Knitting in the News: Tech, Art and Business

It’s been a while since I’ve done a roundup of knitting news, so there’s a good amount today.

If you think about it, a knitting machine may just be the original 3-D printer. And a business in London called Unmade is connecting current technologies with old-school knitting machines to allow customers to create (or print, if you will) one-of-a kind garments. This story also talks about Wool and the Gang, a British company that sells both ready-to-wear knits and knitting kits, which recently did a round of fundraising to bring production to the United States.

Of course we know knitting is artistic, and at times it is actually art, too. Learn more about how large-scale fiber artist Jacqui Fink got started knitting giant blankets out of unspun merino roving (her Instagram account is amazing, too), and though you may have seen it before, go ahead and look again at Carol Milne’s gorgeous knit glass sculptures. Awesome.

You’ll also want to check out the delicious looking knit food by British artist Jessica Dance (via the Jealous Curator). Or just knit yourself a boyfriend. (Another olide but a goodie that popped back up recently.)

British wool prices are incredibly low, but some are working hard to promote finer British wools (many are only good for carpets) by producing British rare-breed knitting yarn.

Apparently knitting and other handcrafts are big in Indonesian cities right now.

And finally, don’t miss the story of Blind Girl Knitting, aka Sarah Wilkinson, a 21-year-old from Illinois who has a genetic disorder that causes tumors to develop throughout her body, including her eyes, which has caused almost total vision loss. She’s learned how to do things without being able to see and now runs and handcraft business. She and her business partner hope their business sends the message that vision-impaired people can do anything (other than drive a car).

Next Pattern:

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting.

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of.

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams.

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs.

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty.

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this).

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry.

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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