A New Level of Chunky Knits

I freely admit to having a penchant for anything large scale, with a particularly acute obsession based around exaggerated, oversized knits. You’ll probably see a few more of them pop up here occasionally, and I’d be shocked if they don’t immediately fill you with joy and delight.

The Mangas Carpet Collection from GAN Rugs won the Red Dot Design Award this year, and it may be my favorite display of knit design yet. Designed by Patricia Urquiola, the Mangas rugs come in a range of unusual shapes and each features a striped patchwork of varied wool knits. The strange balloon-like shapes and the bursts of texture and color are so unusual and appealing to me. Why have I foolishly limited myself to purchasing rectangular rugs?

The collection also includes these giant pouf ottomans, which look like heaven for lounging. I think what appeals to me most about large knits is that you can easily see the detail of each individual knot, which immediately calls into my mind the image of hands and needles physically working the yarn in traditional knitting and crocheting. The result of a craft process being blown up to a seemingly beyond-human scale is an incredibly novel and powerful visual experience.

I hope that designers keep playing around with different materials and processes and I will keep my eye out for more amazing specimens. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of the Mangas collection, as well as many other gorgeous modern handtufted, handknotted, and woven rug designs from GAN here on their website or in their showrooms around the world.