Fletcher, Z.G., 2018.

Designing for breed: a design-oriented toolkit for understanding purebred British wool for knitwear

There are 72 different breeds of sheep reared across Britain but their fleece is combined
in centralised depots and sold with loss of breed identity. This thesis looks at an
alternative in which designers, informed about the individual characteristics of purebred
wool, would be able to design for breed type. As a practice-led investigation, the thesis
reframed the situation as a design problem, and found a resolution in a practical and
digital toolkit that enables designers to navigate their breed selection process to narrow in
on choices suitable for their purpose. Behind the research is the view that demand from
designers for purebred wools can lead to systematic change in the promotion of wool in
the UK, but the first step is to make designers aware how purebred wools can enhance
their work, and how to make the right selection.
In the present economic model wool is primarily a by-product of the meat industry. It has
insufficient monetary value to encourage change from the current centralised system set
up in an era of nationalised industries, in which wool is viewed as a commodity without
much distinction of type. There is potential to add value to British wool by exploiting
individual breed variations, in terms of both physical characteristics, and their
associations with local heritage. This thesis proposes that understanding the differences
between wools from individual breeds can aid knitwear designers to heighten garment
functionality and aesthetics, and satisfy consumer demand for more authentic, locally
traceable garments.
This practice-led research uses a design methodology to synthesise knowledge about
wool from individual breeds from microscopic to macroscopic properties. Desired
characteristics of handle, colour, and fineness, through to the cultural and geographical
heritage of sheep breeds are integrated to produce new understandings. Besides the
wool itself, the research findings make use of evidence from designer/makers, spinners
and industry bodies, alongside scientific data, and knitwear design experience.
An innovative aspect of the thesis is the use of new technologies to communicate breed
characteristics. A virtual online library of British wool yarns, created using Shima Seiki
SDS-ONE APEX3 software, alongside a physical library of yarn samples, breed
information books, and data sheets form the core of a toolkit for designers. The toolkit
connects industry-level wool knowledge and knitwear design technologies in a format
aimed at designer/makers.
The contribution to knowledge includes a new understanding of the wool properties of
British purebred sheep in terms of their application in knitwear design and production.
The synthesis and integration of a broad range of wool information in a clear comparative
visual manner, in both tactile and digital formats (the toolkit) is a novel presentation and
application of both existing and original evidence. Where it makes use of existing
knowledge, the toolkit applies this in an original manner, in the creation of a new design-oriented
model. The research also demonstrates the utility of the Shima Seiki software for
distant communication of yarn and knit information. The thesis looks toward use of the
toolkit as a catalyst for re-generating British wool use through the mediation of design.