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i would like to say that i found adding my reflections on the piece better than going through each post and adding my thoughts. i've commented how my direction of the piece changed and my inspirations all in one section rather than dispersed as i found that better for how i work.

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https://vimeo.com/716056855

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We detected a high number of errors from your connection. To continue, please confirm that youâ€™re a human (and not a spambot).

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I had a lot of control over doing the filming in my flat. It made it easier to control lighting and what i can and cant film.

I did find that the audio when i tried the rode microphones didn't at all turn out how it should have so i had to record the whole voiceover on my own microphone. I did a lot of editting out 'likes' ' um' and 'ah's but i did want to include some in the final project to make it more conversational as i didnt want it to sound like a spoken work piece.
the audio cutting braches for temporary shelter by penguin cafe orchestera i found fit the piece well. I wanted to go for the studio ghibli-esque/music for plants vibe for the audio (as mentioned in the moving image section. But as this is copyrighted, i wont be able to public distr. and purely for uni purposes!

the filming over all was okay, i planned a small amount of my storyboard with the help of a tutorial to shape my ideas but overall i wanted to see alex's room and find inspiration of her colourful style for there.
inspiration from tassia and my own research helped a lot with framing what i wanted to do
at first i felt maybe something more haptic and sensory would be good, as i referenced the piano and happening as they were two films i felt were very sensory with sound. i thought the hook squeek would be a good idea however eventually after seeing how a voiceover audio that was conversational can compliment a film i decided that would add more to my piece. fish story added how a conversational tone can be impactful when expressing emotions or telling a story (not that my piece was a story)
the story of hand knitting piece was much more related to my work and served as a big inspiration on how to film a subject when knitting or crochetting or what questions to ask and how to establish them in the scene.

all together i believe it went well, i didnt have any major issues with things i would have done
audio was the main issue i dealt with but i think it came together well

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I encountered the most issues during this session of the course. I hadnt used a dslr before for still image and i found it to be challenging to navigate. however with a few trials i believe i can use a camera sufficently now

I have reflected on the individual shoots under each padlet section but i had issues with managing or working round the lighting in some settings, i found the lack of control difficult and not being very familiar with an area or setting made it a bit hard for me to plan

i felt that my editing in lightroom helped a lot however and where i had low shutter speed i could adjust the contrast, where the shadows weren't in my favour i could adjust the blacks and whites, etc.

my inspo helped a lot with how to form the still images
I was also shown a piece of photography in a tutorial that was a large source of inspiration where it was women being photographed by the textiles that created on the machines by Lucia Ganieva. we looked at some examples as posted in this padlet of photos similar to those in craft books as they demo what a pattern would look like. this is what i carried out into my piece with my images.
others who i referred in the padlet helps with understand portrairts and composition like
-Bill Owens: Suburbia
Denis Dalleux:People from my village

Cesar Dezfuli: Passengers

and after these sessions through doing my own research i found the works of Richard Billingham and Jameela Elfaki. Elfaki was helpful as it helped with photographing women through a 'female gaze' as empowering rather than as an object. Billingham helped with the personality of a piece as his are very personal and homely.

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i thought i would do my work on crocheting as it's something personal to me and something that a lot of other people find personal. i definitely had a big increase over lockdown and the stats for research that i did show this. i wasn't sure what angle to go for first. i thought mental health but that seemed too direct.
then i started with a different view of crocheting, i started by thinking i would do the generations of crocheting (ages 20s 40s 60s) and compare why they crochet how or if they have different reasons. however after developing the idea i was then going to focus on just one generation as i didn't like the point anymore and getting participants was a bit tricky. i decided to focus on just london based creatives in my own generation and how they picked up crocheting during/after the lockdown. i was also going to get 5-6 crocheting participants to interview but that felt very broad for the piece especially as it's 800 words to write so i narrowed my interviews down to 3 and thought id match the still image to this.

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The studio was a little bit dark, it made me need a very low shutter speed but i think with lightroom
arabella also kindly brought her work that she showed at the mmx gallery! which was very helpful and provided some great colour and we could place this next to the window
this was my first time using a camera in a place i dont know (ive never been to the chelesa ual studios) so this was hard to predict and also helped me with photography problem shooting

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very sunny day! it was hard to work around the shadows and the bright sun especially in the location of new cross. i thought fordham park would offer some diversity as new cross doesnt offer much diversity around. i think the grassy and leafy location compliments her pieces well and the portraits but the sun was very intense and i was still getting to grips with learning photography.

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some were quite blurry, unfortunately the lighting wasn't good when i could schedule the photographs of alex's work
portraits were helpful to gauge how to photograph in a lot of lighting in an area, there were some backgrounds that were very bright some dark. finding how to use the shutter speed was useful for the rest of the photography i carried out.

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what to improve
words
typos and capitalisation
change some font size
close to the title with quote
Surnames?
source?

music? first bit with title maybe drop it?
bring it back in in the jump cuts

srgb - colour get muted

most important thing - inspiration for everything on the padlet!!!!

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moving image
- finalise and tweak

words
- fast fashion

still image
- tweaks of pics and arrangement

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https://www.lensculture.com/articles/lucia-ganieva-factory

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- use less words
- careful with word repetition
- dont put myself in the piece

intro
- refine the writing and make it stremlined
- tightening
-make the generational thing clear!

-lead with a pull quote
- a place to belong at ...
- present tense

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https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N9HYl88NpmMmHpKniZ21jsThNBtagNts?usp=sharing

this wont upload to padlet :(

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/crochet-culture-internet-trend/index.html

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Written by Leah Dolan, CNN

They say the devil finds work for idle hands, but after a year of intermittent lockdowns and social starvation, the hobbies many of us have chosen to busy ourselves with are surprisingly wholesome. Lately, there has been a deluge of crafting content on TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram, as crocheting and knitting shed the senior stereotype and emerge as fashion's newest fad among Gen Z.

