Traveling to the Tingsryd Vävstugan [Tyngsryd Weaving Studio] fulfilled a long-held dream of mine to weave in Sweden. I was interested and hopeful to find a place I could experience various Nordic weaving techniques for a short period of time. More hours than I care to admit with online search engines identified several intriguing possibilities. Formal classes lasting a month or more was not what I was seeking. My elementary level of the Swedish language allowed me to read enough about a Vävstugan in Tingsryd, Sweden, to catch my interest.
Föreningen Vävstugan [The Weaving Association] is in southern Småland, between Växjö and Karlshamn. The Association was created in the 1980s from the efforts of artists Kerstin Jonsdotter, Folke Samuelsson, and the Tingsryd community to continue the craft of weaving.
Kerstin was a weaving instructor, and Folke a furniture maker and designer, when they met while teaching at the renowned craft school, Capellagården on Öland. In 1964 they moved to Tingsryd. They created a weaving workshop, offered courses, and wove commissioned work identified by their business name JonSa.
Vävstugan is a welcoming and unique community. The community offers weaving opportunities one can not find in many places. An individual can arrange to weave here without becoming a member. It is unique because the Association has a full-time employee who keeps all the looms in order and can help visitors as well as the members. The Association has 23 looms, many enhanced with Folke’s talents to design and build additions to the loom.
I arrived in May, 2022, for three weeks of weaving. In my correspondence with the Association, I requested to weave smaller pieces that I could easily transport back to the United States in my one suitcase.
What an experience it was to walk into the weaving room with 23 warped looms, seeing an example placed on each of the loom of its weave structure and warp.
That May, I wove many hand towels, on three looms: an 8-shaft Dräll with vertical stripes using 16/2 cotton warp with 16/1 linen weft.
A 4-shaft Korndräll [a type of diamond twill] 16/2 cotton warp with 16/1 linen weft;
On the immense draw loom I wove with with 1,254 60/2 linen threads in the 23 cm wide warp, a 6-shaft satin damask utilizing 17 upper pulls plus additional draws on each side to be placed on hooks. The weft was 16/1 linen.
I also came home with rosepath placemats woven on a 4-shaft warp of unbleached cottolin, weft in the same cottolin and 8/1 tow linen. The fifth loom provided another draw loom experience weaving korskypert [broken twill] on a 4-shaft 16/2 cotton warp inserting harness blocks using 8/1 tow linen.
My time in Tingsryd provided full days for weaving as well as getting to meet, watch and learn from many of the members of the Association. A question was asked of me how I liked visiting Tingsryd’s Vävstugan. My answer? “I feel like a 5-year-old in an immense candy store.”
In May of 2023 I returned to weave two two-meter wool rugs on the large linen warp rug loom.
The week I arrived, a young woman from the Netherlands had reserved the large rug loom to weave a 184 cm x 2.5 m (app. 6′ x 8′) rag rug from denim she had prepped and brought with her. I used that time to wind all my rug wool yarn into balls and requested time on a loom warped with 8/2 cotton to weave some hand towels.
Then it was my turn and under the watchful eye and timely instructions from Rosmarie, the Association’s employee, I focused on each throw or pick with multiple arches, or in Swedish båger, in the shed before I closed the shed and brought the beater forward.
There is a daily fee to weave at a loom. In addition, each loom has the per meter cost of the warp listed and one is charged by how much of the warp you have woven. An individual can bring their own weft or purchase weft from the Association to be used for your weaving project.
Many Swedish hand towels are woven with a linen weft on a cotton warp. The Association has buckets of wound spools of bleached, semi-bleached and unbleached 16/1 linen available, thanks to volunteer members who come in to wind these bobbins. Talk about a weaver’s dream. The bucket is weighed before you begin your towel(s) and then weighed after you are finished to determine the amount/cost. Colored linen, all Cottolin and Cotton can be obtained from the Association but must be wound on spools by the weaver.
Tingsryd Vävstugan web site provides much information in English and Swedish, including details and pictures of the type of warp on each of the 23 looms. When a warp not used for rugs (often 50 meters long) is finished, the Association discusses what the next pattern should be for that loom so there can be a replaced warp from what was reflected in the pictures.
Their web site is: www.vavstugan.com.
The Association can be contacted by email: vavstugantingsryd@gmail.com
Lodging can be found at the Tingsryd Resort where housekeeping cabins are available. The surrounding area has rentals via Air B&B listed.
October 2023
Nancy Gossell, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is not letting grass grow underneath her as she takes full advantage of an open calendar and her long held interest in Swedish weaving. She has strong Nordic roots, learning and working in Norway as a young adult. From her 30s on she and her family visited many of her mother’s cousins in southern Sweden where she saw the magic in community based Vävstugor.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
I happily studied weaving at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, in the 1980s. I had no idea what a long interruption my fiber work would have as I started my career as a Red Wing High School art instructor. I took a refresher warping class in 2012, but still my weaving stood still. In the meantime I sewed a Beltestakk bunad and started to explore band weaving. Frankly, I was surprised I was so rusty.
Peg Hanson’s bunad pieces.
Peg Hansen’s handwoven hairpiece.
During Covid isolation I joined the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group. What an amazing group (even if my first meetings were only on zoom)! The conversations were familiar, but my skills weren’t there anymore. When group member Melba Granlund planned a post-pandemic trip to Norway for a week of study in Bergen with Ingebjørg Mønsen this year, I cast my doubts aside and signed up. What a great decision!
All of the participants seemed to already know so much. I was open to learning whatever I could, so I went with the flow. I did a dreiel sample and really enjoyed it. But then, it appeared that nobody wanted to weave on the blanket warp so Ingebjørg assigned me. This would be totally new to me and I assumed I would weave a sample and be on to another loom. Ingebjørg had other ideas. Periodically I would say I was ready to move on, but each day she would say, “Weave more.” On Wednesday I wove until 10 at night and thought surely that one meter was enough. Oh, no…I ended up returning to the hotel at 2 AM! Ingebjørg stayed with me until I had a complete blanket – in just 4 days – complete with unweaving many times.
My finished Norwegian wool (Ask) twill blanket is 157×135 cm plus a beautiful fringe.
I think that Ingebjørg could sense that, as an eager learner, I had pulled many all-nighters in the past with art projects I found irresistible. I am incredibly happy that I can wrap up in my wonderful Norwegian experience on this side of the Atlantic.
Peg Hansen, October 2023
Peg Hansen, From Red Wing, Minnesota, has been working with fiber for over fifty years. She learned to sew on her own in the eighth grade, in order to make clothing to fit her tall frame. Her first degree was in Home Economics. Since retiring from teaching in 2010, Peg has concentrated on fiber pursuits, with increasing attention to Norwegian textiles. She is happy to be at her loom again, after a hiatus since her study in the 1980s, and enjoys projects with colleagues through the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Translated with permission from the website of NRK Vestfold og Telemark; Published August 27, 2023; updated August 31, 2023. See the original here.
Mette-Marit became a pupil – now there are full courses and waiting lists
A new world opened up for Crown Princess Mette-Marit when she discovered weaving.Now interest for the hand craft is growing, including among young people.
Teacher and pupil: Eli Wendelbo at Raulandsakademiet is one of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s weaving teachers. Photo: Gry Eirin Skjelbred/NRK
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has become a passionate weaver in the past few years. This has influenced many people to pay attention to this handcraft, says Ingrid Hamberg, who is in charge of the classes offered at Raulandsakademiet [The Rauland Academy, Telemark] . The Crown Princess has attended classes several times there for her new hobby.
Place of honor in the palace office
Her great interest in weaving originated about three years ago.The Crown Princess has spoken publicly about her new passion several times, most recently in a long NRK interview made in connection with her 50th birthday on August 19 (2023).
There she proudly displayed a work that has recently been given a place of honor in her office at the palace; a large and colorful telemarksteppe [overshot technique with threading pattern associated with Telemark tradition] which she wove together with her teachers in Rauland. “I got it home and thought goodness, that has to hang in here, it is as if it’s made for this room,” the Crown Princess said in the interview.
The tapestry has been given a place of honor in her office at the palace. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes/NRK
Interest is growing
In March, the Crown Prince and Princess were on an official visit to Rauland, to visit Raulandsakademiet in particular and the division of the university which is located in the same building. “This is your great passion now, it certainly is,” said Crown Prince Haakon about his wife’s weaving during the visit.
After the royal visit, course director Ingrid Hamberg noticed that interest [in weaving] is growing. “We are in the midst of a great weaving wave, where we are seeing that many, including the Crown Princess, are finding their way to the loom.”
Since the royal visit to Rauland in March there have been full classes and waiting lists for all the weaving courses.
“This year there have been many newcomers, people who have not taken classes here before.Many have discovered that they can come here to learn.We could call that a Mette-Marit effect,” says Hamberg.
And on the same weekend that the 50th birthday program was broadcast, some emails rolled in from people who were thinking of pursuing the same weaving education as Norway’s future queen.
Eli Wendelbo and Ingrid Hamberg in the weaving studio at Raulandsakademiet. Photo: Håkon Lie/NRK
Younger and inexperienced people showing interest
Weaving courses are among the most popular courses offered through Norges Husflidslag [Norwegian Handcraft Association], says Tone Sjåstad, who is the communications advisor in the association.
