On January 1, 2026, Needle & Skein, a cozy yarn shop in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota sent a cheerful New Year’s greeting to their followers on Instagram: “Here’s to another year of inspiration, creativity, and community together. Welcome 2026!” The post garnered a few polite “likes.”
A week later, everything changed when Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agents deployed by the Trump Administration, sparking vigils and protests. Her execution by ICE was followed by that of Alex Pretti on January 24.
Mary Skoy was one of the first in our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group to knit a red hat.
Minnesota has a long and proud history of civic engagement and creative activism. Since December, when “Operation Metro Surge” began, Twin Cities residents had found ways to support their immigrant neighbors in hiding as well as those in detention. Now, their efforts redoubled. The staff at Needle & Skein rose to the challenge when knitting designer Paul Neary premiered the “Melt the Ice” hat.
The shop’s Instagram post on January 15 read, “In the 1940s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
The post included an invitation to a “resistance knit in” where the red hat pattern would be sold, with proceeds donated to community organizations.
“This event isn’t meant to replace direct action or policy work,” shop owner Gilah Mashaal clarified. “It’s a way to gather the community, raise funds that will be redistributed locally, and connect our community to organizations doing on-the-ground support. We believe mutual aid, visibility, and community building all matter, and this is one way we can contribute as a small local shop.”
Immediately, the shop was inundated with requests for the red hat pattern, which appeared the next day on Ravelry, a popular knitting platform, for a five-dollar fee. It was quickly followed by a crochet version.
Word spread like wildfire through the knitting community, both in person and online, while local TV stations provided coverage of the efforts. New knitting groups formed all over the world to knit and wear the red hats. As shortages of red yarn were reported, knitters improvised, knitting or wet-felting smaller hats as lapel pins, creating sewn versions, and even dyeing their own yarn. Artists drew illustrations of loons—Minnesota’s state bird—knitting and wearing the red cap.
By February 15, Needle & Skein posted that knitters from over 53 countries had donated funds and/or downloaded the original patterns. By March 15, $850,000 had been raised for more than 25 organizations, with no signs of stopping.
What is the history of the red resistance hat in Norway? And why did a pattern based on it strike such a chord in 2026?
From Nisse to Jössings: The History of the Red Hat
Vesterheim Instagram post showing an impromptu display.
On February 26, Susan Kolstad and Kristin Propson presented “Red Hats as a Symbol of Resistance in WWII Norway” as part of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum’s ongoing “Folk Art Online Presentations.”
According to their webinar, the red hat has deep roots. The red “Phrygian Cap” was adopted during the French and American Revolutions as a symbol of liberty. (The hat recently made a comeback during the Paris Olympics in 2024 when it appeared as the plushie mascot of the Summer Games.) At the same time, Norway was struggling for its own independence from Danish and Swedish rule, which it achieved on May 17, 1905. In the century leading up to independence, traditional craft skills and cultural symbols were promoted in order to define and celebrate a unique national identity, or “Norwegian-ness.”
The nisse is one such symbol. In Norwegian folktales, this little bearded creature—the ancestor of today’s garden gnomes—lived on farms, hidden in the hay loft. He came out secretly at night, providing help or hindrance to the farm family depending on how well he was treated. At Christmas, a bowl of porridge was left out to appease him. Wearing a cheerful knitted red stocking cap, the nisse became a symbol of Christmas in Norway, frequently appearing in greeting cards and periodicals.
In 1940, everything changed. On April 9, the Nazis invaded and occupied Norway, installing a puppet government under collaborator Vidkun Quisling.
Symbols of Norwegian cultural identity took on added urgency, raising morale and building solidarity. Ordinary Norwegians knitted and wore red hats to show their opposition to the occupation as well as support for the Jössings, those doing the heroic and dangerous work of organized resistance. A writer who was a child during the occupation shared her wartime memories:
We would always find ways to annoy the Germans and the Nazis…We would all wear red knitted hats which meant we were “Jossings” or against the Germans. And on the king’s birthday we wore a red rose on our clothes. Everyone knew what it meant, but they could not arrest everyone.
On February 26, 1942, the red hats were banned. A photo from the Hjemmefrontmuseet (The Norwegian Resistance Museum) shows an announcement from a Trondheim newspaper declaring the wearing of red hats punishable by law. If the person wearing the hat was under 14 years of age, their parents would be punished.
Still, the Norwegians knitted on. Artifacts from this period include little Norwegian flags and tiny knitted red caps that could be secretly sewn into clothing. Organized resistance continued until Norway was liberated on VE Day, May 8, 1945.
Threads of History: The Red Hats Today
In a televised interview about the red hat pattern, Gilah Mashaal, noted that the project clearly “hit a nerve” with knitters the world over. What are the threads of this worldwide story and how are they knit together, 84 years after the original red hat ban?
In the case of Minneapolis, the historical parallels with World War II Norway are clear: An armed and hostile occupying force, driven by fascist ideology, wielding indiscriminate violence against a civilian population. Mashaal said that in the face of “Operation Metro Surge,” she and other metro residents had been feeling despair and helplessness. The red hat project gave them an immediate, concrete, and practical method of helping those who were being targeted. The money raised is donated to food shelves, legal funds, and other community-based immigrant aid organizations.
Alla Hale’s cap hid the message, “Make good trouble.”
Making and wearing the red hats also reminds knitters of the courage and integrity shown by the Norwegians in World War II, qualities they hope to emulate. Many Minnesotans are descended from Norwegian immigrants, and for them, knitting the red hats is an expression of pride in their heritage. As Needle & Skein employee Bethany Penna said, “It’s a beautiful tribute to our Norwegian ancestors.” Many have shared stories of family members who endured the occupation and participated in resistance efforts.
Knitters also see the red hats as a way to engage in peaceful protest, to express opposition to ICE, and to show solidarity with their neighbors, while the physical act of knitting gives knitters something to do to ease their anxiety and agitation. As one knitter baldly stated, “We knit to keep from unraveling.” Ravelry designer Mary Heather concurred, writing, “Of course, we’re knitting and crocheting…otherwise we’d probably combust.” Mary Heather noted that knitting and crochet are only one of many efforts that include contacting government representatives, contributing to mutual aid organizations, and protesting. In addition, “Using our crafting time to make projects in protest and connection with other crafters around the world helps us remember we’re not alone.”
Peg Hansen made a red hat for herself and for a volunteer in Red Wing.
Another thread in this story is the color red, long associated with protest movements and power struggles. Red hat knitters have spoken about taking the color back from MAGA movement they feel have co-opted it. Others noted resonance with other causes such as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement (MMIW), which uses powerful images of red dresses and red hands to draw attention to the high rates of murders of Native women and girls. In this vein, Mary Heather wrote:
In uncertain and scary times, our handmade creations can provide powerful warmth and connection. This post is a celebration of that warmth, as seen through recently completed projects Ravelers have made using rich reds, oranges, and yellows. These cozy and warm colors can carry meaning, too… after all, warmth melts ice. Knitting and crocheting can be deeply personal forms of self-care, and in overwhelming times, that care becomes its own kind of resistance. Choosing to make something beautiful and warm when the world feels cold is a powerful act.
These deep levels of meaning are common to creative activism. “Crafters have been at the heart of many protest movements,” Mashaal wrote in her initial Instagram post. The red hat project is only one of many artistic responses to the occupation, from music to street art, T-shirts to tattoos, a surge of creativity and community-building in the face of injustice. In the end, how we spend our time and the things we create express the values we believe in and the type of world we want to build. In the end, what we create, creates us.
Note: Despite official statements of a drawdown, the total number of ICE agents remaining in Minnesota is unclear, with ongoing reports of continued ICE activity throughout the state. Further, “The total number of arrests during Operation Metro Surge cannot be independently verified based on information released by the administration.” Many of those disappeared by ICE remain in detention under horrific conditions. For others, even their whereabouts remain unknown.
We knit on.
Lisa-Anne Bauch is a Minnesota-based folk artist whose work is rooted in the traditional weaving techniques and materials of Sweden, Norway, and Finland, as well as their respective immigrant communities. Her writing has appeared in PieceWork, Norwegian Textile Letter, Väv, and Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot.
The author’s hat. She used the Sisu Designs pattern because she had the correct size needles (5) on hand, and red yarn in her stash.
