The Handknitting Association of Iceland
History of the Handknitting Association of Iceland
The Handknitting Association of Iceland was founded in November of 1977. A few women, who had used knitting to supplement their families´income, decided to join forces and established an organization in order to facilitate more extensive marketing of their knitted products.
The initial members´ meeting was held in Reykjavík and was attended by close to 1.000. Active members are currently around 200.
The Association is housed at Skólavörðustígur 19, in the old city center of Reykjavík. Soon after the Association was established, a store was opened to sell members´ handknitted woollen goods. The store, which is also located at Skólavörðustígur 19, is a flourishing business in its own right. The Association now employs a staff of 4.
Location of the store
The Association is housed at Skólavörðustígur 19, in the old city center of Reykjavík.
Address: Skólavörðustígur 19, 101 Reykjavík
Telephone: (354) 552-1890
Fax: (354) 552-1912
E-mail: handknit@handknit.is
Other stores:
Laugavegur 64
Telephone: (354) 562-1890
Store at Radisson SAS Hotel Saga
Telephone: (354) 562-4788
Where to buy a Lopapeysa
Find out where you can buy your very own Icelandic lopapeysa wool sweater in Iceland including where to shop in Reykjavik, how much they cost, and more!
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Icelands' craft knitters battle against Chinese imports
(10 Jun 2019) LEADIN:
Trouble is rattling one of Iceland's most traditional industries, the production of the distinctive, hand-knitted lopi sweaters adored by tourists and worn with pride by locals.
Local knitters are tired of seeing profit margins diminished by Icelandic sweaters actually made in China, albeit from authentic wool from Iceland.
STORYLINE:
The circular pattern is a relatively modern invention, but Icelanders have been knitting for centuries from lopi wool.
Icelanders says the sheep's wool here is different, because the sheep haven't been interbred, but over many years evolved to withstand the harsh sub-arctic conditions.
The unspun lopi yarn is gathered from Iceland's 500,000 sheep, with a woollen fleece adapted to a rugged landscape with widely fluctuating temperatures.
This shop is stacked to the brim with jumpers, but hours of work go into the making of these handmade sweaters.
They're a must have souvenir for tourists, but according to the Handknitting Association of Iceland local manufacturers are now struggling to compete for business, because their expertise and labour are being outsourced.
Containers full of local yarn are shipped from here to Hong Kong and then back again, with the imported sweaters labeled as hand-knitted from Icelandic wool.
Knitting co-ops around Iceland, struggling to compete, last month urged the government to forbid companies to brand woollen sweaters as Icelandic unless they are made locally.
Imagine the carbon footprint. To ship containers of Icelandic wool to Hong Kong and have it processed there and then back, halfway around the globe, says the Association's Chairwoman Thuridur Einarsdottir.
Icelandic women have traditionally subsidized household income with the work and today many sweeten their retirement years with the extra cash.
With Chinese imports grabbing an estimated two-third market share _ particularly among tourists _ knitting co-ops around the country worry about the future.
Heiddis Gunnarsdottir is finishing off a sweater, she says: I reckon this sweater has taken some 20 or 25 hours to knit -- almost finished.
Einarsdóttir says: The imports are replicas and we know replicas are not the real thing. But people buy it as an authentic product, just like being sold a fake version of a famous cloth brand. And then maybe much later (when they're) at home people realize the sweater has been made in Asia.
The thick sweaters are impossible to make in a machine. The quality of each garment ultimately comes down to the skill of the individual knitter, raising the question what ultimately makes the sweater Icelandic beyond the lopi yarn.
The Nordic store sells jumpers that look the same, look at the label and you will see it says: Hand knitted from Icelandic wool.
Store owner Bjarni Jonsson argues this isn't about deception.
To domestically produce the roughly 20,000 sweaters made in China annually the Nordic Store company estimates it would need 200 to 250 women working full time in a country of 350,000 people.
Jonsson says: The main reason for us to have it knitted outside Iceland is that we don't have the capacity to do it here. We would need something like 200 - 250 women or men to knit full time and we don't have that many knitters.
Jonsson is also questioning the Association's claim about how the woollen products are labelled Icelandic.
Over many years Icelandic women have subsidized the household income with knitting and every time there's a recession the trade is revived.
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Icelandic Souvenirs 2018 VLOG 7 10-14/01
This video shows what I saw to buy on my mini break to Iceland.
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I HEART REYKJAVIK! ICELAND GUIDE: VLOG 8
Life Pro Nico vlog episode 8!
In this episode we explore Reykjavik, watch the Icelandic Orchestra in the Harpa and join a walking tour!
Places visited in this vlog:
Harpa:
Stofan:
I Heart Reykjavik walking tour:
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About me: I’m Nico, a vlogger, blogger and marketer. Connect with me at nico@nicospyrou.com!
Upcoming trips: Australia, USA.
