An introduction
- Beth Griffiths
- Apr 4, 2020
- 3 min read
This is my first blog post and, to tell you the truth, I'm quite nervous. And to tell you the whole truth, by "quite nervous" I actually mean really scared. I haven't written an extended piece of writing since my university dissertation (and I've never written anything that's publicly accessible) so I apologise if my writing style is rusty... or my grammar is pants. Conversational blogs are better anyway right?
As this is my first post I'd like to introduce myself: Hi, my name is Beth, I'm from the UK and I'm the creator of DaftDuck!
I'm a yarn hoarding, knitwear obsessed plant lady trying to make earth-friendly choices!
I'm a Fashion Design graduate who specialised in knitwear for womenswear - so, as well as woven pieces, I learnt how to design, pattern cut and manufacture knitwear. During my time at university I became particularly passionate about the craftsmanship involved in producing fabrics (and fully-fashioned garments) on domestic knitting machines. I quickly became very interested in pushing techniques and what was possible on domestic knitting machines. I taught myself a lot of processes from retro knitting books and enjoyed mixing techniques together, making unique fabrics. I'm also a self-taught hand-knitter (cause who doesn't like a good ol' knit while watching the telly?) and, most recently, a self-taught crocheter.
My graduate collection was a mix of soft, slouchy knitted silhouettes juxtaposed with performance/tent fabrics. My knitted elements included cables, lattice cables, ewrapped yarns, fairisle patterns and the reverse side of fairisle patterns mixed together to create contemporary patchwork. I was lucky enough to show my collection at Graduate Fashion Week, fulfilling a dream to see my designs on a catwalk.
After graduation I didn't get the dream job in the Fashion Industry. I didn't even get the internship. Instead I decided to go abroad - for a train trip around Europe. Afterwards I worked as a waitress, moved abroad for awhile and became generally preoccupied (like so many of us do) that the realisation that I missed designing and creating and KNITTING hit me quite unexpectedly. Studying Fashion at university is a complete whirlwind of stress, fabric swatches, coffee, promarkers, inhaling food and fearing deadlines. The literal blood, sweat and tears involved in procuring a Fashion degree can, at times, eclipse the enjoyment. However, now, a few years on, I miss the creative space, the creative freedom and the amazingly creative mentors. I even miss the critiques and pressure.
After returning to the UK (and amidst job applications) the urge to create grew stronger and stronger. I had great quality yarns left over from my final graduate collection, I set up my domestic knitting machine and DaftDuck as an online shop was born!
Since childhood I've had a great interest in the natural world and a great respect for the earth and its living things, so I wanted the clothes I produced to be eco-conscious. On a personal level, I strongly believe in fixing and re-purposing clothes; wearing clothes and extending their life as much as possible. I believe in shopping responsibly and buying great quality garments that last. I believe in wearing fabrics made from natural fibers or regenerated/recycled fibers and not wasting resources - as my Mum would say, "waste not, want not." And I wanted to reflect these beliefs in my little craft shop. I'm not perfect, but I aim to get more and more earth-friendly as time goes by.
Why start this blog? I'm not completely sure, but it seemed like a good time somehow. This post is being written 2 weeks into a (soft) lockdown in the UK (a strategy to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak), and people everywhere are realising how lucky we are to have online platforms to stay connected to other people and engaged in positivity. I haven't been much of a contributor or fan of social media before, but having my daftduck_ instagram has brought me a lot of inspiration and joy since starting it in October (2019), so I thought I'd give a blogging platform a shot. Hopefully I can create a space to express and write about my passions, hobbies and projects - and maybe someone out there will read my words and enjoy them. It would be great to be able to share my thoughts and experiences, and discover other blogs created by like-minded people.
If you've taken the time to read this, thank you! And stay safe.
- Beth, thedaftduck x
You can check out my shop on nuMONDAY, where you'll find one-off pieces and made to order knits! And follow daftduck_ on instagram for work in progress updates, house-plant pics and vegetable growing!
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