Featured in amirisu Issue 27, published in 2023.
Undulate is a pullover packed with special charming touches, including a mock turtleneck, layered mohair cuffs, and an accent down the center back. Let's talk to the designer, Eri. She told us about the cable pattern on the sleeves and the reason why she decide to bring the "wrong side" to the front for her sample.
amirisu: Tell us about the inspiration for this design.
Eri: When I heard that the theme was music, two images of knitwear immediately came to mind. One is something with a rhythm, something gets you excited. I thought of a positive tempo, lyrics, and a melody that makes you want to hum along.
The other was something quiet, like turning off a switch, a moment when you look inward and reflect on yourself. This time I wanted to express that ambience in my own way.
The sounds you hear when you stand in the ocean or on a meadow, the wind rustling the dry grass, the waves passing over the waves, and the rustling of rusty metal that has become a little old. I tried to embody this in the cable pattern.
amirisu: What challenges did you face in the design process?
Eri: For this project, I wanted to incorporate an aspect of deconstruction and show the back side as the front side. The clear patterns are on the inside, and only soft patterns, like snowflakes, emerge on the outside. To give a little nuance to the pattern, the cables are wrapped with yarn as well.
The cables themselves on the surface are a very pretty stitch, so I thought it would be possible to wear either side as the "front" of the work, depending on the knitter's preference.
amirisu: If you were to knit another one, what color would you use?
Eri: When I was thinking of this pattern, I imagined f achromatic colors like white or black, but now I would like see it knit it in a color like a cobalt blue.
amirisu: Is there any particular music you like to listen to while knitting?
Eri: I like music that is something close to ambient, but with some interest. When I knit during the daytime on weekends my background music is this kind of music combined with the everyday sounds of school children's voices or the sounds of a cultivator in the field.
When I think about what kind of music I like and what I spend my alone time listening to, I think I prefer sounds that bring a scene to mind, such as a landscape or a scene from a movie. I like so-called post-rock music that incorporates elements of ambient and experimental music.