Though weaving has long been popular in certain circles, she sees a change now. “We see that many younger people, who have not previously been engaged in hand craft, now showing an interest for weaving and signing up for classes.It could have something to do with the Crown Princess,” says Sjåstad.
Praise for the weaving community
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has stressed how wonderful it is to be in a community of craftspeople, as during the official visit in Rauland. “There is so much exchange of knowledge in the way they work together.Weavers are lovely people,” the Crown Princess then boasted.
Tone Sjåstad, Norges husflidslag Photo: Ola Dybendahl
Sjåstad believes this is significant. “People have noticed that this is also such a social experience,” she says.
Now Norges Husflidslag hopes for even more of the Mette-Marit effect. “I hope this great interest also leads to more people choosing this as a vocational path, that they will pursue it as a livelihood,” says Sjåstad.
The weaving education in Rauland is a series of courses arranged by Norges Husflidslag and the Association for Cultural and Traditional Education. In addition there are shorter and longer weaving classes offered by local hand craft leagues throughout Norway.
[Editor’s note: The article included a short video of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess visiting Raulandsakademiet in Vinje, and weaving. See the video clip in the original article.]
October 2023
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you!
Tusen takk!
By Lea Lovelace, Director of Folk Art Education, Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum
If you would have interviewed me about online folk art programs eight months ago, I would have told you that I did not like the idea. Vesterheim’s Folk Art School mission is to bring people together in community and to share in the healing power of handcraft, inspired by our amazing collection. I’ve been quoted saying that “Folk Art is about putting our screens down, connecting our hearts with our hands, and sharing in the magic of making together.” However, when Covid-19 hit, we quickly realized that the only way forward was to embrace our screens. After we stopped mourning all we could not offer and do, we found creativity, inspiration, and new audiences through digital platforms. We abandoned the idea that folk art education could only be served in ways that we knew, through in-person instruction. Words like “pivot,” “pilot'” and “zooming,” as well as phrases like “being nimble,” found their way into our everyday vernacular. We were fortunate to receive funding to help us try new things and we were supported by our beloved instructors, who were willing to rethink teaching, learning, and connecting through virtual experiences.
An online class on plantefarging (natural dyeing) sold out quickly.
In just a few months’ time and over sixty online programs later, we have shifted our mindset about what outreach looks like and have discovered just how unexpectedly warm and engaging digital platforms can be. Someday we will welcome people back to campus with Norwegian treats to share and learn with us, but we also see online programs as a new arm of the Folk Art School, not just as a temporary measure during the pandemic. We have created a new position dedicated to Digital Learning and Outreach (Hooray for Josh Torkelson!) and our online classes, Bokprats (book talks), Family Adventures, Folk Art Conversation Webinars, and Collections Connections have reached friends new and old all over the country and all over the world. Comparing online class experiences with in-person class experiences is like comparing apples to oranges. They’re both unique and have a lot to offer. Here is what we like about our new online programs:
Uplifting our Master Artists, Providing Access to the Collection
Since the start of our digital work we’ve offered several programs to connect past folk art class participants to our master folk-art instructors whom they might have missed taking classes from during this time. In one example, our Collection Connections series, Vesterheim Gold Medalists Laura Demuth and Jan Mostrom shared some of their favorite weavings from the collection in an informal presentation over the lunch hour. They highlighted history and techniques used and how these objects have inspired their own work. Programs such as these uplift our folk art instructors and our collection, and also provide greater access to students for whom it might be difficult to visit Vesterheim, even in normal circumstances. These classes and events provide a warm small group sense of community where participants can share things they are working on and connect with other weavers both near and far.
In a Collection Connection talk, Jan Mostrom discussed four of her favorite Vesterheim weavings, including this rutevev.
New Instructors, New Kinds of Classes
Our digital platform provides opportunities to feature new instructors and offer more introductory level classes which provide an entry point for new learners to try their hand at Folk Art. For these classes, we provide kits that are shipped to participant homes with all the items needed to have a successful experience (including a Norwegian chocolate bar – a most essential item!). These online programs have allowed us to engage new instructors and new students living far away from Vesterheim for whom both the travel distance and the nature of a short class might be hard to justify. Being able to offer a greater number of beginner courses online will also allow us to differentiate and provide more speciality in-person classes. In this way, our online programs support our in-person offerings.
New Audiences
The author in her new role as online host.
Recently, I hosted an online “Beginning Rosemaling” class and had fifteen participants, representing 12 different states (including someone from Alaska!). There were men, women, a grad school student, and a new grandmother. This is what online classes look like at Vesterheim. In another event, when Robbie LaFleur was featured in an evening Zoom Webinar conversation on Lila Nelson’s weavings, we had hundreds of people in attendance including folks from Canada, Northern Ireland, and Norway. In one of our smaller and cozier events, Kate Martinson’s recent Collection Connection on knitted mittens, we gathered non-textile producing Vesterheim Gold Medalists, a homeschooling high schooler, and even a graduate student from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Part of our job is to facilitate the intergenerational transmission of these rich folk art traditions and we are excited about the ways in which digital programming facilitates this.
Increased Access
It is so great to see familiar faces as we convene a program, but it is also exciting to see new folks because of the greater accessibility of online programs. Vesterheim Gold Medalist Rosemaler Patti Goke said it first and others have since echoed her statement. “I love the accessibility of online classes. I have wanted to try so many other folk art traditions for so long, but I couldn’t justify investing the time or the cost in trying onsite classes in other disciplines, as I needed to prioritize taking Rosemaling classes. Now with online classes I can try something new and see if I want to return to Vesterheim to take a more intensive class in-person.” We are seeing weavers trying tinsmithing and woodcarving online for the first time. Perhaps there is a pandemic inspired freedom in exploring similar design elements but through a different material. After all that is what art is about– exploring, creative problem solving, and negotiating history and the world around us in new inspiring ways.
Fostering Community, Having Fun
Online programs can be warm and build community? Yes they can! During my time hosting these programs, I’ve witnessed some wonderful things. A college student joined her mother from across the country while attending a jewelry class together to celebrate their Norwegian heritage. We’ve seen folks give each other a thumbs up emoji for sharing their first attempts at band-weaving and laughing over the lessons they learned during the class. We’ve seen a group of 50 raise a glass of wine to one another during a monthly Bokprat (book club featuring books by Scandinavian authors). Even our largest events, the free Folk Art Conversation Webinars foster community as we see people greeting friends on the chat feature and offering comments to one another. I’ve seen dogs and cats and kids climb onto participant laps during a class, which may feel embarrassing but really just makes for a warm, authentic experience. (I’ve certainly had my own share of zoom moments with my furry coworkers ever present by my side). In one of my favorite moments, on Halloween Weekend during a Sami Mitten Class, the students had an impromptu costume contest. Instructor Laura Ricketts switched out her hat each time the camera panned back to her and a participant surprised Vesterheim host, Josh Torkelson, by dressing up as him, resulting in all kinds of spontaneous laughter.
Where does Laura Ricketts get all her hats? Photo: Josh Torkelson
Digital programs have humanized us all and reminded us that we are in this together, negotiating this pandemic, and finding some silver linings along the way. We have learned new things, had fun, met new friends along the way, and we are building a community in these tough times. This is what learning at Vesterheim is all about: sharing stories and experiences, bringing people together from all corners of the country and beyond, making connections to our collection, our history, and our folk artists, and perhaps even finding a passion for folk art for years to come.
Lea Lovelace, Director of Folk Art Education, brings over twelve years of museum education experience to the position and twenty years of experience in visual arts programming. Prior to her start at Vesterheim in 2018, she developed school and teacher programs for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, as Manager of School Programs. Most recently, she served for seven years as adjunct faculty at Luther College teaching and developing curriculum for the Art Education program, often leading study abroad courses related to museum studies. She was awarded Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator by Art Educators of Iowa in 2017. In 2008 Lovelace co-founded ArtHaus, a not-for-profit center for visual, performing and literary arts for all ages located in Decorah, IA.
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, has offered weaving classes since Lila Nelson, former Curator of Textiles, taught her first class in 1970. Appropriately, the weaving studio is named after Lila. That means that 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Norwegian weaving education at the Museum and Folk Art School.
In addition to American teachers steeped in Norwegian techniques, instructors from Norway are on the roster nearly every year. The first Norwegian instructor in 1978 was Elsa Eikås Bjerck, and the most recent instructor was Marta Kløve Juuhl in 2018. Marta’s 2013 classes in warp-weighted loom weaving were so popular that she returned in 2018 to teach another set of students. Marta is likely responsible for the building of many warp-weighted looms since her classes. In particular, Melba Granlund from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has become very proficient and is teaching warp-weighted loom classes at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and the American Swedish Institute. Vesterheim Folk Art School has been deeply influential in building a strong base of Scandinavian weaving expertise and interest among American weavers.
Elsa Eikås Bjerck was the first Norwegian instructor to teach weaving at Vesterheim. This piece replicates an early bed pillow from Jølster in Sogn, Norway, in plant-dyed wool on linen. The mittens were done in nålbinding, an ancient looping technique. Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Vesterheim Folk Art School typically offers eight or nine weaving classes each year. Many students return for classes frequently. Besides excellent instructors, students appreciate the museum collection; it’s a special perk to view many historical artifacts woven in the technique you are studying.
