Anu Pink, leader of the Knitting group "Kudujate koopiaklubi", said some of the textiles on display are interpretations of Ruhnu traditions, but the majority are copies of museum objects.

"Ruhnu is very special in the sense that Ruhnu's knitting culture is very old and the Ruhnu people have held on to it very tightly. They have not changed their knitting much. It is fascinating, and it is very different from Estonian knitting, but it is also very different from Swedish knitting," Pink said.

Almost all of the coastal Swedes who lived on Ruhnu fled during World War II, although many people tried to keep the traditions alive. But many of the knitters who took part in the exhibition have no link to the island.

"But these objects are still there, and they tell their own story and fascinate today's knitter. There are many techniques in this weaving culture that have not been used anywhere else. Ruhnu knits have very little colour, but a great deal of technical complexity and variability," said Pink.

Pink has also recently compiled a book of Ruhnu patterns published by Saara Kirjastuse.

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