Women crave to create. It provides respite. It provides time to reflect. It provides opportunity to connect. For an entire day, 12 women gathered in a farmhouse in Gotland, Sweden. Guided by two lovely Swedish women, Lotta and Karin, we felted, sewed, and crafted. We stretched their minds-having to search for English words to teach us the crafts their hands knew all too well. Sometimes, they were quiet, letting their hands silently teach us. There was no need for words, we worked side-by-side, learning by doing. They, in turn, stretched our knowledge of working with wool and sheep skins, and listening carefully. It was a welcomed day of respite in the midst of a busy week of travel and touring.
Sigsarve Lammgård
We first met Curre and Lotta Niklasson on our trip to Gotland in 2015. For an entire afternoon, four years ago, we sat with them in front of their farmstore. Curre and Lotta’s farm is certified organic. Their passion lies in being good stewards of the land, seeing the value in sustainable farm management. They understand the toil chemicals have taken on the soil and the very food we eat. Curre grows wheat from ancient grains whose nutritional value has been preserved through the years. Curre understands that how we treat our soil directly affects the crops we harvest and the sheep who graze there.
Lotta has invested much of her life to sheep and wool. It was out of her love for animals that they began raising sheep. She was instrumental in the early stages of saving the Spinneri on Gotland, where she worked for a long time. She clearly understands the connection between nutrition and fleece quality. Standing in her farmstore and workroom in her farmhouse, you see she has a wealth of knowledge and love for creating with her hands, using the wool from their sheep.
When we left their farm 4 years ago, I knew I would be back. I had not learned all I needed to from this couple. Many times, through the past four years, I have looked fondly on our time with them, longing to see them again. As Curre said to us that day four years ago:
“People may have different cultures or religions-but underneath, the people are all the same. You just have to find something, some–what is the word?–connection, and you are all the same. The connection bring people together. Just like having sheeps,” he concluded, looking out into the pasture, squinting into the sun, real pride in his voice. “Sheeps bring people together, too. And that’s a real gud thing. Real gud.” With arm raised high, he waved to us, turned back and said, “keep dreaming, keep dreaming.”
Curre Niklasson
Connection
Connection-once again, we had made a connection, this time along with 10 other people. In one full day, in a farmhouse on Gotland, we made a connection that crossed language and cultural barriers. This time, it was creating and crafting that connected us. And once again, Lotta and Curre, I will return to your farm, Sigsarve Lammgård , again one day as I STILL have much to learn from you.
If you want to connect with other women who love sheep and everything wool, then join me. I am setting up a Shepherd’s Community that will be an online place for women to learn about shepherding, wool, and crafting, as well as a place to ask questions, and encourage one another. If you want to participate, sign up for my email list so that you can be the first to join!
