Typographic Knitting: Writing with Wool

Over two weekends (Saturday-Sunday, November 18, 19, December 2 & 3), learn to knit a monogram, name tag, instagram meme, poster, scarf, pullover, or blanket during this online typeknitting workshop. Use your skills as a visual plug-in to create tactile lettering and produce objects and clothes, or simply as a typographic meditation. This online workshop consists of 4 sessions over two weekends.

Participants will explore different typefaces like Knit Grotesk, which was developed specifically for hand knitting, and recently released by the Swiss type foundry Nouvelle Noire. We will cover different knitting methods with possible connection points to your personal knitting and graphic design projects.

Knitting exercises will be done using techniques like slip-stitches, mosaic knitting, and illusion knitting. After a basic overview, we will focus on fundamental approaches to modify or construct letters, words, and layouts. We will explore ways to plan and knit single letterforms and repeat patterns in different scales, preparing you to develop patterns of your own.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the basics of several knitting techniques and their typographic potential
• Knit prototypic letterforms as a basis for individual modification
• Design and knit your own repeat patterns
• Learn helpful workarounds to plan and prototype your own typographic knitting project

Required Knitting Skills

• Casting on, Knit & Purl, Binding off

Required Materials

• Round knitting needles (3.5–4.5 mm)
• Crochet hook
• Wool yarn in 3 colors of strong contrast (e.g. blue/white/orange)
• Graph paper A4 (8.5" x 11") or A3 (11" x 17", tabloid size)
• Text markers in different colors (e.g. yellow/blue)
• Camera, phone or scanner to capture your work

Preparation

• Participants will receive an exercise-PDF and tutorial video links via email two (2) weeks in advance of the workshop