The Kauni brand celebrates its 30th birthday in 2026

The Kauni brand celebrates its 30th birthday in 2026. I feel that, personally and for the Kauni brand, 2026 is a new breath of life. We have a new website, new technology, and many new ideas. Now is the right time to reflect on our thoughts, what we have created, our values, and why things are the way they are. A 30-year-old is clearly an adult, with a formed character and preferences – someone who knows what they do not want and what brings them joy.

A brand, too, has by now developed its own character and preferences; it has developed a recognisable signature and its own messages. The Kauni brand has clearly and consciously chosen an environmentally friendly, sustainable mindset. We make all our knitwear from pure wool yarn and pure merino wool yarn. We definitely do not knit – nor will we start knitting – from wool blends with acrylic and who-knows-what-else added just to bring the price of the product down.

I am a designer, a creator, and a mother. I have created a job for myself that I love. I am still passionately in love with every new collection. Of course, I create knitwear that I want to wear myself. These are joyful and colourful, each with a little “Kauni message” on it. I feel that we knit power and warmth into our garments, and that makes me happy.

I believe all dreams must be fulfilled. Sometimes dreams are so big that they are scary. That only makes them more inspiring to me. When I created the Kauni brand in 1996 while living in Denmark, I had a degree in art and crafts but absolutely no business background. I am a true example of a “learning by doing” entrepreneur. Big losses have not frightened me. I have always believed that I can learn from my mistakes, rise again, and move forward. And I can. I wipe the mud off my knees, grateful for the lesson, and keep going. Advice should be taken from those who have progressed further than I have. But I alone – and only I – am responsible for my decisions and actions.

I believe in the power of a team, and I can proudly say that our company has a strong team that leverages each other’s strengths. Our work atmosphere is cheerful and full of laughter. Even in difficult times, there has been support and understanding. I am very grateful.

With great gratitude, I look back on my home where I grew up. Of course, like most of us, I also carry wounds from that home that I’ve had to heal throughout life. But from that home, I also gained the belief that anything is possible and that I shouldn’t give up! I gained strength and faith in myself. It came through my mother’s great love and support, and through my father as a steady example: someone who always looked for solutions, wasn’t afraid to take responsibility and make decisions, and was willing to take risks when needed. My father was a curious inventor and an artist at heart. With a clever entrepreneurial spirit, he earned additional income through business even during the Soviet era.

I have always wanted to make the world and my immediate surroundings better. To give value that changes lives and brings joy. For me, children have always been very important. At different stages of life, the lives of other mothers’ children who needed support and help have become connected to mine. On Mother’s Day, I have children other than my own. Children have always been around me, and I have been actively involved in school life for 30 years, plus 5 years of preparation, even before the early years of Pärnu Free School in 1997. With the aim of making Estonian children’s school time joyful and memorable, I introduced the Danish freeschool model to Estonia, and, using it as an example, Pärnu Free School was created. I am grateful to know that many children’s early school years at this school were memorable and brought joy to both children and their families. I have been a Free School parent for 20 years and would recommend this journey to all parents.

I have raised five wonderful children who have been my great teachers and my best friends. I am grateful and very proud of my children. As a mother, I have dedicated myself to my children’s upbringing, and school has been the most appropriate choice for both my children and me. The time they are small passes quickly, and if you don’t organise the princess, rock, and pirate birthday parties at the right time, and if you don’t participate in class and school events, then that time is lost forever and can never be gotten back.