Mae Colburn’s Norwegian-American grandmother, Audrey Huset, was an avid rag rug weaver, and collected wool skirts as material for sturdy, colorful rugs. But would Audrey have ever guessed that her collection would become a serious research passion of her granddaughter? And that Mae’s inherited collection of 632 wool skirts now in her weaving studio would receive notable press on the website of Vogue magazine?
From Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum: “Join us for the first presentations in Vesterheim’s series of cross-cultural webinars exploring bandweaving from multiple cultural perspectives. Join weaver and Sámi culture bearer Laurel Sanders to discover the art of Sámi bandweaving, a traditional craft that weaves together history, culture, and intricate design. In the webinar Laurel will be sharing some history and background information about Sami band weaving. She will also give a brief overview of the back strap rigid heddle weaving method with a depiction of the tools, materials, and steps involved and share about the uses and patterns of this beautiful tradition.”
This webinar is the second in Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum’s series of cross-cultural webinars exploring bandweaving from multiple cultural perspectives. The webinars foster perspective about the way Norwegian and Scandinavian handcrafts are part of a global community.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
The Weavers Guild of Minnesota is the largest weaving guild in the United States. Among its many ongoing activities are interest groups, which allow members to study weaving and spinning topics in-depth with others who share their particular passions.
Longstanding groups include the Rag Rug Weavers, the Banditos (band weavers), the Whorling Spinsters (spinners) and the NOW group (new and occasional weavers). Of these, the Scandinavian Weavers are the largest group, having met continuously for more than thirty years.
Each year, the Scandinavian Weavers weave group projects on a Glimakra loom located in the Weavers Guild in Minneapolis. Group projects give weavers the opportunity to try a technique they might not be comfortable doing on their own, or might not have the equipment to weave at home. The projects allow for collective problem-solving and for experienced weavers to act as mentors, passing along their technical knowledge. Finally, it is always inspiring to see how different weavers interpret the same technique, with a wide variety of color and design choices. “I wish I had woven mine like that!” is a common refrain. Over the past few years, the Scandinavian Weavers have tackled Skillbragd, Telemarksteppe, Dukagång, Monksbelt, and the delightfully named Swedish technique Kukkoladräll.
In late 2019, we were inspired by the beautiful book Från Januariblues till Decemberröd: 18 Kuddar I Rosengång [From January Blues to December Reds: 18 Pillows in Rosepath] by Anna Östlund, an expert in Swedish Rosengång (Rosepath) technique. The book includes designs for pillows, one for every month of the year. Plans were eagerly discussed at our annual holiday gathering.
Group members warped the loom in January 2020 and weaving began. We were planning to be done weaving by the end of April, because the loom was needed for a class. Eighteen members of the Scandinavian Weavers signed up to weave a pillow. Judy Larson was first on the loom and wove her pillow in rosepath on opposites.
Judy Larson’s rosepath pillow, the first one off the loom. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Scandinavian Weavers coordinator Robbie LaFleur had corresponded with Anna Östlund for permission to use her draft, which she graciously gave. Anna shared photos of her latest pillows, including a black and white version with a fleece back she had woven as a gift for her mother.
Rosepath pillow made by author Anna Östlund for her mother. Photo: Anna Östlund
At the time, Anna was planning to welcome a group of students from the United States to her home in Borlangë in the spring, curate a summer exhibit in rosepath at the Borlangë library, and then return to Vävstuga in Massachusetts to teach a course there. “But with the Corona virus spreading world wide we’ll see what happens,” she wrote.
We all remember what happened: The world changed, never to be the same again.
As it turns out, weaving was the thread that kept us connected during this terrible time. We all learned how to use Zoom so that our monthly meetings could continue. Weavers shared photos of their weaving projects at home and encouraged each other on our message board. Rosepath was the trail we followed back to community, and our warp waited patiently on the loom for us to return. In June of 2021, the Weavers Guild re-opened and the project resumed.
We had made some modifications to Anna’s draft because we did not have a metric reed. Instead, we used a 12-dent reed and warped 498 ends of 20/2 cottolin. Since we didn’t have the yardage to weave the pillow backs, members wove their own at home or used fabric. For weft, members used a variety of wool they had on hand, in either singles or doubles, and the project provided a great opportunity for “stash-busting”– using up the yarn they had at home, rather than purchasing new yarn.