A cursory scroll through YouTube reveals hoards of young people clattering a pair of needles together, sharing patterns and newly acquired tricks. Teens and 20-somethings document their creative process, from inspiration through to completion. Affordability is a top priority, with many replicating garments that would otherwise be well out of their price-range. (" Recreating the $1400 cardigan + bandeau that Kendall Jenner wore for $12" reads one video title.) Some content creators will actually teach you to make something, while others simply take you along for the cosy, satisfying ride.

The vlogs are enjoyably chaotic, as the amatuer knitters weave away with abandon, haphazardly modifying patterns through a dramatic dance of trial and error or freestyling altogether. Either way, there is an infectious motivational quality that comes with watching someone finish an ambitious project through dogged perseverance.

The trend is reactive, too. A fun sweater on the right celebrity can send ripples through the community, as demonstrated by the JW Anderson patchwork cardigan Harry Styles sported during a soundcheck for "The Today Show" last February, igniting a TikTok craze. YouTube searches for "Harry Styles cardigan" peaked in August, and the British label even decided to release their own official tutorial on how to DIY the garment.

From pastime to profession

In February, a knitted capsule collection designed by Ella Emhoff -- inauguration It-Girl and now a fresh face in fashion -- sold out on independent platform Mall NYC within an hour. This week, the step-daughter to Vice President Kamala Harris released a knitwear and crochet collaboration with American designer and vintage enthusiast Batsheva Hay

Knitting's cousin, crochet, a weaving technique that uses just one hooked needle, has similarly reached dizzying heights with more than 34 million searches on Instagram and a further 2 billion on TikTok. More than just generating a few how-to guides, the current appetite for crocheted pieces has spawned a flurry of small businesses like El's Crochet, Vaisseau and Fancy Nancy (@els.crochet, @va1sseau and @fancynancy_crochet), selling their wares on Instagram and second-hand platform Depop.

These small-scale operations are often more sustainable too. Limited production capacity has reinstated low-waste business strategies like waitlists, custom or made-to-order pieces, encouraging shoppers to buy with more intention.

The timing couldn't be better: for many shoppers, sustainability is now itself an incentive to buy. In 2019, data collected from Forbes revealed that 62% of Gen Z preferred to shop from green brands.

Small businesses aren't the only ones cashing in on the crochet craze; some fast fashion behemoths have developed whole ranges in order to capitalize on the trend. However, low price points have led some shoppers to question the brands' authenticity and ethics.

"Just a reminder that crochet can't be done by a machine," one 21-year-old student from London posted on TikTok. "It has to be made by hand."

Nancy Roberts-Smith, a 25-year-old from Bristol, UK learned to crochet in April 2020, at the beginning of the UK's first coronavirus lockdown. What started as a home-spun hobby to while away the hours quickly turned into a popular venture. Roberts-Smith's crochet brand, Fancy Nancy Crochet, now boasts 18,000 followers on Instagram -- but she feels disgruntled when she sees billion-dollar merchants co-opting the look without the focus on sustainable production.

"The amount of hours that go into even small items and the fact (fast-fashion brands) are selling them at crazy low prices means the wage of the garment workers must be pennies," she said over email. "With so many amazing small crocheter businesses,now you can get something completely customized to you while supporting a small artist, which is so much more worthwhile."

But the tension between ethical manufacturers and large-scale retailers extends beyond newbie crochet artists on social media. The "craftcore" movement has come at a time when the entire fashion industry is being forced to confront the true cost of overproduction, and customers at home are reevaluating their consumption habits. While eco-conscious clothing still has a long way to go -- by 2023 it's predicted to reach a global value of $8.25 billion, nearly $30 billion less than the expected worth of fast fashion -- greener companies are catching up. And, in less than two years, it's forecast that sustainable fashion will achieve a higher annual growth rate than its mass-market counterparts, signaling that perhaps slow and steady can win the race for a better fashion future.

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crochet tiktok is the most soothing and sustainable corner of the internet - cnn

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The trend making the internet wholesome again

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Written by Leah Dolan, CNN They say the devil finds work for idle hands, but after a year of intermittent lockdowns and social starvation, the hobbies many of us have chosen to busy ourselves with are surprisingly wholesome.

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https://www.scoutmag.ph/67083/crochet-ig-shops-crafting-era-comeback/

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Since the pandemic forced everyone to stay home, a lot of people have had more time on their hands. Some (like us) chose to dedicate hours binge-watching or catching up on pending reads. Others chose to revisit their creative pursuits, and we know you've all seen it gain popularity all over social media.

Handcrafting in particular made a huge comeback on platforms like Instagram. Those oversized cardigans you may have seen on aesthetic feeds are crocheted, made from counting stitches and loops with yarn and a hook. Who says it's just a lola pastime, huh?

For these artists, what many would consider a boring, "grandma hobby" is a therapeutic outlet, a creative business idea and a sustainable form of art.

Daphne, like a lot of us, needed a way to keep her sanity intact during the hellhole that is quarantine (yes, "is" because technically, we're not out of it yet). After her roommate showed her the world of crocheting, Daphne created @ilyang.ilyang. It's a creative outlet, a portal to an equally creative community and a tribute to her great grandmother Ilyang, who had a knack for crocheting herself.

"It's really my way of honoring a stereotypically lola hobby while putting my own twist to it," she said. Now, she's on IG making "hardcore handmade crochet"―colorful sun hats, cropped vests and even luchador masks.
What makes crocheting different from other crafting hobbies? What do you find most enjoyable about it?
It's the freedom to create anything you want from a single strand of yarn and being able to "frog" your creations anytime you want to create something new. Talk about sustainability, no? These crafting hobbies provide an outlet for me to create and express myself. The process alone helps get my mind off the mundanity of everyday life.
What can you say about the so-called "comeback" of crafting hobbies last year?
Being stuck at home definitely pushed people to find their creative side, and I love being a witness to their crafts! It's pretty amazing to see how people are starting to incorporate crocheted apparel and accessories into their everyday outfits. Thank you, Blackpink. Thank you, Harry Styles.
What's the weirdest thing you've crocheted? (Or something you didn't know you could make from crocheting but managed to)
Not the weirdest (I have weirder projects in mind for the future of Ilyang Ilyang), but I recently made a luchador mask from the movie "Nacho Libre."

