I first met Erika Åberg when a group of highly enthusiastic Swedish knitting ladies swarmed into my kitchen on our croft at Sunhill on the isle of Berneray. It was a very warm and enjoyable morning. We had coffee, tea and cakes. They admired my yarn and kindly bought plenty. We walked out to meet my Hebridean sheep who performed perfectly nuzzling my pockets for sheep nuts and following me across the croft as I talked about island history and culture.

Several years on and here we are collaborating together over Erika’s first pattern ‘Moorland Cowl’ in Birlinn Yarn. Our friendship has grown over email but I am now very much looking forward to welcoming Erika, and yet more lovely Swedish knitting ladies, to Berneray in May as part of Elisabeth Nicholson’s Red Foxtravel ‘Walking with Me’ tour within the Hebrides.

So Erika how did your knitting journey begin?

“Although I don’t come from a long line of knitters, I do come from a home where things where and are made by hand, home made. I think that through this everyday making of everyday things I learned that it was the natural way. Being able to understand processes and taking care of my everyday needs. Perhaps it is a direct effect of us being an impatient family? So, I would bake, make and mend with my mother and learned knitting in school at the age of 8. Since then, I’ve never stopped. It has been a constant companion of exploring colour, material, texture, pattern and design. Of comfort, happiness and curiosity. The every day making is still a large part of my creative process – to rest my thoughts while making a bread, kneading a dough or honoring time, material and someone else’s efforts by mending clothes because I know how to. “

Would you say that there is a distinct Swedish knitting design tradition and if so how would you describe it?

“I really love the traditional, knitted garments that are part of the regional folk costumes. The everyday garments and the more formal, festive ones. The everyday clothing is of course more humble at first glance. Knitted in simple, two coloured colorwork or monochrome. Geometrical patterns in repeats that are easy to remember and almost mediative to knit. In some, traditionally wealthier parts of the country knitwear has been quite colourful, especially garments associated with festive dress. I love these local traditions, to see the resemblance between cultures and the differences within a cultural sphere or tradition. The richness and variation of taste and touch in garments that might seem uniform at first glance. I find it breathtaking and in some ways humbling to meet a person of a specific place through a mended mitten, a waistcoat worn to church and celebrations, a fishermans everyday gansey or a rustic, everyday shawl. Engaging in part of someone’s life often decades later.

So we have the simple, humble everyday garments, the very colourful and beautifully ornate garments and the twined knitting/tvåändsstickning which is a different thing all together. Then, of course, Bohus knitting bohusstickning – is something very close to my heart. A modern tradition if you will – often graphic, non figurative patterns – intricate colourwork and purl stitches to enhance and underline design elements. I think all of these currents, or trends if you want, can been seen in my and other Swedish knitwear designers work. I always start with either asking the material what my conditions are or by deciding what garment I am going to make, and what I need it to be.”

It would be lovely if you could describe your life on Gotland, what is your daily routine in terms of designing and work/life balance? What are the important values in your life?

“I grew up just outside Stockholm on mainland Sweden, close to the sea and knew quite early that I needed to live close to the water and horizon in some way. I moved to Gotland for six months the first time in 2001 when I had just met my husband, and then again in 2014. There is a certain quality to life on an island. The isolation, and in Gotlands case a kind of seclusion but also the pride, drive and the power to act. That quality, determination, energy and the poetry, relentlessness and grandness of the nature, landscape and history made me and us want to stay here. And the people of course! When I am at home, I have an atelier/workspace and a pretty strict way of planning my working weeks and days. Every day consists of one part administration, one part reading and/or writing, one part walking/ running and swimming and as much knitting or designing my current projects demands.

Life has taught me to value the little things, and that now is – no matter how worn it sounds – all we have got. So, in an ideal day, I will plan around the weather to go for a long walk or run and, since a couple of months, I also have the company of Britta – our 14 weeks old wire-haired dachshund puppy. She brings so much happiness, mindfulness and quirkyness into my and our life but also well needed rest. I am looking forward to bringing her on my runs over the cliffs, through the woods and down to the sea. Hopefully, she will be content to stay on the pier as a dive in and go for a swim. Seizing the daylight as well as taking care of my body and mind. After my run and swim I walk back home; plainly breathing, taking photos or sketch depending on what I am working on. Mainly collecting inspiration. Some kind of creative diary if you will. This is probably the most important part of my design process, as it sets the frames in some way for my designs. It works the same when I travel alone or with a group. I collect light, colours, wind and weather as well as impressions of music, history, poetry and tradition – nuances and themes. 


Of course family also plays a large part of my days, both in terms of time and creative inspiration (What kind garment do we need, and why do we choose the ones we actually wear?). Every weekend and some weekdays, includes small or larger adventures, exploring this island of ours visiting archaeological or historical sites, nature reserves or simply experiencing the elements by cooking our lunch on an open fire by the sea.”

What are your important design influences?

“Oh – it is probably a mix of the landscape and light, traditional patterns but also the material, the actual wool, in equal parts. And what I want the garment to be, the function and the story I want it to tell me— to carry. It might be a memory of a place, a certain event or person. A time of the year perhaps and how the landscape around me changes.”

You always have exciting projects under way do you want to give us a sneak peak of things to come?


I am currently working on the last garments for my upcoming book to be published early September 2022 – the Moorland Cowl being part of the Hebridean collection. Hopefully this is the first of three books where I knit coastal regions and landscapes that mean something special and have an echo or resonance in me. 


The Moorland Cowl designed in Birlinn Yarn.
”I actually started to sketch this pattern when visiting Meg on her croft at Sunhill, Isle of Berneray in late spring 2018. I was so inspired by Meg and her art, by the textures colours and light of Berneray, the special quality and poetry of the landscape and of course her yarn. I wanted to use this lovely yarn to its full potential and find it really comes into its own in this kind of knitting pattern. It has been lovely to design this and the other garments which are yet to come.”

Find more details on Erika’s Moorland Cowl on our knitting patterns page: HERE

Erika Åberg lives in Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden with her family – archaeologist husband Björn, children Valdar (17 y) and Helmi (9 y) and Britta the wirehaired dachshund puppy. Her mother moved to Sweden from Hungary in the late 1970s and her father comes from the archipelago north of Stockholm.


She has studied art history, archaeology, early technologies, anthropology, teaching and traditional and contemporary craft. As a profession, she writes books on craft, mostly knitting; which means designing, knitting, illustrating and of course writing. She gives talks, teaches and also produces a podcast on making and craft (sadly, only in Swedish!) with a journalist and friend. As part of her work, she has the pleasure to visit places like the Outer Hebrides, Shetland, Gotland, Faroe Islands, Wales, Yorkshire and more – combing hiking, knitting, craft and art together with travel agency Red Fox Travel. A wonderful way to explore landscapes, traditions, materials and techniques. In her own words this is – “To perhaps find ones own voice in designing or just experience places and cultures with likeminded people.” 


Erika Åberg

IG: @wynja

Website: www.wynjaproduktion.se

Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/erika-aberg