A number of craft enthusiasts have merged their passion through the ‘Yarning Connections’ project led by the Walton Institute at South East Technological University.

The project is a response to the lack of e-textile (electronic textiles) instructional information for needleworkers to understand the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) side of e-textiles.

The group of 37 from Waterford experimented with conductive yarn, wearable conductors and electronic components to develop electronic knitting and crochet patterns.

E-textiles is a growing industry with demand increasing for wearable technology across the healthcare, aerospace and the sports sector.

Insights

Speaking on the project, project lead Aileen Drohan said: “The insights gained from these workshops were instrumental in co-creating the electronic knitting and crochet patterns.

“We now have a new and sustainable network of skilled e-textile crafters who are keeping the old traditional craft methods alive, while also gaining practical skills in the practice of e-textiles as potentially complementary disciplines.”

Working together, they’ve developed a pattern booklet which is now accessible online and serves as a free resource and an introduction for those keen on exploring e-textiles.

For more information visit: https://waltoninstitute.ie/projects/yarning-connections.

Meet the Maker: Corrina Earlie

Meet the Maker: Caoimhe M Flanagan

Tech-savvy stitching as e-textile enthusiasts combine

A group of knitting and crochet enthusiasts have recently explored integrating wearable technology through the ‘Yarning Connections’ project, writes Grace Hanna.