Singer Hanna Pakarinen knits and crochets without patterns—ADHD helped her see why making matters
Finnish Eurovision star Hanna Pakarinen, 44, received an ADHD diagnosis about a year ago. “If you put a crochet project in my hands, all the noise disappears, and I can focus and listen better.”
Early autumn 2025: Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen sits at home, cramming for exams and crocheting. She discovered her study method when she realized she focuses best with a crochet hook in hand.
When it comes to crafts, Hanna doesn’t want to stick to just one thing. She has knit for herself, for friends, and on commission—wool sweaters, scarves, and dozens of beanies.
The common thread in Hanna’s projects is that she makes them without patterns.
Hanna, what kind of maker are you?
There’s no way I can work on just one piece at a time. I don’t have a single favorite craft—it’s delightful to do all sorts of things: I knit, crochet, sew, and felt. I even considered bobbin lace, but realized it takes a ton of technique.
It makes me laugh that I have unshakeable confidence in my craft skills. In our family, I’m also the one who drills holes in the walls, paints, builds, and renovates. If something needs doing, I’ll do it.
”I learned Swedish in a year by crocheting and watching Swedish-language shows.”
What do crafts give you?
About a year ago, in my forties, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It helped me understand why making with my hands is so important to me. If you put a crochet project in my hands, all the noise disappears and I can focus and listen better, for example in lectures. Knitting has the same effect.
I started upper secondary school studies a couple of years ago and sat the matriculation exams last fall. I learned Swedish in a year by crocheting and at the same time following Swedish-language programs on TV. My teacher and I even asked the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board if I could bring my knitting into the exam. The answer was no.
I also express my creativity through crafts. Singing gives me the same sense of passion, freedom, calm, safety, courage, and accomplishment as making things with my hands. I feel the same need for both—something I hadn’t been able to explain before.
”Singing gives me the same freedom, calm, and sense of safety as making crafts.”
What inspires you?
I often get inspiration for my projects from yarn. When I see a gorgeous yarn, I start thinking about what kind of garment it could become. I usually see the finished piece in my mind before I even start. It’s satisfying to find the way to reach the outcome I’m aiming for.
I don’t like it when the material dictates how I should work. I prefer not to use patterns because I find them constraining. I want to keep my artistic vision and freedom in my pieces, not just carry out someone else’s idea like a workhorse. As a singer, I’ve felt intense conflict between the music business and the freedom of my own voice. It’s important to me that my passion isn’t exploited.
I have, however, made clothes based on reference photos. If my sister, for example, asks for a specific kind of garment, I might initially get completely stuck. After mulling it over and seeing the yarn, I decide to go ahead. Most recently, I started a cardigan for my niece in silk-mohair yarn.
How did your enthusiasm for crafts begin?
I learned knitting, sewing, crocheting, and crafting from my mother. I started making things more regularly three years ago. I had recovered from burnout and turned forty. I began to think about nice ways to spend time.
I started knitting a sweater, keeping pace as we put together my biography with author Anu Räsänen. I didn’t even take measurements for the sweater—I just started knitting. To my surprise, the sweater fit me, which felt like a win.
I wanted to try crochet because my aunts on my mother’s side have crocheted even large tablecloths. I told my mom that crochet is just stitch after stitch—it’s awful if someone thinks they can’t do it without even trying.
Since I started crafting, my screen time has dropped significantly. When my hands are on the needles, I’m not scrolling social media.
What are your craft-related dreams?
I dream of a craft project where I could combine all kinds of things. It could be a round artwork, at least 1 m in diameter (3 ft 3 in), for the cottage’s exterior wall. I could combine natural materials, crocheted lace, wool yarn, and rug strips.
Another dream: My friend Ellen Jokikunnas, who’s always cold, asked me to make her a tongue-in-cheek full-body wool suit that’s been making the rounds on social media—like a knitted nude suit from head to toe.