It was a fun personal project, but I'm hoping to make even crazier projects with crochet like a that you might accidentally find on the weird side of Pinterest.
If you had all the time and creativity (and yarn, hahaha) in the world, what would be your dream crochet project?
Crochet bombing, which is like graffiti tagging, but with yarn.
Any recommended tools and advice for beginners?
There's a whole range of hooks and yarns you can try! It can be overwhelming at first, so I suggest getting a set of cheap hooks and see which size works for you and your projects best before investing in pricier ones.

First crochet projects usually don't turn out great right away. It's like that first wonky pancake on the pan, so don't get discouraged. Crocheting will test your patience, so count those stitches, keep notes and frog that project if you have to! If you have questions or feel stuck, join communities and don't be afraid to ask or put yourself out there. But most importantly, don't overthink it and just have fun with it!

Sometimes you just look at something and you know it's literally calling you. That's exactly how Alyssa's crochet account Maison Gantsilyo came to be; she found her first crochet hook sitting on top of bed sheets at her local department store and the rest was herstory.

She started crocheting at the beginning of quarantine then put her hook and yarn down for a while to focus on her studies. A couple of months later, she bought her first set of yarn skeins, went back to crocheting, and even started making money out of it.
What makes crocheting different from other crafting hobbies? What do you find most enjoyable about it?
As much as I love other crafts like molding clay, painting and other DIYs, I feel like I can do so much with crocheting. It's limitless. You can take anything around you (or like a memory for example; my alfresco collection reminds me of the fun outdoors!) and turn it into any crochet form or silhouette.
Weirdest thing you've crocheted? (Or something you didn't know you could make from crocheting but managed to)
I'm into footwear and I never thought I would crochet my own slides out of T-shirt yarn! (Posting them soon; they might not be for sale though.)
Favorite custom order so far? (If you made any!)
I want to say the Alfresco Scarf, but I think I love how the half and half bucket hat turned out! I unraveled that so many times, I was basically crying during the process, haha! But it was worth it.
If you had all the time and creativity (and yarn) in the world, what would be your dream crochet project?
I used to dream about making the cardigan and the shoes, but since I already made those, maybe a bedroom set? (with bed sheets, curtains? Haha, might be too heavy) or some crocheted Air Jordan 1s!
Any recommended tools and advice for beginners?
I recommend starting with a 4-5mm hook so you can see each stitch well and it wouldn't be hard to transition to smaller or bigger hooks in the future. Also, when starting out, don't be in a hurry to finish a project. Take it slow and enjoy it. Create things that make you feel happy! ?

Whatever your feelings for TikTok are, it's undeniable that a lot of people found the passion to create and share their works on the platform.

Angeli hadn't thought of herself as a crochet kind of person, but got inspired after seeing Liz Huffman remaking Harry Styles' J.W. Anderson cardigan on TikTok (so whoever thinks being in a fandom is a waste of time better reconsider now). Soon, she's crafting coasters, face masks, bucket hats, bags and bottle covers, and selling them on Sundry Local.
What makes crocheting different from other crafting hobbies? What do you find most enjoyable about it?
Crocheting is simply a hobby that helps me relax from the harsh reality of things―all the limitless possibilities my yarn and hook can achieve is such a mesmerizing feat to comprehend. Crocheting gives me full control and freedom in what I can make.
What can you say about the so-called "comeback" of crafting hobbies last year?
It's about time! Being stuck at home for almost a year, it can be quite repetitive and boring living life without any personal goals or hobbies.

It's always nice seeing people express their creativity in different forms. It's also a way to escape, in a way. Being all locked up, it's important to have a creative outlet for your thoughts. Living in the pandemic is hard for all of us and crocheting definitely helped me get through it.
Weirdest thing you've crocheted? (Or something you didn't know you could make from crocheting but managed to)
The weirdest thing I've crocheted was probably a jug cover for my mom. It looks like a mini bucket hat but for jugs/pitchers
If you had all the time and creativity (and yarn, hahaha) in the world, what would be your dream crochet project?
It has always been my goal to be able to crochet clothes! It can be quite daunting at first. But the more I gain experience, the more I gain motivation and knowledge in crocheting different sweaters, cardigans, vests, pants, etc. But not just plain basic ones, I also want to experiment with different patterns and stitches. Hopefully I'll be able to release crocheted clothes soon. So stay tuned!
Any recommended tools for beginners? And maybe some advice for them if they're considering getting into crocheting.
My top three essential tools for beginners are a crochet hook, yarn and a darning needle! When I first started, I just bought those and was able to make a coaster right away.

My advice is: Go for it! Just remember that your first crochet project won't be your best, but of course as you practice, you'll get better each time! Just be patient with yourself and don't forget to rest your hands in the process. Rest is important too. And lastly, enjoy!

College student Anna Liah's childhood dreams spelled two words: fashion designer. She started out rough with crochet though, struggling to nail her basic stitches (well, the best any of us can make back in fifth grade home economics class, at least).

The skill doesn't manifest overnight, Anna Liah knew that. So, like many artists, she taught herself and practiced for years. Now, she's making little gifts like phone pouches and pen holders for loved ones, recreating luxury designer pieces (again, "Thank you, Harry Styles") and even helping her family with household expenses by taking crocheting commissions.

"Elated to see the 'comeback' of crochet," she feels great that young people like her appreciate the art of crochet. She sees the craft as a sustainable venture that a lot of Filipinos would benefit from. Crocheting, for her, is just as intricate and valuable as any form of art.
What makes crocheting different from other crafting hobbies? What do you find most enjoyable about it?
The amount of patience is what makes crochet different from other crafting hobbies. It takes a lot of time, like any other art, which makes it more special and valuable. I find crocheting most enjoyable among other hobbies because it makes me create things with my own hands and it makes my imagination tangible.

