Notes From the Field: In Stitches

By Cheryl Katz

My maternal grandmother was never without a crochet hook and a ball of yarn. With seven children, eleven grandchildren, and thirteen great grandchildren she stayed busy well into her eighties by marking every birthday, graduation, and wedding with one of her colorful crocheted afghans.

My mother was an avid knitter. An early advocate of multi-tasking, she often watched TV and talked on the phone while producing matching sweaters for my sister Leslie and me. 

I didn’t inherit their talent for handicraft, but I did learn to love thread, yarn, and wool, and, when in the right hands, their infinite possibilities.

Hans Sapperlot’s Smok chair

Naomi Paul’s Hanna Light and Macaroons Floor Cushion

Sally England’s Cotton and rope headboard at the Ace Hotel in Portland Oregon

Christien Meindertsma’s Urchin Poufs