Applications Open: Colèchi Knitwear Waste Research Residency
Extended Deadline: Monday 27th April 2026
Last month, we hosted a dinner, inviting old friends and new ones, to share our plans for 2026, whilst having candid conversations about our practices. We also announced the launch of our 2026 Knitwear Waste Residency, Collective Study 02: Reiterate, whereby we will be working alongside three chosen creatives to uncover knitwear waste. We’ve extended the application deadline, so if this sounds like you, scroll down to apply.
We’ve been running our knitwear club YKWU (You Can Knit With Us) for a few years now. Whilst we’ve loved making and learning with others, it has also highlighted the amount of waste from knitwear - and the lack of data in this space. We’ve had so much yarn donated to us, which has overtaken our storage space; and our recent partnership with Traid has made us question if the afterlife solutions for knitwear are the same as some of the wider conversations, often centred around woven textiles.
About the residency
We’re launching a funded research residency for creatives interested in investigating yarn and knitwear waste. The project invites three residents to explore the lifecycle of yarn and knitwear products from production to end of life to help us better understand how waste moves through the system. The theme is open ended but should focus on knitwear and yarn waste.
Topic: Research into understanding the waste streams of yarn and knitwear.
Approach: Open ended, focusing on wasted yarn and knitwear. This could be localised to yarn stores, brands, or the pre spun material stage.
Goal: To understand the problem of excess yarn production and where unused yarn goes
A few common questions we’ve been asked…
What are you looking for?
This is open to people that experiment with knitwear in their practice in some shape or form, this can be from producing yarn or dyeing yarn; right through to design or even resell. We are open to working with those that are newly experimenting, right through to those that have been doing this for a while. We will be working with you to understand knitwear waste.
How will you differentiate the three final participants?
At the moment it is based on the three areas whereby we currently run our YKWU knitting club, which is East London, South London and West/North London. We would like one person from each part of London - however this is largely based on who applies. We recommend that you fill in as much of the application as possible.
But my practice doesn’t only involve knitwear…
We are open to working with people that explore practices around knitwear. Knitwear does not have to be your main practice, but should be involved. This can include natural dye, unravelling, mending practices and more. This project is about working together to understand knitwear waste.
Is it open to applicants outside of London?
At the moment, it is not. But we are hoping to extend this in the future, as many of our friends and partners are based outside of London - and that is where so much of the industry is! Please get in touch if you would like to collaborate.
What can I expect?
Commit to three group check-in sessions.
Secure a workspace to host workshops (Colèchi can assist with finding a space and support with workshop costs)
Run a minimum of two public workshops in collaboration with Colechi
Produce a final report or creative outcome with Colèchi
All media and promotional material made in collaboration with Colèchi
A stipend of £1,500 paid in instalments
Projects must aim to start by 5th May and end by October 2026