The Norsk Folkemuseum [The Norwegian Folk Museum] in Oslo, Norway, celebrates the holiday season sensationally. There is a whole section of their website, “Juletradisjoner gjennom 1000 år” [Christmas Traditions Throughout 1000 Years]. They even specify a Julkonservator [Christmas Conservator], Geir Thomas Risåsen. He must be busy, and he has an unusual designation for his resume!
A historical rural home set up for Christmas. Note the skillbragd coverlet, hung for Christmas with a white linen cloth. Photo: Norsk Folkemuseum
In my favorite part of the museum, you can visit Norwegian family homes from several time periods in a magical 19th century Oslo apartment building relocated from Wessels gate 15. There are eight reconstructed apartments, each with rich family stories behind the furniture and textiles. Here a room from the 1965 apartment has become festive for the Christmas season. Television had recently come to Norway, and TVs were becoming a focal point in modern homes.
My favorite apartment is the one from 1905, replete with gorgeous textiles, and during this season, a Christmas tree. Look at the wool portieres dividing the rooms.
I took a photo of the room in August, showing a rug under the dining table, woven by Marta Kløve Juuhl in a design from the Husfliden archives at the Norsk Folkemuseum.
The museum website describes the apartment style:
The light, bright, pleasant and colorful are the focus, with a preference for both the soft Art Nouveau style, the Norwegian dragon style and “national” patterns and colors in home textiles….Colorful portieres with large, slightly stylized chestnut leaves and flowers, in the doorway between the dining room and the living room, are woven according to pattern drawings from Husfliden in Kristiania in 1899. They give clear associations to the Arts & Crafts movement in England, which was the more sober starting point for the Art Nouveau style. On the buffet and side table are white tablecloths with Hardanger stitching, while the dining table is refreshed by a bright light green tablecloth with an Art Nouveau motif. Henrik Ibsen himself had a similar one in his home at Arbins gate 1 – opposite the Royal Palace.
Here is the Husfliden pattern that Marta Kløve Juuhl used to weave the rug:
Here it is partly woven on the loom of this expert weaver.
These recently-woven textiles show the incredible attention to detail undertaken by the museum to make these period rooms.
Caroline Feyling recently finished a year as a Folk Art Apprentice at North House Folk School. In this article she describes her Norwegian background, her inspiring research trip to Scandinavia and subsequent work with Norwegian weaving.
Exhibit – Recent – Norway
MALFRIDUR ADALSTEINSDOTTIR Stemning / Atmosphere
26 September – 3 November 2024. Format Gallery, Oslo, Norway
Málfríður Aðalsteinsdóttir (born 1960, Iceland) lives and works in the forests of Norway. She combines wool and horsehair in her embroidered drawings, using both the natural colors of different sheep breeds and plant-dyed wool, which is then carded before the desired thread is spun. Older craft traditions that involve a close connection between the hand and the material, respect for natural resources, and the time-consuming aspect of handmade work are fundamental to her practice.
From the website: “EMMA will mark the two years of the hugely popular CollectionKakkonen exhibition with new additions. The updates will be installed gradually over the autumn season, beginning in September 2024, with the new exhibition ready for public viewing in the last week of November…The new Ryijy Gallery section at Collection Kakkonen strengthens EMMA’s commitment to design, featuring textiles of artistic, cultural, and historical importance. Displayed alongside ceramic and glass objects, the ryijys highlight the interwoven history of these three genres. In his collecting, Kyösti Kakkonen has focused on the works of renowned Finnish ryijy designers. The new display will include around 15 pieces from the 1930s to the 1980s by various artists, including Uhra-Beata Simberg-Ehrström.
Exhibit – Upcoming – Minneapolis
Vibrant Traditions: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest
Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 January 31 – April 6, 2025
This exhibit of traditional and contemporary weavings in Scandinavian techniques will take place in the Mondale Galleri at Norway House. The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group is celebrating almost three decades of collaboration and friendship that has included exhibitions, study group topics, and sharing of expertise. This resulted in a strong community with a shared interest in traditional Scandinavian weaving techniques and commitment to keeping our craft alive — and vibrant. The exhibit will be accompanied by weaving demonstrations, special events, and waffles (available in the Norway House Kaffebar)! Check the Scandinavian Weavers blog in the coming months for details.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Winter Knitting for Little Sweethearts: 46 Nordic-Style Patterns for Girls, Boys, and Babies. By Janne Andreassen Hjelmås and Torunn Steinsland. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2024.
By Robbie LaFleur
My super knitter friend Kelly Marshall carefully looked through Winter Knitting as I made us dinner before watching the vice-presidential debate. “Would you like to write a review?” I asked. She showed little interest in that, but proceeded to make several astute comments – hence this “sideways review,” my beginner-knitter writing augmented with comments by expert knitters.
“Look at this.” “Look at this cute pattern down the sleeve. “Look at this cute baby.” Kelly kept up an enthusiastic running commentary as she turned the pages. She was so enthusiastic that her husband chimed in from the couch across the room, “What are you looking at?” It was clear from her tone that many of the projects were very tempting. The photographs are beautiful, and the babies are darling.
Deciding which darling baby example to show is tough!
The book includes many projects with the cute dinosaur shown above. Other projects feature a deer, “Dottie, who is perhaps a cross between Bambi and Rudolf.”
I’m not a hugely skilled knitter, so I asked her, “What about the patterns? Do they seem clear?” She said she appreciated the fact they are relatively short, without pages of directions that are found in some other knitting books.