But because of our family's financial situation, I chose to be practical and pursued a college degree in human resource management. Now, I'm not really fully closing my doors to my childhood dreams because God has His own ways of making wonders in my life.
What can you say about the so-called "comeback" of crafting hobbies last year?
Honestly, I was surprised because all of a sudden, crochet is trending all over social media platforms, especially on TikTok and YouTube. Most of my friends tag me in crochet-related FB posts or send crochet TikTok videos because every time they see yarn and crocheted items, these remind them of me.

It gives hope that this kind of craft continues and will continue to thrive for generations to come. But most of all, I believe the "comeback" also improved the connotation of crochet in modern times. Who says crochet is just a grandma hobby? Well, not anymore!
Weirdest thing you have crocheted? (Or something you didn't know you could make from crocheting, but managed to)
I still haven't crocheted anything that fits into the weird category, haha. From June to September 2020, I can't believe that I was able to successfully crochet and distribute 1,000 pieces of ear savers to local hospitals for the benefit of our medical frontliners who experience ear sores and such irritation caused by the prolonged wearing of face masks.
If you had all the time and creativity (and yarn, hahaha) in the world, what would be your dream crochet project?
My dream crochet project is to make crochet accessible as a sustainable livelihood program here in the Philippines. Our locally produced yarn fibers, especially those from Baguio, deserve recognition! I believe that Filipinos are natural artisans.

I think training programs and materials need to be provided because the talent is already there. I would really love to start a social enterprise that markets crocheted products and opens employment to rural and urban poor communities. Kind of ambitious, but I believe impossible things won't become possible unless one dreams of it.
Any recommended tools for beginners? And maybe some advice for them if they are considering getting into crocheting.
For beginners, I think I will recommend any acrylic and milk cotton yarn because these types of fibers are thicker than mercerized cotton yarns (similar to embroidery threads), which can speed up your beginner projects. To complement the acrylic and milk cotton yarns, a four-millimeter crochet hook size usually works best! I also suggest using lighter colors of yarn so it will be easier on the eyes and to maintain the tightness or looseness of the stitches.

Lastly, if ever you decide to make crochet a business, don't be afraid to set your prices. Remember that you are the artist, and you should know the worth of your time spent in mastering the skill and crafting the actual piece. After all, crochet, like any other art, is meant to be valued and appreciated!

Read more:
5 lessons you'll eventually learn when you start your new craft hobby
Ha.Mu might be out of the box, but they're for everybody
It's time to get (get, aw) these 'Daisy Siete' earrings, TBH
Photos by @maison_gantsilyo.ph and @gantsiliah on IG

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The handcrafting era is back, so make way for crochet - SCOUT

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Since the pandemic forced everyone to stay home, a lot of people have had more time on their hands. Some (like us) chose to dedicate hours binge-watching or catching up on pending reads. Others chose to revisit their creative pursuits, and we know you've all seen it gain popularity all over social media.

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https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200630-how-knitting-became-cool

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Of all of the so-called 'domestic crafts', knitting remains the most laden with stereotypes in the public imagination. While baking and gardening have mostly rid themselves of associations with 'women's work', knitting still, for the average person, conjures images of an elderly white woman, sitting in a rocking chair or in a circle of her peers. In fact, this assumed demographic only describes a fraction of the world's knitting community, which has blossomed in the 21st Century. As a creative outlet with therapeutic benefits, it has proven to be a trending activity in life under lockdown for people of various ages and backgrounds. And recently, knitting has also come into fashion proper, thanks to a new generation of designers, who are transforming the 'old-fashioned' practice into a high-fashion art form.

More like this:

- The floral fabric that was banned

- The quirky charm of Norwegian design

- What you didn't know about colour

Knitting (derived from the word 'knot') is the process of using two or more needles to create a fabric made of a series of interconnected loops. The documented history of knitting begins with a pair of Ancient Egyptian socks, from the 3rd to 5th Century AD. The structural complexity of the first socks, however, suggest that knitting is far older than archaeologists can prove. Knitting spread from the Middle East to Europe via Mediterranean trade routes in the 14th Century, and even has its own art historical record; Master Bertram of Minden's Visit of the Angel - in which the Madonna is depicted knitting - dates back to 1410. Knitted wool garments became popular in the UK from Medieval times onwards, because of their weather-resistant qualities, particularly among soldiers, sailors and labourers. William Lee of Calverton invented the first technical knitting machine in 1589, which transferred the bulk of the industry out of rural towns into city centres.

Both women and men knitted professionally for centuries, and it wasn't until the mid-to-late 19th Century that it became associated with domesticity. Author and historian Penelope Hemingway tells BBC Designed: "For the middle classes, it became a parlour hobby, consigned to the part of women's lives lived in the spaces between men's more public-facing lives. This 'feminising' led to knitting being perceived as an 'idle' waste of time; a feminine pursuit to be followed safely from within the cage of domesticity."

Knitting remained a useful skill for people with limited resources or disabilities in order to earn income, which Hemingway says also contributed to its associations with older generations. "In an era before the welfare state and pensions, it was one way the elderly could stay economically active." Its associations with housewives became more pronounced after the world wars and Great Depression, when women were encouraged to knit for the war effort, or turned to knitting and mending out of necessity; knitting still maintains connotations with the familial structures, gender roles and tastes of women who embraced it long ago.

