Yarn Sculpting
gather ye rosebuds
Eero Saarinen has his Tulip chair, Tokujin Yoshioka his Bouquet pedestal. Nicky Epstein's Roses chair plants itself firmly in the garden of earthly designs.
Not long ago, Vogue Knitting editors caught a glimpse of a spectacular chair by a Japanese artist named Tokujin Yoshioka, designed to look like a giant carnation, with fluttering suede petals growing out of a single, slim metal base. Because I have an affinity for working with knitted and crocheted flowers, they asked me if I would design my own version of the chair. I decided purple and magenta roses should play a starring role and felted them so they’d be cushy for your tushy. Obviously you’ll have to make dozens upon dozens of the blooms, which are all knitted from an easy eight-row pattern; rows 1 and 2 are twisted into a spiral and sewn securely so the rose will hold its shape during felting. Once all the roses had dried, I started applying them at the center of the seat with hot glue, working my way up the back of the chair with the magenta ones, then surrounding them with the purple. The two colors together create a lot of drama, but imagine how sublime the chair would be in solid white. See page 123 of Vogue Knitting Fall 2009 for complete instructions.
Making the flowers
1. Knit the flower by following the instructions on page 123 of Vogue Knitting Fall 2009. Two strands of “Cascade 220” were held together to create a substantial fabric. Twist rows 1 and 2 to form a spiral. Secure this shape by sewing along the underside of the flower. (The flower pictured here is shown before felting.)
2. Felt all the flowers at the same time. You will notice that the spirals have become misshapen.
3. While the pieces are still wet, reform the petals to make neat and even spirals. Let dry completely before attaching to the chair.
Nicky Epstein hot-glued her felted roses, worked in “Cascade 220,” to this “Tirup” chair from Ikea, but if you prefer, you can fasten the blooms to the fabric with a curved upholstery needle and heavy-duty upholstery thread.
Yarn Sculpting
gather ye rosebuds
Eero Saarinen has his Tulip chair, Tokujin Yoshioka his Bouquet pedestal. Nicky Epstein's Roses chair plants itself firmly in the garden of earthly designs.
Not long ago, Vogue Knitting editors caught a glimpse of a spectacular chair by a Japanese artist named Tokujin Yoshioka, designed to look like a giant carnation, with fluttering suede petals growing out of a single, slim metal base. Because I have an affinity for working with knitted and crocheted flowers, they asked me if I would design my own version of the chair. I decided purple and magenta roses should play a starring role and felted them so they’d be cushy for your tushy. Obviously you’ll have to make dozens upon dozens of the blooms, which are all knitted from an easy eight-row pattern; rows 1 and 2 are twisted into a spiral and sewn securely so the rose will hold its shape during felting. Once all the roses had dried, I started applying them at the center of the seat with hot glue, working my way up the back of the chair with the magenta ones, then surrounding them with the purple. The two colors together create a lot of drama, but imagine how sublime the chair would be in solid white. See page 123 of Vogue Knitting Fall 2009 for complete instructions.
Making the flowers
1. Knit the flower by following the instructions on page 123 of Vogue Knitting Fall 2009. Two strands of “Cascade 220” were held together to create a substantial fabric. Twist rows 1 and 2 to form a spiral. Secure this shape by sewing along the underside of the flower. (The flower pictured here is shown before felting.)
2. Felt all the flowers at the same time. You will notice that the spirals have become misshapen.
3. While the pieces are still wet, reform the petals to make neat and even spirals. Let dry completely before attaching to the chair.
Nicky Epstein hot-glued her felted roses, worked in “Cascade 220,” to this “Tirup” chair from Ikea, but if you prefer, you can fasten the blooms to the fabric with a curved upholstery needle and heavy-duty upholstery thread.