#textilestudent

Sustainability is essential in the future of fashion, that should go without saying. Fully fashioned knitwear is inherently sustainable and any waste created this way is usually down to human error. Fully fashioned knitwear means each part of the garment has been shaped during construction and thus does not need to be cut, meaning there is no waste. As Inis Meain Knitting Company creates their garments this way, they are sustainable, however, sustainability is not in their consciousness. The yarns they use are also natural wools and linens, and are therefore biodegradable in the long term, however this is not why these yarns are used at the company, the quality and feel of these yarns is why they are used. From my experience, the goals at the forefront of the company’s mind is to create quality, luxury pieces.

Any waste usually results from the following: pieces of jumpers that have dropped stitches, garments missing an end of yarn, pieces that were knitted in the wrong colour, loop routines which are test pieces the machines knit to know the settings needed for a garment or waste yarn from the point to point linking. Creating Frankenstein-esque jumpers from this waste is my favourite weekend activity. This helps me to learn even more about garment construction and I know I’ll carry this into my final year collection when I return to university.

From time to time, I get a break from linking, and instead I help with the finishing of garments. When this happens I get to label garments and use the bar tack machine. I had never heard of bar tack before joining the factory but now its one of the first things I spot when looking at garments in shops or pieces I’ve had in my wardrobe for years. Bar tack is a series of stitches in a specific area of a garment, usually to reinforce weak points. However, Inis Meain use this method to cover loose ends, so that they don’t need to be hand finished. This is very easy work and helps to speed up the finishing process.

Labelling the garments is exactly as you would imagine, adding size labels, washing instructions and the brand name to garments before they get pressed and packed for customers. This work can be monotonous, as can linking, but it is essential in clothing manufacture. Seeing these processes has been interesting for me. In university we’re taught how to be creative designers but we aren’t necessarily taught about this part of their industry. Fashion needs people who are prepared to sit and hand finish garments, it’s not only about the creative process.

[Eng Below]

Eka isompi projekti mitä tehtiin koulussa viime vuonna. Kierrätysmatskuista tehty räsymatto, kuteet kirpparilta löydetty tai leikattu itse lakanoista/muista kankaista. Osa värjätty. Loimi kalalankaa. Oon oikeestaa tosi ylpee tästä, sopii tosi hyvin omaan huoneeseen ja kestää kulutusta 👌

One aspect I really loved about being on Inis Meáin was being allowed to use the factory as a creative space at the weekend. It was common to find me routing through the bins after a shift looking for interesting jumper scraps. I was always collecting waste to attempt to create my own unique creations.

Below is an example of some waste a found, four spare jumper fronts from samples for S/S 20.

I decided which colour would go where before putting two fronts together to form the main body. I then overlooked two of the front into sleeve shapes.

Here I am linking the pieces together!

Finally I added a trim that was going spare and before I knew it, I had made a jumper. It makes me happy to know that I made good use of material that was otherwise going to landfill.

One place I love to escape to on Inis Meain is the pebble beach. This is the beach closest to my home and by far the most interesting. The beach provides a gorgeous view point of Inis Mor as well as its own gorgeous changing landscape. On this beach, it’s clear when there has been a storm, the rock cliffs are usually more dishevelled, sea weed has been torn up from the sea bed onto the beach and, unfortunately, a lot of rubbish will wash up. It’s a harsh place too, evident by all the bird carcasses.

This is another great place to draw and find inspiration. When a storm is coming, myself and some of the other girls come here to watch the waves. It’s really calming after a long day of production work in the factory, its also very humbling to see how the sea moves the rock. Amougst the rubbish and plastic waste there are some interesting finds on this beach. My favourite find so far has been a coconut. It’s amazing that a coconut found its way to Inis Meain.

Initially, on the island, I wasn’t sure how to spend my free time. This resulted in my spending a lot of time at the pub. However, now that I have a better sense of my surroundings, I now know all the best places to explore and find inspiration.

The cliffs on the west of the island are my favourite spot. To get there you have to pass Cathaoir Synge or Synge’s Chair in English. This is a makeshift viewpoint where playwright John Millington Synge supposedly took refuge from the wind to take in the surrounding landscape. Once you pass the chair and reach the cliffs you can’t help but be humbled by the boom of the waves against the rock faces.

When the weather is clear and calm this is my favourite place to draw and paint. For me, having the free time to draw is one of the advantages of living in such an isolated place. I hope it’ll put me at some kind of advantage when I return to university.

My job title on the contract the factory had me sign is General Operative, however, my main task day to day is linking. Linking is a technique that attaches separate pieces of knitwear to create garments, it is essential in point to point construction. At Cniotáil Inis Meáin Teo every garment is made point to point, meaning that garments are constructed together stitch to stitch, thus creating finer seams and detailed shaping.

Before coming to Inis Meáin I had only used a hand turned linker so I was a tad intimidated when I first sat at my new machine. So far, I feel far too slow compared with the rest of the production line but speed comes with time. Also, in luxury knitwear the quality is more important than speedy construction!