May Festivities

May 22, 2025

As in Scandinavia, summers here in Minnesota are short, and every day must be treasured. Hence, the Scandinavian Weavers group takes the summer off from our regular meetings, although the weaving continues—at home, at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, and for some lucky folks, at the cabin.

Our May meeting is always festive, to celebrate the beginning of this precious season. This month, we met at Color Crossing in Roberts, just a short drive from the Twin Cities amid the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin.

*One of the many floor looms at Color Crossing, flanked by a rug by Judy Larson. The quilt behind the loom is by Color Crossing studio artist Nancy Gavin.*

Color Crossing is the brainchild of Patty Kuebker Johnson, weaver and weaving teacher extraordinaire. Her warm and generous spirit permeates the studio.

*Patty Kuebker Johnson*, at home in Roberts, Wisconsin.

Some fun facts about Patty:

–She owns 11 looms—and that’s only counting the floor looms!

–She is a specialist in Swedish weaving and can take apart and re-assemble a Glimåkra floor loom in less than 20 minutes.

–She has introduced hundreds of students in local schools to the art of weaving. (It helps that she owns 15 inkle looms.)

–She has over 300 weaving books, plus every issue of Handwoven magazine going back to 1991.

*Robbie LaFleur unveils her latest open-warp tapestry with the help of Patty Kuebker Johnson. The rug behind them is by Judy Larson.*

Color Crossing has had several incarnations, starting as Patty’s dairy equipment business, then her yarn shop, and now a space for learning, creativity, and community.

Color Crossing is not only a home for weavers—see profiles below—but also visual artists, quilters, fiber artists, and jewelry designers. Seventeen artists in all make Color Crossing their creative home. It’s also a great place to buy Swedish weaving equipment and yarn!

*Did I mention Color Crossing is a weaver’s paradise?*

*Need a giant warping reel? Color Crossing has one!*

Besides Patty, two other members of the Scandinavian Weavers group are Color Crossing studio artists.

*Jane Connett with some of her many intricate weavings.*

Jane Connett likes to do a variety of small intricate weavings and shows her expertise in many artistic endeavors. Jane also does Ukrainian Easter Eggs, kumihimo, band weavings, and tapestry. She has a fantastic sense of color and loves to share her vast knowledge and passion for fiber arts with others.

*Besides being a talented weaver, Jane Connett also paints Ukrainian-style Easter eggs.*

Judy Larson learned to weave from Patty and is herself a highly sought-after weaving teacher. She is also known for her amazing rugs, woven in her signature shades of blue.

*Judy Larson with one of her many beautiful blue rugs.*

*More of Judy’s rugs for sale at Color Crossing. Do you recognize the wedge weave rug from last summer’s project at the American Swedish Institute?*

Judy generously shares her weaving knowledge with the public by demonstrating weaving on many occasions. Here’, she gets a little help from a visitor:

To learn more about Color Crossing–or better yet, to stop by in person–visit their website.

https://www.colorcrossing.com/

Color Crossing is one of many artists’ studios in the St. Croix River Valley. You can visit all of them in the upcoming artOpener tour, June 6, 7, and 8. Link:

https://www.artopener.org/