A Day At Twinkle
My all-time favorite jobs as a photographer are those that involve shooting artists' spaces, and, of course, the artists that they house. So I was completely thrilled when Knit.1 asked me to pay a visit to designer Wenlan Chia's studio in Manhattan to spend the day with her for a few portraits and studio shots. We had such a great time together - and I thought I'd share some of the shots with you, as I'm sure there are some big Twinkle fans out there.
![Wenlan Chia](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vPCL1NhaiNb7gJ83cUQZeIc72Kz532Cx4N-f-Bzh-XDwW3mGR3Xa6FsoPglhAs7-82a6pIcXLIdKjoCGB8LOZ63ftDPeYDPgLtthBUiC8MmoIIopjxYkiaMPyQsv_2TBI=s0-d)
In the handknitting community, Wenlan is probably best known for her signature super bulky merino yarn - Soft Chunky (pictured below) (kinda looks like cotton candy, doesn't it?) and the wonderfully chunky fashion knits she conjures up with it.
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vI9UFrBFVBjS53vQHDV2GwXSk79XimsX8HWJL5IAHxkFIL0cKiWa8FEzkFIrCOpgqgrNHCDOFCuUN8EYfqFXNZA-4KLsPRYg_vkD_zWEsZCd_cKFwoqt-3P2Iuy95Jn2s=s0-d)
She carries two other yarn lines, which I hadn't ever experienced in person - and let me tell you, being surrounded by handknit samples of throws everywhere you turn isn't a bad way to experience a new yarn either.
And while of course I had plenty of delicious knits around to keep my lens busy all day... there were certainly a few other things that I had a hard time keeping away from...
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vPEDegvz_zTDahPukhPZ1bepacnMgVXltXOaie4YGu4_u8OQrIPzzv9u_01WUsT9jzEMBtbU3W-ol1W1Q82zyazz-74_xPXfyYYJGUpqW3SSOCsf07XsRQ2ELHsXIpp7E=s0-d)
Wenlan's dog, Milan, has a huge personality and wanted to be a part of the action all day. Aside from being a photogenic little canine, he serves as inspiration for many of Wenlan's home designs as I soon found out.
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_udtV2StupnVtNEGG-3I8Pd6oMafmUXifjR9j6a24QLFNBFvXU7s2LWEdk-_Hq7jh-5SD2W5ZsnEXkkWcPiCaPTaNcFsnsFXOkuObqRPgLwaECoz79Bw_TgW3XbU7xuItg=s0-d)
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uVt4gSAw30cO0uWTGiJHxYSu-qngvnYv2oQn0Xt5AjId8CJV30awLZE8Pl4eav-ZIJrt2FaHNLNKjN_nDNokN2Q94jBAzmPR7zH15nBb7e1PGC1qoR0nt-yJ8AcOTemg=s0-d)
I think I mentioned in a previous post about my Twinkle Chunky throw (Finished! Photos soon!) that I had come into a small stash of Soft Chunky in a special circumstance - well this is how. I saw these luscious throws in the studio and had to have one. And since Wenlan basically forced me to take yarn... what was I to do but gracefully oblige?
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vrIoZNzYbjk_E2pL42tFzFa0rJIL3jzoT6FpjuEwOz9BWW7NOW4aiKKXg_1dldsqAWfm6xtbahUWQivAuraTzc6lfiYb-kaKKAvoxxGd9MF4MW7cAyyz1ZdQVQICPyRG8=s0-d)
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tjrVBH5-vZ0aF6fPphsj53R-t7Hs5g2Kkle8pTIXPyOYlS45aBOvzJc0-pElX-q9lrpRVcyW6Iui3vORmcXOEyiDxBl6pRQt4VBZlCa0B8UL8I8VgvRi8XWYSEgEyM_o4=s0-d)
![A Day at Twinkle](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vD_BnC1Gcj3zyG520nCPTo_tt6xoffhlQJ2Q7cJzJHvshMpPkRCEROqo2BniX-iNKxdghKWkaZlzz7oCnAOWrHwDDMClotxiYQozZxnmdCJe8pgSSUgrV4WPD1AieJjJg=s0-d)
If you'd like to read up on Wenlan's inspiring story, check out the article in the current issue of Knit.1 for more. My very own Chia-designer-throw will be featured here in just a few short days... if I can pull myself out from under it long enough for a photoshoot.
![Wenlan Chia](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tpr4kPoVs2NJHyV3ebg8jBnim79L_5ZK_icEI3wjD79CRQAdtB5ot6LeQVR3U7qbFX80fuQ3jeRbYaD4nYxZ5b-Ca_Gwy-fPA9QgDY6ul2fj9sjOxjNiBASW8E8YKR8g=s0-d)
I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and giving your knitting some extra special face-time. It feels like the first time I've been able to take a breath and truly enjoy my knitting for some time. And it's wonderful.
[If you haven't gotten enough of Ms. Chia, see more photos from Twinkle here]