Kelly doesn’t have babies in her family to knit for right now. She wished many of the cute baby patterns were sized for adults, too. There are a handful of adult projects including a cowl, a cap, and two versions of a bobble sweater. You could make this one for an adult and child.
There are instructions for many matching doll clothes. I am always impressed with my friends who can knit or sew doll clothes. One look at this photo lets you understand just how special it would be, totally worth the time.
As a Minnesota mother and grandmother, I’ve done my fair share of bundling small children against the cold. The “Flutter-about Scarf” looks very practical as well as cute. With a slot on one end to tuck in the other end, this scarf would stay in place without being tied in a bulky knot under a child’s chin.
Winter Knitting is a marvelous compendium of sweaters, caps, onesies, mittens, cowls, and scarves. It is a pleasure to peruse and includes clear instructions. You could order your copy here!
October 2024
Robbie LaFleur is the editor and publisher of the Norwegian Textile Letter.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
In 2024, the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosted the traveling exhibition “Karin Larsson: Let the Hand be Seen.” Karin Bergöö Larsson (1859–1928) was a groundbreaking artist whose textiles and designs ushered in a new era of interior design and established the iconic Swedish style that continues to inspire artists worldwide. Many of Karin’s works were forever captured in her husband Carl Larsson’s paintings of Swedish life. It was Karin who designed and created Lilla Hyttnäs, the Larssons’ home just outside of Falun in Sundborn, Sweden, which was so often the subject of Carl’s paintings. The home continues to inspire and is open to the public as Carl Larsson-gården, which organized the exhibition. (Note: The exhibition featured reproductions of Karin’s textiles, since the originals are fragile.)
A gallery view of the Karin Larsson exhibit featuring her well-known door hanging, “Kärlekens ros” [The Rose of Love]. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Since Karin Larsson was a weaver, ASI asked the Weavers Guild of Minnesota to help tell her story. Members of the Scandinavian Weavers and Rag Rug Weavers demonstrated the art of Swedish-style rag rug weaving throughout the run of the exhibit. (For details and photos, see scandinavianweaversmn.com ) The Collections staff at ASI also put together a display about Hilma Berglund, one of the founders of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
In addition to Karin Larsson, weavers took inspiration from a 14-meter rag rug in ASI’s permanent collection. It was woven by Maria Jonsson in the province of Värmland, Sweden and donated to ASI in the 1950s. Judy Larson, coordinator of the Rag Rug Group, warped a vintage Glimakra loom in “Swedish blue” and designed our first rug to feature a wedge pattern like the ones in Jonsson’s rug. The article below is taken from Judy’s remarks during a panel discussion on October 24.
“From WOW! to HOW?”: Weaving at the Karin Larsson Exhibit By Judy Larson
Edited by Lisa-Anne Bauch
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Carl and Karin Larsson’s home in Sundborn, Sweden, in 2018 and again in 2022. The first guided tour was all about Carl and his painting, and we were free to take any photos we wanted. It was mentioned that Karin was a weaver, and we could see her handiwork all over the house, but it wasn’t mentioned much. Everything in the gift shop was about Carl.
There was quite a difference in 2022, perhaps because the international weaving conference Väv 2022 was taking place at the same time. There was much more focus on Karin, all in Swedish, and we could no longer take any photos inside the house. But of course, we could purchase books full of pictures of Karin’s weaving, embroidering, sewing, and designing textiles. Her delight at getting a loom to weave tapestry and her skill at creating new macramé and weaving techniques were now included in the tour, with notable stops to look at the textiles that created the classic Swedish décor so evident in Carl’s paintings. Parts of the Sundborn house were now off-limits as they were designated family-only spaces, so it has been especially rewarding to see the excellent displays that the American Swedish Institute has recreated here in the Turnblad Mansion.
Karin’s quote about “weaving with memories” as she wove rugs from fabrics that had been her children’s clothing resonates with every weaver. Her quote that “When women are doing handwork, men think they are doing nothing!” reflects the need for changing the appreciation of her handwork in sewing, embroidering, and weaving, which is so beautifully executed throughout this exhibit. When the Weavers Guild of Minnesota was invited to be an active part of the exhibit, we were thrilled to have the opportunity.
As part of the exhibit, ASI displayed the Värmland Rug, woven by a 76-year-old weaver in Värmland, Sweden and presented to as a gift to ASI from that province in 1952. It had been woven to go around all four sides of a dining room table. Weavers Guild members Phyllis Waggoner and Wynne Mattila had studied the rug earlier, so there was detailed documentation on its structure. But it is a 14-meter, 42-foot rug! The fascination with it went from “WOW!” to “HOW?”
Photo: Lisa-Anne Bauch
The weavers in the Scandinavian and Rag Rug study groups had a chance to see the rug, but were unable to fathom how it could be woven that long on our looms. It made for some interesting guesses, but it was always a challenge. For example, if you put the rug under you (on the cloth beam), you wouldn’t have room to treadle. If you put the rug over you (on the front beam), you couldn’t reach the beater.
Fortunately, weaver Carol Colburn saw the exhibit and did some research. In the Norwegian book Fra Fiber Til Tøy: Tekstilredskaper Og Bruken Av Dem I Norsk Tradisjon by Marta Hoffmann, she found that there were looms with a split in the front beam, so that the rug could be secured as you wove, and the woven part simply went to the side on the floor, allowing you to weave any length without being restricted by the cloth beam. More inspiration and education! [See a longer technical explanation of the loom at the end of this article.]