This is one of my favorite tapestries from the Vesterheim collection that I show to my Billedvev students. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Students are asked on their evaluation sheets, “What brought you to Vesterheim and what keeps you coming back?“ Many people write a variant of this comment: “the beauty of the museum collections, the buildings, and lovely Decorah.” Decorah is a friendly, walkable town with great restaurants, surrounded by beautiful walking and biking trails.
Weaving is core to the Folk Art School, but other fiber class offerings have been growing. One Norwegian instructor for 2020, Kristi Nilsen, will be teaching a knitting class.
The Nordic Knitting Weekend actually consists of two separate tracks of four classes each. Class offerings that weekend include Introduction to Sámi Knitting, Norwegian Hat, Singlade Balls, Faroese Footlets, Introduction to Norwegian Knitting, and Boat’s Bow—A Sámi Mitten.
Class enrollment for 2020 begins on December 9; visit vesterheim.org for class details, and sign up early!
What are contemporary Norwegian students taught about traditional Norwegian weaving? Let’s peek at the notes from a weaving lecture by Hilde Opedal Nordby, when she taught a weaving course at Rauland Academy in Norway in the spring of 2017. Her original notes appeared on her blog, “Vevportalen: Om tekstiler, vev, håndverk og tradisjonskunst” (The Weaving Portal: On Textiles, Weaving, Handwork, and Traditional Arts), and she graciously agreed to posting an English version in The Norwegian Textile Letter.Reading her notes will make you wish you were there for the whole lecture and discussion.Translation by Robbie LaFleur and Lisa Torvik.
Studies in Culture and Tradition Lecture #1: Traditional Weaving
By Hilde Opedal Nordby
Weaving Course Module 5–Traditional Weaving
Rutevev, unknown origin
This lecture will not go in depth, but point out some local variations. It is taken from the weaving draft booklets we will use in the course.
Some questions come to mind when working with traditional weaving: how should you weave based on old pieces–reconstruct them, re-create them, or create something new? Use copying as a work method? Is it a utilitarian weaving or decorative? We have different ways of using things because we live in another time. Weaving has moved from the bed to the wall.
What is traditional weaving? Why are some coverlet techniques seen as more traditional than others? Tradition is a dynamic concept.
Åkle (Coverlet) Weaving in Norway—Scratching the Surface
Åkle – a woven coverlet used to place on a bed. From the Old Norse áklæði which means bed covering.
Brotkvitlar and brautåkle. “Brot” which means edge or a break, or border–a coverlet that is put together of stripes and borders. Kvitel is used for bedding. Åkle is a catch-all word today (p. 49, Skinveit). Brosse and rugge are other local names–are there more?
Tjukkåkle (thick-åkle)–thick weft-faced coverlets such as ruteåkle (geometric square weave) and krokbragd. The weft is dominant; it covers the entire warp.
Tynnåkle (thin-åkle)–Overshot coverlets woven on a ground of plain weave, such as skillbragd and tavelbragd (monk’s belt). In Vestland they are often used for rituals such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. In Trøndelag they are often sewn to the backside of a skinnfell (sheepskin)–a fellåkle. (p. 34, Skinveit).
Many coverlets are sewn together, and often several techniques are used in one coverlet. Many are woven of two pieces sewn together in the middle. The materials, patterns and colors are related to the area it was made and the environment. Technical improvements, industrialization, aniline dyes and the growing importation of cotton after 1850 allowed for many new variations. New working methods raised the possibility for new techniques, and new colors and materials opened the way for excellent compositions, which in turn gave new expressions to traditions. Easier access to materials and already-spun yarn freed up more time for weaving or other activities.
In discussing composition, were weavers motivated by a fear of blank spaces, or the need to create, or affected by the limits of the weaving technique?
Local variations: what was found where, tendencies.
Vestlandet – Hordaland, Sogn and Fjordane – geometric square weave (rutevev).
Rogaland, Agder-fylkene – square weave (rutevev) Buskerud – krokbragd (single and double), square weave (rutevev), skillbragd. Sør-Trøndelag – skillbragd, tavlebragd, fellåklær, doubleweave, saumaåkle Telemark – skillbragd
Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag and generally along the west coast – båtryer (boat ryas)
Vestfold – Vestfold technique (vestfoldtepper/vestfoldsmett), blokkvev
Inlay and Interlock Techniques
In these weavings, the pattern is plucked or laid in by hand, between the ground weave. The binding is either a weft-faced weave where the laid-in weft completely covers the warp, or a binding with a ground weave where the pattern threads are laid in on top of an open or tightly-woven plain weave ground.
Kelim
With kelim you weave in separate yarn butterflies in the warp without interlocking them. Small openings grow between the colors and the weaving hangs together by shifting the pattern sideways. The front and back are the same. (p. 108, Zetterman)
The technique is little used for coverlets in Norway, but was used for narrow bands in Telemark, saumabelte.
Swedish Scanian rölakan has double interlocks, and there is a right and wrong side. Norwegian rutevev is a single interlock technique and is the same on both sides. (p. 108, Zetterström). Rölakan is woven in two ways. Either you interlock the colors with each shot (double interlock) or interlock on every other shot (single interlock). The double interlock creates a right side and a wrong side, where there are raised ridges along the color changes. That type is especially used in Skåne and is called skånsk rölakan. The single interlock technique creates a reversible weaving, and is called norsk rölakan by Ulla Cyrus-Zetterström in her textbook on weaving.
In rutevev butterflies are used to weave over a specific number of warp threads to result in squares, on an open shed with two shafts, and is woven wrong-side-up. It can be woven on an warp-weighted loom, an upright loom or a floor loom. On a floor loom it’s easy to get a distorted perspective and weave flattened squares; measure carefully. The ends per inch in the reed must be suitable to the weft yarn and the tightness; the weft should cover the warp completely. While weaving the yarn end is laid under a warp thread to secure it and is clipped off with 1 centimeter remaining on the wrong side (with double-interlock). The weft is laid in with even bubbles and beaten in the closed shed, after changing sheds. (Zetterstöm).
In Hardanger the coverlets are called dokkåkle, or doll coverlets after the yarn-dolls (butterflies) they are woven with. In Sunnhordaland it’s called inlay-coverlet (smettåkle). Ruteåkle, or square-weave coverlet, is the general name for the technique and tells us that the pattern is composed of squares. These coverlets have had high status.
In Hardanger double-interlock is used the most, which means that the weaver interlocks the weft in both directions. With double-interlock the joins appear as vertical ribs on the wrong side. The coverlets are thicker and the right side is smoother than with single interlock, where the interlock join is woven when weaving in only one direction. The single interlock lies between the warp threads and the coverlet looks the same on both sides.
In Hardanger square-weave coverlets are characterized by small squares and patterns. Typical weavings sold by traveling peddlers were the so-called “hardangeråkle.” Square-weave coverlets from Sogn had larger squares and patterns. In communities in Agder rhombuses dominated.
Left: from Ullensvang, Kinsarvik, purchased 1895. Center: Sogn og Fjordane, Førde, purchased 1895. Right: Vest-Agder, Lindesnes, purchased 1896
Hotel Ullensvang in Lofthus (in the Hardanger region of Hordaland county) has a number of old coverlets hanging on its walls.
“Solstol”, Hilde Opedal Nordby
“Solstol”, by Hilde Opedal Nordby, shows rutevev used in a contemporary way.
References: p. 106-107 Skintveit, p. 108-109 Zetterström
HV-technique
Handarbetets Vänners technique (Handarbetets Vänners is the Swedish Handcraft association) is a simplified rölakan/billedvevsteknikk (tapestry technique) where the pattern is laid in in certain sections, while the ground weave is woven with a shuttle. The ground is a tight weft-based plain weave and the inlay thread is in the same shed is the ground weave. Weaving shifts between two inlay shots and two ground shots. (See diagram.) (p. 117, Zetterström).
MMF-teknikk
Märta Måås-Fjetterströms-technique (MMF) is woven in plain weave. The inlay pattern and the base weft are woven in the same shed. It is used mostly for decorative weavings–draperies, curtains, and wall hangings.
Vestfoldsmett (Norway) – Krabbasnår (Sweden)
Krabbasnår is a much-used technique in Sweden. Patterns placed with much space between them are typical for Norrland, and used extensively in Gästrikland og Hälsingland. In southern Sweden, however, the patterns are set so closely that the ground weave almost disappears. It is reminiscent of smøyg (a form of embroidery), with similar pattern elements.
Krabbasnår from Skåne
Krabbasnår from Småland
Krabbasnår from Dalarna
Nøtterøyteppe
In Norway the technique is especially known in Vestfold and has pattern elements tightly or more loosely placed, always in borders, with unusual and varied patterns. It is not widespread, with just coverlets from Vestfold and one in Telemark, but it pops up in combination with other techniques in other areas of Norway.
Asketeppe
It was a popular technique for runners and pillows in the 1940s and 50s with new patterns and colors.
A runner in new colors and designs
Vestfold inlay is woven with the wrong side up. The pattern threads are plucked on a closed shed under a certain number of warp threads (often 3). Between every pattern thread the ground thread is thrown in plain weave, which gives the colored background for the pattern. The pattern inlay is moved one warp thread diagonally for every inlay. The warp is linen or cotton; the ground is woven with a single strand of wool and the pattern woven with doubled wool yarn. The number of ground shots must be chosen so that the inlay pattern threads are neither too close nor too far from each other, for example two, three or four shots between each pattern inlay. The ends are fastened by laying the yarn end under a warp thread so the fastened end is hidden by the pattern float. 1 centimeter of the thread can remain on the wrong side.
