This type of crafting is typical for Jæren.

Jæren is the part of Norway in which I live.

I have often wanted that there should have been more crafting types related to my particular part of the country. Sadly there are very few things and that is a result of the mild winters.
The farmers in Jæren could work outdoors even during winter and that's partly the reason why we don't have much traditional crafting from around here.

There are a couple of things though that are known as typical from Jæren. One thing known all over Norway is the Jærstol. It's a chair and it's still beeing produced. One other thing is slippers made of rush/reed, called sivsko or sævsko as we pronounce it.

Jærstolen the chair.

Originally the seat and back was made of rush/reed. Today they use a kind of grass imported from Denmark. In the photo below you can see an old and a new one. The old one don't have the originale seat and back.
The new one without arms are one of my kitchen chairs.



The slippers- sævskoene.

Many many years ago I learnt the tecnique, how to make these shoes. They are very warm to wear. I made a pair for myself but sadly the rush/reed (I don't know which word to use) was not of a high quality. That depends on the weather the weeks before harvesting the rush/reed. June is the month for harvesting and then the rush/reed have to lay stright out and dry properly. When it is going to be used one have to let it soak in water so it becomes flexible again. Today I don't have the equipment but I could probably buy it. The shoes in the photos below are made by my mom. Each of her grandchildren were allowed to use them as long as they fitted. Mom gave them to me because they sort of fell apart. That's why I have sewed some leather on the "back" as you can see.







I think that children between 2 and 4 years could use these so they are very small.
Where else in the world do these items exist?

BTW, when I wrote my post yesterday I was wondering if there is a word describing grandmother/father that at the same time tells which side of the family they represent. We have such kind of words in Norway and I think there must be in english too. Anyone??