Thank you to everyone who helps support the Norwegian Textile Letter with donations to cover expenses. Your financial support is crucial and much appreciated. Thank you for being a subscriber!
Click on the image for easy Paypal donation. To send a check, the address is here. Thank you! Robbie LaFleur
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Vol. 19, number 2, 2021 of Vesterheim, the beautiful magazine published by Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum..
I have chosen three sets of mittens in Vesterheim’s collection to share their stories with you. All are everyday mittens belonging to individuals doing their everyday living. It was a difficult decision not to choose the bright and colorful, the embellished and embroidered. Those readily catch the eye. But these mittens would have been touched and used daily and relied upon. Their pattern was known, made frequently, and perfected by the skilled craftswomen who wanted to make a mitten just so.
You will find more evidence that mittens are important objects in Norway if you search the Norwegian digital museum site, Digitaltmuseum.no, with the word votter (mittens). More than 2400 records of mittens, or photographs including mittens, come up.
The Past/Present/Future of Folk Art Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum July 11, 2025 – January 11, 2026
This juried folk art show celebrates the past, the present, and the future of Norwegian folk art in the United States and abroad. Contemporary artists submitted pieces to honor folk art masters of the past; draw inspiration from contemporary culture bearers; explore what folk art might become in the future; or play with some combination of past, present, and future all in one piece. A good portion of the exhibit featured fiber in many techniques, 21 pieces out of 103 works.
Below are photos and artist information for all of the fiber-related entries. The stories will deepen your admiration for the beautiful crafted works. And you have several months to catch the exhibit in person.
Susan Griebling Blue Ash, Ohio “Naturally Dyed Krokbragd Rug”
I began knitting as a child and have studied many forms of folk art, most recently weaving. I am drawn to the weaving patterns available using the Norwegian structure of krokbragd. I have used this weaving structure to weave samplers in the past.
I have a particular interest in Norwegian rug designs. I was gifted white rug wool and decided to use it to create a rug using the beautiful patterns found in the krokbragd weaving structure. In 2023, I visited Vesterheim to see the krokbragd coverlets, which inspired me in color and size.
I dyed the white wool using cochineal, indigo, and weld, resulting in two shades of each color (pink, blue, and green). I taught myself the technique from Debby Greenlaw’s book, Krokbragd. I didn’t plan the design before weaving; instead, I let inspiration guide me as I created the patterns.
Elizabeth Hunter Kennebunk, Maine “Deforestation” Rya Weaving
I started weaving on an inkle loom when I was ten. In the 1970s, I spent six months at Friuntervisnig’s Tegne og Vevstue in Oslo. I concentrated on rya technique at Hemslojden Skåne, folk art school and Landskrona, Sweden. I also studied in Iceland and Faroe Islands.
Rya rugs date from medieval times when they were used by mariners against the frigid cold at sea. They’ve been used as carriage blankets and inside homes without central heat as bedding. Their bold, graphic colors and design were a signature of the mid-century Scandinavian modern era. I am using the rya technique for social comment. Here, Deforestation is one of a three-rug series I did on climate change.
Robbie studied weaving at Valdres Husflidsskole in Fagernes, Norway, in 1977. She received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Weaving in 2006. She received an American Scandinavian Foundation grant in 2019 to study the wool open-warp transparent tapestry technique of Norwegian artist Frida Hansen.
Frida Hansen (1855-1931) was influential in the revival of Norwegian billedvev (tapestry), and her technique had many elements in common with historical tapestries, including clear, abstracted pattern areas, and the use of Norwegian wool. She often wove birds!
My contemporary American bird is a symbol of success of federal regulations that banned the DDT that threated the eagle’s existence. The eagles seen by the first Norwegian immigrants disappeared from the skies for decades. Now they soar over the countryside and cities.
Siri Bergløff Berrefjord Hønefoss, Norway Embellished Jacket
My education and inspiration of Norwegian folk art comes from objects. I worked as a photographer for antique auction houses in Oslo, Norway. There I had the privilege of seeing and touching thousands of objects in a variety of materials.
I work intuitively. Merging the richness of peasant culture in colors and details with new materials, adding new life to traditional expressions. I want the time spent visible in my art. Nowadays time itself has become a scarce commodity. Looking at previous eras, our relationship with time becomes a paradox.
Before, people worked more, spent more time on everyday tasks. Yet they spend an incredible amount of time on decoration. What is time in such a context? For me, it is an expression of care, of sustained attention and love. When things are thoroughly processed and have had time and attention, only then can they reach their potential. I deliberately use a few expensive and exclusive materials. It is about selected, correct materials – that suit the nature of things, and then it is the time, the duration, that gives my work its exclusivity.
Mike Ellingsen Decorah, Iowa “Nordic Flower Basket” Wall Hanging
I have been a hobby quilter for over 40 years. While I do teach, lecture, and design patterns, I do not sell my quilts or do quilting for hire. While quilting is itself a folk art, moving to Decorah in 2019 brought me closer to Vesterheim – allowing me to see the possibilities in interpreting classic Nordic folk art forms (basketry, weaving, textiles) into the more American folk art of quilting.
This 3D wall hanging is based on a basket from the Vesterheim collection. I worked to replicate that woven basket for the base but added a more contemporary handle. When creating the flowers, I started with those that were traditionally grown in Norway (crocus, daffodil, pansy, tulip), and then added those that are less common but could be grown in that climate (poppy, rose, tiger lily). The background quilting is a continuous loop that is reminiscent of contemporary rosemaling.
Julia LeKander Batavia, Illinois “Weaving with Stitches and Paint”
Scandinavian folk art has been at the center of my artistic practice since childhood. I remember spending summers at Swedish camp weaving on floor looms and taking classes with my mother to learn rosemaling. I’ve applied skills learned in these classes to my own art, in both traditional contexts and contemporary interpretations.
This work explores the intersection of paint, needlework, and weaving, creating the illusion of weaving with paint and cross-stitch, neither of which are woven but are both embedded into a woven substrate. Paint strokes made with a dual-loaded paintbrush, the same technique used in rosemaling, are painted directly onto the cotton textile. Vertical lines of cross-stitch are then added, alternately stopping at the edges of the paint and stitching through the paint to create the woven illusion. The cross-stitch “warp” includes multiple shades of floss to create a gradient like the painted “weft,” furthering the trompe l’oeil effect. Inspiration for this piece includes needlepoint patterns designed during the mid-1900s for the Norwegian needlepoint company Gunnar Pedersen, as well as Sigmund Årseth’s unique, modern interpretations of traditional rosemaling.
Carol Charette Newberry, South Carolina “Håpets Reise” (Voyage of Hope) Weaving
My parents were of Norwegian ancestry, and I have learned all kinds of weaving techniques including Norwegian krokbragd or boundweave. I am fascinated by exploring colors and combinations.
Most ship sails 200 years ago were of flax and linen and handsewn. It is fascinating how much work went into sailmaking. I took interest in the voyage that the Norwegians took across the Atlantic Ocean in 1825. I imagined the huge waves and white caps. This tiny ship being a home for 14 weeks, the people wondering and hoping to make it to America. The people who made the journey were heroic.
Carolyn Pieper Benforado Madison, Wisconsin “Small Tribute, Big Idea: the Stoughton Bunad”
I am a textile artist and clothing designer. I began making folk costumes for elementary school students and now assist with making them for a local Norwegian dance group.
The tradition of wearing a bunad (Norwegian national costume) flourished in my hometown of Stoughton, Wisconsin. I wanted to honor Marion Keebaugh, who designed a bunad for Stoughton. Rosemaling by Ethel Kvalheim was used for the breastplate. This bunad celebrates the ongoing heritage brought from Norway and blends it with the American hometown.
Stephenie Anderson Fosston, Minnesota “PÅL-INBÆR’s Laptop Bag”
I have been knitting ever since my grandmothers taught me to knit more than 50 years ago. More recently I have been deep diving into Norwegian knitting as well as many other Scandinavian handcrafts.
The knitting in this bag was highly influenced by PÅL-INBÆR’s mitten. This mitten can be seen in “Selbu Mittens” book. The rose in the mitten is still named after her. Her mitten also had a version of the line dance in the cuff; I used it as a base for the knitting. The dog/horse in her cuff I incorporated into the sides. The sides also have a more traditional version of the Selbu Rose. True to the bags of her time, I put my initials and the year on the bag (sides). This bag will carry her mitten design and my current laptop into the future.
