Looped basket –handmade cordage using gathered grass and felt made from raw wool.
Jóhanna Erlu Pálmadóttir of the Textile Centre arranged visits to the wool washery factory ístex in Blönduós and the Tannery at Sauðárkrókur.
The whole process of cleaning the fleeces delivered from all over Iceland could be seen at the Washery. The grades of the wool obtained from the fleeces was explained and the subtle range of colours in the bales of raw wool, from the intense blacks and mottled greys through the browns and soft creamy whites, could be easily seen. We felt the different quality of the raw wool and were shown how the higher quality lambs’ wool could be identified. The coarser outer protective layer of the fleece might be used for carpets and the inner, softer insulating layer of the fleece is used for finer textiles and clothing. 80% of their production is exported to the UK.
The skins of cod, salmon, wolf fish and perch are processed at the Tannery at Sauðárkrókur to make distinctive and multi-coloured leathers used in the fashion industry. They also process primarily sheep skins and cattle hides.
Icelandic wool, horsehair, raw wool and fish skins.
After visiting the Tannery in Sauðárkrókur and the Washery in Blönduós I continue to increase my knowledge about the range of materials available in northern Iceland. Exploring and experimenting with these new materials takes time, but this process slows down my making and is subtly changing how I perceive the boundaries between basketry and other textile practices and techniques.
