Hildur star Lauri Tilkanen is hooked on yarn—see the beautiful pieces he’s knit and crocheted
Finnish actor Lauri Tilkanen knit his first sweater during breaks on the set of the Nordic crime drama Hildur. Before that, he’d already learned the ropes by making chunky beanies and stuffed animals. “I never would have believed I’d learn to knit and crochet. I thought I didn’t have the patience.”
When Lauri Tilkanen played Jakob, an enthusiastic knitter in Hildur, he was also knitting his first sweater during breaks from filming. By the time he came home from the shoot in Iceland, only the second sleeve was left.
At home, the actor prefers to knit or crochet in the evenings with colorful leftover yarn.
Lauri, how did you get into crafts?
My first brush with knitting was during the pandemic. I tried to learn for a bit, but I just didn’t have the patience. I eventually made a really ugly stuffed animal and named it Coronavirus. I still have it.
”Once knitting slowly started to click, I was hooked.”
I started knitting a little over a year ago, during a longer stretch when I didn’t have work. I was traveling in Norway, where a few friends were knitting, and I decided to learn too. At first I watched how a friend did it, but it didn’t click. Learning took time and patience. My hands are probably made more for building than for knitting. Once knitting slowly started to click, I was hooked. I’d clearly been craving a hands-on hobby that suits city life and gives instant results.
At first I only made easy beanies with bulky yarn and big needles to get into a rhythm. My stitches were tight because I tried to knit very carefully.
What kind of maker are you otherwise?
I’m from the countryside and have always liked to make all sorts of things with my hands. When I was a child, my dad believed you don’t buy anything from the store if you can make it yourself. When I’m in back in my hometown, I’m usually outside doing something. During the pandemic I built three decks, a storage chest, outdoor furniture, a wattle fence—anything and everything—because I needed an outlet for my creativity.
At the moment, on my home farm I’m in the middle of rescuing the main building from the 18th century, and I’ve even gotten to learn how to pour a foundation.
”It was nerve-racking in one scene to have to knit without looking at what I was doing.”
What was it like to play a seasoned knitter?
The role made me study knitting more carefully. Jakob was an interesting and demanding part. He knits very fast and uses the hobby to ease his anxiety. I relate to the idea that knitting is calming. Jakob also unravels enthusiastically, but I’m terrible at unraveling if something goes wrong—maybe because I want to get things finished quickly.
Even though shoot days in Iceland were 12 hours long, there was a lot of downtime. I didn’t twiddle my thumbs—I twirled yarn. I read my lines and practiced knitting.
I’m still such a beginner that I can’t knit without watching my hands the whole time. It was nerve-racking in one scene to have to knit without looking at what I was doing.
I only knit small sections of Jakob’s pieces. Our crew included a local super-pro who did the heavy lifting by knitting different parts of the sweater for the scenes, plus the finished sweater. My goal was to knit at least one sweater myself in Iceland. I almost pulled it off. I knit the second sleeve at home and finished the sweater.
My Hildur co-stars, Iina Kuustonen, who plays my ex-wife, and the lead, Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir, are both knitters. We got the idea to work on the same style of sweater at the same time and, as a joke, set up a WhatsApp group called Kneeting Fans, where we share our makes and cheer each other on. In Iceland I knit so much that I had to take a few months off afterward.
”I don’t read patterns; I want to improvise, experiment, and make my pieces personal.”
What does making things by hand give you?
Handcrafts are a good counterbalance to acting, which is mostly brain work. You can also keep improving all the time. When my interest in knitting dipped, a friend taught me how to crochet a granny square. It took ages to learn, but now I can whip one up really fast.
As an artist, knitting has become one way for me to channel my creativity. I don’t read patterns—I like to improvise, experiment, and make my projects personal. With sweaters, though, I might have to peek at a pattern.
”You can tell from the colors in my knits that I’m not very patient. When I get bored, I change the yarn color.”
What kinds of wins have you had with knitting?
The most rewarding thing is finishing a project. It’s also fun to give pieces to others. I’ve made big bunny plushies for my sister’s kids, and my son has ordered a beanie from me.
You can tell from the colors in my knits that I’m not very patient. I use lots of leftover yarn, so the color changes often. When my focus fades and I get bored, switching colors always helps me move forward a bit.
I never would have believed I’d learn to knit and crochet. I thought I didn’t have the patience. I’m probably proudest of the sweater—I never imagined I’d get it finished.
Lauri’s tips for knitting
- Find the right moment for knitting. Pair it with relaxation so the hobby stays enjoyable. I knit when there’s a calm moment at home, for example while watching a TV series.
- Remember that mistakes are part of learning, and there’s no point chasing perfection right away. Every knitter unravels sometimes.
- In crafts you don’t have to stick to the rules—you can try different techniques and invent your own.
Location: Sunday Knitting Club
