Sometimes it’s the simple things that touch us the most.

For me, knitting is exactly that. When the needles click softly and a single strand of yarn turns into stitch after stitch, I forget the rush of everyday life. It’s a moment of calm, creativity and connection.

I’ve always loved handmade things. Things created with time, dedication and love. That’s exactly what makes each of my pieces so special. Behind every scarf, every hat and every accessory are many hours of work, carefully selected materials and a whole lot of heart.

To me, knitting means warmth – and by that I don’t just mean the warmth of wool. It’s the feeling of comfort, of home, of a favourite piece that accompanies us through so many beautiful moments.

In a time when so many things have become fast and replaceable, I want to create something that lasts. Something real. Something we love to wear, give as a gift or keep as a memory.

Every stitch is knitted by hand – every colour is chosen with care. And every finished piece tells its own story. Perhaps it will keep you warm on a cold winter morning, bring joy to someone you love or become your very own favourite piece.

My wish is that my hand-knitted creations not only bring beautiful products into the world, but also pass on a little feeling of warmth, mindfulness and joy.

Thank you for being here and for sharing my passion for handmade things.

From the heart,
Jolanda Schneider

In 1993, I finally fulfilled my long-held dream and opened my own tailoring atelier. From that moment on, I was able to do what I had loved since childhood every single day: be creative, design and sew. It was far more than just a profession – it was my passion.

As an enthusiastic competitive dancer in Latin and Standard dances, and later in Boogie-Woogie and Rock ’n’ Roll, I knew from my own experience exactly what makes the perfect dance costume. It not only has to look beautiful, but also move with every step, fit perfectly and give the wearer the confidence to shine on the dance floor.

In my atelier, I had the privilege of designing and creating individual costumes for renowned figure skaters such as Eliane and Daniel Hugentobler, as well as for competitive dancers and tournament dancers in Switzerland and abroad. Every day, I worked with exquisite fabrics, delicate lace and high-quality materials.

With great attention to detail, luxurious one-of-a-kind pieces were created, often embellished with thousands of sparkling rhinestones. Each dress told its own story and was designed not only to impress, but to turn every grand entrance on the ice or dance floor into something truly special.

It always filled me with great pride and deep joy to see the dresses that had been created through countless hours of loving handwork later on the dance floor, on the ice or even on television.

Seeing my creations worn at European and World Championships, and even at the Olympic Games, was something truly special for me and a wonderful affirmation of my passion and my work.

Photo:
Eliane and Daniel Hugentobler, Swiss champions in ice dancing

Over time, my passion for dance costumes gave way to a new love: artist dolls and teddy bears. The very first time I looked into the black button eyes of a teddy bear, I was completely enchanted. I knew immediately that I wanted to create such lovable little characters myself.

With lots of heart, dedication and passion, I immersed myself in the world of teddy bears and artist dolls. Before long, I developed my own style and made a name for myself in the bear and doll scene. Every teddy bear was a unique little creation with a very special character.

My teddy bears brought me many unforgettable moments. They took me to numerous exhibitions and events and even onto television. Among other appearances, I was a guest of Kurt Aeschbacher on Swiss television, appeared on Gion Caveltÿ’s literary programme and attended the Bern Officers’ Ball. A very special honour was being voted “Zurich Woman of the Month” by Tele Züri.

Thanks to my bears, I travelled throughout Europe and even as far as Japan and the USA. Always by my side was a small group of lovingly handmade teddy bears, bringing smiles to people’s faces all around the world.

It was wonderful to see how these small, furry companions could connect people from so many different countries and cultures. Through them, I experienced countless wonderful encounters and formed friendships that remain spread across the globe to this day.

At the height of my career as a teddy bear artist – crowned by numerous Swiss, European and even World Championship titles – I decided to say goodbye to the world of teddy bears and artist dolls. True to the motto: You should stop when things are at their best.

The furry little bears were eventually succeeded by a very special four-legged lady: our Golden Retriever Kayla, who joined our family in 2005. With her, a new chapter in my life began. Wanting to carry a little piece of her with me wherever I went gave me the idea of creating a bag featuring her photo.

Since I couldn’t find a bag like this anywhere, I decided to make one myself. And so I created my very first bag with a personalised photo print – a very special keepsake and, at the same time, the beginning of a new creative journey.

The bag attracted so much attention that it wasn’t long before numerous animal lovers contacted me, wanting their own personal keepsake featuring their beloved four-legged companion. Whether dogs, cats, horses, snakes or other animal friends – they all found their place on my individually designed bags.

Before long, I had the pleasure of making customers from Switzerland and abroad happy by immortalising their faithful companions in a very special way. The response was so overwhelming that several specialist magazines even featured my bags and this extraordinary idea.

My bags soon attracted attention in various specialist publications, including the equestrian magazines Cavallo and Pegasus, as well as Hunde and Katzenmagazin.

Even well-known personalities such as pop singers Monique and Sarah Jane had me create their very own personalised bags.

In response to numerous customer requests, I continuously expanded my range. The popular shoulder bag was first joined by maxi-size models, followed later by practical shoppers, laptop bags, changing bags and nappy pouches.

Over time, I received more and more requests from customers who loved my oilcloth bags and wanted similar products designed especially for their knitting hobby. This sparked the idea of creating bags and needle cases for knitters.

As with all my projects, I wanted to create something out of the ordinary. So I set about developing a design that was not only practical, but also carried my personal signature – unique, thoughtfully designed and created with great attention to detail.

My trademark soon became the lovingly designed sheep motifs and humorous sayings, which brought the traditional image of knitting into the modern age in a charming way. The motifs were carefully embroidered onto the bags, giving each piece its own very special character.

To complement them, I developed practical cases for circular and double-pointed knitting needles, combining functionality and design in a stylish way and proving very popular among knitting enthusiasts.

I also designed and created needle games in my own designs. As I was passionate about making glass beads at the time, each bag was decorated with a handmade glass-bead charm. This made every piece truly special.

Each bag was a lovingly designed one-of-a-kind piece, created with creativity, craftsmanship and an eye for detail – unique companions that remain one of a kind to this day.

In autumn 2020, I was talking with my mother about my childhood, and our conversation turned to my beloved Sasha dolls. Suddenly, I remembered that my three dolls had been sitting unnoticed in a cupboard for many years, leading a rather sad existence.

Without hesitation, I took them out. With great care, they were bathed, their hair washed and restyled. As I lovingly restored them, many wonderful childhood memories came flooding back. I also noticed that the elastic bands inside their bodies had become loose over the years and needed to be replaced.

Although I already had experience as a doll maker, replacing the Sasha elastics was new territory for me. So I began searching the internet for information. I was amazed to discover that there were Facebook groups dedicated entirely to Sasha dolls.

There, women from all over the world share their dolls, memories and their common passion – and many of them, just like me, have owned their Sasha dolls since childhood. Curious, I joined these groups and soon found myself part of a warm and welcoming community of like-minded people.

As fate would have it, I soon caught the Sasha bug. In the groups, I saw so many beautifully dressed dolls and wonderful creations that my old passion for sewing was immediately rekindled.

Before long, I brought my sewing machine out of hibernation, set up my sewing room again and began designing new outfits for my Sasha dolls. Since then, countless little garments have been created.

My passion for my Sashas remains as strong as ever, and my little doll family continues to grow.