About Icelandic wool - A visit to Ístex

You’ve probably guessed by now that I have a soft spot for Icelandic wool (known as lopi) - it really is my favourite fibre, at least so far. I’ve tried other yarns, other fibres, even other wools, but I keep coming back. There’s just so much about it that I love - not least that it's a local, sustainable resource produced right here in Iceland. 

Isolated for centuries, the Icelandic sheep remains one of the purest breeds in the world (no other breeds have been introduced here) and its unique combination of fibres – long, glossy outer fibres called tog and fine, insulating inner fibres called thel  – result in a wool that is lightweight, warm and water-repellent. Different weights and qualities make it possible to go beyond the ubiquitous traditional knitted sweaters - lopapeysa to the locals - to produce beautiful and durable garments, accessories and homewares of all kinds.

Ístex is the biggest and most well-known manufacturer of Icelandic wool and produces a variety of qualities from lace weight to super bulky. I got to visit the Ístex factory in nearby Mosfellsbær last week and came away with an even greater appreciation of this wonderful wool.

Founded in the early 90s by employees of the original Álafoss wool factory, which it shut its doors in 1991 after nearly 100 years of operation, Ístex is today about 80% farmer-owned. It's these farmers who provide the fleece that gets turned into lopi.

Washed fleece ready for processing

The raw fleece is collected from farms around the country and first sent to the scouring facility in the northern town of Blönduos to be washed before making its way to the factory. Once it arrives at Ístex, it's sorted, dyed, carded and spun into yarn. Minimally processed to keep its natural properties intact, the finished yarn maintains a rugged, natural texture in an earthy palette of undyed shades and neutrals, as well as a wide variety of rich colours.

Vats for dyeing

Dyed fleece ready for carding and spinning

Carding machine

Skeins waiting to be wound

Making the threads before spinning and plying - this stage is what's known as plötulopi

The finished yarns include Einband (lace weight), Léttlopi (worsted weight), Álafosslopi (bulky), Bulky Lopi (super bulky), Hosuband (blended with nylon for extra strength), and my personal favourite, Plötulopi, a single-ply unspun thread that is actually the in-between stage before spinning and plying into the other qualities.

Not only is wool a renewable natural resource and the wool grown here in Iceland mulesing-free, but the dyes used by Ístex are eco-friendly (most are OKEO-TEX 100-certified), and the factory itself produces virtually zero waste - loose fibres that fall to the factory floor are collected and either put back into processing or sold on to other buyers. Add lopi's sheer utility and versatility, and there are so many great reasons to use Icelandic wool.

While I mainly use Ístex yarns in my patterns, there are other, smaller brands out there that are definitely worth checking out as well, such as Helene Magnusson (The Icelandic Knitter), Uppspunni Mini Mill, Hespa (naturally dyed yarns), Gústa (an Icelandic wool/alpaca blend) and Einrúm (an Icelandic wool and silk blend also produced by Ístex). 

If you're curious about crocheting with lopi, you can take a look at my patterns which are designed using Icelandic wool or grab yourself a crochet kit with everything you need! For info on where to buy Icelandic wool yarns online, check out the Pattern FAQ page.

Introducing kits

I’m so excited to finally introduce DIY crochet kits for all four patterns in the Rove Handmade Volume 1: Grannies ebook. Kits come in both Basic and Deluxe versions in a range of five sizes and ten beautifully natural shades of Ístex 100% Icelandic wool yarn.

The Basic Kit includes yarn and pattern download code for crocheters who already have everything they need.

The Deluxe Kit comes with all the extras - bamboo crochet hook, notions, and a Rove Handmade wooden tag to add a finishing touch - and makes a special gift for the maker in your life (or just for yourself).

Both versions come packaged in a hand-stamped Rove Handmade natural cotton project bag.

A limited number of kits are available for preorder and will ship on December 9, 2017, just in time for the holidays.

You can check out the kits and preorder yours here.

Amma - granny square top

Here at last is the recipe for my granny square top, which I'm calling "Amma" because it's Icelandic for "Granny". I finished this top in August, just in time for the last days of summer, and have worn it twice since then (you can see it in action on Instagram). I absolutely love it and it's such a great feeling to wear something you made yourself.

This top is super simple - just two granny squares joined together - and has a loose fit that skims the body - not too clingy and not too boxy. I made this to fit me and it's about 40" in total width. To make it in your preferred size, use your hip or bust measurement (whichever is larger) + desired ease (I added about 2"), divided by 2 as a guideline for the size of your squares.

Example: To fit hip 38" + 2" ease, use 40/2 = 20. Each square should measure 20".

The yarn is Álafoss Einband, which is an Icelandic lace-weight wool. It's light but also warm, just right for Iceland's cooler summers. If you plan to make this for warmer climates or you don't like wool, something like linen might be a good substitute. If you do choose Einband, note that it feels a bit coarse when you're working with it, but it softens after blocking. It also stretches when washed, so it's always best to do a swatch first. Swatching is definitely recommended if you're substituting another yarn.

MATERIALS

3 skeins Álafoss Einband lace-weight wool (50 g/250 m per skein)

3.5 mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge

Yarn needle

Stitch markers

GAUGE

5 rounds of granny square = 4" 

STITCHES USED

st - stitch

ss - slip stitch

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

ch - chain stitch

INSTRUCTIONS

Granny square (make 2)

Make a traditional granny square in whichever way you like doing them. I like the method below:

Make a magic ring 

Round 1 - Ch 5 (counts as 1st dc + ch 2 throughout), 3 dc into ring, *ch 2, 3 dc into ring*, repeat from * to * once more, ch 2, 2 dc, ss into 3rd ch of beginning ch 5 to join, and pull on the yarn tail to close the ring tight.