The result? A rainbow of rosepath! Nancy Ebner chose lively spring colors and added adornments including tassels. My weft colors of white, green, and blue suggested the Northern Lights over a snowy forest. Veronna Capone chose elegant cream and grey, Judy Larson wove stately blue, grey, and black and Lisa Torvik blended delicate shades of blue.
Brenda Gauvin-Chadwick called her pillow “Joy Exploding,” inspired by the beauty of Scandinavia in the winter. “The pillow was woven with Fåro yarn that I purchased in Sweden many years ago,” Brenda explains. “I carried it all over Scandinavia for weeks in my suitcase. I bought it after skiing the Swedish Vasaloppet. Two weeks later in Norway I skied the Birkebeiner race. The colors represent the forests, the beautiful sunshine and my heart exploding with joy as I skied along the breathtaking terrain.”
Brenda Gauvin-Chadwick, “Joy Exploding.” Learn more about Brenda and her piece here.
The project was an opportunity to explore the technical possibilities of rosepath. Judy Larson wove her pillow in rosepath on opposites. Others worked the same draft on their looms at home, including Nancy Ellison, who used locks of fleece from her flock of Icelandic sheep. Linda Sorrano experimented with five different types of weft yarn—Rauma Ryegarn and Prydvevgarn, Swedish Fåro, and line and tow linen—and provided helpful analysis of each.
The rosepath project became part of a Scandinavian Weavers exhibit at the Weavers Guild called “Resterydding”—the closest Norwegian equivalent to the American slang term “stash-busting.” The term was suggested by Kari-Anne Pederson at the Norsk Folkemusum. “Rester means leftovers,” she explained. “Rydde means to tidy. Resterydding would mean getting rid of leftovers.”
The exhibit had two rules; Members had to weave a Scandinavian technique using yarn from their stash. Sharon Marquardt wove a delightful wall hanging in goose-eye twill. “I wove this in memory of my great aunt Irene, who lived in Minneapolis,” Sharon wrote. “She was a longtime member of the Weavers Guild. I inherited her loom and materials.” For the wall hanging, Sharon used Irene’s Maysville cotton warp and “her colorful pudgy handspun wool. Aunt Irene loved color, as I do. I threw in my stash of poppana strips.”
In her email to Robbie, Anna Östlund wrote that she had seen the Scandinavian Weavers blog and that “it seems like you are a talented group of weavers having lots of fun.” Little did she, or we, know just how much fun we would have—and how following that “rose-path” would lead us through the pandemic. To follow along with our latest adventures, including group projects, please visit us at https://scandinavianweaversmn.com/
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.
For detailed notes on several pillows, visit Robbie LaFleur’s blog here.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
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.
Linen flax has been a passion of mine for close to twenty years since I first explored flax as a spinning fiber. Since then, I have been involved in the growing and processing of flax into linen fiber and teaching about flax and flax spinning. In 2022, I received an American Swedish Institute (ASI) Teaching Tools Grant and used the funds to purchase and create flax processing tools for my workshops, presentations, and demonstrations at various venues, including the American Swedish Institute. My interest in the topic continued to expand as I translated Swedish texts on the history of Swedish flax growing and processing into English for my workshops.
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!)
When I teach, I love to thoroughly explore my subject, which I certainly did after receiving the ASI Teaching Tools Grant. Since the grant focused on Swedish heritage, I researched the rich history of growing and processing linen flax in Sweden to share that knowledge with my students. My DNA is primarily Swedish, with many known relatives still living there. I think that the fact my ancestors lived in areas closely tied to linen flax—the Hälsingland province, where the provincial flower is flax due to its long history of flax cultivation, and Västergötland, a province with a significant textile mill legacy that includes linen—has put linen flax deep into my very being!
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
Image capture from the documentary film
Linen flax today in Norway – supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Norway endorses the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, which serve as “a roadmap for national and international efforts to eradicate extreme poverty while protecting planetary boundaries and promoting prosperity, peace, and justice.” Goal 12 is stated as “ensuring sustainable consumption and production for environmental purposes,” and this is a factor in the recent efforts to encourage the growing of sustainable fibers, such as flax, in Norway.
