… The woman behind … 
.
.
My biography as a knitter
.
Since my childhood I’m an enthusiastic and extensive knitter.
I learned knitting from my Mom who – as a learned and skilled arts and crafts master – could teach me a lot of needlework techniques: Knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, needlework, knotted work ….
She taught me the basic techniques – and that a successfull piece of work has to look as tidy from the back side as from the front side!
Knitting by instructions soon bored me, so as a teen I already did my own designs. I experimented a lot (not all of it quite successfull 
) and knitted around my little world: family, friends, the home.
.
During my time in University, I worked for a designer studio, knitting unique knitted clothing for sale and combining knitwork with fabric and leather. I also made instructions for sale and gave knitting courses. I’m sorry that this design studion doen’s exist any longer – else the link would be here.
.
Even in the 80th/90th when knitting wasn’t en vogue, I continuously indulged in my passion – not as much before, but quite continuously. That was a hard time for a passionate knitter – many people laughing about you, no nice and thrilling yarns to get, one LYS after the other closing …
.
About the turning of the millenium, knitting caught me again, and this time harder than ever: as a counterpole to my work as a psychotherapist I needed a hobby that shows you progress quickly and that shows you the beauty of the world in contrast to all the pain and hardship. I remembered my personal roots as a crafter, and again I designed and realized my own knitted clothing. Not only for me, but again for family and friends and – discovering a new field of arts and crafts – for miniatures, clothing for doll house dolls and interior design for doll houses.
At this time the Internet became an important part of my knitting life – all the ideas and impulses from all around the world certainly impressed and effected me! I discovered free form knitting and crocheting and made lots of experiments. Especially short row techniques became the center of my curiosity. More about my experience with short row techniques you can read on my Swing-Knitting site.
.
Today the center of my work is knitting with short row techniques. There are many reasons I prefer this: it’s thrilling and adventurous, and short row techniques give you uncountable and undreamt of possibilities of designing, creating, constructing.
.
I call my today’s technique Swing-Knitting, and I love using it as a stand-alone or in combination with traditional ways of knitting. And I have to live another 100 years to realize all the ideas I have in my mind!
.
.
What else could interest you?
.
As main profession, I work as a psychotherapist – though sometimes the work as a knitting teacher takes up most of the time. My future – I see myself focused as a knitting teacher, wallowing in pleasure and beauty after 20 years being enganged in people’s pain and hardship .
.
In my psychotherapeutic work I focuse on grown-ups and families, using eclecticistic therapeutical methods and having specialized on personality disorders and depression. I believe in the good in human kind, and that every one has the right and the possibility to grow and heal.
.
I spend my live with two dogs and eight cats, all of them former “hopeless cases” of animal welfare. And I am very proud to see them now: they live their lives happily, and they have learned to gain confidence in humans in spite of everything that has happened to them before! I could write hours about them …..
If I were absolute correctly, each of my material compositions would have to read “and 1 % of cat and dog hair” !