Our groups had been invited to do active weaving demonstrations during the Karin Larsson exhibit and decided to weave a shorter rug in the Värmland wedge technique, as we no longer use 42-foot rugs around our dining room tables! The Glimakra loom was borrowed from Color Crossing, a weaving studio in Roberts, Wisconsin and was warped with a Rosepath draft. That draft honors the history of Sweden and all of Scandinavia and allows many different variations in the patterns on the rug. Weft fabric in shades of blue was donated and prepared. Three weavers were scheduled for each demonstration, showing “up close and personal” the preparation, weaving, and finishing skills used in rag rugs.
Judy Larson captivates visitors of all ages with her explanations about the loom. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Preparation includes the washing, sewing, cutting, and, if you prefer, ironing of all the fabrics to make the weft strips. A bias tape maker was used to enclose all the raw edges of the fabric to make the rug finished on both sides. The weaving happens at the loom as the warp threads are lifted and lowered to hold the weft in place. The shuttle holding the weft goes from right to left and back again as the weft forms the patterns on the rug. To some, the treadling looks like playing an organ. The finishing involves creating a stable edge by knotting, sewing, twisting, or braiding the warp threads to hold the rug weft securely in place.
During our demonstrations, we received lots of comments about weaving that had been done by parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents as we inspired old memories and also answered new questions from those who had never seen weaving before. And yes, there are people who still weave! It is not a dying art, and there are 600 members of the Weavers Guild who keep it active, including over 40 volunteers who were excited to share their weaving skills with ASI visitors. The biggest challenge was that the volunteers spent so much time talking that they didn’t get their allotted 18 inches woven during their three-hour time slot! Some even came back to get more weaving done.
The first rug we wove used the wedge technique seen in the Värmland rug, and the next three rugs used Rosepath variations. Some variations were exactly as in the draft and others were “unique.” There was even a little Love’s Path, an Upper Michigan and Iron Range variation, sometimes called Over the Waves, another nod to our ethnic heritage. In addition, beginning in June and continuing into next year, there were weavers working at the Weavers Guild, each creating a unique Rosepath rug of their own, so ASI visitors were invited to visit the Guild as well.
Nancy Gossell hand-finishing one of her beautiful rugs. Photo: Lisa-Anne Bauch
This joint project between the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and the American Swedish Institute continued the legacy that Hilma Berglund and other weavers envisioned, passing on the weaving skills to the current and future generations and keeping this fiber art vibrant for today’s and tomorrow’s weavers. It promoted the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and all that it offers, introducing many new visitors to our new space in the Open Book building on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis. Finally, it allowed the Rag Rug and Scandinavian study groups to learn new skills and share our passion for weaving, spinning, and dyeing, and all the fiber arts with ASI visitors.
October 2024
As the exhibit comes to a close, we’d like to present our version of the Värmland wedge rug to ASI. It’s a bit shorter than the original, but woven with just as much pride and passion! Thank you for including the Weavers Guild of Minnesota in your presentation of the Karin Larsson exhibit. We’ve had a delightful and productive time with you.
Judy Larson has been weaving for 22 years and is still fascinated by learning new things and teaching them to others. Retired after teaching elementary kids for 31 years, she now has a studio at Color Crossing in Roberts, WI. She loves puzzles, and sees weaving as a puzzle that can be varied every time a loom is warped! Shaft switching, Rosepath, Moorman, and other techniques are used to create a variety of rag rugs, as well as scarves, towels, and runners. She leads the Rag Rug Study Group at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, and is also active in the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and New and Occasional Weavers Study Group. She teaches weaving at the Guild and at Color Crossing to inspire new weavers to share in the passion, curiosity, and creativity that weaving provides.
Carol Colburn Comments on Managing VERY Long Weavings
“When I saw you and the other demonstrators at ASI on Sunday, the question came up about how to manage long lengths of rag rug as in the ASI example. I remembered later that I had seen an historical solution in my Norwegian weaving research. When weaving long warps of vadmel, the loom does not have a separate front beam that winds on the yardage. Instead, the breast beam itself rotates and has a slit in it which holds the tension on the weaving, and when advancing the warp, the yardage is pulled through this slit and spills out on the floor – it piles up, and then is simply pushed to the side outside of the loom on the floor. In Marta Hoffmann’s book from 1991, Fra fiber til tøy [From Fiber to Fabric], she has a series of photographs that shows this. The loom shown is from 1668, and still in use in Setesdal at the time Marta Hoffmann did her research there in 1969. Presumably similar old looms would have been used in Sweden – the English translation caption on these pages mentions that this type of loom was used for a longer time in Eastern Europe. Certainly there was a lot of weaving knowledge and technology shared throughout those centuries. This could have been used for rag rugs in Sweden and among Swedish Americans in the 19th century too.”
Carol mentioned relevant pages from the book. English caption under photo on page 132: “Loom from Setesdal, Aust-Agder, dated 1668. The type is now in Norway only known from this district. The treadles are fastened under the seat and the breast beam is rotating. It has a split for the woven cloth which is pulled down to the floor.
Pick-Up Bandweaving Designs: 288 Charts for 13 Pattern Ends and Techniques for Arranging Color. By Heather Torgenrud. Schiffer Craft, 2024.
Heather Torgenrud continues her deep exploration of the technique of pick-up bandweaving in her new chart and photo-filled book.
I am responsible for adding new books to the Weavers Guild of Minnesota library and was excited to add Torgenrud’s second bandweaving book. I asked Keith Pierce–band weaver, teacher, scholar, and member of the “Banditos” interest group at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota–to say a few words about Torgenrud’s classic first book, Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving (Schiffer Craft, 2014). He wrote,
Heather’s first book, Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving, raised the bar for publications in the textile arts. Even non-weavers will enjoy the beautiful photographs and thoroughly researched history of the design and use of the bands throughout Norwegian culture. But for weavers, the how-to section shines. Heather clearly explains the technique, and includes enough detail for one to learn on their own. When I first encountered the book, I was about to teach the topic at the Weavers Guild. Her exposition was so much better than mine that I spent the night before my first class revising my notes to follow her techniques! I am confident that any of Heather’s future publications will continue to hold to these high standards.