Laura Berlage Hayward, Wisconsin “Zoomorphic Seahorse” Textile
I am a folk-art instructor for Vesterheim, focusing on a variety of fiber art mediums, but my first love is tapestry weaving. I first learned embroidery from my mother as a pre-teen and have more recently been branching into wool embroidery with both English and Scandinavian influences.
This was a fun, experimental piece I made while starting to dream up future classes. I was interested in taking a traditional design but interpreting it in stitches both ancient – like stem stitch – and new like using ultra punch needle. The piece is full of texture and different height stitches, intertwined like our stories and histories.
Juli Seydell Johnson Iowa City, Iowa “Treasure from a Trunk” Quilt
As an adult, I connected through Vesterheim with my Norwegian heritage while also learning folk art. I experiment across mediums, often using something I learned in a class to make something completely different once home. I like that I am sharing snippets of Norwegian history through the art that I create.
I took pictures of a trunk from Rogaland in Vesterheim’s collection. I used the design as a basis for an appliqued quilt. The quilt applique is made from recycled denim jeans and flannel work shirts. I use hardworking farm materials from the past to honor that past in a new, contemporary beautiful design, just the hard work of our Norwegian ancestors on Midwest farms led to our lives today.
Jan Mostrom Chanhassen, Minnesota “Remembrance” Weaving
I have been weaving since college, when I took a January Term class at Luther College that was taught by Lila Nelson. That was the beginning of my love for weaving and for Vesterheim. I have taken and taught many classes at Vesterheim and enjoy Vesterheim Textile Study Tours.
I wanted to create a piece using several Norwegian weaving techniques in combination, resulting in something new yet based in historical textiles. I combined rutevev (square weave), krokbragd (boundweave), inlay, tapestry, and rya (pile weave) techniques and used colors not usually combined in older pieces. Building on traditions and using them in new ways keeps the old techniques living and growing.
I’ve always loved working with fiber, but it wasn’t until adulthood that I began weaving. Moving to Decorah brought Norwegian weaving into my life. I fell in love with the designs, colors, and the unique ability of folk art to bring beauty to everyday objects.
Nature always was and always will be bound up with weaving. Our Viking ancestors used what they found in nature to weave and what they saw in nature for design and color inspiration. The items woven were practical but also beautiful to bring the beauty of nature into their lives and homes. Centuries have passed, the need for making practical items is less, but our need for expressing our love for the beauty of nature is the same. So now we weave with our hands what we feel with our heart and see with our eyes. Yarns, dyes, and patterns come from around the world. The nature around us, however, will still be daring us to take new items and try to create something as beautiful as it is. And we, mere mortals, will still feel the need to try.
Rebecca Utecht Ogilvie, Minnesota “Frankie’s Legacy” Hide with Skinnfell Printing
My folk-art journey began in 1998 when I started making psanky (Ukrainian eggs). I first heard about skinnfell from a Swedish felting student in 2016. I was drawn to skinnfell because, like pysanky, it uses symbolism to promote goodwill to the receiver. I was fortunate to study with Britt Solheim at Vesterheim in 2019, and I continue to study this beautiful folk art.
This large Gotland cross sheepskin is from a lamb born into my flock right after my mother passed away. I named him Frankie in honor of her (Frances). His long lustrous locks were used in my fiber art for years. When he passed away, I had his hide tanned. I was happy the finished skin was smooth enough to print. The skin is large, and it is washable. I hand-stitched patches on the small holes and after much contemplation, used traditional skinnfell colors (grey and red) to print it. I made sure to incorporate the five traditionally required elements of skinnfell in my choice of motifs: plants, animals, sun, water, and love/protection.
Shan Rayray Puyallup, Washington “Mixing the Past with the Present with Hardangersøm”
My “aunt” (great-great-grandmother’s sister-in-law) visited when I was a young girl in 1977. She spoke no English, but taught hardangersøm to me in the traditional way. I continued the art as I grew. I began teaching in 2019 and for Vesterheim in 2021. Teaching at Vesterheim has allowed me to share and grow my art, from teaching basic stitches to recreating older pieces and gaining inspiration from them.
This piece represents the past combined with the present as it is using colored fabric with colored threads and mixing common past stitching techniques with techniques more widely used today. The kloster blocks, dove’s eyes, picots, and eyelets are stitched in traditional white thread and are the traditional stitches of Hardanger embroidery along with woven bars and cable stitching which I stitched in the more modern light grey thread. I then added in stitches commonly used today including adjoining Algerian eyelets (in both white and grey threads) and adjoining wrapped bars finishing with a lacy edge (in light grey thread). The lacy edge is basically the older technique of woven (or wrapped) bars, but I used it as a finishing edge instead of a filling stitch.
Shan Rayray Puyallup, Washington “Honoring the Past with Hardangersøm”
My “aunt” (great-great-grandmother’s sister-in-law) visited when I was a young girl in 1977. She spoke no English, but taught hardangersøm to me in the traditional way. I continued the art as I grew. I began teaching in 2019 and for Vesterheim in 2021. Teaching at Vesterheim has allowed me to share and grow my art, from teaching basic stitches to recreating older pieces and gaining inspiration from them.
This is a replica of a piece in the collection of the Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University. It is worked on 25-count linen fabric with DMC Pearl Cotton thread. The stitches are traditional including kloster blocks, woven bars, dove’s eye, spokes, and buttonhole edge. This piece represents the past as I wanted to honor the older ways of Hardanger embroidery by using white stitch thread on white fabric or in this case, ecru thread on ecru fabric and stitches commonly used in years past.
Renee Thoreson Rochester, Minnesota “Christmas is Here!” Doily
I began stitching at age three learning basic techniques. I moved on to the proverbial potholders and samplers. When I was given a 100-year-old hardangersøm band, I was intrigued and kept it on my dresser. I taught myself (as a “lefty”, this wasn’t easy) and have been hooked ever since!
Long ago, this embroidery style flourished in the Hardanger Fjord. Immigrants brought it to American, and the craft nearly became extinct until its revival in the 1960s. Originally, Hardanger embroidery was done in white or cream on linen fabric. In my piece, I continue the tradition, use modern style, and look to the future.
I belong to a Facebook group whose members include designers and stitchers. Roz Watnemo (one of the founders of Nordic Needle in Fargo, North Dakota) offered her the original pattern which I purchased and stitched. What appealed to me was the non-traditional shape and the bright colors. I deviated from the original pattern by adding my own stitch patterns and beads.
I am a Sámi doudjar (handcrafter/artist) with great interest in the traditional crafts of Sápmi, the traditional Sámi homelands. I use old techniques and methods in my work. I am the owner of the Sámi trademark “Sámi Made and Sámi Duodji.” I have been working with this since the 1990s. I am committed to passing on knowledge that is almost gone in the coastal areas of Sápmi.
The headpiece for costal Sámi women has been gone from use since the 1920s. It has been reconstructed for the present and will be visible and used in the future as a sign of our culture.
Carol Colburn and Kala Exworthy Duluth, Minnesota, and Minneapolis, Minnesota “Busserull til Blomsterhagen” (Busserull for the Flower Garden)
Carol was introduced to the world of Norwegian textiles and clothing as a Vesterheim intern in 1974 while a graduate student in Art History and Textiles and Clothing at the University of Minnesota. Finding inspiration in everyday rural clothing of Norway, she is interested in studying historic garments and making contemporary garments of handwoven fabrics.
Kala learned to weave at Skiringssal Folkehøyskole in Sandefjord, Norway in 1980. She finished her BFA in Fiber Art at Northern Michigan University. Now, she creates handwoven fabrics for garments and interiors. She enjoys teaching anywhere she can share weaving, dyeing and sewing.
The busserull is a loose overshirt for fishing, forestry, and farming. The pattern of squares and rectangles uses woven fabric economically, making a shirt which allows a full range of movement. A common fabric choice for over 150 years has been striped cotton or linen in twill or plain weave – in colors of blue or red with white stripes. Our “Busserull til Blomsterhagen” reflects these well-loved rural garments, and is a contemporary interpretation crafted for outdoor work in the summer flower garden.