Round 2 - Ss into ch 2 sp, ch 5, 3 dc into same space, *ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into next ch 2 space*, repeat from * to * two times, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch 2 sp, ss into 3rd ch of beginning ch 5 to join.

Round 3 - Ss into ch 2 sp, ch 5, 3 dc into same sp, *ch 1, 3 dc into next ch 1 sp, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into next ch 2 sp*, repeat from * to *  two times, ch 1, 3 dc in ch 1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch 2 sp, ss into 3rd ch of beginning ch 5 to join.

Repeat Round 3, making 3 dc into each ch 1 sp and (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into each ch 2 corner sp for 21 more rounds or until your square is the desired size.

Round 25 (or last round) - Ss in ch 2 sp, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in same space, dc evenly all the way around, making 3 dc in each ch 2 corner sp, end with 1 dc in last ch 2 sp, join with ss to top of beginning ch 3, fasten off.

Joining

Here is a very basic schematic to give you the general idea. Adjust measurements as needed.

Lay your squares one on top of the other with the right sides facing each other. At the top edge, place a stitch marker approximately 4"* from each side edge to mark the shoulder seams and neck opening. *Or desired shoulder seam length.

From the shoulder, place a marker approx. 7.5"* down each side for the armholes. *Or desired armhole depth.

For the side slits, place markers approximately 4" up from the bottom on each side.

Join the shoulder seams and side seams together using your preferred method. I'm impatient, so I just did a sc join. If I were making another one, I might whipstitch it for a less bulky seam.

Note: You can block your squares before joining them, but once again I was too impatient. I blocked my piece after it was done and that seemed to work out fine for me.

Neckline

Round 1 - With right side facing, join yarn in one corner of the neck opening, ch 1, sc in each st around, join with ss to 1st st.

Round 2 - Ss in each st around, ss into 1st st to join, fasten off.

Sleeves

Round 1 - With right side facing, join yarn at the seam at the bottom of one armhole, ch 1, sc in each st around, ss into 1st sc to join.

Round 2 - Ch 3, dc around, ss into top of beginning ch 3 to join.

Round 3 - Ch 1, sc in each st around, ss into 1st sc to join.

Round 4 - Ss in each st around, ss into 1st ss to join, fasten off.

Repeat for other sleeve.

Hem

Round 1 - With right side facing, join yarn at the seam in one side slit, ch 1, sc evenly around hem making 3 sc in the centre st of each 3 dc corner, ss into 1st sc to join.

Round 2 - Ss in each st around, making 3 ss in the centre sc of each 3 sc corner, ss to 1st st to join, fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in ends and block to size.

Note: I gently washed and hung my top up to dry, letting gravity do the work to stretch and lengthen the piece. This might not work with a different yarn though.

I hope you like this simple little top as much as I do - enjoy!

North Toque

© Amy Gwatkin. Used with permission.

© Amy Gwatkin. Used with permission.

I am so happy to finally get to share some exciting news - my North Toque pattern is in the upcoming Autumn 2015 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine! If you haven't seen the magazine before, I urge you to check it out - it's just beautiful. I am honoured to be part of this issue and in the company of such talented designers, and was blown away by these gorgeous images shot by Amy Gwatkin (and which the magazine very generously shared with me to share with you).

I've been keeping this one under my hat (see what I did there?) for some time, having submitted the proposal way back in March. I literally danced around my kitchen when I got the news that it was accepted. Of course, then I had to actually write the pattern. It was the first time I'd ever written more than one size for anything, and let me tell you, it was hard work, but so rewarding. And everyone at Pom Pom was just so lovely - I really couldn't have asked for a better experience. A very big thank you goes out to all of them :)

The toque itself is made in Icelandic Álafoss Lopi wool (surprise, surprise), which fits perfectly with the issue's wool theme. You can see a preview on Pom Pom's website, as well as order print and/or digital copies. I cannot wait to get the print copy in my hands! Oh, and there's a Ravelry page too, in case you'd like to add this to your queue. 

Granny cocoon shrug

One of my favourite projects this summer was this granny square cocoon shrug, (while I didn't get around to writing about it at the time, I did post a pic to Instagram). I had wanted to make one for a while but wasn't quite sure where to start until I saw this version.

My square measured about 105cm across, and I used two strands of plötulopi (unspun Icelandic wool) crocheted together with a 7mm hook, which gave it a chunky but light texture with a nice drape. I also did one round of double crochet as the last round of my granny square. 

Next, I folded it in half and joined the short sides from the bottom edge to the "armhole" (leave a space before the fold) on either side (I used a sc join).

For the collar, I started at one of the joined corners and added five rounds of dc all the way around, turning on each round to avoid an obvious "wrong" side when it's flipped over. To make "sleeves" (more like cuffs, really), I did three rounds of alternating dc and front post dc stitches around the armhole openings.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this, and I really want to try making a version that falls a bit more like a cardigan, like this beautiful piece by Jo Storie. In the meantime, I'm pretty happy with this one, and look forward to wearing it now that fall has arrived!

EDIT: I received a lot of questions about this, so I've written a follow-up post with an FAQ and step-by-step description. You can find it here. Happy making!