Knitting Architecture: 20 Patterns Exploring Form, Function, and Detail

313 Pages·2013·18.61 MB·English

by  Tanis Gray

knitting
ARCHITECTURE
20 Patterns Exploring
Form, Function,
and Detail
Tanis Gray
contents
INTRODUCTION
chapter 1
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
King’s College Pullover
Mari Muinonen
Burj Al Arab Skirt
Olga Buraya-Kefelian
Sagrada Familia Cardigan
Cirilia Rose
Porticus Socks
Marjan Hammink
Opera House Shell
Suvi Simola
Wrought Iron Tote
Angela Hahn
Fallingwater Hat
Katharina Nopp
chapter 2
THE DETAILS
Pompidou Wrap
Grace Anna Farrow
Arts and Crafts Cardigan
Amy Christoffers
Mucha Cardigan
Glenna Harris
Beaux Arts Cardigan
Cecily Glowik MacDonald
Persian Shawl
Kirsten Kapur
Byzantine Pullover
Tanis Lavallée
Fisher Building Mittens
Jane Dupuis
Rococo Mittens
Jane Dupuis
chapter 3
THE MATERIALS
Tower of Pisa Shift
Veera Välimäki
Bauhaus Cardigan
Ann Weaver
Hotel Tassel Wrap
Åsa Tricosa
Bird’s Nest Shrug
Tanis Gray
Erechtheion Pullover
Maria Leigh
ABBREVIATIONS
TECHNIQUES
SOURCES FOR YARNS
ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
COPYRIGHT

introduction
Have you ever stood in wonder, stopped dead in your tracks by a stunning
building? How about by a beautiful sweater? We have dozens of museums the
world over dedicated to architecture or apparel, but have you ever thought about
how similar the two are?
I have always been fascinated by architecture. Something as simple as a large
box in which we dwell can suddenly become a stunning, ultramodern structure,
or be covered in ornate details inspired by movements in history, the climate, or
a clever idea. Similarly, designing knitwear starts with an idea, a blueprint or
schematic, math, materials, and a little bit of inspiration. A hat on the person in
front of us at the grocery store, a flower on the side of a barren highway, a
masterpiece hanging on the wall of a gallery, or a historic building in the middle
of a modern city are all inspiration for what we can create with our knitting
needles.
My husband, Roger, works at an engineering and architecture firm in
Washington, D.C., as the director of sustainability. On our first date, we talked
about our work—our passions and hobbies. I was struck by how incredibly
different our paths and lines of work were, yet how similar the process was. The
planning stages are the same (on much different scales), and the creative process
and the taking and giving of ideas as we try to make the designs work can be
difficult. In the end, we are both helping an idea come to life.
I hope this book inspires the designer and inner architect in all of us. Dream (and
knit) to the limits of your imagination. That’s what the designers in this book
have done, and it is what makes our craft abundant with possibilities.