Jennifer Brou

knitwear designer Teacher United States
Jennifer Brou is an artist, designer and educator based in South Portland, Maine. Her path to becoming a knitwear designer has been indirect. In college, her degree focused on photography and crafts, and she worked for 13 years as a footwear designer and developer. Knitting became an important part of her practice around 2003, when she worked at a knitting shop and began developing and fine tuning her skills.

Jennifer moved into designing her own patterns as a way of expanding her studio practice and making her own rules. As an artist and designer, she is interested in how drawings and images transform and shift depending on the medium. Whether it be through texture, color or form Jennifer is inspired by visual complexity. She is also obsessed with the processes involved in knitwear design and fabrication; of the math involved in making size inclusive patterns and the time required to slowly create garments one stitch at a time.

When not designing knitwear, Jennifer teaches at Maine College of Art & Design, repairs knitwear for a high-end garment producer, works in her studio and spends as much time as she can in nature.
7 sense-ible questions for Jennifer
1) What are your favourite views, sights or reads such as books, movies or others?
Dappled light on the forest floor, a stormy day at the ocean, the darkness of bare tree branches against the deep blue of a twilight sky.

2) What are your favourite feels/things to touch?
The warmth and softness of a pet’s fur, peony petals, yarn of all kinds.

3) What puts your life in balance?
Time alone, being in nature, drawing, knitting and running.

4) Favourite odours/smells/perfumes?
Pine, rain, patchouli, the ocean and Lily of the valley.

5) Favourite tastes/flavours/food?
Indian food, sushi, fruit in season, dandelion greens, almond pastries and most anything chocolate.

6) Favourite sounds such as music or others?
Wind blowing through tree leaves, the quiet during a snowfall and the crackling of a fire.

7) Favourite quote
I am not sure I have a favourite quote, but I teach college students, and I’ve often thought of keeping a list of their funny quotes, unique interpretations and observations.

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