Nordic knitting symposium 2025

11:00-11:30: Arrival

11:30-12:15: Welcome
We will welcome you and introduce ourselves and Brandbjerg Folk High School.

13:00-13:30: Accommodation

13:30-14:30: Tour of the School and Brandbjerg’s History
We will take a walk around the school, the park, and visit the manor, where we will hear about the history of Brandbjerg and the tragic story of the Grey Lady, along with the bullet hole from World War II.

15:00-17:30: Workshop

19:30-21:00: Folk High School Evening

08:30-09:30: Lecture: "The Creative Process of Designing" by Laura Dalgaard (DK)

What is behind the creative process of designing? For Laura Dalgaard, it encompasses feelings of joy from creating with her hands, anxiety over the fear of failure, and a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Creativity is more than intuition and talent; it is also a tool that needs to be nurtured and developed.

Laura is a trained knitwear designer from the Academy of Fine Arts and runs the company Laura Dalgaard Knit, where she sells knitting patterns, knit kits, and small collections of finished knitted sweaters. She also collaborates with art institutions and fashion companies from all over the world. In her lecture, Laura delves into the motivation behind her knitting universe and how immersion in creative craftsmanship can help provide a sense of calm in the present moment.

10:00-17:00: Excursion Day

We will all go on an excursion. Details about the trip will be posted here very soon – you can start looking forward to it.

19:30-21:00: Lecture: "My Knitting Life" by Marianne Isager

Marianne Isager is one of Denmark's most renowned knitwear designers and has been a central figure in the development of modern Danish knitting for over 40 years. Through her books, patterns, and lectures, she has contributed to renewing and continuing traditional handcraft culture. She is especially known for drawing inspiration from her many travels to places like Peru, Greenland, Nepal, and Japan, as well as for her involvement in NGO work and teaching.

Born in 1954 in a family of doctors in Northern Jutland, Marianne spent her youth between Aarhus and her family’s summer house, Østerklit, in Tversted Klitplantage. She began her education as a weaver and textile printer at the School of Applied Art, but her interest in knitting was sparked at Skals Handicraft School in 1973, where she met knitwear designer Åse Lund Jensen. This meeting was pivotal, and when Åse Lund Jensen passed away a few years later, Marianne took over her company and established Isager Knit in 1977, which today operates from Tversted.

Marianne Isager’s knit designs are often inspired by everyday experiences and travels to distant lands. She has lived and commuted between Japan and Denmark for 15 years, which has also influenced her work. Her stories about her life journey with knitting as a companion form the background for her lecture and her books, My Knitting Life, which provide an insight into her creative universe through text and images.

She continues to be an important voice in the knitting world, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design in a way that has inspired both new and experienced knitters worldwide.

08:30-09:15: Morning Assembly

09:30-12:15: Workshop

14:00-17:15: Workshop

19:30-21:00: Lecture: "Project with Thyra's Rune Stone in a Knitted Sweater" by Mette Christensen

For several years, Mette Nørregaard Christensen has been interested in history and cultural heritage communication through handicrafts. Her fascination with historical pattern traditions, symbols, and knitting techniques has resulted in many vibrant museum replicas of mittens and sweaters from the Nordic and Baltic countries. The historical mittens inspired her to develop her own museum designs. The first mitten design was Jelling Mittens, inspired by motifs from the large rune stone in Jelling. This was followed by designs such as Jelling Stone Hat, Warrior Helm, Viking Mittens – at Sea, and Mittens with the Sun Chariot.

In 2024, Mette entered into a collaboration with Kongernes Jelling for the release of the pattern Thyra's Sweater, a sweater that conveys the story of Gorm's Rune Stone and serves as a tribute to Queen Thyra. Thyra's Sweater is, of course, a pattern with diagrams, but also a complete package containing historical information about the latest rune research, the rune alphabet, and Viking-era colors. The lecture will discuss how the idea evolved into a pattern, how the test knitters knitted it, and how knitting became a means of history communication.

08:30-09:15: Morning Assembly

09:30-12:15: Workshop

14:00-16:00: Lecture: "Tascideas" by Remi Tasc

Remi Tasc is the founder of the charity knitting project Åmtanke. Initially, it was a project Remi created for himself after a breakup, but it has since grown and spread throughout Norway and other countries. Remi Tasc works as a nurse in psychiatry, and in his lecture, he addresses topics such as mental health and illness, as well as how he uses knitting in his work with patients considered dangerous to freely roam society.

The Åmtanke pattern illustrates that our lives go in different directions, intersect, and change along the way. The contrast color symbolizes our individuality, our different backgrounds, and baggage. It serves as a reminder that we all have unique traits and that it is important to show care and understanding for one another.

Åmtanke is a collaborative project with many involved. Among other activities, knitting gatherings and events are organized in different places. Knitters are provided with yarn and contribute their knitting skills to complete warm sweaters. Others contribute financially to yarn purchases. Everything related to Åmtanke must be free. It is forbidden to buy or sell the clothing or the pattern. It must be free. The first Åmtanke sweater was finished on July 6, 2019, and since then, hundreds of sweaters have been knitted and given away throughout Norway. Over 140 Åmtanke sweaters have been knitted and sent to soldiers in Ukraine. This winter, sweaters are being knitted for the Salvation Army in Norway.

16:00-18:30: Party Preparations

18:30-21:00: Festive Dinner

08:30-09:00: Check-out from rooms

09:00-11:00: Lecture: "Traditional Textiles from the East German Coast to the Baltic Coast" by Claudia Krischer (ENG)

Claudia Krischer's lecture explores the rich cultural exchange found in traditional textiles from the Baltic Sea region. These textiles reflect the local daily life, craftsmanship, and available materials, but they also tell stories of mobility and inspiration across cultures, carried by travelers, traders, and fishermen.

Throughout the lecture, Claudia presents three concrete examples that show how patterns, techniques, and traditions have spread and evolved—both historically and today: Pomeranian fisherman's rugs, double-finger gloves, and Pottmütze hats.

In her lecture, Claudia Krischer demonstrates how local textile traditions influence and inspire each other and how they continue to develop in today’s global world. Her lecture provides an exciting insight into the historical and cultural significance of textile craftsmanship as well as its relevance today.

12:00: Farewell and thank you