Kala’s handwoven fabric has stripes similar to the familiar busserull fabric, highlighted here with bright blue and green. Combining twill and plain weave gives this fabric variation in texture and a fluid drape, the shirt moving beautifully when animated while gardening. Carol’s enthusiasm for gardening guides her patterning, pocket design, and sturdy sewing by hand and machine. It is a shirt meant to last a lifetime.
Sallie Haugen DeReus Leighton, Iowa “1825 Story in Stitches” Tapestry
I was awarded a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Rosemaling in 1994. My B.A. is in Applied Art from Iowa State University, 1961. I have taken many rosemaling classes with both American and Norwegian instructors.
The linen used for the tapestry is a 60-year-old roller towel inherited from my in-laws and used here on my family farm. The wool yarn is from Norway. The two leather tabs for hanging are from a deer that my father shot more than 50 years ago.
The tapestry is in three 3 frames and is to be read from right to left as this was the direction east to west that the immigrants traveled. Each frame is divided by a post. The beginning post on the right margin signifies winter, 2nd post spring, 3rd post summer, and 4th post fall. Please note the humor in each frame.
Frame One: Norway, land of the midnight sun and fjords. A government supported minister is peeking out from the doorway of the stave church as he watches the Quakers leave. The script is a revision of a poetic piece by Oliver Wendel Homes: “Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave but not our hearts. The chain may lengthen but it never parts.”
Frame Two: The crowded ship to America. 54 souls plus one hanging over the back of the ship, seasick. That would have been me!
Frame Three: Corn and wheat representing the first crops. A church and school bell depict the immigrants’ ties to religion and education. One apple tree humorously represents the beginning of their religion and the second is for the teacher. The clock is the personification of time to indicate the future continues to evolve as does the story of Norwegians in America.
Priscilla Lynch Saugatuck, Michigan “Leaves and Blossoms” Transparent Weaving
All my grandparents immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s, so my childhood was filled with Norwegian traditions, food, and craft. When I started weaving in the 1970s, it was natural for me to study and emulate Norwegian weaving techniques and design. I have two large tapestries in the Vesterheim collection.
I was inspired by a Japanese stencil design to create this weaving using Norwegian weaver, Frida Hansen’s transparency technique. I grew up in Japan, so it was a way of uniting my Japanese and Norwegian worlds, illustrating, I hope, the connectivity of our global textile traditions.
All my grandparents immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s, so my childhood was filled with Norwegian traditions, food, and craft. When I started weaving in the 1970s, it was natural for me to study and emulate Norwegian weaving techniques and design. I have two large tapestries in the Vesterheim collection.
Frida Hansen was part of the Art Nouveau movement. I have re-interpreted a typical design from that period using a Norwegian technique and wool as my medium. Our artistic past continues to inform my present and future work”
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Each National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum features enormously skilled practitioners of rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knife-making, and metalwork. From the Vesterheim website: “It showcases the self-expression of contemporary artists who create folk art rooted in Norwegian traditions. The mission of this exhibition is to celebrate the past, present, and future of folk art by encouraging and inspiring emerging and established folk artists to develop their craft. Artists submit work for evaluation by a team of judges, who offer feedback on their pieces and award ribbons to the very best work.”
Congratulations to the ribbon winners in the weaving category for 2024!
Blue Ribbon and “Best in Show”
Carol Culbertson, “Danskebrogd Vest.” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
Vest in Danskebrogd Technique
It has taken several years of experimenting to find a way to weave correctly shaped pieces to stitch together for a vest. Drawing on many years of experience as a seamstress, this year has been the most successful. It was very exciting to stitch the pieces together and have a comfortable vest to wear.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
My grandson will wear these garters so I selected symbols to protect and hold wishes for him. The Saint Andrew’s Cross is for humility, the 8-pointed star communicates the hope for abundance, the checkerboard is where the game of life is played. The diamond is the woven shape of the sun. The triangular arrows guide man’s time and direction.
I weave on a vertical loom made by Ole Rue of Vinje, Norway. As I have been investigating band weaving, I began noticing the reoccurring band motifs that mark region/valley and the bands’ use as a shield to protect and repel evil.
White Ribbon
Carol Culbertson, “Stained Glass” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
“Stained Glass” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
This wall hanging is a double-point krokbragd (bound weave). With an abundant supply of leftover yarn, I was looking for a way to use some of it. After thinking about how this yarn could be used for several months, a stained-glass window idea popped into my head. After several drawings, using the double-point krokbragd technique seemed like the answer.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
White Ribbon and “People’s Choice” Award
Helen Scherer “Medieval Monuments” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Helen Scherer, Shawnee KS
“Medieval Monuments” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
Nine medieval sites in Norway and Denmark inspired the abstract patterns and colors in this wall hanging. From the top down:
1. Crosses and Ribe Cathedral, Lauge and Mette Paintings, Hans Tausen Statue 2. Candles and Hamar Cathedral Ruins, Sira Brynjulf Haraldsson (d. 1348) 3. Horse Runes and Akershus Fortress, Canons 4. Birkebeiner Skis and Håkon’s Hall, High Seat Tapestry 5. Axes and Nidaros Cathedral 6. Clubs and Dale-Gudbrand’s Farm in Hundorp 7. Stone Runes and Harald Bluetooth, Jelling Runestones 8. Ing Runes and Harald Fairhair, Haraldshaugen 9. Gift Runes and Unearthed Gullgubber, Bornholm 10. Crosses and Stars, Poinsettias
My first weaving teacher was my mother, who emigrated from Gudbrandsal. I frequently travel to Scandinavia to meet relatives and friends, explore the sites, and visit museums. The weaving I enjoy most is based on traditional Norwegian techniques.
October 2024
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By Laurann Gilbertson, Curator Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
There is a coverlet at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, that has always bothered me. It shouldn’t. It’s beautiful and interesting and came with some family information. This coverlet was from Troms or Vestre Toten, a gift of Valborg Ravn. To try to understand the Valborg Ravn Coverlet better, I compared it to other overshot coverlets in the collection and dug into its history. [Note: the coverlets are identified by the donors’ names.]
The Ravn Coverlet from Troms or Vestre Toten. Wool on cotton, 57” x 72”. Gift of Valborg Ravn. (1980.097.001).
The Valborg Ravn Coverlet has a ground of unbleached cotton, woven in unbalanced plain weave. The warp yarn is single and the weft is used double. The pattern weft is two-ply wool. Two shades of red, two shades of green, and white were used, with the darker shades of red and green appearing dominant. The coverlet was woven in two sections and joined with a handsewn center seam. The ends have tiny, rolled seams that are carefully handsewn.
As Kay Larson explains in The Woven Coverlets of Norway (University of Washington Press, 2001), there are two types of designs of skillbragd or overshot coverlets, depending on whether the patterns were controlled by the threading of the loom or whether the weaver used a weaving sword to bring forward patterns stored at the back of the loom.
Thread-controlled patterns are characterized by smaller repeats with multiple, long vertical stripes where the ground is not covered by wool pattern wefts. One example of this type is the Helga Lund Parsons Coverlet (1974.018.001), brought from Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.
Helga Lund Parsons Coverlet from Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag. Wool on linen, 51.5” x 69.5”. Gift of Helga Lund Parsons.(1974.018.001)
Because the Valborg Ravn Coverlet does not have vertical stripes characteristic of a threaded pattern, it may have been woven with a weaving sword. Diamonds, large Xs, and eight-petal flowers are common motifs on coverlets woven with a sword. And this one has diamond and Xs patterns.
Valborg Ravn Coverlet, detail
In an email, Kay described another difference between threaded patterns and patterns on coverlets woven with a weaving sword. “I guess I think of the distinction between threaded and stored-pattern skillbragd as indicated by the size of the repeats: limited by the number of shafts for a threaded pattern, but usually just by practicality for one that’s stored. Your subject piece, the Valborg Ravn Coverlet, looks like it has a pattern repeat of about 12 rows, whereas threaded patterns when regularly repeated are usually 4.”
Part of what has bothered me about this coverlet is the smaller-scale pattern along the center seam. Shouldn’t that be on the sides? Lauryn Johnson, Collection Assistant at Vesterheim, took a photo of the coverlet. Using the digital photo, she cleverly divided the image along the seam, rotated each half, and put the halves back together with the small-scale pattern as side borders. Ah! Much better.
A photo of the Valborg Ravn Coverlet, digitally altered, flipped symmetrically.
