Unforgettable Textile Design in Everyday Things

If you look at the objects that you encounter in a day you will more than likely find that at least one of them is touched by design with cultural antecedents outside your own.  Many of the designs we see in everyday life come from textile surface or structural design that have been passed down through multiple generations proving that they are unforgettable and continue to have appeal.  Textile surface design or applied design is when a finish of some type is applied to a textile.  Embroidery, painting, or tie dyeing are examples. Structural design incorporates the design as fabric is produced, such as weaving a tapestry or creating lace. What is fascinating is when that surface or structural design is incorporated into a different type of object than for what it was originally intended. A pair of socks could have a Navajo geometric design knitted into them.  A tray might have an Incan Tocapu design painted onto it.  An African Kente Cloth design might be printed onto a fabric shower curtain.  Now the materials and the way of creating the design have both changed but the visual idea of the design is still dominate.

Producers decided how far to take the use of the design on which they base their work.  Is it a direct copy and has it been approved by the original creating group?  Is it an inspired piece that uses ideas from other works?  Is it a piece created in traditional ways by a group in the same ways as their predecessors? Is it even a textile or another form of media that uses like graphic ideas?  These are questions that play into the design process of the producers, values, and perception and evaluation of the design.

A selection of nine projects from Clothing, Textile and Interior Design 446 Cultural Dynamics Course at The University of Alabama are presented. Each project has a representative everyday object that can been found in today’s global market.

Ireland Aran Knitting

The Technique

What process was/is used to make the design in general?

These garments were often knit in the round with a set (5) of the needles, with sections of the garment being on different needles at the same time. Sweaters were worked from the bottom up, and different stitches were used in patterns to achieve the cable effect. The only seams of a sweater would be under the arms.

Is it surface, structural, or a combination?

The design is both surface and structural. The garments are almost never lined, and are made of a single layer. The stitches that create the pattern have are just as structurally important as the basic knit stitch. Different stitch combinations will create different patterns, and the larger the yarn and smaller the needle, the tighter and denser the resulting material will be.

What materials were/are used for the design?

The needles were made of steel, about 14 inches long, and came in sets of five. The yarn itself was wool from the islands’ sheep, untreated as to leave the lanolin in place. This preserved the water-resistant nature into the finished garment. The garments made of this wool “were able to absorb 30% of their own weight in water before the wearer would feel wet.” (Haslam)  Because a contract knitter had efficiency as their top priority, the use of an object to anchor the working needle was invaluable, lending freedom of movement. This specialized technique was adopted by traditional knitters. The anchor was a piece of hardwood that was shaped like a prong or fork. It would curve at the bottom, to lie over the hip, or could be held under the arm. A hold made near the top holds the needle in place. A proficient knitter could work at speeds up to 200 stitches per minute. (Wright)

Who did the work?

In the 17th century, rural workers, predominantly women, would receive wool on consignment and would card and spin this in exchange for payment. When the spinning-jenny was introduced at the end of the eighteenth century, demand for hand-spinners fell. (Wright) At this time, hand knitting became profitable, and schools of industry were developed.

What was/is the purpose of the textile with this surface design?

The purpose of the cables themselves was purely aesthetic. The same garment could have been knit in stockinette pattern, where all the stitches are knit. The largest rumor about cable knitting is that it derived from different families having different patterns, as personalized as a family crest. There is a tale that often accompanies this myth: a fisherman sails into the dangerous Atlantic Ocean, wearing a jumper his beloved made for him. He is overtaken by the sea, and he is washed ashore, unrecognizable but for the jumper, which has a particular pattern that identifies him as a member of a family. This is untrue, as there is no data supporting this, and it only became widespread with the rise of cable knitting in fashion. (Burke)

Is the technique still being carried out today by the culture? Do they still practice the technique, teach it, and produce objects with the technique?

Remarkably, this tradition is alive and nearly completely intact. Knitting has seen an increase in popularity recently, resulting in a renaissance of knitting knowledge and patterns being made and shared. (Burke) The popularity has created demand which materializes in traditional designs being worked in new colors or materials. The reaction of the traditional knitters to the new materials has been positive. (Keenan) There are contract knitters still in Irish isles, knitting garments to be sold in small businesses or to fashion houses.

Popular Culture Today

How is this surface design or structural design or combination produced today?

Cable knits can be replicated with any yarn, as seen from the pictures. In knitting patterns, there are varying levels of difficulty, also depending on the intricacy of the design. Since the base of the design is the ropes, it can be replicated with other materials as well, usually giving the finished look of the 2 strand cable, noticeable in the nail art photo.

Has the visual of the surface or structural design been used in material culture production today in popular culture or the fashion world?

