Weaving is one of our most important inventions

Fabrics of all kinds have been produced om the loom, from coarse work clothes to light-weight cloaks for kings and emperors, clothing for protection against weather and wind, carpets for beds and floors, tent cloth, or sails for Viking ships.

The principle of weaving is the same all over the world, and the same today as it was thousands of years ago. A loom is joined together by two thread systems (warp and weft) that cross each other so that the threads are tied together to form a fabric.

Complicated fabrics can be made even on the simplest looms.

The warp-weighted loom is known from around 500 BC. and has been found in various forms around the world. It stands against the wall and the warp threads are held in place with stones. In Norway, the sound of tinkling stones has accompanied the women's work for nearly two thousand years.

The flat loom, which came in the 17th century, gradually took over the the warp-weighted loom in most contexts. Only in a few places in the country has the use and the knowledge of the warp-weighted loom lived on. Nordhordland snd Osterøy is one of those places where people still weave on the old warp-weighted loom.