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Reykjavík Travel Skills: Finding Discounted Icelandic Sweaters
Watch the full talk: In this travel talk, Cameron Hewitt introduces the Icelandic capital, with detailed advice on where to stay, where to eat, and what to see in Reykjavík. Visit for more European travel information.
Iceland with Cameron Hewitt (full-length):
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Recorded on March 17, 2018 • Rick Steves' Europe Travel Center
Written, Presented, and Produced by Cameron Hewitt
Filmed and Edited by Zen Wolfang • Second Camera by Ariana David
Graphics by Heather Locke and Rhonda Pelikan
Photography by Cameron Hewitt, Ian Watson, Dave Hoerlein, Trish Feaster, and others
© 2018 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc.
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No. 8 Hairy Icelandic Jumpers
Hello! Welcome to episode 8 of the Bea and Rose podcast.
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Raverly - Sylviebea
In this episode I waffle on about ....
Lucy Locket land packs as an excellent introduction to colour work:
lucylocketland.co.uk
Laine magazine:
lainemagazine.com
Jennifer Steinglass and Treysta:
Tin Can Knits, Flax Sweater:
Lopi Yarn which I buy from the Wool Warehouse
Tegna, Birkin and Sunset Highway by Boyland Knitworks
Holtz Garn:
Marie Wallin:
Kate Davies
Arne and Carlos chatting about the right wool for colour work
There's also lots of chat about sewing. I discuss patterns I have for EVERY body plus patterns I've used to make clothes for others.
ENJOY!
What to Do in Reykjavik? | Weekend Travel Guide for Iceland's Capital | DW Euromaxx
Want to have a travel guide for a perfect weekend in Reykjavik? Euromaxx presenter and reporter Meggin Leigh gives you the best tips on how to enjoy Iceland's capital. Join her as she ventures through the city, discovering the sights! Watch her as she tests her riding skills and travels on the Golden Circle to see Iceland's natural wonders. This and more on our travel guide for Meggin's perfect weekend in Reykjavik.
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Icelands' craft knitters battle against Chinese imports
(10 Jun 2019) LEADIN:
Trouble is rattling one of Iceland's most traditional industries, the production of the distinctive, hand-knitted lopi sweaters adored by tourists and worn with pride by locals.
Local knitters are tired of seeing profit margins diminished by Icelandic sweaters actually made in China, albeit from authentic wool from Iceland.
STORYLINE:
The circular pattern is a relatively modern invention, but Icelanders have been knitting for centuries from lopi wool.
Icelanders says the sheep's wool here is different, because the sheep haven't been interbred, but over many years evolved to withstand the harsh sub-arctic conditions.
The unspun lopi yarn is gathered from Iceland's 500,000 sheep, with a woollen fleece adapted to a rugged landscape with widely fluctuating temperatures.
This shop is stacked to the brim with jumpers, but hours of work go into the making of these handmade sweaters.
They're a must have souvenir for tourists, but according to the Handknitting Association of Iceland local manufacturers are now struggling to compete for business, because their expertise and labour are being outsourced.
Containers full of local yarn are shipped from here to Hong Kong and then back again, with the imported sweaters labeled as hand-knitted from Icelandic wool.
Knitting co-ops around Iceland, struggling to compete, last month urged the government to forbid companies to brand woollen sweaters as Icelandic unless they are made locally.
Imagine the carbon footprint. To ship containers of Icelandic wool to Hong Kong and have it processed there and then back, halfway around the globe, says the Association's Chairwoman Thuridur Einarsdottir.
Icelandic women have traditionally subsidized household income with the work and today many sweeten their retirement years with the extra cash.
With Chinese imports grabbing an estimated two-third market share _ particularly among tourists _ knitting co-ops around the country worry about the future.
Heiddis Gunnarsdottir is finishing off a sweater, she says: I reckon this sweater has taken some 20 or 25 hours to knit -- almost finished.
Einarsdóttir says: The imports are replicas and we know replicas are not the real thing. But people buy it as an authentic product, just like being sold a fake version of a famous cloth brand. And then maybe much later (when they're) at home people realize the sweater has been made in Asia.
The thick sweaters are impossible to make in a machine. The quality of each garment ultimately comes down to the skill of the individual knitter, raising the question what ultimately makes the sweater Icelandic beyond the lopi yarn.
The Nordic store sells jumpers that look the same, look at the label and you will see it says: Hand knitted from Icelandic wool.
Store owner Bjarni Jonsson argues this isn't about deception.
To domestically produce the roughly 20,000 sweaters made in China annually the Nordic Store company estimates it would need 200 to 250 women working full time in a country of 350,000 people.
Jonsson says: The main reason for us to have it knitted outside Iceland is that we don't have the capacity to do it here. We would need something like 200 - 250 women or men to knit full time and we don't have that many knitters.
Jonsson is also questioning the Association's claim about how the woollen products are labelled Icelandic.
Over many years Icelandic women have subsidized the household income with knitting and every time there's a recession the trade is revived.
