New Year To-Do List - Old Stuff, New Ideas!


Ready for knitting in 2017
Happy new year from Knot Unknot. I'm not one for seasonal resolutions but I've heard that setting targets is helpful. I think it's more giving hostages to fortune but I shouldn't knock it until I've tried it. To that end, I'm listing a bunch of studio-related stuff I want to get done soon. There's a lot more on the personal to-do list but, well, it's personal!
  • Exhibitions for Botanica Mathematica
    Last autumn Jo and I sorted out all 75 trees in the Botanica Mathematica specimen collection and created taxonomy with species names.  This means the project is finally ready to exhibit so I'm making enquiries with likely hosts this month.  The main things I need for this are time and old-fashioned display cases.
  • Learn to use new equipment
    Towards the end of last year I bought some second-hand kit (a ribber for the hacked knitting machine and a linker) and a new overlocker sewing machine.  They all need a bit of setting up and some practice but once they're up and running Knot Unknot's output will be transformed!
  • Website update and online shopping
    Currently the only outlets for my work are the Open Studios events at Coburg House and a contribution to the occasional Craft Reactor market stall. I've got the facility to have online shopping on my static website but never used it properly. This site is in serious need of a make over too. Hopefully this will come to life in the first half of this year. If enough of you buy things then Knot Unknot could move from money pit status to microbusiness!
  • Mathcramé
    Coined by an old friend, this wonderfully bad pun might just be my next maths/textile project. Watch out for knotted string with a mathematical twist - and some workshops at science festivals too! Perhaps not this year as it'll need quite a bit of development.
  • More 3D felting
    I made a few felt hats last winter - wet felted from prepared wool fibre - and they've had lots of very positive comments.  I'd like to make a few more and some pots and bowls.  No particular maths/science motivation, I just like them. 
  • New presentation style for knitted hangingsThe last batch of knitted wall hangings were designed to hang from a wooden slat with another at the bottom for weight.  I'd like to get a new system that stretches the work horizontally as well as vertically. Each one would need to be made specially for the knitted image.
New ideas using the hacked machine and the linker

Embroidered Brooches
Flames of Autumn
(mixing machine knitting and needle felting)

The North Ronaldsay hat - made from the wool of North Ronaldsay sheep
who live on the island's beaches and eat seaweed.
The linker and something that's been linked

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