Whilst I may have been a dedicated follower of a few fashion movements in my time, including Punk (I’m still embracing dropped stitches and embellishing anything and everything with safety pins) and New Romantics (for the androgyny and the eye liner), the Slow Clothes movement is something that I truly believe in. The concept of ‘Slow’ was first propounded by the Italian activist Carlo Petrini in the 1980s with his Slow Food movement. Petrini championed delicious and distinctive regional specialities and urged us to take our time to cook and enjoy good food – something that should be one of life’s daily pleasures. Today the movement has a global reach that encompasses not just the quality of the food on our plates, but how the growing and distribution of food impacts on the wellbeing of the whole planet. It’s easy to see the parallels with the fashion and textiles industry.
The Slow Clothes movement is in antithesis to ‘fast fashion’, which in the last thirty years has become disposable – contributing to an environmental crisis that we can no longer ignore. Quality, environmentally-aware production and a fair deal for both consumer and producer are the values that are close to my heart. Having been involved in the fashion and textiles industry for many years, I have worked with designers, retailers, spinners, crafters and manufacturers from around the world, both artisan and commercial. I have experienced first hand the negative impact on communities, producers and individuals when high-level skills, practices, techniques and technology are force-funnelled and filtrated into low-cost products for an ever-demanding consumer. It’s a vicious cycle, and heart-breaking to witness. Whilst there is not a quick and simple solution, I believe that we as individuals have the power to create change, to become more conscientious consumers.
BUY LESS, AND CRAFT MORE.
Knitting is the inspiration. It is a very basic skill that anyone can master; all you need are two sticks and a continuous thread. As knitters we can make choices to use sustainable materials, processes and practices. Question where the yarn you are working with has come from. Select natural and sustainable fibres with informed knowledge, or reuse, recycle and repair. Crafting has always been about being resourceful. Cut up old fabrics, worn out cotton shirts, shrunken or faded jersey t-shirts, even plastic bags, and turn them into a continuous length of ‘yarn’. Don’t feel guilty about the size of your stash – knit it. Experiment with blends of fibres by combining different textures for a unique take on a favourite pattern. Backwind a long forgotten work-in-progress and re-use the yarn. Re-purpose a previously loved sweater, by turning it into something else. If it was made from wool – felt it. Repair a moth-eaten knit with visible darning or embellish with embroidery, patches or appliqué. Cut off the sleeves. Spin your own yarn from a sustainable source, dye ecru fibre in your kitchen with plant-based, and eco-friendly dyestuffs. Make hand-knitted gifts for your friends and family, rather than buying readymades. Hand down outgrown knits to be worn and treasured by the next generation. These are all traditional ways, most of which we as knitters are already in the habit of incorporating into our craft.
“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.” Pete Seeger
As crafters we already understand that the practice of making is an activity that needs time in order to create something both useful and beautiful – it has its own pace and rhythm dictated by the natural motion of the arm and hand. It’s an absorbing, even meditative process that has so many health benefits. Knitting is relaxing and mindful; it aids concentration and focus. Knitting can help with problem solving, as it is a logical activity involving repeating patterns that also requires recall skills. Creating something by hand can instil confidence; you can take pride in achieving goals, mastering a new technique, and basking in the praise and appreciation for your creations. Once you have learnt and mastered a technique, these skills can be exchanged, shared and built upon through social meet-ups, crafting events and social media. The humble knitting circle of like-minded people coming together to forge relationships, communities and thoughtful textiles is in itself an example of a sustainable circular economy.
Knitting is a process, not a race to the finish line! It involves taking your time and appreciating that the journey is as important as the end product. It also invites experimentation and innovation and, at the same time, focus and calculation. Take time to appreciate the patina of the handcrafted; understand that in ‘every fault a fashion’, as a talented, wise friend and mentor often told me.
EMBRACE THE PROCESS: IT IS SLOW.
MAKE TIME
Take your time to choose your yarn. Unwind a hank of yarn to start the journey, to focus the mind. Wind the yarn into a ball from which to work from, ready to start.
HONE YOUR CRAFT
Don’t be tempted to skip tension swatching. This is your chance to get to know your yarn in action before committing to the project – how it drapes, the stitch definition, if it is fit for purpose. See swatching as not only a practical exercise, but also one that allows for experimentation and creativity. Can two (or more) yarns be combined to achieve the same tension? How does the same stitch change when knitted with a different gauge yarn? If you are working with a yarn you don’t know, or a stitch combination you haven’t knitted up before in a yarn that you do know, it is best to knit a larger swatch to be able to check a more accurate tension. If knitting in the round, swatch in the round.
BE PRESENT IN THE PROCESS
In. Over. Under. Off.
Make a stitch, make a series of stitches, and make a row. Make a series of rows; create a textile. It’s engineering at its most simple and basic that combines the logical, the creative and the pragmatic. Allow yourself to sense how the yarn feels as it travels through your hands and how it glides over the needles. Lose yourself in the rhythmic and repetitive action of the stitches as they bring the textures inspired by nature to life.