Sometimes change doesn't happen because what came before is no longer good.

Sometimes it happens simply because you've grown.

stricken-im-trend.com has been part of my life since 2015. It's where I published my first patterns, built my blog, designed countless pieces, and got to know so many of you over the years.

And that's exactly why one thing was clear to me from the very beginning:

I don't want to simply replace stricken-im-trend.com with something new.

Those years are part of me. They are part of my work and part of my story.

At the same time, over the past few months I've realized more and more that the way I present my work today no longer quite reflects what it has grown into.

What started as a name under which I published my patterns has become so much more.

And now it's growing into:

ParkaDesigns by stricken-im-trend.com

Not goodbye. An evolution.

You may already have spotted ParkaDesigns on my website or social media channels.

Little by little, you'll start seeing the name more often.

But don't worry: stricken-im-trend.com isn't going anywhere.

The website stays. My existing patterns stay. My story stays. And of course, I'm still the same Kathrin, probably sitting somewhere between piles of yarn, new ideas, and a cup of coffee that is far too big. 😉

What's changing is the framework around it all.

ParkaDesigns is meant to bring together everything that has grown over the years: my knitting and crochet patterns, my blog, the projects especially close to my heart, new ideas – and, above all, my own style.

And that's exactly why one sentence fits so perfectly with what I want to create going forward:

Style knows no Size.

Looking back is when you realize just how much has changed

For this article, I went digging through my old files.

And it honestly felt a little like traveling back in time.

I found my very first patterns. Later versions. Current knitting patterns. Current crochet patterns.

And when you put them side by side, it becomes pretty obvious that things have been evolving for a long time – without a big rebrand and without ever consciously thinking:

Now I'm going to change everything.

My first patterns were functional and pretty straightforward.

Over time, more photos were added, the layouts became clearer, knitting and crochet charts appeared, different color schemes developed, and lots of little details made the patterns easier and more enjoyable to work with.

And here's what I find interesting:

None of those versions feels "wrong" to me today.

They simply show where I was at that point in time.

And that's exactly why I don't want to go back and make that evolution invisible.

What will happen to my existing patterns?

This question was actually much more important to me than you might expect.

For many years, I created my patterns using Microsoft Publisher. Since Publisher is being discontinued, I have to rethink how I'll create my patterns in the future anyway.

Of course, I could have used this moment as an opportunity to redesign every single existing pattern.

But I made a very conscious decision not to.

I'm not going to redesign all of my previous patterns.

Because they are part of my story, too.

They show how my work has changed over the years – both visually and in terms of content.

I don't want to erase that evolution after the fact.

So older layouts are allowed to look older. And that means you may still come across an older pattern in the future that looks different from a brand-new ParkaDesigns pattern.

That isn't a glitch in the system.

It's part of my story.

So what will new patterns look like?

This is where things get really exciting. ♡

Because having to move away from Publisher also gives me the opportunity to rethink how I want my patterns to look and work today.

Clearer. More spacious. More modern.

But still familiar enough that you immediately know your way around.

I want to integrate photos more naturally into the patterns, make important information easier to find at a glance, and place tips and additional information exactly where you actually need them.

And, of course, ParkaDesigns will become visible there, too.

So I've already developed a first draft.

It isn't a template set in stone yet.

But it shows pretty clearly where I want to go.

What matters most to me is this:

The familiar stays. New things are added.

Sizes, materials, needle or hook sizes, and gauge should be easy to find at a glance. Tips get their own space. Photos won't simply be added somewhere on the page – they'll become part of the layout.

And when a pattern includes several sizes, I want to use color even more consistently in the future.

Once you've chosen your size, I want you to be able to see quickly:

This is the information that belongs to my size.

Especially with more detailed patterns, that can make a huge difference.

And, of course, in English too

Many of my patterns are now available not only in German, but in English as well.

That's why the new system is being developed from the very beginning so that both language versions belong together.

Same structure. Same visual language. Same brand.

Just in the respective language.

For me, that's another important part of ParkaDesigns' next step.

