Meet the Designers of 52 Weeks of Easy Knits
In 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, we present patterns from 40 designers from around the world. You will find both established, well-known knitwear designers as well as completely new names. Read more about them on this page!
Jenny Ansah
Jenny Ansah learned to knit from her grandmother, and still knits with her today. Jenny lives in Helsinki, Finland, where she studies at the university and works as a freelance knitwear designer, as well as a substitute teacher in upper and lower secondary schools. She loves comfortable and relaxed garments and describes her style as “earthly and simple with a twist (stitch)”.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Jenny designed Give Me the Tee: a cropped, boxy T-shirt knitted in simple Stockinette Stitch.
Tiina Arponen
Tiina Arponen lives in Helsinki but prefers to spend her time in the middle of the forest at her summer cottage. Tiina has been knitting since elementary school, and the Finnish audience knows her well from her blog Muita ihania, which she founded in 2007. She is inspired by everything around her: buildings, the colours of the sunset, doing things that you like... Tiina loves colourwork and funny details.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Tiina designed Iloisa: a big, snuggly colourwork scarf.
Natalya Berezynska
Natalya Berezynska lives and works in Las Vegas, USA. She has been knitting since kindergarten, and her first finished project was a garter scarf, about five meters long, since she just couldn’t stop. Her passion is everything rustic, natural, old and weathered.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Natalya designed Knitword: a big, snuggly scarf featuring eye-catching KNIT letters.
Lærke Boelt Back
Lærke Boelt Back started knitting four years ago. She has always loved making things with her hands, and knitting quickly became one of her new favourite things to do. Lærke – who lives in the small town of Lejre, Denmark – gets inspired by people, colours, shapes and textures. Her style is colourful and classic with a twist.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Lærke designed Glow, a simple and fun headband.
Luuanne Chau
Luuanne Chau is a student living in California, USA. As a budding designer, she is currently exploring a variety of fabric characteristics and aesthetics. She particularly likes working with colour, cables and relaxed silhouettes. Knitting is her outlet for creativity and a means of creating something to be proud of.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Luuanne designed Rattan: a cropped sweater knitted with a textured bouclé yarn.
George Cullen
George Cullen is intrigued by the combination of different materials or different types of yarn. He likes simple textures applied to simple shapes that allow the characteristics of a yarn to shine out. Using leftovers is his forte – George can find creative ways to use even the smallest scrap. George lives in London and works at Knit With Attitude, a knitting shop selling ethical and eco-friendly yarns.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, George designed Colour Field, a fun scarf with diagonal edges.
Elise Damstra
Elise Damstra’s designs come from a passion for knitting and wanting to make items for herself. She loves simple textures and finds constant inspiration in new techniques and yarns. Elise lives in Stavanger on the west coast of Norway.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Elise designed Dip Dye: a long scarf worked entirely in Linen Stitch.
Evgeniya Dupliy
Evgeniya Dupliy lives in Hanover, Germany, but was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She describes her design style as minimalistic and modern with the focus on shawls. Evgeniya started knitting in 2013 and with time, knitting became more than just a hobby. It is her way of escaping the busy world and recharging energy.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Evgeniya designed the Abgerundet scarf that has a fun, unusual shape
Lindsey Fowler
Lindsey Fowler became a knitter and a knitwear designer after the birth of her twin boys. She wanted something she could work on in the nursery – and also needed an identity outside of motherhood. Lindsey lives in northeast Ohio, USA. She loves intuitive knitting that has easy-to-memorise repeats. Her first knitwear book Salt & Timber was published by Laine Publishing in autumn 2022.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Lindsey designed the Fledgling scarf that combines wide and narrow stripes.
Sidsel Grau Petersen
Sidsel Grau Petersen lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. She likes to bike everywhere, and sometimes she gets ideas for her designs in the bicycle lane when she sees people wearing nice knits. Inspiration can also come from vintage clothes that have an interesting texture or a detail. Sidsel is especially good at numbers and the technical side of knitting – she can look at almost anything and tell how it is made.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Sidsel designed Marta: a vest in all-over Garter Stitch.
Anna Heino
Anna Heino lives in the little town of Hämeenkyrö, Finland and runs her own yarn shop Kässäpuoti. That is also why she ended up designing knitwear: Anna wanted to get good patterns for the Finnish wool yarns that she sells. Anna is inspired by folklore, music, books and movies, as well as beautiful materials and colour combinations. She likes knits that are quite simple to make but at the same time beautiful, well-fitting and wearable.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Anna designed the Hilppa shawl decorated with bobbles.
