Introducing...Flock Knitwear

May 3, 2016

I am excited to announce that I have branched out - well not really...but in a digital presence sense I have!

I have been selling my pieces of knitwear and commissioned pieces through word of mouth and at fairs for years, but now I have a shiny new webspace to play with and stock full of new pieces. It is called Flock and is a collaboration between the hand knitter and machine knitter in me...all made in Manchester using British wool spun in Yorkshire (Hi Paul!) 

Keep your eye out on here for updates as i'm in the process of getting some new patterns up with some lovely new yarns!

If you want to check out my new space i'd love to hear any feedback (it's in its quite testing phase...before slowly being made more visible!)

www.flockknitwear.co.uk

I also have a lovely instagram if you fancy looking at some previews of the new collection: flockknitwear


The Triangle Necktie - www.flockknitwear.co.uk


The Multiway Scarf - www.flockknitwear.co.uk
 

I love this time of year...

April 17, 2016
Me and my other half had the chance to escape up to Newcastle for a few days, and decided to drive through the Yorkshire Dales to avoid the monotonous M62! And look what we stumbled across...







I love seeing them grazing in the sunshine...didn't manage to catch a glimpse of any lambs though...maybe next time!
 

Sheep walks and reflection...

April 17, 2016


Sometimes time away from the needles, computer and books is all you need to get a bit of inspiration back!
 

2016...

January 18, 2016
New year...again!
I'm sure these years are getting shorter and shorter!
I've been a little lax on my personal blog, because i'm in the middle of getting a shiny new digital space up and running (cross your fingers everything goes smoothly!) 
I've also been working really hard on producing some new knitwear samples, and working with some great companies that let me knit some very interesting things for them!

I've had a great (busy!) year balancing my PhD research, knitwear design, and plans for the future - lets hope 2016 continues to be as exciting...i'm pretty sure it will!

More to come soon..
 

DERBYSHIRE GRITSTONE

January 18, 2016


Derbyshire Gritstone

 

Heritage: The Derbyshire Gritstone sheep was first established in the Derbyshire Peak District in the 18th Century. They are one of the oldest known hill breeds, and were popular with farmers because of their ability to thrive on sparse land and in extreme weather conditions. Farmers commonly cross Derbyshire Gritstones’ with other hill breeds. The sheep are a large, hardy sheep with no horns. They have black hairless faces and dotted black and white legs.

 

Uses: The Derbyshire Gritstone has a soft to medium fleece handle, finer fleeces can be used in knitwear and yarns, and the coarser fleeces are commonly used in carpets.

 

Breed Society website: http://derbyshiregritstone.org.uk/wp/

 

Handle (How the fibres feel ranging from harsh to very soft, this can alter what you would use the fibres for): Soft/ Medium

 

Micron Count (How fine the fibres are, the finer the fibre the lower the count number, this can alter the fineness a fabric can achieve): 31-33

 

Staple Length (How long the fibres are on average, this can affect what spinning process can be used – woollen (shorter) and worsted (longer)): 8-10cm

 

Fleece Weight (How much, on average, a fleece weighs, this can affect decisions regarding quantities available as demand dictates price): 2-3kg

 

Yarn types: I have samples in 3ply DK weight, which has been woollen spun in Yorkshire using 100% British Derbyshire Gritstone fleece.

KNITTING SAMPLES TO COME....

 

MANX LOAGHTAN

September 7, 2015



Breed Category:
Naturally coloured/ Primitive

Heritage: The Manx Loaghtan has been found on the Isle of Man for thousands of years. They were prized by spinners and used in weaving tweeds of different colours. Manx sheep have between 4 and 6 horns, and have a brown/tan naturally coloured fleece. They are good breeders, with no fleece on their face or legs. Manx Loaghtan’s are a small and hardy breed, they have acclimatised to the Islands harsh weather conditions. In the 1950’s they neared extinction, and although still on the Rare Breeds database, they are now growing in numbers, due to hobby farmers, smallholdings and farmers dedicated to preserving the historic Manx Loaghtan breed.

Uses: The Manx Loaghtan sheep produce good quality, lean meat, as well as a lovely deep tan/brown coloured fleece, popular with weavers and hand spinners for the colour variance. The fleece is very soft and silky, and produces soft yarns for knitwear.

