Sven Steinmetz

When weaving two materials are brought together. Two qualities are joined. Held in place by each other’s presence only.

The support they provide to each other creates new. 

Weave means passing on, holding, uniting, learning. The weave inhabits not only two characters from warp and weft but catches as well a movement, a meeting, a moment. It captures the surroundings, the maker, the action. 

Weave means bringing together.

The loom is an extension of me; it is holding the yarn in a way that I cannot.

Similar perhaps to an exoskeleton; its strong wooden arms create a frame for tension and its fine metal fingers are pulling and organising the yarns, just as defined as an harpist operates strings.

At the same time, I am the power of the loom. Through my pulling and pushing I am making the machine act.

We rely on each other, we teach each other and we change one another. While weaving I see and realise what I can change, where I can add or lose parts of the machine to make it more efficient and seamless to achieve the textiles I admire.

On the other hand the loom adapts me; it teaches me what is hidden in its construction, makes my body posture change and trains my muscle memory to its ways.

My garment is made of 100% British Wool. A material well-suited for the local climate and easy to weave by hand. 

This allows me to trace back the fibre to the breed of the sheep and therefore control another factor of the production process. 

I was kindly provided with yarn by Romney Tweed which is using the wool of the local breed. The Romney Marsh sheep have a lustrous fleece with a beautiful sheen.

This fibre inherits locality; it has only seen the landscape of England before it is a final product.