An insight into the teaching day from a technicians perspective.
As this was the first class of the new term, mandatory practice is needed to be revised;
1. Health and Safety
2. Workshop etiquette
3. Machine Usage
This is a formality to help remind students around safe working conditions and to be considerate while using the work space.
Today’s session was Dubied lesson 2: Mock rib to true rib.
This is the second time BA1 students have used this type of machine, which is an industrial V bed knitting machine. They create double bed and single bed fabrics and can also use more developed technical yarns than that of the domestic.
Before the first technique, I ran a few questions of student engagement from the previous session.
Q1: Who knows how to feed the the yarn feeders? – (student answered with a practical demonstration).
Q2: Who can identify the circular cams on the carriage? – (student answered by showing the class which cams they were).
Q3: Who can explain what the colours Red, Green and Black are for on the tension dials? (student answered by explaining correctly the red is for waste yarn knitting or single bed, but got black and green mixed up, but understood the usage of these colour selectors).
Starting a class with an engagement task, allows me to assess the previous session and to see who has completed any asynchronous tasks/work set by the academic.
Technique 1: The Mock rib ( A simple yet effective knit structure that can be used in combination of other techniques or sequences). It is the first introduction to dubied transfer tools and moving stitches from one bed to another.
Technique 2: The Plaiting feeder and Racked Rib
This would carry on from the previous technique but introducing two new features to change the dynamic of static columns. The plaiting feature allows us to add colour or stability yarns to our work (elastics, mono-filaments etc), while the racking brings a sense of movement into the texture and gives the illusion of transfer work (without the work).
Image to upload-
On reflection of these techniques, we start on mock ribs, as its a fundamental core structure in knitwear that can benefit a lot of other patterns, sequences and structures. The first two techniques are demonstrated and preformed in the morning session from 9.30am to 11am, splitting the time and techniques up with room to play.
LEARN – PLAY – CREATE – MISTAKE
These 4 words is the start of Dubied machine learning, no one is expected to be perfect and to introduce the risk factor of allowing mistakes to happen really gives the students an area to be play and be confident in yarn choosing and experimentation.
The second half of this work shop is all about TRUE RIBS, which again are core elements to knitwear, mostly found around trims, collars and cuffs on garments. These techniques would be classed as finishing techniques and bring knitted garments to life which successfully adapted into a design.
1×1 True Rib (1 needle in, 1 needle out, on both beds).
The core learning to tool in this section is the HALF PITCH of the racking tool previously taught in the mock rib section, instead of moving 1 full space of racking you need to find a sweet spot in between two points which is classed as half position.
The above images shows the racking bars stopping the bed in a full rack position and a half rack position. These racking tools will be used through out the rest of their experience using the knitting machines.
2×1 Rib ( 2 needles in, 1 needle out) Swiss Rib or Industrial Rib.
This is one of the most common trims in knitwear. Its a core technique used to start samples and garments and we teach it early because after this session! a trim is to be knitted with every sample on the dubied! which provides students the understanding of what is needed in industry and how to physically knit and design trims in their projects.
This technical session is built around knowledge building and skill progression, it is apart of a 6 week technical teaching program. Which gives students the skills and confidences to use industrial V bed knitting machines, with in this time Students are also provided 3 hours of booked studio access to continue developing the techniques taught on this day, or with a hint of guidance to combine those techniques taught in a previous session.
I hope this gives you an insight of my daily teaching with in the workroom at LCF knit, as well as this workshop, the studio is filled with other students that might have machine difficulties or need a more 1×1 technical supervision on their project.