References: p. 216-217 Brodén & Wiklund; p.119 Zetterström
Vestfold Husflid organization research: There were 12 old coverlets found in Vestfold and one from Solum outside of Skien in Telemark. The oldest is dated 1708 and the latest, 1840. The coverlets received their name from the place they were found. Vestfold was on the rise at that time. Andebu, especially, is notable for many coverlets. At this time, many of the large farms in Norway were being divided. These coverlets were special, and not owned by everyday citizens. In comparing the Vestfold coverlets, you see they are all composed of borders of varying sizes, separated by narrow borders in pick-and-pick or small pick-up designs. Many of the borders are symmetrical over a mid-horizontal line.
They were originally used on beds, which were the living area’s finest pieces of furniture. Later they were hung on walls as decoration.
It is not a typical Norwegian technique. The Vestfold area had a lot of contact with foreign countries and little rural culture. Perhaps it was easier to access textiles to purchase? It resembles the Swedish krabbasnår technique that is very common in Sweden, especially Skåne and Norrland. Perhaps Norwegians adapted it to their area?
Teppe fra Skåne in Sweden
Else Poulsson from Husfliden (the handcraft store) in Oslo drew patterns based on coverlets. They were displayed in Stockholm in 1939 at a Nordic handcraft meeting (Nordiske Husflidstinget). They were woven in new colors popular then–rust, green, beige, sheep-black (a deep brownish-black), and gold. It became popular to weave the patterns, often combined with rosepath, in coverlets, runners, and pillows.
Examples of “new” Vestfold designs
Blokkvev (Norway) – halvkrabba (Sweden)
Block-weave draft
Blokkvev (block-weave) was used mostly in combination with other techniques, especially Vestfold. The pattern threads are laid under two warp threads (or 3-4 threads) and shifting to the side is always done over the same number of threads to give a checkerboard pattern. Each square has the same number of pattern threads. Block-weave is usually woven from the back, and the pattern shed is picked. One or two ground shots are woven between each pattern shot, and enough pattern shots should be woven to made the design square.
References: p. 216-217 Brodén & Wiklund; p.119 Zetterström
Sjonbragd (Norway) – Dukagång (Sweden)
The pattern is characterized by lines along the warp direction. The pattern threads always float over the same number of warp threads, bound by an even space between. Common divisions are over two and under one warp thread, or over three and under one warp thread as in the example below. In the first instance you thread 1,2,3,2,1,4. Here it is shown with the right side up.
Left: over two threads, under one; right: over three threads, under one
Sjonbragd is woven with the back side up so that when the pattern weft is picked in different colors, it is easier to manage the butterflies. If the pattern weft is woven in the same color across the whole width, the pattern weft can be inserted with a shuttle and can be woven right side up.
In Sweden the technique is most used in Skåne and nearby areas. It has been used in decorative weavings, combined with other techniques in clothing fabric, and woven in both wool and linen.
References: p. 119-120 Zetterström; p. 241 Brodén & Wiklund
Pile Weaves – båtryer og andre ryer
From the book Båtrya i gammel og ny tid (Boat Ryas in the Past and Present), by Ellen Kjellmo, Orkana forlag, 1996.
To the highest degree, the båtrya was a practical item and served its purpose–to keep fishermen warm in cold and wet conditions. Important characteristics were insulation, ventilation, humidity-absorbing abilities, suppleness, and elasticity. The båtrya acted like a sheepskin, which was the common coverlet inland–but a sheepskin would become stiff and heavy when wet.
Ryas are known from various parts of Norway back to 1500. Ryas from inland were used as bed coverings or in sleds. In Nord-Norge (Northern Norway) ryas were commonly used as equipments in boats, fisherman’s shanties, and beds. They were especially found in the Lofoten islands, Vesterålen, as well as the coast of Helgeland (more richly decorated the farther south you go). Ryas lost their popularity around 1900. Aside from one rya from the Grytøya community, there are no known preserved ryas from Troms or Finnmark–probably because most were lost during the Second World War (p. 22, Kjellmo).
A single båtrye could weigh up to 1 vog, or 17.95 kilos (almost 44 pounds). They were from 130-170 centimeters wide (51-67″) and 180-200 centimeters long (71-79″). Two or more woven strips were sewn together.
The smooth side was often woven with symmetrical stripes or squares. The knots were not visible on the smooth side, to protect the backs of the knots from wear. They were woven in three- or four-shaft warp-faced twill. The warp was quite closely set, with 50-90 threads per ten centimeters (approximately 12-22 ends per inch), depending on the thickness of the yarn. The warp yarn needed to be strong, even, and smooth, often left-twisted yarn, always two- or three-ply. It was spun of the guard hair of the wild sheep (utegangersau). The under hair was used for the knots. The weft is spun from the coarser hair of the belly and leg. It could have been twisted in the opposite direction of the warp yarn, but most often the warp and the weft were both left-twisted. The weft was not packed so hard, from 3-6 shots per centimeter (approximately 7-15 shots per inch). (pages 62-77, Kjellmo)
The pile side is the “noppasiden.” The pile length varied from 5-9 centimeters (approximately 2-3.6″). The pile side was meant as the back side and was often without pattern. The wool pile yarn was often supplemented with rag strips. It varied between 1-2 centimeters (.4-.8″) between each knot. The pile was cut beforehand in double lengths, often with the use of a “noppakjevle” (a “noppa-pin,” or rolling-pin sort of implement).
Knots are tied on an open shed.
The knot is the Smyrna knot or the gjordes knot, known from Turkish, Caucasian, and some Persian rugs. It is tight and is not visible on the back side. It was the most often used knot in Norway and in båtryer. It can be knotted with short ends or with one strand over a ruler.
The Senné knot is used in central and east-Asian, in Egyptian and in Persian rugs. This knot is easier to pull out and the back of the knot is not completely hidden on the smooth side.
The Berber knot, or soumac, is a variation of the smyrna knot. It gives a rougher look. (page 101, Kjellmo).
Pile has been used in many decorative textiles, different from the båtrya’s useful and practical function.
Pile was used in combination with knitting and as edging of various garments.
References: p. 106-107 Skintveit; p. 108-109 Zetterström
Taatit
Rugs from Shetland use a coarse base where the pile is sewn on after weaving, to free up the loom for other projects and to give more freedom in designing patterns afterwards. (VÄV, Number 4, 2016, pages 27-29).
Noppväv, or chenille, became common during the 1800s in Sweden, along with the increasing availability of cotton. Cotton was especially suited to nopp-technique. The technique is known back to ancient Egypt. It was especially common in the western Swedish areas, where the access to cotton was good through the cotton mills both in Uddevalla and Göteborg.
Left: Skirt from the mid-1800s. https://digitaltmuseum.se/011024287337/kjol
It was less known in Norway; it was a newer city phenomenon, with examples like pillow covers from the collections of Husfliden in Oslo.
It was also a traditional technique in Sardinia, called “pibiones” which means grapes. It was used for interior textiles such as pillow covers, tablecloths and curtains, and it is still woven today.
Shuttled Techniques
Gammelbragd
Gammelbragd (“old-weave”) is a combination of pick-and-pick and other picked techniques. In galmmelbragd the patterns are picked over two, three or four warp threads, with the remaining warp threads used as the tie-down. It is often combined with pick-and-pick and you can achieve many interesting color effects.
Synnøve Erdal from Ålesund analyzed a fire-damaged cradle blanket from Norddal in Sunnmøre. The warp-weighted loom continued to be used in Sunnmøre longer than in many areas; coverlets have a “third selvedge” on the upper edge where it was attached to the loom.
Monk’s belt, or tavlebragd, is a simple and easily-executed weave structure woven with four shafts and treadles. The pattern is woven with a shuttle or picked so that the pattern weft floats freely over and under the ground weave. There are no binding threads, so the floats can’t be too long. The ground weave is most often plain weave in linen or wool. Tavlebragd is always threaded in at least two sections and creates a stacked pattern. Each stack consists of several pattern shots with the same treadle, always with one or two ground shots between.
In Sweden the technique is called uppämta and has several place-specific names such as Smålandsvev, Västgötateppe, Morateppe, and Åsedaväv.
Well-known examples in Norway are telemarksksteppe and nordlandsåkle, along with åmotsdalsåkle (in Sør-Trøndelag). Skillbragd is common throughout Norway. It is often been used in religious contexts such as baptism, bridal coverlets, and coffin covers. This is reflected in descriptions such as kristnaåkle (christening blanket) og likåkle (funeral cover). These items were well-cared for and not in daily use– perhaps that is why we find so many well-preserved skillbragd coverlets today?
Skillbragd is a group name for weave structures of plain weave ground with pattern shots with floats, most often across the entire width. Inlay can also be used to include several colors in the same width. It is common to have six distinct pattern shots, and correspondingly, 6-8 pattern harnesses.
It was originally woven with pick-up. The ground weave is created by straight threading on four harnesses and a plain weave treadling, and that explains the name skillbragd (shed-weave), because the pattern was picked. The pattern is picked up on half-heddle sticks that are raised behind the plain weave harnesses. This variant gives the greatest design freedom, but is very time-consuming. The pattern is built up of mirrored borders.
