Imagine a cardigan that is smaller than a dime or a pair of gloves so tiny that a grain of rice would fit neatly into each finger. These, and other miniature marvels, are the creations of nano knitter Althea crome Merback.
Althea, from Bloomington, Indiana, knits cardigans, sweaters, and jackets on a 1:144 scale and gloves on a 1:12 scale by using fine silk sewing thread, as well as needles made from stainless steel medical wire that is just 0.001 in (0.03 mm) thick. With this method she is able to create garments that have up to 80 stitches per inch.
It is not only the size of her “but knit” clothing that amazes people, but also the patterns on them. Her love of art has encouraged her to knit a tiny cardigan bearing a reproduction of a Picasso painting, a sweater with the design of an ancient Grecian urn, and a 2 ¼ x 1 ¼ in (5.7 x 3.2 cm) cardigan inspired by the treasures of king Tutankhamun’s tomb. She has also knitted a pair of miniature “city country” socks – one sock featuring a pattern of the Chicago skyline, the other a country landscape- which sold for $750.
Since 2000, she has created countless items for dollhouse collectors and has had her work featured in the Radical Lace and Subversive knitting exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New york.
Of her miniature creations she says: “I really enjoy making clothes that don’t have to fit and I love tricking the brain into thinking that thinks aren’t miniature. Also, I don’t spend a fortune on yarns – a little goes a long way.”
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