What is Hardanger Embroidery?

Hardanger embroidery is a type of needle work that is thought to originate in Persia. It eventually migrated to northern Europe and especially Norway, where it is called Norwegian Drawn Work. Typically it is white thread embroidered on white cloth. The cloth is usually even-weave cotton woven with pairs of threads. The threads are generally pairs of threads woven in lines of 22 by 22 giving a block appearance to the material. Hardanger embroidery is a counted thread style and the pattern of the threads makes the counting easier.

The stitches are simple and very similar to cross-stitch embroidery. The most important thing is to be accurate with your count. The basic stitch is the satin stitch. Most Hardanger embroidery is a series of kloster blocks, but patterns will vary. Most of the patterns are geometrical in nature and incorporate those geometric shapes into the pattern. The blending of these shapes creates the different patterns. Many of the same stitches that are common to regular embroidery are used in Hardanger patterns. If you are familiar with the French knot, the Cable stitch, the buttonhole stitch and the fly stitch, then you have many of the basic stitches you will use in creating the various designs in Hardanger embroidery.

Hardanger embroidery is easy to learn. There are many books about the subject which have many examples and step by step instructions. You can also find tutorials online. The most difficult thing is to learn the different needles used for the different threads and cloth patterns.