Keith was definitely right about the high quality of her second book. The first two-thirds of Pick-Up Bandweaving Designs is aptly titled “Charts.” On page after page, each of the 288 charts contains 13 pattern ends, always separated by two background ends. Torgenrud chose 13 ends because “thirteen is my favorite number of ends to work with—enough so I don’t run out of pattern ideas yet easy to keep track of as I weave” (p.9).
Chart Numbers 66,67,68, and 69. Page 30
This is not a “how-to” book, but on page 13, Torgenrud does explain how she positions and reads the charts, depending on whether she’s using a band heddle or inkle loom, or weaving with a pattern heddle. (You’ll find extensive “how-to” information in her earlier book.)
The last third of the book comes alive with Color in Pick-Up with photos of dozens of woven sample bands illustrating Torgenrud’s extensive and thoughtful analysis of, and suggestions for, color interactions. Whether or not you are a band weaver, this part of the book provides insights into color and color theory appropriate for any weaver. She recommends twisting strands of color together or winding yarn wraps to see how colors will interact. She discusses and illustrates the use of color in the background of the band as well as choices of color in the foreground pattern, and shows both the front and reverse sides of the bands, understanding that this is important to weavers trying to learn from a book.
Page 109
In the section called “Transitions” (pp. 86-87), Torgenrud writes that if the weaver decides not to repeat the same motif throughout the band, any of the patterns in the book can be combined in the same band, since all the bands have 13 pattern threads.
In this section, Torgenrud emphasizes “smooth transitions” and “visual interest,” using words like ‘harmonious” and “graceful” and “pleasing” to describe the weaver’s choice of transitional motifs. I think this gives weavers confidence in their personal choices.
Schiffer Craft and Heather Torgenrud have produced a beautiful book. Torgenrud’s bands are meticulously woven. The photographs show clearly each individual background and pattern thread, as if the weaver were seeing the band in person. And like her first book, this book contains so much information so clearly presented that it is destined to be a classic in the field of bandweaving.
The tone of the book is informative and generous with a sincere regard for her readers and even with an appearance by a family of trolls at the end.
Mary Skoy is an occasional band weaver, long time knitter, rigid heddle and Compu-Dobby loom weaver, member of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota since 1972, and admirer and friend of Heather Torgenrud since meeting on a Vesterheim textile tour to Norway in 2007.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
From interviewer Lisa Anne Bauch: Christine Novotny wrote “Rölakan Rug Weaving in Sweden” for the Norwegian Textile Letter, recounting her experiences as a student with master weaver Ulla Parkdahl. I had the opportunity to take a class from Christine at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and found her to be an engaging and enthusiastic teacher. She generously shared her thoughts about weaving and teaching.
What is it about rölakantechnique that makes you want to share it with your students?
When I met Ulla Parkdal for the first time, I knew that she was holding some incredible knowledge that had been passed from person to person. It was what made me want to learn from her to begin with. In the U.S., we have a very broken and hodgepodge passage of information. So much was lost in immigration and industrialization, and a lot of new information has been built over time with the advent of jack looms and interest in weaving as hobby. The information I learned from her was special because I knew from other weavers that she had a very specific way of doing rölakan, and that the finishing technique was one they hadn’t run across in books. The factory she worked for has closed, so many of those weavers and people involved in the mill have already passed. I knew that what I was learning from her could very well end with her. With so much accessible through internet searches and countless books on the subject, it’s easy to get into a mindset that all the knowledge that exists is already documented. But it’s not!
The distinctive braided edge of Christine’s Rölakan rug. Photo: Lisa Anne Bauch
Also, the free design and color play within her technique was really exciting to me. I love teaching classes where people are given the freedom to create their own design, because this is what drew me into weaving in the first place. It’s so easy to pick out designs from books or from historical references, and that is truly important and wonderful. But I get excited about giving students the skills to break out of that a bit.
What are some of the technical challenges of this technique, and how do you help your students overcome them?
Rölakan is complicated! It encompasses several necessary skillsets that don’t always interact: Understanding of floor loom weaving, materials, and also tapestry techniques. One of the largest hurdles is being able to see what is “right” and what is “wrong.” It’s something that I can show over and over again, but it just takes time practicing the technique to be able to see it for yourself. The first step is noticing something looks “different,” the next step is figuring out how to change what you’re doing to accomplish the “correct” way.
I want all students to find success in a class, but there are different versions of it. For some, it’s making the piece that they set out to make. For others, it’s just understanding the technique by the end of class. Especially in a mixed level class, I cannot fully control where people end on the spectrum, but I can do my best to guide everyone to a realistic and satisfying outcome. The last class I taught at North House Folk School stretched me to rethink some of the ways that I can get more people to that outcome, whether it’s rearranging the class to have more directed time, or coming up with verbal mnemonics that reinforce my explanations. Every class is so different! It helps me stay nimble and improve as an educator at every turn.
Christine warping a loom. Photo: Lisa Anne Bauch
How has your experience with Ulla enlarged your philosophy and/or approach to teaching?
