ELEVEN SIX X KIT AGAR | BEHIND THE SCENES
As part of our Pre Spring 21 Capsule we collaborated with British artist: Kit Agar to create the KIT Sweater. The collaboration was born at the beginning of COVID-19. Co-founder: Catherine Carnevale states: “ I was inspired to create a vibrant and optimistic piece... something that would not only give the wearer comfort but some color-therapy! Despite the times continuing to create and collaborate in a positive way felt important and hopeful.” Catherine fell in love with Agar’s abstract, pebble-like prints. Agar is a Brighton, UK native - a city by the sea (where Catherine also studied for her Knitwear degree). Through this sense of place, an immediate connection was felt - the same familiarity you gain from the distinct pepple forms of Brighton beach you love when you reside there. Artist Kit Agar states: “At the time I created this pattern I wanted to explore uninhibited organic shapes that combined flowing shapes and colours as a sort of visual mediation”. The Kit sweater is sustainably hand-made in Peru by artisans in the softest air-spun alpaca yarns. Its hang tag is signed by the maker and an edition number issued to each piece to pass some of the handcrafted love to the new owner. SHOP HERE
BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO STORY of HOW KIT SWEATER IS MADE…
KIT Sweater at finishing stage after washing, steaming etc...
Yarn is hand-laid in across the machine needles to build and create the shapes of the pattern within the knitting.
The artisan hand-lays in yarn across the needles to create shapes according to the pattern graph.
The artists pattern is translated into a graph so the artisan knows how many knitting rows and needles to use to create each shape and color position.
An 'in-progress' patterned body panel hanging from the machine needles.
A body panel complete and taken off the machine...the panel then goes to the have the loose ends finished and neatened…
The artisan finishes the loose ends of yarn between the pattern shapes by hand…
All aspects of finishing: finishing of loose ends, pressing, measurements are recorded…
Final finishing and ELEVEN SIX logo label is applied…
Steam pressing to ensure the sweater is in shape and wrinkle-free…
Limited edition run of the Kit sweater batch ready to be shipped to ELEVEN SIX…
Meet Rosendo (left) - head of the workshop and head artisan knitter and (right ) his wife
KIT Sweater as worn by @zannarassi