Tiina Huhtaniemi is the force behind Tukuwool, a brand of gorgeous Finnish wool we are proud to stock. Tiina took some time to tell us about the evolution of her business, which like so many fibre-related journeys, started with an individual passion and grew outwards from there.
Newtown House: Please tell us how you got started knitting ... and what motivated you to firstly open up your yarn shop, and then to acquire Tukuwool? How challenging was it to take on a yarn company?
Tiina Huhtaniemi: I learned to knit as a child. Both in school and from my mother and grandmothers. They all have been true knitters and knitted a lot when I was a child, grannies later, too. As a teenager I didn’t hang out a lot with friends, go to discos, etc. It was the knit, sofa and Sky Channel (those days before Netflix with “The Bold and the Beautiful” - oh my!).
So it all started from my dear hobby. First I knitted for my kids when they were small, then sold wool soakers, and suddenly my stash had grown to a small warehouse for an online shop. Then a small bricks-and-mortar shop together with the online shop, then they both got bigger and bigger. Tukuwool came into our lives when Pauliina started her business. We were retailers from the beginning and when she announced [she was] closing her business, I told her that I wanted to buy the brand.
Yarn shop, our own brand and arranging a knit festival too is a big challenge. But I like them and the more interesting things are going on, the more it gets me going. Of course you need to delegate and have good people to work with - I don’t do all by myself. I have the best staff in the world and we make this together.
NH: Can you tell us a bit about the sheep breeds that are used to make Tukuwool? What are the properties of their yarn?
TH: Tukuwool is a blend of Finnsheep and Finnsheep Texel crossbreed, around 85/15 percentage. Finnsheep is shiny, durable, soft, and elastic - usually called a mid-fine fibre. The average length of one fibre is 7cm. Texel is a bit rougher fibre, a very durable one.
We are working on getting the yarn only from Finnsheep but that’s a long way away…
NH: How would you describe Finnish knitting to people who might not be familiar with it? What are the most popular patterns in Finland using Tukuwool at the moment?
TH: Finnish knitters are known as very talented and fast knitters. They have really high technical knowledge and they learn to knit in school at early age. So everyone can knit! Popular patters are at the moment: Poet (Sari Nordlund) from Laine magazine and the Lotta dress (Marie Greene), also from Laine. The Haiku shawl by Johanna Ärje has also been popular. Johanna has also designed a collection called The Girl Who Said Baa! for Tukuwool. Worth checking!
NH: It's a big job you've got, between managing your yarn company and managing the yarn shop - how do you balance those two demands?And how do you ever find time to knit?!
TH: It’s the hardest part, of course. Working hours are long, you don’t want to calculate them! This autumn I have focused on well being more and started to work out three times a week. It has been the best decision for a long time! I still knit every day in the evening - not nighttime anymore. Enough sleep is also important.
NH: What inspires you? And which do you enjoy the most - knitting, developing yarn for Tukuwool and stock for the shop, or designing?
TH: Developing new colours, patterns and co-operation with other companies, designers, etc. is really inspiring. I’d like to design and knit more, of course.
NH: What is ahead for Tukuwool?
TH: We are overwhelmed by the love and popularity our brand has got recently. We need to focus on speeding up the process and getting more wool and yarn for sure so that we could spread TukuLove more. We have wool in Finland, for sure, but the process of getting it into the skeins and to retailers’ shops is long and has too many steps at the moment. So this is what we are trying to solve.
NH: Please tell us about your favourite meal - and if you are willing could you share a favourite recipe?
TH: Tricky one! The newest favourite meal for our whole family has been chicken wok from rice noodles. That way the kids (we have three aged 11, 12 and 16 - a nice teenage group!) eat more vegetables.
Short recipe: Onion, carrot, cauliflower, garlic (whatever you have) are sliced into the wok and cooked in olive oil. Chicken slices are roasted/baked in a pan with oil and spices (turmeric, ginger, curry, garam masala, salt). Baked chicken slices are added to the wok. Cook rice noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then add them to the wok. Add coconut milk and mix all together. Add sweet chili sauce, balsamico, salt, chilli, whatever you want according to your taste, and enjoy!
NH: What is one thing about you that might surprise people?
TH: Hahaa… I was a teacher in kindergarten before starting a business. That is quite well known. Before that I also had a short period as a musician in a band, playing keyboards and as a singer. It was called Tarantella, and a few times Tiina & Tarantella if they wanted a woman mentioned. So music has been a big part of my life. I also performed a lot in theaters when I was younger and before being an entrepreneur. Sometimes I miss those days, to be honest.