Bachelor project: Tjeld
Exploring with wool from indigenous Norweigan sheep
Intent The main focus of my bachelor project was sustainability, and our intention was to find a use for a poorly utilized material. A fellow student and I chose to work with naturally pigmented wool from Norwegian sheep breeds like vill- and spæl- sheep. Today, this wool is mostly exported or thrown away due to its low value.
Our goal was to inspire the industry to use more of this naturally pigmented wool from endangered Norwegian indigenous breeds. We wanted to flip what the industry thought of as negative sides of this wool to something positive and enhance these qualities.
Project information
OsloMet
5 months
Group project
Focus on sustainability, user-centered design, local materials and production.
Field trip to Bogstad besøksgård to observe shearing of the sheep.
Research Through research we gathered from the industry we discovered that the wool is disregarded because the material is challenging to color, has a rough and itchy surface and its quality standard is poorer, compared to wool from the Norwegian crossbred sheep. However, we also learned that the wool is very durable and has great potential in areas that are not in direct contact with skin. It is not lucrative for the farmers working with these kinds of ancient breeds and these sheep main function is keeping vegetation down in Norway.
Process In the middle of the project the corona pandemic occurred, and Norway went into lockdown. This gave us a new, different day-to-day experience where we lost access to our workshops, were placed into home offices, and overnight all collaboration became digital. We wished to experiment with the wool through natural coloring (with berries, vegetables, etc.) and by shaping the material (felt, mold, weaving, etc.). Also, we wanted to bring the experimentation into a physical product like furniture.
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Natural strands of wool where the longer top hairs and the soft undercoat are clearly visualized.
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Processing the wool though carding the fibers.
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Experimenting with plaster and concrete mixed with wool.
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Trying different ways to weave the material, here with colored and twisted yarn.
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Experimenting with mold pressing, with weaved sample…
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… and with untreated, natural wool.
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Coloring with berries, fruit, and vegetables (and a few samples with food coloring) of yarn and natural pigmented, untreated wool.
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Coloring of a weaved sample with natural pigment from berries.
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Weaved sample, dip-dyed with blackberries.
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Results of the colored yard with only natural pigment from berries, fruit, and vegetables.
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Sample with a weaving of natural locks of wool.
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Testing out weaving with different colored yarn.
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Digital pattern exploration with the samples.
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Digital pattern exploration with the samples.
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Digital pattern exploration with the samples.
Design Our final result was Tjeld, a concept for a digital library for samples with playful material explorations with wool from indigenous sheep breeds. As a part of the sample library, we created a sketch for a digital platform that took form as a website where wool enthusiasts, as well as industry-leading brands could gather and share their experimentations with the wool.
We illustrated our own experimentations on different furniture and products in various settings to show how the wool could be utilized. In this way, we wished to enhance the material and encourage the wool business to use this wool more in their products.
See the project at Instagram at @tjeld_ull
Afterthought The bachelor project had a steep learning curve and was a way for me as a designer to explore and develop my strengths and interests. I enjoyed having a long research phase with interviews and observations, as well as getting to experiment freely with a material. Our strong focus on the environment and sustainability is a big motive for me, and this project was the first time I was able to purely focus on this.
Unfortunately, the uncertain nature of the pandemic shaped our assignment. As a team, we concluded that the wool probably would not have been the main focus of the assignment if it was not for the lock-down and the following quarantine which made us choose to concentrate on the material in itself as the product. We had new experiences working from different locations and collaborating digitally, as well as being creative with our surroundings, lack of tools, workshops, and space.
We were in contact with several stakeholders in the Norwegian wool industry, and several businesses have already started the work of raising the value of this wool, which goes to show the importance and relevance of this project. These participants as well as several other market movers are working towards the same goal, we felt it important to unite these people on the same platform so as to make communication more accessible.