Ulla really showed me that in weaving, you just need to do what you want. I found her looseness around technique refreshing. She let me fail, fixed things for me as needed, and left me alone most of the time to figure it out for myself. She once showed me a piece she’d made years ago, and I asked, “Is this (fill in the blank) weave structure?” She retorted, “I do not know! I just do what I want. All you young weavers are so obsessed with technique and structures. You just need to come up with what you want to make, and then figure out how to do it.” I definitely come from an artist’s perspective with weaving, a desire to make what I see in my mind’s eye. But also I know that making durable weavings that turn out well takes practice and skill. I always want to take Ulla’s attitude into class with me. I want to teach students all the tips that have helped me succeed in weaving over the years, but also encourage them to search and find that thing they want to make, and then put the work in to make it themselves.
Christine explaining the intricacies of rug weaving to North House visitors. Photo: Lisa Ann Bauch
Christine Novotny’s exhibit at the American Swedish Institute ended in October, 2024. Photos from the exhibit and a profile of the artist were included in the Institute’s Posten magazine, September-October 2024. The publishers graciously provided a pdf of the entire issue. Please enjoy the article about Christine, and I’m sure many Norwegian Textile Letter readers will be interested in the other activities of this vibrant Scandinavian organization in Minnesota. Click on the cover below.
October 2024
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Frida Hansen (1855-1931) was a ground-breaking Norwegian artist at the beginning of the 20th century. Her work was tied to the National Romantic period in Norway, and influenced by the international Art Nouveau Movement. She reinvigorated Norwegian billedvev, [tapestry weaving] from the Renaissance era, investigated natural dyes used in historical weavings, ran a school for tapestry weaving, directed one of the largest tapestry studios in Europe at the turn of the 20th century, and gained international fame for her large tapestries in Art Nouveau style. She also developed a patented technique for weaving “transparent” tapestries with wool warp and weft. Portions of the weavings, usually hung as portieres or curtains, were left unwoven, giving a see-through effect and an emphasis on positive and negative spaces in the images. Hansen’s transparent tapestries drew rave reviews at the Paris Exposition in 1900, and were purchased throughout Europe.
Frida Hansen, JUNI [JUNE], 1918. Now on view at KODE Museum in Bergen, Norway
Frida Hansen inspired a production of transparent tapestries in her signature technique that stretched for decades, and even inspires contemporary artists. She released her patent in 1906, and some of the first pattern designers were weavers from her studio, Den Norske Billedvæveri [The Norwegian Tapestry Studio]. Hansen’s open warp technique became part of the curriculum in early 20th century Norwegian weaving schools, so it was widely practiced.
Below are two details from the JUNI transparent tapestry.
Detail from the Juni transparent tapestryDetail from the Juni transparent tapestry
The transparent tapestries designed by Frida Hansen are well-documented, due to her diligent record-keeping and the incredible sleuthing of her biographer, Anniken Thue. But the names of creators (and weavers) of many patterns designed by her followers remain a mystery. I would like to solve some of these mysteries, and in doing so, demonstrate the enduring influence of Frida Hansen and her innovative technique on decades of weavers. I recently had the chance to do just that on a visit to Norsk Folkemuseum. When exploring in the museum archives I came across boxes of patterns from Husfliden [the National Handcraft Association] dating to the early 1900s, and I made a few discoveries. A young woman named Walborg Nickelsen, who briefly worked for Husfliden, designed at least two patterns for transparent tapestry. This article highlights one of these, and tells the brief tale of her life, as far as I could piece it together.
Norsk Folkemuseum Curator Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen unfolds a full-sized 1927 pattern for a portiere designed by Walborg Nickelsen. Most patterns in the archives were small sketches, not full-sized.
I have not seen a woven version of the full-sized pattern, with the wonderful deer. The second pattern, from a smaller sketch, must have been woven frequently. I recognized it from the collections of three museums, none of which listed the designer.
The second Walborg Nickelsen pattern. There are admonitions printed on the pattern that the yarn samples must not be clipped off and to please handle the pattern carefully
The color choices made by the weavers give each version an entirely different feel. This copy from Maihaugen is in lighter and softer colors than the suggested yarn colors that were attached to the Husfliden pattern.
The museum record is here: https://digitaltmuseum.no/0210211617142/portiere. I think the pattern clearly includes a tree image, so it is surprising when it is hung upside down. The weaver’s name is unknown, and it is also displayed upside down.
Here is a version at the Sverresborg Trøndelag Museum.
The colors chosen are similar to those in the pattern, except the weaver used white wool for the background, giving a more open feel to the image. Museum record: https://digitaltmuseum.no/021028326715/akle
A version of the pattern is even found in an American museum, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. It was woven by a Norwegian-American weaver from Portland, Oregon, Ruthi Klever Lunde Clark (1900 or 1903-1981). Clark’s pink and green version was woven in tow linen rather than wool. (You can read more about Clark’s version and other American tapestries that were woven in Frida Hansen’s technique in this article, “Frida Hansen – Transatlantic Ties.”)
Nickelsen pattern woven by Ruthi Clark, found in the collection of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Since the first draft of this article was written, yet another set of portieres in Nickelsen’s tree pattern turned up on the Norwegian Blomqvist auction site. They were originally listed “Unknown Designer,” but I was able to give them updated information.
The auction house was not able to provide any provenance. I have no verification, but since this version is woven in exactly the colors specified by threads attached to the pattern in the Husfliden archives at the Norsk Folkemuseum, I have a hunch they may be the original set woven by the designer. Will more clues turn up?
Who was Walborg Nickelsen, the designer?
