Mending clothes is not a new process, nor is the idea of stitching as a reparational experience for mind and body. But what is a repairing process for a material?

The very visible mends in this jumper highlight practiced wardrobe maintenance, visibly wrought through the colours and textures of the fixing yarn. This act brought the jumper far from its neutral garment origins and further from the coat of a sheep. The ‘slogan’ of repair embedded into the garment sites the jumper as activism.

As a repaired woolen garment, it is warm, cosy and comfortable, totally wearable and fit for purpose. It asks us:

Can the form of the jumper be unmade; can the wool be repaired back to its raw form? What are the essences of wool? Where does it come from and how? What are its personality traits and quirks? What else do we use it for?

There are two Jumpers to Lend; one was commissioned for the TED Textiles touring exhibition, Textile Toolbox (2014 ongoing), and one by Walford Mill Crafts Centre for the exhibition Knit 1, Mend 1, Keep 1, Change 1 (2015)