The Swooping Night Owl Vararfeldr
- ardbeagcrafts
- Feb 17
- 1 min read
This lightweight but luxurious mini-feuldur is named "Swooping Night Owl," as the pale colours and great volume reminded me of the wings of a barn owl. The materials I chose included a mix of brown, caramel, and cream fleeces, which I teased out for maximum volume.
As this feldr was created for my daughter-in-law to wear on stage with her folk band, I needed to create something with maximum visual impact while still allowing for full range of movement. I therefore opted for slightly less closely-spaced knots compared to a traditional varafeldur. The long Icelandic and Shetland locks I used still provided incredible volume, giving the wild, rugged appearance of a luxurious hafnarfeldr.
While it doesn’t adhere to the precise measurements outlined in the Icelandic Gragas lawbooks, this lovely little piece still captures the essence of the rugged coastlines and stormy seas of Viking-era Scandinavia. I washed and fulled it in the Gare Loch, imbuing it with some of the wildness of my own Highland home.
