There is always a lot of talk about what to wear on your head in the folklore costuming community.

Traditionally you would cover your hair. Currently we don’t (for everyday wear). People feel uncomfortable wearing traditional headwear with the costume, others feel it’s a disservice to tradition to not wear it. This becomes an evergreen discussion.

I wanted to pitch an interesting proposition: headbands! I’m mired in the fertile soil of Swedish trad costuming, but I’m looking to Norwegian traditions for this.

When I was last in Trondheim I noted that the Trønderbunad has several types of headwear and amongst them are embroidered diadems and head wraps. This is seemingly a younger tradition than the old fashioned wraps and hats. Now, in Sweden we have a problem: the hat is where the traditional lace goes. If you lose the hat, you lose the reason to make the lace, and perhaps the knowledge of making the lace too! Therefore I humbly suggest headbands as a modern alternative, for lace preservation and a modern, feminine folkloric accessory. It is a huvudbonad, which more people might be comfortable wearing for celebrations, which can still carry traditional significance, depending on materials and techniques.

Just my personal opinion. I think they’re neat.

#crafts #folklore #sewing #slöjd #folkdräkt #hemslöjd #bunad #husflid #klöppeln #knyppling #folkcostume #knipling #lace #lacemaking #spets #spitze #sweden #norway

My mother has been complaining that I make her scratchy sweaters. So I endeavoured to make her the softest of garments: a lace cardigan. Lace yarn has to be spun so thinly that the fibers tend to face the same way, thereby being less scratchy. Also, it’s so sheer that the real risk lies more in her scratching the fabric.

But she loves it and that’s all that counts.

#knitting #lace #laceknitting #strikk #sticka #spets #slöjd #hemslöjd #husflid

Sometimes people ask me if I make lace shawls on request. The answer is yes and no. I don’t take paid commissions because you’d never want to pay the worth of my work. But if you are the tiniest bit nice to me and show a modicum of interest in what I do, and I know where to find you, lace may be thrust upon you.

This is what happened to my aunt Annica. She had an even birthday last year, and also came to my summer exhibition at Nääs castle. At that exhibition she expressed an interest in my work and jokingly asked what kind of a bribe I needed to make one for her. We discussed colours and patterns. She was joking, I was not. Now, a year later, she is my excuse for my latest improvised stash buster: a triangle petrol lace shawl with a black border. It’s very soft and pretty big, so I hope she will like it!

#crafts #knitting #stickning #laceknit #lace #strikking #stricken #slöjd #hemslöjd #husflid

New gift alert!

My niece is turning one and I want her to practice her grip, to be able to craft herself soon. In order to help her I crafted a fan! It’s inspired by Chinese silk embroidery and circle fans, some of which my brother and I had as children.

I’ve done two sided embroidery, which means all satin stitch and no knots. The frame and handle were assembled separately and then glued onto the stretched fabric. Then I tied it all together with two layers of thread around the frame and a little tassel on the end.

I’m very happy with it, and if she breaks it I’ll happily make another one.

#crafts #embroidery #broderi #slöjd #hemslöjd #handmade #husflid #diy

I used to think I couldn’t come up with spontaneous art ideas. Like I was stunted and naturally didn’t have a sense of vision.
Turns out I was just untrained, and what feels like an artistic gift from the outside is actually a mental muscle that can be trained. Now my problem is I have too many ideas instead.
One of them was this: a little folklore piece inspired by Bohusdräkten in western Sweden. It’s meant for one of my nieces, unasked for but hopefully appreciated. It’s adjustable, from the lacing to extra material in the shoulders and waist. So hopefully she can wear it for a few years.
In Sweden we have this debate about headwear with folk costume. To wear or not to wear. But inspired by Norwegian tradition I decided to make her a little hair band with lace in a matching material to wear with the dress. And the thought struck me that adults could wear that too! I’m trying to make it a thing.
I’ve not weaved the fabrics or constructed the zipper but I’ve made everything else myself. The embroidery, the lacing, the lace, the hooks for closing, even the aglets to thread the string in front.
I hope she and her parents like it and that maybe when she is too big for it she can lend it to her cousin or potential siblings.

#crafts #embroidery #folklore #dress #sweden #folkdress #lace #lacemaking #girlfashion #broderi #slöjd #mjukslöjd #hemslöjd #folkdräkt #bohusdräkt #spets #knyppling #spitze #klöppeln #husflid #bunad #festdrakt

I finished these wrist warmers in the spring, but never found the time to show them off. Now the time has come!
They are a mismatched, crocheted, improvised pair of necessities that I did because I had no WIP while away from my stash. I can’t keep my hands still, I need a project.
The basic principle of the design is: rectangle as wide as your wrist and as long as you want them, measuring from the knuckles. Do a bunch of lace patterns, repeating or not, and edge the whole thing when it reaches the above measurements. Then sew up the side and leave a hole for the thumb. Et voilà, the summer’s most dramatic accessory accomplished!

#crafts #crochet #virkning #virka #lace #spets #slöjd #hemslöjd #husflid #gothic #historical fashion

One of my favourite pieces of lace - the mother of waves. I’ve composed the pattern myself, trying to incorporate as much movement as possible. The yarn is a lace weight from Estonia that was sold in 200g balls (it’s usually 25g here in Sweden) so I’ve got more to go around for future projects.

#knitting #lace #laceknitting #crafts #shawl #slöjd #hemslöjd #husflid #strikke #stickning

A new headdress that I made during a course recently. It’s inspired by a traditional Swedish folk crown, called a Lad. Mine is not very traditional, other than it being traditional to make it as shiny as possible on a wool base.

I was inspired by the myth of Argos Panoptes, the giant who have his eyes to the peacock feathers in Greek mythology. You look at my hat, my hat looks right back.

To be honest this was an amazingly fun stash bust and I got to try out mirror sewing and beading in ways I hadn’t before. 10/10 will be doing another one.

#crafts #folklore #sewing #embroidery #slöjd #folkdräkt #hemslöjd #husflid #broderi

A collaborative project between my husband and I from the summer of 2024. He made this beautiful birch chest that I got to decorate with copper ornaments.

#artnouveau #handmade #woodwork #copperchasing #coppertooling #traditionalcraft #artsandcraftsmovement #artsandcrafts #collaborativeart #art #hemslojd #husflid

Big thanks to the people in Norsk Husflid who set up the exhibition of my woodturning - the six bowls on pedestals - at this year's Dyrsku'n in Seljord. I was overwhelmed when I got there today. Especially pleased because they also exhibited my sculptures; "Dead Master Laughing" and "Svardtalsgubben 2023", not at all Husflid in the traditional sense. They made an exquisite installation, put them in glass and frame with built-in lighting.❤️
#Woodturning #Caft #Art #Sculpture #Dyrskun #Husflid