“Spoons are the best craft to use,” says Swedish green woodworker Niklas Karlsson. “You will never buy a machine-made spoon that is as good as a handmade one.” Delve into the essence of craft by carving spoons and telling stories with Niklas Karlsson, Featured International Guest from Undersvik, Sweden during Unplugged 2017. In this, Niklas’s first trip to the US, he will teach his approach to spoon-making, using straight, green birch. A trained woodworking instructor from the acclaimed Swedish craft school, Sätergläntan, Niklas uses traditional handtools and methods to make craft with a distinctly modern look. Beginning spoon carvers as well as those with experience will enjoy learning Niklas’s intuitive approach to design, in which he emphasizes carving without templates or sketches. Instruction will also include painting, embellishment and finish-work. Niklas will give a public presentation about his work and his business, A Hard Slöjd Life, on Saturday, September 16.

You will need the following tools for this class:

slojd knife
hook knife
carving ax* (some are available to borrow, but if you have one, please bring it)

adze
drawknife
oil paints and brushes