Weaving wind data into knitwear that protects you from the elements.
This piece began with a barometer standing proudly within a glass cabinet on the main street of Stromness in the Orkney Islands.
150 years ago, hundreds of these barometers lined the coastlines of the British Isles but now only two remain. This is one of them and it was still used until 2005.
And so I decided to look at wind data from the first year that was left unread, in the very same location, and weave the design into the very thing that is designed to protect you from the elements.
Specification
210mm H x 440mm Circumference* Knitted in Dundee 100% Merino Wool spun in Huddersfield Small Batch (20 available) Includes a free copy of the wind book
*stretches to 598mm to pull over head
Details
Using the same design system that warned sea farers of storms, each square marks a day throughout the wilder months of 2006, the first year that was left unseen.
The colour change marks the shift from sprint to autumn where the triangles point to the direction of the wind and the line thickness represents the wind strength. Gaps indicate no wind or light breezes and squares indicate wind coming from all directions.
But why a snood? The snood idea actually came first as I was wanting to create something lightweight and warm that could be used in active situations. Initially I was thinking of cycling but its proved equally useful when getting changed out of a wetsuit on a cold beach or hiking up hills. And if it becomes to warm, it's light and small enough to pop in a pocket.
