By Jon Fredrik Skauge

Editor’s note: On Friday, April 12, a very special weaving symposium was held under the auspices of Her Royal Majesty Crown Princess Mette-Marit, “Samlede Tråder” [Unifying Threads]. Many of the invited weavers posted in social media about the gathering.  Jon Fredrik Skauge wrote a heartfelt memory of the day in an essay on his Facebook page. He agreed to share it. 

I noticed it as soon as I walked in the door of Queen Sonja’s Art Stable [Dronning Sonjas KunstStall], a feeling that is still with me. All the staff members stood waiting to receive the assortment of weavers. And if it wasn’t all of the palace staff, it was many. Everyone greeted and directed us; it was like being led into a safe textile embrace.

When I attended my church meeting on Saturday, Bishop Ragnhild Jensen asked, “How was the weaving symposium yesterday?”

Yes, it felt nice. The stable was converted to a weaving studio for that day and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess invited 260 women weavers and a few men to gather to pay tribute to weaving.

For that day the stable made for Queen Maud wasn’t filled with sawdust. No, it was as if the large hall was wrapped in the softest and finest of textiles. I felt like I was lifted in the finest woven comforter filled with down.

I and many others have our favorite textiles, “hobby horses,” those we like to take out and ride in and out of season, and that would have been fine in the stable. But no, the Crown Princess made us put them away that day.

Everyone was there for weaving – multi-faceted weaving that joins fibers of different threads into one another and creates the most beautiful expressive textiles in various techniques.

Why was this day at the palace so special? I pondered this between the long sessions of my church meeting. Because it was exceptional, a true red letter day for Norwegian textiles, a day I’ll never forget.

What was it that the Royal House and Crown Princess did that day? They did what the Royal House is so good at, acting as a host – a host who sees and values everyone. Because there I sat, with noted artists, weaving teachers, researchers and talented craftspeople, weaving students, and us everyday weavers. We who love to throw a shuttle.

There were many fine presentations that day, and conversations. I was lucky enough to participate in one of them.

All of the elements were so well-arranged the program couldn’t have been better. The content was like colorful stripes in a weaving, and Kare Slaatsveen brought this fabric together by leading in her safe and warm manner of speaking.

But there is one conversation I especially remember: Her Majesty Queen Sonja’s brilliant dialogue with weaver Anne Britt Lotsberg, born in Fjærland, who has taken it upon herself to copy the weavings at Gamlehaugen in Bergen. There was an even playing field at that moment, the Queen and vevkjerringa [weaver] on the same level. And they played on stage, weaving words about this meticulous craft together. Because yes, it is painstaking work, weaving that takes quite a long time. The Queen was probably curious about whether Lotsberg would manage to copy everything at Gamelehaugen, so the Queen asked how old the weaver was.

Lottsberg replied, “It’s not a question of how old I am, but how old I can get.” Because that’s the way it is; good handwork takes time, and it takes the time it takes.

A huge heartfelt thank you to Crown Princess Mette Marit for allowing me to participate and contribute to this memorable day. I thank the good Lord that the Crown Princess found weaving, and hope she will continue for many, many years. I will attend the last day of the church meeting in thankfulness.

Long live weaving!

Jon Fredrik Skauge posted this on Facebook on April 14, 2024.

Jon Fredrik Skauge is a historian, bunad maker, cultural mediator and farmer from Orkdal, Norway. His book, Dei tapte tinga [The Lost Things], came out this year from Dreyer Publishing. When thieves broke into the family farm in 2022, objects worth hundreds of thousands of kroner and priceless sentimental value disappeared. In the weeks after the burglary, he spent a lot of time cleaning up every room, every cupboard and every drawer. He had to find out what was missing. In this process, he began to write down the stories of the things.

Skauge was recently awarded first prize in the Holdbart håndverk [Lasting Handcraft] competition from Husflid magazine. He was recognized for weaving diamond twill placemats from linen he grew and processed himself. Skauge also has a long, narrow linen tablecloth with sprang at one end featured this summer in an exhibit at Gudbrandsdalsmusea, Fra frø til tråd [From Seed to Thread].

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