BRAIDED TRADITIONS: KNITWEAR DESIGNER - MIA RODNEY

**“Combing Through”**

Intricate curl patterns and natural curly state.

“Combing Through” by Mia Rodney - @allbitsknit - I encourage the viewer to interact with my yarn bombing through touch and feeling. The focus is on hair in its natural curly state, with nods to straightening hair. I explore these intricate curl patterns in my knits, with large hand knitted panels – crafted using relaxing repetitive movements – just like in hair braiding.

Mia yarn bombed three out of the seven trees in response to the Braided Traditions brief

Introducing Mia Rodney, a knitwear designer who is challenging racism within her life and promoting conversation through her work. She refuses to appease idealised white beauty standards, but because she feels that's simply what makes good art. 'The point is to get people thinking. If I advertised the message loud and clear, people would spend less time looking at my work. I want my creations to speak for themselves and keep people thinking and guessing for as long as possible; it's more fun that way, and as I've often found, resonates with many more people. - Show Studio.

Her final project and degree show on the social & political impacts that “ I feel shaped the way I wore my hair growing up. Breaking down my personal journey with identity through hair into three styles - braided, straight and curly - my concept surrounds the ideas of what could be, what should be and what is” . https://chelseadegreeshow.com/student/2019/ba-textile-design/mia-rodney/

See more of her work here: https://www.instagram.com/allbitsknit/