My knitting journey

I first tried to learn how to knit when I was about ten or eleven. My grandma taught me one evening at her house while she was babysitting me and my younger siblings. I remember the metal, size 10.5 (6.5mm) needles and bright red yarn, probably something acrylic. Unfortunately, the next day my brothers decided that the needles made great swords, and I had already forgotten how to cast on and start again.

I learned again a few years later when I was in the 7th grade, backstage a high school production of the Sound of Music. I had a minor role in the second runner-up choir, so we had plenty of time to kill backstage. That was when knitting really stuck, and here we are just about 17 years later.

After high school I decided to spend a year in Finland as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. When I got to my host community of Iisalmi, I could not believe the variety of yarn available in the supermarket. I immediately bought some purple, variegated Novita Seitsemän Veljestä and started knitting a cowl. It was so nice to live in a place where my hobby was more common and such a part of the culture. The results were also just as practical as they had been in Minnesota, an endless supply of cold weather accessories.

My socks

This July I published my Ässä Socks and Luumu reached out to see if I would like to share my pattern on their website as well. While I have modified and designed patterns for myself in the past, this pattern is the first one I have ever shared publicly. Ässä is Finnish for “ace”, and also a candy made by Fazer which is characterized by brightly colored candies in the shape of card suits. These socks were originally designed for the Fazer x Novita sock design challenge. While my socks were unfortunately not chosen to be published, I still wanted to share them with everyone.

FazerxNovita

Novita is ubiquitous in the Finnish knitting scene, mostly for its affordability and relative quality. In spring 2022 they partnered with Fazer, the food company, to put together a set of sock patterns inspired by sweets. They ended up getting so many submissions that they published two pattern books. The first book, inspired by candy, was published now in September 2022, and the second book, focused on chocolate, licorice, and cookies, will be published in January 2023. The pattern books are available in stores in Finland, or online (it is unclear to me whether they will ship to the US). While the patterns are in Finnish, many utilize charts. So with a bit of Finnish knowledge, google translate, and some trial and error, I think it is definitely possible to give it a try. It is also a great way to expand your Finnish knitting vocabulary! You can find photos of other submissions, selected or not, on instagram through the hashtag #fazerxnovita

My Recommendations

Elizabeth wrote a blog post last year which provides some Finnish knitting recommendations and some basic Finnish knitting vocabulary.

However, I thought I would also end this by sharing a few of my favorite Finnish designers.

Sari Nordlund: Sari is a very popular Finnish designer who I found through her knitting vlog on YouTube. While she has a variety of patterns, I would say her strong suit is designing beautiful cable patterns. You can find more on her Linktree, Ravelry, Instagram, and she can also be found on YouTube (most videos are in English).

Leeni Hoimela: I found Leeni’s designs when I bought her book Urban Knit in early 2021. This book has beautiful, timeless designs. I have knit two of her “Syli” cardigan and three of her “Kallio” beanie because once I have made one others ask me to make them one as well. She recently released her book Urban Knit Easy, which is intended for beginners. You can find more on her Linktree, Ravelry, and Instagram.

Molla Mills: Molla is a crocheter who can be characterized by the fun and colorful patterns she creates using tapestry crochet techniques. She has a number of books, you can find more on her website or check out her Instagram.

There are so many other talented and great designers in this space, and I find once you start following some you constantly find more and more exiting Finnish designers, yarn dyers, and knitters.

Bio: Maggie Knorr is a native Minnesotan who has been crazy about all things Finland since 2011 when she was a high school exchange student for a year. She moved to Helsinki in 2018 to do her master’s degree in economics and has lived and worked there ever since. She is hardly ever not knitting or thinking about what she is going to knit next. You can find her on Ravelry and follow her knitting Instagram account at knorrknits