By Wendy J. Johnson

Even though most of my DNA is connected to Sweden, thirteen percent of my heritage is Norwegian. So, when Robbie LaFleur approached me to write something about my linen flax work in Minnesota for this Norwegian Textile Letter, I was curious to learn more about Norway’s ties to the history of linen flax, a fiber that so many Norwegians revere for weaving.

I discovered a path that led me to such an incredible adventure! And when you embark on a journey that is so closely tied to biology and chemistry—especially in the retting process, which involves careful rotting of the stalks—the path becomes longer and more fascinating. (I believe most artists and fiber enthusiasts are closet scientists at heart!) 

Experiencing linen flax from seed to fiber

Though I had grown small amounts of linen flax and once assisted with the harvesting and processing of a larger crop, I was eager to experience the complete process of creating a significant linen flax crop from seed to fiber. So, in 2023, I proposed to grow linen flax at Gale Woods Farm—a Three Rivers Park District educational farm on the western edge of the Twin Cities, where I had previously taught spinning and knitting with the farm’s wool. In 2024, that flax crop became a reality and an exciting adventure, which I documented on my blog at https://sagahill.blogspot.com.

The project became a 100-foot by 4-foot plot of linen flax that we also harvested and retted at the farm. It appears that this adventure will continue into 2025 with a new crop at Gale Woods Farm!

Now, on to Norway and its history with linen flax

Due to the discovery of flax seeds in archaeological digs, it is known that flax has been cultivated in Norway since around 300 AD/CE, primarily in the coastal regions where the climate and land are most suitable for growing flax. Norway’s soil is mostly acidic, and plant fibers disintegrate quickly in that soil, so finding earlier roots of flax in Norway (sorry for the pun) is mainly based on assumptions from archeological evidence of tools used in flax processing.

However, it can be assumed that Norway has never developed a significant flax industry due to its mountainous terrain. Flax thrives best in large, flat fields with ample sunlight for long hours, which is not a typical landscape in Norway. Consequently, most flax used in industry, as well as some used for household purposes, is imported into Norway from countries better suited for growing the fiber, such as Sweden, France, and Belgium—generally regions around the Baltic.

Nevertheless, linen flax has a history as a crop in Norway. In farming regions during the 1800s, Norwegian women were encouraged to grow flax for their families, and this practice even became a tradition in some areas. During World War II, the Norwegian government promoted domestic flax cultivation because importing linen was not feasible. This was also the case in Sweden. However, after the war, imported linen yarn became more affordable, making local flax crops unnecessary. 

Despite the change in interest in the domestic growing of flax, some Norwegian farmers continued the tradition. A 1975 documentary titled “Lin: fra frø til tråd” explores the cultivation and processing of linen in Hedemark, Norway, where flax production has persisted. It illustrates each step of linen flax production, from seed to fabric. Here is a link to the documentary (note that there is no sound): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsPoacDwSDE&t=4s

Linen flax today in Norway – supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals

For those interested in exploring the topic of linen flax as it relates to the UN sustainability goals for the Nordic countries, there is a one-hour webinar in English, “Flax in a Sustainable Perspective | 1 SQM FLAX,” available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcAyFc-uGaU. The webinar, held by the Nordic Handicraft Association, focused on the sustainability of flax in the Nordic countries that were collaborating on the 1 Square Meter of Flax project.

One KVM Lin (Norge) – One Square Meter of Flax (Norway)

The Association produced a YouTube video (in English) for the 2023 Nordic Craft Week (September 2–9, 2023), an event organized by the Nordic Folk Art and Craft Federation that, in 2023, focused on flax and linen. In the video (viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JwCex5wABs), the presenter discusses the early history of flax production in Norway and recent developments regarding linen flax, particularly since 2021, when Norway began its involvement in the One Square Meter of Flax project. In this initiative, Norwegian volunteers received a seed packet containing 15 grams of seeds, enough to plant a square meter of linen flax in their own small plots. The project also provided education on how to grow and process flax. Participants grew flax across the entire country, from the southern coast of Norway to a Sami village in the Arctic region of Norway. It has become an extremely popular program and has expanded to schools, where students are now growing linen flax in their school gardens. (Teachers, think about cultivating linen flax for your own school science and art projects!) 

The One Square Meter of Flax group in Norway has an active Facebook group for Norwegian flax growers, boasting 2,500 members as of March 2025. It is a private group featuring content in Norwegian, but they invite anyone to join. https://facebook.com/groups/1kvmlin

Fibershed movement in Norway

They see their movement as a soil-to-soil vision, a catalyst for political change, and a people’s movement rooted in sustainability goals. As Nordenfjeldske Fibershed states, “We are a people’s movement for local textiles that utilize the small-scale advantages of the historic textile craft.”

