Bergdala Spinnhus

Attempt at a survey of Swedish weaving books

This all began with a question: why do Swedes "only" weave for the home?
I decided one way of tackling this question was to do a survey of Swedish weaving books.

To do the compiling I used the catalogue of the National Library of Sweden(where, in theory, all printed material since 1661 should be extant). There are a couple of problems with this method:
- the classification: apparently the classification is more arbitrary that one would like to think. Some of the books are on the list because I knew of them, so I could search through the author's name
- not all books are in the library. I know of a couple of booklets from the '20ies or '30ies which I could not find. Nowadays the printers send everything to the library, but earlier self-publishers had to take care of that themselves. (In this case they were "self published" by Hemslöjden)

Now, to get to the books.
It can be argued books were not needed while the everyday mundane weaving was still a tradition in every home (or at least every village). I think the book list strengthens that argument: the first (many) books all are about "complex" weaving: multi-shaft; draw loom damask, ...

The books that I know (or believe) are, or declare themselves as, "text books" have been marked with *.
I should also mention that of the 166 books in the list, I probably only have seen some 60-70 myself. For the others, I have either read about them or just guess, based on the titles.
Feel free to disagree with my classifications/descriptions - send an e-mail!

1747 - 1819
To comment the list from the beginning: I know nothing about the first nine, except that something with "mönster" in the title probably concentrates on patterns (mönster means pattern), guessing that those patterns are more complicated than 4-shaft twills. "Profbok" (modern spelling provbok) means sample book.

Then we have the Ekenmark family, 1820 - 1848
I think they are a special case - they published many books, or one could call them pamphlets, five of which are on the list. (Some of them have been published in several editions, often with the word utökad, enhanced, added, but I have only listed the first occurrence.)

The Ekenmark books are, strictly speaking, text books - but they all require basic knowledge.

At least one of their books [13] describe how to build a loom (the copy I have seen had lost all illustrations, therefore I do not know how good/detailed the drawings are); another one [14] has a reasonably detailed drawing of a double flyer spinning wheel. I imagine that a good wheelwright could build one from the drawings. A transcription can be downloaded here.
I made an attempt at translating the text - there are probably errors! - first part here, second part here.

The Beckwall [12] book can be downloaded from Umeå university library (link via National Library of Sweden, here).

The Ekenmark books concentrate on "complex" weaving: multi-shaft and/or patterned by double layers, by supplementary warp or weft.
They are not strong on binding (structure) theory.

I can offer a downloadable version of Afhandling om drällers och dubbla golfmattors tillverkningmed begagnande af harnesk-rustning [11]. Since I had to make it into several files, I made a special page for that.

The family travelled all over Sweden, holding classes. I know they had a "school" (named "Ekenmarkska wäfskolan") in Växjö for a couple of years, one in Stockholm, also a couple of years.
This fact makes me believe that they did not travel somewhere just for a couple of weeks, but this is not verified. At least one of the family (Gustava Beckwall) travelled to Norway, where she stayed for (I think) about a year.

Two Norwegian authors, Astrid Bugge and Sigrid Haugstoga tell quite a lot anbout the Ekenmark history in their book Damaskveving på bondegården (2nd edition ISBN 82-7143-015-7)

1872 - 1899
Bugge-Haugstoga also have a chapter on Lovisa Nylander, who managed to get a patent on what was essentially the Ekenmark take on a drawloom. (Patents lasted for five years at that time, I believe.)
The Nylander book [15] has some pages on the basics of weaving (but to my eyes not enough for someone not familiar with looms and weaving). She also has some binding (structure) theory. Most of the book is about complex weaving.
The book can be downloaded from the National Library of Sweden, here.

The rest of the books from the late 1800s seem to be of the "complex" type (but I am just guessing), with some exceptions (that I am sure about).

Wilhelmina Bergman's Den lilla vävboken [17] (first printed 1876, I think. It was reprinted at least 15 times) has a patent for "a technique to weave dräll patterns on four shafts" - basically what we (Swedes) today call halv-dräll. Most of her patterns are for 4-shaft looms.