Walborg Weil Nickelsen (1907-1980) was born in Narvik, in the far north of Norway, in 1907, during the time her father, Wilhelm Nickelsen (1874-1953), served as the city engineer. They moved to Oslo in 1910, and Wilhelm spent most of his career as an engineer in the construction division of Asker municipality. According to newspapers of the day, he was a frequent speaker on the radio, often during a program with the tagline, “Small Visits with Big Men.” (One example was in Buskerud og Vestfold, April 11, 1931.)Walborg’s mother, Ragnhild Agnes Marie Nickelsen (born Ruud), cared for the home andlived to 103.
Walborg became a well-trained weaving instructor. She studied weaving at the Kvinnelig Industriskole [National Women’s Arts and Design School] for four years (best guess, around 1923-26), and then worked for Husfliden [the National Handcraft Association] for two years (1927-28?).
Walborg Nickelsen in a Hallingdal costume, 1926. From the Norsk Folkemuseum. Photo: Anders Beer Wise. Full record.
After her stint at Husfliden, Walborg worked as the assistant to Tora Qviller, a well-known Art Deco-influenced designer and weaver in the 1930s. An article in Dagbladet (12/12/1931) described Qviller’s work on two large commissions, for the director’s office of the Oslo Electric Company and 75 rooms at the Continental Hotel. In the General Director’s Office, Qviller proposed designs for upholstery, curtains, and rugs. “Tora Qviller and her young assistant, Valborg Nickelsen, received only a week and a half to create all the samples.”
In 1932 Walborg Nickelsen moved on to teach weaving for a new private weaving school started by Ingebjørg Hvoslef at the Tanberg estate in Ringerike. The ad for the school listed Nickelsen as the instructor. The three-month course had a very ambitious scope – both for learning and teaching! Students would study overshot weaving, linen damask, clothing fabric, home-spun, tapestry, pile weaving, transparent weaving, coverlet weaves, weaving theory, lace-making, pattern design, natural dyeing and spinning of linen and wool.
Aftenposten, July 21, 1932
As far as I could determine, Walborg Nickelsen ended her career as a weaver, teacher and designer after teaching the course in the fall of 1932. Her name was not listed in the advertisements for the Tanberg Weaving School in the years after that. Also, according to newspaper notices in the summer and fall of 1932, Walborg became engaged to Ellef Bennichmann Petersen. She married in 1935, and had one son, Bjørn. She died in 1980. It seems a shame that she didn’t continue her life as a weaver and designer. If anyone knows more about her life, I’d love to know.
Frida Hansen’s influence
What if Frida Hansen had chosen to lead a life of conventional expectations, to work exclusively in her home? She began her career in textiles by opening an embroidery shop out of necessity, when her husband went bankrupt in an economic depression. After his finances improved, he encouraged her to give up outside work, but she refused. She had too much to accomplish, too many tapestries to create.
Walborg Nickelsen’s tree design is just one small indication of the decades of influence Frida Hansen had on weavers and designers in Norway. Nickelsen learned the technique in weaving school, created patterns for the technique as a young designer, and taught the technique as a weaving instructor.
Bibliography
Thue, Anniken. Frida Hansen: Europeeren i Norsk Vevkunst. Oslo : Universitetsforlaget, 1986. “Wilhelm Nickelsen,” Lokalhistoriewiki.no [accessed 10/8/2024]
Robbie LaFleur is a weaver and writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since she studied weaving at Valdres Husflidskole in Fagernes, Norway, in 1977. She is a Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Gold Medalist in weaving, coordinates the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group, and publishes the Norwegian Textile Letter. In 2019 she received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study the transparency technique of famed Norwegian tapestry weaver Frida Hansen. Contact: lafleur1801@me.com. Blog: robbielafleur.com. Instagram: robbie_lafleur
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Each National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum features enormously skilled practitioners of rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knife-making, and metalwork. From the Vesterheim website: “It showcases the self-expression of contemporary artists who create folk art rooted in Norwegian traditions. The mission of this exhibition is to celebrate the past, present, and future of folk art by encouraging and inspiring emerging and established folk artists to develop their craft. Artists submit work for evaluation by a team of judges, who offer feedback on their pieces and award ribbons to the very best work.”
Congratulations to the ribbon winners in the weaving category for 2024!
Blue Ribbon and “Best in Show”
Carol Culbertson, “Danskebrogd Vest.” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
Vest in Danskebrogd Technique
It has taken several years of experimenting to find a way to weave correctly shaped pieces to stitch together for a vest. Drawing on many years of experience as a seamstress, this year has been the most successful. It was very exciting to stitch the pieces together and have a comfortable vest to wear.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
My grandson will wear these garters so I selected symbols to protect and hold wishes for him. The Saint Andrew’s Cross is for humility, the 8-pointed star communicates the hope for abundance, the checkerboard is where the game of life is played. The diamond is the woven shape of the sun. The triangular arrows guide man’s time and direction.
I weave on a vertical loom made by Ole Rue of Vinje, Norway. As I have been investigating band weaving, I began noticing the reoccurring band motifs that mark region/valley and the bands’ use as a shield to protect and repel evil.
