An anniversary as an occasion – and a story that began much earlier

The anniversary on CrazyPatterns has made me pause over the past few days.
Ten years on one platform – that is a beautiful moment.
One that quietly says thank you.

But it is not the beginning of my story.

Because knitting and crochet were part of my life long before platforms, social media or digital patterns even existed.
For me, this anniversary was therefore less about numbers and more about a quiet impulse to reflect on how everything began – and why it stayed. 

Stitches that connect

Handcrafts were important to me even as a child.
Not as a hobby you try out and then forget,
but as something that connects.

My grandmother played a big role in this.
With her, yarn, needles and stitches were simply part of everyday life.
I didn't just knit scarves – I knitted sweaters as a child.
Proper ones. From start to finish.

Looking back, people might say today: "That was in your blood."
At the time, it was simply normal.

A different path – but always present

Life forced me to take a different path early on.
I had to stand on my own two feet at a very young age.
During my studies, I worked three jobs to make ends meet.
Time was scarce, energy too – but one thing remained:

I never stopped knitting and crocheting.

On the commuter train, on my way to university or work,
there was often a crochet project in my hands.
Not because I wanted to be productive,
but because it gave me calm.
Because it was balance.
A place where my mind was allowed to become quiet.

Maturity takes time

It took time – and perhaps age –
until I understood that passions don't have to be separated.
That what carries you can also be integrated into your work
without losing its soul.

At some point, I said to myself:
Now I will show this to the world.

Of course, this also had to do with the changing times.
Social media emerged, possibilities opened up, visibility became easier.
But none of this happens overnight.
Processes need time. And they need space to mature.

The older I get, the clearer this becomes to me –
and the more consciously I deal with it.

People (and dogs) above all

What has become clearer over the years is this:
people matter more than anything else.

My children were and are part of this journey.
My daughter is now 28, my son will soon turn 20.
They witnessed this process quietly in the background,
while I kept working.
On the side. Step by step. Without much fuss.

My dogs were there too.
They accompanied me, grounded me, slowed me down.
And they will also play a role in the next chapter.

A new thread – without losing the old one

Something new is taking shape in my mind right now.
A children's book project that has been there for a long time and is finally being given space.
Here too, knitting, crochet and handcrafts will appear again.
Not as techniques – but as a feeling.

Writing has always been my second passion.
Even as a child, I wrote short stories.
One never excluded the other.
I just had to grow into the maturity needed to bring both together.

Perhaps I was too reserved for a long time.
I don't like being in the spotlight.
But over the years, I have understood
that it is important to share something of yourself.
Not out of vanity – but out of connection.

Quieter – but not less 

Knitting and crochet are not a chapter that ends.
They are part of my everyday life.
Part of my thinking.
Part of my work.

Maybe it is quieter today than it once was.
But it is no less.

Thank you to everyone who has accompanied me for so many years.
And to those who are just joining now.
Some paths change.
Others remain – stitch by stitch.

Warmly,
Kathrin

🌿 Something New Is Growing – Quietly

Over the past months, another project has been taking shape – almost unnoticed.
A children's book, written with a lot of heart, imagination, and time.

A story about courage, connection, creativity – and about things made by hand.
Of course, knitting and crochet will find their place here as well. Not as patterns (or maybe they will?), but as part of a world where stitches, threads, and small handmade pieces play a special role.

For now, this project is still just mine.
It's allowed to grow, to evolve, to find its own rhythm.

But one thing is certain:
It brings together everything that has always accompanied me – telling stories, living creativity, and filling handmade work with meaning.

More about this soon.
Unhurried. 🧶✨

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