THE TREETOPS STUDIOS - SAANICHTON

 

Knit, Knit-lace & Knit-Woven Fabrics

Hand and Machine Knits       Some sorts of knits can only be produced by hand. Elaine is a prize winning, professional, hand knitter. Nevertheless, the Treetops Studios' best knitwear is machine knit. Home-produced machine knits have a bad reputation among discriminating clients. Far too many items are board stiff, ill-fitted, badly assembled, poorly finished combinations of a cheap synthetic yarn and a boring pattern. As many a juror in fabric arts and crafts shows can testify, the same holds true all across the needlecrafts and fabric arts. It does not have to be so! The dedicated knitter (quilter, weaver, lace-maker, embroiderer, ....) strives to improve. Good work shines through. Artistry glows in the dark.

Fine yarns, natural shaping, careful ornament, and a sense of colour and form are the tools of any accomplished knitter. Under the hands of an expert, the computer-controlled studio knitting machine can duplicate many simple knit patterns and emulate the look of many of the more complex ones, including the laces. The garment designer can 'knit to fit' pattern pieces ready for assembly or run off fabric 'yardage' for traditional 'cut and sew' assembly. Top

The main technical thrust in fabric development at the Treetops Studios is an exploration of the knit-woven fabric. Just as a hand knitter can add embellishment, or a weaver can 'lay-in' a motif on top of the background weave, the machine knitter can manipulate any group of needles and add extra yarns by hand to create simple accents or build a complex tapestry effect. For instance, the image above left shows an early colour trial for a combination knit-weave and silk jacket. The silk is imported, a shimmering fuchsia and jet 'Plum Blossom' pattern brocade on a polished black ground. The knit-woven fabric is a Studio produced cotton blend gossamer that will show hints of pale red and ochre as the wearer moves. In another style, the Swing Series of light weight knit-woven jackets, the Studio produced fabric is pieced into a three quarter length flair that dances as the wearer turns or moves. A contrasting band at the hem and the cuffs accents the effect.

As is only fitting for a traditional knitter, Elaine maintains several studio lines of hand knits. (Actually, they are not always produced in the studio. The hand knitting bag always goes with us on the road.) The Studio also accepts commissions from local yarn shops for test or demonstration pieces in new yarns and patterns. And, of course, we show our own garments at local galleries, boutiques and exhibitions when they highlight new ideas, new yarns and new patterns. (We keep the prize ribbons. Sorry.) Some exhibition pieces, like the formal black bolero above right, have sold within hours. Other successful lines of hand knits have nothing to do with wearable art or fashion design at all. In spite of the ready availability of good men's work and dress stockings, there is a steady demand for a higher quality studio product. If you do need a hand knit utility or fashion item please contact us. Top

Traditional and Modern Patterns       As you would expect, there is a steady demand for our Traditional Sweaters, in basic, Scandinavian and cable patterns with better yarns and a much better fit than the commercial product. But our first season of work revealed a far greater potential for serious studio works. We now design and produce original, truly one of a kind, custom women's outerwear; jackets, vests and sweaters, and the accessories to complement them. Our basic design is a traditional 'look', gently sloped shoulders and an upper body shape falling straight from the point of the shoulder to the hip.

Did anyone designing women's fashions in the 1930's and 1940's expect that the 'look' they sought would be regarded as 'traditional' two generations later? Those great old movies, and the popularity of recent 'costume dramas' have certainly had a lot to do with it. Nevertheless, there is something more going on here. 'The Pallisers' and the original 'Forsyte Saga' are great visual feasts as well but we don't see Susan Hampshire clones on the street. Except for the hats, the leading ladies from the '30's, '40's and early '50's can be seen in shop windows every day and, with just a bit more ease in the fit, among the shoppers too.

Our sense of that 'look' does not confine us to sharp and edgy designs for the very tall and very slim. Working in knitwear and knitwear combinations, we prefer to see the 'look' as a framework upon which we can combine two visions of the feminine form. The first impression is the sense of purpose and strength implied by the lines, their regularity and their symmetry. The illustrators' seven-line woman says it all. But the second impression is in the subtle curves that the good illustrator introduces into the lines themselves. Even the most severe presentation of 'look' can be softened and shaped to flatter the woman inside the clothes. Top

Natural, Synthetic and Blended Yarns       Quality yarns are the key to a successful personal look. We all know the difference in quality between a cheap synthetic knit and a good cotton blend or 100% cotton fabric. Typically, the more cotton there is in the yarn, the better the feel, shaping and durability of the garment. The same holds true for silks and linens. Modern woolens can have the same lightness without sacrificing the versatility and durability of wool. And then there are the exotics: alpaca, mohair, angora, cashmere and more. Used alone, in blends, or plied with other fibres in our Studio, the exotics can be an exclamation mark at the end of your personal wardrobe statement.

Cost is always a factor with quality yarns and there are maintenance issues. 'Hand Wash Only' gets more common the more exotic the yarn choice. If cost and maintenance issues have to be addressed then we will suggest some of the better synthetic yarns. Properly knit, some modern acrylic yarns make up into fabrics that are difficult to distinguish from natural fabrics. In a few cases we will actually recommend the blending of a cotton or synthetic yarn into even the most exotic natural fibre based fabrics. For instance, a single thread of a synthetic fibre plied into a loosely knit exotic fabric can keep the garment in the shape you intended. Top

Contact Us

Elaine Dendy e-laine@shaw.ca
John Oliver Dendy dendy@islandnet.com
URL: http://www.treetops-studios.com/index.htm

Copyrights for the entire site
(unless otherwise stated in the page source code):
Text and Photography - © 2001-7 John Oliver Dendy
Design and Art - © 2001-7 John & Elaine Dendy
Web Layout - © 2001-7 John Oliver Dendy
Revised 14 July, 2007