Scandinavian Weavers Study Group

Category: Uncategorized

Traditional Norwegian Weaving: American Reboot
Traditional Norwegian Weaving: American Reboot
An Exhibit at Norway House: July 20-September 10, 2017
Sponsored by Norway House and the Weavers Guild of Minnesota

A traditional krokbragd coverlet from the collection of the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum

Make Minneapolis your destination thus summer for an exhibit joining Norwegian weaving past and present. Inspired by historical textiles, American weavers have used Norwegian weaving techniques to create a new body of work, contemporary in design or materials. Enjoy traditional pieces from the collection of the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum and outstanding weavings from recent decades that honor the past and break through with modern expression.

The exhibit of invited pieces (40 in all) is based around several techniques, including rya; tapestry; krokbragd and other boundweave variants; band weaving; and overshot weaves such as monks belt and skilbragd. Other pieces are chosen to illustrate where American weavers learned their skills in Norwegian techniques, and where weaving in the Norwegian tradition has been exhibited over the years.

Related events include lectures and classes and weaving demonstrations. A loom will be set up in the gallery where members of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group will weave a rutevev (square weave) runner.
- Opening celebration: Thursday, July 20, 2017, 5-8 pm.
- Gallery talks: Sundays, July 23 and August 13, 2 pm.
- Weaving demonstrations: Wednesdays and Sundays from July 23-September 10, 12 pm-3 pm
- Afternoon with an Expert, featuring Laurann Gilbertson, Curator, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum: Saturday, September 9, 1-3:30 pm. Following the lecture, “Warmth and Color: Traditional Norwegian Coverlets,” Gilbertson will conduct an Antique ID clinic. Members of the public are encouraged to bring Nordic textiles to learn more about their age, origin, and function (but no appraisals).
- Classes: Sami-style Band Weaving, Mondays, August 14 and 21, 12-4 pm; Make a Viking Knit Bracelet, Monday, July 24, 10 am-2 pm; Cardboard Loom Weaving for Kids, Monday, August 7, 10 am – noon.
Information on the exhibit is also found on the Norway House website. Be sure to sign up for Sami-style Band Weaving with Keith Pierce, or Make a Viking Knit Bracelet with Melba Granlund. Maybe you know a kid to sign up for the fun introduction to weaving. This is a special opportunity to see the weaving exhibit in depth, as these Weavers Guild classes will be held at Norway House, right in the main gallery.

Also, follow the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group blog in the coming weeks to read about many of the individual pieces.

This 19th century “boat rya,” a treasure of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, will hang next to several contemporary rya weavings.
May 30, 2017
The Dukagång Experiment–Cut off the Loom

Several curious Scandinavian Weavers Group members gathered to cut the dukagång group warp off the Glimakra last night. It was so fun to see the completed pieces, right side up, and not just peeking from the back of the loom as they rolled around the beam. Jan Mostrom, who should be duly thanked for her work setting up the project and getting the yarn, clipped it off. (There was a section of unwoven warp at the very end, which Lisa Torvik is going to use for firfletting.)

Mary Skoy brought her sewing machine and sewed fine, straight seams between the pieces so they could be cut apart without raveling.

Melba Granlund was the designated snipper.

Oh, you wanted to see the individual pieces? Coming soon. They will be displayed on a wall of the Weavers Guild, and published here, on Friday.

May 24, 2017
Grene Demonstration on a Warp-Weighted Loom

Melba Granlund set up a warp-weighted loom (courtesy of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum) at the 2017 Shepherd’s Harvest Festival, as part of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota booth. She started work on a traditional Sami-style grene, a banded coverlet technique woven with thick, lofty wool. It was a smashing success! Though she planned to give a formal presentation at one point, that never happened. Instead, she was inundated with questions from curious visitors from beginning to end. And all that didn’t leave time for much actual weaving progress, only about 4-1/2 inches.

With the festival over, and the loom moved back to her home, Melba is continuing the project. Watch the blog for updates on the grene, and a description of the wonderful yarn she is using.

Did you miss this cool loom at the Shepherd’s Harvest Festival this year? There’s always 2018. Melba said that there was so much interest that a warp-weighted loom demo would be great for next year, too.

May 24, 2017
Favorite Pattern Motif so Far? Stars.

On our Scandinavian Weavers group warp, three people have chosen to weave stars. Recently, Lisa Torvik’s star peeps out as Sara Okern weaves a blue star.

Lisa Torvik’s bright and festive star pattern

Sara Okern said this was the first time she has woven anything but a rag rug. Success!

