By Robbie LaFleur

This issue features articles about historical and contemporary weaving in Vestfoldsmett technique, a form of inlay or brocading woven in bands, from the area of Vestfold in Norway. 

As you read the articles, you will see these words many times: 

Vestfoldsmett: Vestfold inlay or brocading technique
Vestfoldteppe: Vestfold coverlet or weaving. Plural: Vestfoldtepper

Katherine Larson described the technique in her book, The Woven Coverlets of Norway (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001): 

The Vestfold coverlets, woven on a ground weave of weft-faced plain weave, contained brocading in two variations plus a supplementary weft patterning that traveled from selvage to selvage. Individual bobbins were used to create brocaded patterns in discrete portions of the weaving. In the first variation of this technique, often referred to in English by its Swedish name krabbasnår, patterns were built of constantly shifting horizontal lines. In the second variation known as halv-krabba, the pattern was composed of block-like shapes. The selvage-to-selvage patterning technique echoed the brocaded effect, with a supplementary pattern weft floating over and under a set number of warp threads across the width of the weaving. This fairly simple technique was sometimes combined with vertical stripes of pick-and-pick to create more detailed patterns. (See the full section on Vestfoldsmett from The Woven Coverlets of Norway here.)

Historical Vestfoldsmett still captivates contemporary weavers

In March, 2019, Nettverk Vev Vestfold (Vestfold Weaving Network) and the Holmestrand Husflidslag (Holmestrand Handcraft Organization) arranged a lecture on the history of Vestfoldtepper, along with a display of many hangings, runners, and pillows in vestfoldsmett. Over a hundred people came! (The reporter from the Jarlsberg newspaper added there was one man.) 

Weaving instructor Anne Grethe F. Barø was the speaker. Barø was also on the committee that gathered the history behind the 16 Vestfoldtepper that have been rediscovered. They are described in a new edition of the booklet Vestfoldteppene, with improved photos that show the details of each piece more clearly. 

Each old Vestfoldteppe has a discovery story

Sixteen Vestfoldsmett weavings in all have been located since the first two were exhibited in 1925, each with their own stories. For example, the thirteenth historical Vestfoldteppe came to light in 1991 when Anders Valumrød brought it to the attention of a local official, Astrid Vindvad. Laila Thorrud accompanied Vindvad to see the weaving in Vivistad, a parish in Tønsberg municipality in Vestfold. They were excited to see the worn and faded weaving was woven in Vestfoldsmett. 

 

The weaving had been in Valumrød’s family as long as he could remember. He inherited it from his mother, and family tradition was that it was woven by his great-grandmother, Karen Kristine Hansdatter Skorge (maiden name Kjerås, 1794-1863). She was married in 1819, so it stands to reason that it was woven sometime in the 1820s. It shares similar designs with other Vestfoldsmett weavings from around that time. 

It was a decorative textile to start, but its worn condition suggests the weaving might have been used for other purposes after its condition degraded. Colors faded and some of the dark areas completely disappeared. The black areas were likely dyed with gallepler [gall nuts, also known as oak apples or nutgalls], and over the years the tannic acid in them eroded the yarn. Happily, the family understood its value. 

In the end the historical coverlet was given to the Vestfold Fylkesmuseum, and in exchange the owners received a bright, newly-reconstructed replica, woven by Laila Thorrud. The worn coverlet underwent 140 hours of conservation, was thoroughly documented, and was moved to storage worthy of a cultural treasure—moth-free, dark, and temperature and humidity-controlled. 

Discover more about Vestfoldsmett

This issue started with a “Retro Reprint,” another in a series of articles published decades ago, when black-and-white print issues of the Norwegian Textile Letter were mailed to a small audience. Lila Nelson’s impeccably-researched article from 1999, “Vestfoldsmett–New Interest in an Old Technique,” now has color photos. “I’ve seen that pattern before,” you might realize after reading “Vestfoldteppene: Discovery, Documentation and Inspiration.” In “Symbolic Weaving from Vestfold,” the life cycle of wheat is described in the pattern bands of the Asketeppe. 

Largely due to the work of Lila Nelson, many American weavers became familiar with Vestfoldsmett. See their work in “Some Vestfold Weaving by Americans.” Finally, if you are a weaver inclined to try the technique yourself, check out “Vestfoldsmett–Weaving Tips and Technique.”

Sources: 

Livland, Haakon Graffer and Elin Halvorsen. Banken Hime: Bygd og Banken Gjennom 150 År. Andebu Sparebank, 2013. 

Graabæk, Elin. “Et Gammelt Vestfold-teppe, Anno 1991,” Vestfold Historielag, 1992. 

Larson, Katherine, The Woven Coverlets of Norway. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001. 

Vestfoldteppene. Tønsberg: Vestfold Husflidslag, 2001. This is not an instructional booklet, but it includes beautiful photos of the original and reconstructed Vestfoldtepper. A new edition was published in 2019. Limited copies will be available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Store. Email for information. 

The key words, once again

Vestfoldsmett: Vestfold inlay or brocading technique
Vestfoldteppe: Vestfold coverlet or weaving. Plural: Vestfoldtepper