Item of the month

February - 2010

The reed hook pictured was a donation to the museum from Venla Skog. This object is made out of horn and has beautiful open-work hearts. Horn was used for making spoons, knife handles and various utensils and ornaments. The natural shape of the horn lent itself to cupping, and horns have also been used for storing gunpowder, milk for infants or for stuffing sausages. By steaming or heating the horn it could be moulded into household goods such as spoons. Weaving clothes and bed linen played an important role for the economy of the household. A woven fabric consists of two systems of threads crossing each other: the warp and the weft. The warp is held taut and perpendicular to the weft while weaving. The weft is threaded alternately over and under the warp ends. Weaving is really a kind of rationalized braiding.

The warping process is a series of steps including winding the warp, sleying the reed, threading the warp through the heddles and finally through the reed. It is a complex process and when long fabrics were woven, the slightest mistake would have considerable consequences. Younger weavers were taught the craft by those with more experience. At the reeding stage the warp is pulled through the dents of the reed. Reeding is a precise job, since any disorder in the threads is revealed in the fabric. The reed hook is an indispensible tool for threading the warp through the dents of the reed. A beautiful reed hook that sits nicely in your hand makes the task more enjoyable.