KnitSonik

There are some things that drop into your mail box and make you say 'YES' the minute you read them. News of Knitsonik's kickstarter was most definitely one of them. 

Knitsonik is the creation of Felicity Ford, an artist and academic who is best known for her explorations of recorded sound. Her projects often use field-recordings and interviews to explore the meaning of objects and social contexts. KNITSONIK is a division of Felicity's work in which she uses sound in order to explore the social, historic and geographic aspects of woolen textiles and clothing. Previous pieces included hand knitting a soundscape and her love of fairisle has made her a regular favourite at Shetland Wool Week.  

(c) Knitsonik

 

So what is Felicity hoping to create if she secures the funding from Kickstarter?

 

The KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook will celebrate the textures of everyday life through stranded colourwork, using such inspirations as biscuit tins; a crumbling deco factory; sloe gin; and a 1930s manual on the wonders of electricity as sources for ideas. It will contain sumptuous photos of giant swatches and at least 12 sets of related charts, each based on plants, places, or things. The book will also include a useful tutorial on productive swatching and adapting colourwork charts to fit your knitting patterns; writings on translating familiar places, things, and plants into stranded colourwork; and an appendix of black and white knitting charts for those who like the charts but would prefer to try them out in different colours from those recommended. Key ideas:

- it's about learning from the amazing stranded colour-work handknits of Estonia and Shetland, and applying aspects of these textile traditions to make up your own personal knitting traditions

- it's about discovering and playing with colours and shading

- it's about SHETLAND WOOL! And the Jamieson & Smith palette

- it's about the wonderful challenge of translating the 3-D world into the medium of stranded knitting

- it's about developing knitting processes which deepen your connection with your world through practices of knitting

- the SONIK side of the project applies similar strategies to the practice of field recording; so the iTunes album which will come out after the book is published will celebrate the idea of deepening your connection with your world through the practice of listening

- it's about knitting and listening your way to a closer connection with the textures, colours, surfaces and patterns of your everyday life. 

 

(c) KnitSonik

 

There will be a featured interview of Felicity on the blog tomorrow as part of her blog tour campaign to help give you even more insight into the Kickstarter campaign and persude you to help her make this book a reality. For now, please do go and watch the inspirational video that she has put together as part of her Kickstarter campaign.