Nell Swift is a weaver of place and memory, using her handlooms and natural fibres to capture the movement and colour of the sea. Nell established her brand Hem:Handwoven in 2021 from her base in the Peak District. She weaves to evoke places that move her; these pieces are snapshots in which to wrap the body, to warm and comfort.
Working in mill end fibres, Nell’s pieces are inspired by place and made with the environment in mind: textiles as memory, to be touched and shared, conjured in thread, a connection through time and space. Nell began weaving in 2018 – with a Masters in archaeology and prehistory, and a fascination with Viking culture, particularly surviving textiles and weaving paraphernalia, she choses to place her practice within a legacy of textile traditions. This includes design and build of her loom from reclaimed timber.
Nell’s collections feature scarves, blankets, rugs and wall hangings imbued with movement, colour and place. She says, ‘My work is profoundly influenced by the sea. I wind gradients [in yarn] to explore shift in mood, depth and variety of blue, through the fluidity of the weave structure. The weft emphasizes movement and interplay of light and water, comfort and threat, power and softness of fabric.’ Nell uses Fibonacci sequences to create gradient shifts in tone and movement, and is also inspired by traditional and contemporary Scandinavian craft and the making traditions of Japan.
Nell lives and weaves between Staithes on the North Yorkshire coast and the Derbyshire Peak District.