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 One Square Meter of Flax initiative began in Sweden in 2020 through Hemslöjden, the Swedish Handicraft Association. This Swedish initiative is now collaborating with other Nordic countries to cultivate one square meter of flax. The Norwegian Folk Art and Crafts Association (Norges Husflidslag) joined the project in 2021. (I love that part of Norges Husflidslag’s mission is to enable people to earn a living through traditional crafts!)
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
Fibershed Norway (Nordenfjeldske Fibershed) is a grassroots national organization that evolved from the original Fibershed movement, which started in California in 2010 and has since spread nearly worldwide. Fibershed Norway aims to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing among its extensive membership network, which includes farmers, the textile industry, designers, crafters, research organizations, universities, and consumers.
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
Norway’s center of flax information is Norges Linforening, the Norwegian Flax Association, which is located in Oslo. It focuses on all aspects of Linum Usitatissimum (the scientific name for the flax family of plants), including seed, oil, and fiber/linen flax. You can learn more about their efforts to promote linen flax here (the site is available only in Norwegian): https://norges-linforening.no
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.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving was an exhibition at Red Wing Arts gallery in the historical Red Wing, Minnesota, train depot in November 2023. The exhibition by the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, illustrated the enduring legacy of Nordic craft from its earliest days as functional household items to its excellence in contemporary design.
Participating in this exhibition led me to more carefully analyze the wedding blanket I inherited from my great-grandfather, and then to weave a contemporary interpretation of the blanket for my great-niece’s third birthday present.
The old blanket was woven as a gift for the 1880 wedding of Per Mikkjelson Lønning and Synneva Fransdtr. Kanelønning, my grandfather Audun’s parents.
This 1899 family photo shows my great-grandparents Per and Synneva Lønning with 9 of their 12 children on the Lønning farm on the island of Stord, Hordaland, Norway. My grandfather, Audun Per Lønning in the light jacket at the far left, was the youngest of the boys, so came to America to settle and farm in north central Iowa in 1911.
The twill weave blanket measures 52”x 64” and is woven with handspun wool yarn and is slightly felted. The outer selvedge is brown thread with a wider sett than the rest of the piece. The other selvedge is joined in the center by hand-sewing. Spinning friends tell me that the ripples in the fabric hint at overtwist while spinning.
The rippled surface indicates overtwisted weft yarnThe carefully cross-stitched initials of Per Mikkjelson Lønning, when he was married in 1880.
Ingebjørg Monsen, a Norwegian weaving instructor and textile historian, sent me information about similar blankets from that era:
“The red thread is a traditional way of hemming the blanket. The colored thread is for decoration purposes, but it also makes a cover up for the hem stitches in a very nice way. The hand spun yarn in the piece is from dropspindel. This very fine blanket I expect to have been in use in bed. Could also have been used as a tjeld (curtain) to protect from draught. The more common width of the farm loom is represented in the half width of the blanket.”
My friend Heather Torgenrud, author of Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving and Pick-Up Bandweaving Designs, did some research on the Norwegian Digital museum site, digitaltmuseum.no, and wrote: “I did a quick search for a hvit ullteppe or pledd in kypert (twill) and found only one that looked similar, though one could dig deeper and maybe find more. That one is from Vest-Telemark, believed to be handspun wool, woven in twill, somewhat felted, machine hemmed on the short edges, red stripes. It is classified as a tjeld, which I believe in this context would mean a blanket to hang in front of the bed like a curtain, as in this quote from Sigrid Undset’s trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter, “tepper var hængt omkring [brudesengen] som et tjeld [blankets were hung around the bridal bed as a curtain].”” (https://digitaltmuseum.no/021028527431/tjeld)
The blanket is a family treasure.
The fine handspun (spun on a drop spindle?) has on close inspection a slight sheen with flecks of darker fleece carded with the white fleece. It has a richness, depth, and soul in its long history.
It is the embroidered initials of my great-grandfather, Per Lønning—the faded “PL” in the corner of the old blanket—that led me to weave a blanket inspired by this one for my three-year-old great-niece for display in the “Domestic to Decorative” show.
The warp for Sami’s blanket was Montana-produced alpaca yarn and assorted wool in several shades of white, inspired by the nature of the handspun in the old blanket. I wove this blanket in two pieces in a twill structure imitating the classic diagonal line characteristic of the twill weave in the old blanket, and then hand-sewed the pieces together, as in the old blanket. The weft was silk and mohair. Sami’s initials are embroidered in her favorite color.
