Courses

In this class, you will experience the practice of hardanger as a traditional Scandinavian needlecraft and cutwork tradition. Hardanger embroidery is a traditional Scandinavian handwork, enjoyed and practiced for hundreds of years (at least since 1650). In this introductory class, students will learn all the basic stitches used in hardanger…

Rug hooking traces its roots to the northern colonies and Canada, when immigrants utilized textiles on hand to create rugs for their homes. Hooked rugs are made by drawing narrow strips of wool fabric through a background fabric of cotton, linen or burlap with a curved hook much like a…

UUnfortunately, traditional sheepskin blankets with a tanned leather back require that the sheep make the ultimate sacrifice. Yet it doesn't have to be so! Instructor Becky Utecht has developed a modern approach to an age-old craft. Using felting techniques, students in this course will start with an unwashed sheep fleece…

Combine wool, soap and water, a felting needle and agitation and the sculptural possibilities are endless!  This is a day to experiment with the amazing sculptural flexibility of wool and go beyond the basics. Using a variety of fill or building a wire armatage students create a sculpture of their…

It works! Sew your own Scandinavian work shirt, designed for comfort and for your favorite outdoor activities. Learn a life-long skill while creating a shirt you will love to wear. Traditional shirts in the Scandinavian countries are great for layering and designed for outdoor life. Natural fiber striped fabrics of…

Create custom fabric using simple surface design techniques. Use the fabric that you designed to sew a set of three graduated, lined tool pouches that you can use to corral things like knitting notions, carving tools, or sketchbooks and pens. This course provides an opportunity for those new to the…

Can't find the yarn you want? Have really great fiber that needs to be transformed into yarn? Just curious about how a wheel works? Spinning your own yarn is the answer. First invented in the late 15th century, the spinning wheel still is an efficient tool for creating yarn. Modern…

One of the secrets to spinning the yarn you want is good fiber preparation. We will begin by working with a raw fleece, learning where and what to look for in buying a fleece for the best fiber for your project. We will go through the steps for washing the…

Woven tapestries are said to bring the northern landscape alive through geometric, curved, representational or abstract images. Using the North Shore landscape as inspiration, (a place of artistic expression for visual artists), you'll explore this colorful craft and create a landscape tapestry of your own. In this 3-day class, you…

The belief in tomtens – or rural elves – started in Sweden and continues to be part of the folklore of the winter/holiday season. Tomtens are often portrayed both helpful and mischievous: they’ll do the chores, and then steal the cookies. Sound like a young person you know? No wonder…

Two-end knitting also known as twined knitting is an old unique Scandinavian knitting technique. One knits with two ends of yarn - both of them - the same colour -  and one knits “by throwing” in the old way. Both strands are held in the right hand and twisted around…

The fisherman of the north have known how to keep fingers working in bitter cold conditions for centuries: wool mittens. Before the invention of gortex and polar fleece, fishermen had to put their hands in freezing water, haul ropes and handle fish, only utilizing the natural materials at their disposal.…

Learn to weave on the rigid heddle loom while making a beautiful, lightweight scarf perfect for spring evenings. Using the instructor's rigid heddle looms, students will learn how to set up the loom, weave the scarf, and finish it with a lovely fringe. No previous weaving experience is required to…

Wool is an incredibly versatile, durable and beautiful fiber that is surprisingly easy to make into fabric. Start at the very beginning of the process in this team-taught class, as you shear sheep, wash, card and dye the wool and finally make individual felted projects using needle and wet-felting techniques.…

The intricate and colorful band weaving that is sometimes found on lusekofta (Norwegian ski sweaters) can be woven on a “spaltegrind."  This workshop will show how to transform a standard rigid heddle into a spaltegrind, a modification developed in the 1930s and 1940s by American weavers, to weave colorful, decorative…