Looms with Horses and Pulleys:
It is important to have a loom deep enough to accommodate both sets of shafts and with room between the two sets. The ground weave shafts for plain weave are hung farthest back. The ground weave shafts are tied up [in countermarch] at normal height with the warp threads resting at the bottom of the heddle eye.The pattern shafts are hung 20 cm (8 in) in front. Tthe pattern shafts hang in elastic bands at a height that places the warp threads in the upper end of the heddle eyes, in order to obtain a clear shed as pattern shafts are treadled. It is easiest to weave if the plain weave treadles are placed in the center so the plain weave shafts are well-balanced without lams as those shafts are tied directly to the treadles. The pattern treadles are tied one by one through a corresponding lam and to the shafts.
How is the pattern read and threaded?
The plain weave is threaded with one thread in the each heddle on two shafts.
The pattern is threaded in heddles with long eyes (the warp is threaded under the eye of the heddle with common heddles) on four shafts, with 2-4 threads in each heddle depending on the pattern. On the pattern shafts you thread the warps that create the pattern. You have the right side up.
Each pattern square is one pattern shot (of 2-4 threads). An empty square = no heddle; the thread passes the respective shaft. A filled square = threading a thread pair per pattern heddle and respective shaft.
Weave with narrow shuttles and many spools.
Rosepath — Single rosepath or bound rosepath
Rosebragd is known for a wide variation of both pattern and color. The pattern is often improvised so that the weaving is different from the start to finish. It is also woven with borders in plain weave of weft-faced sections between.
Rosebragd is called rosengång in Sweden and is one of the most common decorative weaves. Perhaps that’s why it is sometimes called svenskåkle, or Swedish åkle, in Norway? It is a common and popular technique that is often used in teaching and home weaving of practical textiles here in Norway.
Rosebragd is woven in two variations; as a weft-faced boundweave or as a pattern that floats on a plain weave background.
Single rosepath (Norwegian: rosebragd, Swedish: rosengång) is a shifting weft-faced weave where the even-numbered weft shots always bind the opposite warp threads of the odd-numbered weft shots. The same combination [of weft shots] is often repeated several times before the weft-faced pattern shifts.The shuttles are thrown around each other to secure the edges.In a weft-faced weave the warp threads lie unbound inside the pattern and the weft can slide on the warp. Picks on the opposite warp threads can therefore be replaced by a weft shot in plain weave, thereby achieving a tighter woven fabric; Zetterström calls this a ”twill on a plainweave ground.” In Sweden they also have a variant of rosepath which is called “bound rosepath,” and is similar to the Norwegian krokbragd technique.
References: p. 33-37 Zetterström; p. 46-47 Skintveit
Krokbragd
Krokbragd or krokåkle is one of the most popular coverlet techniques, with an unbroken weaving tradition up to today (page 59, Skinveit). The technique has been common over large areas of the country for practical textiles such as bed coverings, coverlets for sleighs, and in rocking chairs; many bear signs of wear and use. Today it is common to have krokbragd in the entire weaving, but in older traditions krokbragd was used as borders in combination with two-shaft pattern techniques from gammelbragd, and woven with warp-weighted looms. Krokbragd is also called tjukkåkle (thick coverlet), because they are thick due to using at least three shots to cover the warp in each row.
Krokbragd is a weft-faced weave where the weft covers the warp and it is the color changes that create the pattern. The pattern is dominated by small squares and zig-zag borders in uncountable combinations. Krokbragd is threaded on three or four shafts. The relationship among the warp, weft, and yarn quality must be correct. The weft will too easily slide or shift if the warp is too open. It can be smart to use doubled warp threads.
In Sweden there is a technique called bunden rosengång (bound rosepath); in Norway the technique is called krokbragd with rosepath threading (V-point threading) because it is woven in the same method as krokbragd, but always on four shafts and the V-point threading. It is called losningteppe in Åmli.
“Svenskbunden” krokbragd fra Brekkebygd i Sør-Trøndelag, vevd i 1940. Bunden rosengång eller krokbragd med rosebragd-hovling.
How do we use traditional weaving today?
Copying and reconstruction
Decorative work and commissions
Inspiration for your own work, new creations and new development
Berit Overgaard weaves rutevev hangings with plastic bags, with political undertones.
Hilde Opedal Nordby is an Norwegian textile artist working with traditional weaving techniques, as well as contemporary and digital weaving. She is based in Sundsvall in Sweden and is working as a teacher in the weaving department at Sätergläntan Institute of Crafts in Insjön, Sweden. She also has her own company offering courses and weaving services as well as hand woven textiles such as interior textiles and textiles for clothing.
See also Norby’s previous article for the Norwegian Textile Letter, “Women Weaving Women,” in the August 2018 issue.
For those of us fortunate enough to have traveled on some of the Vesterheim Textile Tours, we have been blessed by seeing and learning about the rich textile heritage of all the Nordic countries. We have marveled at, and been enriched by, the beauty of both historic and contemporary pieces seen in museums and artists’ studios — works of art created by old masters and new artists alike. We have also seen the tools and learned about the processes and techniques used to create some of these beautiful pieces.
Personally, I can’t get enough of the older pieces — those that were crafted using rudimentary tools like the warp-weighted loom, made before the invention of machines or mass production which eliminate the human component. I marvel at the skill of the weavers, some of whom wove with little or no light, using yarn the weaver first handspun with a drop spindle and then colored with natural dyes. Despite the fact that it would take several hundreds of hours to 1) grow the flax, process the flax, spin the flax into linen thread for weaving and then weave it, or 2) raise the sheep, clip the wool, wash the wool, card the wool, spin the wool, dye the wool and then weave cloth, these textiles were not only created for function, but were also beautiful. Threads and yarns dyed with woad blue or madder red in various weave structures (typically different types of twill) were common. Despite their simplicity, these looms allowed weavers to explore a variety of weave structures.
Warp-weighted loom history
While I have dabbled in many types of weaving, spinning and dyeing, my attention has been focused more recently on the warp-weighted loom and its use before, during and since the Viking era. This is perhaps due in part to my increased interest in history but probably also because I have recently begun playing a Viking age weaver in reenactment group settings and needed to construct hand-sewn garments of linen and woolen twill. This got me thinking more about how people would have actually done that, back in the day. A great example was that seen last summer at Sanglandet, the Iron Age, Stone Age, Viking Age and 19th century living history museum in Lejre, Denmark. In their Textile building we saw replications of period clothing made from cloth woven on the vertical and the warp weighted looms similar to those used during the Stone and Iron Ages. Outside the textile building, the dyer tended plants she was growing for extracting natural pigments to dye woolen yarn for weaving. Hanks of hand dyed yarn hung outside the front door of the building to show all the possibilities. She went into great detail about how she had developed different colors of red from the madder plant roots or blues from the leaves of the woad plant simply by adjusting the pH level either by the type of water she used or adding an acid like vinegar or an alkali like wood ashes. Inside the building we had seen the naturally dyed wool on both the warp weighted and the vertical loom. (See also: “Sagnlandet Lejre: Land of Legends (and Textiles”)
In the Viking era, warp-weighted looms were used to not only weave linen cloth for clothing, but woolen cloth for Viking sails and woolen vadmal (woolen twill) fabric used as trade goods or as currency to pay taxes or tithes to the church. Some think that the reason the Vikings took so many slaves as they conquered new territories was so there were enough people to care for all the sheep needed to produce enough wool and then to spin and weave all the wool needed to make sails for the large Viking ships (some estimate it took the fleece of 700 sheep to make one sail). Besides that, there were a lot of people to clothe, so woven cloth was required. The loom was also used to weave rya and the varafeldur (translated: “fur product”), which was for about 200 years the most traded commodity between the Vikings in Iceland and those in Norway. At the same time, the loom was also used to create pictorial weavings like that of the Överhogdal tapestries woven between 800-1100 AD.
Innovative modern loom weights
Coming to understand the importance of how much this loom played a part of everyday life for thousands of years, and for tens and hundreds of thousands of people, has really struck home. Weavers played an extremely vital role in keeping people clothed and fed and out of pauper’s prison. That’s why so many loom weights are found at archeological dig sites. Earliest evidence of the loom dates back to 7,000 B.C. in Jericho, Palestine, where loom weights were discovered lying in two distinct rows alongside of what had been the wall of a dwelling. Although the wooden parts of the loom had long since disappeared, the loom weights had not. As people of the Stone Age migrated north they brought the sheep and the warp-weighted loom with them. It reached Scandinavia around 300 A.D.
Designing a warp-weighted loom class
When I first learned how to weave on the loom, I knew I wanted to do more with this type of loom, and now I have. The prospect of teaching warp-weighted loom weaving came along with an idea I had about developing a curriculum for the Weavers Guild which would delve more deeply into historic textiles and how they were made. By using old looms and other handcraft tools, students would have an opportunity to experience a kinship to ancient weavers, spinners and dyers by carrying forward these older, traditional techniques. I shared the idea with two friends at the guild — fellow spinners and dyers — and it was settled. We would develop a program of classes and activities surrounding historical textile production, using only the tools and materials available prior to the Industrial Age. We dubbed ourselves “the ditch weeds and sticks committee” after a story one of them told a spinning student when the student complained she could not afford to buy a new spinning wheel. My friend’s reply was that she could teach her to spin using only ditch weeds (nettles) and sticks. Hence, the name. The idea was launched.