The 1880 edition has one page on "general rules" for weaving. Then there is one half to one page on each of the "plates", mentioning possible uses: ladies' underclothing, frocks, men's clothing.
Most of the plates show halv-dräll, but she was also very fond of "noppväv" (picked-up loops).
The right-hand picture shows a pattern for "noppväv": "Through diligence and perseverance it will work out"

I have a Bihang till Den Lilla Vävboken (just 14 pages; bihang means appendix) for download here.

   

From the title of JO Andersson's Väfnadskonstens grunder [18] I think it is a "text book", but I haven't seen it myself.

Between 1880 and 1900 there are 18 books listed. Ten of them have, in their titles, words that suggest they are primarily pattern-oriented (konst-, mönster-, allmoge: art-, pattern-, "folk").

A few of them were either written by (at the time renowned) teachers, such as Collin [31] and v Engeström [34] (this article deals with some terminology and obsolete units used in this book).
Persson [25] writes that the book is published as a result of "several classes in efficient weaving" [countermarche and flyshuttle, my note].
I have a not-the-best-quality .pdf for download, here.

Those books can be called "text books", but, all the same, they concentrate on "recipes". They contain threadings, treadlings and tips about what the fabrics can be used for. None of them have much binding theory. They contain patterns for between two and ten shafts.

1900 - 1936
By the turn of the century the "hemslöjden movement" (inspired by the arts-and-crafts movement) was born. One of their basic ideologies was to "preserve local traditions" (and to "develop" said traditions, with the help of professional designers).
Internal difficulties resulted in a split, and from 1912 there were two organizations: Föreningen för Svensk Hemslöjd and Svenska Hemslöjdsföreningarnas Riksförbund. Nowadays the older society is a member of the umbrella organization. (There are a few pages in English on the site - just click the British flag. There are a number of books describing the development of the hemslöjden movement.)
I believe this also is the time when all the geographical names started to be used for otherwise quite spread "art" weaves:jämtlandsdräll, daldräll, smålandsväv...

With the idea of "preserving" and "developping" came, of course, "schools" and classes. (Sätergläntan, hemslöjdens gård still exists.)
With the schools came, of course, a different need for text books, but also pattern books.

From the first three decades of the 20ieth century there are fewer text books than I had thought - but perhaps the schools encouraged the students to "make their own"? (There is an abundance of handwritten notebooks from that time - for one example, see Majas vävbok från 1923.
Söderberg [36], Hjärne-Welin [37], Vaern-Bugge [42], Collin [44], Montell [45] (downloadable from handweaving.net), Geijer [48], Krebs [49] are all examples of text books from that era (though I think Krebs is geared towards industry).
From what I have seen of these books, most need a teacher to show the practicalities, such as how to wind a warp, how to beam it and so on. I don't think there is a lot of theory in them. I have borrowed several of them, a long time ago - .
Most of them also "label" the recipes: curtains, bedcovers, pillow covers... The occasional apron can be found, too.

It was in this era that photos started to appear, all black and white, of course.

At the same time Hemslöjden published several booklets. Björk [38, 39, 41], Berger [43], Peters [50] (about whom I have written before), Modén-Olsson [51], Ödlund [52] are all examples of booklets with labelled recipes, sometimes with a "local" touch [43, 51, 52].

1937 - 1950
The first book (which I have found) looking like what we nowadays call a weaving text book (think Lundell: Stora vävboken [87]) is I vävstolen [56], first published in 1937, reprinted many times. It describes all steps needed, from a skein of yarn to the finished cloth, illustrated with photographs. It contains some basic binding theory, including analysis. (It also contains lots of recipes, most labelled - again "weaves for the home" and the occasional apron.)

From the same era (and in the same vein) we have Wallmark [57], Henriksson [61].

By the 1950ies, apart from Brodén/Wiklund [65] which is a text book for the beginner, most books seem to be geared towards what had now begun to be seen as "tradition", namely that handweaving (maybe I should call it home weaving) is only done to make "things for the home".
Look at the titles (my translations): Towels and tablecloths [66], Weaving for the home [67], Woollens: shawls, blankets [70], Rag rugs and other rugs [72], Weaving for the linen chest [74].