White Ribbon
Carol Culbertson, “Stained Glass” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
“Stained Glass” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
This wall hanging is a double-point krokbragd (bound weave). With an abundant supply of leftover yarn, I was looking for a way to use some of it. After thinking about how this yarn could be used for several months, a stained-glass window idea popped into my head. After several drawings, using the double-point krokbragd technique seemed like the answer.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
White Ribbon and “People’s Choice” Award
Helen Scherer “Medieval Monuments” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Helen Scherer, Shawnee KS
“Medieval Monuments” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
Nine medieval sites in Norway and Denmark inspired the abstract patterns and colors in this wall hanging. From the top down:
1. Crosses and Ribe Cathedral, Lauge and Mette Paintings, Hans Tausen Statue 2. Candles and Hamar Cathedral Ruins, Sira Brynjulf Haraldsson (d. 1348) 3. Horse Runes and Akershus Fortress, Canons 4. Birkebeiner Skis and Håkon’s Hall, High Seat Tapestry 5. Axes and Nidaros Cathedral 6. Clubs and Dale-Gudbrand’s Farm in Hundorp 7. Stone Runes and Harald Bluetooth, Jelling Runestones 8. Ing Runes and Harald Fairhair, Haraldshaugen 9. Gift Runes and Unearthed Gullgubber, Bornholm 10. Crosses and Stars, Poinsettias
My first weaving teacher was my mother, who emigrated from Gudbrandsal. I frequently travel to Scandinavia to meet relatives and friends, explore the sites, and visit museums. The weaving I enjoy most is based on traditional Norwegian techniques.
October 2024
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
An exhibition profiling the work of weaver Marta Kløve Juuhl was part of the yearly Nordhordland event Ullveka [Wool Week]. The exhibition, described on the Ullveka website, was on view at the Bergen area spinnery Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk from September 27 to October 26, 2024.
By Vigdis Valde Translated by Katherine Larson
The phrase “weaving is life” came to Marta Kløve Juuhl when an English designer visited her weaving studio in 2014, and it has become her motto. “Weaving is life” can be taken as a metaphor for life as cooperation, but for Marta the meaning is literal: weaving is her life, and it has been for her entire career.
Marta Kløve Juuhl at Ullveka exhibition opening, Hillesvåg Ullvarebabrik, September 27, 2024. Photo: Monika Ravnanger
Marta has woven on commission, but also in furtherance of preservation, development and research. She has woven chasubles for churches, upholstery for furniture, and fabric for clothing.
Traditional meets contemporary: A couch upholstered in krokbragd. Photo: Vigdis Valde
And not least she has worked to preserve the rich tradition surrounding the warp-weighted loom in Norway, among other things through the 2016 book Oppstadveven, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Norway (represented by Marta), Shetland and Iceland.
Currently Marta is weaving new vestments for Hamre Church, and was one of several artisans selected to weave new cushion covers for the benches in Oslo City Hall. These tapestry cushions will see their first use during the Nobel Prize ceremony on December 10th later this year.In addition she is a collaborator on a book about coverlets from Nordhordland, and has contributed to a scholarly article about a medieval pile textile from Borgund, with lead author Monika Sunnanå Ravnanger, Marta’s successor at Osterøy Museum.
Marta was educated as a weaving teacher in 1977.In addition to teaching at Garnes Husflidsskule and her years at Osterøy Museum, she has maintained her own weaving studio since 1989.
Wool bodice fabric. Photo Monika RavnangerBunad bodice. The fabric was based on Marta’s analysis of an old bodice from the island of Sotra and is now offered by Husfliden. Photo: Vigdis Valde
There are not many with such broad knowledge of weaving to whom Marta can pass the baton. Fewer and fewer know how to weave fabric for bunads and other useful textiles that we would prefer be made by hand.
Rolls of apron fabric (Nordhordland) Photo: Monica Ravnanger Folded shawls (Voss). Photo: Monica Ravnager Rolls of underskirt fabric with finished skirts in center (Hordaland). Photo: Marta Kløve Juuhl
But perhaps an exhibition such as this can increase awareness of this rich tradition that deserves preservation. Marta continuesthe tradition through her active life of weaving, even if she thinks that perhaps this project will be the last.But… it is difficult to set aside –weaving is life!
Chasubles woven by Marta for Ostereide Church (left) and Hamre Church (center and right); designed by Rigmor Bové (left and right) and Inger Johanne Rasmussen (center); silk, woven in turned taqueté. Photo: Marta Kløve Juuhl Detail of pulpit cloth for use with green chasuble. Photo: Kay Larson Pattern from center chasuble, above. Photo: Kay Larson
I drive up the shore eagerly, forgetting one of my favorite things weaving has taught me: to slow down. Luckily the lake helps; every opening in the trees with a view to Superior correlates with the speed of single lane traffic. We slow in tandem from 68 to 47 miles per hour.
I grew up next to Lake Superior. She has inspired much play, art, and rest throughout my life. A return to her is to home. For years I dreamt of studying a craft at the North House Folk School, a school specializing in traditional crafts, situated on the water, in the charming town of Grand Marais. In April, I was told about a class where we would learn to build our own warp-weighted loom and weave on it. Overcome with urgency and delight, I signed up immediately, excited for a weaving adventure up north.
I arrive to town the night before class begins. I have booked myself a small cabin with a view to the lake. The almost full moon rises as the sky darkens from a lilac pink to royal blue. The moon sparkles on the still water as I settle into the new pace of my life for the next five days. I have left the frantic energy of the city behind me and hope to leave it there so I can fully immerse myself in this trip.
Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
In the morning, I head to the school. The first two days of class – building the warp weighted loom with David Susag. There are only four of us students and we range in comfortability with power tools from never having touched one to regular weekend use. I worked some construction in college, but besides using my husband’s drill as a bobbin winder now, it has been some time for me. David is an avid woodworker and Scandinavian folk craft enthusiast. He can often be found teaching or taking Scandinavian folk art classes. He also demonstrates at Viking reenactments, showcasing one of his many crafts such as spring-pole lathe and woodcarving. He also has an affinity for traditional fiber arts including bunad sewing and crafting skinfell ornaments. He is thorough and patient in his instruction to us, and laces our work-time with tales of his travels and incredible teachers. We use table, miter, and band saws, drill presses, chisels, and mallets. By the end of our second day, we each completed a tabletop version of a 9000 year old style warp weighted loom.
Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
Warp weighted looms are some of the world’s earliest discovered technology and can be found globally in different prehistoric cultures. The earliest found warp weighted loom is from Palestine, dating back to about 7,000 BCE. This particular style of loom is an upright loom, in that the warp runs perpendicular to the ground, much like a tapestry loom. The warp is then bundled and tied to stones that pull the strings down, providing the necessary tension. Coverlets, rugs, and other textiles are typical pieces that can be created on this style of loom. The versions we built are smaller than what would have typically been used – they are about 20” by 24”, excellent for tabletop work, are easily deconstructable, and are able to be packed flat. This portion of the five-day long class is timely for me – I am currently reading Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber, and have been marveling at the “courtyard sisterhood” culture that correlated with the work on original warp weighted looms. I feel a similar camaraderie as depicted in the book as we work in the shop. In between the roars of the sawdust collector, we all visit with each other, chatting about our projects at hand and lives back home.
My evenings after classes are filled with smoked herring, a local beer on the beach, agate hunting, reading, and long calls home to my husband. In the early mornings, I sip hot coffee at the lake as I watch the sun paint the sky pinks, purples, and periwinkles.
Lakeside coffee. Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
The third day of class, our looms are assembled and ready for dressing. Melba has arrived. She begins the morning by turning out three IKEA bags of wool yarn onto tables–a glorious, fluffy mountain. We pick our color schemes, plan our weavings, dress our looms. The room fluctuates in volume as we shift from laughter and chatter to intense focus.
The warp threads on the warp weighted loom are under tension with rocks. Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
I met Melba Granlund a year and a half ago. She was weaving on the most impressive loom when I wandered into the Weavers Guild of Minnesota to do some shopping for an upcoming project. She detected my peeking from afar and invited me over to come watch her. She was welcoming, and informative, and I adored her. Melba walked me through the mechanics of a Glimarka loom and explained the beautiful design she was weaving was called Telemarksteppe. I thought the pattern looked like geometric waves. It seemed intricate to me, but she was serene. It must have been apparent that I was enthralled. She invited me to an open house for the group she was weaving this project with: the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group. I attended the following week, signed up, and have been a member of the group ever since. I joke with her now that she’s responsible for my obsession with Scandinavian weaving. I know the draw has always been there, but I am forever grateful to her for opening the door to this world.
Melba Granlund and the author. Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
Melba is a Scandinavian folk artist and long-time weaver. Over the years she has studied under master weavers and fiber artists in Norway, Sweden, and Finland and teaches her own classes here in the Midwest. She often participates in Viking reenactments with her full size warp weighted loom, measuring nearly 6 feet tall and wide. On it, she is currently working on a traditional style coverlet, true of its time in color and pattern. Coverlets were traditionally used as the decorative top side of a thick blanket in the cooler-climate Scandinavian countries. The decorative blanket was woven in bright colors and intricate patterns to offset the long, dark, and grey winters. Then the coverlet would be attached to a sheepskin or woven rya (a high-pile textile made to imitate sheep’s wool), and used wool-side-down as a thick blanket to trap in the heat on a cold night. Melba’s in-depth understanding of these ancient crafts is inspiring and not limited to weaving. She is also an avid crafter of nålbinding, felting, sewing, and spinning, to name a few. The world is blessed that Melba enjoys sharing her abundance of knowledge and expertise with us.
A bag woven by Melba Granlund in pick-and-pick technique. Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
The project I originally choose to create on my warp-weighted loom starts with the intention of becoming a bag. I decide on an earthy color scheme with unexpected pops of highly saturated lime greens, teals, scarlet, and the occasional contrast of black. The pattern is a pick-and-pick array of stripes, blocky teeth, and squares. The blips of color are nestled into a geometric sea of creamy whites, warm greys, and chocolatey browns. For the flap of the bag, I decide on peeling apart the plys of a white wool yarn for rya knots. However, I fell so madly in love with the rya, that I have since completely changed my mind on the finished end product – something that never happens to artists, I’m sure. Since returning home, I have shifted direction and will make a tapestry that celebrates these squiggly white ryas. The color scheme will remain the same, but will mostly be visible from the backside. The front will now be filled with these rya poms, with little peeks from the background visible in between the clusters.
Rya on the new warp weighted loom. Photo: Holly Hildebrandt
On the last day of class, none of us have finished our projects, but are tickled that we get to continue them from home–-one of the greatest benefits of building our own looms. For that, it was a low pressure class, knowing we did not need to rush to complete everything in our allotted time. I’m happy to say we have all made new friends and connections. One woman has invited me to her home this winter where she will teach me to spin wool. The other two women have decided to get together the next day in Duluth for a swim.
I make the long drive home that evening. I feel full having gotten this sweet time connecting with Melba and my classmates, and also having connected with some long-lost roots of my heritage. I savor the last views of Lake Superior out my window and as she disappears in my rearview mirror. I don’t even touch my radio on the five hour drive–my mind is swimming with all of the things I want to learn next and the places I’ll go.
Holly Hildebrandt lives in Minnesota where she is a commercial interior designer by day, and weaver by night. She taught herself how to weave on a frame loom in 2018, and was gifted a floor loom in 2019. This led to many classes, lectures, joining the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group, participating in makers’ markets, and an inevitable lifelong passion for weaving. Holly is inspired by natural surroundings, uncovering family history, and studying global design history. With her craft, she hopes to excite an appreciation for functional art, connection to the past, and an intentional way of living in the world today.
October 2024
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
