Words: Marianne Astrid Close // Main photo: Saoirse Benson
“Some of the pieces I presented were my most experimental and technically challenging to date. I was really proud of them,” Elaine Thomas says, speaking of her garments showcased at Off Beat Runway at Household earlier this year.
Elaine’s knitwear featured mossy greens, soft gossamer-like midi dresses, and crystals grown directly on the garments.
“The crystal dress took a really long time. The knitting part took me about 10 hours, but growing crystals on the dress was an entirely new process of experimentation,” Elaine says.
“I submerged the dress in a saturated salt solution so that when it cooled crystals would form on the fabric. Optimising that process took over 20 hours. My science background definitely came through in that piece.”
At 26 years old, Elaine is a full-time medical research scientist, with Tricote being a labour of love creating playful, unique, high-quality pieces.
“Finding the time to balance full-time work and a creative pursuit has been the biggest challenge. But thankfully, those sides of me interweave,” Elaine says.
“Being a scientist can be creative, and being a creative can be logical. A stitch is just a repeating unit that I work with. I’m often counting and problem solving as I go.”
Colour, texture, and technique intertwine in Elaine’s work, shaped by the beauty of nature and the influence of other creators.
“There is a lot of inspiration that exists in the natural world, and science is a part of that. Some of my colour combinations are drawn from moss, or moths,” she says.
“I’m also very drawn to colour combinations in textile and paintings. Local artists Kasia Tons and Pia Gynell-Jorgensen work with some incredible colours and that can often spark an idea and lead to the next piece.
“There are a lot of great creators out there that I find inspiring. Some of my favourite knitters are Nong Rak, Deparel and Verconiik. Their work is really technically intricate.”
Surrounded by knitting from a young age through her mother and grandmother, Elaine’s interest was rekindled in recent years after seeing a balaclava on Instagram.
“I started making balaclavas, and people really took to it. Next thing you know, I was getting commissions. That’s how Tricote really came about,” she says.
“I didn’t go to fashion school, or do any kind of formal training. I’m self-taught and rely a lot on YouTube tutorials. There are a lot of sweet old ladies running forums and workshops if you need to troubleshoot.”
Elaine works with both hand knitting and machine knitting. She doesn’t follow patterns or sketch plans, rather she takes a free-knit approach.
“Knitting is a lot more fluid than traditional garment construction or tailoring. The yarn moulds to the body. If you make a mistake, you can just unravel it and start again,” Elaine explains.
“Hand knitting is more relaxing and meditative – and you can take it with you anywhere. Machine knitting is an entirely different process. It’s not necessarily quicker. You’re still manually pushing a carriage across a bed of needles. If you want a flat piece, it’s very quick, but intricate designs are more time consuming.”
Elaine’s practice is very material driven, where the yarn guides the design.
“I really like playing with colour, textures, and basically anything fuzzy,” Elaine says.
“If you try and create directly from an idea, and not from the material itself, you’ll run into trouble. So it all has to start with the yarn.
“Ninety per cent of my material is second-hand, which is really important to me. It’s about working with what you’ve got and creating something new.”
Making an item with care – and to be cared for – is a core part of Elaine’s philosophy. Her favourite pieces are often the ones she makes for loved ones.
“Making things for friends and family has a really personal element to it. It changes how you feel about the work,” she says.
“I’m really excited to have an upcoming collaboration with my partner Harrison, who is an architect. We’re making a lamp for Melbourne Design Week. He designed the lamp, and I’m working on a knitted shade, which has been a new challenge.”
Also coming up for Elaine is the design market Friends of Friends x Household, taking place on Sunday, 4 May.
She will be selling a selection of wintery Tricote accessories – leg warmers, arm warmers, fingerless gloves, scarves and balaclavas – alongside local designers and makers such as Romelia, Kobamundii and Peter Fong, to name a few.
To young and aspiring knitters, Elaine says: “Just go for it.”
“There are so many resources out there, but you can still learn a lot on your own. It can be frustrating at times, but just keep at it.
“Slow work is still good work.”
Visit Tricote’s stall at Friends of Friends x Household market on Sunday, May 4.
A rotating selection of Tricote’s knitwear pieces can be found at Filter Store, Shop Pond.
Follow Tricote on Instagram where you can contact via DMs for customs and commissions.
