

‘RangKnit’ are circles, concentric compositions creating a complex world coalescing intricate patterns, different ply-yarns, and colour palettes - recording different interiors, body movements, conversations, and experiences. To develop this ‘RangKnit’ I formulated my
instruction by bringing together Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pi-shawl formula and applying my knowledge of mathematics. It took me four years to devise this system involving many iterations of artefacts, resulting in wavy circles instead of flat circles, indicating my formula needed refinement. In this back-and-forth process, I explored my understanding of knitting with different ply yarns (has been knitting for more than ten years) and the relationship between the circle’s radius (Pi) and its circumference (2PiR).
In addition, I coalesced my cultural heritage and societal influences into these compositions by self-teaching how to knit intricate patterns seen in Rangoli (a cultural practice I used to perform for more than 15 years) and Indian textiles. In India, Rangoli art is a form that brings communities together - providing an opportunity for family members, neighbors, and friends to come together. For a migrant, leaving their home in their homeland and finding another 'home' in the new place is very tricky and personal as it involves the feeling of loss up to a certain extent and having a tool/practice that enables an immigrant to belong – create a sense of belonging is what ‘RangKnit’ does for me after living in the UK for about ten years.

Bio
I am an interdisciplinary designer and knitter who coalesces two of my homes together forming a transnational practice called ‘RangKnit’. From arriving at my homeland in India during the covid-19 pandemic, and being stuck there for a year due to lockdowns in the UK (host country), I found myself reminiscing about friends, responsibilities, houses, and the city of Portsmouth - realizing that Portsmouth had become my second home.
Knitting provides joy & creates an opportunity to feel comfortable. Knitting reminds people of their childhood and for this reason, it does not matter if you use different materials, styles and tools. My approach to knitting sits somewhere between contemporary knitting practices and Interior design. The circles that I knit are traditionally a concentric composition that create a complex world; capturing movements of body, actions, gesture, conversations and experiences.


Rangoli are intricate floor art designs made in the threshold of the house by womenfolk every morning with the rising sun and is wiped/brushed away in the evening after the sun sets. The temporal nature of Rangoli design reminds oneself of their temporal life in the world. Rangoli also reflects the epitome of Indian culture ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumkambh’, meaning that the whole world is one single family.