Here are the two blankets carefully displayed in the gallery of Red Wing Art. About 150 years separate the weaving of these two blankets.
Mary Skoy has been involved in the fiber community in Minnesota since the early 70s as a weaver, spinner, dyer, knitter, and frame loom weaving advocate. Mary traces her interest in Norwegian textiles to her Norwegian great-aunt Sunniva Lønning, a fiber artist, teacher, and activist in mid-twentieth century Norway who worked to preserve ancient sheep breeds, particularly the iconic spelsau sheep. Sunniva’s father Mikkjel is the imposing young man in the back in the family picture above.
Read more: The exhibit, From Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving at Red Wing Art in 2024, was described in posts on the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group blog.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
When I first began curating Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art, little did I know it would become a multi-year voyage of discovery that would transform my understanding of Nordic cultural heritage in America.
Back in 2017, the American-Scandinavian Foundation took a bold step. We believed that supporting Nordic traditions as they continue to thrive in the U.S.—particularly throughout the Upper Midwest—was crucial to understanding the rich cultural exchange between the Nordic countries and America. This belief led us to launch a new grant program specifically supporting American artists practicing art forms rooted in Nordic traditions.
Lisa Wiitala Thimbleberry Leaf Wool yarn 9 x 8 7/9 x 2 1/8 inches
Lisa Wiitala Thimbleberry Blossom wool yarn 8 x 7 3/4 x 2 inchesLisa Wiitala Thimbleberry Blossom (reverse) wool yarn 8 x 7 3/4 x 2 inchesLisa Wiitala Thimbleberry Berry wool yarn 7 1/4 x 8 x 1 3/4 inches
What we discovered was eye-opening. Scandinavian traditions aren’t just surviving in the U.S.—they’re flourishing in fascinating ways. Some artists maintain strict adherence to forms that arrived with the first waves of Nordic immigrants. Others have adapted their practices to reflect the American landscape and environment. And perhaps most exciting, many are taking these traditional art forms in bold new directions, demonstrating just how dynamic and adaptable these cultural traditions can be.
Mike Loeffler. Contemporary Goose, 2024. Quaking aspen, 4 1/2 x 13 1/2 x 6 1/2 inchesPeter “Pekka” Olson. Karajan Käki (Cuckoo of Karelia). Northern White Cedar, 5 x 9 3/4 x 8 3/8 inchesElizabeth Belz. Small Mosquito. Metal, 2 3/8 x 8 5/8 x 7 4/5 inches
While nurturing these skills and ensuring their transmission to younger generations was a primary goal, we quickly noticed something concerning: many of these incredibly talented artists remained virtually unknown outside their immediate communities. Both in the U.S. and in the Nordic countries themselves, there’s growing concern that these traditions might not appeal to younger generations, raising questions about their future vitality.
Despite our support for public programs showcasing Nordic American traditional arts across the six Upper Midwestern states in our funding area, it didn’t feel sufficient. These artists and their work deserved more visibility. What began as a modest proposal for a traveling exhibition in the Upper Midwest quickly expanded into something much more ambitious—an exhibition that would debut in New York before journeying westward through North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula!
Curating this exhibition presented unique challenges. These artists typically work in isolation, and the characteristic Upper Midwestern/Nordic trait of modesty meant many weren’t eager to step into the spotlight. We partnered with folklorists familiar with both Nordic traditions and the Upper Midwest, while organizations like the American Swedish Institute, Vesterheim, and North House Folk School provided invaluable connections.
Beth Kraus, Guinea Pig Carrier. Birchbark with found carved wood, 21 x 9 x 4 inches
Ultimately, we chose to focus on artists who are pushing boundaries and taking traditions in exciting new directions. The result is a diverse showcase featuring 24 remarkable artists and 55 works that tell the evolving story of Nordic cultural heritage in America.
Join me as this exhibition begins its journey, celebrating not just the preservation of tradition, but its vibrant evolution in contemporary American art. Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art opens to the public at Scandinavia House in New York City on April 5, 2025. In September, it will begin its Upper Midwestern tour at the South Dakota Museum of Art, Brookings, South Dakota; American-Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Vesterheim, Decorah, Iowa; Plains Art Museum, Fargo, North Dakota; Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin; and De Vos Art Museum, Marquette, Michigan. Nordic Echoes will travel through 2027.
