Sari Åström
Kalevala CAL - Part 20 - Tapio
Updated: Jun 23, 2022
Have you already made plans for the life after Kalevala CAL? Because apparently there is some... You can go walking in the forest, exercise your shoulders that are stuck because of crocheting, clean the house, cook for those hungry family members... OR: you can start all over again! If you begin on December 1st, it is like an Advent calendar and you have 24 finished pieces by the end of Christmas Eve! Clever!

Thou, the host of Tapio's mansion, Gracious host of Tapiola, Sable-bearded god of woodlands, Golden lord of Northland forests. (Kalevala, Poem 14)
You can share pictures of Tapio square on social media with #kalevalacal_tapio. Hashtag for Kalevala CAL is #kalevalacal.
General Kalevala CAL info and all the links to other parts of the blanket project will be found on the Kalevala CAL page on the blog of Arteeni.

DESIGNER PORTRAIT: Milla Elo

I am 35 years old and I work as an automation engineer. In my family there are my husband and children of us both, 3 boys and one girl, all of them school aged. I learned to crochet already when I was only 4 or 5 years old, my mother and granny taught me. I haven't designed crochet patterns before, but after this experience I hope there is a lot more to come! As I work in an office, crochet is a good counterbalance to my work and gives something to do with my hands. It is also like therapy to me, as I create something beautiful with lots of colours.
The inspiration for my Kalevala CAL square came from forest, my favourite place to be. I like walking in the forest and the smell of it in autumn and fungus. When I glanced through the poems and themes of the Kalevala, Tapio the wood spirit was immediately influential to me. Then the vision of the square was ready quite fast. The tale of the square begins from the ground, the moss from where the small boletes peek out. As you raise your eyes upwards, towards the branches of spruce that almost touch the ground, you can see the autumn sun glimmering in yellow and orange between the branches.
Hint to the crocheters of my square: The pattern is quite simple, so I hope that you can enjoy this easy crochet without too difficult squiggles.
Favourites of the designer:
Yarn: Natural fibres, especially Finnish lamb wool
Colour: I like bright colours, depending on my mood. Currently I especially like turquoise and yellow.
Favourite stitch: Every stitch is beautiful when it is combined to others in an adequate way.
Place to crochet: In summer on our sunny terrace, in winter on the couch under blanket. I also crochet in the car when our family is on the road, at the same time babbling with my husband.
Tapio
Hints from test crocheters
* BEGINNER ** EASY *** Average **** Demanding
RATHER SMALL Right size Rather big
Colours
Here you can find all the colours needed in every row for different colour packs (Click to see the lists bigger). The colours for the Metsä / Forest -colour pack can be found also on the pattern itself.

Tapio Pattern in on Milla's Blog
A link to Tapio video, which works as a support for the written pattern. Video is done by Milla Elo.
Other info
You can find pictures of the squares made by other Kalevala CAL participants on Instagram: #kalevalacal #kalevalacal_tapio
General Kalevala CAL info and all the links to other parts of the blanket project will be found on the Kalevala CAL –page on the blog of Arteeni.