Jonna Hietala
Jonna Hietala is the CEO and co-founder of Laine Publishing who lives in Tampere, Finland with her husband, two children, cats and dogs. Jonna doesn’t actually consider herself a knitwear designer: usually she just knits and makes up the pattern as she goes. That also makes Jonna’s garments approachable and easy to knit.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Jonna designed several patterns: the Audrey headband, the Birke shawl, the Tivoli sweater, the Lullaby cardigan, the Ernest balaclava and the Softie and Arthur hats.
Tuuli Huhtala
Helsinki-based Tuuli Huhtala is an architect who, as an urban planner, strives for a beautiful everyday life – and the same idea also applies to knitting. Writing and sharing knitting patterns with others is a new challenge for Tuuli, which she started when the pandemic seemed to bring more free hours into the day. Tuuli likes clear shapes and surfaces and wants the materials and colours to be the focal point.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Tuuli designed the Viikka hat whose 3D look is created with changing ribbing sections.
Tiina Huhtaniemi
Tiina Huhtaniemi learned to knit when she was in primary school, taught by her mother and grandmothers. From the start, she has also designed her own knits and adapted other people’s patterns to better suit her. Tiina is inspired by nature, art, emotions and atmospheres. She likes simple shapes but also wants to challenge herself as a knitter. Tiina, who lives in Jyväskylä, Finland, is known for her Titityy yarn store and Tukuwool yarn brand.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Tiina designed the Marshmallow balaclava knitted with two strands of yarn held together.
Dami Hunter
Dami Hunter is the founder of the yarn brand Magpie Fibers and lives in Maryland, USA. Dami’s design style is classic and eclectic. She likes fun quick knits, travelling cables and subtle colourwork. For her, inspiration is often something as simple as a beautiful new base or colourway. But at the heart of it, she really loves the alchemy of creating: be it cooking or knitting, starting with simple ingredients and ending up with a delicious meal or a cosy hat, feels like magic to her!
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Dami designed Cresta: a triangular shawl featuring Garter Stitch and simple colour ridge sections.
Sasha Hyre
Sasha Hyre’s maternal grandmother taught her to crochet in high school and she quickly taught herself to knit a few years thereafter. Sasha was born in Jamaica but grew up and currently lives in Montreal, Canada. She is often inspired by her children and loves to play with different textures and techniques. It’s rare to find monotonous knitting in Sasha’s patterns – there is always a twist or turn!
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Sasha designed the Marley cardigan which is a fusion of different textures and yarns.
Erin Jensen
Erin Jensen lives in Kansas City, USA. As a long-time knitter, she always wanted to design but couldn’t seem to carve out the time and mental space to do it. After losing her daughter, Erin didn’t know what to do with her life – so she began to knit as she grieved. Erin strives for classic shapes that are clean and shine in modern colour palettes.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Erin designed Poseidon Ridge: a classic triangle shawl that’s engaging and easily memorised.
Veera Jussila
Veera Jussila lives in Hämeenlinna, Finland with her husband, two children and a cat. She studied textile design and started designing sewing and knitting patterns as an entrepreneur in 2018. Veera is inspired by yarns, colours and what the garment will be used for – she aims to design long-lasting and wearable knits. While designing, she already considers how the garment can be repaired, or whether it can be unraveled or recycled after use.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Veera designed Viimein: a scrap yarn sweater that is also featured on the cover of the book.
Renate Kamm
Renate Kamm lives in San Diego, USA and has been knitting for more than 60 years. For her, crafting is a part of life and a puzzle to be solved. Renate’s designs are aimed at teaching knitting skills: it might be a new cast-on technique for a beginner, or a new stitch pattern for the advanced knitter. She is always looking for new ways to simplify a complicated project, and then share it with other knitters.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Renate designed the Capreoli scarf that invites you to play with colour combinations.
Maija Kangasluoma
Maija Kangasluoma is a journalist who lives in Helsinki, Finland with her two kids. She has been knitting since she was a child, and these days she can combine her beloved hobby with her work as the Managing Editor at Laine Publishing. Maija’s favourite knits often feature an interesting stitch pattern, but their structure is straightforward – so once you get going, the knitting becomes meditative and effortless.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Maija designed the Kupla sweater and the Elsa mittens.
