THE TEXTILE SAMPLE BOOK Testico, 6 February 2014

The first time I visited the archive at Sjølingstad, I had been working at the mill for some time. I was instructed to enter the room quickly and close the door behind me to prevent moths from following. It was quite a cramped and chaotic space.

Many of the sample books were organised in cardboard boxes, while others were left in unstable piles on the floor. Folded textiles, several jacquard blankets, some knitted sweaters. Adjusting to the light and the temperature, searching for a point of entry to the stored material, I realised intuitively that I had come across objects that had qualities that resonated profoundly with who I was at the time, and with what I was looking for. Exploring this material created a framework that later intensified my values, aspirations, skills and knowledge.

The small folders with sales samples were produced to present the mill’s products to the customers. They document decades of production of woollen fabrics for clothing and create connections, bridging places, times, people, tools and methods.

I am holding a small piece of fabric in my hand. It continues at another time somewhere else.

I go through all the books. Methodically. Some samples inspire me to work. They are beautiful, rough and honest. I want to reproduce these fabrics, and wear garments made from them. They challenge me, and at the same time they create a longing. I leave the archive with a selection of sample books as souvenirs, suggestions and starting points.

The samples suggest a response.

I perform a technical analysis. I define the construction and test the yarn. The density and the surface give information on the settings of the loom and the methods of finishing. I approach the colours through experiments in the dyeing workshop. I make selections with the intention to recreate the fabrics using the equipment in the mill as it is today. The machinery is old, some of the knowledge has been lost, and parts of the process are missing.

Some qualities are possible to recreate; others are not. The new fabrics are similar, not copies.