Finnish knitwear designer, Ronja Hakalehto, was asked to knit a hat for her new love—and that’s how her international knitting career took off

Amid rolling hills, by a lakeshore, Ronja Hakalehto creates popular knitting patterns and striking photos for a broad social media audience worldwide. The Finnish knitwear designer works from an old barn while also caring for her three children, four dogs, and six sheep.

Ronja Hakalehto, how did you become a knitwear designer?

As a child, I never fully caught the knitting bug. Fifteen years ago, I met my husband, and he asked me to knit him a hat. I browsed knitting blogs and saw some amazing projects. I knitted a simple black beanie, and I’ve been knitting from that day on.

I studied crafts-based expression and started a crafts blog and Instagram account. Eight years ago, I came across the knitwear designer profession and thought it was the coolest job ever. I still feel the same. Back then, a lot was happening: we moved to new town, I was expecting my first child, and I designed my first pattern, which I posted on the knitting community Ravelry.

I began creating my own patterns, had my second child, and when the kids started daycare, I founded my own company. Balancing family and work can be tricky, but it helps that I can do this at home. My spouse is also an entrepreneur, so we’re both flexible.

My workdays start by taking the kids to daycare and school. Then I feed the animals before I get going with my tasks. People often ask if I spin yarn from my own sheep. I don’t have time for that, but the wool does end up on the spinning wheels of our knitting circle’s spinners.

In their 1970s home, one wall was paneled with logs from a dismantled mill. This is where Ronja snaps many of her photos for social media. She takes all of her photos herself using a tripod and self-timer. You can see her knits on Instagram at @ronjahakalehto.

My husband has learned knitting terminology and often helps me write—he’s quite good at it. “What were you thinking when you made this piece?” he’ll ask, then jot down whatever I tell him. My dad buys every magazine that includes my patterns. My grandmother used to knit a lot. She doesn’t knit as much anymore, but there’s still something in my pattern style that’s similar to hers. My Anna-Liisa hat design features the stranded-knit pattern my grandmother often used.

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How do you create your knits?

When I get a new yarn in my hands, it often seems to tell me what it wants to become. It’s always a fascinating mystery. I picture the finished piece in my head, and there’s typically a small story behind it. I’ll sketch the design and knit a swatch. From the moment I cast on, I’m already imagining the photo I’ll take and the mood I want. It’s always so exciting to start a new project that I can hardly wait.

Working as a knitwear designer is all about constant learning. You can always improve your pattern writing. When I design a piece, I need to figure out how to grade it for multiple sizes.

Ronja usually uses her most productive morning hours to write patterns. In winter, she needs to take photos during the brightest hours of the day, whereas in summer, she can snap them even late at night. She knits afternoons and again after her kids go to bed. So far, she hasn’t felt burnt out or annoyed by her work.

Ronja prefers natural tones in her knitting. She spent six months designing 20 patterns for her first book, knitting them, photographing them, and writing it all up. Now, she’s starting her next book.

Did you dare to dream of a career as a knitwear designer?

I dreamed about being a knitwear designer, but I never really thought I could do it. Still, I truly wanted to do something creative. I’m also persistent and a bit of a perfectionist—I set the bar high for myself.

I trained as a visual artist and assumed I’d become an artist, but that never felt like the right fit. Knitting, on the other hand, flows naturally—I feel at home doing it. I’m a practical person, and I love that you end up with a garment you can actually wear.

The sweater called Lintu sininen is rust-colored despite its name. Ronja’s designs often combine decorative and modern features.

Ronja’s workspace is in an old barn the previous owners renovated into a studio. A heated workspace was one reason they decided on this house. Before moving here, Ronja had only visited the area when hiking.

Ronja’s always searching for appealing color combinations. Lately, she’s been adding colors like blue, which she loves but used to avoid.

How does the surrounding nature influence your work?

Without living so close to nature, I might not be a knitwear designer. As soon as I step into the wild, my mind floods with ideas. I can photograph my knits right in our yard. Generally, I like to shoot in nature. Once, a muskrat showed up, and another time, I got to watch fox pups playing around.

Water is my element, and I’m always drawn to it. I absolutely wanted a house by a lake. My husband is a fisherman, and if I join him on the lake, I always bring my knitting.

I shot the cover photo for my first knitting book by the lake on a chilly autumn evening. Our side of the lake was already frozen, but one section still had open water. I bundled the children into the car and raced down to the shore right before sunset. The lake lay calm, and the sky and dried plants took on incredible colors. That night, the rest of the lake froze.

When you’re up at night with a baby, it’s important to remember your own well-being. In addition to knitting, my lifelines are hiking and dog sledding. Another place I unwind is our off-grid cabin, which has no road access. To reach it, I travel the last stretch on foot, with the sled, by snowmobile, or on skis.

“Real wool,” the rugged fiber from Finnish sheep, is Ronja’s favorite yarn. Because so many of her customers are international, she uses both Finnish and foreign-made yarns.

Knitting also brings friends and a sense of community. “When you work alone, it’s great to meet other knitwear designers and ask for tips. I have a knitting community online, but there’s also a wonderful group at our local community center. I host a knitting night there through adult education sessions. Teaching is so rewarding.”

What does knitting mean to you?

Sometimes knitting is so fantastic I wish it would never end—I’ll slow down just to keep it going. Knitting realigns my focus and calms my mind. I notice if I haven’t been knitting, I get tense. That’s when I tell my family I need to knit, and everything will be good again.