HEKLANJE

A local artist named Virginia Nenadović has kindly taught us a little about the intricacies and patience that go in to this beautiful art form. Virginia was taught by her Nona from the time she was seven years old.

She tells us the quality of a work is based not only on its design, but also on the thinness of the thread and the tightness of the stitches. A small design may take from one to several hours depending on how fine the thread and how skilled the artist. The finished piece can be as simple as a small flower or as complex as a large tablecloth.

Although yarn or other materials may be used, the finest Croatian heklanje is made from thin cotton konac (thread), traditionally in a white or off-white color, using a tiny heklica (hook) made of bone, ivory, wood, or metal. The thread is wrapped around one finger, and with the tiny hook in the other hand, the artist catches the string and pulls it through one or more loops to create intricate designs. Although a pattern may be decided beforehand or repeated, it’s not like a painting where you can sketch out the big picture and then work in smaller and smaller detail as you are inspired. Instead the tiniest details build one upon another to gradually reveal the design that is in the mind of the artist. There is no going back, as the thread and work are continuous. Thus each piece is an original work of art.