Needle felting is sculpting with wool. The technique is very different from traditional wet-felting methods and is easy to learn. Three-dimensional needle-felted figures have a unique look and feel, and can be as simple or complex as you desire. In this class, you’ll learn the basics of a simple form with figures from Norwegian folktales. There will be a minimal materials fee for needles and wool for the project.

Level of instruction: All levels, especially beginners. Youth ages 10-17 signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Nancy Sojka has been creating with bits and pieces since childhood. She studied weaving and jewelry-making while an undergraduate in art education at the University of Northern Iowa and taught art for 31 years in the Decorah area. Nancy works with several different art forms: calligraphy, quilting, painting, and needle felting. She has taught adult education classes in calligraphy, needle felting, hardangersøm, photography, and computer programs.

Gayle Moen has a love for creating in many various mediums but her interest working with wool began when her son started raising sheep as a 4-H project many years ago. Gayle enjoys developing special characteristics for each of her creations. Nancy and Gayle have been needle felting together for the past three years.

Hedebosøm is a Scandinavian needle lace technique that incorporates button hole stitches and thread rings with pyramids joined together to make fascinating decorative pieces. You will be surprised at what you can do! All materials will be provided and there will be an additional $4 kit fee. This class will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Level of instruction: All levels, especially beginners. Youth ages 13-17 signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Roger Buhr has done hedebosøm for 17 years and has taught courses at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Basstown, North Carolina, and at Vesterheim.

Have you ever thought about trying out this unique form of embroidery, but did not know where to start? Here is your chance. Hardangersøm is a traditional Norwegian handwork that combines cutwork and embroidery techniques. It was first used on the West Coast of Norway for aprons and blouse trims, but later became popular for household decorations, from tree ornaments to tablecloths. While creating a petite sampler, you will have an introduction to the basic stitches, making kloster blocks, eyelets, satin stars, and buttonhole edging. Kits will be available for a very modest fee. This class will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Level of instruction: All levels. Youth age 13 and older signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Gale Buhr shares her love of Scandinavian needlework with husband Roger. Gale has been doing Norwegian hardangersøm embroidery for over 30 years. She began with a community education class and went on to take private lessons. She now teaches classes in community education programs, in private shops, and at other locations, including the John C. Campbell Folk School.

When Vesterheim acquired a small box loom dated 1849, it was remarked that it resembled a doll’s cradle. The name stuck. Now they are even called cradle looms in Norway. These handy little looms can be used for many types of weaving. This class will focus on their original use in weaving geometric modified slit tapestry bands. Beginners may choose a simpler pattern and experienced weavers may choose to do a more complex project. There will be a minimal fee for materials.

Level of instruction: All levels. Youth ages 10-17 signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Nancy Ellison took her first weaving class in Norway in 1968 and has since participated in numerous workshops at Vesterheim and elsewhere. This former home economics teacher does spinning, weaving, and felting, with wool from her sheep at Ellison Sheep Farm near Zumbrota, Minnesota. She is a dealer of several brands of new spinning wheels and looms and also has accumulated a large collection of antique Scandinavian spinning wheels and looms.

A rya is a traditional Scandinavian rug or bed covering where a knotted pile of 1 to 3 inches is placed into the weaving, creating a warm, heavy textile that is patterned on one side with knotted pile on the other. The rya structure therefore offers two design surfaces for the weaver to consider, and the knotted pile can be incorporated into a number of different weaving structures. In this class you will explore the addition of rya knots into several weaving structures, including color-and-weave twill, block double weave, and double weave overshot. Several knotting techniques will be introduced, as well as a variety of materials. There will be a materials fee.

Level of instruction: Any weaver who has experience working on a floor loom and who is comfortable reading weaving drafts.

