sarahlesleydrain.

I have studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee since 2009, specialising in knitted textile design in 2010. Through my specialism I have developed my own style of machine knitting, concentrating on using only the highest qualities of yarns to produce beautiful textiles which can then be translated into garments. Sustainability is a key factor to my work so by using pure lambswools, merinos, cashmeres and silks I aim to elongate the lifespan of my textiles. 

I have always been interested in texture and line, using natural surroundings and occurrences as my visual inspiration for all of my projects so far. Through the development of drawings and photography I aim to convey an organic yet linear element through my knits, always with a sense of luxury. 

My final year work has been completed using single bed domestic and manual passap machines, at times including print making and linking. I have also been using a technique usually found in printmaking called Devoré. Printing a specially mixed paste onto knits using a combination of cotton and lambswool, allowing to dry then steaming allows for the printed areas of lambswool to burn away, leaving just the cotton. This gives my work a unique edge as this technique is not commonly found in knitwear.

 

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