This jacket is an odyssey. A series of paths taken in a journey through the pattern. Each Front and the Back are all different. The symbols are my own interpretation of the incredible Cuba cloths from the Congo that inspired my first design in 1990! I have used Fair Isle and intarsia techniques in the making and some vibrant colour choices to celebrate the richness of the pattern.
The inspiration for this design goes back to an invitation to create a special garment for someone in Brussels who had been involved in creating a collection of Cuba woven, tufted and embroidered fabrics from the Congo.
I absolutely love the spirit and creativity in these incredible Cuba cloths. At the time it seemed that the pieces started with a strong pattern, which was then abstracted as it developed. I worked on the commission over a year and returned with it for an exhibition and workshop at Initiations in the spring of 1991. Over the year I allowed my knitting to develop in a meditation…I planned nothing and just let my mind abstract the pattern as I worked. It was an amazing process and I still use the same method today. It is like a journey with the lines representing the path trodden. A knitting odyssey!