Knitwear from Finland

Niina Laitinen is one of Finland’s most popular knitwear designers. Her stylish collection of 21 stunning garments is perfect for confident knitters. The book includes all charts and sizing diagrams needed, plus beautiful photos.

Nordic-inspired colourwork and textured patterns fill the pages of this beautiful collection of sweaters and accessories

Niina Laitinen is popular across Finland and beyond for her beautiful Nordic sock designs using lace and colourwork. For this new book, designer Minna Metsänen has taken Niina’s most popular sock patterns and reinterpreted them as garments, shawls and accessories. Niina’s nature-inspired colourwork motifs appear on a range of garments - and by using a much larger canvas than a sock, her artistic vision is even more impactful. The ‘Pride and Prejudice’ turtleneck sweater, for example, has a bold, all-over pattern of large peacocks, leaves and hearts. Pretty butterflies worked in a gradient yarn decorate the ‘Dear Sister’ belted coatigan, and floral motifs bring beauty to a cardigan, a short-sleeved jumper and a stunning dress. ‘Yours I Remain’, a cosy sweater in Icelandic wool, has an amazing bird pattern around the yoke. More graphic patterns are used for ‘Annaleena’, a relaxed sweater in black and white, and ‘Metropolis’ a boxy, cropped-sleeve jumper with a geometric pattern inspired by city skylines. As well as stranded colourwork, there are elegant textured projects to enjoy. These include ‘Soulmates III’, a chunky raglan sweater with a pattern of twisted ribs which makes a real impact. The ‘Anemone’ lace jumper combines wool and mohair yarns to give a glamorous fabric, and ‘Lake Kallavesi’ has an intricate, ethereal lace and cable pattern around the yoke. Smaller projects include a choice of elegant shawls, such as ‘Butterfly Wings’, a rectangular wrap that mixes lace with colourblocking, plus an asymmetric shawl with leafy textures, and a long lace scarf. There’s also a colourwork tam, a pair of colourwork mittens in aran-weight wool, and fingerless mitts with a three-colour design inspired by the blue sky and snowflakes of a winter’s day by Lake Tiilikka in Finland. The ‘Cherry Blossom Time’ blanket, meanwhile, is a knitted work of art; its large, pictorial design in black and white was inspired by Japanese paintings, and is knitted in the round with a steek. The book contains 21 projects, and the garments are typically sized to fit busts of 34in to 50in.

This book has inspirational patterns for an experienced knitter who can steek (skill needed for one of the fair isle cardigans) and for those who enjoy knitting garments in the round. There are a great range of jumpers using different techniques including lace, cable and fair isle and the accessories look really warm and snuggly. The photographs are enticing and the charts are large and easy to read. The patterns have a very good size range from small to extra large meaning there is something there for everyone. There is no separate section for techniques but all abbreviations are expressed clearly.

Niina Laitinen is one of the most popular knitting designers in Finland. She taught herself to knit in 2005 when her first child was born. Her first book was published in 2018, and her works have been translated into German, French, Estonian, Norwegian, Danish and English - including Knitted Socks and Knitted Socks from Finland. Niina wears many hats: she is an entrepreneur, accountant and CrossFit coach as well as being a knitting designer and writer.

Minna Metsanen is the knitwear designer behind some of the most beloved knitting patterns in Finland. Minna’s path in the handicraft industry has led her to designing knitwear at Novita, the largest yarn manufacturer and one of the leading handmade knitwear design houses in the Nordic countries. With decades of experience in the field, Minna is particularly renowned for her eye-catching colourwork and expertly crafted cable designs.

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