So, then I have visited one of the worlds greatest knitters, Britt-Marie Christoffersson, who has an exhibition at Länsmuseet in Halmstad, Sweden. And she is just amazing. Educated at Konstfack the Swedish Art School, one of the founder of the famous Swedish 10-group, she added industry experience to her textile art knowledge, but felt that knitting during the "last boom" in the 80's was her thing, she started to combine her skilles of colour, pattern, form and design into knitted garments. She did a thorough research going through all Swedish museums and painstakingly counted each stich, and documented patterns. Her first exhibition was uch a hit few parts of it became a classic, "Swedish sweaters". A book hard to find in the used market. This exhibition has been worked on for at least 5 years, and I was really one of the lucky ones having a chance to meet her through her last course at Handarbetets Vänner, where she tought for years. Some call her the "technical master", and she finds that amusing, since her view of techniques is something she pass, and rather use more "slow" method. So she handknits. The exhibition is a galore of coulour, ideas and patterns, and art looks bleak next to her creativity. Overwhelmingly beautiful, and one just admires how she takes the knitting tricks a bit further to make a neat design. The picture in the above left corner is taken from HALLANDSPOSTEN, and by Anders Andersson. So all credit is DUE. (Also linked from a bove).
She has themes, like "twisted yarn" that she starts with 2 and goes just further and further developing the colours and the strands until she ends up with a huge twisted "rope" of 6 strands. Also, the themes develop, "apron patterns", lifted stich (a set of 20 garments), weave images, (it is a whole set where she cleverly used that you can have several yarn, and reknit from the same side over and over... with "two-pointed knitsticks"..
and then comes embroydery, loops, circles and add on... it is just so great that her dragon sweater, her circle-top and her added triangular pattern attached, but still threedimensional on top in lusturing black is just amazing. It will tour around in Sweden but if any of you out there knittingfreaks would travel for inspiration - this is the place. Britt-Marie Christoffersson has taken the knitting further than anyone I have seen yet. And it is true, most people imitate her. She has tought a new breed of knitters. To apprechiate and enrich their life with the best there is knitting beauty.
What a master! So we had a knitting workshop. The local people did not realise that the master and the pupil was different. The new Hot shot Katarina Breiditis, who also went to Konstfack, and has designed for IKEA, and her DO-Redo thing, which I personally feel is just not my fashion, I'm getting over 40 ;-). KB was more of a local celebrity than BMC. So she got the paper - Hallandsposten... look at this article! Fun, but I knitted a face like this 3 years ago. Does not feel new to me. It is also published in her book "Lust att sticka" which is creative. I think people do not understand that this is Britt-Marie - the master. Katarina admits she is the pupil, and for that I credit her. Britt-Marie, she is so humle, low-key and generous with her knowledge. More pictures to come! But I save the best for Sticka! Especially from her ateljé. And my own knitting? I finished a lot of pieces! Great inspiration.
