“Making things with my hands has always been important to me. Whether it is sewing, knitting, or weaving – it is extremely satisfying. ”

Meet Sabine Frisch, an accomplished designer of knitted accessories, living in West Germany with her two sons.

Today, she has released the knitting pattern for Summer Breeze, a light and casual shawl made in Meadow to be worn in the warmer months. In this short interview, we talk with Sabine about her unusual knitting style, school days and the inspiration for this timeless shawl.

In Conversation with knitwear designer, Sabine Frisch

“My mother, a talented seamstress, taught me to knit “Western” style using “throwing”, which is very unusual in the middle of Germany. I remember fellow knitting teenagers used to give me a hard time, telling me that I was knitting completely wrong. I only discovered a few years ago (thank you Internet) that there is no right or wrong way to knit.”

Knitting was a big part of Sabine’s childhood, partly due to her schooling.

“Believe it or not, we could knit during classes at school and I am still convinced it helped me to concentrate.The teachers weren’t 100% sure about it, but most of them tolerated it. I am still extremely grateful to them for that.”

Life today still involves a lot of knitting. When she’s not working as a marketing manager at an advertising agency, Sabine designs beautiful knitted accessories. She also writes a blog called Wool & Good Co. about knitting and the fabulous kindred spirits in the fibre industry.

Inspiring Summer Breeze

Sabine Frisch’s aesthetic is simple; minimalist designs in geometric patterns. They are all basic pieces, intended to be worn for a very long time. This was the case for Summer Breeze, too.

“I wanted to make the yarn and the pattern shine, therefore I kept the construction very simple. This is a classical piece that I would want to wear for a very long time; a shawl where it would totally make sense to use a luxurious yarn and an accessory that I would love every time I wear it.

It is always hard to tell where the inspiration comes from. For Summer Breeze, the starting point was indeed the yarn … I imagined a shawl that I would want to wrap around my shoulders at a breezy walk along a shore in summer. Wind and waves. So I came up with a pattern that has a certain flow.”

As part of our Yarn Support Programme, Sabine used Meadow which is a perfect match for Summer Breeze.

“The blend is soft and warm, and has a bit of halo because of the baby llama and merino, so you would want to wrap it around your shoulders on a chillier summer evening. I love the sheen and the luxurious feel of the silk. It has a fantastic drape when blocked because of the linen. The different fibres took the dye differently so the yarn is vivid, just like the wavy ribbing I used for the pattern.”

When it comes to her favourite parts of this design, it is all about those carefully chosen details.

“For the stitch pattern, I chose a ribbing with a bit of lace that looks equally pretty both sides, so that the shawl is reversible. It might seem a bit nerdy, but it bothers me when shawl patterns have a “wrong” side. When I put on a shawl, I don’t want to put too much thought into how I drape it – I just wrap it around my neck casually.

Now that I think of it, I can see a pattern in my shawl designs. All the scarfs I designed so far are straight-forward, reversible, classic pieces.

Another detail that I am extremely happy with is the triple selvedge stitch. It forms a mini i-cord and makes a neat border. Sometimes the little extras are the most satisfying.”

We couldn’t agree more, Sabine!

Sabine Frisch’s Summer Breeze shawl is now available for purchase in her Ravelry store. You can also read more about this lovely design on her blog or Instagram. Details of your local or online Meadow stockist can also be found on the Stockists page.

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