Ok, ok ok – sign me up already!

So this is Beth:
Beth Brown-Reinsel has been teaching knitting workshops internationally for over 20 years. Her book Knitting Ganseys has been deemed a classec. She completed her first DVD, Knitting Ganseys with Beth Brown-Reinsel, in 2010 and is working on a new DVD on color knitting. Her articles and designs have appeared in Threads, Cast On, Interweave Knits, Shuttle, Spindle and Dye Pot, Vogue Knitting and Knitters magazines. She continues to design for her own pattern line Knitting Traditions. Beth’s website can be found at www.knittingtraditions.com.

At a glance
Dates: July 28 – August 4 2013
Accommodation: The cozy downtown Reykjavík Hótel Óðinsvé, one of our favorite spots in the city, located just a few steps from the Handknitting Association of Iceland, and Gauksmýri Lodge in the beautiful North-West of Iceland.
Instructors: Beth Brown-Reinsel and Ragga Eiriksdottir
Included: Accommodation in shared room for 7 nights, some delicious meals (6 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners), 15 hours of knitting classes and lectures, bus transport within Iceland, museum and pool entry fees, Lopi for knitting your very own Lopi sweater, sightseeing – a detailed program will be available for participants upon registration.

Sign up for the tour

Price 4290 USD*
Book and pay for your tour before December 22nd 2012 to receive a 10% early bird discount.

*Notice that price does not include airfare to and from Iceland.
If you prefer, our travel agent/partner LT Travel can find you the best flight rates available.
For those who want to book their own flights we recommend checking:
www.dohop.com – search engine

May 23. – 30.
Ysolda lambs and lopi
Featuring Ysolda Teague
Theme: Flattering sweaters, improving shape

July 10. – 17.
Knit with Cat in Iceland
Featuring Cat Bordhi
Theme: Innovative knitting and exciting new methods

June 26. – July 2.
Ukulele under the midnight sun
Featuring Amy Singer
Theme: alternative fibers, getting published, ukulele under the midnight sun

July 28. – August 4.
Nordic traditions
Featuring Beth Brown-Reinsel
Theme: Nordic Traditions

August 8. – 13.
Stephen West and Steven Be in Iceland
Featuring Stephen West, Ragga and Steven Be
Theme: go nuts with knits

September 2.-9.
Featuring Anne Hanson
Theme: Inspiration, bring nature into your knits

Of course Knitting Iceland’s own Ragga will be on all of the tours as your bona fide Icelandic knitting tour guide and all the tours will include her popular Lopi knitting classes.

Here is the link for signing up! We can’t wait to see you in Iceland…

A tour with Knitting Iceland will often include a visit to Guðrún where she gives a lecture onher methods and shows us her magnificent yarn that literally covers up the furniture in her, not so small, living room.

We wanted to tell you a bit more about Guðrún so let’s throw a ball of (plant dyed luxury laceweight Icelandic) yarn her way:

I know for a fact that you come from a family of unusually crafty and artistic women, can you tell us a bit about your crafty background?
Yes that is right. My mother was a handcraft teacher so me and my sisters grew up knitting and doing all kinds of handcraft. My grandmother was always kitting or sewing and I spent a lot of time at her house in Akranes or in her summer house were she taught me the names of the plants in the area. That was probably where I got interested in botany. Today one of my sisters is a seamstress and the other is a textile artist.

How did you get interested in natural dyes?
I have always been interested in natural dyes. It connects together so much in my life and so many of my interests, like botany, wool, knitting and teaching. I am writing my masters thesis on etnobotany, and using natural colors to dye wool is part of the Icelandic etnobotany history.

Do you enjoy other fiber crafts too?
I spin a lot. I love going to the nearby farmers to get wool straight from the sheep. I like mixing colors and spinning bulky crazy yarn, or spinning it really fine and smooth. When I sell my handspun yarn I include the names from the farms the name of the sheep whenever possible. I also spin angora from imported angora rabbits that live nearby.

Are you using mainly old Icelandic methods of dyeing?
At first I used only Icelandic plants and mostly old methods but we can not get blue or pink from the Icelandic nature so I have used Cochenille and Indigo for those colors. I still mostly use the old methods, for example I sometimes use old cow urine to obtain red by first dyeing the yarn with the lichen Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica) and then pouring the old cow urine over the yarn. In afew days/weeks it will turn red.

Are the Icelandic dyeing methods different to methods in other countries?
Not so much. We mostly use the boiling water method for both lichens and plants but less of the Ammonium method for lichens. There is little tradition in using funghi in natural dyeing in Iceland since we hardly have any forests. Using cow urine is probably some form of the Ammonium method though. In Iceland there is no tradition of using insects like Cochenille or snails like Murex. The usage of mordants is similar. Traditionally alun was in most cases used to fasten the color and iron and copper to obtain darker or stronger colors.

Do you always have something in your dye pots?
I always have something going on in my dyepots. Some dyepots take many days so it is good to have something simmering every day to use the time. I did manage to have nothing in my dyepots for eleven days once, since I was so busy teaching, but I think that will never happen again. It was too painful.

