Documenting creativity: a photoshoot in the forest

On 22 September 2023, right before the start of the academic year, Sam and I went together to the Arboretum in Oud-Heverlee. It was the second time we saw each other and I primarily knew Sam because she is a friend of my sister. But we vibed immediately. When she showed me her knitting projects while I was at her apartement because she had bought a print, I was so enthusiast about the quality, creativity and textures of her knittings, that I invited her for a photoshoot. That was in May and when the shooting day finally came, we had so much fun.

I myself have knitted a lot of scarfs from the age 10 to 14 and I immediately saw that in order to make such designs, you have to be really good at knitting. To be honest, creativity is such an important aspect of my life and I absolutely love it when other people also express themselves creatively, whatever medium they use.

So when I was preparing for the shoot I thought: What’s the best place to put Sam’s skills and projects into the spotlight while also granting me the opportunity to play with light and compositions in an environment in which I love to create? The Arboretum was the place to be!

I asked Sam about her knitting…

What does you knitting journey look like? When did you start?

I learned how to knit from my grandmother by the age of 5 or 6. But I did not knit very often, it was only at the age of 12 that I became passionate about it. At 13 I made my first pull-over and I have not stopped since then. A little later, at 16, I discovered Ravelry, a website with tons of knitting and crochet designs. Together with YouTube tutorials I learned the tricks of the trade and now it has become my passion!

You told me you also keep sustainability into account when choosing wool. Wich aspects do you pay attention to?

When choosing wool I watch out not to buy acryl (wool made from plastic) even though it has the big advantage that you can put it in the washing machine. Besides, I also look for non superwash wool, that means the wool is not coated with chemicals and sadly enough, it also means that you cannot put them in the washing machine. However, you can wash it, but you have to be careful! Nylon is another syntethic wool to be mindful of. Normally, it is added in wool for socks to add a bit of reinforcement which is necessary but luckily there are now organic/ plant-based alternatives such as bamboo or fiber from roses. But this still needs to be research thoroughly. I find this research on wool made from plant material very interesting and would like to contribute to it so we can alter the wool-making process in order to diminish the use of water and chemicals. But that is for later!

A mossy wooden bank with handmade knittings

Sam wearing her self-made rainbow dress

What motivated your decision to make your own clothes?

Well, I did not always find exactly what I was looking for when shopping. The colours or the design were not how I wanted them to be and because I find it important to feel good in what I am wearing, I thought: “why not knit my own clothes?” From there, I went searching for knitting patterns I find really beautiful so I could make the clothes I find beautiful and feel good in. Now, I often let the wool inspire me and it is only then I begin selecting possible patterns. This way, I created my rainbow dress. ⬇️

Morning in Heverlee-bos

Are you curious about Sam’s knitting projects? You can check out her vlogs on YouTube! She even included our photoshoot in one of her videos so if you want to see how that went, click here.

Hello,

Thank you for reading this blog. I have been working on this project, both on the photoshoot and the blog on and off. This term was the first one of my master in Corporate Communication and while it has been very challenging, I had also a lot of beautiful moments.

Having shot a lot of pictures the last few months, I am still editing my way through them and I am absolutely flabbergasted to see how much beauty, connection and fun I have documented the past year. Slowly but surely, I will share them online. If you want a quick overview, the portfolio (nature shots and portraits) on this website is the place to be!

Stay warm and until the next blog 👋

Laura