Meet a Maker: Edition 12

Meet Szilvia Burrows

1. What is your craft and how did you get into it?

I’m a freelance knitwear designer and designer-maker. I particularly work on a hand-operated vintage knitting machine, but I also have a domestic knitting machine. I love working on my industrial machine due to the fabric it produces, but I also pride myself in working with a machine that isn’t in circulation anymore, therefore carrying on this craft for future generations.

I learned constructive knitting in university, and it intrigued me right away. I soon discovered that there are no contemporary books about this trade, most if not all the books cover the domestic type of machines. I knew I wanted to learn more about the possibilities these machines can have, and carry on the knowledge about these machines. I’m also working part-time at Buckinghamshire New University, where I teach the students how to use several of these machines (along with the digital and domestic knitting machines).

2. What is one interesting fact about you?

I’m originally from Hungary and came to the UK to study. It’s been 15 years this year and I love it here! The arts and crafts are more valued here, I find, not to mention the accessibility of materials. My machine is a fine gauge machine, requiring specialist yarns.

3. How long have you been making?

I have been making since 2015, and in business since September 2019.

4. Who are your favourite makers in your craft?

I love Elena Berenghean and Amber Hards’ work, both of whom have written machine knitting books recently.

Elena is a specialist in lace and open work fabrics (amongst others), and Amber’s a specialist (along with running a small business) in 3D and constructed textiles. Both designers use mainly domestic knitting machines and they are making knitwear intriguing and fashionable!

5. What is the most challenging skill/technique you learned in your craft?

I find that creating garments fully fashioned is the most challenging process for me. Of course, making a garment can be as ‘easy’ as making the fabric to then cut and sew, but I like to create individual pieces by calculating the right measurement for each piece and linking them together with a linking machine at the end, followed by sewing in the ends back into the fabric by hand. Most times the first one doesn’t quite turn out right I have to reassess my calculations or make adjustments. Knitwear is naturally elasticated, it ‘moves’ and therefore not as easy to work with as with a woven fabric. I take pride in creating garments with this slow and traditional making process, even if it takes longer than sewing.

6. What is your favourite part of your craft?

The sampling processes. I absolutely love the beginning of a new project, trying out colour combinations, patterns, and repeats. I always build a mood board and pin the samples up on a foam board to look at them as a whole and see what works and what doesn’t. I never get tired of casting on the machine and knitting up swatches before doing a bigger piece.

7. What project are you most proud of and why?

I’m currently working on some tops for a Netflix drama’s second series (which I love and watched the first season twice), all created on a hand-operated knitting machine. Nowadays, due to the labour costs, most (if not all) knitwear is produced on digital, programmable knitting machines, but I love spending the time and care to create my fabrics manually.

Watch the machine in action!

Click here to watch a video on Szilvia’s work by Vigour & Skills

8. If someone who knows nothing about your craft could know one thing, what would it be?

It’s easy to assume that when you are machine knitting, the machine is doing everything for you, but this isn’t the case and very far from it. It is a tool but it’s very hands-on and laborious. Whenever I can, I try to show my making processes, as mentioned previously, there’s no updated, contemporary information about these machines, apart from the old instruction manuals and therefore the information has the chance to be lost in the future. I love carrying on this craft and creating something modern and intriguing with it.

Learn more about Szilvia