Like most things in the world of high fashion, knitting has fallen in and out of favour over the course of the 20th Century. Coco Chanel, who incorporated knits into her signature suits, also emphasised knitwear as ideal for recreational activities like sailing or sports. Sweater sets and A-line skirts, designed by the likes of Emilio Pucci and Missoni, characterised the 1950s and '60s, and designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne and Diane von Furstenberg have used knits regularly in their collections since, furthering its associations with either affluence and preppiness or ease. For most of the 20th Century, knitwear was used in clothing that was relatively conventional, although towards the end of the century, pioneers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald began using knits in unusual ways and to create edgier garments, expanding the applications of the technique.
Extreme knitting
Designers, artists and hobbyists have taken this to an extreme since the turn of the century. Knit-centric, fashion-forward designers like Yan Yan and Hazar Jawabra gaining traction around the world and actively reversing preconceived attitudes. "Because it still has these stereotypes of the domestic, mundane and tedious attached to it, when those are subverted, the effect is very powerful. The art of extreme knitting has really hit people in the face," says Sandy Black, professor at the London College of Fashion who also curated a show for the Fashion and Textile Museum called Visionary Knitwear. According to Black, knitting is often still perceived as an amateur and uncomplicated craft, and the difficulty of the skill is chronically underestimated by people both and in and out of the fashion industry.

Avant-garde knitwear designer and Central Saint Martin's graduate Katya Zelentsova is one of these 'extreme knitters'. Her intricate works are sensual, whimsical and futuristic hybrid garments that stray far from the typical cardigan or sweater. Zelentsova says few people grasp the unique challenges of the medium. "People don't understand you aren't just going to the shop to get whichever fabric you want. You're making it yourself, and that takes time." Even at a school like CSM, the knitwear avenue is still considered a 'niche' pursuit. "I still get a lot of patronising remarks about knitting, mostly from men, who say things like 'Oh so you just knit in a circle?' The reality is that I'm operating intense machinery on a day-to-day basis. And even if I was knitting in a circle, what's wrong with that?"

The Icelandic experimental knitwear designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, known for her Cubist-inspired sweaters and facemasks with protruding tongues, echoes that sentiment. She points out that our assumption that only older ladies knit, and therefore it's an uncool and uninteresting pursuit, is rooted in more insidious biases, like ageism and sexism. "I find the stereotype has been labelled negative because people assume older women are traditional or unadventurous. But I'm sure this subtle behaviour can easily be tracked to the patriarchal society they were brought up in, a society that pushed them to act in certain ways and follow patterns," says Jóhannsdóttir.

Internet forums, blogs and social media platforms have been a vital resource, not only in support of the work of extreme knitters like Zelentsova and Jóhannsdóttir, but in introducing younger generations to the craft and to keeping the tradition alive. Lizzie Morgan, a crocheter (a technique used with one knitting needle as opposed to two) known as @GimmeKaya on Instagram, said the social media platform inspired her to take up the craft. Morgan says that the enthusiasm of the digital knitting sphere was also born of a generational commitment to combating climate change. "I think a lot of young people are waking up to how damaging the fast fashion industry is, both [to] its workers and the environment. Now, many of us are choosing to make our own clothes or shop from more sustainable brands. Our society revolves around consuming, so I think it's both rebellious and empowering to step away from that." Morgan is hugely grateful to the online craft community for supporting sustainable designs during a precarious financial period, and her following has tripled since the start of the pandemic.

The boom has similarly boosted millennial-focussed companies that sell knitting tools and kits. The Madrid-based company We Are Knitters reported to Vogue Business that its steady 10% annual sales growth spiked to 235% in March. The UK's self-proclaimed "digital first" company Wool and the Gang has also seen a dramatic spike in sales because, they say, people simply have more free time to make things by hand. But knitting offers more than a sustainable way to be more self-sufficient and creative; it also benefits overall health and wellness. "Crafting is proven to reduce stress and anxiety, something we could all have a little help with right now. Sitting down to stitch can put you in an almost meditative state, we don't say knitting is the new yoga for nothing!" says Anna Veglio-White of Wool and the Gang.

Even though knitting has boomed during periods of social isolation, it has long been a tool for community building. Sicgmone Kludje and Vea Koranteng founded Black Girl Knit Club after #diversknitty trended on social media in 2019, which promoted the visibility and recognition of more BAME people within the craft community. "We wanted to create a safe space for Black women and female creatives like ourselves to gather, share their story and inspire each other through craft skills," say Ludje and Koreantend. And while there are plenty of knitting groups based purely on fun and socialising around the world, like the Stitch 'n' Bitch Groups, pub-based groups and LGBTQ-specific gatherings, knitting-based groups have also long been hotbeds of activism and progressive causes. Even though knitting circles remain the butt of many jokes, these spaces have radical implications.

So will this trend endure? As a sustainable practice that builds community, healing and even activism, all signs point to knitting only growing in popularity in the coming years, particularly as efforts to avoid the fast fashion industry increase among consumers. Creators merging age-old methods with innovative attitudes are helping reshape widespread attitudes about who knitting is for - and what it signifies. With experimental knits on the rise, perhaps one day the knitter stereotype will be that of a subversive and imaginative young creator, who has reclaimed a practice from ageist and sexist tropes.

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From 'extreme' knitters and Insta-knit groups to knitting circles that are hotbeds of activism, Cassidy George explores how a traditional craft became fashion-forward and radical.

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https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/memorial-day-interview

more of a one on one

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What have you been doing for the past year to fend off lockdown boredom? Delsy Gouw took up crocheting, a craft she learned from her mother when she was nine. Fast-forward to 2021 and the New York-based founder of crochet-label Memorial Day is loved for her distinctive, vibrant designs. US vice-president Kamala Harris's stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and model Kaia Gerber are fans, too - "I have no idea how Kaia found me," Gouw explains, "but I'm super grateful."

Knitwear has undergone a welcome renaissance this past year. We all saw Bernie Sanders' mittens at the presidential inauguration in January, and you may have noticed a rise in woven bucket hats on your daily walks. Models are eschewing ordinary gloves for pastel mittens and '00s-style knitted bikinis have swiftly become commonplace on Instagram.

