Trying to Just Keep Going – Tracey Doxey

‘Trying to Just keep going’, is a wearable knitted artwork, using intricate, colourful, Fair Isle motifs to create a long hat /scarf, which also incorporates the words from short text messages randomly sent to me by my sister. KEEP WARM, KEEP SAFE, and JUST KEEP GOING, are individual text messages sent to me by my sister, they are short simple and caring, meant for me but also act as reminders to herself. I acknowledge the importance of these short messages by adding the words into my design piece to express a comfort that I can only wish for her. But, these are words for us both. My sister and I were born in the 1960’s. I have just finished this hat/scarf as a tribute to her – to keep warm, safe and to just keep going.
There is some kind of paradox between the colourful, cosy, knitted piece and the texted words, which could seem irregular on a knitted hat. The words invite the viewer to read the piece through texts and question what those words mean to them. On 5th Jan, I walked in the snow wearing both the ‘Trying to Keep Going’, hat scarf and the, ‘I Cannot Reach You’ jumper – I thought of the words knitted into the piece -KEEP WARM, KEEP SAFE, JUST KEEP GOING, and I felt them all for myself, at that moment.
I designed the pattern myself using 100% wool.