Estonian and Norwegian Sheep Wool as a Textile Material

In Estonia, up to 90% of local wool is not adequately valued, while in Norway, due to the well-functioning wool-buying and -sorting system, a large part of local wool is used purposefully. However, both countries have room for improvement in terms of the better usage of local wool. This article provides an overview of the Estonian-Norwegian wool research conducted in from 2020 to 2023 and its main results. During the study, wool was collected from three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds, semi-worsted yarn was made from it, and knitted and woven fabrics were produced. Wool, yarn, and fabrics were tested in numerous ways. The paper presents the main test results and suggests how wools with a wide range of qualities can be used in innovative ways to create textiles. The smart use of materials is based on the possibilities offered by medium-sized production and knowledge about local wool

Kangakudujate hääled / Voices of Weavers

This review introduces a book titled „Voices of Weavers. Textile Cultures, Craftsmanship, and Identity in Contemporary Myanmar“ written by a German anthropologist Jella Fink and published by Waxmann publishing house in 2020. It is a lively piece of research that reveals the cultural and economic background of two strands of local weaving traditions in Myanmar. The book summarises author’s fieldwork that was carried out in Myanmar as part of her doctoral studies in the years 2014–2017. Focus on the makers’ perspective is the most important contribution of the present book to research in textiles. In the review, parallels are drawn with Estonian textile-making practices, where applicable. Myanmar is geographially and ethnically considerably different from Estonia, but certain similarities can indeed be spotted in the matters of textile production, authorship, professionalisation, and the issues of commercialisation. The greatest value of the book lies in mapping the tradition and explaining the rationale behind alterations in the traditional practices of weaving in two different areas – Mandalaya region in the centre and Kengtung in the distant Western highlands of Myanmar – where the practice is still well alive. As the makers’ perspective is brought to the fore, it gives the voice to often-silenced female members of marginal ethnic groups, and also helps to provide new insights into the social and cultural relations that form the framework for producing intricate textiles, the making of which is very time-consuming and requires a great amount of skill and stamina. The study can well serve as a model for further research into Estonian textile traditions in the future

Konverents "Traditsioonilised kampsunid Läänemeremaades"

The International Crafts Conference ‘Traditional Knitted Sweaters around the Baltic Sea’ was held on the initiative of the Department of Estonian Native Crafts of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy from 16-18 May 2013. During its three days, the conference focussed on the kinds of sweaters that have historically been knitted around the Baltic Sea and how they reflect our common history. Almost all craft researchers who delivered presentations came to the same conclusion: the tradition of our knitted sweaters started from the knitted silk night sweaters exported from England in the 16th century, which people in the Nordic countries started copying using local materials. The function of the sweater changed from nightwear to an everyday piece of clothing. The conference was attended by around a hundred foreign guests from the Shetland Islands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Germany and the United States, plus more than a hundred guests from Estonia. The heads of the national central folk art and craft unions of Finland and Sweden also attended, as Estonia handed the status of the lead state of the Nordic Folk Art and Craft Association over to Finland at the conference. Approximately 450 people attended the Omamood 2013 fashion show, which took place on the first day of the conference. The second international competition in knitting whilst walking, ‘Walk & Knit’, was also held within the scope of the conference. The success of the conference is a good reason to start planning new international events. This model – where the same event includes looking back at historical items, while considering the implementation of this knowledge in contemporary creations – fulfils the mission of the Department of Estonian Native Crafts and will help to inspire our crafts circles. Keywords: sweaters, knitting, Nordic Folk Art and Craft Associatio

Seminar "Päritud oskused. Visuaalse dokumenteerimise võimalused" / Visual documentation in words and images

On 20 November 2013, the Department of Estonian Native Crafts University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy organized a seminar in Viljandi devoted to studying native artisanal skills. The best way to acquire and pass on skills is to work with a master. But how and how much can technical processes be visually documented so that they are a valuable resource for other masters and researchers? At the seminar, Ave Matsin, Helgi Põllo, Anu Pink, Imre Annus and Vaike Reemann delivered presentations that drew attention to questions and problems related to visual documentation. Setting of goals was considered the most important point: what is documented and how it is documented. Another area of discussion focused on the extent to which, if at all, a documenter (videographer or photographer) should themselves be proficient in the technique being studied. The presentations were followed by workshops by National Museum specialists Anu Ansu and Maido Selgmäe, where film and photography matters were discussed in more detail. To sum up, the seminar left participants with the message that various possibilities of visual documentation represent important instruments for recording for posterity and studying native technologies as well as a way to find and implement new sources. Keywords: inherited skills, skills, visual documentatio

Book Review: Voices of Weavers: Textile Cultures, Craftsmanship, and Identity in Contemporary Myanmar

Review on Fink, Jella. 2020. Voices of Weavers: Textile Cultures, Craftsmanship, and Identity in Contemporary Myanmar. Munster; New York: Waxmann

Eesti–Norra villaprojekt innustab kohalikku toorainet paremini väärindama / Estonian–Norwegian wool project inspires to value local raw material better

