In the Cold and Quiet | Arctic Winter Moments – VIDEO + KNITTING PATTERN
We’ve been living through the coldest weeks of winter. The frost has been biting, and the house has needed extra warmth, hands-on, more than once a week. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but that’s just life in the northern winter. A few challenges from the deep freeze hardly shake us.
What makes it easier is that we’re not facing it alone—our neighbors are battling the cold alongside us, working to keep themselves and their homes warm. There’s a certain bond that forms among those of us living in the Arctic, a quiet togetherness that feels comforting and true.
In the video, I share simple, everyday moments from the coldest weeks of winter, a short glimpse of our trip to the fells, and some thoughts that living in the cold brings to mind. I’ve talked before about the idea of “feeling alive”—those moments and experiences that make you truly aware that you are living. I dive a little deeper into that in the video.
I’ve also released a couple of new knitting patterns – the In the Middle of Nowhere Sweater and Karsikko Socks. The sweater was inspired by the wilderness of the North, those remote places and the sense of emptiness that’s so present in Northern Finland—a feeling that is, for me, one of the most precious things about this region.
The Karsikko socks continue the same traditional style as the earlier Karsikko mittens. Their pattern is inspired by protective symbols once carved into trees around homes and yards with a knife, meant to safeguard the space and its people.
Both patterns are available in Finnish and English on my website, as well as on Ravelry here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/sanna-vaara.
Below is a link to my website knitting patterns.
NOTE: This is a digital product. After purchasing you will be able to download a PDF file of the knitting pattern.
The In the Middle of Nowhere sweater draws its inspiration from the vast northern wilderness, where humans are only fleeting visitors and nature tells its timeless stories. In the stitch patterns, you can glimpse the silhouettes of mountains, the quiet of ancient forests, the flicker of a campfire, and the expanse of the starry sky – landscapes carried through generations in folk tales and traditions. This sweater combines rugged beauty, serenity, and timelessness, bringing the spirit of the wilderness into everyday life.
The In the Middle of Nowhere sweater is knit seamlessly in one piece from the top down. After the neck ribbing, short rows are worked at the back of the neck to improve the fit. The stranded colorwork pattern is worked simultaneously with the yoke increases. The sleeves are set aside on stitch holders while the body is worked to the hem ribbing. The sweater is engaging yet easy to knit. Although the colorwork may look intricate, it is mostly worked with two colors at a time – only a few rows use three colors simultaneously.
YARN
100% wool, 165 m / 100 g (≈180 yds / 3.5 oz), or any other DK / worsted weight yarn.
The sample sweater is knit from Faroese wool. Comparable yarns include:
Vuonue Manta (100% Finnish sheep wool, 180 m / 100 g ≈ 197 yds / 3.5 oz)
Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt (100% Norwegian wool, 180 m / 100 g ≈ 197 yds / 3.5 oz)
Novita Arctic Wool Aran (100% wool, 165 m / 100 g ≈ 180 yds / 3.5 oz)
Isager Aran Tweed (100% wool, 160 m / 100 g ≈ 175 yds / 3.5 oz)
De Rerum Natura Cyrano (100% merino wool, 150 m / 100 g ≈ 164 yds / 3.5 oz)
or any other yarn with a length of approximately 165 m / 100 g (≈180 yds / 3.5 oz).
MC (main color), white: 530, 555 (605, 700, 760), 810, 875 m [≈579, 607 (662, 766, 831), 885, 957 yds]
CC1 (contrast color 1), dark blue: 230, 230 (250, 280, 310), 325, 340 m [≈252, 252 (273, 306, 339), 355, 372 yds]
CC2 medium gray: 70, 70 (75, 85, 95), 100, 105 m [≈77, 77 (82, 93, 104), 109, 115 yds]
CC3 red: 50, 50 (55, 60, 70), 70, 75 m [≈55, 55 (60, 66, 77), 77, 82 yds]
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
3.5 mm (US 4) circular needles of suitable length (e.g., 32–48 in / 80–120 cm) for working the ribbing.
4 mm (US 6) circular needle of suitable length (e.g., 32–48 in / 80–120 cm) for the body and yoke.If you have a very tight tension, consider using larger needles for the colorwork so that the stranded knitting doesn’t pull too tight.
Note: The recommended needle size for this pattern is 4 mm (US 6), but always use the size that gives you the correct gauge!
Additional tools: stitch holders or scrap yarn, stitch markers, and a tapestry needle.
SIZE
XS, S (M, L, XL) 2XL, 3XL = 101, 108 (115.5, 127, 136.5), 146, 157.5 cm [39.75, 42.5 (45.5, 50, 53.75), 57.5, 62 in]. Sample sweater is knit in size M.
The sweater is designed with approximately 25 cm / 10 in positive ease, meaning the finished bust measurement is about 25 cm / 10 in larger than your actual bust. Choose the size whose finished bust is roughly 25 cm / 10 in larger than your own measurement.
Before you start: Measure the fullest part of your upper torso. For example, if your bust measures 100 cm / 39 in, choose size L with a finished bust of 127 cm / 50 in. This ensures the sweater has enough ease and will fit comfortably.
NOTE; This is a digital product. After purchasing you will be able to download a PDF file of the knitting pattern.
A Karsikko is a tree carved with protective symbols to shield people from the forest. Its trunk was marked with designs using a knife or an axe, so that unseen forces would know to stay away from human homes. The Karsikko stood at the edge of the forest, where human land met another world. The Karsikko Socks pattern is inspired by these ancient protective symbols carved into old trees.
Karsikko Socks are traditionally worked from cuff to toe. After the ribbing, the pattern continues with a simple yet addictive stranded colorwork motif that repeats across both the front and back of the sock. The heel is worked as a classic flap heel using two-stitch colorwork to ensure durability. The sole features an easy two-stitch stranded pattern that strengthens the fabric while helping the foot last longer under heavy wear.
SIZE
Two sizes – S, (L)
S: 37–39 (foot circumference approx. 20 cm / 7.9 in, foot length adjustable)
– colorwork charts in red
L: 40–42 (foot circumference approx. 22 cm / 8.7 in, foot length adjustable)
– colorwork charts in green
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
3 mm (US 2.5) double-pointed needles or circular needles (80–120 cm / 31–47 in) for Magic Loop knitting.
Note: The recommended needle size in the pattern is 3 mm (US 2.5), but use the size that gives you the correct gauge!
Also, stitch holders or scrap yarn, stitch markers, and a tapestry needle.
GAUGE
30 sts x 23 rows = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4 in stockinette stitch in the round on 3 mm (US 2.5) needles.
YARN
Tukuwool Sock, 80 % Finnish wool, 30 % biodegradable polyamide (320 m / 100 g or 350 yd / 3.5 oz) or another sport-weight yarn.
Colors in the photos: Hohka, H20 (MC) and Sake, 01 (CC) as well as Havu, H35 (MC) and Sake, 01 (CC).
MC – 60 g (65 g) / 66 yd (71 yd)
CC – 50 g (55 g) / 55 yd (60 yd)
I hope you’ve made it through the coldest stretch of winter—or through February in general—without too many mishaps, wherever you are.
What is it that makes you truly feel alive?
🖤 Sanna