Meiju K-P
Meiju K-P learned her first stitches from her grandmother, and as a teenager, was already designing her own sweaters. Laine Publishing released Meiju’s debut book, Contrasts: Textured Knitting, in spring 2022. Meiju lives in Helsinki, Finland, with her husband and three boys. As a designer, Meiju likes challenges. She is thrilled when a sweater that looks complicated can be turned into a pattern that is actually easy to knit.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Meiju designed Enkel, a textural striped sweater.
Isabell Kraemer
Isabell Kraemer is a self-taught knitter who started knitting in her teens. She lives in a small medieval town in the southwest of Germany and describes her design style as “modern, timeless, and classic with a little twist”. Isabell can find inspiration in everything: it could be the colour of a little bug, the mood while spending precious time with friends, or the yarn itself – sometimes she feels that yarn speaks to her!
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Isabell designed two patterns: the Juttu cardigan and the Helmi sweater.
Sini Kramer
Sini Kramer is the co-founder of Laine Publishing and lives in Tampere, Finland. She enjoys knitting from other people’s patterns and never thought of designing herself – but when planning this book, she got an idea for fun colour block socks and just had to cast them on. Sini likes simple lines and knits that are easy to wear and pair with your favourite wardrobe pieces. She is very much a four-season girl, so seasonality plays a big role in her life and in whatever she’s creating.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Sini designed the simple yet playful Lemonade socks.
Pauliina Kuunsola
Pauliina Kuunsola lives in Helsinki, Finland. She learned to knit in elementary school and has had a project on her needles ever since. Pauliina started designing in 2017. She loves meditative knits and her inspiration comes from nature, different textures and wool yarns. Pauliina works as a senior editor and in-house tech editor at Laine Publishing.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Pauliina designed three patterns: the Vaapukka mitts, the Duo mittens and the Pisama hat.
Bernice Lim
Bernice Lim – also known by her designer name Yamagara – lives in Singapore, where she works as a knitwear designer, art teacher and potter. Bernice often uses yarn as the starting point for her designs and likes to enhance the characteristics of the yarn. She is happiest when she hears knitters say that they enjoyed the knitting process, learned something new or thought that a certain detail in her patterns was clever.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Bernice designed Palette, a short-sleeved colour-block sweater.
Teti Lutsak
Teti Lutsak is a proud Ukrainian living in the Netherlands. She started knitting to escape from the stress of her PhD life, and later designing became her full-time job. Teti is a botanist and nature inspires her the most. At the moment, her designs are all about romantic shapes, floral colourwork motifs and delicate textures. As a scientist, she also makes sure that her patterns are well-structured and easy to follow.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Teti designed Funky Turtle: a relaxed, cute pullover worked from the top down.
Rebekka Mauser
Rebekka Mauser is currently living in Berlin, Germany. Knitting has been her favourite hobby for a long time and in 2016 she started designing her own patterns. She finds lots of inspiration wandering through the streets and museums of her hometown and the diverse people she meets there. Rebekka loves clever constructions, simple but effective stitch patterns and the interplay of colours and textures.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Rebekka designed the Kreuzberg slipover that features wide stripes in seven colours.
Faïza Mebazaa
Faïza Mebazaa lives in Paris, France with her husband and three children. She has a background in advertising and graphic design and is also the author of numerous cookbooks. For many years her elected craft was sewing, but then she discovered Ravelry and a new world opened up for her. Faïza loves to play with colours, stitch patterns, lace and cables.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Faïza designed Cité: a modern, playful sweater with an interesting construction.
Maddy Moe
Maddy Moe taught herself to knit when she was around seven years old, following pictures from a kit she bought at a book fair at school. Maddy, who lives in Cincinnati, United States, tries to design thoughtfully so that things are written out in a way that the knitter understands why they’re doing the steps they’re doing. She hopes to give knitters the confidence to make modifications or to learn to use techniques creatively.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Maddy designed Grand Staff: the perfect cosy socks for an evening at home.
Paula Pereira
Paula Pereira is a Brazilian knitwear designer and teacher living in Luanda, Angola. She learned to knit about ten years ago and has been professionally knitting and designing since 2015. Some elements are always present in her work, such as textures, colours and fit, but she always likes to introduce new elements to her work.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Paula designed Comfy: a relaxed pullover worked in Slipped-Stitch Ribbing.
