- Aug 17
- 7 min read
Nightborn (Yön lapsi ) is a 2026 Finnish folk horror film about a married couple, Saga and Jon, who move back to Saga's childhood home in Finland in hopes of starting a family there. The home has stood empty for some time and nature has taken over, with ferns and saplings up springing from the floor but they dance with joy throughout the house at the promise of what they think lies ahead of them.
Jon and Saga explore the nearby forest where they rapturously conceive their babe amongst trees that seem to come alive with their fervor. This is interrupted when reality bursts as we a jump forward to a graphic birth scene 9 months later and it is not long before we start to get the first indications that something seems not quite right with their son. As Saga and Jon spend more time with their baby, they notice his strangeness, but where Saga questions whether there is truly something wrong with their child, Jon excuses it away, almost forcibly reframing everything as normal and asserting more and more that it is Saga who is the problem. To his credit, he is not the stereotypical spouse who won't listen; Jon walks the tightrope clumsily but with compassion as long as he can. But Saga is the main character here and we stay with her, seeing what she sees and experiences on a personal level as she deals with--let's just say the letdown of her expectations about what her baby and motherhood would bring.
But don't chalk this film up as a one-note metaphor for post-partum depression; it's so much more than that. The symbolism is layered, from Saga dealing with the physical and emotional challenges of motherhood (which the film does not shy away from on either count), to the internalized and external social pressure of not just being a good mother but being perceived as one.
Nightborn hits all the beats of motherhood: physical changes in one's body, self-doubt and sleepless anxiety, feeling isolated even while in the company of well-meaning others, and the ambivalence of getting time away from the baby only to find being away has its own challenges, but the way the horror lies alongside of these mundane and familiar beats is truly engaging. It's also not entirely only about the baby; a secondary theme emerges as we find out more about Saga as a child and realize she is going through a sort of reclaiming of a part of her identity she was socialized out of and how that fits into the puzzle.
Nightborn isn't a perfect film--the themes get a little muddied together and there are some creature effects that may not work for some viewers, but it won the top prize at the Fantasia Film Festival 2026 as well as the best actress award so I'm not alone in loving it. If you like folk and body horror, and you don't mind a metaphor, I highly recommend Nightborn.
Let's get to the knit!
There's a delightful wealth of knit pieces in Nightborn so we'll just focus on some of the stand out pieces, starting with this majestic all over colorwork cardigan that Saga's mother-in-law is wearing. The density of the colorwork on the top immediately brought to mind pieces by Marie Wallin and Alice Starmore, although their designs and color choices tend to follow more traditional fair isle lines rather than the freeform appearance of this cardigan.
Knit the look:
A deep dive revealed this gem by Connie Hester. Her Stranded Colorwork Jacket comes in two slightly different versions. It is available on Ravelry or at Connie's website.
But mom's not done! She layers a forest green lace shawl over her cardigan, seen here as she steps out of the car to greet the family.
The shawl has a quatrefoil pattern in the main body, and a border with a wavy, flowing lace motif. The quatrefoil (meaning “four leaves”) is a ubiquitous and ancient design that has appeared in multiple cultures and in multiple places, from architecture to jewelry and everywhere else, one such example being the gothic architectural design of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. It’s composed of four connected circles that form a sort of four-leaf clover design, although embellishments to this simple design vary. This symbol means multiple things across different cultures but in Christianity, it can represent the four gospels and the cross itself. In light of that, I can’t help but wonder if this was a subtle yet brilliant costume design choice for the film as it is worn by Saga’s mother-in-law, who is the wife of a priest.
Knit the look:
The Quatrefoil shawl by Janina Kallio is a similarly patterned, triangle-shaped shawl. This version is worked from the bottom up in a fingering weight yarn which gives it a light, airy appearance, but can easily be worked in a heavier weight yarn to mimic the shawl's cozy and woolier look in the film. The Quatrefoil shawl pattern is available from Ravelry.
From the beginning, Saga dreams of making the perfect baby room from the space in her grandmother's home where she enjoyed playing as a girl. When they bring their baby home, we get a wide shot of the baby's room and it is indeed, enchanting, with a rocking horse, a tea table, and a play tent. Tucked under one of the windows is a little basket with the face of a fox, and while it is not knit or crochet itself, it is too cute to ignore.
Crochet the look:
One of the cutest patterns I found has to be the Fox&Wolf Basket from Irini Papounidou. It is a crochet pattern and it's written to come out smaller (about 9" x 5") than the basket in the film appears to be but general instructions are given in the pattern if you'd like to make a larger version. It's also crocheted in the waistcoat stitch, which is a crochet stitch that mimics the look of stockinette stitch in knitting. This stitch can help color changes line up evenly.
The pattern can be downloaded in Russian and English and includes links to demonstration videos. It is available from Ravelry and Etsy.
Seen in the baby's room and elsewhere in Jon and Saga's home are a couple of pillow covers that stand out.
This lacy crochet cover looks a filet crochet piece because of the netted, mesh look around the border. This style is found commonly in household items such as tablecloths or curtains and is meant to mimic filet lace designs.
Crochet the look:
The Flower Filet Pillow Cover pattern by Kathy North has a different center motif but a similar vibe. It is free on Ravelry.
During an argument between Jon and Saga , I couldn't keep my eyes off of their couch and specifically this throw pillow (the hazards of being a fiber artist, right?).
It is difficult to tell how it was made but some of the elements look like crochet post stitches, a technique where you crochet a stitch around the post of a previous stitch, rather than entering the stitch at the top as you normally would.
I found a pattern that used this technique to achieve a less complex but still stylish design in the Hip To Be Square pillow by Cathy Colson. The density of the post stitches and bulky yarn gives a similar look and I love the professional-looking finish.
Crochet the look:
The pattern is well-written and includes detailed information on how to install a zipper for the pillow cover if you so choose. The pattern is listed on Ravelry so you can add it to your library and favorites, but can only be downloaded from Etsy.
In addition to these standouts, Nightborn is abound with classic, everyday knits, such as hats, scarves, zippered and buttoned pullovers, and big, shlumpy cardigans--perfect garments and accessories to comfort you when the horrors persist.
See you back here when the next horror unravels!
DVD Extras: The Director’s Knit
If you liked Nightborn, check out Hanna's 2022 film Hatching which I recommend even more highly. The themes are strong and clear, the creature effects crisper. We follow Tinja, a girl struggling to live up to the heavy expectations of her by her mother and, since it's horror, how it all goes horribly wrong, of course! Enjoy a bonus knit from that film:
This cardigan is only seen briefly in the film but it features one of my favorite knit stitch patterns, the long raindrops stitch, which is just 1x1 ribbing but broken up and alternating every four rows. The crisp texture in this neutral shade looks so cozy!
You could take almost any 1x1 ribbed cardigan such My Big Comfy Ribbed Cardi by Jessica Reeves Potasz and substitute this stitch pattern in for the regular ribbing and get great results.
This pattern is available for free on Jessica's blog or an ad-free paid version is available on Etsy.
Get your Geek On:
Interviews with the director and cast
One of the best breakdowns of the symbolism and ending of Nightborn (Massive spoiler warning!)
More about the history of the quatrefoil:
Filet crochet history and techniques:
Author's Note: While I personally found and chose each of the patterns I have recommended, I have not purchased all of them or knitted/crocheted them all personally. Please check out the available information at each link yourself before purchasing to be sure a pattern is for you.
