LOTILDA stands for minimalist and timeless chunky knit cardigans and sweaters made from mohair.

A Look Behind the Scenes

My name is Tanja, I am 53 years old, and I live with my family in the beautiful Rhineland, in Bonn. I am the woman behind LOTILDA.

After several years of being self-employed in the hotel industry, I returned to my original profession as a graduate business IT specialist. As an SAP consultant and developer, I work full-time supporting companies in travel and expense management.

My passion for individual fashion first led me to sewing at the end of 2009, after the birth of our second daughter. During a mother-child health retreat in 2015, I discovered knitting — and it has stayed with me ever since.

Software development and knitting are not that far apart. At least that explains my constant drive for optimization and my passion for developing extraordinary constructions.

The fascination of how a sequence of stitches creates a pattern and ultimately becomes a wearable knitted piece continues to inspire me to this day. In my search for new challenges, I learn something new from each design in a self-taught way. My experience from sewing has complemented my knitting knowledge, particularly in terms of fit and grading. Since 2019, I have been publishing knitting patterns for cardigans and sweaters as an independent designer on www.lotilda.de and on Ravelry.

To create my designs, I use exclusively high-quality yarns. Combined with timeless designs, they result — for me — in sustainable garments that I can enjoy for a long time and love to wear again and again.

For me, an outfit is only perfect when one of my designs accompanies me in everyday life. I especially love wearing cardigans because they are so versatile and offer endless styling possibilities — whether I’m lounging on the couch knitting or dressing up for an elegant evening out.

My Intention

In addition to developing minimalist designs with that special touch and high-quality knitting patterns, it is very important to me to guide my customers through each pattern and support them at tricky stages with photo or video tutorials.

Connecting with my knitting community — whether on social media like Instagram or via email — is very important to me. Whenever my schedule allows, I am always happy to offer help and advice.

As a one-woman business, I cannot always respond immediately. Therefore, I also encourage exchange with other knitters in the LOTILDA Facebook group: LOTILDA Facebook Group.

I regularly receive thank-you emails and photos of handmade pieces from my collection, and that is what brings me the greatest joy — seeing my designs proudly worn, shown, and even gifted.

Even though balancing career, family, and my knitting business sometimes pushes me to my limits, it is exactly this combination that drives me forward: the passion for knitting, the excitement for new ideas, and the appreciation from my community <3

With that in mind… Happy Knitting

Tanja