Speaker

Tanja Steinbach owes her love of needlework to her family, especially her mother. She grew up in a "classic Swabian" family of craftsmen, where everything was actually "homemade". After graduating from school, training as a dressmaker and an internship abroad in Paris, she studied textile design in Reutlingen with a "focus on stitch". Since 1996, she has worked as a textile designer in product and model development in the yarn sector. In 2017, after more than 20 years with the company, she quit her job at MEZ or for the Schachenmayr and Regia brands. Since November 2017, she has been strengthening the creative team at Lana Grossa instead and is very excited about the new challenges. After the birth of her twins in 2001, she worked a little less. So that the balls of wool continued to roll at home during this time, she has written a book for frechverlag every now and then since 2004 and developed small and quick accessories in addition to new sock ideas. In the meantime, she can be seen regularly on ARD Buffet and now and then on SWR television over coffee or tea with tips & tricks "all about the stitch". She really enjoys working with the books and is happy that knitting is (always) experiencing a renaissance and that many are finding their way back to this great hobby!

Kerstin Balke, also known by the synonym Stine & Stitch, learned knitting at the age of 6 from her grandma. Sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, socks and even fine tablecloths have been created over the years. For several years she has been designing her own patterns. Mostly colorful and sometimes quite subtle. On Instagram under @stine_and_stitch she shows her latest designs and gives tips and tricks about knitting. On the side, she sells yarns, knitting kits and accessories in her online store (www.stineundstitch.de). She lives with her family between Hamburg and Lübeck.