Inspired by Norwegian Reality TV, I Made a Basket Entitled "Midnight Sun"

Once I have a basket design in my head or at least have an idea, I usually listen to books on CD while I weave, but this time I was glued to my computer. I had no idea that I was about to join 2.5 million Norwegians who were watching their public TV (according to ABC News).

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My cousin Per sent me the link to "Hurtigruten: Minute to Minute," a 134 hour documentary of what is called "The Worlds Most Beautiful Sea Voyage.” People have been traveling up the Norwegian coastline since 1893 and I was about to join this voyage from my kitchen! I followed the map as the ship as it travelled from Bergen, up the coast between islands, to the way-northern port of Kirkenes.

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As I worked on the basket, I saw what the 22 cameras saw, documenting the trip. The country had been alerted to the NRK project and all along the way, people cheered and waved flags from land and boats. Because the cruise ran during the longest days of the year, filming was possible 24 hours a day. They say in Norway that on June 21st it is so light that you can read the newspaper outside at midnight. My work schedule was such that it was often quite late over there, hence the rosy glow in the photos I caught off the computer:

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The ship passed Ålesund, a town known for it's dried and salted cod, “klippfisk.” (Here they're drying in the sun.)

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There were serene views of wave-washed rock and hazy, snow studded mountains.

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I watched and wove, on and off for 4 days, often just listening to the waves and sea.

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After a while I realized that the basket had taken on characteristics of the boat (notice the shape of the hull), the water colors, and the warm glow from the midnight sun on the landscape.

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The basket measures 14.75" x 13" and will be on exhibit at the Shaw Cramer Gallery this July.

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**With the exception of the basket shots, all the photos that appear above, were taken off the computer as screen shots courtesy of NRK's TV broadcast.