This period is also when the theory books begin to appear: Cyrus' book [64] is called Handbok i vävning, but is really a book on binding (structure) theory. Next comes Getzmann [76]. (Both have been reprinted several times, also translated to English).

From the '30ies up to about now Hemslöjden also published many "Mönsterblad" - they often were literally that: a page, maybe two, with a (pattern) recipe. They could describe a rag rug, or a table runner, a cushion cover (or, for that matter, a knitting pattern for a "typical" pullover - there were "Mönsterblad" for woodwork too).

1970 - now
From the 1970ies and on, when weaving had become a romantic hobby, we find lots of "old" and/or "local tradition" books.
One remarkable author is Ann-Kristin Hallgren, who has published a number of recipe books leaning on "tradition" - a somewhat sloppy count gives about 20 titles, in addition to the number of almanacs (at least 15) she also compiled. (For some reason many of the almanacs are missing from the Library catalogue.)

Another phenomenon that started in the late '70ies (the earlierst that I know of is Bolstervarsrandningar [88] from 1977) is for local history groups to inventory and document textiles, sometimes publishing locally, sometimes as books "proper". What with the technical development self-publishng has become so much easier, and this trend is growing. Books numbered 102, 116, 129, 132, 135, 140, 145?, 147, 152, 158, 163, 164, 166 may not all be self-published (all may not even be what I think they are), but look like examples of the "analyze/document/publish" trend.

This era is also when rag rug books started to abound. Apart from one Mönsterblad [55] and one book from 1958 [72], the rag books started to come out in 1970 [78], followed by '73 [83], '74 [84], '79 [94], '83 [103], '84 [105], '88 [117], '91 [125], '95 [133], '95 [134], '99 [141], '06 [153] and one more in '06 [154]. That means 13 rag books in 40 years, compared to one in the preceding 220 years... Of course, technically speaking, weaving rag rugs was not legal until about 1850 (all linen and cotton rags had to be sent to the paper mills, read more rag facts here), but, taking that in account, we still have only one book in 120 years. (Another way of counting is 200 years without nary a mention of rag rugs, followed by 14 books in 55 years.)

The new "technical" era may have started with Johansson Opphämta och damast [100] from 1982. In 1993 followed Eriksson/Gustavsson/Lovallius Väv gamla och glömda tekniker [128], same authors' Varp och inslag [138] from '99.
It is possible to include Lundell's Ripsvävar [111] and, perhaps v Weisz' Skaftväxling [146] in this category, but both have rather narrow scopes for the theory chapters.

Last, but not least, there are the "wild and crazy" books - Väva fritt i ram och vävstol [81] from 1972, Väv rätt och slätt: från spindelväv till taggtråd [131] (the title is a play on words: "weave right (correct) and plain", but it can also be understood as "just weave!" - from spiders' webs to barbed wire), Väv som aldrig förr [149] (another word-play: weave like never before) and Väv som vi! [162]. (Note: there are only 2-3 authors who "dare" to play...)

It surprised me that there were no real "hippie" books, as I know there are many about both knitting and macramé - maybe the publishers didn't think there would be a market for weaving books in that vein?


The list is UPDATED october 2018 - i have found 11 books printed after 2014. Most seem to be inspiratonal or containing weave descriptions.

Book list as of 2015-12-08 in .pdf, here. (Will be updated later)