We met several times to discuss all the different avenues of exploration we could investigate. As the weaver in the group, I focused on weaving. The warp-weighted loom was an obvious choice. The only looms I knew of were at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. We needed our own, so my next hurdle was to have some looms made. Many hours of research on line and countless emails and conversations later, structural plans were developed, and a very kind and skillful woodworker was identified. He agreed to make the looms, and even volunteered his time. He did so in honor of his wife, whom he said loved to spend time at the guild and who wanted to learn how to weave on this type of loom. All we needed to do was to pay for the materials. Deal. Done.
A few short months later, the looms were finished and we were ready — classes could begin. I’m happy to say the first class has just finished. The first group of brave souls (four women and two men) included a first-time weaver and some who had taken a small number of weaving classes — a perfect blend of skill levels and interests to try out the “new” looms. Some used purchased commercial yarn and others their handspun.
The first class was an exploration of the weaving tradition of the Sami peoples. Students were challenged to learn how to set up the loom and weave a small Sami blanket or rug. Here are some students with work in progress.
While they were weaving, we talked about the history and provenance of the loom and I read them Njal’s Saga. While very graphic, it gives you insight as to the mystery of how the loom and weaving on it was perceived in ancient times.
“See! warp is stretched
For warriors’ fall,
Lo! weft in loom
‘Tis wet with blood;
Now fight foreboding,
‘Neath friends’ swift fingers,
Our grey woof waxeth
With war’s alarms,
Our warp bloodred,
Our weft corseblue.*
“This woof is y-woven
With entrails of men,
This warp is hardweighted
With heads of the slain,
Spears blood-besprinkled
For spindles we use,
Our loom ironbound,
And arrows our reels;
With swords for our shuttles
This war-woof we work;
So weave we, weird sisters,
Our warwinning woof.
*The term “corseblue” does not refer to the texture of the wool yarn being “coarse” but instead refers to the fact that “of course” the yarn was blue.
Beth McLaughlin’s stone weights. An ancient tradition set against mid-century modern linoleum.
Reason(s) to take the Warp Weighted Loom class:
Historic technique/technology
Explore the magic of transforming thread into fabric
Comradery
Palatable immersion into weaving
Fabulous instructor
Welcoming/comfortable classroom environment
My initial reason for enrolling in the Warp Weighted Loom class was to explore an ancient and universal weaving method.Okay, and the rocks.Who could you not be intrigued by a fiber processing method that involves rocks?!The second, and equally compelling reason for enrolling is the opportunity to take a class from Melba Granlund.Her knowledge, enthusiasm, quickness to smile, laugh, and answer your questions, and her inexhaustible patience (second only to my own dear mother) encapsulates all the desirable traits of a great instructor.There was no way to lose with this combination./opportunity/class.
Our initial one hour meeting sparked the desire to either step up my spinning game or go shopping for the yarn required for the Sami Grene.With a brief introduction to the history of this type of “primitive” loom and a plethora of references to consult, the six of us were sent on our way. A few weeks later, with around four pounds of yarn in tow, the first class was on a rainy Friday – a great kind of day to spend indoors in a studio filled with light, windows, and inspiration all around (looms, yarn, books, more books, and fiber art on display.)We began the day with a step by step outline and hands on guidance with each step of the process.Loom set-up came first, which required partnering up to handle the wood components of six foot wide loom frames.Next we were given cut lengths of yarn and a small rigid heddle to weave the header which also served to measure the six foot warps.We had two color options for the warp.
Next we lashed our header with warps to the heavy beam.The beam was installed on the loom and we were almost ready to weave.Next came the rocks (or stones, if you prefer).There were buckets full of beautiful, smooth stones from which we selected twenty-two.We carefully tied the warps around the stones.The looms were then ready!
Melba had a wide variety of pattern options to share via hands-on samples and in multiple books.We spent the rest of the day formulating patterns that would work with our individual color choices for wefts and wrestling with selvedges that liked to creep in.For three wonderful days straight in a row we worked away, concentrating, conversing and only occasionally cursing (maybe that was just me) when we had to unweave, noticed the selvedge creep, or had to retie fallen stones.It was like a weaving bender weekend.The time in class flew by.
We, fortunately, were able to leave the looms set up in the room and had access to them throughout the week during the Guild’s hours of operation.It was a delight to arrive late in the afternoon on three different occasions and find fellow classmates weaving away and to marvel at the progress on all the looms.The house elves were clearly busy in this place.
Our last class was the following Saturday.We continued with our pattern explorations and an hour before the end of class we released the stones, unfurled the weaving, and cut the fabric off the looms.The variations in the (almost) finished products were wonderful to witness.While slightly exhausted, I was completely inspired to weave more using this type of loom and this style of weft-faced weaving.Next step, to search for stones!
Wonderful results of the class
The next Sami rug class is scheduled for Nov/Dec 2018. (Check for classes at the website of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.) More classes are being developed for 2019 including a Sampler of Norwegian Coverlet Patterns and a Varafeldur course. If you have a flock of sheep, or know someone who does, weaving a varafeldur is a special treat.
Weaving on the warp-weighted loom is a meditative process. It’s only you and the loom. You learn about the loom’s idiosyncrasies – what works and what doesn’t. It allows a new weaver to get a real grasp of what weaving is all about. As a teacher, my goal is to not only teach the technique, but to do what I can to educate others to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our Nordic handcraft traditions so these skills and crafts are not lost or forgotten. Along with learning the techniques, students learn about the historical and cultural contexts in which the item was originally made. By using the old looms and other handcraft tools, students have an opportunity to experience a kinship to ancient weavers and handcraft artists by being able to carry forward these traditions. If students choose to continue practicing the old, traditional techniques, then I’ve done my job.
Melba Granlund is a Swedish handcraft artist and teacher who focuses on the historical Scandinavian folk arts of weaving, felting, nålbinding, wire jewelry making, spinning, knitting, sewing and embroidery.As a life-long learner, she has received instruction from masters of these handcrafts in the U.S. as well as in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.Melba strives to keep Scandinavian folk art traditions alive by teaching and sharing what she has learned with others. She is an instructor for the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, the Textile Center, and for other organizations and groups on request. She currently serves on the WGM Board of Directors and is a member of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group.
Interest in Scandinavian weaving techniques is strong in the Midwest, and each semester of classes at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota includes at least one with a Nordic focus. Most recently, Jan Mostrom taught a workshop in Swedish Art Weaves to eight enthusiastic students. Jan was one of several Minnesota weavers who studied with Gunvor Johansson at the Swedish Handicrafts Center for Skåne in Landskrona, Sweden, in the summer of 2017. (Read articles about their experiences in the November 2017 issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter.) Their instructor is the author of the newly-translated comprehensive text on Swedish art weaves, Heirlooms of Skåne.
Jan combined instruction and inspiration from that trip with her excellent skills as a weaving instructor to design this class, new to the Weavers Guild, which was described by one student as “exceptional, beyond measure, beyond expectation.”
The sampler included four techniques: halv-krabba, dukagång, krabbsnår, and rölakan (double-interlock square weave), indicated on this sampler by student Deb Reagan. (See all the samplers here.) Jan supplied suggested patterns for each band, and included a special challenge as well–for each student to at least graph out their initials and the date. The first three full days of the class were roughly devoted to the first three techniques, followed by a no-instructor “catch-up day” of weaving for the students.
The last day of class was devoted to weaving a narrow band of rölakan and to discussing finishing techniques. Jan had sewn a prototype pillow to show traditional cushion construction, including the opening where the pillow is inserted. They discussed the Swedish method of making fringe for the edge.
Often, hooks and eyes were used to close the pillow opening; Jan chose bands.
The students who attended the class in Sweden in 2017 were impressed by the methods used to embellish a smaller piece of weaving, like a sampler, with braid, fringes, and tassels to make a festive folk art pillow cover. This is how Melba Granlund, who also attended the course in Sweden, added braid to her 2017 sampler in fine Swedish style.
The class wasn’t merely technical; it was valuable for the enthusiasm and background that Jan imparted. Deb Reagan wrote,
“Four techniques of Swedish Art weaves were presented but Jan went far beyond teaching us these four techniques. She provided us with a history lesson on these weavings, describing what they were used for, what area of Sweden they originated from, and why they were made. While we were weaving she would read to us from her personal library, furthering and deepening our connection with the Skane weavers of the past.”
The students in this class had another unique source of inspiration–the exhibit of Scandinavian weavings owned by Carol Johnson on the walls of their classroom. (See this article.) Several pieces were in Swedish art weave techniques. Weave a sampler today, perhaps this next?
Learning Swedish art weave techniques is challenging, and that was clear by the complete silence in the classroom as students wove intently. In particular, weaving from the back of a piece was new to most students. Keeping the weft pattern bundles in order takes concentration. Students chose yarn colors from a range of Swedish singles Faro yarn supplied by the instructor, a single strand for the plain weave background and three strands for the pattern shots. Some chose to mix shades in the pattern bundles.
