WYP PYM
Waste Yarn Project x Celia Pym
an ongoing project that celebrates slow craft and playful artistic expression through bespoke, handmade knitwear.
WYP PYM Test Sweater, 2022 (ongoing)
WYP PYM is an ongoing collaboration between the artist Celia Pym and designer Siri Johansen, Co-Founder of Waste Yarn Project. It’s a space for play and exchange between the two longterm friends. It started with ‘Test’ sweater, where Celia is adding ‘DARNING DRAWINGS’ and sample patches onto a WYP sweater, treating it as a sketchpad. The base stitch for the WYP sweaters, the half cardigan stitch, is a perfect base for the overlaying woven darn stitch.The latter creating a pattern that adds texture to the surface and feels like a perfect fit.
This project is a work in progress with no clear definition for its future besides a joint commitment to continue to play and experiment on what we love most – leftover yarns and textiles.
It is a slow process, testing and figuring out how to collaborate and what to make. At this present time a blanket from Celia’s Mended Paper Bag series is in progress, and scarfs and beanies using embroidery ideas from test sweater will be for sale from this coming winter in select stores. As well as ideas and plans of running more mending workshops - after the success of the first workshop at Merci store in Paris in December 2022.
WYP PYM HATS
WYP PYM SCARFS
The first small collection of WYP PYM scarves and hats will be available available in a few select stores autumn 2023, get in touch if you want to know where. They are made in a classic WYP way, designed by chance, and combined with with hand darned embroidery.
Is each piece truly one-of-a-kind?
Yes! Every piece is handmade to order.
Not only will each of the scarfs and beanies be completely unique because of the WYP system of working with waste yarn, but each piece will be hand embroidered with different colours of left over yarn.
Who is Celia Pym?
Celia Pym is an artist living and working in London. She has been exploring damage and repair in textiles since 2007. Working with garments that belong to individuals as well as items in museum archives, she has extensive experience with the spectrum and stories of damage. Pym’s work has been exhibited at V&A museum, Somerset House, Welcome Collection and Herald Street.
What makes this collection unique from other WYP collections?
As an artist, Celia’s handwork makes each piece in this collection a work of art! However it is not Celia herself that are hand making the pieces, but careful instructions of Celia’s original darning (drawings) has been made for the embroidery artisans to follow.