The Shetland Grafell Vararfeldr
- ardbeagcrafts
- Feb 17
- 1 min read
I kept this striking cloak in a traditional grey colourway that gave the Viking king Harald Greycloak his name. I used Shetland wool from Uradale Farm, home to wonderful heritage farmers who are keeping traditional Shetland farming methods alive. They also hosted the finished piece during Shetland Wool Week, allowing their visitors to see how Viking-era Shetlanders would have battled the elements with weatherproof cloaks.
This was one of my first projects on my handmade warp-weighted loom, and the authenticity of the tools really added to my experience, and my appreciation of the ancient weavers who came before me. I also discovered that due to the crossbeam being made from an organic length of birch, it puts a slight but signature "wiggle" into the weave of all my pieces.
I named the finished piece for Harald Grafell (Harald Grey-Cloak), whose shaggy grey varafeldur helped make these cloaks popular across Norway.
