Kerstin Olsson

Kerstin Olsson trained at Slöjdföreningen’s school in Göteborg and, through a teacher, began work at Bohus stickning in 1958. She had to produce a number of pattern samples and the original colour compositions and rich motifs were well-likes, so she was given immediate employment. In a brochure from 1964, Bohus stickning’s founder Emma Jacobsson says that Kerstin Olsson is the “least inhibited” of the pattern designers. She continued: “she works quickly” and “almost violently, with bold colours and contrasts, but in collaborations she also creates compositions of a quieter character.” Kerstin Olsson and Emma Jacobsson travelled to Paris in the autumn of 1961, seeing a fashion show by Nina Ricci. The trip resulted in patterns with colour shading, tone on tone. A number of patterns of that type were composed, such as “Grå dimman” (grey mist), the blue, the brown and so on. Some patterns could have up to thirteen different nuances. She managed colour skilfully, and also possessed great knowledge of knitting techniques. Kerstin Olsson work for Bohus stickning for eleven years.