Thanks to Jan Mostrom’s commitment to sharing her knowledge of Scandinavian weaving techniques, these traditional Swedish techniques are finding new fans in the Minnesota through the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
Last summer from May 9th through June 7th, four students from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, went on a learning adventure. Alexis Anderson, Kristina Brunson, Rachel Johnson, and Alli Pahl joined me and her daughter Aubrie (a freshman at Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo) for a month-long course in Norway, Craft and Identity. Their experience was celebrated in an exhibit at the Prairie Fiber Arts Center from January 12 – February 16, 2018. The samples they wove during a week-long course at the Osterøy Museum represented traditional åkler (bedspread) designs from Western Norway and varafeldur (Viking cloak). Below are the artist statements written for the exhibit; they demonstrate the meaningful experience of immersive, hands-on craft instruction. As Kristina Brunson wrote, “Sometimes when looking at things, there isn’t a great appreciation for it until you’ve done it yourself. It also means a lot more after putting your own hard work into something.”
The Craft and Identity group (left to right); Aubrie Goldberg, Kristina Brunson, Rachel Johnson, Alli Pahl, Alexis Anderson, and Heidi Goldberg
Alexis Anderson
The most impactful part of the Craft and Identity course for me was the weaving workshop in Osterøy. It was my first time weaving with a warp-weighted loom and I very much enjoyed the whole process. The weaving workshop gave me the opportunity to throw myself into making art. Rarely do I and will I have the chance to truly live and feel like an artist for a week: daily walks to and from the museum, spending hours on end deeply engaged in creation, eating our matpakke in the studio and picking right back up shortly afterwards. This workshop showed me that I have what it takes to dedicate myself to a project that seems intimidating and larger than myself at first, and that I can be an artist in whatever way I choose. The weaving workshop was the most impactful for me because it taught me the most about myself: I can be patient and go with the flow; I can be hard on myself, but I can easily shake my mistakes off, learn from them, and move on; and I can learn a new skill and be successful if I dedicate my energy and time to it. Throughout the four weeks of this course I found myself increasingly noticing the art and beauty that surrounds us all. My eyes have been opened to the art that exists naturally and it has made the world a more colorful place.
Rachel Johnson
I am a Social Studies Education major at Concordia College. While at the Osterøy Museum during the Craft and Identity class, I worked on an åkle weaving on a warp weighted loom. The most challenging part of weaving was the process of setting up the loom. There is a lot of preparation, about a day’s work, to do before one can even start weaving. I really enjoyed picking out traditional patterns from weavings in their collection and using traditional colors in my own small sample piece. My absolute favorite part of our time at the Osterøy Museum was our teachers. Marta and Monika were wonderful, incredibly knowledgeable, and extremely patient.
Alli Pahl
Last May 9th through June 7th, I had the opportunity to attend the Craft and Identity course. The course offered many experiences that we all learned so much from, but one of the biggest learning weeks for me was the week we spent in Osterøy. While in Osterøy we had the opportunity to spend a week at the Hordaland Museum where we learned how to warp and weave on a warp-weighted loom from amazing weavers, Marta and Monika. It was an experience that I will never forget. I had never done any sort of weaving before so it was definitely something new for me, and was much harder to do than I had originally thought. After seeing Marta and Monika’s works along with museum pieces, and in the process of working on a weaving myself, I gained so much respect for weavers and the work they do. It truly was an amazing experience to learn from such talented artists. Not only did they teach us about weaving techniques, but they also talked about the history of these weavings, and they taught us about making and using natural dyes. Throughout the month we spent in Norway, it opened my eyes to so many different types of art forms and techniques. There was so much we learned historically from going to places such as Maihaugen (an open-air museum in Lillehammer), where we got to see the old houses of Norway and learn about how people during lived in previous centuries. Norway is a place filled with art and beautiful scenery, and this was a trip I will never forget.
Kristina Brunson
The Craft and Identity trip was no less than amazing. The experience and culture that was obtained on the trip is something I’ll remember and will forever influence how I look at the world around me. I have also gained a greater appreciation for the skill, effort, and hard work it takes to do things such as weaving. Weaving takes more time and patience than it may look. It took almost a day and half before actually being able to start weaving. While working on the weavings there were a variety of different techniques to learn to get different patterns such as tabby (plain weave), krogbragd (crooked path), and rutevev (square-weave), just to name a few. After learning some of the different patterns it made things go a bit faster but it still took time, which was ok as it gave a perspective of how much work it really takes, even though the weaving is a lot smaller than normal size for the traditional akler (woven bedspread). Sometimes when looking at things, there isn’t a great appreciation for it until you’ve done it yourself. It also means a lot more after putting your own hard work into something. This experience has opened my eyes and changed how I see things and appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to do handcrafts like weaving.
Aubrie Goldberg
Weaving on Østeroy brought a new perspective to me about how much work used to be put into every aspect of a person’s day to day life. I worked on making a varafel sampler. The traditional varafel would have been used by the Vikings as a large cloak to keep them warm and dry. This would have been a valued item at the time for obvious reasons. I observed the process of making the åkler, which were used as thick blankets on a bed. They were very colorful and tastefully designed. I realized how much work was put into every object. Everything was crafted by hand, from the table-wear to the homes. It’s crazy how much time was spent making things then compared to now with all the machines doing a lot of work. Most people have lost sight of what it takes to make something by hand and especially how long it takes to get good at it. For me, art and craft are both very rewarding. I enjoy spending my time working on something creative that will be enjoyed by others and myself. Weaving on Østeroy was a valuable experience.
It was 14 years ago that my friend Dawn Tommerdahl and I began taking weaving classes together. It wasn’t long after that I became aware of the wonderful world of Scandinavian weaving. We both fell in love with weaving (already being avid knitters and fiber fanatics). In short time we had a “string gang” as Dawn and I were joined by friends Charlie Hovde, Sharon Marquardt, and Marian Quanbeck-Dahlberg, who are all marvelous weavers. Fiber communities seem to be ever-expanding groups (particularly with the marvel of communication via social media at our fingertips) where the culture of sharing, support, passion, and knowledge keeps us all moving forward. Over the years the string gang has motivated and learned from each other while taking classes at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa, and at our highly anticipated annual get-togethers. These experiences I revel in as an artist also feed my work as an educator. Exposing students to the thrills of cultivating and working with natural materials through observation and practice is exhilarating. Naturally I want to share this culture of learning and accomplishment with students and see them embrace the joys of seeing, designing, and making. Having the opportunity of going to Norway with a group of students and connecting with artists in Norway was a sweet adventure that I couldn’t have dreamt of in my early days of teaching, and one for which I am extremely grateful.
After years of preparation and an invaluable scouting trip to Norway to explore and set up contacts, things were set for a summer school course in Norway from May 9th–June 7th, 2017, called Craft and Identity. The goal of the course in a nutshell was to study art and craft practices and traditions, and to look at how they relate to ourselves as individuals, makers, and artists considering the following;
influences of history on art/craft
fundamental connection of art/craft to nature and environment
function and design as they relate to form/intention
technical processes of various media
critical use of fundamentals of design elements and principles
aesthetic/style
integration, support, and importance of art/craft in society
connections between traditional and contemporary arts
connections and differences between Nordic (Scandinavian) arts and arts of other cultures
Our travel group consisted of four students; Allison Pahl, Alexis Anderson, Kristina Brunson, and Rachel Johnson, plus my 13-year-old Aubrie, and me. Traveling from Fargo to Lillehammer went well, and despite full understanding on the part of this northern crew of the necessity of cold weather preparation, some wardrobe upgrades were vital. So, the day after our arrival and an exhilarating morning walking through sleet in Lillehammer and Maihaugen, we discovered Fretex (a treasure trove of second-hand quality goods) where some fine bargain lambswool was procured! Exploring the exhibits at Maihaugen laid the foundation of historical and creative inquiry for the trip with its extensive and holistic collection of artifacts that illuminated the art and culture of multiple eras in Norway.
Niblet, the Concordia College mascot, visits the Olympic ski jump in Lillehammer..
Museum and gallery visits (balancing historic and contemporary foci) were an important part of the course in each location to which we travelled, but the hands-on components were particularly memorable. We took a bus to Gjøvik for a short workshop to learn about and print skinnfell with Britt Solheim in her studio. She treated us to an unexpected traditional Norwegian lunch in her home, the first of a number of very special moments of warm hospitality we encountered. The next day we were treated to a wonderful talk about the prints of Vegard Stalsberg at Galleri Zink, and we investigated the exhibitions at the Lillehammer Kunstmuseum. Another highlight was walking up to the Olympic ski jump at the top of the city.
When we arrived in Oslo, it was appropriate for us to begin our stay with a visit to the National Gallery. We were happy to find Oslo welcoming and easy to find one’s way around in. We stayed just north of the Royal Palace, allowing easy mobility around the central part of the city. We packed a lot into our 11 days in Oslo, along with a day-trip to Eidsvoll Verk to see Constitution Hall. We toured the facilities of the National Opera, took in the ballet of Don Quixote, window-shopped on Karl Johan, saw Akerhus Fortress and Castle, Vigeland Park, Vår Frelsers graveyard, Grünerlokka, The Munch Museum, Aker Brygge, the Astrup Fearnley Museum, and much more. Occasions when people shared their expertise were particularly special.