1	Siberg, A M von	Väfbok	1747
2	Törnsten Ol J	Lijngarns uprännande til Lerfter	1757
3	Nordengren H M	Wäfmönster af åtskillige sorter	1783
4	Segerstedt A J	Tabeller f linneväfnader	1804
5	Öhman Hedda Ulrika	Uträkning i linne-wäfnader	1809
6	Könsberg Maria Elisabeth	Mönsterbok	1817
7	Ekenmark JE	Handbok för unga fruntimmer i konsten att tillverka bomulls- och linne-wäfnader, efter engelska uppgifter och egna försök	1820	*	Essentially a translation of Duncan's Practical and Descriptive Essays on the Art of Weaving
8	Gruwald E D	Väfbok	1821
9	Siberg Beata	Profbok	1825
10	Ekenmark Maria Christina (Trolle)	Mönster-bok för unga fruntimmer i konsten att tillverka vackra façonerade och dubble wäfnader	1826	*	facsimile 1984; ISBN 91-7844-008-4
11	Ekenmark JE och systrar	Afhandling om drällers och dubbla golfmattors tillverkningmed begagnande af harnesk-rustning	1828	*
12	Beckwall, Gustava (Ekenmark)	Handbok i väfnads-konsten	1834	*
13	Ekenmark Gustaf & hustru	Lärobok i väfnads- och linspinningskonsten	1847	*
14	Ekenmark Gustaf & hustru	Nya Magerska linspinnings-methoden	1848
15	Nylander Lovisa	Lärobok i ny patenterad konstvävning	1872	*
16	Wallin Anna	Mönstebok för väfnader i hemmet	1873
17	Bergman Wilhelmina	Den lilla vävboken	1876
18	Andersson, JO	Väfnadskonstens grunder	1880	*
19		Mönsterbok för slöjdundervisn i hem o skolor	1880
20		Den Qvinliga hemslöjden i Sverige	1880
21	Andersson Lovisa	Handbok till konstvävnad	1885
22	Wallin Anna	Väfnadsmönster med tygprover	1885
23	Collin Maria	Skånsk konstvävnad i allmogestil	1890
24	Kulle Jakob	Svenska mönster	1891
25	Persson L	Väf-bok för mekanisk handväfstol	1891	*
26		Vävbok	1891
27	Dahm Hjalmar	Väfverskornas Hjälpreda	1893
28	CH R-Y	Väfbok	1894
29	Ch. R-y (Posse, Eva…)	Väfbok skånska allmoge…	1894
30	Collin Maria	Skånsk konstvävnad i allmogestil, utvidgad uppl	1894
31	Collin Maria	Våra hemväfnader	1895
32	C M	mönstersamling för skola och hem	1897
33	Andersson Emma	Moster Emmas väfbok	1899
34	Engeström Nina von	Praktisk vävbok	1899	*	facsimile 1981, ISBN 91-7120-142-4; eng transl 2009
35	Hamberg Olga	Mönster för gobelinsömnad och konstväfnad	1899
36	Söderberg Augusta	Vävbok för nybörjare	1901	*
37	Hjärne-Welin Ebba	Vävbok för hem och skola	1907	*
38	Björk Gerda	Ny vävbok	1912
39	Björk/ Johansson/Palmgren Sigrid	Ny vävbok 1	1912
40	Zickerman Lilly	Tygprover	1912
41	Björk Gerda	Ny vävbok 2	1913
42	Vaern-Bugge Elisabeth	Hemmets vävbok	1914	*
43	Berger Alexander	Jämtlands-o-Härjedalsvävar	1915
44	Collin Knut J	Handbok i vävning för självstudier och skolor	1924	*?
45	Montell Aina	Vävboken	1925	*
46	Palmgren Sigrid	Praktisk vävbok	1926
47	Collin Maria	Flamsk och finnväv	1927
48	Geijer Agnes	Vävning i hemmet	1928	*?
49	Krebs Artur	Vävnadsanalys och garnberäkningar	1928	*
50	Peters Hulda	Vävbok	1928
51	Modén-Olsson Maria	Jämtlandsdräll	1929
52	Ödlund Eva	Östgötavävnader	1932
53	Svensson Ottilia	Praktisk vävbok	1934
54	Ödlund Eva	Vävbok för hem och skola	1934
55	Oscarsson Svea-Greta	Mönsterskisser t trasmattor och ryor	1935
56	Skeri-Mattsson/Osvald	I vävstolen	1937	*
57	Wallmark Elsa	Väv själv din väv	1937	*
58	JKF	Kortfattad vävteori vid JKF	1938	*
59	Block Mary	Den stora vävboken	1939	*?
60	Föreningen Svensk Hemslöjd	Mönsterblad	1939
