Keitum Wool Workshop: Traditional Weaving & Sylt Culture with Erika Jessen

The wool workshop in Keitum

Immerse yourself in traditional craftsmanship: from weaving to hand spinning
Erika Jessen gives you valuable insights into this special art at the Sylt Museum.

Text: Julia Petersen

Weaving tradition on our doorstep

There are indeed people who travel the world, from Sylt to Peru or Morocco, always in search of the most beautiful carpets and weavings. However, it's worth taking a look at the local scene on Sylt and the Sylt museums in Keitum to immerse yourself in a craft that few people know or can practice anymore.

Sylt's culture and living history

Sylt's culture is steeped in tradition, history, and valuable craftsmanship. This becomes apparent during a visit to the towns and villages located directly on the island. Keitum located in the Wadden Sea Museums more than clear. Here it has become the Sölring Federation The museum has made it its mission to preserve and showcase the island's culture. An important part of this is Erika Jessen. This Sylt native is a professional in tablet and comb weaving and offers fascinating insights into this impressive art every Thursday. Visitors can watch Erika Jessen weave towels using traditional methods on a loom that is over 300 years old.

Erika Jessen

"I simply enjoy doing it; you can see the results of your work, and something worthwhile comes out of it."

A craft to marvel at

An elderly woman is adjusting threads on a large wooden loom. — © Julia Petersen

She sits intently on the wooden bench in a niche of the museum. This section is dedicated to weaving and spinning on Sylt. Traditional Sylt costumes and carpets hang on the walls and in display cases, offering a wonderful glimpse into what the islanders once wore and how they made their own clothes. Back then, there was no Zara or H&M, no "fast fashion," no lavish department stores, but rather genuine handcrafted items and unique pieces made from natural fibers. Sustainable and authentic.

Sheep farming and wool processing have been a tradition on Sylt for centuries. Alongside fishing and seafaring, it was originally an important part of the island's livelihood. In Sylt homes, the loom was not just any piece of furniture, but a crucial tool for women to provide for their families and to clothe themselves independently. The spun wool was made into sweaters, stockings, and underwear, and sold far beyond the island's dikes, as far as Altona.

Erika Jessen: Passionately at the loom

For the past 14 years, Erika Jessen has volunteered at the Sylt Museum and is one of the few people on Sylt who can weave. At the age of 63, she finally had room for a loom at home. "See how you manage with it," she was told. And so she was more or less thrown in at the deep end. Was weaving in her blood? You could say so. Her mother's father was a master weaver. Unfortunately, she never met him; he died when her mother was just three years old.

Spiders like in the old days – not so easy at all

An older woman holds wool fibers and spins them carefully. — © Julia Petersen

The art of weaving demands a certain amount of patience: Erika Jessen needs an entire morning just to painstakingly weave the 600 warp threads into the loom. The museum visitors, gathered around the antique oak loom, are quite astonished by this information. A little boy watches, fascinated, as Ms. Jessen guides the reed through the threads. For her, this activity is meditative – and it has a calming effect on the onlookers as well. "I simply enjoy doing it; you can see what you're doing, and something worthwhile comes out of it," says Erika Jessen.

She asks the group from time to time if anyone would like to try the spinning wheel. One woman takes the plunge and starts working with the wool – very skillfully, but inexperienced and thus doomed to failure. "It's as easy as ice skating, you just have to practice," she encourages the novices. The wool used for this is delivered to Erika Jessen's home once a year in three sacks. Genuine Sylt sheep's wool, which then has to be washed in the machine before it can be used on the spinning wheel.

A threatened craft & dedicated preservers:

Unfortunately, the number of active weavers in Schleswig-Holstein has declined over time, and only a few still master this historical craft. The Sylt museums are working to counteract this trend. The volunteer association “Morsum Culture Friends“ is very committed to keeping the art of weaving alive on Sylt and offers a meeting every Tuesday between 15 and 17 pm.

A visit that's worth it

Do you want to delve deeper into the art of weaving, learn more about it and the culture of Sylt? Then be sure to visit the Sylt Museum in Keitum and explore the various facets of the island's history – and of course, the... ShopThere you will find towels woven by Erika Jessen from cotton and linen, as well as ribbons in several colours and lengths.

Sölring Museums Sylt Sölring Federation