The center seam of the Valborg Ravn Coverlet appears to have been sewn at the same time as the end hems and both early in the life of the coverlet. Was this an accident or did the weaver prefer the effect of the fine patterning in the center? Was the weaver a rebel, asking “Why should the side borders be on the sides?”
Am I viewing this coverlet with my own aesthetic? Perhaps, but let’s look at the Floyd Fairweather #1 Coverlet (1986.093.035). It was woven in one width so there could not have been an accident in the placement of the finer patterning on the outer sides.
Floyd Fairweather #1 Coverlet Wool on linen, 54” x 67.5”. Gift of Floyd Fairweather. (1986.093.035)
Side borders of small patterns appear on many of the sword-woven skillbragd coverlets in Vesterheim’s collection. The Erling A Dalaker Coverlet (1997.079.015) is a stunning and old coverlet from Rogaland County in western Norway. The side borders are made up of small, equal-armed crosses. What catches your eye first, though, is the color. The weaver has intentionally changed the color of the yarn while weaving so that there is a center green block (and several smaller red or green blocks). An overshot coverlet with a center color block is sometimes called sparlaken and was used over a coffin during a funeral. The solid-color square marks the spot where a Bible or candle was placed.
The Erling A Dalaker Coverlet from Rogaland. Wool on linen, 41” x 60”. Gift of Erling A Dalaker. (1997.079.015)
There are also intentional color changes on the Floyd Fairweather #2 Coverlet (1986.093.032), though just for some of the eight-petal-flower motifs. This is only half of a coverlet. What is probably the side border is made of concentric Vs.
The Floyd Fairweather #2 Coverlet (a half coverlet). Wool on cotton, 25.5” x 60.5”. Gift of Floyd Fairweather. (1986.093.032)
Vesterheim has far fewer sword-woven skillbragd coverlets than loom-controlled. And only three of Vesterheim’s ten sword-woven coverlets have information about where they came from or who might have woven or owned them. There wasn’t much on the Valborg Ravn Coverlet, so I dug a little deeper into its background.
The coverlet had belonged to Theoline Knatterud and Karl Høegh. Theoline was born in Vestre Toten in eastern Norway and came to Minnesota as a young woman with her family. Karl was born in Troms County, Norway, and worked for a merchant before moving to Spring Grove, Minnesota, in the 1860s and opening a hardware store. He went by Charles Hoegh in Minnesota. Unfortunately, when Theoline and Karl’s granddaughter, Valborg Ravn, donated the coverlet, she didn’t know or didn’t say which parent had brought it from Norway.
My next step will be to explore sword-woven skillbragd coverlets on the Norwegian museums’ online catalog at digitaltmuseum.no. When I search “skillbragd” and then select “things,” I’m presented with 3,712 beautiful textiles to review. There isn’t a Norwegian term that differentiates the sword-woven and loom-controlled skillbragds, so this might be a task saved for a rainy or snowy day. Perhaps you’d like to explore, too.
Laurann Gilbertson holds a BA in Anthropology and an MS in Textiles & Clothing, both from Iowa State University. She was Textile Curator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, for 19 years and is now the Chief Curator there. Among her duties are overseeing the collection of more than 30,000 artifacts, creating exhibitions, and leading Textile Study Tours to Norway.
October 2024
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Our 2023 Vesterheim Textile Tour began in London on May 8, two days after the coronation of King Charles III, while the city was filled with celebration. There we visited Marble Arch and enjoyed a stroll along Oxford Street, with its iconic Selfridges Department Store.
The second day brought us to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where we were guided through historical displays of fashion worn in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and had time to explore other exhibits, among them one devoted to William Morris, legendary textile designer associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement.
Next, we were welcomed to the atelier of Hand & Lock, custom embroiderers to the Royal Family, England’s military, and fashion houses.
Traveling on to Yorkshire, we arrived in the lovely, ancient city of York, where we visited magnificent York Minster Cathedral, one of Europe’s oldest and largest cathedrals, and were given an excellent hands-on introduction to the cathedral’s textiles by members of the York Minster Broderers, skilled volunteers who embroider cloth and make vestments for use in worship and for display.
Reserved chapel seating and a detail from an embroidered panel.
The following day, master designer and knitter Angharad Thomas, who has specialized in the Scottish Sanquhar knitted glove, and her colleague from the Knitting and Crochet Guild, Barbara Smith, gave a most interesting and entertaining trunk show of pieces from the Guild’s more than 2,000 items. Once again, we were welcomed to touch and examine vintage pieces, ask questions, and learn from delightful, knowledgeable women.
Above, Angharad Thomas and Barbara Smith. Below: Sanquhar gloves.
On May 12 we boarded a plane in Manchester and flew to Trondheim to begin the Norwegian leg of our journey. Trøndelag, with Trondheim as its center, is known for its rich agriculture, traditions, and distinctive textile arts. First, we visited Berit Bjerkem’s studio at Henning, where Nord Trøndelag bunader from the 1750s to 1830s are documented, displayed, and re-created for sale. Bjerkem has been recognized by King Harald for her work.
Berit Bjerkem’s modern reproductions of traditional Nord Trøndelag’s bunader.
The next day, May 14, we met Anne Bårdsgård, who has collected, registered, and graphed traditional local knitting patterns for her book, Selbu Mittens (Trafalgar Square, 2019, available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American store). Anne’s presentation was a valuable introduction to what we were about to witness, the overwhelming number and quality of vintage and modern examples of beautiful Selbu knitting on display in the Selbu Bygdemuseum.
Leaving Trondheim May 15, we traveled by bus to Sandane, Nordfjord, and settled into our grand old hotel, Gloppen.
In Sandane we visited the Nordfjord Folkemuseum and enjoyed an introduction to textile production in local coastal and inland communities. Museum staff had prepared fine displays for us to enjoy, among them local traditional clothing from earlier eras.
Man’s bunad with multiple handwoven and knitted garments.
Also displayed was a colorful assortment of vintage bukseseler, men’s suspenders, one of which served as the model for the tour group’s embroidery project.
Left: Buksesele in the Nordford Folkemuseum collection. Right: Tammy Barclay’s finished project.
Along the way from Sandane to Bergen, we stopped at the home of beloved Norwegian artist Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) and his wife Engel. Perched above the fjord, this homestead, Astruptunet, in Jølster, has been preserved as a cultural site and museum.
Kitchen interior and view to the water at Astruptunet.
From Jølster our bus took us through the beautiful, dramatic mountains to Lom, then down to Sognefjord, and on to Bergen, where Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day, is celebrated with enthusiasm! And bunads!
We wrapped up on May 18 with a visit to Bergen Husflidslag’s studio, where artist Åse Eriksen gave an illustrated presentation on samitum, a weft-patterned twill used in historic textiles. We enjoyed, as well, a talk about Norwegian bunad jewelry from Sylvsmidja’s Anne Kari Salbu.
How precarious it felt, for some of us, to venture overseas after the pandemic, to take a chance that all would be safe and good. Vesterheim’s Laurann Gilbertson and Andrew Ellingsen and Norwegian tour guide Ingebjørg Monsen took us on a wonderful adventure, opening our minds and providing us with access to rich textile resources. Enjoying the sights, sounds, and, above all people in England and Norway was an affirmation of what good textile study tours are all about: Camaraderie, learning, and inspiration.
Karen Weiberg and Edi Thorstensson, 2023
Edi Thorstensson is a retired librarian and archivist who has appreciated the history and creation of Scandinavian textiles since her first visit to Europe in 1961. She is a member of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and the Pioneer Spinners and Fiber Artists guild. She lives in St. Peter, Minnesota, with her husband Roland and Icelandic sheep dog Ára.
Karen Weiberg has been a member of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum for many years; this was her fifth Vesterheim Textile Tour. She had a career in textiles, including owning a yarn shop, and now enjoys traveling, often with textiles as a theme. Karen teaches a variety of classes at the Textile Center of Minnesota, and volunteers in the Textile Center Library. She participates in three knitting groups, including one at Norway House and another she has been part of for over 30 years.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
This special folk art show focuses on the importance of detail in folk art and features 71 pieces by contemporary folk artists from around the country.
The Norwegian Textile Letter regularly features weavings from Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum’s National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition. Going forward, the National Exhibition will be held every other summer, and alternate with special themed exhibits like this year’s Embellishment. There were a number of objects in fiber included — wonderfully embellished! Thank you to the staff at Vesterheim for supplying photos and the artists’ statements for us to enjoy a virtual visit.
