While in Finland there’s still winter, in Italy we feel the first gentle wind of spring, and we see the nature come alive again. Plum trees are something that do survive and even make fruit in Southern Finland, but not where I lived. Here it’s one of the first trees that bloom in spring. The flowers come out while the leaves are still hiding an...

Susino means plum tree in Italian. In spring the branches fill with white flowers, while in August, the small fruits start to gain color, and slowly turn to yellow or dark purple. The taste is rather sour but they make such a delicous marmalade. If I pick a mature fruit in the afternoon, it’s juicy and warmed by the sun.

Alloro, bay laurel is a common plant here in Italy. It’s used often in gardens as a hedge. In spring, it blooms with tiny yellowish flowers, and later the black, oval berries fill the branches. In the front yard, we have a huge bay laurel, and right next to it a rose, rosa canina. Its berries are oval and tiny, not like the huge rosehips I was ...

I love the sea. This scarf reflects the waves in their never-ending color changes, and the reflections of the sunlight on the water.

This pattern was born in early December when the village was preparing for Christmas. There are paintings as high as a person placed in front of the houses. In these paintings there are a soldier, a dancer and a mouse; characters from the Nutcracker. The shawl takes inspiration from the statues and images of the Nutcracker soldier.

In Italy, there are a lot less forests than in Finland. The most of the landscape seems to be fields. As the seasons change earlier here, the cereals and hay are cut and harvested in the beginning of summer. In May – June the fields start to turn yellow. The spikes move slowly under the burning sun.

There is a small countryside road near to our house. Both sides of the road grow full of different trees and bushes. There is an evergreen bush, higher than my head, which in spring is full of beautiful, small, white flowers. When the winter approaches, the branches start to bend under the weight of its blue berries.

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See matching hat here. Use this link to get the set of hat and mittens with 15 euros!

See matching fingerless mitts here. Use this link to get the set of hat and mittens with 15 euros!

Secrets can be a wonderful thing. Think about children when they wait for something with excitement, how their eyes twinkle with joy. When and why do we lose that excitement?

The Neapolitans claim that they have the best coffee in the world, and who am I to disagree? Boiling hot, short and strong, served in tiny cups, it’s a shot of that energy for which Naples is known.

In late February, or early March, the mimosa trees start to bloom. The branches are filled with the tiny, bright yellow flowers that immediately call many types of insects around them. The buzzing and bustle around the trees is a clear sign of spring. In those days, the sky is mostly clear and the contrast between the blue sky and the yellow fl...

For a pairing hat check Vigneto hat here. Using this link get both patterns with 15 euros!

For pairing mittens check Vigneto mittens here. Using this link get both patterns with 15 euros!

“The comfortable life is not for us

Where I come from, the pines are high and thin. Their trunks are reddish and in certain light seems golden. The ground under the trees is full of lichen, moss and twigs. I love all the forest, but standing under the pines and listening to the wind in their branches is particularly calming.

When I started designing this hat, I wanted something simple that would leave the main role to this lovely yarn.

In the spring the long winter is over, the days get longer and the light wakes up the nature. Some trees start growing leaves, some start growing flowers. The pear tree is one of those trees that start blooming before the leaf buds come out. The little, white flowers fill all the branches covering the long spines.

A hot day in the Roman Empire, the air trembles with the heat. Mostly there is no shade, only here and there the Mediterranean pines give a bit of relief for the traveler.

In the spring when the wind gets mild and the birds start to sing, the days get longer and the sun starts to warm you, the trees wake up. Some start growing leaves, some start growing flowers. The peach tree is one of those trees that starts blooming before the leaf buds come out.

It’s the hour before lunch. Join with me on a stroll in one of the old towns in Tuscany. All the narrow cobblestone alleys take you towards the piazza. Once you enter the piazza under the arch framed by the Roman columns, you face the most authentic Italy. The Italians sit in the shade, sipping the traditional aperitivo, the Spritz.

The Sorrento region, and particularly the peninsula, has breathtaking views to Vesuvius, the city of Naples and the island of Capri. The panoramic road bends on the coastal cliffs and passes amongst olive groves and lemon trees.

Check the ebook which contains 2 sister patterns , Chiarore socks and scarf!

Imagine yourself on Piazza San Marco in Venice, tasting a glass of Bellini cocktail. The color of this cocktail comes from the peach puree, which is added to the sparkling wine. In this wrap you can see the cupolas of the San Marco Cathedral, and the gondolas slowly moving on the canals.

Check also the ebook which contains 2 sister patterns, Chiarore scarf and Chiarore socks.

’Nduja top is a sleeveless top knit top down seamlessly. First, both upper pieces are worked flat, then they are joined and the body is worked in the round. Armhole ribbing and straps are then added. The top is reversible, the lace can be worn in back or in front. The knitter can choose to work one side of the top in plain stockinette stitch, o...