This blog is mostly in Swedish, but I have noticed that it gets a fair amount of visits from other countries too. So, from now on (31st Jan. 2014) I will try to add at least a short English summary at the end of new posts, and perhaps also some of the older posts. In most cases you can probably figure out what I have done by just looking at the photos, but if you have any questions – please feel free to ask in the comments field.
About me
I have always loved crafting and making things with my hands. I work with various materials, such as wool, metal wire, textiles, leather and concrete. As I am really bad at throwing things away, many of my projects are also focused on recycling or upcycling. Not everything turns out beautiful or in any way useful, but that doesn´t matter if the creative process has been fun and taught me something.
With a fulltime job and two young children, it´s not always easy to find time for a hobby. Luckily, both my daughters enjoy crafting too and are often involved in my projects. I also think that taking the time to do crafts makes me a happier mother, partner, employee and person as a whole.
We live in the north of Sweden on a small farm (another hobby) with two dogs, two cats, a growing number of hens, turkeys and a small flock of sheep.
Welcome!
// Zara
Min kreativa sida 
Thank you for providing the English version!
Glad to have readers/visitors in any language! 😉
Lovely blog, easy to understand even without your English translation.
Thanks Angela! 🙂
Your gnomes made me smile, i love them, thankyou
And your comment made me smile. 🙂 Thanks!
I’m looking for a pattern for gnomes, without much success. I make lots of crafts for the various holidays but don’t have a good pattern for Tomte. I would love to make some for my grandchildren if you have a pattern that you are willing to share.
I’m not sure I understand what you mean by pattern? What kind of materials were you thinking of using? Basically, a tomte can consist of just a cone-shaped hat, a nose and a big beard, attached to some kind of body. I felt hats from carded wool, but you could also sew them from a flat piece of felt or fabric. Here is a link to a post with photos showing the kind of tomte/gnome that I make. Perhaps you could try something similar?
https://zararooke.com/2015/12/01/vita-ripor-och-tomtar-med-vitt-skagg/
It is wonderful that I found your web page through your post on Feltingandfiberstudio. I am a felter for few years that just recently moved to Sweden for my husband’s job in Stockholm and I was trying to find some felting groups or classes but also looking for a place that I could buy some Swedish wool. I love your pieces made with sheep locks, like seat pads and cat pillows. Very excited to have found your work.
I am veyr glad that I found your web page through your post on Swedish sheep wool on Feltinfandfiberartstudio. I am an avid felter for couple years now and just recently moved to Stockholm with my husband and son. I was trying to find on the web some information of felting groups or studios/classes but also for a place to buy some Swedish wool. I love how you incorporated sheep locks to make the seat cushions or cat mats. Any info you may have would be very much appreciated. Looking forward to reading more on your informative blogg.
Thanks Selma and welcome to Sweden! I am so glad to hear that you are interested in felting with Swedish wool. It’s definately a resource we could use much more (far too much wool is discarded as waste in Sweden today). I live in the north (Jämtland), and I get my wool from my own sheep and farms nearby. But I can recommend Filtmakeriet (http://www.filtmakeriet.se) that sells Swedish wool, though their webshop, at reasonable prices. They have both washed fleeces from different breeds and carded batts for felting. They also have nice prefelt. If you are interested in raw fleece, I suggest you join the public FB group called Ullförmedlingen. It’s purpose is to be a link between sheep owners and fleece/wool crafters. Fleece advertised there tends to get bought up quickly, but you can also write a post, stating what you are looking for and where you live. With luck, you’ll find a sheep owner close to you with an excess of fleece. 🙂
Thanks so much and sorry for posting few times. I was under impression that my post somehow don’t get published. I will follow on your leads.
Fabulous work on your joint project at work. A great inspiration to involve your co-workers in creating art for the community. Bravo! you are in inspiration
Many thanks Nancy! It did take some time to plan and prepare for – but it was so much fun and very appreciated that it was well worth the effort. ☺️
I could really use some instruction on how to make a rug, I seem to have some issues making it take enough . do I really need a frame ?
Hi! You don’t have to use a frame, but it does help keep the fleece in place at the start of the felting. The trick is really in placing the cut ends facing up, covering them with carded wool, and then felting long enough to felt the ends of the locks securely, without felting too much so that the tips also get stuck. Did that make any sense? I know some people also start of by needle felting, before wet-felting, but that is rather time consuming for a larger rug. It’s tricky to give advise without knowing what wool you have used or how you have proceeded with the felting… Often it all comes down to trial and error until you find a way that works for you.