Laura Berlage. Hayward, Wisconsin. “Purse of Dreams”
Offering an embroidered bag or purse was a common gift of devotion or courtship. I wanted this purse to have that feeling of specialness and magic. All the elements, from the loom-beaded top with wire warp to the braided handle to the butterfly pin, were in my stash.
I was delighted with embroideries from the 16th and 17th centuries. Inspired by curving, floral designs in crewel and braided goldwork, I couldn’t keep myself from trying it. Little did I know how difficult embroidering on velvet would be! Every element had to first be padded with a felt or corded base, so the embroidery and beadwork could be stitched on top. The process took months.
I’m a prolific fiber artist and Vesterheim instructor, living and working on my family’s homestead farm in northern Wisconsin. My work delights in the overlap of narrative and visual and bringing ideas into form. Artist website: erindaletapestrystudio.com
Marcia Cook. Decorah, Iowa. “Holiday Vest”
My inspiration for this holiday vest came from a Scandinavian dress. Originally, it was to be all wool except the polyester lining. I soon tired of trying to complete a mirror image. I added silk ribbons, threads, and glass beads and had fun coloring outside the lines.
I’m a career goldsmith from the Pacific Northwest. I am a maker of my own clothes and started making embellished jackets when I moved from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska, 25 years ago. Travel in Alaska required patience and needlework filled the time. Since moving to Decorah, I’ve become more involved with my Norwegian heritage. I love the swirls and floral patterns in rosemaling.
Janette Gross. Santa Cruz, California. “Chaos to Wisdom” Weaving
Runes have always fascinated me. Rather than carving them in stone, I used soumak (weaving technique) to add texture and embellish my tapestry to tell a story of moving from chaos to wisdom and understanding. I am exploring wedge weave which originated with blankets woven by the Diné Nation (Navajo) in the late 19th century. Wedge weave is woven diagonally which distorts the warp and results in scalloped edges. I add a card-woven edge to further define the scallops and create a neat and even selvedge. I mostly use wool singles, adding an additional twist to better reflect light.
I naturally dye wool and weave with it but sometimes add silk, cotton, plastic, or whatever is called for in the piece. This is part of my climate change series to encourage others to take care of the planet. I live in Santa Cruz with my husband and dog Finnegan. Social media: janettemgross104
My wall hanging was inspired by a photo of the northern lights in Norway. I knew the best way for me to express this was with the technique of wet felting. Traditionally, a Scandinavian pile wall hanging would be created by laying down long locks of wool as one is weaving. But my “wet felting” technique starts with a layered strip of merino wool, laid out on a flat table. I proceeded to lay these beautiful locks along the outside of the merino wool and wet it down with warm, soapy water. Then the locks are felted-in with a felting paddle.
I have been a textile and clay artist for the past 30 years. Textiles have been a continuous part of my creative life. I have been influenced by my own Norwegian heritage. My work is a remembrance of our Nordic traditions and folklore, inspiring me to create my distinctive type of art.
Robert Lake & Mary Jane Lake. Viroqua, Wisconsin. “Celebration of Norwegian Rosemaling through Quilting”
Mary Jane is a quilter and is always looking for inspiration. Finding rosemaled fabric for this project was a dream come true. She combined her knowledge of rosemaling and free-motion quilting to create this wall-hanging. Using the rosemaled fabric as the focal point, she added two borders. Next, she pinned the backing, wool batting, and top together into a sandwich and filled the entire piece with free-motion quilting. The dark red piping in the binding added another embellishment to bring the entire quilt together.
Robert has been a woodworker for 50 years; he fills their home with beautiful handmade furniture and other wooden objects. He discovered chip carving about 30 years ago and hasn’t stopped since. He created the chip-carved basswood hanger to “top” it all off.
The Lakes moved to Wisconsin 55 years ago to pursue a dream of growing their own food while continuing their careers in education.Mary Jane was a special education teacher for 34 years and Robert was a guidance counselor. They continue to grow and preserve most of their food today.
Miranda Moen. Austin, Minnesota. “Hamarvotten Mittens.”
This work follows the Hamarvotten (Hamar mitten) pattern designed by Mette-Gun Nordheim. It depicts the signature arches of Domekirkeruinen, the Hamar Cathedral ruins, which survived the Seven Years War attacks in 1567 and are a present-day icon of the city. While in Hamar, Norway, due to pandemic restrictions, I started to learn to knit. Over the following months, I continued knitting almost every night and through which I found camaraderie with others. Every time I look at this pattern it brings back memories of one of the best years of my life.
I am an architectural designer driven to serve rural communities through cultural heritage research, attainable architecture, and creative projects that ignite economic development. In 2020 I founded MO/EN, a regional design and research practice headquartered in Austin, Minnesota. I was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship to Norway in 2022. Artist website: www.moendesignpractice.com
Rosemary Roehl. St. Cloud, Minnesota. “The Dog Days of Summer” Weaving
I find figurative boundweave (creating figures while weaving boundweave or krokbragd) fun to weave. I used bows and fuzzy yarn and French knots to add bees, cardinals, apples, and pesky ladybugs. This weaving was inspired by nature. I am a self-taught weaver focusing on traditional Norwegian weaving. I fell in love with Norwegian weavings during my first trip to an ancestor’s home on the Nordfjord in 1978.
I started competing in the Vesterheim National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition in 1983. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Rosemaling in 1992. I enjoy exploring different ways to use traditional techniques and color. I taught at St. Cloud State University (MN) in the College of Education and retired in 1997.
Juli Seydell Johnson. Iowa City, Iowa. “Reaching to the Sun” Quilt
This piece began as a very basic quilt. When done, it was pretty, but didn’t feel “finished.” I was inspired to transform the quilt after painting in the Telemark style in a workshop with Nancy Schmidt. My own designed embellishment for this quilt flowed quickly after a weekend of painting and it grew into a vibrant interpretation of flowers growing toward the sun.
I am an artist who primarily works with textiles. My art is often inspired by nature and everyday activities. I like to make bold interpretations of what I see. I use fun colors that brighten a space and make people smile. I started taking rosemaling classes in 2019 to connect to my Norwegian heritage. The colors, shapes, and techniques have added a new and exciting dimension to my textile work. Artist website: buffalograce.com
I love the feminine lines and delicate detail of the pattern. I also love blue, and the master level of skill needed to execute the design. When I heard that the theme this year was “Embellishment,” I just had to add a little glam with the crystals and beads! I hope you like it too!
I am a folk artist who loves all things Norwegian. I have been stitching since I was three years old. It started with lacing cards and progressed to embroidering hens on potholders. I did cross stitch until I ordered hardanger embroidery books from Nordic Needle (Fargo, ND) which then became my new folk art passion. I also love to rosemal and grew my skills here at Vesterheim. My late dad introduced me to wood carving, and we enjoyed classes together at Vesterheim. Engaging in folk arts is my dad’s legacy and one I will pass on.
Joshua Torkelson. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Selbu Hat”
This hat is made using patterns and motifs found on historic examples of mittens and sweaters from the Selbu area of Norway. What I love about these patterns is that they can be found on all clothing, ranging from Sunday best to everyday clothes. Functionally, the colorwork adds two layers of yarn when knit, making the garment twice as warm. The folded brim also gives extra warmth around the ears.
I am a woodcarver, knitter, and folk artist. I have been carving since middle school and find inspiration in historic carvings and patterns. I also began knitting in earnest in 2020 and found a passion for colorwork, particularly Norwegian Selbu motifs. In all my work, I am fascinated by repeated patterns and the elaborate decoration of everyday objects. Instagram: @josh_torkelson
Lisa Torvik. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Kalendar” Weaving
The medieval Baldishol tapestry discovered in a church in Norway in the late 19th century is the inspiration for my piece, “Kalendar.” I used the overall dimensions and decorative framework of the original’s design, which consists of two panels, “April” and “May” showing activities of sowing and warfare, respectively. This is believed to be the surviving fragment of a long frieze depicting all the months of the year. I chose the months of my birthday and my husband’s birthday to showcase elements of our lives and interests and incorporated several different techniques of textile construction and embellishment.