The cable design has reached all corners of the fashion globe. “This time, it’s the swanky department stores of Osaka and Tokyo that are stocking up on the traditional chunky-knit pullovers – and the high-street chains are following suit as Japan foes Aran-mad”. (McDonald) There is such demand from all demographics, and it is being met. There is cable knit design is manifested in garments from fast fashion, handmade designs sold by the maker (slow fashion), as well as haute couture variants on this traditional pattern. Examples of the material culture production could be the Dimensional Nail art, the Domestic Trophies, and the Cable Knit China. These all emulate the dimensional quality of the design, without actually being knit from fibers, and aren’t apparel garments. In popular culture, the L.L.Bean sweater is nearly iconic, almost transferring the iconic nature of the cables from one culture to capitalism. Another popular culture example is the Gucci sweater, which took a traditional pattern and added glamour and couture qualities.

 

Is it copied or used as inspiration?

Today the cable patterns are both being used as inspiration, copied, and is capitalized. Several internet-based craft communities make and share their own knitting patterns, some inspired from the Aran tradition and some true guernsey patterns that are shared. This has become accepted. Unfortunately, the myth of family-specific cable patterns is incredibly popular. Companies boast lists of surnames that each have a convenient pattern matching them, which they will gladly sell in an array of ‘authentically Irish’ colors. (Carden)   All of the examples show the classic single-strand rope pattern, but even though the pattern mimics the cultural one, the method of production can vastly differ. The traditional method is now thought of as time-consuming by a world where fast fashion is the new status quo. Knitting machines can speed up this process, but they still require a great deal of maintenance for more intricate designs.

What materials are used in the production?

Now, there are garments being made in 100% soft merino wool (PR Newswire), acrylic, blends, and any other fiber imaginable. Contract knitting still exists, but traditional methods are dying out. (Majendie) The design is replicated in many other media, from ceramic (Ralph Lauren) to nail polishes and powders. (Vanitee)

Where can it be purchased?

Garments boasting this technique can most certainly be found in any of the Irish islands, from small shops such as the Inis Meain Knitting Company and Kilmurvy Craft Village on Inishmore Island (Majendie, Freed). Similar designs can be found in high-end shops as well that boast Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, Valentino, and Ralph Lauren. (McAuliffe, McDonald) Cable knit inspired items can be purchased at most retailers in some form. They are plentiful in apparel and interior decorating stores in general, and even more so on craft selling websites, such as Etsy or Ravelry. This is because the design is so globally known and recognizable.

Who is producing it?

Knitters are the predominant makers of this design, either producing it for personal use, sale by a larger company, or a self-run business. Machines have taken over much of fast-fashion knitwear, and cables are just a program away. Contract knitting still exists, with a sweater taking the accomplished knitter over 40 hours to make. “I would say that 80% of skilled Irish hand-knitters have either died or simply given up knitting since we started sourcing garments in Ireland in the early 1990’s”  states a shop owner (Keenan) Many do not mind the time, and knit for personal enjoyment as well. With the widespread nature of patterns, and cottage industry crafts seeing a rise in popularity, wider audiences have access to the knowledge and patterns of Aran cable knitting.

How much does it cost?

Locally sourced wool costs $30 USD for creating a sweater that will retail for $105 USD in a small business. (Majendie) “Aran jumpers are making waves for the second time with renowned designers such as New York’s Alexander Wand and Milan’s Valentino producing their own Aran-inspired jumpers, with price tags of [euro] 1,000 and upwards” (McAuliffe)

Legal/Moral Issues

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    Has the culture group who produced the technique you researched given permission for the use of their work with the examples discussed in Part II?

    It can be argued that permission was given when contract knitting became a wage-earning job, or when the garments were traded across the world. Today, “when Irish hand-knitting enthusiasts enter online spaces in which they may think of themselves as contemporary craftspeople, artists, hobbyists, consumers or experts, but find themselves thrust into the role of virtual ‘host’, tensions can emerge.” (Carden) There is noticeable recoil at the mention of the ‘Aran Family Sweater’ topic, some simply wishing it would die out.

    Discuss the laws that govern cultural intellectual property in the country where the culture resides.

    There is currently no law protecting particular patterns as cultural intellectual property in the United States.

    What laws in the US govern cultural intellectual property?

    There is currently no law protecting particular patterns as cultural intellectual property in the United States.

    Is the design considered sacred and should not be reproduced because of its sacred nature?

    The design is not considered sacred by fact and was created in order to be sold.

    Is the technique/visual representation of the culture’s work considered public domain?

    “The first Aran knitting pattern was published by Patons, in England, in the 1940’s, and Vogue followed in 1956” (McQuillan) The designs became widespread so quickly, and their popularity being the result of capitalisation created the perfect circumstances for this pattern to exist on the global fashion scale, and becoming synonymous with comfort and coziness.