However, for Fashion Institute of Technology student Gouw - who is currently in her last year studying marketing and advertising, and interning - turning to textiles was a way to unleash pent-up energy, while launching a new business was something of an awakening. "I didn't realise I had this creative side to me, and now I think, 'What have I been doing [this whole time]?'" says the 25-year-old over Zoom from her Brooklyn apartment. "It's a bit chaotic, but the brand wouldn't be what it is without my intel."

The company started off as an online vintage store, but the designer has set her sights on expansion. Gouw's products are available to buy via her website and at MALL NYC, but she intends to turn her brand into a sustainable venture for the close-knit crochet community. Featuring poppy block colours, her playful creations vary from snazzy checked bucket hats to gradient thongs and mood-boosting shoulder bags - and they embody eccentricity and a youthful edge, which keeps millennials and TikTokers flooding her Instagram page in droves.

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Ella Emhoff & Kaia Gerber Highly Approve Of This One-Woman Crochet Label

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What have you been doing for the past year to fend off lockdown boredom? Delsy Gouw took up crocheting, a craft she learned from her mother when she was nine. Fast-forward to 2021 and the New York-based founder of crochet-label Memorial Day is loved for her distinctive, vibrant designs.

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https://grattanstreetpress.com/2021/10/01/the-gen-z-crochet-renaissance/

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The Gen Z Crochet Renaissance - Grattan Street Press

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Lily Miniken shares her crochet journey and how it has helped her throughout lockdown, throwing in personal anecdotes and a short history of crochet.

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I haven't managed to get the transcript for the other two interviews due to time constraits and technical issues

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Could get you name, location and age?

When did you start crocheting?

How or do you feel the covid lockdown impacted your crochet work? Why?

Are their any themes in your art work that reflect your use of crochet?

Do you create any clothing with your crocheting at all?

How do you feel things like crocheting relates to things like fast fashion?

Do you make crocheting projects for friends and family?

do you engage in any other social media outlets with crocheting? Like Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram

Are you engaged in any crochet communities?

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Amended

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-portraits
-composition
-variation in backgrounds?

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https://mccs-studentcontent.gold.ac.uk/ba2jnt/?p=3714

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Whether it is a sign of celebration of blackness, fight against discrimination, or just a personal esthetic choice: On the freedom to choose to wear your hair as you want as a black woman in France.

As demonstrated by the latest massive anti-racism protests against police brutality, a new generation of children of immigration is bringing race into the public discourse challenging France universalism tradition. In 2016, following a comeback of the natural hair movement, a group of student at the Parisian university Sciences Po created Sciences curls, an Afrofeminist group dedicated to coily and curly hair acceptance.

However, hair discrimination in this country remains prevalent. In 2019, former French government's spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye received critics about her natural hair and braids. Eurocentric beauty standards are still pervasive in our societies and everywhere

Whether in its natural state, braided with extensions or under a wig, afro hair, especially in black women, still faces prejudice. In the US, the CROWN act law was created, banning explicitly discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture, but in France, where racial discourse is only slowly coming into the mainstream, Black women still face many challenges. Two young black women who grew up in different parts of France give their account of black women's hair politics in France and their relationships with their hair.

Patricia, 23 - grew up in the Paris region

My relationship with my hair is a pretty complicated one. I love it, I find it beautiful, but I find it very hard to maintain. Actually, I often do the bare minimum with it. Most of the time, I wear it in a tight slick bun, or I get box braids done, never in an afro. I feel like it doesn't look very good on me, but maybe it is also because I am not used to seeing myself like this.

As a kid, I never really faced any discrimination about my hair; I was on the receiving hands of a few 'jokes' or microaggressions later as a teenager and at university. But I remember wanting to have straight hair growing up, so I relaxed my hair a lot which damaged it and sometimes burnt my scalp.

I am for and against relaxers. Although it can be damaging, I don't see it as the worst thing in the world, and I completely understand women who do it. Quite frankly, I have natural hair now, but I sometimes think of relaxing my hair again. Caring for 4C hair is a time investment: you need to get a day off just to get through wash day. And don't talk to me about living it uncombed; for me, afro hair, as well as European hair, has to be well maintained and combed; otherwise, it looks neglected. However, I believe that people who relax their hair have to do it for the right reasons: I understand the convenience of it, but I would like for little black girls in France to know from a young age that their afro hair is beautiful. But I feel like relaxers are less and less used. I know it is also a matter of fashion and trends. Still, I feel like if I had grown up somewhere, else my relationship with my hair would have been different.

Maureen, 27 - grew up in a small town in the South of France

I wouldn't say I hate it, but if someone asks me what I prefer about myself, I wouldn't reply my hair. I spent my life putting hair extensions on it. It is only now, with the recent lockdown, that I really started to enjoy having it completely natural. I think I like my hair, but I don't find it practical. Especially when I'm working, I like having a hairstyle that prevents me from doing my hair every day.

Growing up, my models in terms of hair were Beyoncé and the other black American famous actresses we saw on TV. They mainly had straight or curly hair. But as a kid, I didn't have much to say about my hair, I got it relaxed an aunt during a trip to DRC when I was five, and after that, I mainly wore box braids.

As a teenager, I started experimenting more, wearing different braids, weaves, or straightening my hair with a flat iron and curling it after. I never really liked the completely straight hair look on me. In my secondary school in a small town in the south of France, we were seven black students out of 1000 students.

The discrimination I faced wasn't directly about my hair, more about my skin colour, but now and then, my friends would tell me how much they liked my hair when it was in long braids or weaves, everything but natural. I think growing up in a non-diverse area in the South of France may have influenced the way I saw my hair, but my main influence was the media which, in the early 2000s, valued Eurocentric beauty standards above everything else. I honestly believe relaxers are harmful to our hair, and I will never do it for my kids. But at the end of the day, I think black women should do whatever they want with their hair; it is a matter of personal taste and comfort.

Removing statues says we respect you're here: I got into Oxford, but feel like an imposter.

