Two years ago I bought a knitting machine at last! It is so exciting to explore the new possibilities! People tend to think that owning a knitting machine gives you the possibility to make anything you want in no time. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, it doesn’t work like that. It can do things you wouldn’t be able to do with needles and vice versa. It is really a very different kind of craft. You’ll first have to get acquainted with all the do’s and don’ts. I actually took lessons to learn the art of machine knitting.

A straight piece of jersey is quickly made, that’s true. I could make pullovers out of these quickly made pieces of jersey, that’s also true. But I don’t want that. I am keen on using the possibilities the machine gives me in a creative way, to make advantages out of its disadvantages (disadvantages in the eyes of a former hand knitter, that is to say).

I enjoy experimenting and learning by trial and error. Sometimes I discover something brilliant and other times I am disappointed by the result. It also occurs that I can use the at first disappointing result for a more suitable purpose after all. This is my developing process.

It often leads to a certain idea for a design. I start drawing and thinking how I could use my findings best. I need a sketch block and a box of pencils to see how my idea would look and I search for the right colours in my yarn colour cards. After I have finally decided what the design will look like I must make a stitch test to base my calculations on and write everything down in a worksheet.

It is only then that I can start knitting. The very thrill when the moment arrives to get the piece of cloth off the machine! It has such peculiar dimensions at first. Will it turn out right? The last step is to sew everything together and see if it fits and looks like it was meant to. Great joy when that is the case indeed!

As you can see the process of developing, designing and creating is extremely time en labour intensive. I can only do this on a very small scale. But why should that be a pity in times of mass production? Every piece is (almost) unique and all my love and passion are in the product!