Find out more about AP Archive:
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Tumblr:
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Kraum - Icelandic Design
Kraum is a design store, which concentrates on selling only the best of icelandic design.Kraum represents over 250 designer, trading with clothes, jewellery, applied art, furnitures and other things. Kraum is placed in the oldest house in Reykjavík. This house was originally built 1762 and renovated 2006.
Daily Iceland 8: Reykjavík Confessions
Editor-in-chief Valur Gréttisson, culture journalist Hannah Jane Cohen and intern Josie Gaitens are here to talk about what they adore, and what they loathe, about living in Reykjavík.
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Places Where You Can Knit: Reykjavik!
Brought to you by the Westknits Fun Squad.
Learn more about events and knitting patterns at westknits.com.
The song is All the Kids are Right by Local H. I do not own the rights to this song. No harm intended.
Starring Stephen West, Steve May, and Kyli Kleven
Edited by Kyli Kleven
Winter in Iceland 2019
Our trip to Iceland in March 2019
Every time I visit this beautiful country, I am taken to a different planet. Where a trip in every direction takes you to some other worldly beauty that's always changing- Planet Iceland. I always said that if I didn't live in the US, I would live in Iceland. Its untouched beauty and pureness is something that cannot be replicated and I am filled with overwhelming appreciation for this special slice of Earth..
A spacial THANK YOU to the companies that took care of us along the way:
WOW Airlines
Icelandic Apartments - Selma
Reykjavik Car Rental & Our little putt putt
N1 Gas for always allowing us to get gas
Bonus Grocery Store & Oat King
ArcticAdventures.is (Maxim) for guiding us on Sólheimajökull.
Vik Horse Rental and my beautiful horse Brauð
Hof 1 Hotel
Epal.is
Rossopomodoro
Svarta Kaffið
Icelandic Fish and Chips
Volcano House
Penninn Eymundsson Laugavegi
Handknitters Association of Iceland
Sólhestar and Jordan, my incredible horse
The Northern Lights- For three amazing nights worth of shows!
Places Visited:
Þingvellir National Park
Geysir
Gullfoss
Kerið
Sólheimajökull
Katla
Eijafjallajökkull
Reynisfjara
Vik
The Glacier Lagoon
Diamond Beach
Skaftafell National Park
Vatnajökul
Eldhraun Lava Field
Seljalandsfoss
Gljúfrabúi
Skógafoss
Sólheimasandur Plane Wreckage
Reykjavik
The Biggest Thank You of All to my Boyfriend Trevor!!! You are the Road King and I am grateful for everything you did on this trip!
Thanks to ARIZONA for the Music
Thanks to ODESZA for the Music
Vlogmas 2017 Day 11
It’s our first day in Iceland! We went to the Viking World Museum, Blue Lagoon, and the Hand-Knitting Association of Iceland Store.
Iceland 20150802.6 Icewear Outlet Reykjavik to Reykjavik Harbor
Drive day #11 of our two week road trip around Iceland. This is Mobius ActionCam wide angle video of the drive from Icewear Outlet Reykjavik to Reykjavik Harbor. Notice Paul Allen's yacht Octopus in the harbor. We are driving a 2014 Kia Sorento Diesel.
RÉTTIR Sheep Gathering in ICELAND
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We heading up north to Blönduós to join in with the annual Icelandic Sheep Gathering Festival, Réttir. Ingimar was in his element back home and in the countryside.
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Álafoss
Álafoss since 1896
One of the major attractions in Mosfellsbær, in 20 minutes driving distance from Reykjavík, is the Álafoss factory outlet where Icelands woollens industry was launched. The store is housed in the old factory premises which for decades were the leading manufacturer and exporter of Icelandic woollens. The name, Álafoss, is derived from the warm waterfall, behind the factory, that drove its mills. In homage to this heritage, the store exhibits a selection of old knitting machinery and photographs from the early days, which forms the basis for a museum. There you can find a huge selection of woollen sweaters ranging from traditional styles to high fashion, along with woollen accessories, arts, crafts and souvenirs in reasonable prices.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Álafoss, from Reykjavik, is to take road 1 to Mosfellsbær,. Then you pass through three traffic circles and make a right turn at the fourth one. Drive ca. 800 meters (2 minute) until you reach the Álafoss shop, on your left.
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 18:00
Saturday: 9:00 - 16:00
ICELAND Travel Vlog | Horseback Riding and Exploring Reykjavik | Winter 2017
1. Horseback riding on a lava field at Rauðavatn was so surreal - to be sightseeing on an Icelandic horse! It was super awesome when the horses did the tölt, one of their natural gaits.
We did the tour with Viking Horses, which is unique, being a family run company. The instructor was very attentive, and they even took us upstairs for some Icelandic snacks after the ride!
Some other places we visited were:
1. Harpa (
2. Icelandic Handknitting Association ( for that perfect wool sweater
3. Glo ( a very delicious vegan restaurant
4. Icelandic Phallological Museum ( for plenty of laughs with your friends!
Iceland Travel Vlog |Day 4| -Souvenirs and Polar Lights-
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