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Everyday romanticism

Updated: Sep 11, 2022

Hi knitters! Today I'm so pleased to share a guest post from designer Lauren Rad, the artist behind A Bee in the Bonnet (here's her website!). Lauren creates knitting patterns that are relaxing, easily memorized, and full of charm and romance. I asked her to share some thoughts on how she lives her aesthetic, and she has been so practical and generous. I hope you are as inspired by her words as I am, and that you'll check out more of her work (here's her Instagram)!


 

Richly textured handknit accessories paired with homegrown roses and tea and biscuits in sweet china.
Also, please see Lauren's feed for the MOST inspiring rose gardening content! photo: Lauren Rad

I’ve spent the last several years trying to figure out how to describe my aesthetic as a knitter, designer, photographer, and person. There are often pastels, but not always. I use a lot of teacups and old books. My knits feature tons of lace and bobbles and delicate texture, but all of it is part of my day-to-day life and therefore has to be sturdy enough for actual use.


And then, earlier this year, it clicked: everyday romanticism.


It captures that sweet spot where the things I love all tend to live: the place where things are beautiful and soft but also useful. It’s a slightly fuzzy concept, though, so I thought I’d take some time to explain it a little more and talk about how to incorporate it into your own life.


What is everyday romanticism?


When I was a younger woman, I used to think that my love of beautiful things made me seem weak or lesser. I was a lawyer and figured my clients and opposing counsel wanted me to seem tough and no-nonsense. As a result, I tried to push away that softer side of myself, wore all black to work, and kept mum about my love for costume dramas and 19th-century novels.


But that didn’t serve me well. I felt smothered, constrained, and worst of all, inauthentic.


So part of my journey toward embracing everyday romanticism