The knitter's tale: a practice-led approach to framework knitting through a contemporary exploration of traditional practices, patterns, skills and stories

This thesis presents the findings of the practice-led investigation which documented the processes of learning the skills of framework knitting, using traditional techniques to establish creative dialogues between Academic, Industrial and Heritage institutions. The investigation was conducted using active researcher participation to determine the contribution that personal experience can make to ‘experiential knowing’. This research was supported by a Collaborative Doctoral Award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) which set the parameters of the inquiry to include creative interaction with locations where framework knitting still takes place. The study supported the preservation of technical skill by establishing a new way to value expert craft knowledge which was used to inspire contemporary creative practice. Through a process of creative learning and reflection, this study used naturalistic observations to identify evidence of creative decision-making and technical skill, which was further supported by the analysis of knitted artefacts and previously unseen workman’s notebooks which were used to identify pattern inspirations, stitch counts and construction methods.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Nottingham Trent University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Wood, RE

Language dc:language

en