In front of the National Gallery: Aubrie Goldberg, Alexis Anderson, Rachel Johnson, Alli Pahl, and Kristina Brunson
We spent time at the Norwegian Folk Museum and met with ethnologist, curator of textiles and costumes, and bunad expert Kari-Anne Pedersen to prepare for the multitude of bunads from all regions we were to see on Norwegian Constitution Day. On Syttende Mai we had tickets to stand on the palace grounds and see the royal family and the parade from a great vantage point – which was memorable because one becomes completely surrounded by the festivities. The following day we were invited to the home of Kari-Anne Pedersen to learn some basic embroidery techniques. She taught us a bit of the beautifully contrasting geometric technique with linen thread called smøyg, while her friend Helen Juell taught us some organic/floral rosesaum with wool thread. We sat together around the table, talking, listening, and learning. All this while enjoying good chocolate and coffee, and a wonderful lunch with home-made lompe, cheese, meat, and jam. Delicious!
A studio visit with Kari Steihaug
A tour with Kathy Elliott, Lecturer in the Department of Exhibitions at the Cultural History Museum, was wonderful; she imparted rich knowledge and stories and is so passionate about teaching Viking and medieval art. We also explored an island in the Oslofjord called Hovedøya. It was an honor to be invited into the studios of noted fiber artists Inger Johanne Rasmussen (who makes mesmerizing colorful large works with inlaid felted wool), and Kari Steihaug (who creates poignant and beautiful socially active works in the form of installations). It was critical for us to witness contemporary artistic process with the works they shared and make connections between the past and present. We left Oslo with many more miles on our shoes and took the scenic train trip to Bergen en route to the largest inland island in Norway, Osterøy.
We stayed on an idyllic farm, Skjerping Gård, among grazing Vilsau sheep and we walked back and forth to the museum each day. It was at the Hordaland Museum where we took a week-long intensive workshop on warp-weighted weaving. I knew Marta Kløve Juuhl from a previous course at the Vesterheim in Decorah, Iowa, and was delighted to meet Monika Sunnanå Ravnanger (a fashion designer and weaver who also has expertise in traditional dying methods), who is also working at the Hordaland Museum. The two were marvelous teachers.
Preparation for a day at the loom,
We worked on warping and weaving a variety of techniques on warp-weighted looms, with two people working per loom. The students had the choice of making a sampler of a traditional colorful åkle with various weave structures, or a Viking varafel with dehkhår (long fibers of the wild sheep – Vilsau). The students all chose the colorful åkle project while Aubrie and I opted for varafeldur, so it was nice for everyone to see variety of work progressing during the week. We were also fortunate to watch Monika develop a special project. She was weaving white varafel sleeves on the warp-weighted loom as part of a collaboration with a Norwegian fashion designer for a piece for the famous Norwegian musician Aurora. It was exciting seeing this work being done, and it was a striking example of how old craft lends itself to contemporary practice in art. We were treated to Marta’s talk on some extraordinary historic objects in the collection (both tools and weavings), and Monika’s talk on traditional dye methods. Also, there was excitement about Marta’s newly released book, The Warp-Weighted Loom (a worthy investment). The week-long workshop was a well-placed break from the faster pace of exploration we had up to that point. It was good to have time to reflect, walk in nature, and pursue the single goal in learning new technique and weaving for the week.
Concordia students working on back-to-back warp-weighted looms at the Hordaland Museum in Osterøy, Norway
Unforgettable Bergen antique shop
It was bittersweet to leave Osterøy but exciting to head to Bergen for our last days to explore the famous port city with its incredible fish market and charming streets. We began understanding the city with a ride up the mountain on the Floibanen, where one is rewarded with an aerial view of the city below. We followed that with healthy miles of hiking on the mountain and back down to and through the city. The next day we were kindly given a tour in the backrooms at Husfliden to see preparations of bunads (thanks to Monika for arranging it with a colleague). We enjoyed the Kode art museums as well as antique stores in Bergen. A Norway in a Nutshell tour (by train, bus, and boat) featured jaw-dropping nature along the Bergen Railway, Flåm Railway, Aurlandsfjord, Nærøyfjord, and Stalheimskleiva. It was awe-inspiring to absorb the incredible scenery along the fjords from our front row seats. It was a fluid connection to where we started in Lillehammer at Maihaugen, looking at the objects people used that were inspired by the power of nature and the necessity of navigating through it. Everything comes full circle.
Six months after the trip we shared the results of our work in Norway with our community. We put together a modest exhibition of the weavings we made called Craft and Identity – Summer School in Norway: Learning Weaving Traditions of Western Norway, at the Prairie Fiber Arts Center in Moorhead, Minnesota. My hope is that these marvelous students who helped make the trip so delightful, will be inspired to continue with what they have learned on this adventure and that they let the experience inspire life choices that will cultivate inspiration and satisfaction for many years.
Heidi Goldberg is an Associate Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, where she has taught since 1995. She graduated with a BA from Hamline University in 1990, and earned her MFA in printmaking and works on paper from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1993. Inspired by topics regarding the natural world and our relationships to it, Goldberg works in mixed media, fiber, and printmaking. Her works have been exhibited in local, regional, national and international juried exhibitions. She lives in the sand hills near the Sheyenne National Grasslands in North Dakota.
All of the participants seemed to already know so much. I was open to learning whatever I could, so I went with the flow. I did a dreiel sample and really enjoyed it. But then, it appeared that nobody wanted to weave on the blanket warp so Ingebjørg assigned me. This would be totally new to me and I assumed I would weave a sample and be on to another loom. Ingebjørg had other ideas. Periodically I would say I was ready to move on, but each day she would say, “Weave more.” On Wednesday I wove until 10 at night and thought surely that one meter was enough. Oh, no…I ended up returning to the hotel at 2 AM! Ingebjørg stayed with me until I had a complete blanket – in just 4 days – complete with unweaving many times.
By Lea Lovelace, Director of Folk Art Education, Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, has offered weaving classes since Lila Nelson, former Curator of Textiles, taught her first class in 1970. Appropriately, the weaving studio is named after Lila. That means that 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Norwegian weaving education at the Museum and Folk Art School. 
When I first learned how to weave on the loom, I knew I wanted to do more with this type of loom, and now I have. The prospect of teaching warp-weighted loom weaving came along with an idea I had about developing a curriculum for the Weavers Guild which would delve more deeply into historic textiles and how they were made. 
Interest in Scandinavian weaving techniques is strong in the Midwest, and each semester of classes at the 
Learning Swedish art weave techniques is challenging, and that was clear by the complete silence in the classroom as students wove intently. In particular, weaving from the back of a piece was new to most students. Keeping the weft pattern bundles in order takes concentration. Students chose yarn colors from a range of Swedish singles Faro yarn supplied by the instructor, a single strand for the plain weave background and three strands for the pattern shots. Some chose to mix shades in the pattern bundles.
The most impactful part of the Craft and Identity course for me was the weaving workshop in Osterøy. It was my first time weaving with a warp-weighted loom and I very much enjoyed the whole process. The weaving workshop gave me the opportunity to throw myself into making art. Rarely do I and will I have the chance to truly live and feel like an artist for a week: daily walks to and from the museum, spending hours on end deeply engaged in creation, eating our matpakke in the studio and picking right back up shortly afterwards. This workshop showed me that I have what it takes to dedicate myself to a project that seems intimidating and larger than myself at first, and that I can be an artist in whatever way I choose. The weaving workshop was the most impactful for me because it taught me the most about myself: I can be patient and go with the flow; I can be hard on myself, but I can easily shake my mistakes off, learn from them, and move on; and I can learn a new skill and be successful if I dedicate my energy and time to it. Throughout the four weeks of this course I found myself increasingly noticing the art and beauty that surrounds us all. My eyes have been opened to the art that exists naturally and it has made the world a more colorful place. 
I am a Social Studies Education major at Concordia College. While at the Osterøy Museum during the Craft and Identity class, I worked on an åkle weaving on a warp weighted loom. The most challenging part of weaving was the process of setting up the loom. There is a lot of preparation, about a day’s work, to do before one can even start weaving. I really enjoyed picking out traditional patterns from weavings in their collection and using traditional colors in my own small sample piece. My absolute favorite part of our time at the Osterøy Museum was our teachers. Marta and Monika were wonderful, incredibly knowledgeable, and extremely patient.
The Craft and Identity trip was no less than amazing. The experience and culture that was obtained on the trip is something I’ll remember and will forever influence how I look at the world around me. I have also gained a greater appreciation for the skill, effort, and hard work it takes to do things such as weaving. Weaving takes more time and patience than it may look. It took almost a day and half before actually being able to start weaving. While working on the weavings there were a variety of different techniques to learn to get different patterns such as tabby (plain weave), krogbragd (crooked path), and rutevev (square-weave), just to name a few. After learning some of the different patterns it made things go a bit faster but it still took time, which was ok as it gave a perspective of how much work it really takes, even though the weaving is a lot smaller than normal size for the traditional akler (woven bedspread). Sometimes when looking at things, there isn’t a great appreciation for it until you’ve done it yourself. It also means a lot more after putting your own hard work into something. This experience has opened my eyes and changed how I see things and appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to do handcrafts like weaving.
After years of preparation and an invaluable scouting trip to Norway to explore and set up contacts, things were set for a summer school course in Norway from May 9th–June 7th, 2017, called Craft and Identity. The goal of the course in a nutshell was to study art and craft practices and traditions, and to look at how they relate to ourselves as individuals, makers, and artists considering the following;
