The Knitted Chairs

Let's move it!

2009-04-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are moving! Visit the new site here or http://knittedchairs.wordpress.com/ if the link doesn't work.
I'm hoping to do a better site with more updates, please come visit and check out my new creation!
Here's a sneak peek

Satisfy

2009-03-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an version knitted by Talitha. It has random cabling all over the bottom and the back, and a sun pillow. Isn't it AMAZING??

Errata

2009-03-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

Errata:

Back:
...
Dec 1 st at each edge of the next 9 rows. (Leave 1 edge st on each sides for picking up sts later)
(k2tog on right side, ssk on left side). (31 sts)

Change to: (This is not an error, but should make the instruction clearer)
Dec 1 st at each edge of the next 9 rows. (Leave 1 edge st on each sides for picking up sts later)
[sl1, ssk on RS(p2tog on WS), stockinette sts to last 3 sts, k2tog on RS(ssp on WS), k(p)]. (31 sts)

Back:
...
...
Row 1 (RS): ssk, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1, pick up 1 edge st.
Row 2 (WS): p2tog, p2tog, p to last 3 sts, ssp, p1, pick up 1 edge st.

Change to:

Row 1 (RS): sl1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Row 2 (WS): sl1, p2tog, p to last 3 sts, ssp, p1.

The pattern has been updated (14 March 2009), if you downloaded the pattern before this date please refer to above errata. Otherwise you might want to download the updated version.
If you spot more errors or get confused by the pattern please let me know. (yuvinia@gmail.com)

Promo video

2009-03-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a better quality version.

2009-03-04T03:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all your responses here in the blog and also over in Ravelry!

There have been quite a few offers to help me knit some chairs for my degree show, which I totally appreciate! I mentioned in the pattern page in Ravelry that I might be able to supply the materials if you do this. However, I could unfortunately only take up about 3 offers due to financial restriction and lack of display space in the degree show.

If you are interested in knitting this chair but couldn't supply the materials, please send me sketches of your vision of your chair. You can use this as your template but it's not a must.

Here's some general information:
-Send in your sketches to my email (yuvinia@gmail.com) by the latest next Tuesday (10th March 2009).
-The chair must be knitted and sent to me by the latest 20th April 2009.
-They might be displayed in my final presentation and degree show, where you will be credited.
-I'll be sending back the chairs after the degree show (mid-June)
-I'll try my best to supply the materials needed for your chair as you envisioned them, but I will have to do it in the most cost efficient way (you know how the economy is going right now...)
-As one of the themes for this project is "global", I would be favoring designs with local cultural/geographical feel. Of course a strong individual style would be great too. In short, I'm looking for designs that would have a strong impact on the audience.

This is my first time doing this sort of thing, so if there's anything I left out please feel free to let me know. I appreciate comments left here on the blog, however if you have any questions please leave your email address or pm me in Ravelry instead since I can't reply to comments left here.

Many people have told me that they'll be knitting this chair, thank you very much!! As you know, this pattern hasn't been test knitted, so if you found any errors or found that the way I did it wasn't the best way, please let me know. All feedbacks appreciated! I'm looking forward to what everyone is going to do with this project!

The Not-so-ubiquitous Knitted Chair

2009-03-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

The pattern is now available here as PDF download!

Supplies

2009-02-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Here's what I'll be knitting my chair with. The yarn is Sirdar Bigga, one of the bulkiest commercial yarn easily available, and I'll be knitting it on 15mm circular needles.

The plastic chair

2009-02-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is the chair I'll be using. Surely you have a couple of these lying around in the garden or shed?

The plastic chair is apparently the world's most famous chair, according to this article, with millions sold all around the world. It has a blog dedicated to it, and a flickr pool here . Imagine if we could just cover one of these chairs in every country.

Would you like to knit a chair?

2009-02-11T16:52:00.001-08:00

Knitted chair is not a new concept.
Some have knitted an actual structure and rigidify it, some have covered existing chairs with knitted fabrics. My project would fall in the latter category. This is my final project for a degree in BA Product Design. For the next two months I would be knitting around the structure of a very well known chair, the ubiquitous plastic chair. According to this article, this chair has become a canvas for many artists and designers, and I intend to do the same with my preferred medium, knitting. It is not my intention to knit another chair cozy, I am simply making use of a readily available structure.

Now, why would anyone want to knit a chair? I suppose I do share a bit of the yarnbombing philosophy, or knitters such as Alison Murray with her knitted house. This project is to exploit what knitters could do, to show the world that knitting is just as ubiquitous as the plastic chair, that it is something everyone could do. Furniture making is often not something you could do at home, but knitting is. Imagine knitting a chair in the comfort of your sofa!

With this project, I would like to make the most of the power of knitting. The plastic chair could be found in most corners of the world, and so does knitting. My hope is that knitters from around the world would join me in this project, for I could not do this alone. Could you just imagine the endless possibilities?

Of course, I haven't actually knitted the chair, but I intend to do so very soon, and I will share with you my progress here. A pattern would be available here when I finished the task, but you are more than welcome to join me at any time. Please feel free to leave me a comment or ask questions here, or email me at yuvinia@gmail.com.