Nancy Ellison, longtime member of the Scandinavian Weavers Group, has been having a busy summer. Nancy raises Scandinavian heritage breed sheep on her farm near Zumbrota, Minnesota, and spins and weaves with their fleece. She is a recognized expert in traditional Norwegian folk arts.
Her flock’s colorful fleeces are featured in her weaving, as in this rya. (Nancy also painted the rocking chair and spinning wheel.) Her flock features Shetland, Gotland, and Icelandic sheep.
A poster featuring Nancy was recently spotted at this year’s FinnFest in Duluth by alert Scandinavian Weavers member Barb Yarusso.
The poster is from a traveling exhibit called “Traveling Traditions: Nordic Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest,” created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures. The exhibit features photos and interviews with seven folk artists throughout the region. The interviews were conducted by graduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, trained in folklore fieldwork, working in cooperation with the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Nancy recalls the interview with her customary modesty: “I don’t know how they decided to ask me for an interview. I hadn’t applied for anything. I’ve been blessed by unasked for publicity that has come my way through the years. It has been fun!”
Nancy’s full interview can be found here:
Nancy was also in the news recently when a sheep got loose in Zumbrota. (Some might say the sheep was on the lam.) The sheep evaded police but was eventually apprehended by some experienced wranglers. An enterprising reporter from the Minneapolis Star Tribune contacted Nancy for a quote. “He had an interest in sheep and said he saw lots of sheep when he was on a trip to Scotland,” Nancy explains, “and he saw the news about the Zumbrota police capturing an escaped sheep. I am always happy to help educate the public when anyone asks me about sheep, wool, spinning, weaving, etc.”
Fortunately, Nancy has never lost one of her rare heritage sheep. “One time a lonesome stray sheep got in with my flock,” she says. “I was surprised to see a sheep I didn’t recognize. [With a] pan of grain, my sheep follow me wherever I want them to go, and the stray followed them in the shed where I could corner him, put a halter on him, and put him in a separate pen. I phoned neighbors with sheep and nobody was missing any. Some people had seen a sheep in the area by itself. I phoned the sales barn, two miles from here on the other side of Zumbrota, and they had one escape a month previous and sent someone to get it from here. The sheep had enjoyed a month of freedom and hadn’t been eaten by a coyote. Sorry to see him go back behind baaaaars! “
Be sure to check out Nancy’s website at Ellison Sheep Farm. She teaches classes and gives presentations on traditional Scandinavian spinning and weaving and is a great person to consult regarding old spinning wheels and looms.
More links to enjoy!
Scandinavian Weavers Study Group 
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