Breed Society website: http://www.manxloaghtansheep.org

 

Handle (How the fibres feel ranging from harsh to very soft, this can alter what you would use the fibres for): Very soft and silky

Micron Count (How fine the fibres are, the finer the fibre the lower the count number, this can alter the fineness a fabric can achieve): 30-31.5 

Staple Length (How long the fibres are on average, this can affect what spinning process can be used – woollen (shorter) and worsted (longer)): 6-12cm

Fleece Weight (How much, on average, a fleece weighs, this can affect decisions regarding quantities available as demand dictates price): 1.5-2kg

(Breed characteristic data sourced from BWMB 2010)


THE KNITTING

Yarn types: I have sampled in 3ply (DK weight), this yarn is woollen spun in Yorkshire using 100% British Manx Loaghtan fleece.

Knitted Samples: I have found this yarn to be quite airy in texture/handle, it knits up really nicely - and doesn't feel too bulky or dense, i've not had time to knit up a big sample garment yet (next on the to-do list!) however from the samples I have swatched so far I think it will create a lovely warm jumper without being too heavy or bulky for the wearer - I can't wait to begin a big knit (more pictures will follow!)

...This is the 3ply DK weight yarn in a hank...


...2x2 rib on 4.5mm needles...


...initial straight stitch swatch, 20 stitches x 20 rows on 4.5mm needles...


...Moss stitch on 4.5mm needles...

 

BRITISH SHEEP BREEDS...

September 4, 2015
So anyone who pops in and reads this occasionally (!!), will know that I am currently studying for my PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University. I am really enjoying my research time (even though it seems to be going way too fast for my liking!) and have realised that as much as I love talking about British wool and researching it...i've been very cagey about sharing my work online - I think a third of it is nerves (no-one likes criticism), a third of it is time (why are there only 24 hours in a day) and the last third is trepidation that I am going to stumble across someone doing exactly the same as me (but better...horror!!!!) and i'll fell like a failure!

HOWEVER...that is not the attitude to take is it!! So from now on i'm going to up my game! I've got so many beautiful British yarns collected...and I want to share my experience of knitting with them, handling them, cost/where to find them etc etc! I'll be doing this on a brand spanking (not quite finished as I type...) blog, but for the first couple of weeks I will cross over and duplicate on here as well...we'll see how it goes!

The first breed I will look at is the beautiful Manx Loaghtan (which I have just received back from the spinners - Thanks Paul!!) i'm just about to start knitting up some samples to photograph so it will go up on here at the weekend!


 

Woolfest 2015

July 23, 2015


This has messed up my blog order...But I have just found a few pictures from my visit to Woolfest a couple of weeks ago...and if I don't post them now, I might forget again!!

I had a great day exploring the stalls and looking at all the lovely wily things on offer, there was a great presence of Breed Societies which is always nice to see - and a few stalls that really caught my eye with a contemporary knitwear and yarn feel!

Picture highlights...



...Great information on some British sheep breeds...



...Valais Blacknosed Sheep, bred in Northumberland...



...The fleece stock corner...

 

The Wool Experience...

July 23, 2015



The stand...

I was really excited when Diane from 'The Murmuring Wheel' invited me to have a stall at The Wool Experience, based at Blaze Farm (who have the BEST chocolate orange ice cream I have ever tasted!). It was a fantastic day filled with lots of wooly and knitted goodies. I met up with old friends as well as made lots of new ones! All the stalls looked fantastic, and there was a lovely flow of visitors who were really interesting to talk to (and who were also interested in my work which was nice!). 

Here are a few picture highlights:

Shearing...



Sheep...



Spinning...


 

Eco-system wise words...

July 23, 2015


Another Natural History Museum find...I have to keep reminding myself how lucky we are in Britain (despite always having to carry a brolly...just in case!), that it is because of our diverse and varying climate that we can maintain such a diverse eco-system (and 68 different varieties of British sheep!) 

One environment, one world, one chance to save it!
 

ABOUT ME


Zoe Grace Fletcher Currently undertaking a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University within the MIRIAD post-graduate department, I am beginning a practice based academic journey into British wool fibres and new technologies within knitwear design. Graduating with Distinction from a Masters in Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion, specialising in hand-knitting and the British Wool Industry, I have worked on a number of knitwear collections (personal and external companies), whilst freelancing and researching for a number of exciting projects. My work revolves around the idea of sustainable fashion from a knitted perspective and the different ways to achieve this incorporating the ideas of slow fashion into mainstream society. I love knitting. And wool. And double sided sticky tape.
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