Photo © 2013 Joyce Oudkerk Pool
I know Julie Weatherston from back in the day in Detroit, meaning……. High School. I would say we reconnected via Facebook and found a common thread, so to speak, by ‘loving’ and ‘liking’ and appreciating knitted inanimate objects in public spaces, like this one in Seattle. When I visited her a year ago now in the Bay Area, I learned about her love of weaving and knitting. Then more recently, I enjoyed her posts about the evolution and creation of her BIG knitting needles. It was quite impressive to see the outcome.
How long have you been knitting/weaving and which came first?
I’ve been knitting for 38 years ever since my grandmother taught me the basics of knitting when I was six years old. I took up weaving much more recently though I had been intrigued by it for years. I was first introduced to SAORI style weaving (weaving without intention or weaving from the heart) in my twenties when I was working as an intern for Very Special Arts in DC. The beautiful colors and freedom of this weaving philosophy (no mistakes) stuck with me over the years and for my fortieth birthday I treated myself to a solo trip to Japan to the SAORI no-mori studio where I studied with the founder and her son. I came home with a loom and have been weaving ever since.
Photo © 2013 Joyce Oudkerk Pool
Where did you learn about BIG knitting?
I am not sure where I found out about BIG knitting but my life has become increasingly busy with two children and work. When I finally had time to knit at night, I found knitting on anything smaller than a size 8 was tedious and following any kind of complicated pattern or color work felt like work. So I guess I just found myself more relaxed with larger needles. Eventually I was knitting mostly on what I
call “salad tossers” (size 50/25mm) and then I graduated to the bad boys I made myself (size VERY BIG).
What inspired you to start creating BIGGER woven fabrics?
I live in northern California where we use blankets year round. I have throw blankets in our bedrooms and in the living room. So there’s the practicality of this type of fabric (it makes great blankets) but I also love the yummy texture of the fabric you get with big needles. My kids especially like that you can poke your fingers and toes through it and massage them. And there’s no complicated pattern to follow with a garter stitch (knit every row) blanket. I know how to do pattern and color work. I certainly admire people who can stick with it. But at this point in my life I really appreciate simplicity.
Photo © 2013 Joyce Oudkerk Pool
How did you make the dowels and where do you find the ‘yarn’?
I made my first BIG needles out of a 1.5” X 8’ PVC piping that I had in my garage. I sawed it in half and then used candles to shape the tips that I then covered in duct tape. I like the challenge of figuring out how to make things work with what you have. They sound crazy but they actually worked well. My only complaint was they didn’t feel so good in my hands. I like wooden needles. Eventually I made my own out of wooden dowels. Again, I sawed a 1.25” X 8’ dowel in half and then used a disc sander to make the tips. Actually my friend,
Julia Turner, helped me with that part. She’s a jewelry designer in SF and a pro with the disc sander. She finished them in her studio.
For yarn, I “upcycle” cotton sheets. I dye them, then rip them into strips, connect them together and wind them into a ball. I’ve also
used jersey fabric as yarn. You have to cut jersey with scissors though which is time consuming but meditative too, as is ripping the cotton sheets into strips. Jersey makes for a much heavier fabric that becomes more difficult to knit as the blanket gets bigger. My son affectionately calls my first jersey blanket (the green one in the photos) the “Three thousand pound” blanket. A friend suggested it could be a good therapeutic blanket. The weight of it and it’s soft texture immediately calms your body.
Photo © 2013 Joyce Oudkerk Pool
Do you have plans for this project to get BIGGER?
I’d love to do something more public with the knitting but I haven’t decided what yet. Maybe get a few other folks to knit BIG with me somewhere unexpected. I think when people see you doing something that stretches their idea of what is “normal” it helps make the world more interesting. People might not think about knitting like this unless they see it. Unfortunately the size of the needles isn’t conducive to sitting in a coffee shop where you’d be more visible. We’d need to be in a park or something.And I’d like to teach more people how to knit in general not only on BIG needles. I’ve taught many many people over the years to knit, many of whom are much better knitters than I am and who still enjoy the satisfaction of complicated pattern and color work! It seems like with all the electronic options today, people aren’t always exposed to making things with their hands but when they get a chance to try it they become mesmerized. Personally I can’t imagine life without knowing how to knit! I’m so grateful to my grandmother who showed me how all those years ago.
Thanks to Joyce Oudkerk Pool Photography for providing the beautiful imagery.
What would you make if you took up BIG knitting? I personally love the idea of a public art piece with a group of ladies (and why not men?) gathered outside enjoying the weather, the company, and the meditative motion of creating. And then donating the BIG, warm, cuddly, outcomes to a homeless shelter.