Kirsten is a source of true weaving inspiration for us at Tierra Wools! She is not only a fantastic weaver but a wonderful seasonal addition to the Tierra Wools team. Kirsten is from Norway and comes to New Mexico for a few months each year to weave and to volunteer at Tierra Wools. This month we sat down with Kirsten to discuss her weaving career and how she discovered Tierra Wools.
How did you become a weaver? What drew you to weaving as a craft?
Well, I liked doing things with my hands when I grew up. I grew up in a family that made lots of things by hand – knitting, sewing, woodwork, practical things – so I was familiar with crafting from an early age. When I went to high school I got fed up with academics so when I finished school, I decided I needed to do something different. I applied to and was accepted at an arts and crafts school and here at this school I had the opportunity to take a whole year of weaving classes. It was in this class that I fell in love with the yarn and the colors. So that was my way into weaving. But weaving didn’t make a living, so until I retired when I was 62 it was an occasional hobby only. When I retired, I decided that weaving should be my new life, so I started practicing again all the skills that I learned so many years ago.
A poncho Kirsten made at Tierra Wools a few years ago
How did you discover Tierra Wools?
I’ve always had a big interest in travelling and in 1997 I made a big trip to the US, travelling all over New Mexico and Arizona. And we were on the road and saw a big billboard sign for Tierra Wools so we stopped off to see it! So that was my introduction to Tierra Wools. I visited a couple of times after that, but when I retired and began weaving seriously, I though maybe could go back to Tierra Wools as a student and combine my interest in travelling with my interest in weaving. So I wrote to Molly and started coming to Tierra Wools as a volunteer for three month once a year. I couldn’t come during COVID but now I’m back!
How has Tierra Wools influenced your weaving?
Kirsten’s pictorial weaving in progress
The kinds of pieces I learned to weave in Norway – tablecloths, handkerchiefs, towels – these kind of old-fashioned housewares are not so interesting to weave, so this is an area where Tierra Wools has helped me a lot: it has opened in me a sense of creativity in my weavings. I love the rustic nature of the Rio Grande style and its focus on color, form, and design. Nothing is set in stone and in a way, you can just make it up as you go along on the loom – I like that freedom! Tierra Wools really opened my mind to all the possibilities that you have in weaving. This year at Tierra Wools, I’m learning more about pictorial weaving. I am weaving small pictures now for practice, but I would love to make a large format picture when I get home.
What advice would you give to new weavers?
I have a friend that I often weave with in Norway – she is a very skilled weaver – and she often says, “You can’t do anything wrong. Everything can be fixed.” So don’t be afraid and don’t hold back when you weave – have courage and go for it! I think that is good advice. But I would also add I don’t think you can take shortcuts and become a good weaver. You have to pay attention to detail and learn from your mistakes as you work.
Kirsten’s 8-petal rose weaving
Tell us about a favorite project that you made – what was special about it to you?
There was a big rug that I made in Norway with Tierra Wools warp and weft yarn that I bought at Shonto Trading post on the Navajo reservation. I used a combination of motifs in the traditional Rio Grande style with the Norwegian eight-petal rose in the center. I love the combining of cultures and styles to make something new in that piece. And my brother bought it so now I can look at it whenever I want!
How are you liking the new Tierra Wools in Chama?
Fantastic! The location with the timber building in the trees by the pond – it’s just lovely. The weaving rooms are so large and comfortable and I think the shop is looking so nice with all the weavings on display. And being closer to town with nice lodging and great food located nearby is so convenient for our students. And we have so many visitors! I really enjoy the wonderful conversations I have with our visitors when they come in to see the shop. It’s one of the things I enjoy the most about volunteering here.
What’s it like to be a volunteer at Tierra Wools?
Being a volunteer here [at Tiera Wools] is a really great experience. Antonio and Molly are just wonderful to work with and my weaving and hand-dyeing colleagues, Toni, Sophia, Nathaniel, they are all fantastic. And our shopkeepers Mary and Leanne who are learning to weave - it’s wonderful. The Chama area with its multicultural mix of farmers, ranchers, artists – they’re all such hardworking people and I love how the art of the area really reflects the different cultures and the beautiful landscapes, the natural surroundings, of this area. It is really indescribable – I feel very lucky to be here and to have this experience!
Detail of Kirsten’s 8 -petal rose