May 26, 2023 · Made by Shruti
Ebina Top
inspired by Odakyu Station Chimes
Hi there! I am pumped up to test various sound and observe the creative effects they have on my knitting. It is taking me a while to analyse and pinpoint what I truly want to explore, but it's progressing well and yielding amazing outcomes. My next stop was train chimes and here in Japan every railway lines has its unique train jingles. My goal was to listen to the sound and use it to guide my knitting. The Odakyu chimes provided a soothing effect, but the sound of the train's motion and footsteps transformed it into a weighty, metallic clash that almost became burdensome and caused discomfort to my ears.
I spontaneously picked yarn and needles, cast random numbers of stitches, and began knitting in round.I wasn't satisfied with either yarn or colour, and it kept bothering my concentration. When I returned home, I switched to a different needle size, one with the maximum width I had in my possession.I loved the way the yarn stretched, creating big loops; the silhouette was billowy, and I kept switching needles between sets of rows to give some shape.
The big jumps came along, representing the heavy metal sound draining my energy and will to knit. Overall, the project came together quickly after changing needle sizes, and ideas flickered through my mind while knitting. The two side panels and bow tie were not part of the original design but paired nicely. The amazing part is the rotational design. I can rotate and style it however I want, and it still maintains its billowy nature, allowing me to experiment with styling.
This project introduced a new perspective on the relationship between sound and knitting, revealing how sound can impact the choice of needle size. While sound does play a part in generating new ideas, intuition also has a role to play in the creative process.
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Shruti