By Lisa Torvik

Karin Maahs made a pillow from her piece, and it won a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.

After enjoying our project in 2017 which focused on the Swedish art weave, “dukagång”, there was consensus to embark on a new group project in 2018 studying an overshot technique known as “skillbragd” [pron. “shill’ brahgd”] in Norway and as “Smålandsväv” [pron. “smoh’ lahnds vave”] in Sweden.  Regional variations in Norway go by other names, too.  Essentially, all forms secure long pattern weft floats with a single or double shot of tabby.

There are a few different ways to set up a loom for this technique, but most assume a loom with sufficient depth front to back to accommodate several harnesses separated in two groups, and the ability to adjust harnesses up and down independently of each other.  Historically, this technique would have been set up with counterbalance.  After review of a lot of different sources, and some experimentation, we found that setting up the ground on countermarch and the pattern harnesses using elastic bands worked the best.  Even so, most found it necessary to use a pick up stick to create a good pattern shed, though the plain weave sheds were pretty good.  Most of us used stick shuttles for the pattern yarn and some for the ground weft also.  Keeping the warp damp aided in getting a better shed and strengthening the warp under high tension.

The ground is threaded on two or four shafts, and the pattern is usually on 4 or 6 shafts, but a larger number of pattern harnesses is possible if the loom can accommodate them.  The warp is first threaded in regular heddles on the ground harnesses for plain weave.  Then contiguous groups of warp threads, often four at a time, are threaded through pattern harnesses in front, using long-eyed heddles or by threading the group of warp threads under the eye of regular heddles.  A single square in the drafts we used corresponds to one group of four threads in a pattern heddle.

The two groups of harnesses should be separated by a few inches.  The sinking-shed pattern is created by treadling the pattern harnesses, one or more at a time, and following each pattern shot with a plain weave shot.  A side fringe of loops can be created by catching the pattern weft around a finger.  The ground weft is usually threaded so 2 or 4 warp threads create a selvedge that is not threaded through a pattern heddle.  This selvedge locks in the loops or hides the pattern weft turns on the backside of the weaving if no loops are desired.

Loops at the edges. The two outer pieces are showing the “right” side, with the narrow selvedges.

We set up two warps in succession, both with Bockens 16/2 unbleached linen yarn.  Weft was the choice of the weaver.  The second was narrower than the first, but on the second warp, a smaller number of weavers wanted to weave longer pieces.  In all, fourteen weavers completed nearly 30 pieces of varying lengths between the two projects.  Most used wool weft, but some pieces were finished with all linen weft or perle cotton. (Draft for the first warp in pdf; 

Lisa Torvik wove a a spring flower garden runner with bundles of linen threads

After the group settled on skillbragd as the technique, we had to come up with ideas for patterns and drafts to set up the loom.  We had a number of printed materials to review, and among them was a photo and, conveniently enough, complete draft for a large traditional skillbragd tapestry from Gol in Buskerud, Norway that I found on the Husflid.no website.  After discussion, I chose a few elements from the piece and created a draft for the narrower width we wanted.  We decided that having the main pattern side up would make it easier to weave, though some traditional sources indicate that skillbragd was often woven backside up.(Draft for the first warp in pdf)

Pattern experiments abounded–Sara Okern stretched out one pattern element in the center of her runner.

When the second warp was proposed and a number of weavers wanted to join the project, Lisa Anne Bauch and I looked through several books and patterns and chose sections we liked to create a slightly narrower warp that featured more ground showing in the design.  Several weavers on the first warp had commented that would be desirable.  Interestingly enough, some of us found the more prominent weft pattern on the backside just as nice, so many pieces will be finished to be reversible. (draft for the second warp in pdf)

Sometimes it was difficult to decide whether the front or the back was more attractive.

I would like to acknowledge the weavers and, of them, the many that helped set up the two projects:  Phyllis Waggoner, Robbie LaFleur and Lisa Anne Bauch worked with me to set up – and set up again when THAT didn’t work – the first warp. 

Robbie LaFleur turning the crank, Lisa Torvik supervising and rolling on the warp, and Lisa Anne Bauch braced with the taut warp.

Robbie helped me monitor and aid those unfamiliar with the technique.  Melba Granlund, Lisa Anne and I set up the second warp, though we agreed four is best!   Help came from afar, too, with an “emergency” phone call while warping to Robbie’s colleague Shawn Cassiman in Michigan and a detailed letter from Ruth Ida Tvenge of the Øystre Slidre Husflidslag in Norway. Ruth Ida’s advice included, 

“I have set up several warps for Kristnateppe [1], both here at home, and for weaving classes.  And they have been good to weave on.  Use Solberg yarn no. 24/2 for warp yarn [2].  And I have a Glimåkra loom also.  They are good looms!  I weave tapestries that are 1.20 meters [47.25 inches] wide and approx. 1.45 meters [57 inches] long.  Use four harnesses for the plain weave and those I hang up with countermarch.  I hang up the four pattern harnesses in elastic bands (of car tire innertubes).  You must be sure to hang the pattern harnesses a little higher than the ground harnesses. When you beam on the warp be sure to hold tightly and firmly on it so that it is “hard” to turn for whoever is turning the warp beam.  Really tighten up the warp when you start to weave. Use narrow (thin) and long shuttles for the pattern sheds.”

[1] Kristnateppe is a traditional Valdres tapestry, a “christening tapestry”, woven in skillbragd technique on a linen or cotton warp with wool weft, featuring natural black, green, red, gold and sometimes blue bands.  

[2] Solbergspinderi of Norway manufactures exclusively 100% cotton yarns, 24/2 being one of their warp yarns.

Following this project, we displayed many of the pieces at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Some had been finished, others were in “right off the loom” state. See the article, “Celebrating TWO Group Skillbragd Warps,” on our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group blog. You can sign up to follow our future activities, too. Based on the success of this project, and the fun of seeing so much creativity within our group, we are planning a new warp, in monk’s belt, early in 2019. 

At a monthly meeting of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group we had a ceremonial unrolling of the skillbragd pieces, toasted with sparkling juice.

Lisa Torvik credits early influences of her mother, grandmothers, aunts and friends in Norway for her knitting, sewing, embroidery and weaving interests.  She spent a year in her youth studying weaving at Valdres Husflidsskule in Fagernes, Norway and now focuses on projects in traditional Norwegian techniques and more contemporary applications.