Growing up in Decorah, I was exposed to art and culture and a lot of Norwegian influences. My mother encouraged artistic expression and music and introduced me to knitting and weaving. In high school, I participated in a youth exchange with Valdres, Norway, and it deepened my interest in textile arts and weaving. Higher education and work have delayed my return to the loom for the past 10 years or so. Now I enjoy letting my weaving knowledge develop in new directions.
Robbie LaFleur. Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Post Lockdown: Together Again”
Rag rugs are common textiles in Scandinavian homes. This rug includes bed sheets from three sources: a sheet from my great-uncle’s time, a decades-old sheet of my own, and thrift store sheets. This rug is a companion to a very different wool krokbragd rug woven during COVID-19 lockdown. This rug was woven as part of a group warp at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. I truly appreciate the time to be “together again” with fellow weavers, friends, and family.
I have been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since I studied weaving at Valdres Husflidskole in Fagernes, Norway, in 1977. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Weaving in 2002. I coordinate the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and publish the Norwegian Textile Letter (norwegiantextileletter.com). In 2019, I received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study the transparency technique of famed Norwegian tapestry weaver Frida Hansen in Stavanger, Norway. Artist website: robbielafleur.com
The Best of Show Award and Jurors Choice Awards did not include a winner in fiber, but perhaps none could compete with a rosemaled plate including Edvard Munch Skrik heads!
Juror’s Choice: Jerry Johnson, Stoughton, Wisconsin. “My Scream Plate”
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
From the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum press release, Summer 2022:
Six weavers were awarded ribbons in the annual “National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition” at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School. The exhibit was on display from July 2 -July 30, 2022.
Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
The exhibition also included knifemaking, metalworking, rosemaling, and woodworking categories. Vesterheim, which has some of the most outstanding examples of decorative and folk art in the nation, established the rosemaling exhibition in 1967 and added weaving, woodworking, knifemaking, and metalworking in later years.
Each year judges award blue, red, and white ribbons representing points that accumulate over successive exhibitions toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal. Judges also present Honorable Mention and Best of Show Awards and the public votes for People’s Choice Awards.
Judges this year for weaving were Mary Skoy, master weaver from Edina, Minnesota; Robbie LaFleur, Gold Medal weaver from Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Rachelle Branum, art educator from Decorah, Iowa.
Kathleen Almelien, Washington, IA. “Granddaughter’s Confirmation” Blue Ribbon
Kathleen Almelien is an artist/teacher from Washington, Iowa.She began investigating the process/product of band weaving in 2016. Kathleen has become interested in reading the Norwegian emoji’s that are woven into this historic rope.
“Granddaughter’s Confirmation”
The 120“ long band is ⅝” wide and was produced on a rigid heddle.My rigid heddle is held in a West Telemark vertical loom. The tape is made in 5 colors of Vavstuga 20/2 wool and 2 colors of perle cotton.
I was inspired to make my granddaughter’s conformation belt to protect her from harm. The protection is historically strengthened by the giving of one generation to the next.
I produced this pattern from a historic collection of motifs published by Magnahid Peggy Jones Gilje in her book Woven Treasures, published in 2020.
The word waist translates from Norwegian as ”life.“Historically wrapping the apron band around the waist not once but twice gives a doubling of protection. The first “barrier” at the end of the band is a woven checkerboard, used for protection from nightmares. Then St. Anders cross/ humility. Finally, the heart/ the center of life’s functions represents the soul of the being and means everything positive – such as love, warmth and good feelings. The heart emotes falling in love/being in love. I wish all of this for her future.
Kathleen Almelien, Washington, IA. “Oseberg Endless Sign Band” Red Ribbon
“Oseberg Endless Sign Band”
The 120“ long band is ⅝” wide. The band is made in six colors of Vavstuga 20/2 wool and two colors of cotton. The rope has three areas of design. Thefour reds and white mid-band is woven with a warp of no 10 cotton and 13 “pick up“ yarns. The band’s length, 120″, is divisible by both three and four, which are Norwegian power numbers that protect from evil. It also uses the number three in the pick-up pattern.
The inspiration for this intertwined protective pattern came from the treasure trove of the Oseberg burial ship (carbon dated to 850 AD). The double wall of zig zag is to catch and hold evil.This emoji is reminiscent of sharp teeth or saw blades.
The band’s colors are equally important:
Green: spring /renewal /promise,
Gold: the sun for warmth /growth/ hope/wealth
Red: the color of life and blood.
The rope has three areas of design.The strengthening edges consist of three cotton warp and 3 colors of yarn to weavethe ”goats hoof” pattern distinct to the region ofTelemark.
Carol Culbertson, Evansville, WI. “Diamonds Galore” Honorable Mention
“Diamonds Galore”
After weaving for 25 years, I taught myself Norwegian traditional weaving techniques 7 years ago. Since then, I have taken 3 weaving classes at Vesterheim’s Folk Arts School, learning how to expand and improve my weaving skills.
My inspiration for this piece comes from weavings I saw while taking a weaving class in 2018 and the celebration of our 60th wedding anniversary. It was most enjoyable putting together the colors and different elements.
Carol Culbertson, Evansville, WI. “Chris’s View” Red Ribbon
“Chris’s View”
Warp: Patons “Grace” 4 ply 100% cotton spun to an overtwist
My great-grandfather’s memories of his home in Vik i Sogn, Norway, inspired this weaving. When asked what he remembered most about Norway, he replied, “the mountains and fjords.” As I stood by his home in Vik and looked towards the harbor, this is what I saw – his view every day from his home. The two 16 1/2″ X 23″ panels are displayed in side by side “windows.”
Laura Demuth, Decorah, IA. “Two Long Winters” People’s Choice Award
I live on a small acreage just eight miles from Decorah, and have been weaving since the late 1970’s. I weave using mostly Norwegian techniques which I have learned in Vesterheim classes with inspiration from the textile collection.
This wall hanging was woven using 12/6 cotton seine for the warp and Rauma Prydvevgarn for the weft.
In 2017, my husband gifted me with a 60 inch wide Glimakra tapestry loom. I wanted to weave at least one piece on the loom that made use of its entire width. Woven using the Rutevev technique, the finished piece measures approximately 56″x71″.
Helen Scherer, Shawnee, KS. “Skis and Rails” White Ribbon
“Skis and Rails”
As a weaving hobbyist, I enjoy a variety of handlooms and traditional Norwegian weaving techniques for clothing fabrics and home textiles. My mother taught me the basics, but I continue to learn from many different resources.
This 25″x41″ skillbragd wall hanging was woven with thin 30/2 and 24/2 unbleached cotton for the background and mostly dark red, blue and green 6/2 Spælsau wool for the pattern weft.
“Skillbragd” means “shed weave” and is characterized by pattern weft floats over a plain weave background. Vertical background stripes are commonly seen with this technique, but the pattern is difficult to achieve without a rather unusual loom setup. On a countermarch loom, I used a group of four shafts for the ground separated by a few inches from a group of four shafts for the pattern. Each warp end was threaded through one ground heddle and above the eyes of from zero to four pattern heddles.
“Skis and Rails” is a traditional woven wall hanging in memory of my father, who enjoyed skiing and worked as a railroad roadmaster. The design was inspired by combining elements from a variety of old coverlet patterns in the “skillbragd” technique.
Sandra Somdahl, Decorah, IA. “Stars and Rosettes” Red Ribbon
“Stars and Rosettes”
I’ve been weaving for over 20 years but fell in love with the Norwegian techniques, yarn and colors. Living close to Vesterheim has given me easy access to classes and old Scandinavian woven pieces to use for inspiration.
The weft is linen and the warp is Norwegian Rauma Prydvevgarn.
Inspiration comes from a late 18th century piece from Sweden, possibly a south western province.
Wendy Stevens, Decorah, IA. “Firestorm Sunrise” Blue Ribbon
“Firestorm Sunrise”
I have been weaving since 1976 when I took an adult education class in beginning weaving on a rigid heddle frame loom and must admit that I was amazed to realize that I was making cloth. I have also taken classes at Vesterheim in tapestry technique from Lila Nelson and in danskbrogd from Jan Mostrom and discovered that I enjoy the detail that both techniques require.I am a member of the Oneota Weavers Guild and enjoy the sharing and encouragement within that group.
