Bäckedal Folk High School and Sveg have been my geographical base for the past two years. Originally I planned to study ancient blacksmithing for a year and then set out on a nomadic journey. The nomadic part turned out to be smaller than planned, mostly taking place in summer. I have always had a childlike enthusiasm for discovering and learning new things. So I chose to study MNT — Human, Nature, Technology — for a term, followed by another term of further study focused on traps and trapping. Over these two years I met a lot of people, some of them real gems. One was Niklas Karlsson, also known as ahardslojdlife, who works with building conservation and traditional building crafts alongside his woodcraft. That planted a seed. I looked into building crafts and realised it was exactly what I wanted to add to my work with Craft By Karlsson. After a slightly nervous summer, I heard that I had been accepted onto a bachelor’s degree in building crafts at the University of Gothenburg.
This meant moving out of the forest to a closer forest, or finding another option. While sharpening knives for the second summer in a row in the picturesque village of Hällekis, at the foot of Kinnekulle, it struck me: “This is where I want to live.” I put out a request for somewhere to stay and almost immediately heard about a little railway keeper’s cottage that might be available. I went to look and fell in love at once. It had everything I wanted: an outdoor toilet, cherry trees, Lake Vänern nearby, plenty of hazel, a vegetable patch and, most importantly, a wood-burning kitchen stove. An extra bonus is that I will also get plenty of deer hides. The site is suitable for small courses and is close to the oldest oaks in all of Kinnekulle.
I do not have any good photos of the cottage yet — it was pouring when I visited — but they will come. I am already planning a couple of courses to announce soon. They will probably take place in early October, so keep an eye on the website and Facebook. You can also sign up for Skogspost, where I share new courses and other news.