My Day at Fruity Knitting

... aaaand Action!

After a short search, I found Andrea and Madeleine's wonderful little apartment, which many of you have probably already seen in other Fruity Knitting episodes. The light blue background and the lovely display cabinet have become true celebrities in their own right!

We greeted each other warmly – it was a wonderful reunion with Andrea, and I had only known her daughter Madeleine online so far. Since the passing of Andrea's husband Andrew a few years ago, Madeleine has become a permanent part of Fruity Knitting, and she is truly an impressive young woman. Madeleine brings a fresh breeze and great energy to the podcast. It was so nice to finally meet her in person and see how engaged and warm she is as she and her mother continue this wonderful project.

After a brief introduction and a delicious coffee – which was much needed after my early departure – we got started with the preparations. Andrea and Madeleine have such an easygoing and professional manner that you immediately feel at home. We chatted, laughed, and, of course, talked about our favorite topic – knitting. It was wonderful to see how much love and passion the two of them put into each episode.

It didn't take long before the doorbell rang, and Tanja Steinbach popped in. It was so great to have her here today because she is, after all, co-author of Knit is for Power, one of the books we’ll be discussing on the podcast today. Having Tanja here today made this episode even more special for me. She is such an inspiring woman! In the show, she talked about her work as a knitting expert on German television – so fascinating! – and also about the “Green Sock,” a wonderful project that supports women with ovarian cancer.

Tanja also talks about the green socks in Knit is for Power, as she, along with Andrea and me, is a co-author of this wonderful book.

Have you heard about Knit is for Power?

Together with 11 other women, we tell our stories in this book about how knitting supported us through difficult times. I could – and would love to – share much more about Knit is for Power, but I will do that in a separate blog post soon. But do take a look at today's episode of Fruity Knitting, because you'll learn a lot about the backstory of Knit is for Power and what it's really about.

So, what did we talk about?

There was a lot to discuss, especially since it’s been five years since I last had the chance to be on Fruity Knitting.

Since then, I’ve published two new books. I already mentioned Knit is for Power earlier, but I also recently released another title called SWEATERS.

As the name suggests, this book is all about sweaters, tops, and cardigans... it’s a colorful mix of patterns, yarns, and styles, and I’m incredibly excited that Andrea and Madeleine gave me the opportunity to introduce some of the designs in detail.

And of course, Tanja also had her moment! She talked about her work as a designer, author, and knitting expert on German television. It’s impressive how she manages to juggle everything!

She shared some exclusive behind-the-scenes moments from ARD Buffet, told us how she got into knitting, and, of course, introduced the designs she contributed to Knit is for Power. One is a lovely sock pattern (of course for the Green Sock project!), and the other is a soul warmer, a super cozy cardigan for warmth, comfort, and enjoyment...

Before I knew it, the filming time was over! There were just a few minutes left to chat before I started my journey back home to Bonn.

And then, it was time to wait for a few weeks. For me, the work was done, while for Andrea and Madeleine, it was just beginning. After all, the whole episode still needed to be edited, and anyone who’s ever tried editing even a tiny phone video knows how much time that takes! In fact, the two of them came up with something really special: The designs I brought for the show were left there, so Madeleine could present them in a fashion show! They chose the Kleinmarkthalle in Frankfurt as a scenery, where fresh flowers, food, wine, and dishes are offered. A really cool setting!

The fashion show can of course be found in the episode!