Laura Demuth, a weaver for over 30 years, enjoys all aspects of fiber production, from raising the sheep to taking a finished piece off the loom. Because she lives on a small acreage just seven miles northeast of Decorah, Vesterheim has been a continual source of education and inspiration throughout her weaving career. Laura has focused on traditional weaving structures and techniques, and is a Vesterheim Gold Medal winner.

Nålbinding is a technique that Scandinavians have used for hundreds of years, and practiced farther back than the Viking Age, to make mittens, strainers, stockings, and a multitude of other useful items. Far from being dead, this ancient technique fits perfectly into contemporary fashion and household uses. Its simplicity and portability make it wonderful. Using a single-eyed needle, you will make a pouch, mittens, and various other small items as time permits. Most objects will be made of wool and finished by hand with a traditional fulling treatment. There will be a minimal materials fee.

Level of instruction: All levels. Youth ages 16 and 17 signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Kate Martinson is associate professor of art at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, where she teaches art education and fiber arts classes. Kate is very active in professional and artistic endeavors at the local, state, and national levels. She began studying nålbinding in 1974, after she became fascinated with the technique on a trip to Scandinavia. She is responsible for introducing nålbinding to American fiber artists and has taught numerous textile-related classes throughout the United States, and in Norway at Rauland Academy.

Long ago, Northern Europeans cut paper patterns for woodcarvings, samplers, and other forms of needlework. As paper became more plentiful and reasonably priced, it became a medium in its own right. Danes in particular have carried it up to the present day in a variety of forms. It is nearly impossible to walk down a street in Denmark without seeing papirklip in windows of old cottages or modern apartments, any time of year. Many attribute this popularity to Hans Christian Andersen. The Danish storyteller began cutting paper theaters and figures for the stage in his childhood. Throughout his life he continued to cut paper creations, often while telling his stories to the children of friends and benefactors, although they were not illustrations of the tales. It is a tribute to his talent that so many of his papirklip were saved by the children who received them. A number of his cuttings are lacy, reminiscent of paper snowflakes made by children in the United States. He clipped small creatures and characters within the larger cuttings, as well as hjerter, the Christmas heart baskets many of us have grown up making at holiday time. During this workshop we will cut snowflakes—cats, nisser, rabbits, and hjerter. There will be a variety of patterns available, some basic and others more complex. Bring your scissors! There will be a materials fee.

Level of instruction: All levels. Youth ages 11-17 signed up with a participating adult receive a 25% discount.

Cyndy McKeen, after growing up in Exira, Iowa, and graduating from Grinnell College/Drake University, studied design in the late 1960s at Charlottenborg, Denmark’s art academy. While studying in Copenhagen, she worked in several design centers. When she returned to the United States, she worked in several cities, eventually establishing herself in Saint Paul. Under the name ‘proongily’ she spent 16 years in store, graphic, interior, and exhibit design, before changing to the die cut and custom paper cutting business. Her paper work sells in museum stores across the country. Her work in a variety of mediums has been shown in cities in the United States and Japan.

Vestfoldsmett, or Vestfold inlay, is the Norwegian term for a type of weft-faced textile with inlay designs in various geometric patterns, which all originate from an area in Norway known as Vestfold. In class you will weave a sampler consisting of a series of traditional horizontal bands, each with a different motif. The bands will progress in difficulty as you work. Vestfoldsmett is an excellent choice for small design work, such as liturgical stoles and band areas across a weaving. The class will inspire you to create new pieces of your own. There will be a materials fee.

Level of instruction: All levels of weavers who are able to warp a loom are welcome.

Jan Mostrom from Chanhassen, Minnesota, earned her Vesterheim Gold Medal in 1999. She learned to weave from Lila Nelson while at Luther College and since then has been weaving in the Nordic tradition. She has taken weaving instruction from many Norwegian teachers here and in Norway. She teaches weaving and rug hooking in the Midwest. Her work was included in Norwegian Folk Art: The Migration of a Tradition, the traveling exhibition curated by Marion Nelson, former Vesterheim Executive Director.

