ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I have spoken at times of the cloak that I created back in 1992 – very nearly 20 years ago. This cloak has been in exhibitions, it has been tried on by many people, it has been photographed on many people. Sadly it is showing its age.

I am attending the knit retreat “Knitting in Nature beginning tomorrow, and I am taking my “Island” The Great New Zealand cloak with me to show to the other knitters there. Why? Well I am teaching a workshop on Intarsia Knitting and this is one of the best examples I still own of my intarsia creations. I hope that seeing it will still inspire someone of the group to try freeform intarsia knitting after they complete the workshop.

In late 1992 or early 1993 the cloak was in an exhibition at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. The judges there decided that it was not suitable to be sold due to the fragile nature of the creation. I think 20 years of display and wearing is not bad for a creation of a fragile nature, using around 90 or so different yarns from wool, mohair to linen and a variety of fancy fibres. I actually think it has done rather well. And I am so glad it was not listed for sale as my family and I have loved it and worn it, as well as exhibited it.

I think “Knitting in Nature” may well be its last journey because it is rather thin and frail in some sections now, and we will store it away gently on our return to New Zealand and hope that we can still bring it from time to time and say “we remember this piece very well” and put it away again.

I am feeling rather sad that this piece that has been such a big part of my life is not going to be worn again BUT that does mean that it is time for another creation.

Examples of my work

but I have reviewed all my draft posts, updated them and published them. They have been published as of the date I was writing them so you may find something you have not read before.

I have written the pattern for the Danish Shawl and that is being tried and tested by a dear friend in Auckland, New Zealand. Photos of my Danish Shawl and others from Den Gamle By.

I have nearly finished the English version of the Sleeveless Jacket pattern.

And of course I do have many UFO’s on the needles as well. But I am not going to talk about UFO’s anymore. I will only talk about completed pieces – could slip on that as it is not New Year so is not a New Years resoultion. In one sense it is New Year – this is the beginning (August 1st) of the last year we have here in Europe. Best Beloveds contract ends on July 31st 2011.

That is all the news for now for this website – now I have to do the same for our Travel and living in Europe website.

It has been two months of family time, some fun, some sadness, some reminiscing, and some very good times. Grandson loved having us in New Zealand as I hope did our daughter and other family members.

Son and family visited from Switzerland and Granddaughter of my Danish cousin came from Denmark of course, so here in the Netherlands on our return from New Zealand we had a houseful for nearly 2 weeks, very tiring and busy, but a great deal of fun as well – that is apart from my pizza on the Pizza Cruise on the Amsterdam Canals. My Pizza had so called Salami or some other meat – which was nearly shocking pink – I hate to think what had been done to it. I shall not eat another Domino’s Pizza whilst in Europe, not that I ever have done so before, but I will not do it in the future.

It certainly has been an excellent time for me – but knitting, designing, writing patterns, finishing pieces all went by the board.

I am now in serious catch up mode with peace and quiet in the house, other than my music that is.

Off to knit or maybe to write – not sure.

I also have a date for a bike ride this evening when Best Beloved arrives home.

The competiton was held by the Compendium Gallery in Devonport, New Zealand in 1992,
The Brief – To Create the Great New Zealand Cloak, My Piece – “Island” When I planned the cloak – I did want to include reference to Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, who created wonderful cloaks mostly of a rectangular shape with a woven tie at the shoulders or neck. Their cloaks were woven, usually of a flax fibre. The best and most valuable Maori cloaks included bird feathers, the most striking for me being those created with kiwi feathers. Some were all over feathers attached to the base woven flax cloak. The flax is dyed in a specific mud to get the very dark almost black colour in the work. The flax was woven in intricate geometric designs using the dyed black with the creamy natural fibre and their stories are woven into the designs in the cloaks.

My cloak was created in one piece from the bottom edge to the shoulders. It is an island from the sea to the sky with mountains, sea shore, surf, farm land etc, as best as I could represent a land from the sea. I considered adding a component relating to my own Viking heritage of the sea – but had decided that will be the basis of another cloak in the future.

The black stripe down the sides from the shoulders have linen tassels is to provide that link back to New Zealand Maori whose cloaks were the natural flax creamy colour with black tassels. A feathered cloak would not have tassels. My reference is in reverse – creamy linen tassels on black yarn strip. I called my piece “Island”, because New Zealand is made up a group of islands.

I feel that I created an art piece in the form of a cloak, an absolutely wearable cloak. It sits well and floats from the shoulders. It is light and warm and envelopes one in luxury. When you are wearing it and walk along the shape of it moves in light waves and ripples like the shallows on the sea shore. I am still delighted when I wear the cloak and am always delighted when it is borrowed as it has been many times. This cloak has attended an opera, music festivals, celebratory dinners, and graduations. A perfect piece.

This the link to my earlier story of The Great New Zealand Cloak” competition / exhibition – http://www.connielene.com/the-great-new-zealand-cloak-exhibition

When I created this cloak I decided that I was possibly an artist who knits.

I do not know the name of the model wearing my Great New Zealand Cloak – but it was a nice surprise to find this photograph today. I had followed an advertisement for the upcoming Italian “Vogue Knitting Italia 2010″ tour and explored and found this photograph from the 2007 tour which came to New Zealand & Australia. That tour was also hosted by Carla Scott and Nicky Epstein, and we were all delighted to meet them.

Vogue Knitter Tour member wearing The Great New Zealand Cloak