knitted narratives
led by Samantha Moore - Animated Documentary Maker
As a keen knitter, Sam is all too aware of how crafting skills, particularly those associated with older women, are often undervalued by society. At the heart of Sam’s creative approach is exploration through conversation, and so she embarked upon a series of visits to knit and natter, and crafting groups across the county, in order to find her creative collaborators.
The Merrymakers crafting group has been meeting for over 25 years and welcomed Sam into their sessions. They swapped knitting techniques with each other, had a play with animating, and gifted Sam a collection of knitted mice. With the help of a retired radio engineer, Sam captured individual reflections from the knitters on their relationship to knitting. Sam also met with scientists who research the benefits of knitting to mental wellbeing. The knitted mice have been brought to life through stop motion techniques. The resulting audio interviews have been transcribed, and a selection serve as the soundtrack for the tender and beautiful animations. The group were delighted by the resulting animations.
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Woollen mouse test shot and first look at the animated mouse walking
“We trialled using pre-cinematic animation techniques and screening animated films as a way of initiating a different way of thinking about their crafting lives and histories. It has opened up potential collaborative links with elder technicians, both textile and media specialists. By using mice knitted by a friend of the group who died a few years ago we re-opened a connection with the woman’s family and made it clear to the participants that the legacy they leave in the objects they make has a meaningful impact beyond their own life span. We have developed a bond through the Creative Conversations sessions …my ambition was that the sessions would make the women feel that their creative outputs were more than ways of passing the time and were actually consequential artistic / craft objects, as well as a way of chronicling of meaningful life events. I am really thrilled at the way this project has gone and feel grateful to have had the opportunity to participate” - Sam
some photos from the project