Knitting her own wedding dress made Veronika Lindberg a sensation: “I’m starting to trust that making knitting my life’s work will pay off”
When 36-year-old Veronika Lindberg was a teenager, she would never have dared to knit in front of others. Now, she is the popular knitwear designer Kutovakika, whose knitting videos and patterns have hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, and Germany.
When Veronika Lindberg knits sweaters alone in her workroom at home in Vantaa, many others are interested in them too. She still thinks it’s strange that she is a successful knitting entrepreneur whose videos are watched all over the world.
Veronika, how did you turn knitting into your career?
I graduated as a choreographer from the Theatre Academy in Helsinki in 2016. Even on lectures, I was knitting and couldn’t wait to get home to knit. The years after graduation were a bit of a struggle. I moved to Stockholm to live with my ex-boyfriend but felt lost and lonely.
In Sweden, I began selling my knits and realized how hard it is to make a living from handicrafts. Then I started an Instagram account, which began to grow in popularity. In 2018, I moved to London and started getting more work as an influencer. In recent years, everything in my life has been turned upside down. I broke up with my boyfriend, moved back to Finland, met my current husband, got married, bought a house, and had a baby. At the same time, I published my first knitting book.
Two years ago, when I knitted my own wedding dress, the YouTube video I made about it went viral. Now it has over five million views. After the video, sales of my knitting patterns skyrocketed, and last year about 25,000 patterns were sold worldwide. I’m already working on my second knitting book.
“Two years ago, when I knitted my own wedding dress, the YouTube video I made about it went viral. Now it has over five million views.”
Where did your passion for knitting begin?
I’ve been knitting since I was little; my grandmother taught me. She was a kindergarten teacher—very patient, gentle but firm. We spent a lot of time drawing, knitting, and crafting. I always had some project underway, and my grandmother often wondered what I would become when I grew up. She passed away about ten years ago. It would have been wonderful if she had gotten to see I made knitting my profession.
I grew up in a creative household. My father is a composer, and my mother is a dramaturge and writer. They encouraged me in everything. Only as an adult did I realize that not everyone has that.
I’ve always been interested in fashion and dressing up. Knitting wasn’t cool when I was a teenager; I would never have dared to knit in front of others. Instead, I did a lot of sewing. I was fashion-conscious and wanted to stand out from the crowd. I loved colors and would mix all my ideas together. I used to lose my temper easily when something didn’t work, but now I’m more patient.
What do you want to convey on social media?
I don’t want to share only highlights. Crafting projects don’t always turn out perfectly, and frustration and learning are part of the process. I make mistakes too.
One of the best moments of confusion was when I was knitting a white cable sweater. The sweater was almost finished, and I tried it on for the first time. Only then did I realize that one sleeve was in the middle of the chest! My sister was laughing hysterically. I had just miscounted the stitches.
I think a lot about whether the content I create is useful to someone. It’s amazing to hear how someone started knitting or found joy in my videos during a difficult time in their life. When I lived abroad, I was lonely and wanted to belong somewhere. Now I’ve found a sense of community in knitting circles; at events, people come up to chat, and I feel like I’m part of something.
It would be wonderful to have a larger team around me. I already have an assistant helping answer pattern inquiries and an agent on YouTube who handles collaborations. I used to take photos with a self-timer, but now my husband Jukka Heino takes photos of me. We work well as a team; we’ve learned to communicate.
“I design knits that I actually want to wear in everyday life. The designs for which I have the clearest vision often become hits.”
What are you like as a knitter and designer?
I’m a fast person, but knitting forces me to slow down. Starting a project is still the most fun part. Primarily, knitting is a form of self-expression for me. I design knits that I actually want to wear in everyday life. The designs for which I have the clearest vision often become hits.
I get into a flow state when I make patterns. My grandfather was an engineer, and I think there’s a bit of that in me too. Patterns involve an endless amount of math. I also make video tutorials. If only I could have watched a video on how to decrease stitches when I was a teenager!
I’m starting to trust that this will sustain me. Still, I don’t take my success for granted. I’ve continued persistently, even when there was no money in it at the beginning. I’m proud that I didn’t give up.
Corrected on February 28, 2025: In 2023, Veronika Lindberg sold 25,000 knitting patterns, not 25,000 books.
