"Wool" Rediscovering the Art of Handcrafted Wool
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Introduction
Growing up surrounded by Norwegian handcraft traditions, I developed a deep appreciation for the imperfect beauty of handmade creations. These traditions fostered creativity and connection across generations, making handwork a meaningful form of expression.
While studying clothing design, I shifted toward refinement and precision, losing touch with the essence of handcrafted garments. This realization inspired me to reconnect with the handmade. Mastering techniques taught me that imperfection can be more challenging than perfection. To celebrate the raw and unique, I began building materials from scratch, moving beyond factory-made options. Wool, with its rich texture and versatility, became my primary medium, allowing me to craft forms that honor both tradition and innovation. This project celebrates the imperfect and the handmade, exploring how materials tell stories and bridge the past and present. Through this work, I aim to showcase the enduring beauty of imperfection and the value of creating with our hands.
During this period, I focused on spinning yarn using both a spindle and a hand crank. I found that the hand crank produced finer yarn due to greater control, while the spindle resulted in a more uneven texture. Without formal training, I initially overlooked an important step: fixing the yarn. This left excess tension, causing it to curl and slant during circular knitting. However, this mistake unexpectedly enhanced my long floor skirt, giving it a beautiful drape that hugged the body gracefully. Overall, I was delighted with the unique character of hand-spun yarn compared to store-bought alternatives. Beyond spinning and knitting, I explored needle binding, an ancient Viking technique where spun wool is looped to create dense, herringbone-patterned stitches. I practiced the Oslo stitch but was intrigued by the many variations within this method. Unlike modern knitting, needle binding only uses one needle.
I also experimented with felting, including wet and dry techniques, to create fabric by the metre. While I managed to produce a light, transparent effect with needle felting, I found nuno felting more effective. By combining fine wool blends with silk organza, I achieved a fine, airy result that reimagines wool as a light, delicate material.
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The brown project explored my relationship with the color brown and its various associations. My initial connection to this color was with soil — the most natural and neutral element, yet essential to life.
I began by researching different definitions of brown and how it serves as a symbol in various contexts. I discovered that in the Bible, brown symbolizes the earth and is often associated with a monk's robe, representing humility and God’s connection to the ordinary and commonplace. As humans, we constantly attempt to separate ourselves from nature, but we have evolved to a point where we may struggle to recognize our origins. Modern humans often find themselves at odds with their natural state. To express this idea, I aimed to create an animalistic representation of the human form by removing the soul from the body, leaving only what connects us to nature — the physical construction of our bodies. Just like everything else in nature, we grow, simply exist, decay, and ultimately return to the soil
