SHIBORI KNITS

An ancient Japanese art dating to at least the eighth century CE, shibori has many interpretations. Though there is no direct translation of the word to English, shibori essentially denotes a shaped-resist textile, and is commonly associated with weaving and dyeing fiber. The world of shibori knitting is vast and relatively unexplored.

Shibori Knits highlights the intersection between shibori and knitting, offering 20 patterns that utilize this transformative technique. Internationally acclaimed knitwear designer Gina Wilde guides knitters through three dynamic ways to add shibori to knitting. The first method uses physical resists (marbles or corks) that prevent specific areas of knitting from felting; where there are no resists, the garment does felt, creating unique fabric with bobbles and dimensionality. Another method uses nonfelting fibers as resists—for instance, a silk yarn knit with a wool yarn—to create windowpane effects or even mimic woven strips of fabric when felted. The third method creates ruffles and spirals when the fibers are worked in more than one direction; when felted, the work will shrink differently in the alternate directions. The textures created from each method offer a unique way to redefine felting and bring the beautiful and unexpected world of shibori to the knitter.

Knitters of every skill can explore this exciting method of creating art out of knitting. With detailed information on fibers and their shibori potential, a primer on technical felting concepts, and a thorough resource guide, Shibori Knits shows knitters how to create colorful, sculptural, and delicate projects, transforming knitting into something new.