Featured Artist: Prudence Mapstone of Knot Just Knitting + Giveaway Winner!

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PM-KJK selfPublisher’s Note:  My personal fibery goodness journey started with lots and lots of knitting…with commercial yarns and strictly following patterns.  And, then I started spinning and that was a game changer for me.  No longer wedded to patterns, I began to notice and of course, fall in love with freeform crochet and knitting.  Being skilled in this way is perhaps what I am most in awe of in other fiber artists.  Therefore, I am a complete and unabashed fan of Prudence Mapstone of Knot Just Knitting.  To be able to include an interview with Prudence here at Spin Artiste is a huge thrill for me!!  Prudence Mapstone, of Knot Just Knitting, is a freeform master, challenging the fiber art world to think outside the box with her fluid colors and avant-garde designs. Many would think of Prudence as a beautiful free spirit and talented, off-the-wall, artist, but Prudence is just doing what she loves the way she loves it!   

Spin Artiste (SA): When did you start creating with yarn and who were your early influences?

Prudence Mapstone (PM): My Mum taught me to knit when I was about 6 or 7. I was soon following printed patterns and I remember that I knitted my first jumper (sweater) when I was 10. PM- KJK textural crab stitchIn my early teens I taught myself to crochet, but not by watching someone who could do it or by reading a how-to book; I just bought a hook and played around, making loops and taking them in the directions I wanted to go. My crochet garments back then were fairly simple, but always interesting; I never was one for perfect stitches, symmetry or nice neat edges.

SA: Sounds like you really developed your style at an early age. So, would you say you naturally migrate to freeform or was there an artistic turning point? If so, what was it?

PM-KJK red orange closeupPM: I’ve always loved colour and texture. In the 1980s I discovered intarsia style knitting, and I started designing a lot of very complex one-off garments. I’d sketch my ‘pictures’ onto graph paper, using a pencil so that I could make adjustments as I worked, only firming up the designs a few rows ahead of the knitting. Having to work lots and lots of very small areas using many different yarns meant that I often used dozens of separate bobbins on the go in each row. At that time, whenever I was sitting I was knitting, but eventually too much of a good thing began to take its toll on my hands, and that is when I started experimenting with small (and consequently lightweight) pieces that could later be joined together to create interesting fabrics. Throwing crochet into the mix seemed a natural progression – different hand movements, a simple way to quickly add texture, and a lot more stitches to play with!

SA: Wow, way to problem solve and still get the results that define your style! PM-KJK purple gold jacketOver the course of your career creating and teaching freeform techniques, have you always felt accepted in the knitting/crochet communities or were there times when this style of creating was considered to be nothing more than a fad?

PM: Naturally my way of working doesn’t appeal to everyone, and I know that some knitting purists think they have problems with anything to do with crochet, but rather than a fad I would much prefer to think of freeform as a movement or genre. I like to think that my own work is constantly evolving, and I don’t teach static techniques in my workshops, so there’s always plenty of room for individual interpretation and experimentation. I was thrilled when someone who saw some of my early freeform work pointed me in the direction of a couple of the innovative crocheters who came before me, and I am always just as excited whenever I run across a more recent cutting-edge fiber artist. Even what has been happening in Russia lately, based on traditional Irish crochet techniques, is amazing; a lot more controlled than what I do, but freeform all the same.

PM- KJK white sprial broochSA: I know that, over the years, you have collected unusual yarns as you have travelled all over the world. Are there certain yarns that you can’t bring yourself to use or is everything up for grabs?

PM: I have often said that I’m not a yarn snob, and I’ve never met a yarn that I couldn’t use somehow; you just need to take absolutely everything into consideration when you make your choice as to where and how to best use each yarn. PM-KJK neckpiecesI certainly love beautiful and unusual yarns, but even the ‘nasties’ can have their good points if used in moderation, whether it be for strength, texture, drape or affordability. There’s nothing wrong with adding a few rows using a limp synthetic yarn that has absolutely no body if you are attaching it to an area in the work that is becoming too stiff or dense. Same goes for creating small sections using a cheap acrylic, then adding some surface knitting or crochet using a more delicate or expensive yarn. Your fine angora or hand-dyed silk will go much further this way, and will be given an added stability.

