For this exercise I began with a range of everyday materials from around the house.

Finger knitting on drinking straw frame

Straws are brightly coloured, flexible but give structure too. I created a frame from straws using elastic bands and masking tape to hold the pieces in place. I used yarn scraps to make finger knitted strips and wrap these around the drinking straw frame.

I don’t feel that this was a very exciting or successful sample – it lacks direction and interest.

Yarn wraps around drinking straw frame

This sample uses the Mexican god’s eyes weaving technique, using drinking straws for the frame. The bright colours and the use of synthetic plastic alongside synthetic yarns is quite fun but unremarkable. There might be scope to repeat this exercise, perhaps using natural materials. Alternatively, perhaps a much larger scale piece, joining the weavings to make a 3-dimensional structure might be an option.

Yarn wraps and CD

Yarn wraps on CD

Yarn wraps on CD

I like the reflections and the way the “warps” in this simple weave create pattern. The yarn, however, isn’t very inspiring. Again, perhaps exploring a wider range of weft materials and creating a more sculptural piece would be more satisfying.

Weavette woven samples on drinking straw frame

Bearing in mind the results of the earlier samples, for this piece I combined a drinking straw framework for shape with brightly coloured woven samples for colour, texture and shape. This piece has more promise but I’m still not finding it very inspiring.

Cardboard tubes, bangles and clingfilm

Cardboard tubes, packing pellet sphere and clingfilm

This sample uses an earlier sample from the joining exercise – cardboard tubes connected with paper fasteners, inspired by John Bisbee. To this I added lengths of crunched clingfilm for texture and shape, a number of bangles and the sphere of packing pellets, also from the joining exercise. Despite lots of shape and texture this isn’t a very exciting piece.

Mannequin and nylon tights

Artist’s mannequin and weavette woven squares

For the next samples in this exercise I took inspiration from the earlier wrapping exercise with the spoons. I used tights for the first pieces and the weavette samples for the second part. I was influenced by the work of Carole Baillargeon whose figures (sometimes real people, sometimes sculptural) are enigmatically draped in a diverse range of fabrics and materials. I have taken inspiration from this aspect of the project and developed these ideas further in parts two and three of this exercise.