Words: Ingrid Keneally
Portrait / 2014/ photo FermLiving. / FermLiving.com
30 knitted pictures for FermLiving.com/ 2015/ photo FermLiving
Danish-born artist Stine Leth always knits something individual, something we’re going to see many people wanting. Leth prides herself on being self-taught – and her work is unusual because she is able to create it without following a pattern. Now that the knitting game is proving more popular than ever, Stine heads to art, fashion and nature for inspiring knitting ideas, and she adds texture and originality by twisting in materials such as leather and nylon through her work. And her sculptures, wall hangings and sweaters are becoming instantly recognizable. A recent collaboration with Danish homewares Ferm Living produced a small collection of one-off knitted wall pieces which sold out in a matter of weeks.
1. Describe how you work with wool:
I work with all types of yarn, not only wool. The quality of the yarn is not always the most important, it is often the colour and structure.
2. A pivotal moment in your early career:
My time at the Academy of Fine Arts in Aarhus, Denmark, where I came across all kinds of medias and I accidently knitted a stone for a project and it was after this that several different shapes started coming out of my knitting needles. Once this happened, I completely dropped painting as knitting became such a focus.
The korridor Stool / collaboration with Henrik Ilfeldt/ korridordesign.com
The Leth Pillow / 2014/ korridordesign.com
- Did anything in your childhood influence what you do now?
I think that my father being an architect has influenced what I am doing now with both the aesthetics and creativity.
4. The professional achievements you are most proud of:
It would be that I am able to do what I love and express myself in this rather goofy and very different way.
5. Is there anything you wish you’d known when you were starting out in wool?
No, I just start out with a material and see where it ends up in both shape and expression.
6. Why do you think wool/handmade textiles are so fashionable right now?
I think it is because we need a different form to decorate our walls with. We have over the years used a lot of graphic prints and that is now too boring. Maybe people have become more playful in their décor. I see it as a trend in both furniture and art, which suits me just fine.
Knitted wallobject / 2013/ photo : Christian V. Andersen
30 knitted pictures for FermLiving.com/ 2015/ photo FermLiving
7. If you could see another direction wool could go in, what would that be?
I would love to see things bigger and chunkier - although this is already being done.
8. Which artists who work in the wool/textiles field have inspired you
Within textile art I would mention Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Joanna Basconcelos, Sheila Hicks, among a lot of other artists that inspire me.
9. Best beginner’s task?
That would have to be a scarf!
10. The KPC Yarn hue that speaks to you and why:
I am into all colours of the world.
Did you like our feature artist interview? Stay tuned for more similar Talking Textiles posts in the future.