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MCCS BA Joint Honours Web Portfolio Black women's hair politics

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As demonstrated by the latest massive anti-racism protests against police brutality, a new generation of children of immigration is bringing race into the public discourse challenging France universalism tradition. In 2016, following a comeback of the natural hair movement, a group of student at the Parisian university Sciences Po created Sciences curls, an Afrofeminist group dedicated to coily and curly hair acceptance.

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Images to work on
- portraits
- white background crochet pictures? (shown in inspiration)
- yarn pictures

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1. Who is it? Judy Turner is the New York-based brand designed by Conley Averett giving knitwear a new lease of life

2. Why do I want it? Glamorous, high-quality hand-knitted and crocheted dresses, cardigans and balaclavas that will stand the test of time

3. Where can I find it? At judy-turner.com and on ssense.com

Who is it? For Judy Turner's first ever outing at New York Fashion Week, the young knitwear brand held an intimate presentation at Michael's - an old restaurant in midtown Manhattan with a bygone, 1980s feel. "It's got a lot of old New York details that are getting washed away now," says Conley Averett, citing the green velvet chairs, quirky art, and mirrored columns. Averett is the 31-year-old designer behind the label, which he founded in 2019 and named after two old Hollywood starlets: Judy Garland and Lana Turner.

Averett grew up in Alabama, but he was taken with New York after first visiting at the age of 12. "I was always a New York freak," he says over Zoom from his Tribeca studio a few days before his Autumn/Winter 2022 presentation, a couple of mannequins ominously propped up behind him. "It [Michael's] reminds me of the excitement I had about living here and moving here when I was young. Seeing places like that when I'd be walking around in the neighbourhood."

Averett moved to the city to study Strategic Design Management at Parsons, although he insists that his real education came while interning at Khaite - a womenswear brand helmed by Catherine Holstein that deals in minimalist basics. "I grew up at this company. It's like my home in a way," he explains. Averett has worked at Khaite since 2016, and now splits his time there and at his own brand - a rare feat of design job-juggling in an exclusive, competitive industry. "My choice to have a brand of my own has been supported by Khaite, whereas in previous corporate structures, it was always taboo," he says. "We're both in New York doing different things, but making up what is the bigger picture, and it's exciting to have two different shares of that."

Why do I want it? Averett takes knitwear - a casual, sometimes frumpy fashion category - and transforms it into something glamorous, delicate and sexy. Shot on the streets of New York in an off-the-cuff lookbook by Grace Ahlbom (perhaps better known by her Instagram handle, @sk8rmom420), the A/W22 collection features black, sequined crochet dresses and skirts that spiderweb across the body, knitted balaclavas and more eccentric headgear, an androgynous tartan skort and a series of kaleidoscopic, checkerboard cardigans.

Averett strategically set up his knitwear brand with business in mind, not a burning passion for the craft - an honest admission in an industry where many insist they were 'born' to be a fashion designer. "I was not ever a knitwear freak," he says. "Given how fashion is unpredictable, it felt like knitwear was a safe category to invest in. I also felt like there was so much missing in that world for myself." The Judy Turner team is made up of hand-knitters and "crochet ladies" scattered around New Jersey, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, while the brand also occasionally works with industrial factories in Italy and Turkey for machine-made pieces. "I actually don't even have the attention span to sit and knit a complete garment," he admits. "I've been lucky to have so many expert knitters around me, to help create the ideas."

Judy Turner is already stocked on Ssense, and its fans are mostly Gen Z. "The customers are these kids who like simple pieces - T-shirts, denim or the perfect sweater - curated through a vintage or retro perspective," he says.

Despite being such a young brand, Judy Turner already has an incredibly strong yet varied visual identity. Each photographer they've worked with brings something different to the table; Jesse Gouveia (who recently shot Frank Ocean for the cover of the Financial Times' How To Spend It supplement) brings low-key intimacy, Ethan James Green adds a touch of black-and-white opulence, while Tom Kneller's photographs of men on the boardwalk at Brighton Beach look as if they're straight from the 90s. "I just got lucky that my high standards were met," says Averett of the photographers he's collaborated with thus far. Speaking of people he wants to work with in the future, Averett cites Karim Sadli, and more ambitiously, David Sims and Glen Luchford. "We're always looking toward fantasy imagery but also bouncing with realism," he says.

Where can I find it? At judy-turner.com and on ssense.com

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Judy Turner, the New York Brand Giving Knitwear a Glamorous Edge

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Who is it? Judy Turner is the New York-based brand designed by Conley Averett giving knitwear a new lease of life Why do I want it? Glamorous, high-quality hand-knitted and crocheted dresses, cardigans and balaclavas that will stand the test of time Where can I find it?

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https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/13858/introducing-knitwears-new-wave

good examples of a variety of crochet portraits

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"A thing of beauty is a joy forever," wrote the poet John Keats; a sentiment that chimes with the current mood in fashion. "More and more customers are looking for custom or one of a kind when it comes to a meaningful, sentimental wardrobe," say the Thai-American duo behind knitwear label Nong Rak, Home Phuangfueang and Cherry W Rain-Phuangfueang. Rachel Holloway, the Canadian designer behind knitwear label Vaisseau says, "I think a large part of sustainability is caring for the things we own, owning less, and appreciating the manual hours put into creating them." Today, there's real momentum behind the idea that purchases should be considered and cherished for the long term, and that the era of consumption for the sake of it is over.

Nong Rak, which translates as 'young love' in Thai - Home's country of origin, and the place where the pair (both romantic and business partners) met and married - is nothing if not unique. Described as "super organic wearable fibre art", their ethereally fuzzy brushed mohair pieces have attracted a sizable following. The couple were floored by the "sudden, unexpected positive response" to their e-commerce collections, since they only started knitting in 2021. Each drop has sold out rapidly, "which is a double edge, since we're excited but frustrated being unable to meet demand. Telling people that want to support us that we don't have anything to offer feels sad, honestly", they tell AnOther.

