High up, at the end of the road, above the Holy Trinity Church (Hl. Dreifaltigkeitskirche) in Vellau near Algund, is a remote and picturesque farm set at around 1,000 metres above sea level - Hoferhof farm. If you are walking along the irrigation channel pathway in Lagundo, you will love to stop here to take a break and have a closer look. Amidst organic vegetables and 25 free range Tyrolean mountain sheep, that Johanna works on her ‘boden.kleid’ project and makes artworks of a really special nature.

The young farmer conjures up all sorts of pretty textile items using thread, scissors, crochet hooks and sheep’s wool from South Tyrol. “I get most of the wool from our own sheep. After they are shorn, I wash the wool in wheelbarrows and dry it right on our farm. After carding and processing, I use the rolled-up yarns for crocheting.” Johanna Aichner’s products have been very well received and she uses Instagram and Facebook to sell most of her goods. Hand-made items are especially popular with young people, she tells us.

“I started learning crocheting from my mother when I was a child“, recalls the trained florist, who now prefers the quiet country life to the hustle and bustle of the town, with a smile. A few years ago, she decided to turn her year-long passion into a small business using local raw materials. She started off making cushions. “I have honed the style that I work with now for a very long time. At some point, I discovered so-called 3D rugs and produced my first nobble-crocheted rug.” Sometimes she works for a long time on a technique or item until it is just how she imagines it should be. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and mull it over,” adds the artist with a friendly smile.

The former hen house on the farm now houses Johanna Aichner’s new farm shop. Every corner is tastefully furnished, every object lovingly arranged – a harmonious ensemble that makes you curious about her background, philosophy and person. It’s no wonder that lots of customers enjoy stopping by in person to see the farmer in her shop. The range now features a variety of crocheted artworks, which the farmer works on for up to 13 hours a day – rugs, pillows, as well as doilies and cushions in lots of different colours. Individual items are also made on request and the products are nearly all named after family members. Above all, Johanna puts a lot of her time, energy and perfectionism into her unique items. This shows that crafting things by hand is about much more than ‘just‘ producing goods. It involves art and lots of love.