How much work goes into one skein of naturally dyed Hespa yarn?
It varies a lot how much work goes in to one skein of my yarn. First I have to collect the plants or lichens. Some plants I get abundantly just outside my house but others I have to travel to get, like the Parmelia saxatilis lichen for example. Sometimes I dry the plants to use in the winter but sometimes the freshly picked plant goes straight to the dyepot. I buy the yarn at the local spinning mill in big cones and start by winding them into 50g skeins and soak them in water for one night and then I soak them in alun for another night. First then I can prepair the dyebath. The simplest method is to boil the plant for one hour, filter them out and put the yarn in the dyebath for one hour. It is usually simple to rinse the yarn after this type of dyeing. After I dry the yarn I skein it up again and prepair it for the shop. I register every skein with a number and information about the plant used. When I use the ammonium method, prepairing the dyebath can take months of stirring and waiting. When using my favorit lihcen Parmelia saxatilis it can take days of reheating in the dyepot before the color is perfect. Rinsing the yarn after coloring can also take surprisingly much time, sometimes days.

Tell us about the Hespa house?
I am very excited about the Hespa house. Last summer I moved into a house in the rural area in Borgarfjörður in West Iceland and included was a garage that I am changing into a workshop for my yarn and a little shop. I will be able to recieve small groups for short classes or just offer people to look ito my dyepots and buy yarn. The Hespa house will be ready in beginning of June 2012.

Where can readers buy your yarn?
I am selling my yarn on Etsy and I also have a website where people can look at pictures from the coloring process and contact me about purchasing yarn. I will blog there about my coloring adventures and the Hespa house.

Portrait of Guðrún by Adam Benjamin

In September the farmers head up to the mountains to herd the sheep, usually on horses or four wheelers with a few sheep dogs to help out. The sheep are then brought down to the Réttir – the sorting site – where they are first put together in a large corral in the middle but later sorted into smaller pens that belong to the farms in the area. Réttir are great fun and attract people from the surrounding towns, friends and families but also complete strangers who just like to join in on the fun and help out. Of course most people will wear their Lopi sweaters for the occasion.

The sheep don’t like the sorting all that much after a whole summer of chilling out in the highlands, chewing on yummy herbs and wild grass. They try their best to get away and wrestling them into the pens takes both muscle and determination on the human’s part. For beginners it’s usually the best to take on a lamb with horns – they are small-ish and the horns serve as good handles. Take a horn into each hand, straddle the sheep like you’re going to ride it, and drag it the way you want to go. Be prepared for very sudden movements! The animals without horns are best wrestled with by grabbing the wool at the neck or the chest, straddling them and dragging them to the right compartment.

But how do you know where the sheep belong? Well, they are marked on the ears – both with a specific mark that’s cut into the ear and with a plastic tag that shows the number of the farm and the individual number of the sheep from the farmer’s bookkeeping.

While the marks are clear and easy to understand – knowing where to drag the sheep is another thing. The pens are not marked in any way – so it’s usually a question of dragging them to a few different gates and asking, short of breath from your wrestling match.

At the end of the sorting the sheep are herded to their respective farms and sometimes the farmers will throw parties to thank the helpers. Serving meat soup (lamb!) and other Icelandic delicacies. In some places there’s a dance in the evening where happy, lopi wearing sheep sorters will celebrate the day’s success.

In September, Knitting Iceland takes knitters on day tours to sheep roundups.

The Lopapeysa (Icelandic for the traditional knitted yoke sweater) has become a well-known symbol for the Icelandic knitting tradition.

Today the Lopapeysa is intensely popular among Icelanders of all ages, so when travelling around Iceland you will see this knitted symbol of the Nordic nation all over.

On the DVD Ragga takes you through the knitting of three different Lopapeysas. Freyja, a lovely ladies cardigan, Óðinn, a very traditional mens pullover and Loki, a children’s top down sweater. All of them are available as free knitting patterns for download here on the Knitting Iceland web site. You will learn the traditional techniques along with Ragga’s modern twists, from casting on to steeking (don’t be scared now…).

The DVD also includes a documentary about the making of lopi, from the sheep to the knitters’ needles.

Information

Publisher: Knitting Iceland
Instructor/Designer: Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir
Language selection: English / Icelandic
Running time: 82 minutes
Format: DVD PAL
Release date: December 10^th 2010
Ships from: Reykjavík, Iceland

Click here to purchase the DVD through our web store. We ship worldwide.

For wholesale inquiries – please contact us at sales@knittingiceland.is

Lopi is the brand from Ístex,the only industrial spinning mill in Iceland. The following types are on the market:

Un spun Lopi wheels (plötulopi):
100% new wool. Un spun wool, sold by weight as a one-ply, flat round roll, called a “plate” or a “wheel”. Bundle approx. 2 kg (4.4 lb), plate approx.110g (3.85 oz.). 100 g(3.5 oz) approx. 300 m (328yd).
Gauge depends on how many strands you knit together and the size of needles you choose.

