By Robbie LaFleur
Nordic Hands: 25 Fiber Craft Projects to Discover Scandinavian Culture. By Anita Osterhaug. Schiffer Craft, 2023.
Nordic Hands begins with a 30-page geological, political and cultural history of the Nordic countries. Ambitious! The section sets the stage for a book that is both an interesting read and a compilation of practical and well-conceived projects. The text includes many photos of Nordic nature, buildings, and traditional fine craft.
The projects at the heart of the book are imaginative and beautifully designed by a variety of Nordic fiber experts. Some reflect the author’s deep weaving connections. The knitted “Nordic Summer and Winter Throw,” designed by the author, resembles a traditional Norwegian coverlet in krokbragd technique (only much softer and fuzzier). Knitted tea or coffee cozies by Sarah Shippen and a knitted market bag by Osterhaug have krokbragd patterns too.
Coffee cozy designed by Sarah Shippen
Osterhaug pays homage to many Nordic traditional crafts, including woodcarving, metalwork and rosemaling, and they serve as inspiration for fiber projects. Birgit Albiker-Osterhaug transformed the designs of deep-relief acanthus into a beautiful lacy tablecloth. Laura Berlage used felting to reimagine Telemark scrolls found in rosemaling.
Birgit Albiker-Osterhaug transformed the designs of deep-relief acanthus into a beautiful lacy tablecloth.
Osterhaug deftly incorporates history and culture from several Nordic countries, often comparing and contrasting. Here is part of the section describing a now-ubiquitous Nordic concept, because, as she posed, “Who hasn’t heard of hygge by now?”
While hygge is often translated as”cozy,” a more accurate translation would be a feeling of comfort of satisfaction…But Swedes use the word mys, and Norwegians say kos. Icelanders call it huggu, though the term is not as commonly used as in Denmark. The nearest Finnish equivalent (this from many reliable sources) is kalsarikänni, or “underpants drunk,” which Travel and Leisure magazine once described as “the thrilling act of enjoying a good class of wine in your skivvies.” To each his own, right?
I couldn’t resist adding a quote with the phrase “underpants drunk.” The book is filled with funny stories and anecdotes. When writing about the history of band weaving Osterhaug included:
In her book Weaving Patterned Bands, Susan Foulkes relates how the Sami weave bands to trim clothing and small bags and about how they tie bands around their fur boots to keep the snow out. The band patterns and colors indicate a person’s village, family, marital status, and gender.
Band weaving was also an important cottage industry. Foulkes relates a saying from Leksand, Sweden, that “one should weave 2 to 3 meters while boiling the potatoes.” I think either those band weavers were lightning fast or those were tough potatoes!
Woven bands owned by Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
The projects featured in Nordic Hands are not only tempting because they are cool, but because they are accessible to many fiber enthusiasts. The danskbrogd designs on the beautifully graphic pillows featured in the book are most often woven on a multi-shaft floor loom, but Osterhaug asked Jan Mostrom to write directions for weaving on a rigid heddle loom. Overall, there are projects for everyone from beginning fiber enthusiasts to deeply experienced handcrafters.
Danskbrogd pillows designed by Jan Mostrom
The instructions for each project are thorough and clear, as befits an author who was formerly the editor of Handwoven magazine – and they include useful extras. Would you like a refresher on the right way to make a yarn butterfly for weaving? See page 142. I found the “Weaving and Other Tips” pull-out box in Osterhaug’s placemat project valuable for weaving with linen in general (p. 87).
Nordic Hands should definitely be on the bookshelf of Scandinavian textile lovers, and it would be a great entry point for future Nordic fiber enthusiasts who haven’t been exposed to Scandinavian handcraft and culture.
Nordic Hands: 25 Fiber Craft Projects to Discover Scandinavian Culture by Anita Osterhaug is available through bookstores and at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum bookstore.
December 2023
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