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Bohus Stickning
Bohus Stickning was active from 1939 for 1969 and began as emergency relief work in the crisis-hit stonemasonry districts of Bohuslän during the Great Depression. Emma Jacobsson was the wife of the County Governor. She founded the association in 1939 hoping to create home based employment opportunities for women in the region so they could supplement their family income. Garments in angora and lambswool, designed for Bohus Stickning by Emma Jacobsson and other designers, were hand-knitted by women in the region and became a worldwide success.
In 1999, Solveig Gustafsson began work to recreate and produce knitting kits from original patterns and designs on behalf of Bohusläns museum. Bohus Stickning's beautiful patterns still captivate knitting enthusiasts all over the world today.
The history of Bohus Stickning
The story of Bohus Stickning, which began as emergency relief work and developed into for textile design of the highest order, has been told many times in publications, media and exhibitions. In all contexts, Emma Jacobsson is emphasized as the brightest star - the origin and driving force of Bohus Knitting.
Emma was an Austrian Jew, a botanist and art historian, and it was during her studies in Berlin that she met her future husband, philosophy student Malte Jacobsson, later county governor of Gothenburg and Bohus County. As the county governor's wife, Emma had to give up her academic career and devote herself to activities of a more representative nature. Her scientific and aesthetic interests remained, of course, and were entertained in the company of her friends Estrid Ericsson - the founder of Svenskt Tenn, the architect Josef Frank, the atomic physicist Lise Meitner and artists such as Tor and Vera Bjurström and others. But it was in her capacity as the county governor's wife that two women, Augusta Teng and Helga Karlsson from Fågelviken on Härnäset in Bohuslän, approached for her in 1936 to see if she could arrange some paid domestic work for the stonemasons' wives in the county. There was great unemployment among the stonemasons and the families were suffering.
Emma wanted to help and Clara Cavallin, the headmistress and a good friend of for Emma, organized courses. They tried their hand at different kinds of home-made products: dolls, Christmas decorations and small knitted garments. It was with knitting that they moved on and in the fall of 1939 the association Bohus Stickning u.p.a. was formed and a board of directors was appointed. Now knitting courses were organized in Fågelviken, Brodalen, Heestrand and other places in central and northern Bohuslän. Agents were appointed who would act as a link between the knitters and the Bohus Knitting Center, which was established at the governor's residence in Gothenburg.
Emma Jacobsson herself and her friends Vera Bjurström and Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunn designed the initial knitting patterns. Emma gave the patterns cultivated and poetic names. It was these patterns, through their beauty and originality, as well as the quality of materials and workmanship, that launched Bohus Stickning and brought attention and demand in the early 1940s.
Text: Viveka Overland, Bohusläns museum
Design
There was no Bohuslän knitting tradition to build on when Bohus Stickning was founded in 1939, and so completely new designs were created. Emma Jacobsson was herself a skilled designer. She also employed several professional pattern artists throughout the companies history: Vera Bjurström, Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunn, Ulla E:son Bodin, Karin Ivarsson, Annika Malmström-Bladini and Kerstin Olsson.
The creation and sale of hand made garments in exclusive designs of the highest quality, many in Angora yarn, was the hallmark and success of Bohus Stickning.
Bohusläns Museum's collection includes more than a hundred garments and many sample patterns. A selection of original garments is displayed in the museum's permanent exhibition.
Many celebrities were seen wearing Bohus Stickning: in addition to Grace Kelly in 'Rimfrost', Eartha Kit, an American singer and actress, who was photographed in 'Crevetten' during a visit to Stockholm in the 1960s.
There are many delightful stories about Bohus Stickning. Evy Erixon, shop manager of Bohus Stickning from 1959 to 1969, tells in an interview about when Ingrid Berman received 'Vinterdis' as a gift from her husband, Lasse Smith:
"I remember when she stood outside for a long time looking at a pullover, and a few days later her husband, Lasse Smith, came in. True to form, I never pretended to recognise the celebrities, but he looked at the pullover that Ingrid had looked at, and when he had made his choice, he went to the door and said "Send it to me with a bill". "Sure", I said, "I'd be happy to do that if I only knew who he was". He hurried back and apologised and introduced himself."
- from the movie 'Stickspåret' by Kjell Andersson, 2004.
The Recreation of Bohus Stickning
In 1999 a new chapter began for Bohus Stickning, when Solveig Gustafsson, together with the Bohuslän Museum and two Bohus Stickning designers, Karin Ivarsson and Kerstin Olsson, recreated the Gröna Ängen design with the consent Emma Jacobssons heir, her daughter Ingrid Mesterton. When Bohusläns museum was founded in 1977, the year of Emma Jacobsson's death, the museum was given a large collection Bohus Stickning. This collection formed the basis for the recreation work.
Over 15 years, Solveig Gustafsson recreated 51 Bohus Stickning designs and about 175 garments.
Like many histories, the story of how Pernille Silfverberg took over the re-creation of Bohus Stickning from Solveig Gustafsson differs depending on who tells the story.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for Solveig to get hold of angora yarn produced at sufficient quality and cruelty free to continue to produce Bohus Stickning designs. She was also looking for a successor.
At the time, Pernille had the largest angora farm in the Nordic countries and produced her own angora yarn for Silfverberg Design.
Solveig Gustafsson noted that the yarns were perfect for Bohus Stickning. Pernille got in touch with Solveig Gustafsson through the spinning mill because she wanted to start hand-dyeing yarns and Solveig revealed that she was looking for someone to take over the recreation of Bohus Stickning.
So began a new chapter in the history of Bohus Stickning.
Today, the yarn for AngoraGarnet Bohus Stickning kits is produced by the same spinning mill that spun the yarn during Solveig's time as re-creator. The recreation of new designs is done in consultation with Bohus Stickning designers and Solveig Gustafsson, with the support of Bohusläns museum.
The work to recreate Bohus Stickning is extensive and a bit of a detective work, a puzzle with many pieces that do not always fit together. There could be a lot of differences between different styles in the same design. Colours too can be a puzzle as different dyes can shift over time, so colour mixtures rarely maintain their hue as they age. Each design has its own history and is its own puzzle. Not only are these garments beautiful pieces of art to wear and enjoy, they are part of a Bohuslän cultural heritage that is kept alive by knitting enthusiasts around the world.
Text: Elisa Silfverberg Utgaard
A privilege to knit Bohus Stickning
Knitting enthusiasts all over the world knit today Bohus Stickning. Many hours of work go into recreating models and creating knitting kits for Bohus Stickning. AngoraGarnet is responsible for every step of the process, from rabbit breeding to assembling the finished knitting kit.
Knitting Bohus Stickning is an exercise in patience, but the joy and pride of having your finished garment in your hands is without compare.
You can find all our knitting kits for recreated designs in the e-shop.
