Welcome to Nordic Hands, a place to share the joy of making with meaning. Because I think it matters how and what we make. Every act of creation is an expression of ourselves, our culture, our values. And if you’ve found your way to this website, I think you already know that.
I learned that lesson in childhood, from my Norwegian grandmother and aunt, whose hands were always busy knitting clothing for our family or embroidering things for me and my cousins’ future households. I learned that making is how women in our family do community. Not long ago, my own granddaughter asked to learn to knit. Her then 5-year-old hands and head weren’t quite ready, and she gave up after a few rows. But a little later, she picked up her needles again and sat down with her mother and I as we did our handiwork. During a lull in the conversation, she declared, “We like to knit. . . Knitting is VERY important!” She knows.
I also understood from childhood that the handmade items in my grandmother’s home were part of our family’s identity. Wooden bowls with rosemaling (rose painting), rya rugs, crisp embroidered linens, and great-aunt Sine’s Hardanger lace were all displayed and used with pride. I loved the natural materials and cheerful colors and the bright folk art long before I knew how they embodied the environment, history, and culture of the northern lands from whence we came.
As I grew up, I learned knitting, spinning, weaving, and all the fiber arts that my ancestors practiced to survive but also to brighten their homes and lives. I wanted to know more, so I spent years studying how those designs and techniques grew out of our culture and history. That study eventually became a book, Nordic Hands. The search for my own roots led to an appreciation of folk arts and crafts around the world. I’ve traveled to many countries and found that traditional textile crafts are a beautiful way to connect with people and learn about their lives.
This website exists to celebrate crafting as an expression of ourselves. Here you’ll find resources for making the projects in Nordic Hands plus news and interviews with the talented designers and teachers, the museums and educational institutions, and others who are helping keep Nordic craft traditions alive and thriving. And you’ll find stories (and I hope share your thoughts) about how crafting makes a difference in all our lives, north, south, and all around the world. Velkommen.