Sara wove a blue star.

April 11, 2017
Norwegian Yarn in the Swedish Dukagång

Karin Maahs finished her piece, and her pattern weft was sentimental. She used thin Norwegian yarn her grandmother used to embroider bunads (Norwegian costumes).

One day her pattern was sitting on the loom. “Oh nice, that’s what was just finished,” I thought as I snapped this photo. Clearly I had not looked carefully, as that was the just completed piece, and Karin’s pattern ready to start. Weaving from the back makes this process hard to document!

Here’s Karin’s piece, underway. It will be nice to photograph all the pieces once they are off the loom. For now, it still looks great at this weird angle.

March 30, 2017
A Dukagång among Friends

Patty Johnson, Jane Connett and Judy Larson whipped out their dukagång in record time.

Judy and Jane figure out the pattern.

Patty helping out under the loom

Their pattern revealed from below

March 29, 2017
Skinny Woman, Fatter Man?

Mary Skoy is working on her dukagang piece this weekend, weaving a dancing couple from a piece at the American Swedish Institute.

She was using four shots of pattern yarn to make a square, with only one shot of background weft between each pattern shot. This resulted in a skinny woman! For the man, she is switching to five pattern shots per square; it will be interesting to see how that changes the pattern.

She’s using a variety of wools from her stash for the pattern; sometimes two strands of Harrisville Highland (blue) or a single strand of a fatter knitting yarn (red and white).

Mary placed a white piece of fabric on the piece below the loom, when she discovered that the lint from the linen was falling on the piece below.

Mary’s weaving experience was great, although once she congratulated herself for weaving with no broken threads– snap went a selvedge thread.

March 23, 2017
Dukagång Group Project Underway

By Robbie LaFleur

Last year and this year our Scandinavian Weavers study Group is focusing on Swedish weaving, with a particular interest in linen. We’ve begun a group project on one of the two Glimakra looms at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. We put on a 12″ wide warp of 20/2 half-bleached linen, set at 24 epi, to experiment with dukagång. Jan Mostrom deserves special thanks for ordering the yarn and winding the warp.

Jan and Phyllis Waggoner warped; Melba Granlund helped, too.

Their efforts resulted in a even-tensioned warp with a beautifully wide shed. Each of 12 weavers will weave 12-18″. I was the first to test the warp, and I chose an image I frequently weave — can you tell from the back? Dukagång is woven from the back.

Jan Mostrom was the second one to weave, and the right side of my piece peeked at her as it wound through the loom. Now you’ll get it.

Jan Mostrom was next on the loom; look at her beautiful stars–or as much as you can see, at this point. Melba Granlund was the third person to weave; you can see the back of her piece here. A little hard to decipher…

Here’s Melba’s pattern: birds, a fabulous griffin, and a stylized floral border.

A problem with weaving grid-based patterns is remembering where you left off. I solved it by highlighting each new row before I wove it.

Melba’s system was more ingenious. She asked her husband, “Don’t you have a magnetized clipboard?” Shortly after, he came from the basement with a tool, a discarded metal refrigerator rack with a strong magnet. Melba moved the pattern as she finished each row.

I’ll share more photos as this magical warp progresses, and the cut-off day will be super fun.

March 20, 2017
Show and Tell

At the Scandinavian Weavers meeting yesterday we enjoyed Judy Larson’s latest red rugs. Judy often weaves LARGE rugs, but these were small ones, using wildly different wefts, on the same warp. She wove one with chunky weft of knit ties, part of an 8000-tie stash from a man who worked at the Library of Congress, and never wore the same tie twice. The second one has sharp pink with red, and is made with silky-soft velour strips—her granddaughter’s favorite. The third uses the most conventional rag rug weft, printed cottons. Fun!

March 20, 2017
Threads of Devotion: Possible Medieval Origins of Nordic Christening Bands

Scandinavian Weavers Group member Lisa Bauch is a fan of traditional red-and-white woven bands. Recently, feeling inspired by a beautiful display of bands on a cradle at the American Swedish Institute, she delved further into the topic for a paper in an art history course, “Medieval Sacred Space.” Read more about it, and link to the full paper, in the most recent issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter.

Read Lisa’s article and paper here.
See more photos and read about the inspirational baby basket with bands here.

In this issue, you will also find a reprint of a spectacular article on medieval Norwegian billedvev, and an article on the marvelous contemporary tapestry weaver Brita Been. And monster weaving photos. Check it out.

March 13, 2017