Let the hard work begin...

After a wonderful month and a half of getting settled in and relaxing, classes have finally begun.  We have now finished 3 full weeks of classes and the work is only just beginning.  We are starting to develop our senior collections.  This semester is focused on creating two portfolios, one creative and one technical.  These portfolios will contain  60-80 garments divided into 4 groups. 

My inspiration comes from nature.  I am focusing on the idea that everything in nature and in life is composed of the same basic structure : the cell.  The simple basic shape and structure of the cell can be visible at every level and from every perspective in nature.  It is in fact the building block of life.  I have gathered images of microscopic views of cells as well as images of areal views of earth.  These images look shockingly similar.  Both the micro and macro images appear almost identical in their irregular patterns and vibrant colors.  It is often difficult to tell them apart.  I want to take these images and translate them to knitwear.  I am going to use natural fibers and dyes to create garments that capture the irregular symmetry of nature.  I could go on for hours about my inspiration but rather, I will let you see for yourself....

The following are pages from my sketchbook that will show you the development of this inspiration. 

This is my first grouping and color story.  In this grouping I am going to use tuck stitches and volume to create the effect of the honeycomb and cells.  The colors are cool and natural.

In my second grouping I am using a color story of all blues.  In this group I am going to focus on using basic plain stitches that will be hand painted and dyed to show the effect of the beautiful images. 

This group is centered around the circular cell.  I am going to use drop stitches, soft yarns, and reds to create the garments in this section. 

In the 4th group I am using a very natural color card.  These garments will be made with fringe and open work to create the movement that the images show. 

I want to play with collaging in photoshop to show the perspective of the micro and macro images.  I am very inspired by these collaged images. 

Work work work...

I am working with open work on the brother machine to create swatches for my sketchbook.

Here i am creating drop stitches for the 3rd group in my collection.

Thats all for now but don't worry there will be more knitwear updates coming soon...

Viaggio a Biella e Torino

A couple of weeks ago the 4th years took a trip to the towns of Biella and Torino in Northern Italy.  It was an absolutely amazing trip complete with visits to some of the most amazing museums and factories in Italy!

In Torino we went to the Orient Art museum which had 3 stories worth of incredible artifacts from the orient.  It was so inspiring.

We went with our professors to Casa Zenga a wool factory up in the mountains of Biella where we got a tour of the factory.

We also visited the factory of Cerruti a famous cashmere and wool company.

We took a trip to Citta Dellarte an organization founded by Italian artist Pistoletto.  This organization "aims to inspire and produce a responisble change in society though ideas and creative projects."  While at Citta Dellarte we were able to view exhibitions from the artists involved with the organization and we were also able to attend forums given by artists and architects. 

The following are some images from the amazing city of Torino.

Cinema Museum in Torino

View from the highest point in Torino.

Relaxing with a drink after a long day!

Munching on some of Torinos world famous chocolates:)

Wool Wool and more Wool!

A sneak peek at my sketch book!

An overview of Settembre: Pesto, Como, and Fashion Week

Here are some photos from various activities that took place during the month of September!

We learned how to make home made pesto in our Italian class! It was the most delicious pesto I have ever tasted! Take a look...

We took a day trip to Lake Como a couple of weeks ago.  Once we arrived in Como we took a boat to a beautiful old Villa with stunning gardens.

Milano Fashion Week happened a couple of weeks ago as well.  We were able to attend the Fashion trade shows where we were able to see all of the new collections and talk to some of the designers.  It was an incredible experience.