Small Devotions: Fiber Arts and Bead Craft

One of my favorite ways to spend offline time is making things, and that’s often via one of the fiber arts: weaving, embroidery, or sewing. I also spend a fair amount of time doing bead work, for my own delight and to make gifts to others.

Despite the lack of evidence for the Nornir as the spinner, weaver, and wielder of scissors we think of these days (see my review of Karen Bek-Pedersen’s The Nornir in Old Norse Mythology for further information), that imagining of them works quite well for me. Thus, in my personal practice, I continue to see Urd as the spinner, Verdandi as the Weaver, and Skuld as She Who Wields the Scissors, and correspond them to Past, Present, and Future.

The Norns by Ludwig Burger

Frigg is also revered as a Spinner and Weaver—some people believe she is the one who spins what the Nornir weave.

Thus, with my frame of reference, I call upon Frigg and the Nornir in my fiber work in a few different ways.

Once I have assembled my tools and supplies, I ask for their blessing on my work:

Hail, Urd, Spinner of That-Which-Has-Been!
Hail, Verdandi, Weaver of That-Which-Is-Becoming!
Hail, Skuld, You who wield The Scissors, Seer of That-Which-Is-Yet-to-Be!
Hail, Frigg, Allmother, Wise Woman, Spinner and Weaver Divine!
I ask your blessings on my work.
Guide my hands so that they move faithfully and true, for quality in my work.
Guide my eyes so that I see clearly and correctly, for accuracy in my work.
May my stitches/weaving/etc. be strong and durable,
So that my creation fulfills its purpose [add specifics if you like, e.g. “of keeping the wearer warm” or “helping me feel confident”]
And that my creation lasts as long as needed, and then some.

And then I set to work.

When it comes time to tie off a thread when I’m hand sewing, I make three triple knots. For the first two, I recite the following, each line being said as I make one loop of the knot:

With thanks to Frigg,
With thanks to Urd,
With thanks to Verdandi,
For your blessings on my work.

For the last knot, I recite one line per loop, and add the last sentence as I cut the thread:

With thanks to Frigg,
With thanks to Urd,
With thanks to Verdandi,
With thanks to Skuld <cut thread>
For your blessings on my work.

If I’m using my sewing machine, I recite the first piece as I do the overstitching, and the second piece when I cut the thread.

For bead work, I ask the blessing of Freya as well when I begin:

Hail, Freya, Vanadis!
Wearer of Brisingamen,
Divine Beauty,
Divine Love,
I ask your blessing on my work so that its beauty
Enhances the beauty of the one who wears it,
And brings beauty to all who behold it.

Each of these take just a few seconds to do, and add meaning to what would otherwise be just another activity. I find that they help me to focus on my work, so my work is better, and I am more able to take pride in the items I create—and more comfortable in doing so.