A few days ago I got a wonderful letter (actually an email), asking about knitting.
The author wanted to see a particular garment from an earlier iteration of my website.
She also wondered why I have so little knitting on this one.
The author wanted to see a particular garment from an earlier iteration of my website.
She also wondered why I have so little knitting on this one.
The first query sent me burrowing around in old digital files
looking for the vest she remembered.
Alas, I found not a single pixel.
looking for the vest she remembered.
Alas, I found not a single pixel.
 |  |
Not a single pixel of that sweater, that is.
But I did find plenty of others.
But I did find plenty of others.
Colorwork-- four approaches to the basic rectangle My world is awash in hand knit garments
Cello Cardigan; Two Rambouillet Columbia X fleeces, one white one cream, spun as singles and plied together; Colorwork = cormo and merino. ©Sarah C. Swett
each a physical manifestation of time and place,
of ideas and dreams,
some of which have become 'real,'
some of which have become 'real,'
some of which remain swatches.
Swatch Blanket -- approx 70" x 50"
Each bit of cloth contains hours, weeks, decades of knitting pleasure,
the indescribably sensuous feeling of yarn slipping through fingers
wrapping around needles, loop through loop, through loop.
the indescribably sensuous feeling of yarn slipping through fingers
wrapping around needles, loop through loop, through loop.
Red Nuns; Hand Woven Tapestry; 36" x 36" Hand Spun Wool, Natural Dye ©Sarah C. Swett I've attempted to capture it in other media:
tapestry, needlepoint and paint,
tapestry, needlepoint and paint,
 Stripes - Panel 1 of a three part comic, each 60" x 40"; Needlepoint; stitching; wool, cotton, hemp, natural dyes; ©Sarah C. Swett |  Stripes: panel 1 detail |
but try as I might, it seems nothing can truly evoke that pleasure
other than actually knitting.
other than actually knitting.
Morning Knitting; Egg Tempera on board; 11" x 14" ; ©Sarah C. Swett
I've been knitting steadily and obsessively since my early teens.
Like breathing, it is something I can't seem to stop doing.
And I don't want to.
Why, then is there so little knitting on this website?
Why a tapestry archive and no knitting one to balance it?
Am I being elitist?
Is the dreaded art/craft hierarchy warping my thinking?
Eek!
Like breathing, it is something I can't seem to stop doing.
And I don't want to.
Why, then is there so little knitting on this website?
Why a tapestry archive and no knitting one to balance it?
Am I being elitist?
Is the dreaded art/craft hierarchy warping my thinking?
Eek!
The only reasonable answer I can come up with today
is that my professional life used to be more knitting centric than it is now.
Garments I made in the past ("Kestrels Alight" for Knitting in America, for instance),
garments destined for publication, were likely to be professionally photographed,
both for the magazine or book in question and for my records.
But as tapestry came to dominate the portion of my work that was "out in the world,"
my knitting became private, my sweaters my everyday clothes.
And who wants to see that?
is that my professional life used to be more knitting centric than it is now.
Garments I made in the past ("Kestrels Alight" for Knitting in America, for instance),
garments destined for publication, were likely to be professionally photographed,
both for the magazine or book in question and for my records.
But as tapestry came to dominate the portion of my work that was "out in the world,"
my knitting became private, my sweaters my everyday clothes.
And who wants to see that?
Green Shift; Hand Knit with Handspun Cormo; Indigo and Weld ©Sarah C. Swett
With no plans to publish then, I needed only enough information to make another for me
so I stopped writing down the patterns -- or only as jots on fragments of paper.
so I stopped writing down the patterns -- or only as jots on fragments of paper.
Notes To Self; Hand Woven Tapestry; Hand Spun Wool; Natural Dye ©Sarah C. Swett 2015
(Now that I write this, I find it curious that I immortalized the scribbles
while the original sweater lives in a pile with all the others).
while the original sweater lives in a pile with all the others).
Three Sweaters - Wash Day
But clothes are important. I like making them.
And there is infinite pleasure in simple garments that I reach for day after day,
year after year.
There are now so many that I have a notebook of when I wash each one
so I don't lose track.
And there is infinite pleasure in simple garments that I reach for day after day,
year after year.
There are now so many that I have a notebook of when I wash each one
so I don't lose track.
Cloisters; published in Spin Off at some point (can't remember the date just now), but I put it here because it is what I am wearing today.
I rarely photograph them,
or only as not very good sweater selfies --
hardly fit for a knitting archive.
or only as not very good sweater selfies --
hardly fit for a knitting archive.
Miracle Medium #1 - Cormo Hoggett Fleece (brown overdyed with indigo). Top down.
Yet suddenly I'm intrigued with the idea of having a record---
a collection of garments I've made
all in one place.
a collection of garments I've made
all in one place.
Cheviot Cardigan, phase one
They wouldn't have to be terrific photos, would they?
Cheviot Cardigan-- phase 2
Nah.
Knitting Pile several years ago. It is bigger now.
It could be interesting.
One of these fine days, I might actually do it.
Now, however, I'm trying to get a pile of mismatched hand spun leftovers to work together as though I meant it. Stay tuned....
One of these fine days, I might actually do it.
Now, however, I'm trying to get a pile of mismatched hand spun leftovers to work together as though I meant it. Stay tuned....
