On the left is the winning work of the Riihimäki City Knitting Competition, Minun Riksukat, knitted by Satu Suominen from Riihimäki. On the right is the Riihimäki sweater, which received an honorable mention, knitted by Leena Salminen from Riihimäki.

Riihimäki knitting competition

The city of Riihimäki organized a knitting competition looking for knitted items depicting Riihimäki. The competition period began on October 14, 2024 and ended on February 28, 2025. You could participate with any knitted item, such as socks, mittens, a beanie, a scarf or a sweater.

My Rickshaws won the knitting competition

The winner of the Riihimäki City Knitting Competition was a pair of red, knee-length wool socks called Minun Riksukat, knitted by Satu Suominen from Riihimäki. Minun Riksukat are an excellent example of how traditional handicrafts can express the city's culture and identity.

The jury was impressed by the designer's creativity and ingenuity, which allowed him to knit a wealth of details into the socks. The socks combine the history and present of Riihimäki, and contain references to roundabouts, robotics, the lynx and a vibrant cultural city, among other things. The creative and playful choice of name, Minun Riksukat, crowned the work.

Honorable mention for the Riihimäki sweater

The competition's honorable mention went to the Riihimäki sweater knitted by Leena Salminen from Riihimäki, which wonderfully combines modern technology and local culture. The patterns on the sweater, such as railway tracks and small robots, refer to Riihimäki's history as a significant railway junction and the city's reputation as a robotics city. The jury appreciated the sweater's balanced overall design, where all elements support each other and create a unified and beautiful end result.

The knitting competition sought inventive, creative and personal suggestions for what kind of knitting pattern would best express the city of Riihimäki.

The prize was a product package worth 200 euros, which included 150 euros worth of Pienen Nappipuodi products and 50 euros worth of R-products.

The works were evaluated by a jury that included the Chair of the City Council Miia Nahkuri, Mayor Jouni Eho, entrepreneur Sanna Ventola of Pienen Nappipuodi, Deputy Principal of the Community College Minna Lankinen, and Communications and Marketing Manager Mia Miettinen.

The short address for this page is riihimaki.fi/neulekilpau.

Competition rules

You can knit with the yarn and technique of your choice. The knit must reflect Riihimäki in some way. You can only participate in the competition with your own, previously unpublished design. No instructions are required for the competition knit, but you can share one if you wish for the joy of other knitters. The knitwork participating in the competition must arrive at Tietotuva no later than Friday, February 28, 2025 at 14.30:XNUMX p.m.

By participating in the competition, knitters give the city permission to publish a picture of the knit on its website and social media channels.

Submission of work to competition

Bring your finished garment to the city's customer service point in Tietotupa during its opening hours at Eteläinen Asemakatu 2, 11130 Riihimäki. You can also send your knitting by post. The participant is responsible for the postage costs. Please submit your work in good time so that it arrives by the deadline.

When submitting a sweater to the contest, include the following information:
- Your contact information (name, phone number, address and email)
- A free-form description of the Riihimäki motif in the garment or where the model was inspired.
- Information on whether the work will be returned to you after the competition or whether it will be donated to the church's diaconate work.
- Knitting pattern chart, if you want to give the city the right to share the knitting instructions publicly, for example on its website and social media. The designer's name is mentioned in the instructions. Making and sharing the chart is not mandatory. Sharing the instructions does not affect the jury's evaluation.
Inspiration to planning

You can get inspiration from, for example, the city's attractions: statues, theaters, parks or the public outdoor swimming facilities. There is also a lot to learn from Riihimäki's history, events, street art, people and, for example, sports.

The Riihimäki city logo, R-element and colors are also a source of inspiration for knitters. However, it is not mandatory to use them.

Brand guide and graphic instructions
Riihimäki videos
Ole Riksu campaign videos
Jury of the competition

The jury includes the Chairwoman of the City Council Miia Nahkuri, Mayor Jouni Eho, entrepreneur Sanna Ventola of Pienen Nappipuodi, Deputy Principal of the Community College Minna Lankinen, and Communications and Marketing Manager Mia Miettinen.
Awards

The prize is a product package worth 200 euros, which includes 150 euros worth products of Pieni Nappipuoti and 50 euros worth products of the city of Riihimäki.