61	Henriksson Anna	Lärobok i vävning (2 uppl)	1939	*
62	Jondal Marika	Modern vävning	1939
63		Märthaskolan	1941
64	Cyrus Ulla	Handbok i vävning	1949	*
65	Brodén Märta , Wiklund Signild	Vävning	1952	*
66	Ingers Gertrud	Handdukar och duktyg	1954
67	Lundbäck Maja	Vi väver till hemmet: möbeltyger, gardiner, sängtäcken, draperier	1954
68	Selander Malin	Vävmönster	1954
69		Mönsterblad	1954
70	Tillquist Hilda	Yllevävar: schalar, plädar, filtar, tyger, konstvävar	1956
71		Mönsterblad	1957
72	Brodén Märta, Ingers Gertrud	Trasmattor och andra mattor	1958
73	Selander Malin	Handvävt	1958
74	Ingers Gertrud	Väva för linneskåpet	1962
75	Ingers Gertrud	Roligt att väva	1965
76	Getzmann Ulla	Bindningslära	1966	*
77	Ingers Gertrud	Flamskvävnad	1967
78	Ingers Gertrud	Trolla med trasor	1970
79	Getzmann Ulla	Bindningslära 2	1971	*
80	Sandberg Ingrid	Vävning: arbetsinstruktioner för gymnasieskolan	1971	*
81	Hoppe/östlund/Melén	Väva fritt i ram och vävstol	1972
82	Arlenborg Ingrid	Finnväv som den vävs i Bohuslän	1973
83	Johnson Astrid	Väva trasmattor: modeller i färg och svart-vitt	1973
84	Nordin Eva-Lisa	Trasmattor: 44 modeller i färg	1974
85	Melén Lisa	Festremsor och gilledukar	1975
86	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Lär dig väva	1976	*?
87	Lundell Laila	Stora vävboken	1976	*
88	Larsson Margareta	Bolstervarsrandningar	1977
89	Melén Lisa	Väva gardiner	1977
90	Boalt Eivor	Lands vävbok	1978
91	Boalt Eivor	Lands vävskola: 8 lektioner i vävuppsättning	1978	*
92	Grönvall Irene, Sandell Kerstin	Bruksvävar	1978
93	Machschefes Annelie	Väva finnväv på lätt sätt	1979
94	Nilsson Anna-Stina	Väv med trasor och stränggarn	1979
95	Getzmann Ulla	Variera i väven	1980
96	Svensson Leena	43 vävar av en enda varp	1980
97	Larsson Pirkko	Rundväv och dubbelbreda vävar	1981
98	Askling Inga	Vi väver med Göta	1982	*
99	Gunnars Anita	Alla våra vävar	1982
100	Johansson Lillemor	Opphämta och damast	1982	*
101	Arndt Agneta	Redskap och uppsättning	1983	*
102	Fredrikson Olenborg Pia	Myggtjäll, daldräll och karelsk spets	1983
103	Johnson Astrid, mfl	Vackra trasmattor och andra vävar	1983
104	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Väva rutigt: förningsdukar, halskläden, huvuddukar	1984
105	Nilsson Anna-Stina	25 trasmattor	1984
106	Svensson Leena	44 vävar av en cottolinvarp	1984
107	Westman Elin	Vävning för alla: grundbok f cirklar o hemmabruk	1984	*
108	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Väv med tradition	1985
109	Hålling Inger	Vävning: kunskap, fantasi	1985	*
110		100 modeller att väva	1985
111	Lundell Laila	Ripsvävar	1986
112	Selander Malin	Väv en väv	1986
113		Väva med Bergå	1986
114	Eriksson/Getzmann/Lovallius	Uträkning och montering	1988
115	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Väv i vitt och pastell	1988
116	Thomasson Anna	Daldräll	1988
117	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Trasmattsboken	1988
118	Malmius Anita	Bindningslära: traditionell och på dator	1989	*
119		Vävgodis från Vävmagasinet	1989
120	Nilsson Ann-Mari	Väv tyger till kläder	1989
121	Kongbäck Ylva	Linnevävar	1989
122	Selander Malin	Vävar med färg	1990
123		Johanna Brunssons vävskola	1990
124	Gustafsson Inger	Vävkonst: teknik, idé komposition	1991
