Greetings from the farm!
During the month of September, I will be participating in an old farm wheel, red thread project happening throughout Norway during autumn and a new season of making!
My responsibility within this collaboration is to facilitate (locally) a return to the hand sewing and mending of traditional woollen garments (votter, sokker, genser, kofter, luer) and to support the organization of the traditional tools used for hand work.
In collaboration with the people’s museum in Northern Norway, I researched and restored the specific pattern dimensions, used by the Samisk people to create their syposer/sytui/marsma during my Mastergrad folk art studies.
You will hear many names for this small “on the go”- knitting bag sewing kit, throughout Scandinavia, which was originally used by the Samisk people as they roamed the land, making and mending.
I have been facilitating the making of these small syposer kits, which can be likened to the Husswif sewing kits, used during the Civil War, at retreats and festivals, which I hosted and attended, prior to the pandemic.
My most recent "systua" hand work sessions were held during the St. Olav Festival at the local Bydgemuseum.
These small, historic sewing kits are beautiful, portable, and convenient to have tucked into your knitting bag together with your knitting bag book and your current project.
They organize and hold a variety of maker’s tools.
They can be made from upcycled, scraps of fabric – cotton, wool, linen.
Simple embroidery is applied as a “merkelapp” and as decoration.
If you have little hand sewing or embroidery experience, I will demonstrate how to draw out a design from the chosen fabric.
The result can be simple or as elaborate, as you like.
A traditional Norwegian knitted garment is often appreciated beyond the life of its maker. It can remind us of who made it, or the time and place it was created. The ability to mark, mend, and to repair our beloved knitwear pieces helps us to preserve these making memories found within each stitch. The mending focus of this mini course offering will help to extend the life cycle of a traditional garment for generations to come, express the value we place on our hand making --- and allow us to live more sustainably.
September Mini Course!
I will be facilitating this making and mending mini course locally, several times throughout September, and I will also offer it remotely within my Virtual Classroom.
Within these sessions, we will also be referencing a recently published book, used nationally as a guide within the old farm wheel, red thread project, the whole of Norway fixes!
Your registration includes the mini course + the pattern template, which I developed during my Mastergrad research studies, in collaboration with the Nordic Museum curators and archive.
Facilitation of the course content via the Virtual Classroom, live Zoom making and mending sessions (always scheduled on Sundays), access to information, support, and clarification via the Knitography Farm app platform.
This area, which I will create on my little farm information and support app, will offer extension, discussion, clarification, and guidance – but this offering will be held specifically, within the Virtual Classroom and through a few Zoom making sessions.
A few additional notes:
The pattern template has been developed on A4 paper.
I have tried to consider the 8.5 x 11 letter sized paper.
Although I am not responsible for the printing of the pattern, I will offer guidance with correct measurements and dimensions.
With guidance, participants must gather their own materials, focusing on scraps of fabric and upcycling.
Thrift and charity shops are excellent sources of inspiration.
Natural fibres - wool, cotton, linen is preferred.
Other materials and additional information will be provided during the mini course. If you are interested in participating in this September mini-course offering, in which we will create a small, historic, “on the go” hand sewing kit, inspired by the Samisk people of Norway, and explore some of the woollen mending techniques applied to traditional garments...
You can register your participation HERE, by scrolling down.
Once your registration is confirmed, I will open access for you into the Knitography Farm "Systua" area for making and mending and we will make a start!
Velkommen, with interest!
A bit of background and history....
Pictured from the archive...the systua in Trondheim, Norway where neighbours have come to together to create a traditional bunad (folk costume) for a daughter’s confirmation. Early 1900s
I am looking forward to welcoming you into the
Knitography Farm Virtual Systua But...what is a systua?
A systua is a word that originated in the village of Selbu...during the historic cottage industry.
It is literally translated as the living room, where making and mending took place within the old farm house.
Friends and neighbours, throughout the village, gathered together in different farm systuer, taking turns to host.
Sitting together, in a circle, around the fireplace or kitchen cook stove, drinking coffee, with their håndtverk (hand work)
You can imagine there was something lovely served for coffee within each home too - noe å bite i
Within the systua, they kept up with the latest news...discussed the weather - learnt new techniques from each other, shared their ideas and their recent makes and designs.
They also took on group projects, preparing for "høytider" events- such as weddings, baptisms, or confirmations.
The systua was THE place for making and mending and the transfer of traditions and knowledge from generation to generation!
During any gathering, one would find knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, weaving, spinning or the preparation of wool.
Today, almost every village in Norway has a traditional systua.
Not found within the home now, but a specific place in the village with with a focus on the continuation of traditional making.
Within modern systuer throughout Norway, makers of all levels continue to gather...
To take courses, to find guidance, and to share the knowledge once only found within the traditional systuer, on the old farms, in the village of Selbu.
Warmest regards from the farm,
Patricia x
Hei Patricia, In the beginning of this post you mention the Samisk. I am wondering what fabric they would have used? They wouldn't have used bunad fabric, like the people in the Selbu region. Would the Samisk have used a plain blue or red wool, like what they have in their folk costume?
good morning Patricia , I would very much like to take this course but I am away from Sept 7th to the 20th on a cruise to Alaska and just wondering if I will be able to access the information when I get back or would it not be worth my while to sign up. Will there be video's.? I really don't think I will have much wifi when I am gone.
thanks so much Lynn