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.