Reflections on Knitting as Art

Art creates tangible dreams, residual glowing coals sparked from an everyday moment. Turn this over and we have an epiphany grounded in transcendence: craft. The two meet at a fork in the forest, handing off a baton of conceptual truth. Shall they pass like ships in the dazzling night? Will they ring soft bells in acknowledgment? Will they let off a parade of fireworks that share an explosion of remixed ideas?

Above: Photo by Ocean Rose.

The revelation begins when we allow ourselves to fling off any pretense. We must claim a clear space for the first strings of art to knit together. Physical knitted pieces have a similar origin story: raw materials destined to take a finished shape. A single pattern offers myriad offshoots bringing a question to mind: “How can this piece align with my spirit?”

I envision creativity as an open-knit weave, with deliberate space in between to fill with an endless string of imaginative possibilities. A purl here, a bobble there, slipped-stitch confirmations everywhere—the piece moves with the mind, changing directions with such ease. With the twitch of a hand it all unravels, leaving a distinctive texture behind, another clear path to re-imagine, replace, and reawaken with an aesthetic touch.

It is a heady concoction to behold, the extreme time and energy that a finished object requires, all while conjuring the multifaceted creativity needed to achieve such a high standard of art. By embracing the flaws and welcoming them into the fray, the discarded scraps of all our past imaginings finally receive time to shine in a fresh endeavor.

When you think of your knitted art now, does it hold the same energy?

Ocean Rose is a multifaceted artist with roots firmly planted in making, poetry, photography, and the exploration of the beautiful unknown. Find her on Instagram @ocean_bythesea and on her website.

This article was originally published in Interweave Knits Spring 2022.

Explore Interweave Knits Spring 2022!