Friday, September 10, 2010
Shisha Embroidery
The textile traditions of other countries have much to offer the knitting enthusiast. Here, shisha embroidery is used as the source of inspiration for the India scarf.
When designing the scarf patterns for the International Year of the Scarf Club, I look for a connection to the country or region, either through its knitting and textile traditions or through a reflection on its physical environment. India especially has an abundantly rich textile tradition and one could come up with a whole year's worth of scarf patterns for that one country alone. It is famous for its silks, brocades, ikat, and block printed fabrices; its saris, shawls of gossamer weight and loose, hot-weather clothing.
Among the techniques employed to produce the many varieties of Indian textiles is the embroidery technique known as shisha. It is a type of embroidery used to attach small mirrors, or reflective metal, to the surface of a fabric. The result is a sparkling effect and is a popular adornment to clothing and other fabrics.
In the India scarf, the Grand Eyelet Lace Stitch is used to imitate the same effect. Instead of mirrors, the openwork of the large "holes" allow for transparency and the passage of light through the fabric, producing a similar sparkling result.
The essential element of the Grand Eyelet Lace Stitch is the technique of purling four sts together and then re-instating the decreased stitches on the following row. This stitch pattern, which looks more difficult to achieve that it actually is, makes for a valuable addition to a knitter's repertoire.
Look for other places to add a row or two of Grand Eyelet Lace in your knitting to decorative effect.
