garthenor talks series
We are excited to welcome once again Garthenor Organic as the sponsor of our Talks Series and grateful for their ongoing support of unravel!
All talks are included as part of our virtual programme.
The Garthenor Talk Series are live via Zoom and recorded where possible for viewing on-demand over the rest of the virtual unravel event.
Please note the time zone for all talks in the Garthenor Talks Series is British Summer Time (BST).
Friday, 21 May - Keynote Address with Mati Ventrillon (12:30pm - 1:30pm)
NEW TIME! Mati is currently away from Shetland so we have moved the timing of our keynote to accommodate the time difference. Thank you for understanding!
Mati Ventrillon is one of the few remaining knitters making garments on Fair Isle, Scotland. In 2012 she launched Fair Isle Knitwear followed in 2013 by her eponymous brand for bespoke Fair Isle garments. Mati took part in Crafted UK, worked with Fortnum & Mason and exhibited at Somerset House. In 2015 her Oxford garment featured in Chanel Metiers d'art and launched MV Collection. In 2017 Mati launched Fair Isle Artisans the collection resulting from her internship programme. In 2018 Mati exhibited at Made London and developed a series of accessories for a local retailer. In 2019 Mati signed a contract to publish a book for hand knitters and launched her knitting kits. In 2020 Mati took part in the Selvedge Magazine Virtual World Fair, launched her book KNitting from Fair Isle and the new gift knitting kits MAK-KIST.
The motivation for Mati's work comes from the island's long history of knitting and women's role in maintaining the continuous life on the island of Fair Isle. Her designs are inspired by museum pieces; she uses only traditional patterns from the 19th and early 20th centuries and likes experimenting with colour and pattern arrangement.
Friday, 21 May - Ready Set Raglan with Pom Pom Quarterly (10:30am - 11:30am)
Ready Set Raglan by Pom Pom Press takes the straightforward raglan-sleeve pullover as a blank canvas and walks you through all the ways to make it your own. Join Lydia Gluck and Sophie Heathscott from the Pom Pom team for a behind the scenes peek at how this publication came together and why a raglan pullover is the perfect pattern to experiment with customisation and colour!
From Pom Pom: With our publications, we celebrate the joy of making and we are so excited about bringing you more beautiful knitted (and crocheted!) patterns to inspire all your yarny purchases at the festival. Find your perfect design in a copy of Pom Pom Quarterly, packed with articles, tutorials and inspiration! Perhaps you'll share your knitting journey with designing duo Joji Locatelli and Veera Välimäki and their latest volume in the Interpretations series. Or there is something for every level of knitter with our book dedicated to the classic raglan jumper, Ready Set Raglan!
Friday, 21 May - Texture with Erika Knight (2:30pm - 3:30pm)
Join British knitwear designer, author and craft innovator Erika Knight for a personal journey through the textural landscapes that have inspired her work throughout a career spanning fashion, trend forecasting, yarn development, colour design, teaching and of course hand knitting. Showcasing stitches, fibres and designs from her most recent handknitting pattern book, Texture, Erika invites you to slow down and absorb yourself in the creative process.
Saturday, 22 May - Crazy About Colour with Dan Lee (10:30am - 11:30am)
Dan will give a brief introduction to stranded knitting and his approach to it. He'll start with how to go about choosing colours and designs, and the importance of swatching, as well as "virtual" swatching. Dan will also chat about the ways of holding the yarns, the importance of tension and how to manage longer floats (floats are the strands of yarn that are carried behind). The talk with also cover knitting in the flat vs. knitting in the round, and the mysterious art of steeking (cutting your knitting up!).
Sunday, 23 May - The Power of Knitting with Loretta Napoleoni (1:00pm - 2:00pm)
Knitting empowers, heals, and reconnects us to one another and ourselves.
In this talk, economic journalist and lifelong knitter Loretta shares how knitting has been a powerful and constant presence throughout her life.