Viola Gråsten

Viola Gråsten came to Stockholm in 1944 because the yarn she used to weave rya mats ran out in Finland. In Sweden she was already known and admired for her long tufted rya mats and Elsa Gullberg was willing to take her on. The following year, at a private dinner, Astrid Sampe "headhunted" Viola Gråsten to NK's Textile Chamber, where Astid Sampe was artistic director,

It was for NK's Textile Chamber in 1952 that Viola Gråsten would cause a sensation with the pattern "Oomph" at the department store display. Never before had a pattern been seen with such revolutionary colour combinations and a triangle pattern that expressed something completely new. The fabric was also called the first "all-purpose fabric" because it could be cleverly used for both garments and furnishings.

The young generation loved the pattern. Viola Gråsten became popular and the pattern "Oomph" became timeless.