17:20:00.000+10:00

Other old crochet and knit collection to look at for reference. Sometimes I think we do our better work earlier on in our careers, and it's nice to sometimes just read into the details of past work.

crochet collection

2009-05-13T16:37:00.000+10:00

Bringing out old crochet collections from the archives for inspiration for new summer. Decided not to take that direction anyway but got a bit nostalgic about this capsule.

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2009-05-01T18:47:00.001+10:00

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2009-05-01T18:27:00.002+10:00

Snippets of Winter

2009-05-01T17:36:00.001+10:00

Frankie

2009-04-23T09:38:00.001+10:00

Apart from feeling fuzzy for getting a mention in the new Frankie Mag, theres some great stories in it to add to that; I love the interviews with the littlies. I love magazines; I always have; since being a littlie myself - its a nice little world that I can escape into.

Shopping

2009-04-07T14:13:00.000+10:00

RPM love the image of Crystal and the Floral Wall, so she's larger than life in there, and lights up the shop at night. I don't get a chance to get out shopping much, but it's very tempting to linger when delivering to stores. RPM especially have some gorgeous things, I have my eye on the Cacherel floral raincoat on the mannequin. Lygon Street, Carlton.

The Last Thread

2009-04-06T17:53:00.000+10:00

The final delivery of winter collection into store. Dresses knitted in fine silk; and they will keep you warm; honest; and this thread is really made from butterflies; well the butterfly lays the egg which becomes the cocoon which is where silk is harvested from.

Anonymous Artisans

2009-04-03T17:46:00.000+11:00

I've often wondered who belongs to the nimble fingers of the handmade behind the luxury label; who's laboured over the beaded, crocheted, painted, felted, embroidered, whatever; piece with the glistening desirable tag on it. Well if you do come across these pieces somewhere in the world; this maker was me. SS09 production for Aurelio Costarella.

Goodbye Shweshwe

2009-04-01T16:40:00.000+11:00

A retail store I co-owned and conceived from a dream of owning a space with beautiful textiles and hand-made products. Shweshwe named after the South African traditional cloth was full of georgous collectables all found from there; my hometown; a place I will keep going back to and still draw on for inspiration. I created the feel and look of this space and these images with the help of some talented and generous friends, Virginia Kerridge Architects, , Skeet Booth photographer, and Anthony, my darling who did all the graphic design; so its thanks to them too for the realisation of a beautiful idea. I split from Shweshwe in 2007, a year after it opened; and it's now closed it's doors and stopped trading. So it's goodbye to an old chapter.

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2009-03-31T17:45:00.001+11:00

Pins and Needles

2009-03-31T09:50:00.000+11:00

As much as I would love to say I love what I do all the time, I'm always in tears at the end of every production; and feel I never want to do another one ever again. But something possesses me every single time - and then I get excited to do another collection. It has been inspiring receiving lovely messages from happy customers; thank you for your compliments - its a reason to keep going. It's encouraging getting recognition for one's work - as it's such a hard, hard slog. In saying this, and in response to all the craft crisis talks: In defence of The Cottage & D&H ; the business of making and selling your handmade is not for the feint-hearted; so here's another kit idea - a little patchwork heart that can be mended when it get's worn out on the sleeve.

Slow Fashion

2009-02-27T16:59:00.000+11:00

"Thus slow is about a shift from quantity to quality...
where pleasure and fashion is linked with awareness and
responsibility. Slow fashion is all about choice, information,
cultural diversity and identity.
Yet perhaps most critically, is it's also about balance.

Slow Fashion supports our psychological needs
(to form identity, communicate with others, be creative through our clothes)
as well as our material needs (to keep warm
and protect us from extremes of climate)." Kate Fletcher.

Spinning out of Control

2009-02-23T09:20:00.000+11:00

Taking up spinning classes at the Handspinner's Guild; thought I might not be so in to it, but being in that beautiful and historical building, working on those old wheels, learning this art, is a joy!!, and it's a help to balance the stress of meeting delivery schedules. Can't speed up this process, just have to work longer hours into the night to finish the work.

Loopy Loopy

2009-02-16T14:42:00.000+11:00

Almost a shame to unravel these skeins of one-off handspuns, and knit them into garments; I sigh with appreciation each time I wind one off. Of course the acknowledgement of the wonder of the material is part of the process, so is the loopiness that creeps in when working long hours solely.