Today let's talk with Hiromi about her design Brut, a pullover that carefully combines aesthetic charm with cozy wearability. Hearing more about her inspiration and approach to this design has us falling in love with it all over again!
amirisu: What was your inspiration for this design?
Hiromi: I was inspired by a wooden chair that I use every day. I like the concept of "functional beauty," and this chair, which I see every day, was made in a workshop in Denmark decades ago. It has been repaired and used over many years.
Each part is smoothly carved out of wood. The backrest is thick and plump, and the legs are gently shaped downward. The design is simple and solid, it has a special presence to it. I wanted to make such a sweater. It was fun to take time to really look at each of the parts that make up a sweater while working on this design.
amirisu: What, if any, challenges did you encounter during the design process?
Hiromi: The concept of the sweater was to have volume in key areas to create both an intriguing shape that would make for an interesting outfit and functionality that would make the sweater comfortable to wear.
The sleeves are wide but not gathered, and the cuffs are slimmed down so the sleeves can be pulled up to accentuate the look of the outfit.
The number of strands of yarn used for these parts has been increased, so the gauge itself is different. It was a challenge to decide how to smooth out the joints between the sections of different gauges.
The sweater itself gives a minimalist impression, but I think it's functional, too. I think that amirisu's knitwear is often well suited for someone kind of active, someone who wants to throw on something quickly in the morning, roll up their sleeves, and get started on the day without too much fuss.
I think it would also be a great outer layer, I can picture wearing it with a turtleneck and the hem of the inner layer sticking out around the bottom.
amirisu: If you were to knit this design in another color, what would it be?
Hiromi: A darker color such as L18. I think a dark color would accentuate the voluminous ribbing even more since the texture of the stockinette will be even more subtle in a dark color.
amirisu: How did you start your knitting journey?
Hiromi: I started knitting after I saw an article about how to make hand-knit leg warmers in a magazine I subscribed to. I remember being attracted to the simplicity of the project, that it could be made by hand with just some yarn and knitting needles. I immediately gathered all the materials listed in the instructions and cast-on the leg warmers right away, figuring it out as I went along. As you can imagine, the finished sizes of the two leg warmers were totally different.
amirisu: Do you have a favorite museum or work of art? Please tell us a little about it.
Hiromi: I'm a fan of Isamu Noguchi. He is a famous sculptor, but he also designed a series of lighting fixtures called AKARI. The lantern-like shape made of Japanese paper and bamboo and the soft light it gives off really is, as he once said, "a sculpture without shadow." We have one in our bedroom at home.
Thank you, Hiromi!