Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellinor Petersen.
Ellinor, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My mom started weaving soon after she moved to Sweden in 1971, as a young bride from Michigan. She had just started learning the language when she discovered weaving, and has kept adding to her experience and skills over the decades since then. Some years ago, she started teaching weaving in a studio in a small town in Sweden, and she loved it so much. It was quite successful, and she had a lot of extra looms. I started thinking that we don’t have anything like that out here in Utah county, and we should start another weaving school out here, and bring her out to teach.
I started gathering names in an interest form, and then we launched our website, packed up 16 looms and sent them in a container over the ocean. As of this moment, they are on the Atlantic making their way over here.
There are many crafters and fiber arts lovers out here, but not many who can teach weaving, and not that many own their own looms either. We are excited to create a community of weavers in our studio, where people can come and make a project, and create something that they designed, that they can keep for many years to come.
My own favorite project is when I was expecting my fifth child, and my mom brought me a small-ish loom in her suitcase. She helped me get going and finish weaving a baby wrap for my baby, which was incredibly soft, strong, and stretchy. It is superior to so many other types of wraps! I think many people would love to make their own baby wraps if they realized how cozy it can be to carry your infant in something you made yourself.
We are currently in the process of getting our space ready for the looms to arrive, hopefully shortly before Christmas!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, my mom lives on a big island in the middle of the Baltic ocean. It was a real challenge to coordinate the shipping. Then when we had dropped our container at port, it was delayed because of the international shipping situation, and because of the unpredictability, it’s been challenging to make definite plans for our start dates. Thankfully, our weavers have been understanding, and once we have our looms in place, we will get going!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a mother of six children. I have been homeschooling for ten years, and I love watching my kids learn new things. My approach has been to watch their interests, and try to help them grow by finding new challenges in these areas.
I taught leadership and entrepreneurship for a year, and I loved learning about the different aspects of being an entrepreneur, and I loved spending time with youth and supporting them in this area of growth. I studied a lot about the topics I taught, and I am currently in the process of publishing a guide for teens to “Awaken Your Inner Entrepreneur.”
Throughout my life, music has played a very important role. My major in college was music composition, and I still write music. About three years ago, I wrote a symphony. For the past 15 years, I have been studying the viola. A few months ago, I gave my first solo recital playing viola and violin. It was a lot of practicing, and it was a lot of fun.
I don’t have extensive experience with weaving myself, but I do have many years of experience in various leadership positions in several non-profit organizations. I am confident this experience will help with the process of leading our new enterprise. We have others who can provide the expertise in weaving, and I can provide the framework for them to teach.
How do you think about happiness?
Oh, I love this question! I am so happy when my kids are laughing! I also really love practicing violin with my six-year-old son. I enjoy being outdoors, and to watch my kids explore.
I also love a really good tasting meal, and I spend a lot of time thinking about what our family will eat. I bake bread several times a week, because we all eat it so much. When we sit down for a meal together, I am happy.
Honestly, being in our new studio makes me happy. I love thinking about how to build a community and more purpose for people in their lives. I love making things come together too, which is perhaps one reason I’m drawn to entrepreneurship and building this weaving studio.
Pricing:
- Rent a loom in our studio for a project: $80/week
- Come in to weave with an instructor to help on site: $30/day (minimum 3 hours of availability)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://swedishweavingutah.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/swedish.weaving
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579314882071
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swedish-weaving-llc/