Bio: As Director of Educational Exchange & Special Projects at the American-Scandinavian Foundation in New York City, Sally Yerkovich oversees all of ASF’s grant-making programs. A cultural anthropologist with extensive experience in museums, she also teaches in the Museum Anthropology Master’s Program at Columbia University.
The American-Scandinavian Foundation is a publicly-supported not-for-profit organization committed to promoting educational, cultural and professional exchange between the United States and the Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. ASF offers fellowships, cultural grants, internships/training, publications, exhibitions and other public programs reinforcing the strong relationships between the two regions, honoring their shared values, and appreciating their differences.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
Important note: The exhibit has been extended to April 19, 2025
Vibrant Tradition: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest, an exhibit including 49 traditional and contemporary weavings, opened at Norway House in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 31, 2025. For more than thirty years devoted fans of Scandinavian weaving techniques at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota have been gathering to learn from one another. This resulted in a strong community created by a shared interest in traditional Scandinavian weaving techniques and commitment to keeping our craft alive — and vibrant. The current exhibit at Norway House in Minneapolis celebrates the history and the ever-constant enthusiasm of the members of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group.
Each piece in the exhibit is accompanied by a QR code, which leads to information about the artist and the piece. The weavers were encouraged to give detailed background about their weavings, and because this is a study group retrospective, to write about how the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group has been important to them. All the descriptions are linked to this table: Artists and Description
Norway House 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 January 31 – April 19, 2025
In the center of the exhibit is a magnificent weaving in progress by Melba Granlund on a warp-weighted loom.
People of all ages enjoyed an introduction to weaving on two Family Fiber Days on February 22 and March 22. The March event began with a group from a local retirement center, Becketwood, followed by a steady stream of families and children all day long, more than 60 in all. The Family Fiber Day demonstrators (Beth Detlie, Nancy Ebner, Melba Granlund, Holly Hildebrandt, and Peg Hansen) gave away at least 10 frame looms with shuttles so visitors could finish weaving at home.
Carstens Smith, Program Coordinator at Norway House, shared several positive comments about the first two months of the exhibit.
“This is one of the best-attended exhibits we’ve had.
“People are using the collateral materials more than I have ever seen them used before. People want to learn about the artists, the materials, and the processes.
“When people first walk in the gallery, I can see an immediate reaction – whispered “oh wows,” smiles, zeroing in on a piece and going straight towards it like an arrow – strong positive responses that one doesn’t normally see at an art gallery.”
(Photo: Lisa-Anne Bauch blends with her weaving, Aegean Norwegian.)
Carstens also shared a story that reflects a change in audience responses to textile-related exhibits. “I have seen a tectonic shift in the attitude towards working with textiles as art. In the early 80s, I attended a gallery showing of quilts with my father-in-law. He barrelled through the exhibit, and when I caught up with him, he snorted, “I wish they wouldn’t pass these things off as art.” The people coming to this exhibit clearly recognize the textiles they see as art. They appreciate the work that went into each piece and they acknowledge the artistry. There’s no snorting here.”
I agree with Carstens, and also feel that even if textile objects are not exclusively examined as art, they can be appreciated as important cultural historical objects or examples of exquisite (and often disappearing) craftsmanship. Those are all valid reasons to be worthy of gallery exhibits.
Vibrant Tradition honors the Scandinavian Weavers’ longstanding programs, including education, mentorship, group projects, exhibits, and collaborations with other organizations. Several group members studied weaving in Norway and other Scandinavian countries through weaving schools and private study, while others have taken classes with visiting teachers at American institutions such as the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, Vesterheim Folk School, the American Swedish Institute, and Vävstuga. Several of the members teach weaving.
Wall of blue…Mary Skoy describes Phyllis Waggoner’s rya to members of the Textile Center of Minnesota’s Leadership CircleWall of red…
Our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group is a source of personal connection and sharing of expertise. This retrospective will be over soon, but plans are already underway for our next opportunity, featuring even more interactive programming.
Read more about Vibrant Tradition: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest in these two articles:
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour, by Angie Parker. Crowood Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780719844669
Angie Parker’s “Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour” is filled with photos showcasing Parker’s playful, unexpected and gorgeous color combinations. Having worked with krokbragd since the 1990s in her Bristol, England studio, Parker has refined her contemporary approach through her textile business and teaching practice. This book offers a bridge between historical authenticity and modern expression.
