If you look around this website you'll learn a lot about me. I grew up on a farm in Sweden and I love art and design, especially textile design. That's then most important things to know. To find out a bit more, keep reading!
DETAILS
NAME: Frida Maria Karlsson
BORN:November 16th, 1982
GREW UP IN: Hissjö, Umeå, Sweden
NOW LIVING IN: Gothenburg, Sweden
FAMILY: Mother, father, two brothers, sister and a boyfriend
WHY A WEBSITE?
I have grown up with computers and Internet and therefore the thought of a website of my own has been in my mind on and off. The thing that I'm most interested in is art and design, so that's what I started with. Pictures of things that I'd made, to show off my work and inspire other, but also to bring together and organize everything. It didn't take long before I added new sections. People wanted to know how I'd made some of the knitted and crocheted stuff, so I added patterns. Since I like to take photos and I think that our cows are great models I wanted to have them on my website too. There will probably be more sections later...
EDUCATION
After nine years of compulsory school and three years at the gymnasium (high school) I studied art history for one year at the university in Umeå. Then I moved south and went to an art course for one year in Munka-Ljungby followed by a one year weaving course in Gamleby. Now it was time for a break from studying, so I moved in with my boyfriend in Ronneby and stayed there for two years. Now I'm going back to being a student, this time in Gothenburg, studying pattern construction and sewing.
THE TEXTILE WORK
I've been doing different textile crafts most of my life. My mother has always been sewing and she has inspired and helped me very much. When I was about 16 I really started sewing a lot and have been doing ever since. I've learnt the different textile crafts be my self or from my mom except for weaving, which I hadn't done until I started the weaving course. Whatever the technique I've always tried to make my own patterns and never liked to copy another person's ideas to much.
THE ART WORK
When I was young, about 10 perhaps, I was thinking more about becoming a painter than a textile designer. Back then I sketched and painted much more then I do now. When I got older the textiles began taking more and more of my time. Now I prefer to make things that are three dimensional and that can be used in some way. That's way the art section contains so little. I still had a lot of fun at the art course I took. It was there I learnt ceramics which I love and also photography, which also is quite fun.
THE FARM
The farm Hägnaregården is owned by my parents and I have always worked there when it was needed and I had the time. It was originally bought by my fathers parents. When I was young we had 10 cows. Now the farm has grown and there's close to 40 cows, they all live in a freestall. The majority of the cows are of the breed Swedish Red Breed (SRB). Some are Holsteins, and there are also a few Jersey cows. The Jerseys are a bit special. When I turned 14 I got a calf for my birthday, 68 Dora, she was of the Jersey breed. She got two daughters,
194 Docka and
238 Dimani. Dora is no longer alive, but 238 Dimani and Dimani's daughter, 345 Della P, is.
OTHER ANIMALS
Growing up on a farm I was lucky to be surrounded by animals. My first pet was a rabbit called Lotta. She lived for many years and I loved her very much. By the time she died I also had a dog called Kelso and a sheep named Elsa. Kelso is a crossbreed between Border Collie and Springer Spaniel and very cute. He hasn't moved south with me, he's living on the farm all year, where he likes it the best. Elsa is now gone, but I have some things made of wool from Elsa, that are very warm and soft. There's a horse on the farm too. It's really my dad's horse, but he lets me take care of her and ride her.