Generative Knitting Motif Software

This software aimed to challenge the origin of knitting motifs routed in family and place by providing an obvious contradiction to traditional methods.

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Interactive Fair Isle Swatches

These interactive Fair Isle swatches were part of a digital knitting experiences and embodied insights from the research participants in Shetland. This was part of a display that enabled me to engage with participants and playfully share research insights.

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Image of Local Knitters found in the Tangwick Haa Museum, Shetland.

Fair Isle knitting is a highly skilful and specialised craft which was traditionally practiced by women on Shetland. The technique with three needles and a knitting belt allows knitters to 'knit on the go' and to quickly drop the needles to do other forms of work in between.

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Provotypes

The three provotypes consisted from left to right of interactive Fair Isle swatches which were based on traditional motifs, a generative motif software which allowed to alter and manipulate the traditional designs, and a set of digital knitting needles which assisted in navigating the new pattern by counting the row and stitches.

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I am a Product Design Engineer interested in exploring ways of harnessing my practice methodologically early on in the research process. My research lies in the permeable boundaries of digital and analogue and it aims to challenge innovation in a traditional craft practice.

KNITTING IN THE ROUND – PROVOTYPING TO EXPLORE INNOVATION IN FAIR ISLE KNITTING

This practice-based research study explored possible roles for digital technologies in the contextually-located practice of Fair-Isle knitting in Shetland. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a provotyping approach in a traditional craft context to enable knitwear practitioners to reflect upon innovation in their own work. Furthermore, I explored how the Product Design Engineering practice (PDE) can be harnessed methodologically for creative engagement.

This project followed an action research methodological approach and was conducted partially site-based in Shetland. The initial data was collected through a scoping trip to Shetland during which I interviewed a range of knitting experts to gain insights into the traditional nature of Fair Isle knitting. The process was evidenced through audio/visual data and thematically analysed. Based on the analysis of this engagement I developed three digital engagement tools (provotypes) that challenged the traditional design process in Fair Isle knitting. During the evaluation and dissemination stage these provotypes were brought back into the context in Shetland for participants to explore innovation in their own work and imagine future design approaches in Fair Isle knitting.

The findings of this study showed how provotypes can support reflective dialogues for craft practitioners to develop new perspectives on their own practice and showed a situational value of provotypes, in particularly as narrative tools that enabled the dissemination of research insights to a wider audience. This research intends to provide an account of using technical artefacts early on in the research process. Contrary to similar studies that have been taken place in the fields of interaction design, this study explored the approach of provotyping in a traditional craft context. This might be of relevance to PDE practitioners interested in the methodological account but also to researchers and craft practitioners
interested in the role of innovation in a traditional craft practice.

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Generative Knitting Motif Software

This software aimed to challenge the origin of knitting motifs routed in family and place by providing an obvious contradiction to traditional methods.