Casting On a New Chapter: Learning to Knit

A few years ago, I taught myself to crochet thanks to Bella Coco’s YouTube videos. They were an absolute lifesaver—I honestly don’t think I could have done it without them. Since then, crochet has become a huge part of my life. Over the past few years, I’ve made all sorts of projects—blankets, garments, accessories—and I can rarely be found at home without a hook in hand. I just love it.

But in the back of my mind, I’d always wanted to learn how to knit. I tried years ago, but I just couldn’t get my head around it. So, when I set my goals for 2025, “learn to knit” made the list.

A couple of months ago, I bought some inexpensive knitting needles from Amazon and decided to give it another go. I found some great tutorials from Modern Made and Sheep & Stitch on YouTube and started practising: first the knit stitch, then purl, and then stockinette (which is simply alternating the two). I made a few little swatches, but nothing more. Before long, I drifted back to my beloved crochet—something I can now do practically with my eyes closed.

And then came our Baltic cruise in July 2025. I’d already earmarked a couple of yarn shops to visit along the way, starting with Stockholm’s Makeri 14 in the heart of Gamla Stan. I’d discovered the shop on Instagram, and it was just as lovely in person—light, inviting, and full of gorgeous yarn. I couldn’t leave empty-handed, of course, and came away with four balls of Puno Fine yarn. That yarn became a beautiful, soft sweater I made while on the cruise, using the Blusa Sweater pattern by Casttanaz Crochets on YouTube.

In Helsinki, I hadn’t done my yarn shop research ahead of time, so I quickly searched Google Maps when we arrived and found a store called Sunday Knitting Club. As soon as I stepped inside, I was smitten. It was unlike anything you’d see in the UK—especially in the North East. The space was huge, airy, and beautifully lit, filled with natural fibre yarns, garment samples, patterns displayed on little hooks, and shelves of books and tools. I could have stayed there all afternoon, but with only a few hours to explore the city, I had to be quick. Even so, I managed to choose quite a haul to bring home!

One of my finds was a yarn by Fonty—the softest thing I have ever touched. The shop had it knitted up into the viral Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit, and I instantly knew I had to make one for myself. My daughter asked for two as well, so I bought yarn for all three, plus 12 balls of Honey Alpaca in two shades, and a pair of Clover 4mm circular needles to get me started. And yes—that was me trying to be good!

While still on the cruise, I used some leftover yarn from my Stockholm sweater to try knitting a Sophie Scarf. Learning how to increase stitches felt like a huge challenge at first—there were a few “why won’t this work?!” moments—but eventually it clicked. When I finished, I was so proud. It actually looked like it was supposed to!

Back home, I spent the next week obsessing over what to make with my new yarn. I watched endless videos from another knitter I follow, Kutovakika (who happens to live in Finland), and browsed through patterns trying to decide if I should save my “special” yarn or just dive straight in. In the end, I decided to stop overthinking and cast on the Sophie Scarf using the Fonty yarn I’d bought.

Within minutes of making the decision, stitches were on my needles, and before long the scarf began to take shape. The Fonty yarn is a dream to work with—the quality is incredible and now I completely understand the price tag. The type is called Fonty Coeur d’Angora, and if you love to knit or crochet, you must try this or something similar.

I’m still searching for my first big knitting project (I’m leaning towards a top) and checking whether I have enough yarn for the patterns I’ve saved. I’ll share what I decide—and how it turns out—in my next blog post.