Craft hopper
What's your name?
Teija
Where are you based?
Helsinki, Finland
Tell us about what your ordinary day looks like.
I live in Helsinki with my jig-nificant other (pun intended). I work as an ICT project coordinator. I work mostly from home, so my puzzle room is also my office. That way I can spend most of my day in my happy place. I often place a couple of pieces during my work breaks. I tend to have at least one craft or puzzle in progress and usually hop between different projects, hence my Instagram name Crafthopper.
How did you get into the world of puzzling?
I have a lot of memories about puzzling as a kid and still remember many specific puzzles from my childhood. When I grew up I puzzled very occasionally, completing maybe one or two puzzles a year. During the pandemic in 2020 I found Karen Puzzles' videos and watched a lot of them. One day I was in my local thrift store and spotted an very old and cheap puzzle that had a golden foil finish on it. Inspired by Karen I decided to give it a go, and that was the moment I really got into puzzling. After a while I needed a place to store all my puzzle pictures, so I decided to start an Instagram account. I thought I would use it to post all my completed craft projects in there, but I had no idea that there would be a whole international community of puzzlers to be found.
What makes you keep puzzling & how often do you puzzle?
It was all the people that made me continue puzzling. It opened a whole new world for me. I have met a lot of new friends, participated in puzzle games and puzzle events and discovered speed puzzling. I would have never imagined that I would compete in World Championships! I puzzle almost everyday. Sometimes it's just a few pieces and sometimes multiple puzzles in one day.
What is your favorite type of puzzles?
I do a lot of very varied types of images, but my favorites are pretty illustrations and colorful gradients. I prefer easy images to the harder ones. I mostly do 1000 and 500 piece puzzles, but sometimes smaller piece counts as well. I definitely prefer puzzles by real artists instead of AI generated images.
During puzzling sessions, do you listen to anything or puzzle in silence?
I usually puzzle in silence as I find it very meditative and relaxing. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks, which is very enjoyable as well.
If you were to describe what puzzling means to you, what would it be?
Puzzling is a perfect hobby for an introvert like me who enjoys being alone but also wants to have a community around and spend time with friends sharing a common interest. It's a passion and a way to connect with like-minded people.
Tell us about your other interests & joys.
I did horseback riding for about ten years, but now I'm taking a small break from it. I love animals! I enjoy visiting thrift stores and usually buy most of my puzzles second hand. It feels like treasure hunting to find a great puzzle from a thrift store. I like to dance so I'm hoping to take dancing lessons soon. I've also gotten into pilates lately, it's a very pleasant way for me to exercise. I enjoy visiting art museums and theatres as well as travelling and seeing new places.
Do you have anything you want to share?
Be kind, it costs nothing. You never know what others are going through. Go and meet other puzzlers, you can find better things than you ever imagined!