In March 2023, the two-year cooperation project “Estonian and Norwegian local sheep’s wool, conducting research and creating educational materials for textile students of higher education” came to an end. It was led by University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy (TÜ VKA; Astri Kaljus, Ave Matsin, Diana Tuulik). The partners were Tallinn University of Applied Sciences (Merje Beilmann, Diana Tuulik) and Muru Wool Mill (Liina Lehis) from Estonia, and the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN; Eli Wendelbo) and Selbu Spinneri AS (Marte Espelien Blomli, Ingvild Svorkmo Espelien) from Norway. The project was funded by the EEA / Norway Cooperation Programme in Higher Education. The project was motivated by the fact that local sheep wool is underused in Estonia. There is a lot of prejudice about its quality and most of the wool (85–90%) is not adequately valued or it is even destroyed as waste. In Norway, on the other hand, there is a very good system of buying and processing wool. The aim of the project was to investigate and test the quality and characteristics of wool from indigenous and most common sheep breeds in Estonia and Norway, and to create educational materials for textile students based on the findings. The wider aim of the project is to increase the targeted use of local wool in textile production. During the course of the project, three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds were selected, the wool of which was used in further studies. Wool was collected from each breed, and from it yarn and knitted and woven fabrics were made, the properties of which were then tested. As a result of the project, the education material “From Wool to Fabric. Estonian and Norwegian sheep’s wool as a textile material. Production, properties and possibilities of use on the example of the wool of six sheep breeds” was published. It is illustrated by educational videos, the first of which is on sheep shearing in Estonia (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34448), the second on Norwegian wool (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34489) and the third on the sorting of Estonian wool (https://uttv.ee/naita?id=34490). The educational material is freely available for educational purposes and can be used by anyone interested. It gives an overview of the general characteristics of wool, the processing procedure, and then focuses in more detail on the results of testing the collected wool and the yarns and textiles produced as a result of the project. The material can be found here: https://sisu.ut.ee/sites/default/files/eestivill/files/wool_to_fabric_a4_12_0.pdf. It can be stated at the end of the project that the comparison of the wool from six sheep breeds and products made from it proved to be a much more multiplex and multifaceted research task than expected. The collection of wool from different sheep breeds showed that the characteristics and quality of wool within the same breed can vary greatly, depending on the genetic material, the sheep’s age or sex, rearing conditions, and the time of shearing. Properties of the fabric were also influenced by the parametres of the yarns used as well as the manufacturing technique. In any case, it would be important to continue with product development that takes into account the results of this study in order to establish connections between wool types, their processing, and the desired properties of the products. Small-scale local industry enables the development of different types of yarn from which innovative products can be developed. The development of new products based on the results of this project could even be the subject of new student theses and projects. In a broader perspective, the results of the project hopefully will contribute to the increased use of super-quality wool fibres that are a by-product of sheep husbandry, rather than the production of consumption of fossil-based textiles, since the use and sustainable valuing of natural craft materials contributes to solving environmental problem

Intervjuu Anu Rauaga / Interview with Anu Raud

Anu Raud (born in Russia, May 10, 1943) is an Estonian textile artist and author. She is a long-time lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Viljandi Culture Academy. On the occasion of Raud’s 75th birthday, Helen Kästik and Ave Matsin sat down with her to look back on her life and work as an artist. Even though much has been written about the work of Anu Raud, its main focus has been on her tapestries as carriers of the idea of national identity. The mundane practical aspects of crafting and the social position of the craftsperson have received a lot less attention. These were the topics that were discussed at Kääriku Farm in June, driven by the conviction that the professional choices of an outstanding artist allow us to draw conclusions about the position of art based on heritage craft in both Soviet and independent Estonia. While studying textile art at the State Art Institute, Raud developed a keen interest in ethnographic material thanks to the encouragement of her teachers Mari Adamson and Leila Pärtelpoeg. After graduating in 1967, she was assigned work at the national handicrafts manufacturing association Uku, which had been founded the previous year. Uku was based on an ingenious idea: to provide work to skilled craftspersons all over Estonia in order to preserve and popularise traditional handicraft. As the lead artist for Kihnu, Ruhnu and Southern Estonia, Anu Raud coordinated the work of crafts-people in these regions and went on collection trips to draw inspiration for the design of items based on traditional handicraft. In 1972, Anu Raud returned to the National Institute of Arts, this time as a lecturer, which also gave her more time for personal creative projects. Her work consists of more than a hundred tapestries that have been displayed at nearly 70 solo exhibitions. In April 2018, the Estonian National Museum opened the exhibition Landscapes of My Fatherland on the occasion of her 75th birthday. Raud emphasises that there is a clear message in all of her works: „All tapestries I make bear the scent or at the least a tiny taste of Estonia.“ The tapestries of Anu Raud are a clear expression of her values and show her intimate connection to her homeland, its nature and the culture of its past. Her style is characterised by subtle play of colours and the skilful use of elements from national crafts. The restoration of Estonian independence was followed by a turbulent period in the fates of both the republic and Anu Raud herself. Her work at the National Institute of Arts came to an end and her family was forced to move out of their apartment in Tallinn when it was returned to its former owners. After moving to her father’s home farm at Kääriku near Viljandi, Raud needed to find a new job. In 1994, she became the first head of the newly-opened department of farm design and national crafts at the Viljandi Culture College. While living at Kääriku, she has dedicated a lot of energy to the promotion of the region. Her rich collection of traditional handicraft accumulated over the years is kept at the nearby Heimtali Museum; for the 100th anniversary of the Estonian National Museum, Anu Raud gifted the Heimtali Museum of Domestic Life to the Republic of Estonia. Anu Raud has had a remarkable career and the attention she has received in connection to folk culture is extraordinary. Since 2009, Raud has been a Professor Emeritus of the National Academy of Arts and an honorary member of the Estonian Artists Association; in 2016, she was elected to the EstonianAcademy of Sciences. She has received numerous awards, including the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (1998), the Kristjan Raud Award (1978, 1994), several awards from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the University of Tartu award for contribution to national identity (2013), National Culture Award (2014), and the National Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)