PM-KJK shoulder scrumbleBut having said all that, time is one of our most valuable commodities, and a complex freeform item is going to take quite a while to complete. Whenever that many hours and that much effort is put into creating something you will want it to last and not become shabby too quickly. I always recommend choosing the best quality yarns you can find or afford for each and every creation. Any yarn that looks unstable or a bit the worse for wear in the shop is not going to be an asset to your freeforming, as it will certainly not improve with age.

SA: That is great insight and advice. I’m sure many of us could benefit from this approach of looking at yarn. When you are considering yarns for a project, what catches your attention?

PM-KJK 2 bagsPM: After deciding on whether I wish to use yarns that are going to be the most suitable for either a summer or winter garment, then colour is probably my main consideration. I usually like to use many ‘grades’ of each colour chosen, so that each new addition will blend well with its neighbouring yarns, helping to give a more painterly appearance to the finished garments. When people first encounter freeform knitting or crochet a lot of them say something along the lines of ‘oh, now I know what I can do with all my left over yarn’…but to be successful you definitely need to have a large stash of leftovers, and be extremely selective with your colour choices.

PM-KJK brown silk skirt closeupSA: Once again, that is some very valuable advice! I don’t know if I can say this, but it seems like you have your freeform down to a science. Do you tend also to collect needles, or just have a couple of workhorses that you use all the time? What are your requirements for your needles?

PM: My favourites are really nothing fancy; just good quality short bamboo knitting needles. I love them so much that I actually import them from China to sell at the Aussie shows. I am still always drawn to ‘pretty’ needles when I see them, though, and have probably bought at least one size in most of the more interesting brands. I have to say that they look very nice displayed in vases and glasses, but I’m afraid that, try as I might, I have never really enjoyed working with any of them. Bamboo needles are lightweight, never cold, and they seem to have a slight ‘give’ that is sadly lacking in most other timber needles. Working with my bamboo needles puts much less of a strain on my hands…and because I am only ever knitting a few stitches in any row, then the short needles are more than adequate for my freeforming.

PM- KJK cream beret.SA:  When you are working on a project, do you ever hit a wall and set something aside till later, or do you just “muscle” through till the direction becomes clear again?

PM: I would hate to count the number of UFOs I currently have on the go…so I have to admit that muscling though things isn’t my style at all. PM- KJK freeform fabricBut since I keep my freeform patches quite small, and never actually stitch any of them to each other until I have sufficient pieces made for whatever it is I want to create, sometimes some of the put-aside pieces will gravitate into other projects, so long as the colour and density (or laciness) of the stitches suits the new work.

SA: In your opinion, what distinguishes “art” from “craft,” and where do they intersect?

PM: I certainly don’t agree with the old functional/non-functional debate. PM-KJK linen t-shirt topperI guess I feel that, regardless of how anything is made and no matter which medium is used, if something is unique and inventive, showing originality in the way it has been executed and looking as though it could not be duplicated exactly a second time, then I would definitely consider it to be art rather than craft.

But even within my own definition the boundaries are a bit blurred. I consider much of my work as art but, if I wanted to do so, I could write ‘patterns’ for even my most complicated garments. Doing so would be time ridiculously consuming, would take up an entire book for just one design, and I feel that anyone attempting to follow it exactly would either have to be insane to try or would be driven insane in the process. It’s a bit like painting by numbers; all the colours could be put in all the right places, but without exactly duplicating the more subtle nuances in the original, the new work could end up looking flat and uninteresting. So I guess that anything that has followed a pattern is more of a craft, even if the original that it is copying could be considered an artwork.

PM-KJK red shawlSA: What do you think of some of the freeform work that is done with very expressive hand spun yarns?

PM: I’m afraid that there’s never going to be enough time for me to start spinning, but I love handspun, and I happily buy from others on Etsy, or whenever I am teaching for a spinning guild if the members have their yarns for sale. I adore over-coiled yarns, but you do still need the more boring (read: plain and smooth) yarns next to them when freeforming, so that the handspun gets to show itself off to its best advantage.

