Being a Knitwear design student I have found that Nottingham Trent University is definitely the place to be.

Knitwear design as a degree can seem too specialised when you are choosing courses and unsure what to do, its an important decision which can feel rushed. As student ambassador I see most students don't know what they want to do, and I myself remember being confused by all the choice. Although I have a passion for both textiles and Fashion and have enjoyed knitting as a hobby, I also felt during sixth form that choosing knitwear design would be very specialised. It wasn't until my foundation course that my drive was garment construction and fabric design. There is something about taking a final garment completely from the start. We can spin, make our yarn, dye our yarns, experiment with fabric development and how this will look like on a garment. It is all considered from the start to the end which means a knitwear designer has a huge amount of skill.

NTU has given me great opportunities and contacts. During the summer and some days during my time at university I volunteer at frame works knitters museum to keep the traditional skill of Frame knitting alive. Developing my skills on the lace bar, and feeding this into my university work. 

We are soon to be visiting Florence to see the yarn trade show "Pitti Filati".

It isn't all so easy but it is all fun, we are currently working on fundraising for our final catwalk show! This will be costing us £20,000 which will be in May 2018. We will be making an instagram account for our course and the work we will be producing. Everything from fashion illustration to knit samples and garments!

JoJo

Starting 2nd year of the Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles degree at NTU, we have been introduced to the Shima programme that is used to design Knitting. This can then be processed into the Power Knit machines. I am really enjoying using the industrial system.

Power Knit Machines.

Just before the really cold winter I decided to make most of my time exercising outdoors

(much more fun than a gym!)

I decided to take a bike ride to Frameworks Knitters museum to work on building my skills where I have spent part of my summer volunteering. 

These machines are the first invented knitting and knitted lace machines which date back to the 18th century.

I feel privileged to be keeping the technique alive and to develop new ideas and designs, the machines take 8 separate steps to complete one row, using the lace bar also involves transfer stitches between. The machine I have been using is 32 gage which means 32 needles per inch and a half. This proves the difficult job of keeping them perfectly in line, a hairline difference will mean that the the fingers on the lace bar would miss the needles and fall, so I'm always learning and improving on the machine.

River Trent

Frames 4 different pedals

Transferring stitches with the lace bar

My adaptation lace of knitting

JoJo

First week back at university!

Lectures and briefings ready to start the term, it's an exciting year. Our course has 17 new students, 3 are exchange from New York who will be leaving before Christmas and the others joining are direct entry or transferred from textiles at Nottingham Trent.

During first week we also received an email about the collaboration of our course with WGSN. Before the Summer holidays, Tutors and students submitted samples to respond to a trend of S/S 17. I feel very privileged for one of my samples to have been chosen for inspiration for one of the trends. There were many successful beautiful samples, I can't wait to see these samples inspire garments of S/S 17! People signed up will be able to access the Nottingham Trent University Future Trends PDF through the WGSN website sorry I cannot personally share with you.

http://www.wgsn.com/en/

The year ahead is looking exciting!

We have currently been set to decide upon a Live project (A project with industry) from Next, All Saints and Acorn.

http://www.next.co.uk/

http://www.allsaints.com/

http://www.acorn-swatches.com/

These companies will give a presentation at the university about the briefing. It's an exciting new step on the course to be working with industry! Whilst working on our project we are also applying for Placements to 'fill the Sandwitch' of our Sandwich Degree. This just means after second year you will go on placement for 36 weeks or more to achieve a Diploma of Professional Practise. To assist us in choosing the placement thats best suited for us (and a placement we can afford) we will be watching the 3rd Years presentation about their placement year. This will enable us to understand what the placements expect from us, where we will be living, if we need and how we get visas, what they gained from the placement.

This year the course seems far different than last year. We now need to build research from Trends and collate a Shop report, building upon design that already exists and not just making something because you we it. The main aspect is to aim for a target market.

Tomorrow we have more lectures then Thursday I am planning to go back to the Frameworks Knitters museum to practise knitting and using the lace bar.

All for now!

20/05/15

Day of dress rehearsals, all the models have arrived and us first years have come armed with steamers, clothing rails, collections and the accessories!

Each first year of our course had been assigned with one model each with a garment from 4-5 collections to dress. My role was to help anyone who needed extra help dressing or pressing garments, lint rolling, to make sure every model was ready and out on time. The whole day was tiring but an invaluable experience, I very much appreciate these opportunities because dressing really does give you the back stage insight to what goes on at fashion shows. It is also amazing to be viewing and working with the incredible garments that had been made by the Fashion Knitwear students. You can really tell a Fashion Knitwear student from Nottingham Trent just by the quality of the finish, the inside of the garments look almost as neat as the outside. The students have taken great care with linking and sewing in all the ends of the overlocking. 

Bringing in the equiptment.

Back Stage photos of the collections!

Rommy Pollard, beautiful delicate knitted garments had to be dressed wearing gloves! They were so fine beautiful and attention was taken. During the dress rehersal the linking had come apart across one garment, which we were lucky enough that a technician and Rommy managed to fix before the show!


I had to capture the reflections and glimmer of this collection on video!
https://youtu.be/8E7e-hL8dns

Can you believe these are all knitwear! Really puts a new light on the technique.



This video is by the Maverick Models used by the fashion design and fashion knitwear show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdWkT8iZbPE

This is a video I managed to take at the end of the fashion show!
https://youtu.be/QWDkS_Bq3xY

I really enjoyed the experience, it was a long, exhausting day, but I loved it! I can't wait to experience many more. Hope you enjoyed the photos and videos!

Recently I have been working with a friend of mine who is about to launch a new online fashion store! 

The Ovadose team has been working hard with photo shoots, styling, final garment alterations, editing and updating the new website with assistants running around with clothes, make up and hair products.

This is just the beginning. 

1st October 2015 will be the launch of the new fashion brand with guests and friends attending the launch party. I am looking forward to seeing this exciting new women's wear brand grow!

Ovadose began with a keen Fashion Buyer with her ambition to open a Women's wear store, focusing on latest trends and keeping season in mind. She has a keen eye for quality and style and wanted to make her range affordable for high street market. The brand includes an exclusive section which will be for selected pieces and will be known for the luxury section of the online store! 

My favourite so far from the current collection is this nude lace dress! Mind the photo I just threw it on as I was so in love I just had to try it on. I can't wait to style it up :)

I am in love with the detail, the lace, the finish, the back cut and the neckline. It will definitely be the next dress I will be wearing for an occasion.

After many hours of everyone's hard work I am confident to say we are getting everything done to schedule. If you would like to view what Ovadose has to offer then go to ovadose.co.uk to see all the garments! :)

Hello, 

Welcome to Jojo's Knitting Emporium!

My name is Joanna, I'm a student at Nottingham Trent University studying  Fashion Knitwear and Knitted textiles.

I have been working over the summer as a volunteer at Frameworks Knitting Museum in Ruddington. (I will tell you more about my experience in a later post). Travelled to Greece for the summer, rescued a stray dog in need who has now become a member of the family. Most recently have been working for my friend who has just started up an online fashion store called Ovadose threads. This will be launching 01/10/15!

I will post blog's about the journey on my course, my placement year (and why it is vital to do one with your degree if you want to work in fashion). The best places to go, including clubs, bars, tea, food, and on holidays. How to style for the season, then beauty and health tips.

I would love to connect and collaborate with other Fashion Designers, Photographers, Accessory Designers, Hair and Make up Stylists so please send me an email with your page and contact details :)

All the best till next time!