Saturday, April 5, 2014

A Sweater and Mittens for Berit Hilmo, Norsk Weaver Extraordinaire



discovered the weaving of Berit Hilmo when I got my new Glimakra
loom last summer and wanted to weave the Norwegian patterns
found in Katherine Larsons Book: Woven Coverlets of Norway.
I found Berit's fantastic weavings or åklær in a deflected double weave.
Every design picked out by hand with a weaving sword. Painstaking!!!
I can do some things with my 10 harness loom, but not this!!!
I don't have enough lifetime left! I kept looking at her coverlets and
thought what a great knitting design it would make. Little Pelicans for
Christian Charity marching across the top, åtte blade rosen in double hearts.
Protection wrapped in Love. The branch symbol of life and death, and the
crown of Saint Hallvard, the Patron Saint of Oslo.
The pattern just came together and was a dream to knit.

Katherine Larson's wonderful!!! Book, (find on Amazon)


File:Domkirka statuer 20.jpg
Saint Hallvard Vebjørnesson From the Nidaros Dommen in Trondheim


My friend Mollie and her horse, the wonderful photogenic Melvin




I made "Glittens" in this pattern too, Tops that flip back for driving
or whatever. Really cozy and warm. The pattern is in Norwegian also,
for my friends over there.


Top

Baclk too

Opened up!
Close up of one of Berit's coverlets

Berit Hilmo was born in 1764 in Tydal, Sør-Trøndelag county in Norway.
She married a farmer Ole Gudmundsen Hilmo, called Pedar. They had huge
financial problems after their home burned. A short while later Pedar died 
leaving Berit a young widow. She moved her children to a croft and began 
weaving åklær to support the family. It is believed she wove about 50 
before she started counting, and made it up near 500!!! She often wove in
lines from hymns, the initials of the people it was made for and the number. 
The oldest surviving is # 157 and the newest 455 in 1837. The full story can 
be found on the
Norwegian wickipedia site: http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berit_Hilmo



Berit's # 421 from a museum in Molde
Photo: Anna-Lisa Reinsfelt Creative Commons

Anno 1830  Beautiful layout of pattern
These last two are modern day weaving by my friend Berta Stiva Lid
in Norway, with her permission

Berta's hanging on a loom just like mine! She learned from her mother.
Patterns are now available on Ravelry under Cynthia Wasner Designs and
on Norsk Needlework.com.   Hat to come.....