Kath’s homage to living life with a twist

Read time: 3 mins

We first encountered Kath through her life on Instagram; glorious pictures of her maximalist clutter-core home with her two cats. Gladys – the camera-ready feline always ready to bless the grid with her presence, and her sister Veronica – a shy lady who takes the spotlight every now and then. This was evident when we video called Kath, and Gladys very clearly wanted to say hello.

Kath, or more commonly known as @Knitchings in the Insta realm, is quite literally the Queen of Knitting. Gaining a pretty massive Instagram following off the back of a wild knitting journey since before lockdown (remember those days?!), it’s not just Kath’s knitting that has gathered interest, but also her somewhat unconventional but fabulous decorative choices at home. Organised clutter is the best way we can describe it, with a wild sense of freedom and personality, a reflective representation of Kath herself. Kath’s home truly is a representation of her, celebrating her life and experiences through her diverse range of trinkets and objects displayed throughout her sanctuary. People see it as bold, and of course, it is, but this way of living surrounded by objects you love, each with their own story, brings a sort of next-level sense of comfort and emotion compared to your regular humble abode. Even through a video call, Kath’s house feels like a warm hug, and it seems that she’s turned it into a warm hug for others post-pandemic. 

Gladys basking in the sun

Many of us found lockdown pretty lonely, which led to many of us becoming more introverted the longer we had to spend time solo. Fewer plans and social events meant a lot more time to protect our own energy and get to know ourselves a little better, and plenty of people emerged from the experience a little happier to stay home alone. Though for some it was the total opposite, Kath included. The inability to spend time with others left Kath wanting to rebuild her community as soon as she had the chance again. The more we chat with Kath about her life, we learn all about her open home policy, which has always been a part of her life. It seems their door has always been (figuratively speaking) open, whether that’s for neighbours at Christmas, refugees in need, home swapping with a Slovak family or (of course) the neighbour’s cats! Just like the cats, people are free to come and go as they need, which is an unusually beautiful way to keep a home, and not something we see so often in our typically reserved British culture. It’s refreshing and of course, bold, but comes so naturally to Kath from her communal upbringing – ‘I’m very unconventional. I see things in alternative ways’. Flying in the face of those post-pandemic introverts, Kath is busting that trend and putting community (and cats) first.

With the motto clearly being the more the merrier in Kath’s home, it’s no surprise that there are not one, but two furry house guests living permanently amongst the knick-knacks. 9-year-old Gladys and Veronica are litter sisters from birth, though they have quite opposite personalities – Gladys loving the centre of attention (even when it comes to social media) and Veronica being the camera-shy introvert, monogamous to one human only. 

Though Kath tells us she hasn’t always been a cat person from the get-go, and came from an upbringing surrounded by Border Collies. It wasn’t until post-uni days moving in with her now-husband Mike, that she recognised the wonderful, wandering nature of cats and what they had to offer. That was it, from a life with dogs, a cat person had emerged as Kath realised the free-spirited, independent nature of our feline friends and the almost meditative aura they hold. A perfect fit for her creative, ‘cat lady’ lifestyle – ‘we are all creative, and we all have the potential to be creative beings. We make creative choices all the time. How we dress, how we put on makeup, and how people trim their facial hair. Everything is creative.’ We think cats and creativity go hand in hand, their unconventional attitudes matched with soothing purrs, make up the perfect pal for decompression snuggles to think up new ideas between projects. 

Gladys and Veronica.

Kath’s home, much like her crafting, has taken years to perfect and she enlightens us on how creativity is something which should never be rushed. Even though her house embraces clutter core, everything is very meticulously placed – all the colours are well thought-out and beautifully complement one another, and nothing has found its way there by accident. It’s been made to feel like a proper home, for herself and her community, for all to enjoy. ‘I think life is short, life is uncertain and I think that when you’re you’re young, you kind of think you’re going to live forever, and it’s not necessarily the case’. 

It’s fair to say that Kath has left us super inspired. She swims in lidos, she knits (if she could knit and swim at the same time she would), she mends, she helps people and most importantly she really really loves cats. A totally open book with an infectious zest for life and a creative confidence that we simply adore. ‘F*** it, be confident about finding your own style and really celebrate that.’

We reckon we should all try and be a little bit more Kath.

Until next time Cat People x

The woman herself, Kath (@KNITCHINGS)

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