SA:  If you weren’t doing what you do for a living, what other path do you think your life would have taken?

PM-KJK intarsia-backviewPM: Oh, I’m sure that I’d still have to be constantly creating with fibres, but I’d probably have much more time to do so, so quite possibly some of the other appealing textile techniques would find their way into my work. It would still always be the random, irregular and more artistic aspects of any craft that would appeal to me the most, but I could definitely see myself playing around a bit more with stitchery, weaving, basketry, beading, macramé.

PM-KJK cream floral neckpieceSA: Describe one of your most memorable teaching experiences.

PM: They’re all memorable, but I just love it whenever any student, especially those who seem a bit hesitant at first, suddenly takes off in class and starts doing their own thing. Every time I give workshops that go over a couple of days, at camps and conferences, I feel a bit guilty about the number of people who come up to me at breakfast, all bleary eyed, saying ‘I hardly slept a wink…I was freeforming (or sorting my yarns; or online adding to the stash; or crocheting bullion stitches) half the night’. But I still experience that same excitement whenever I try out new combinations of yarns or stitches, so I understand completely.

PM- KJK knitting tutorial bookletSA: I’m sure your students are grateful for the way you open their eyes to a new way of forming fiber art pieces.  When you are not creating or teaching freeform work, what is your favorite way to spend your time?

PM: Traveling, definitely traveling…the journeys are always so interesting. But is there actually time to be doing much else at the moment? Somehow, I don’t really think so!

SA:  Thank you so very much, Prudence.  I am very honored that you took the time to answer my questions and share more about yourself.  It is a dream of mine to take a class with Prudence one day but in the meantime, I will tide myself over by studying Prudence’s approach via her books which can be found on this page on her website.  

…And, we have a winner of the fabulous Maiysha Somers-Jones giveaway…and it is Gretchen!!!  Gretchen, I will be in touch with you to coordinate you getting your prize.  Thanks to everyone for commenting on Maiysha’s post.  That means a lot to me and I know to Maiysha also.  

Before I let you get back to your own fibery goodness, I want to share with you what is happening over at www.fiberygoodnes.com.  We have the second launch of the Journey to the Golden Fleece coming up in a couple of weeks.  We are super excited to start another group as we are having so much fun with the folks who are now getting pretty deep into the course.  Also, we are very excited to release Suzy Brown’s (aka Woolwench) new special ebook on Blending Luxury Fibers — it is fabulous and very reasonably priced at $9.50.    

GWAHI have one last thing to show you…I added a new page to the website for Workshops that I will be hosting/giving starting with a super exciting announcement that Heather Lightbody aka Girl with a Hook is coming at the beginning of May.  She will be teaching her style of spinning and freeform crochet.  This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from a very talented lady!  Click here to find out the details!  

 

9 thoughts on “Featured Artist: Prudence Mapstone of Knot Just Knitting + Giveaway Winner!”

  1. Thank you for an incredible interview with Prudence! I am so inspired by her work and own most of her books/ tutorials so giving us peek into her inspirations and guides was awesome and very inspiring!

  2. Fantastic!! Prudences work is so inspiring, it pushes my art button….and makes me want to run to my studio….

  3. I love her description of art versus craft. Matches mine exactly.

    I met Prudence Mapstone when I still lived in Tucson. I took her workshop in Tempe for five days and drove back and forth, an hour and a half each way. It was totally worth it.

    She gave me the courage to play with colors and textures and to worry less about what other people think.

    Love the article and she has some new photos in there!

  4. This is a great interview with Prudence. I took a class from her a long time ago in Michigan. She is still the same amazing person that comes across in you interview. I still use things I learned in her class today. Thank you, Prudence!!

  5. Wow! Amazing work, Prudence! I am very inspired by your approach to colour and texture. Now I am off to check out your book. I think I need this in my life.

  6. I met you yesterday Prudence at the Craft and Quilting Show in Melbourne, it was such a beautiful surprise! I love your work and have been keeping up with your books. You are truly an inspiration. My next aim is to do a workshop with you.

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