The Nativity

This is my latest creation--a tiny knitted piece inspired by a medieval triptych in the Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled The Nativity with Donors and Saints Jerome and Leonard. It took me a year to knit. I submitted it for the first ever Barbara Marshall Award for Artistic Achievement and I was honored when they announced that The Nativity won 3rd place. 

Conceptual Knitting:

A conceptual piece begins with a creative vision that most often comes to me in moments of deep calm—while falling asleep or luxuriating in a hot bath—this was the case as I envisioned the similarities between a triptych and a cardigan. I sketch out a design, chart the pattern, select threads and begin from a cast on edge--creating an image one row at a time.  On the front of the piece, there are 12 working buttons (one button for each month it took to knit) that were hand-turn on a lathe with 18K gold.