Lopi Light (Létt-Lopi):
100% new wool. 50 g(1.7 oz) approx.100 m  (109  yd).
Gauge: 18 sts = 10 cm(4″)  on 4½ – 5  mm (Old UK 7 – 6) (US 7 – 8 ) in stockinette stitch.
Color card for Lopi Light

Álafoss Lopi:
100% new wool. 100 g balls. 100 g (3.5 oz.) approx. 100 m. (109 yd.).
Gauge: 13 sts = 10 cm(4″) on 6-6½ mm (Old UK 4 -3) (US 10 -10) in stockinette stitch.
Color card for Álafoss Lopi

Bulky Lopi:
100% new wool. 100 g(3.5 oz) approx. 60 m  (66 yd).
Gauge: 10 sts = 10 cm(4″) on 8 – 9  mm(Old UK 0-00) (US 11-13) in stockinette stitch.
Color card for Bulky Lopi

NOTES ON YOUR CHOICES
1 strand of un spun: very light sweaters, shawls, scarves. Needles (for example) 4-5mm/US 6-8. When knitting cardigans it’s a good idea to strengthen the edges by crocheting around them with one strand of plötulopi and one of einband or kid mohair or some other fine yarn from your stash. For a stronger garment, try knitting the whole garment with one strand of plötulopi and one strand of Einband, kid mohair or another type of fine yarn held together. Freyja is an example of a sweater knit with one strand of un spun.

2 strands of un spun or Lopi Light: I like to experiment with needle sizes and I’ve knitted garments with Lopi Light in garter stitch with needles up to 7mm/US10.5, here is a free pattern where I use large needles.  If given space the yarn opens up and uses the space. So using large needles gives a very soft and fluffy garment. Normally sweaters for indoor and outdoor use are knit with 4.5mm/US 7 needles. Also very nice for knitting hats, gloves and other smaller accessories.

3-4 strands or Álafoss Lopi: Gives a bulkier result but yet light and breathable outdoor garments. This choice will give you a warm, strong and long lasting sweater. Also excellent for winter hats and thick mittens. Sweaters are traditionally knit on 6mm/US10 needles. But as I mentioned before it’s a good idea to experiment with needle sizes. Check out the free pattern Óðinn.

5-6 strands of Bulky Lopi: An even bulkier results, like the name suggests. The good part is of course that knitting with Bulky Lopi is really quick. So give it a try for hats, cowls or really thick winter garments.

Plötulopi can in fact be used in any way imaginable. Try knitting something really bulky with 20 strands or experiment with colour gradiations using a couple of strands and changing one at a time. The Results results pattern is a good example of a chunky fabric in Tunisian crochet with 6 strands of un spun Lopi held together.

THE RIGHT MOOD
Don’t be hard on the Lopi… especially the un spun since it breaks easily. So knit in a relaxed and gentle way. If however it happens, don’t panic, just pull out the ends and lay them gently together or rub them a little bit between your palms. Knit on! With the plied versions the same is possible, just make the strands to different lengths and rub them together.

Óðinn is one of the patterns on the instructional DVD Knit your own Lopapeysa. The DVD is published by Knitting Iceland and available in our web store.

Óðinn is a strong and warm Lopapeysa knit with the bulky but surprisingly light Álafoss lopi. The pattern is classic and so are the colors. Although, if you feel like changing the colors to shocking pink and turquoise, just do it!

Buy the Óðinn knitting kit.

Buy the DVD, Knit your own Lopepaysa

The pattern: buy now on Ravelry or buy it on Craftsy

Oh, and if you’d like to join Ragga’s popular class on Top-down Lopi knitting on Craftsy, here it is!

Sizes

S – M – L – 1X – 2X

Finished measurements
Chest: 36 – 40 – 44 – 47 – 51 inches / 92 – 102 – 111 – 120 – 129 cm
Sleeve length from underarm: 18 – 18.5 – 19.7 – 20.5 – 30 inches /46 – 47 – 50 – 52 – 53 cm
Length from underarm:  16 – 16.5 – 17 – 17.3 – 17.7 inches /41 – 42 – 43 – 44 – 45 cm

Gauge: 13 stitches x 17 rows = 4×4 inches / 10×10 cm

Materials
Yarn: Álafoss Lopi 100g/3.52oz skeins, 100m/110yards
Main color: 0052, black sheep heather, 7 – 7 – 7 – 8 – 8 skeins
Pattern color 1: 0085, oatmeal heather, 2 – 2 – 3 – 3 – 3 skeins
Pattern color 2: 0051, white, 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 skeins

Needles: 32”/80cm circular needles and double pointed needles No. US10/6mm

Other: four pieces of scrap yarn or needle holders, stitch markers, darning needle.

Óðinn is a fun pattern that knits up really quickly. It’s a good project to get familiar with Iceland’s favorite garment and at the same time make someone you know really happy!