Six percent of Fibershed’s work focuses on bast fibers, and One Square Meter of Flax supported by Fibershed Norway has contributed to the growing movement. The organization recognizes the need to promote the cultivation of plant-based fibers in agriculture and advocates for the establishment of small-scale flax and linen plots to develop an industry centered on local flax production.1 The project has had a major impact on the transition of flax from a historical activity to a modern industrial use. (Currently, there are no Fibershed affiliates in Sweden or Iceland.)

Flax in Norway and Sweden today

Sweden has a museum dedicated to informing the public about linen flax. The Bohuslin Linmuseum is located in the Bohuslän province, along the shared coastline of the southeastern portion of Norway.

Although Sweden has two large textile factories that exclusively weave linen (Klässbols Linneväveri in the Värmland province and Växbo Lin in the Hälsingland province), I am not aware of any textile weaving factories in Norway that concentrate solely on linen production. If anyone knows of such a factory, please let me know!

Notable linen flax groups to connect with online

Berta’s Flax is an international membership organization based in Austria that has gathered flax enthusiasts online to share their experiences growing, processing, spinning, and weaving flax. This is not the only online group, but it is the only one I know of that has become organized as an international flax guild with memberships. https://www.bertas-flachs.at/en/

Another group to explore online is Flax to Linen, a Facebook group where a growing community of flax growers, processors, and linen enthusiasts share their expertise about the fiber.

Challenges for the future

Interest in linen flax has historically been on a roller coaster ride, moving up and down with the whims of the times. We are currently on a strong upswing in finding ways to develop flax as a tool for addressing environmental issues. However, the resurgence of interest in flax fiber brings some challenges. 

Climate change is affecting where linen flax may grow in the future. Regions along the southern Baltic coast that were prime for growing linen flax are experiencing hotter, drier summers and becoming less favorable for the crop. 

Flax seeds have recently become less available because the sudden increasing interest in cultivating linen flax has reduced the supply of seeds. Additionally, patent registrations on European flax seeds, considered the best for long-line flax, restrict growers from selling the seed grown from the crops that came from registered seeds. This also means that those wishing to develop seeds better suited to a changing climate encounter challenges in legally producing new varieties that were started from patented seeds. 

Furthermore, machinery for processing the stalks is challenging and costly to produce. Without this machinery, it’s illogical to expand growing fields, as the stalks cannot be processed efficiently. This creates a chicken-and-egg dilemma—without the flax seeds or stalks, there’s no need for the machinery, but without the machinery, processing flax into a sustainable industry is impractical.

Addressing the challenges through a Nordic sensibility

Nordic countries are at the forefront of addressing the challenges. Climate change in northern European flax-growing regions could render the cultivation and processing of linen flax in the Nordic areas both economically and ecologically advantageous. Norway’s support for small-scale crops as a transitional strategy is a sensible approach moving forward. The future looks bright with such reasoned thinking!

Linen is sustainable, practical, comfortable, and beautiful. Growing linen flax benefits the environment and promotes economic growth. It is something so real and of the earth. Grow it! Work with it! Wear it!

1. For centuries, certainly since the Viking era, hemp was a commonly used bast fiber for rope, textiles, and garments in the Nordic regions. In 1964, Norway passed certain laws on drugs that made it illegal to grow hemp. Sweden banned hemp for the same reasons from 1970 to 2003, and now the industrial growing of hemp is again a fiber industry in Sweden, but only for plants containing a THC content of less than 0.3 percent. However, Norway still bans the growing of hemp.

March 2025

BIO: Wendy holds a B.A. in Fine Arts. Her Swedish heritage greatly influences her life’s work, which she enjoys sharing with others. This passion is evident in her successful efforts to introduce the work of Swedish knitting designers to the United States, including Elsabeth Lavold, Inger Fredholm, and the Bohus Stickning organization at the American Swedish Institute. She also writes about and promotes Swedish fiber art traditions through her patterns, books, and teaching. Through her creative and retail business, Saga Hill Studio, Wendy creates knitting patterns, dyes fibers and yarns, and has developed a custom colorway of dyes for protein fibers. She is the author, pattern designer, and photographer of “Yarn Works: How to Spin, Dye, and Knit Your Own Yarn” and has patterns featured in other published books. Wendy has showcased her work in two major outdoor exhibitions, one of which, Earthly Coat, highlighted the importance of using natural fibers for apparel. Since acquiring a Swedish countermarch loom, Wendy is reviving her passion for weaving under the Saga Hill Studio label. Recently, she has been engaged in “citizen scientist” work by researching all aspects of linen flax production, including offering public talks and workshops on flax processing, spinning, and linen knitting. Wendy strives to maintain connections with others in the flax industry through her self-directed research and corresponding contacts. During the workweek, she runs a publishing business, Elder Eye Press, where she assists new and current authors in publishing their own books.