The Danish nattrøje (or “nightshirt”) was worn by women from the 1700s to 1900s. This is a pullover-style sweater with knit/purl motifs made of fine white wool, then dyed red, blue, or green. In this class, you will knit a miniature sweater circularly while learning a variety of construction techniques, including split bottom welts, overlapping welts at the join, half gusset as part of the sleeve, “seam” stitches, transposing a pattern chart from circular to flat knitting, and the classic knit/purl pattern motif that was a part of so many of these garments. A discussion on designing and a slide show will be included. There will be a materials fee.

Level of instruction: Intermediate. Students must be experienced at reading charts and using double-pointed needles.

Beth Brown-Reinsel of Putney, Vermont, has been knitting since she was seven years old. Her hobby became her career in 1981, when she opened a yarn shop. Beth now designs for her own knitting line “Knitting Traditions,” teaches nationally and internationally, and writes articles for Threads, Interweave Knits, Piecework, Vogue Knitting, and Knitters magazines. She is the author of the book Knitting Ganseys and a DVD on the same topic. Her specialty is traditional garments and knitting techniques from Scandinavia, the British Isles, and the Baltic countries. Beth’s classes are made possible by the Knitting Education Fund at Vesterheim established in memory of Ann Swanson.

The red and black pullover sweater from the province of Halland in southern Sweden can be dated back to the late 1800s. In this class, you will knit a miniature sweater circularly while learning a variety of Swedish construction techniques, including three different cast-ons, patterned and corrugated ribbing, two-color geometric pattern knitting, “seam” stitches, traditional neck construction and front slit, purling on the wrong side with two colors, the Swiss/Norwegian purl, two shoulder joins, and two types of sleeve construction. A discussion on designing and a slide show will be included. There will be a materials fee.

Level of instruction: Intermediate. Students must be experienced at reading charts and using double-pointed needles.

Beth Brown-Reinsel of Putney, Vermont, has been knitting since she was seven years old. Her hobby became her career in 1981, when she opened a yarn shop. Beth now designs for her own knitting line “Knitting Traditions,” teaches nationally and internationally, and writes articles for Threads, Interweave Knits, Piecework, Vogue Knitting, and Knitters magazines. She is the author of the book Knitting Ganseys and a DVD on the same topic. Her specialty is traditional garments and knitting techniques from Scandinavia, the British Isles, and the Baltic countries. Beth’s classes are made possible by the Knitting Education Fund at Vesterheim established in memory of Ann Swanson.

Knit In

On November 3 and 4, join friends of Ann Swanson for a Knit-In at Vesterheim. The Knitting Education Fund was established in 2010 in memory of Ann, a talented knitwear and needlepoint designer from Rochester, Minnesota. The Knit-in will include time to knit, chat, and share memories of Ann. Beth Brown-Reinsel will speak on Scandinavian knitting traditions on Saturday. Behind-the-scenes tours of textile storage will be offered throughout the weekend. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Laurann Gilbertson at Vesterheim (563-382-9681, lgilbertson@vesterheim.org).

The weaving structures classified as lace weaves produce open fabrics with regular spaced holes. The negative spaces provided by the open spaces are an essential part of the pattern. Lace structures offer a wide variety of design options to the handweaver, and can be incorporated into many household textiles including curtains, napkins, and table runners as well as elegant scarves and fabrics.

Students will have the opportunity to explore several loom controlled weaving structures in both fine cotton and linen.

Level of instruction: For any weaver who has experience working at a floor loom and is comfortable reading weaving drafts.

Laura Demuth, a weaver for over 30 years, enjoys all aspects of fiber production, from raising the sheep to taking a finished piece off the loom. Because she lives on a small acreage just seven miles northeast of Decorah, Vesterheim has been a continual source of education and inspiration throughout her weaving career. Laura has focused on traditional weaving structures and techniques, and is a Vesterheim Gold Medal winner.