125	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Vävda mattor: tras- rips- nöthårs	1991
126		Damast (ur vävmagasinet, min anm)	1991
127	Gustafsson Kerstin	Väv: skapa från grunden	1992	*
128	Eriksson/Gustavsson/Lovallius	Väv gamla och glömda tekniker	1993	*
129	Wiklund Doris	Gamla vävnader fr Norrbotten	1993
130		Mera vävgodis från Vävmagasinet	1993
131	Eriksson Mariana	Väv rätt och slätt: från spindelväv till taggtråd	1995
132	Viksten Strömbom Åsa (årtal osäkert)	Bottentäcken och vävarbröderna i Kubbe	1995
133		Trasor och tekniker: 35 nya mattor	1995
134	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Så fint med trasmattor	1995
135	Wiklund Doris	Gamla svenska vänader från norr till söder	1996
136	Hallgren Ann-Kristin, Hallén Monica	Sköna kuddar	1997
137	Hallgren Ann-Kristin, Hallén Monica	Vackert att väva	1998
138	Eriksson/Gustavsson/Lovallius	Varp och inslag	1999
139	Kongbäck Ylva	Väv i halm	1999
140	Lindqvist Gerd (red)	Textilier från Hälsingegårdar:18 vävar att väva själv	1999
141	Hallgren Ann-Kristin, Hallén Monica	Alla tiders trasmattor	1999
142	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Mera fint att väva	2001
143	Eriksson/Gustavsson/Lovallius	Vävboken: uträkning, uppsättning, montering	2002	*
144	Fröberg Kerstin	Väva i vinkel	2003
145	Nessle Lena	Väva efter gamla mönster	2003
146	Weisz Gisela von	Skaftväxling	2004	*
147	Wiklund Doris	Det gamla linneskåpet: från tuskaft till damast	2004
148		Vävglädje från Vävmagasinet	2004
149	Eriksson Mariana	Väv som aldrig förr	2005
150	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	En rand och några rutor	2005
151	Johansson Gunvor	Väv skånska allmogevävnader	2005
152	Eriksson Mariana	Gefle ångväveri: från industri till handvävning	2006
153	Ignell Tina	Trasmattor & andra inslag	2006
154	Hallgren Ann-Kristin, Hallén Monica	Älskade trasmattor: att väva som förr	2006
155	Eriksson/Lovallius	En bok om vävning = A book on weaving	2008	*?
156	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Handdukar: väv i lin och bomull	2008
157	Ignell Tina	Hemvävt: 45 inredningsvävar	2008
158	Jägerung Siv	Räknade trådar: nya vävar	2008
159	Martinsson Åsa	Datorn i vävningen	2008
160	Hallgren Ann-Kristin	Kalasfina vävar	2009
161	Bengtsson Björk Birgitta	Nya vävar: klassiska mönster i ny form	2011
162	Eriksson/Lovallius	Väv som vi!	2011
163		Amandas mönster: nya vävar	2011
164	Lindman Nilsson Gerd	Väv! Jämtlandsdräll, Österbottnisk dräll, crackle weave… och blommande daldräll	2012
165	Nilsson Ann-Mari	Väv på fyra skaft!	2012
166	Östlund Anna	Rosengång: berättelser, historik, vävar	2012
167	Eriksson/Lovallius	Bärbart	2014
168	Christensson Hans	Dubbelväv i Norden	2016	*?
169	Östlund Anna	Från Januariblues till Decemberröd: 18 kuddar i rosengång	2016
170	Bråtsjö m fl	Färgglatt - nya vävar	2017
171	Eriksson/Lovallius	Väv mattor för golv, bord och vägg	2017
172	Hemslöjden Östergötland	Östgötadräll: 8 vävnotor	2017
173	Holgersson/Lantz	Estrids & Eugenias vävbok	2017
174	Ignell Tina	Tuskaft	2017
175	Olson C (red)	Filleklée: vävbok om en västvärmländsk textil	2017
176	Roosberg-Kroon m fl	Gjort av din hand 2.0: med ideer från Vävkompaniet	2017
177	Viksten-Strömbom Åsa	Upplandsvävar i ny form	2017
178	Handvävare i Jönköpings län	Smålandsdräll	2018