Sami Band Woven Belts

I weave belts and sashes in the Saami tradition using a small heddle or reed. Many of the Saami bands are woven with intricate pattern detail where the pattern is hand picked thread by thread. The patterns can vary from 7 pattern threads to over 50 threads.

The Saami woven bands had many uses such as for belts, as shoe bands where the woolen bands are wrapped around the legs similar to gaitors, for trims on their clothing, for harnessing reindeer, for wrapping up baskets or as hairbands.

Naturally Plant Dyed Yarns

All of my yarns are hand dyed in small batches. I use natural plant dyes such as madder root, brazilwood, alkanet, logwood, birch bark, indigo, onion skins, apple tree leaves, fungi and locally grown flowers, leaves, and barks that I source in the fields around my studio.

Fish Skin and Reindeer Leather Bracelets

Fish skins were tanned by the Saami people and other native cultures. The fish skins are descaled and go through a cleaning, tanning and softening process using tree barks, oils and other natural materials. The tanning process can take 2-6 weeks depending on the type of fish skin and tanning materials used. Fish leather does not smell fishy if the tanning has been done correctly.