Nina Pommerenke
Nina Pommerenke lives in a little town in Southern Sweden with her partner and two girls. Her mom taught her to knit when she was around six years old, but her passion for knitting and designing started when she attended a year-long course where she learned to shear a sheep and process the wool to a finished garment – so magical! Nina is inspired by nature, her family and beautiful yarns.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Nina designed Diamond Twill, a warm and lightweight vest knitted in unspun yarn.
Megumi Shinagawa
Japanese Megumi Shinagawa has been designing knitwear for five years. She is inspired by music, art, vintage fashion and travelling. When Megumi was young, she wanted to become a novelist, and for her, there is something similar in designing knitwear and writing a novel: top-down garments also have their “introduction, twists and turns, and resolution” phases, like those that you can find in a novel.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Megumi designed Koralli: a short-sleeved sweater with a relaxed fit.
Elena Solier Jansà
Elena Solier Jansà lives in the Spanish countryside and works from home on her yarn company Xolla. She learned to knit as a child but really got into knitting and designing some years ago. She loves to knit the most intricate patterns: cables, colourwork and lace. She prefers earthy tones – and always wool!
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Elena designed Brizna: a boxy sweater with pockets and Slipped-Stitch Rib at the sides.
Maaike van Geijn
Maaike van Geijn lives with her family in a small village in the north of the Netherlands. She first made a career as a curator in the theatre, but after a bike accident caused damage to her spine, she was forced to physically slow down and discovered knitting and designing as her new passion. Maaike looks for elegance but also likes her designs to be playful, either in shape or colour. Her starting point is always the yarn: its structure, colour and composition.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Maaike designed the chic Koket beret.
Veera Välimäki
Veera Välimäki is one of the leading knitwear designers in the world. Her designs are known for their simple, clean lines with modern details. Veera lives and works in a small village in Southern Finland surrounded by forests, fields and lakes. In 2021 Laine Publishing published her third hardback book Stripes.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Veera designed Sypressi: a fun, oversized sweater with joyful stripes.
Miriam Walchshäusl
Miriam Walchshäusl lives in southern Germany, near the Alps. Her grandmother taught her to knit when she was a child. Miriam wants to pack stories into her designs and is inspired by women who share their passion, stand up for their beliefs and uplift others. And as women come in different shapes, sizes, beliefs and characters, so do her designs.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Miriam designed the Joyce set that consists of a hat, a scarf and a pair of fingerless mitts.
Sylvia Watts-Cherry
Sylvia Watts-Cherry lives in the UK, close to London. She finds knitting a therapeutic activity, and she carries her knitting with her all the time; therefore she prefers to knit in pieces, which are less cumbersome than a whole sweater knitted in the round. Colour and bold patterns are Sylvia’s usual signature style, and she loves anything that requires a strong texture, intarsia or complexity.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Sylvia designed True Stripes: a fun sweater that invites you to play with colours.
Julia Wilkens
Julia Wilkens grew up in Germany but has been living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for the past 20 years. When she was a teenager, she started altering second-hand clothes and hand-me-downs from her mother to better fit her body – but also to create something unique, something of her own. In knitting, Julia always prefers experimentation and fun above perfection.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Julia designed Paula: a long scarf that features a beautiful Moss Stitch pattern and stripes.
Ida Wirak Trettevik
Ida Wirak Trettevik – known for her brand Witre Design – lives in Oslo, Norway. She has been working full-time as a knitwear designer for four years but still constantly has to pinch herself to believe this is her job. Ida is inspired by things that are a little different, a little “off”. She likes to make garments for everyday use, with a slightly urban twist. Ida’s designs are usually simple and basic and preferably made with bigger needles. She likes the rough expression, thickness and structure it gives.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Ida designed Witre: a warm, oversized vest with high splits at the sides.
Aatu Äikiä
Aatu Äikiä lives in Tampere, Finland, where he works as a warehouse assistant for Laine Publishing. He learned to knit in grade school, but the obsession truly started during his university studies. Aatu’s designs are quite simple and practical, but include a bit of fun as well.
For 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, Aatu designed Syyskuu: a cosy hat with a folded, contrast-colour brim.
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