Design Debate

Blanket from purlbee.com Cosy knit chair from Hans Sapperlot I am completely smitten with knitting, to be truthful I haven't actually tried it since I was a child and I knit a very wonky but colourful scarf for one of my dolls. But my sister creates some wonderful items and I am tempted to revisit this craft for myself. She has knitted with plastic bags, made lace jewellery and the essential gloves.  Scarf patterns from purlbee.com I am though a fan of the product. Few things excite me more in the long, long winter months than a cosy sweeter or hunky chunky socks. There is of course Pinterest for any such stitch-gazing. Are you a fan? This site is so addictive and what can be achieved with a ball of yarn knows no limit. Pattern from melimeloo.blogspot.de By artist Kate Jenkins The reason my thoughts have turned to knitting today is because I read an article on NYC blog A Cup of Jo . It seems Norway has bucked the trend of fast, fast television...

I love it when I can respect everything about a product. These beautifully designed chairs were created entirely with the power of wind. The project 'Windworks' was set up by Merel Karhof , a Dutch designer who currently lives in London. She, with the help of two neighbouring mills in Zaanse Schans, North Holland, set up this remarkable production line. One, a sawmill, cuts the wood for her chairs, benches and stools - and the other, a paint mill, ground the pigments to create the die for the wool. She even uses a wind powered knitting machine! This has been a long journey of discovery. Read Karhof's interview in the New York Times . She experimented first with wind powered jewellery making. Then she made scarfs in the project 'wind knitting factory' - a wind-powered knitting machine which used air currents to power the mill. The wind's intensity determined the speed at which it knit - windy conditions saw rapid knitting activity, while l...