Knitting / Knotting with Batik

Back in the Fall, while visiting our daughter and family in Winston-Salem, NC, I stopped by an awesome yarn store and stumbled upon a new idea: a bag knitted with strips of fabric cut from gorgeous batik. Wanting to try something new, I bought a yard of batik (at great expense!) and thought I'd create my own version. Little did I know how laborious this task was going to be!

• First.....cut the batik on the bias into 3/4" (or so) strips.
• Then.....knot the hundreds of different sized strips together.
• Finally.....start knitting!

The idea is to leave the little knot tails showing. They are part of the design (even though they get a little shaggy and frayed!) THIS KNITTING IS NOT EASY!!! It is tight on the needles, hurts your hands, and requires frequent breaks. I ultimately decided NOT to knot all the pieces at once, thereby giving that needed break.

Well...as you can see, it's taken me many months and LOTS of very long breaks to complete this project. I am not the type to leave projects unfinished for long. This is probably the first abandoned project I've had in recent years, and I am rather pleased to say I finished it last night!

Artist's Statement

As part of the opening of Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts, the artists were asked to write an "Artist Statement." Since I have had difficulty considering myself an artist (although many others DO!), I struggled with this. First I researched to learn what such a statement IS. Then I struggled even more with developing one for myself.

The charge: write one that is 80 - 100 words! I'd have been fine if the charge were 1000 words or less, but do you realize how FEW words 100 are??? So I whipped out Word and started writing. The first version was 168 words (using Word Count). I whittled and whittled until I got down to 128. THEN I LOST THE WHOLE THING!!!!

But in the end................I worked some more and this is the result:

ARTIST STATEMENT - Louise Giordano & Scarf It Up!

Fiber is the fabric of life; knitting feeds and is the key to my soul! Through my fingers and fiber flows a vision to create functional, wearable fabric. The interplay of needles and fiber is therapeutic, tactile, and sensual. The process is all-absorbing; the results are uniquely satisfying.

For me, handknitting represents passionate flirtation and experimentation with traditional techniques, tools, and stitches with new and vintage materials to produce non-traditional work. Whether worn on the body or decorating a home, my pieces are an extension of my being, a source of creative expression for me, and a process that brings joy to the beholder.