• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • SHOP
    • Upcoming Release Gallery Photos
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • Special Offers on New Releases!
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
  • BLOG
  • LEARNING
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • What Is An Action Chart?
    • Menu of Techniques
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Sizing Tables / Charts / Guidelines & Croquis
    • Pattern Difficulty Levels / Type of Knitting
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
    • Inside a Jill Wolcott Knits Pattern
    • How-To Videos: Learn from Jill
      • Why I Love . . . Techniques
    • Jill Wolcott Knits: A Fit Background
    • 2021-2022 Workshops With Jill Wolcott Knits
    • Overview of ASOG – A System of Grading
  • ABOUT
    • Designer’s Story
    • Calendar Events Schedule
    • Inside Scoop Subscribe & Newsletter Archives
    • Fundraising Projects
    • Jill Wolcott Knits
      • Jill Wolcott curriculum vitae
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Errata
    • Privacy Notice for Jill Wolcott Knits
  • CONTACT
  • My Account
  • Press

Jill Wolcott Knits logo

April 2, 2016 Leave a Comment

Osswald Design

This month I am introducing you to my friend and design colleague, Tanja Osswald and Osswald Design. Tanja is an amazing Crochet designer; if you aren’t a crocheter, you will still enjoy this!

These monthly features of other creative businesses are a way for all of us to get to know wonderful creators. It is a long-time interest of mine to explore how other creative people make their way as professionals. 

Oswald Design –  Who? What? Where?

Osswald Design: More GeometryAs a bit of an introduction, Tanja Osswald is a crochet designer. She is German and we met through Tara Swiger’s Starship. Tanja recently launched her website, Osswald Design. When Tanja found out I would be in Europe last fall, she was interested in meeting because she hadn’t met any of the other Starship Captains (who mostly live in the US). She and her husband came to Amsterdam, where she had lived while getting her masters degree in Logic, and Tanja and I spent a few hours together.

Who: Tell us a very important person (VIP) to you as Osswald Design and as the crochet designer, you are today.

Osswald Design: Christine Noller

This is a free pattern of Christine Noller on Ravelry

A – Tanja Osswald: One person who comes to my mind is Christine Nöller. She is a knitwear designer and has been in the trade for many more years than I have. She was the first to publish a German book on lace knitting. You can see her designs here: http://www.kreativ-tini.de/ Christine is a friendly and generous person and very approachable. We know each other because years ago, I wrote her a Ravelry pm and asked her about self-publishing books. She took the time to kindly answer a complete stranger and she was very helpful. She even recommended my German publisher to me (BuchVerlag für die Frau). She has a background in mathematics as do I, so we both share a love for geometric patterns. We have met a couple of times and I’m now happy to call her my friend.

What: Tell us what makes you create!

Osswald Design: Comet mittens

I love exploring techniques. Often, a design starts with an image in my mind and the feeling that it should be possible to make this – even if it means needing to take an unusual approach or to outright invent a new technique.

For example, I invented a way to do horizontal cables (in crochet and in knitting) where the cable is not reverse engineered but properly sideways-engineered.

 

Where: Describe a place that is meaningful to your work.

Osswald Design: Surfing the Clouds

For years, I had a commute of 45 minutes on the train and that was crochet time for me. During that time, I developed the habit of taking along yarn for experiments (plus a notebook to keep track). There’s no better way of winding down after a long workday than toying with ideas! My first horizontal cable was worked on a train.

Though now I use the train much less, a train ride is still a time for inspiration for me.

What Now: Tell us what is new or forthcoming in your Osswald Design and/or your creative life.

Osswald Design: Book CoverI just came back from a trip to the Leipzig book fair, promoting my first book with the BuchVerlag für die Frau. The book is an introduction to crochet and is called ABC der Handarbeiten – Häkeln. It was an awesome event and I’m very happy my publisher is so supportive and such a pleasure to work with. As soon as book no. 1 was in print, they called me and asked for a new project – over the course of the next weeks, I’ll design a series of softies which will turn into a book for next fall (the individual patterns will be available in English, too, on Ravelry, as they will be for the ABC book).

Osswald Design: Freche WolloaseI’m also collaborating with an indie dyer, Freche Wolloase, and we are working on a book with both knit and crochet patterns, using her lovely yarns.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Featured Businesses Tagged With: crochet, design, horizontal cables, Osswald Design, Tanja Osswald

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Jill’s Story

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer. Read More…

Blog Archive

Don’t Miss these Techniques!

drawing of how a button link is put together. design, writing, technique

Button Links

most of the shelves on the yarn wall

Color Play in Yarn

Photo of Jill's Rowena Iron and her Reliable Steamer Iron

Steam Block

lovely hand-wound center pull ball in Fingering 101, yarn, yarn ball, center-pull, technique

Hand Wound Center-Pull Ball

Popular in the Shop

  • Chattanooga Cosy - PREORDER!!! $22.00
  • Smallest Number of Stitches to Cast On A Moebius Suggested price: $3.00
  • Tulle Collar on dress form with taupe side out, a view of tope and bottom Latvian braid, and 3 vintage button links. Tulle Collar $12.00
  • Half-size dress form wearing dk version in pink and purple from Oink Pigments Clapham Trio: Junction, Road, & Common $20.00
  • ASOG 2023 Deposit-in-Full: Gou Pei Dress ASOG 2023 Registration Deposit-in-Full $100.00

Stay Updated

Footer

About Jill

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer.

Pattern Availability

If you live outside of the US and Canada you can now purchase Jill Wolcott Knits PDF patterns directly through Payhip.

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Ravelry

© 2023 Jill Wolcott Knits