In this interview, we talk with Paula Pereira. Her Cuenca sweater graced the cover of the Japanese edition of Issue 25 and, as you'll discover below, this pullover was designed with a heart-warming message in mind. The museums in Brazil and Portugal that she shares with us look fascinating, we've already added them to our international must-visit list.
amirisu: What was your inspiration for this design?
Paula: Like many knitters, I'm fascinated by cables! The curvy and textured lines, kindly crossing each other and moving to other directions can be described as a metaphor of people that crosses our lives again and again, making a path of beauty. This issue's theme was "sculpture" and my inspiration was playing with intertwined cables as a metaphor of knitters from all over the world crossing our paths through knitting, making a precious handmade sculpture.
amirisu: What, if any, challenges did you encounter during the design process?
Paula: I must say this design was a very pleasant and smooth journey. I love the idea of having a highly textured yoke and cuffs, with plenty of smoothing stockinette stitch making our knitting experience cool, fun, and pleasant. I sincerely hope that knitters enjoy this "knitting ride"!
amirisu: If you were to knit this design in another color, what would it be?
Paula: Oh! The color possibilities are endless! Probably I will choose light and medium shades, so the textured details can shine.
amirisu: Do you have a favorite museum or work of art? Please tell us a little about it.
Paula: When I travel, I LOVE to save time for a local museum visit! In 2018 I had the opportunity to visit the Van Gogh museum and the architecture of the place and the artist's colors are still vivid in my mind. But there are 2 museums that I would like to highlight: one is the MASP (the art museum from Sao Paulo https://masp.org.br/en ) and the magnificent suspended displays created by the Italian / Brazilian artist Lina Bo Bardi (https://art-on-display.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/en/case-studies/lina-bo-bardi ) that creates a unique experience for the visitors. Over the last 9 years, I lived a few blocks from MASP and it was a refugee, a source of inspiration for me.
Another museum that opened my heart tremendously was MIAT (the handcraft museum in Portugal https://www.miat.pt/en/) that I visited last summer. I have been admiring Rosa Pomar's work for years. From a distance, I enjoy her research and tiresome and wonderful work with Portuguese wool! The MIAT museum reinforced my passion for Portuguese wool and other fibers (such as linen and cotton).
Thank you, Paula!