Gardener Maarit’s slow crafts: “Through knitting, I discovered a more patient, slowness-loving side of myself”

“I always start knitting with a thorough plan. I have a set of 120 colored pencils that I use to draw and color my design on graph paper. I get immense joy from choosing and arranging colors. I can easily spend hours matching different shades.”

I purposely knit with thin yarn so there are plenty of stitches, extending the time it takes. Thin, high-quality yarn also lasts year after year. That, too, is part of cherishing slowness. I also have to mention that, as a middle-aged woman, I am often hot—thin garments are practical.

Usually I make one slow craft project each winter. I know people who knit dozens of pieces a year, but who really needs that many clothes? Creating things myself is important for eco-friendliness and for getting garments that fit and reflect my own style.

Taking my time yields better results. Two winters ago, I knitted a long colorwork cardigan with a Lapland-inspired design. Planning it and knitting swatches took a month. I knitted the cardigan in the round to avoid tedious purl rows. I’ve never worn flashy clothes, but as I near sixty, I figured I could sparkle a bit, too. So I added glitter yarn.

My rule is to only knit patterns I truly like. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a soothing break for my nerves; it could become annoying.

You can often stitch over knitting mistakes, but if the error is visible, I calmly unravel it. Likewise, if I don’t like a color combination, I unravel and rework it until I’m happy with the result.

In the winter, I might spend around three hours a day knitting. I try to keep it reasonable because too much sitting isn’t healthy, and it’s easy to get tense shoulders.

Last autumn, my husband and I traveled to Greece to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. I sewed a lightweight linen dress for the trip. I embroidered flowers, crocheted lace on the hem, and stitched glass beads among the blooms.

I spent a long time searching for the perfect lace edging. Eventually, a friend sent me an old lace book, where I found five great options. I showed them to my daughters on WhatsApp to see which they liked best. In the end, I picked a floral lace pattern for the hem.

I’ve been doing crafts since childhood, following in my mother’s footsteps. Now that I’m a gardening entrepreneur, the hobby has taken on a new, calming role. From early spring to October, I race around like a ball of energy. I don’t know anyone else whose favorite month is November, but for me it promises wonderful, unhurried days. I pull out my knitting needles and craft slowly, delighting in each stitch. It’s fascinating to see that someone who normally moves so fast has discovered a patient, slowness-loving side through knitting.

In summer, I do almost nothing but work. I wake up at a quarter past five, and on my busiest days, I don’t stop until ten at night. My work is constant multitasking: sending orders, taking new ones, serving customers, watering seedlings. I ride a bike around the nursery because walking would take too long.

In November, picking up my needles perfectly balances months of running around. It’s nice to sit on the living room sofa and focus on just one task. It’s almost like plugging myself into a charger.

Working with my hands calms my mind and helps me relax. If I’m lying awake at night with worries, I pick up a book. If that doesn’t soothe me, I reach for my knitting—it always does the trick.”