CLOSED Fiberside Chats: Travel to Norway - Traditional Knitting Designs, February 6th

Although the current pandemic prevents us from travelling the world, we can still journey in our minds and online! Join Hanne and Siri from The Textile Industry Museum in Bergen, located in one of the oldest Norwegian textile factories, the picturesque Salhus Tricotagefabrik. Learn more about the textile history of Western Norway, and the striking geometric colorwork patterns produced in Salhus, often used for workwear in the form of woolen sweaters. These sweaters have inspired the book Squares, Stripes & Lice: 25 Traditional Knitting Designs from Bergen, Norway, now available for the first time in English. The book presents new designs by a selection of Norwegian knitwear designers, inspired by this rich textile history. Join us on a winter visit to Norway!

Salhus Tricotagefabrik (1859–1989) was the first fully mechanized knitwear factory in Norway, and is now protected as an industrial heritage site and museum. The factory was a part of the first wave of the industrial revolution in Norway and was known for producing durable everyday clothes: wool and cotton underwear, woolen socks, and not least, wool sweaters. Today the factory is home to the Textile Industry Museum, which tells the story of the Norwegian textile industry. Here you can still see the historical machinery in operation, producing woolen socks and scarves for the gift shop. Since 2016 the museum has arranged Bergen Strikkefestival (Bergen Knit Fest), a grand celebration of knitting during one weekend in late September.

Hanne Dale is collections manager at the Textile Industry Museum and an avid knitter, and Siri Angela Gamborg works in education, product development and has designed several knitting patterns for the museum.

This is a live one time Zoom Event on Saturday, February 6th at 1:00pm Eastern, 12:00pm Central, 11:00am Mountain, 10:00am Pacific