Craft Club HEL is a low-threshold knitting and crafts club founded by Juha Vehmaanperä. The club returns to the Architecture & Design Museum as a series of three workshops.
The workshops invite participants to knit together in a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere, learn new techniques, and share the joy of making by hand. Welcome to join in making, discussing, asking questions, and spending time together around crafts.
In collaboration with Novita.
Tuesday, 28 April, 6–8 pm
In the second intermediate session, participants will explore brioche knitting and learn the Italian cast-on and bind-off for 1×1 rib as well as for brioche. The Italian cast-on and bind-off create elastic, refined edges and are suitable for a variety of ribbed knitting projects.
Participants are expected to have basic skills in casting on stitches and knitting and purling.
The workshop lasts approximately two hours. The event will be held in Finnish and does not require advance registration. The space accommodates a maximum of 22 participants at a time. Visitors may join when spots become available Participation is free of charge: the event is part of the museum’s Free Tuesday programme, when admission to the museum is free from 4–8 pm.
You may bring your own knitting needles and yarn or use the materials provided by the museum.
This beginner session is suitable for participants who have never knitted before or who are returning to knitting after a longer break. The workshop covers casting on stitches as well as knit and purl stitches. Participants who progress more quickly will also be introduced to increasing and decreasing stitches, as well as commonly used knitting abbreviations.
In the first intermediate session, participants will learn bubble stitch using the tuck stitch technique, as well as a wavy knitted pattern created through increases and decreases. The session introduces more advanced knitting techniques under Juha’s guidance.
Participants are expected to have basic skills in casting on stitches and knitting and purling.
In the second intermediate session, participants will explore brioche knitting and learn the Italian cast-on and bind-off for 1×1 rib as well as for brioche. The Italian cast-on and bind-off create elastic, refined edges and are suitable for a variety of ribbed knitting projects.
Participants are expected to have basic skills in casting on stitches and knitting and purling.
Craft Club HEL began when Vehmaanperä taught crochet to international journalists as part of a Helsinki tour, as well as through knitting gatherings and a crochet workshop during Iceland Design Week. Since then, different versions of the club have been organised, ranging from workshop-based formats to more informal gatherings, in collaboration with Fashion Revolution, New York Textile Month, Kirpilä Art Home, and the Dutch New Order of Fashion.
In addition to the Craft Club HEL events, Juha Vehmaanperä will be present in the exhibition’s community art space for knitting, conversation, and sharing tips. During the artist meet-up, you can contribute to a collaborative artwork under Juha’s guidance or bring your own craft or knitting project. You are welcome to stay for the full three hours or join for a shorter visit.
Juha Vehmaanperä will be at the museum on:
Saturday, 14 March 2026, 1–4 pm
Saturday, 11 April 2026, 1–4 pm
Saturday, 12 June 2026, 1–4 pm
Juha Vehmaanperä is a knitting artist whose work focuses on slow fashion, queer theory, and craftsmanship. Their projects combine traditional craft techniques with contemporary approaches and technologies. Their practice is characterised by community-building, the promotion of DIY culture, and the renewal of traditions.
Craft Punk, Juha Vehmaanperä’s first large-scale solo exhibition, opens at the Architecture & Design Museum Gallery on 20 February 2026.