Parker provides historical background on krokbragd in Norway and its evolution both in Scandinavia and internationally. The inclusion of work by contemporary practitioners like Karin Bøe from Norway, Petra Marciniak from France, and American weavers Robbie LaFleur, Wynne Mattila, and Jan Mostrom demonstrates how this technique continues to inspire weavers worldwide.
Instruction covers everything from equipment selection to loom setup for both harness and rigid heddle looms. Parker discusses suitable materials, expanding beyond traditional wool weft to include cotton, chenille, rayon, metallics, raffia, and fabric strips. The detailed instructions are complemented by numerous woven samples with designs graphed onto hexagon graph paper proving especially helpful in visualizing how the treadling order creates the characteristic angled threads within each pass. A variety of warp setts for different weft materials are given. Instructions for neat selvedges while using floating selvedges address the specifics of krokbragd edges. Finishing instructions for durable hems and tassels provide practical weaving tools. The troubleshooting section addresses common challenges like maintaining tight tension, using temples effectively, and preventing curling when the piece is removed from the loom.
Parker’s color theory chapter begins with fundamental principles of hue, value, and saturation before encouraging readers to trust their instincts and weave with colors that bring personal joy. She suggests using color wraps to audition yarns. Symmetry, asymmetry, and proportion, and a clear explanation of the relationship of Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio are discussed as design tools. Parker includes innovative design techniques. Weaving inlays of contrasting color and/or pattern sections within the weaving and shaft switching to change between single and double krokbragd threadings as you weave, create design options that extend beyond traditional patterns.
Double krokbragd example (p. 130)Angie Parker and Jonathon Rose Design, Danish Disrupted (chairs). 2019 (p.118)
While Parker’s teacher voice comes through in her careful instructions making the book accessible to newcomers, this is not just a beginner text. As someone who has woven and taught krokbragd for many years, I discovered helpful tips, methods, and inspiration. The book offers a progression of techniques that would allow a newer weaver to build skills confidently while providing enough innovation to keep experienced weavers engaged and challenged.
This book will inspire me to be more adventurous with my color choices and material selection. I’m looking forward to weaving a rug using Parker’s techniques for creating beautiful hems, experimenting with cotton on a close-sett warp for upholstery or bags, and exploring the inlay technique. The shaft switching method she describes is at the top of my list for future projects.
Angie Parker’s trademark vibrant colors in a rug, Fryktlos, 2017. Photo: Yeshen Venema. (p. 101)
Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour succeeds in honoring the rich Scandinavian heritage of krokbragd while pushing its boundaries into contemporary applications, allowing for personal expression and innovation. Whether you are just beginning your krokbragd journey or have been weaving for decades, Parker’s approach will inspire you to see new possibilities in this beloved Scandinavian weaving tradition.
Jan Mostrom learned to weave from Lila Nelson at Luther College. Her weaving journey led her to teaching and being a part of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group for 30 years. She has been a regular instructor at Vesterheim and has taught at a variety of guilds, art centers and conferences. Along with her friend Janis Aune, she taught a group of women in Tanzania to weave rag rugs to support their families. Creating textiles is a constant part of her life and she seldom spends a day without yarn in her hands.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
Imagine my surprise when, at the end of a lovely dinner with my old friend “H”, her family and some of my relatives, she plucked something off the wall in the corner and proudly showed it to us: a genuine Hannah Ryggen tapestry! My jaw just dropped. I have visited this home many times since the mid-1980s, since her parents, then her brother and finally she and her family lived there, on her mother’s ancestral farm outside of Trondheim. Though we seldom dined in the formal dining room, which they call the Red Parlor, I was amazed that I had never noticed this particular part of the décor, somewhat obscured by her great grandmother’s wedding veil.
How did it come to be there? Here is the tale in “H’s” own words, my translation:
“The story: At the end of the 1950s, Hannah Ryggen broke her ankle. At that time my father was a “young” doctor at the Central Hospital in Trondheim. He operated [on Hannah] and set in a screw. When she left the hospital he said he thought he deserved a tapestry for the good job he had done, said with a gleam in his eye of course (you well remember my father….). She replied that he would never be able to afford to buy one of her tapestries. Certainly said with a gleam in her eye, also. When she came for a checkup some weeks later she had this tapestry with her, which of course shows the ankle with the screw and the doctor’s hand. Now it hangs in the Red Parlor!!”
