THE ‘MIRABELL’ cardigan on page 44 was created for us by Sylvia Heidinger, an Austrian-born designer who is now based in the UK. Sylvia’s portfolio is filled with timeless, wear-with-everything knits featuring subtle, stylish design details. We chatted with Sylvia about her design career.
When did you learn to knit?
“I first learnt to knit at secondary school - it was part of our education to learn basic cooking and mending skills, including knitting. But it never went beyond the basic knitting skills.
“My mum was an avid knitter and she was brilliant, she knitted for family and friends and made the most amazing cardigans and socks to be worn with our traditional Austrian dirndls and lederhosen. These pieces, sometimes worked on 2mm knitting needles, were truly a labour of love as she never charged for her work.