And "new" means more to me than a new design

The evolution of my patterns actually began before ParkaDesigns was even visible.

With my crochet sweater ConFetti #1, I connected short SILENT videos directly to individual steps in the pattern for the first time.

Not as a replacement for the written instructions.

But as an additional bit of help exactly where seeing a movement can sometimes explain more than three additional photos ever could.

It was an experiment for me – and at the same time, a first step in exactly the direction I now want to continue:

I don't want my patterns to simply look different. I want them to evolve.

A clearer layout, better orientation, little tips and additional information – and, where it genuinely makes sense, extra video support.

In a way, ConFetti was my first little testing ground for all of this.

So the new layout isn't the beginning of a completely new world.

It's simply the next visible step in an evolution that has already been happening for quite some time.

ParkaDesigns gets a face

With ParkaDesigns, it isn't only the layout of my patterns that is changing.

Little by little, my entire visual identity is evolving as well.

It was important to me that the new look wouldn't feel like a break from stricken-im-trend.com.

Because everything I've created over the past years is still part of me and part of my story.

ParkaDesigns isn't meant to replace that story.

ParkaDesigns is meant to continue it.

That's why you'll find so many elements in the new logo that fit my work: yarn, of course, the thread – and, very deliberately, the heart.

And stricken-im-trend.com remains a visible part of the brand as well.

The new line

Patterns with heart.

actually describes pretty perfectly what I've been doing for years – and what I want to continue doing in the future.

From the old logo to ParkaDesigns

You've probably known my old logo for quite a long time.

The basket of yarn in front of the fireplace was with me for many years – and that's exactly why I wanted to deliberately show it again in this article.

It came together completely spontaneously in my living room at the time, using whatever happened to be around and within easy reach. 😂

I really like seeing my two logos side by side.

Because this isn't simply a comparison of "bad versus beautiful" or "old versus new."

There are years between them.

Hundreds of patterns and projects. A blog. Thousands of photos. Countless stitches. Mistakes, experiments, ideas – and a whole lot of experience.

That's why the old logo will always remain part of my story.

But ParkaDesigns reflects much better where I am today.

One logo – but not always exactly the same

There was one thing I realized very quickly while developing the new identity:

One single logo simply doesn't work equally well everywhere anymore.

There's room for the full version on my website.

On social media, I need something more compact.

As a profile picture, it gets even smaller.

And as a tiny icon in a browser tab, my entire brand suddenly has to work with just a few elements.

So the new logo has grown into a small logo family.

From the complete ParkaDesigns logo to simplified versions and the ball of yarn with its heart-shaped thread.

The basic idea always stays the same.

But depending on where you come across me, ParkaDesigns may look slightly different.

And perhaps you've already spotted a few of those versions.

How you'll see ParkaDesigns in the future

And then I wanted to take it one step further.

Because a brand, of course, is more than just a logo.

It only really comes to life through the way all of its elements work together.

On a pattern.

On a small label.

On social media.

On my website.

Maybe one day on packaging or a tag.

So I put together a little glimpse of what this new ParkaDesigns world could feel like.

And that's exactly the direction I want to continue developing, piece by piece.

Not everything will be replaced overnight.

And not everything old has to disappear.

That is actually especially important to me.

stricken-im-trend.com remains part of my story.

ParkaDesigns is its next chapter.

And that's exactly why you'll find both in my new visual world:

Things you've known from me for a long time.

And things that will immediately make you think:

Something new is happening here. ♡

Here's to the next chapter

When I look at my old logo, my first patterns, and the new ParkaDesigns identity side by side today, there are quite a few years between them.

And I don't want to retouch a single step of that journey away.

Quite the opposite.

I think it's okay to let people see that something has grown.

Maybe that's exactly why this step feels so right to me:

I'm not starting over from zero.

I'm taking everything that has grown so far with me – and continuing to develop it.

From stricken-im-trend.com to ParkaDesigns.

Not as a goodbye.

But as the next chapter.

And I'm really looking forward to writing it with you. ♡

With love,
Kathrin 🌸