Not a bad “tip” for good medical care, I would say.
Bio: Lisa Torvik credits early influences of her mother, grandmothers, aunts and friends in Norway for her knitting, sewing, embroidery and weaving interests. She spent a year in her youth studying weaving at Valdres Husflidsskule in Fagernes, Norway, and now focuses on projects in traditional Norwegian techniques and more contemporary applications.
March 2025
Editor’s note: If you want to celebrate and view the work of Hannah Ryggen this summer, visit the Hannah Ryggen Trienniale 2025 sponsored by the Nordenfjelske Kunstindustrimuseum.
Read more: Minnesota weaver Christine Novotny visited the Trienniale three years ago, and reported on her experience in this Norwegian Textile Letter article, “Anti-Monument: The 2022 Hannah Ryggen Triennial.”
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
Anne Holden came from Scotland to Norway as a young woman to learn to ski. She ended up farming and weaving in the Vestre Slidre municipality, part of the region known as Valdres.
She became one of the area’s most important weavers of traditional plaids for one of Valdres’ national dress or bunad, called a rutestakk. “Rute” means square or plaid in Norwegian and these plaids came into use in the 19th century for formal dress, for church and for weddings and christenings. Certain plaids are associated with particular farms or areas in Valdres and one can imagine that a bit of local pride went into the creation of their different designs.
Women of Vestre Slidre outside Lommen church circa 1890. It is likely that plaid skirts are below most of the aprons. This picture was printed on the inside cover of the December 2020 issue of the membership magazine, Budstikken, which is sent out twice a year to members of Valdres Samband, the Valdres bygdelag in America.
Anne came to learn to ski on the advice of a Norwegian skiing instructor in northern Scotland who told her that she would have better luck going to Norway where the winter weather was more predictable. She convinced her parents that a three month sojourn was a good idea and she returned a few more months later a much better skier and with a Norwegian boyfriend.
She returned to Norway and married this fellow from Valdres and settled on his farm. In 1965 she enrolled in the local home craft school in the weaving class. After completing the six month course, she began at once to weave alongside her daily farm chores and caring for her family. She even had a loom to work on at the family’s cabin when they took the cows to the mountains in the summer.
Anne Holden’s weaving studio in an old hay barnInterior of Anne’s weaving studio
Over the years, Anne has supplied fabric for rutestakkar to professional tailors and home seamstresses, taught weaving in her home studio and abroad, and contributed to the preservation of this important tradition. She has been recognized with several awards for her skill and work. She was awarded the Cultural Prize from her home community, Vestre Slidre, in 2019.
Anne with son William at her award of the Cultural Prize in 2019One of Anne Holden’s plaid weavings with twill structure called ringvend
In April 2024, she and fellow weaver, weaving teacher and Vestre Slidring Marit Anny Tvenge were invited to a weavers’ conference at the palace in Oslo, hosted by Queen Sonja in honor of her daughter-in-law. Crown Princess Mette Marit has become an accomplished weaver over the past few years and requested this gathering as a present for her 50th birthday.
In October 2024, I was fortunate to be introduced to Anne by Bodil Enger, a professional tailor of bunader who lives and works “over the hill” in the neighboring municipality of Øystre Slidre. She has enjoyed a working relationship with Anne for years, and we had a splendid visit to her home and the weaving studio she set up in the old barn that she herself rebuilt on her farm.
Two talented weavers from Vestre Slidre, Anne Holden and Marit Anne TvengeBodil Enger, professional tailor of Norwegian national costumes
Left: This is my rutestakk in the Robøle plaid, which Anne Holden said she has not woven for a long time since it is so complicated. It is now woven elsewhere in Norway, I hope still by hand, as mine was. I have had it since 1972.
Bio: Lisa Torvik credits early influences of her mother, grandmothers, aunts and friends in Norway for her knitting, sewing, embroidery and weaving interests. She spent a year in her youth studying weaving at Valdres Husflidsskule in Fagernes, Norway, and now focuses on projects in traditional Norwegian techniques and more contemporary applications.
March 2025
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles (and the publisher’s upcoming research in Norway) with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. This warbler is chirping his thanks! Tusen takk
