Black Coated Copper Wire

Culture & Context

My project being all about craft and the ties certain ones have with gender. I try to highlight the absurdity of letting your gender decide what you do with your hands.

To knit metal is to combine two opposites. Metal, hard and cold being a symbol for masculine.

The textile technique of knitting being associated with feminine. In Ireland we have the second highest percentage of single sex schools in Europe.

Often in these schools, through which optional subjects are on offer to either boys or girls, perpetuates the idea of a gendered craft.

Process & Production

I used a silver reed domestic chunky knit knitting machine.

The copper needed a lot of slack in order to pull around all the needles. Casting on I used a loose tension, between 8-10.

Once I had cast on I then tightened the tension to no more that 6.