I wove Firestorm Sunrise in the winter of 2020 when devastating wildfires were sweeping across Australia. I chose single interlocking tapestry to show the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean.Danskbrogd technique allowed depiction of the sun’s rays both reflecting from the ocean surface and radiating out into the smoke-filled sky showing the beautiful yet terrifying atmospheric changes that accompany wildfire.High overhead flocks of birds, the only living animals that were able to escape, are making their way to new lands.
Following in Lila Nelson’s footsteps, I would like this weaving to reflect the beauty of nature as well as make a political statement. I hope that the viewer will come away from this weaving with a renewed sense of urgency to address climate change by government, business andindividuals.
Firestorm Sunrise was woven in honor of and respect for my son, Thomas T. Stevens, who has been a wild land firefighter for over 20 years.
Lisa Torvik, St. Paul, MN. “Hordaland 3rd Generation.” Blue Ribbon and Best of Show
“Hordaland 3rd Generation”
My first weaving project was on a loom at home.As a teenager, I took backstrap weaving from Lila Nelson.I went to Valdres with the first Samband exchange group in 1970, as a museum guide in 1972 and a weaving student in husflidsskule all of 1974.
This is a transparent inlay weaving based on the traditional borders of a Hordaland coverlet.The materials are primarily 16/2 Swedish linen, unbleached and colored, and some perle cotton.
When I was at Valdres Husflidsskule, our weaving teacher showed us a Hordaland coverlet she had woven when she was a student.A classmate and I studied and drew its borders, shot for shot, on graph paper.I used that as the pattern to reproduce the piece in half-width.Last year, there was a couple meters of warp left on my loom from my Baldishol show piece so I was inspired to weave it down using my Hordaland tapestry as the model.Starting at the bottom, I wove inlaid borders with the same shot-for-shot pattern until I ran out of warp.This is why I call it “third generation.” (See: Three “Generations” of an Old Hordaland Weaving Design)
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
This article was first published in the magazine, Vesterheim, Vol. 1, No.2, 2003. Check vesterheim.org for information on how to become a Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum member and receive future Vesterheim magazines.
Laurann Gilbertson and Kathleen Stokker answer the questions people often have when looking at the tapestry images of Norwegian artist Gerhard Munthe–what’s going on? What is that troll doing? For example, in “The Three Brothers” (“De Tre Brødre”), why do we only see young women?
“The Three Brothers.” Version owned by Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. (Be sure to notice the trolls with long noses in the background.)
The authors solve the mystery.
The number three appears more naturally in the tapestry called “De Tre Brødre” (The Three Brothers). The tale that this tapestry is based on describes how three beautiful princesses are kidnapped and locked inside the trolls’ castle. The trolls throw the key out the window and bewitch the women’s sweethearts, three brothers, transforming them into a deer, a fish, and a bird. After years of searching, the bird finds the key and, with the help of the deer and fish, rushes to the castle to unlock the door. The princesses recognize their sweethearts, who then instantly return to their human forms.
It’s fun to read the stories behind the tapestries. Thank you to Vesterheim for allowing digital access to Norwegian Textile Letter readers. —Robbie LaFleur
Editor’s Note: Carol Colburn’s analysis of Norwegian-American immigrant dress was published in 1994 in Material Culture and People’s Art Among the Norwegians in America, edited by Marion Nelson. It led the author to other research projects over the years. Here, she shares new insights in a special introduction for Norwegian Textile Letter readers. Read the full chapter here.
As a costume designer and a clothing historian, I am fascinated by what clothing can say about an individual. The world of a play is defined by the playwright, and within that world, the language of costume helps to define the character, adding nuance to the interaction of dialogue and plot. A different challenge faces the clothing historian, when the world you are studying is filtered by history and remembered only in fragments. Photographs can provide clues to fill in the gaps.
In my research for this chapter, I found it helpful to study clothing through family photo albums showing multiple generations. These reveal the progression of individual clothing choices in a context and over time.
As my mentors, Marion and Lila Nelson were inspiring and instrumental in getting this study of Norwegian-American clothing started. Their knowledge of the Vesterheim Museum collections and the Norwegian-American community in the Decorah, Iowa, area provided a basis for my research. I had interned at Vesterheim in the 1970s while I was an Art History/Museology graduate student at the University of Minnesota. By the late 1980s, Marion’s plans for Material Culture and People’s Art Among the Norwegians in America had come together. The edited volume was to include chapters on the material culture of Norwegian-American architecture and household artifacts. Marion suggested I undertake a similar study of Norwegian-American immigrant dress.
I visited families in Decorah and in the surrounding rural areas, looking at troves of family photographs. I was attentive to immigrants’ transition to fashionable dress, as well as retention of Norwegian habits of dress after immigration to the American Midwest. Thinking of clothing as a language helped my discussions with those families. Many interviewees were close to their relatives who were first generation immigrants and shared stories of the people depicted. A material culture research approach calls for using written evidence to help draw conclusions from objects (in this case photographs). Written passages directly quoted from the immigrant experience in letters and literature were also used as primary source material to help interpret what I was seeing in the family photographs. The title of my chapter is drawn from one of those letters.
After this book was published, new insights came to me as I continued research in the U.S. and Norway. Updating my research and conclusions about the clothing patterns I identified in this chapter became an ongoing project. It also led me to look at photographs in my own family’s albums with new eyes. Family photographs are not always as well composed or preserved as those in museum collections. Identification can be challenging and sometimes the names are lost. We often focus on facial features and hair and body types, looking for clues for observable connections between generations but clothing and accessories can also provide hints of daily life, even if studio portraits are not made in a realistic context. The clothing and props in these family photographs might tell us about important occasions, occupations, interests, and accomplishments. For instance, we can recognize a c.1900 wedding portrait because of the relationship depicted and accessories included, even if a white dress was not worn. In the same years, a formal white dress together with a rolled-up diploma points instead to a graduation. We try to ‘interpret’ clothing that does not always translate to modern eyes. Dating photographs by comparing family photographs to fashion is complicated by the length of time some individuals continued to wear their clothing. New clothing might also have been made in a favorite older style. Finding any collaborating family stories or written evidence is very helpful.
Joan Severa’s book Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840 – 1900 was published in 1995 and provides a useful cross-reference for looking at family photographs of that era. She presents a chronological scope of representative portraits from across America, including individuals from a broad range of backgrounds. Among those represented are immigrants, formerly enslaved and indigenous people. Each portrait includes a detailed clothing description. Her book can be seen as a window into the nineteenth century American family album with a focus on individuals rather than on fashion. She also includes some Norwegian-American family photographs from the Wisconsin Historical Society collections.
Research methods using photographs have evolved since the 1990s. One thing made clear by reading my chapter and Joan Severa’s book is that as researchers we were viewing actual photographic prints as we interpreted the clothing details contained in them, instead of viewing second or third generation reproductions (reprints, photocopies, or digital copies). Actual photographs provide a wide range of black, white and grey values resulting in remarkable clarity of detail. In most cases, this made it possible to analyze and describe details such as garment cut, fabric, and accessories in individual portraits or groups. Today in the digital world, researchers are lucky if they have access to high-resolution digital copies where it is possible to zoom in to discern details. Problems with clarity of clothing details can happen with digital reproductions when lower resolution is used for internet distribution.
Anonymous girl c.1900 from the author’s family collection (Illustration 23 in the pdf reprint). Looking at the portrait in this high resolution digital reproduction instead of the reprint published in the original book, we can see fine detailing of her silver lekkjeknapp. She has used this traditional decorated double button as a brooch on her very fashionable bodice, sending a message about her family heritage from Valdres, Norway.
The author poses next to a rack of busseruller, traditional Norwegian work shirts.
This study has become a springboard for a number of subsequent research projects concerning immigrant clothing history, and also has been important in shaping my current work as I make clothing reproductions for museum collections and teach heritage garment-making workshops. A custom sewing class becomes a cultural history class, as my students and I sew together. Teaching patterning and sewing techniques for custom garments has become another way for me to share this fascinating material culture study.
Carol Colburn’s background in Theater, Art History/Museology, and Human Ecology/Textiles has led her to study textile and clothing history from many perspectives. Her interest in Norwegian-American clothing has led to projects and publications inspired by the collections at Vesterheim Museum, including the article reproduced here by the Norwegian Textile Letter. Now living in Duluth, Minnesota she continues to delve into clothing history, with a focus on Scandinavian handwoven garment traditions. She teaches heritage sewing workshops at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota and John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina.