The pair spend a lot of time talking about and sourcing materials, buying vintage deadstock and second-hand yarns when available. Their multi-coloured garments facilitate using small quantities of different colours, plus working with "hand-spun and minimally processed artisan yarns which are sourced from a number of small, cruelty-free fibre farms and artisan spinners." They produce the pieces using freeform crochet without a pattern, or knit directly on a hand-powered domestic machine.

Holloway, the knitwear artist behind Vaisseau, (the name is inspired by the word 'vessel' in French, and the phrase "the body is a vessel for one's consciousness") described "falling in love with how natural fibres and materials bring out the diversity of the textile medium." After learning to knit and how to combine knitting with crochet, Holloway began to incorporate unusual techniques and fine, lace-weight yarns with bulky wools such as bouclé", citing her most commonly used materials as mohair, alpaca, cotton, and wool.

Well aware of the problem of overconsumption and waste in the fashion industry, Holloway declines to participate in it, even as Vaisseau grows. Sustainability to her means "a made-to-order model (for stockists that include Effe and APOC), not over-purchasing material, sourcing secondhand or vintage yarns, avoiding plastics, and creating pieces out of scraps that wouldn't be enough to make one cohesive piece." Hers is a beneficial process, since "pieces are unique from one another; a blessing of sustainable creating."

Hope Macaulay is also focussed on the materials used to create her signature colossal knit sweaters, cardigans and accessories. Using 100 per cent merino wool and 100 per cent biodegradable nylon knitted by hand (without needles!), Macaulay took three years of "trial and error" to develop her technique, but now has a booming made-to-order business from her own website and social channels, having become a favourite of every Gen-Z influencer around. "Made to order is great as a small business," says the Northern Irish creative director. "You're not using up valuable resources creating pieces that might not sell. For the customer, it makes custom orders possible."

Macaulay's biodegradable nylon "has been designed to be kinder to the planet and vegan friendly." Using first-of-its-kind technology, it biodegrades in around five years when disposed of in landfills, compared to more than 50 years for synthetics in general. "Usually, the chemical structure of synthetic fibres does not allow for bacterial penetration, which makes the degradation process more complex and slower," she explains. What makes this type of nylon different is that "it's produced using enhanced polyamide, which - under landfill conditions - facilitates access and digestion of waste material by bacteria, thus accelerating the biodegradation process." This process only functions "under landfill conditions, where there is no oxygen and anaerobic decomposition bacteria are found." It won't decompose after standard use, and has an equivalent lifecycle to traditional polyamide. Macaulay adds, "the yarn has also been manufactured by recycling processed water and is super soft to touch."

Swedish designer Emma Gudmundson describes her aesthetic as "organic futurism" and uses techniques like flat knit, floats and hook-up stitches. "The hook-up stitches give the fabric its structure and surface patterns," she says, appearing like 3D textures spun by teams of ambitious spiders. Gudmundson uses ecological cotton she buys locally, as well as different types of lurex and occasionally nylon monofilament. She adds that she'd love to try monofilament yarn made of fungus that she's read about - if and when it becomes available.

Craig Lawrence, BA Fashion Knit pathway leader at Central Saint Martins, explains how knitwear lends itself to sustainable practices." Knitwear is less wasteful as knitted garments are fully fashioned, meaning that each knitted panel is shaped to follow the pattern piece then linked together. Seamless knitted technology, for hosiery and sportswear garments, means knitting in tubular shapes to create seamless garments," which are "zero waste and can be more durable. As there are no seams, the garments have fewer weak spots." Students of knitwear, he adds, "are inherently aware of the amount of yarn they would need." Although, due to "supply chain and manufacturing, there will always be waste no matter what the process."

Lawrence argues that disposable fashion culture has devalued craftsmanship; that garments should be valued related to the skills used to make them, which are currently "under-appreciated, which makes it easier for the consumer to discard things as there is no emotional attachment". He praises designer Matty Bovan for producing his popular patchwork creations in-house, rather than contracting out to suppliers.

None of the knitters featured in this piece want to scale and grow their business in a way that would compromise their hand-made techniques and sustainable principles. Gudmundson is currently stocked at Browns Fashion and also works with Lunch Concept, with other stockists reaching out, which she is "stoked about". She juggles work with another design role and is currently undecided about whether to go full-time. "It would be a dream come true to be able to support myself from my designs," she says.

Meanwhile, the Phuangfueangs are scrambling to recruit; "two local crocheters just started and increased our production, but larger pieces are more complicated as they're made experimentally without patterns." The duo question whether scaling up would lose the magic of their pieces; they ask, "if our designs were produced in a run of 100, would people still be as drawn to them?" They're also conscious of operating in the most environmentally conscious way, remembering that "fashion is a luxury that doesn't really align with sustainability, and we'll inevitably have a footprint that we're going to have to offset."

Valuing the expertise of makers - and controlling your own production while operating in a localised way - sounds like the perfect manifesto.

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"A thing of beauty is a joy forever," wrote the poet John Keats; a sentiment that chimes with the current mood in fashion. "More and more customers are looking for custom or one of a kind when it comes to a meaningful, sentimental wardrobe," say the Thai-American duo behind knitwear label Nong Rak, Home Phuangfueang and Cherry W Rain-Phuangfueang.

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https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/10011/jonathan-andersons-charmingly-chic-crochet

the backgrounds of the crochet are engaging here!

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Jonathan Anderson’s Charmingly Chic Crochet

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Is craft the antidote to our tech-filled lives? Jonathan Anderson talks to us about the crochet touches bringing humanity to the runway

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https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/dyv3qz/crochet-trend-summer-2021

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How crochet became summer 2021’s sexiest trend

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Young designers Crandall Duffy, Gui Rosa, ISA BOULDER, Natalia Fedner and Sydney Pimbley are taking crochet from lockdown hobby to club essential.