The Icelanders take care of their gods.  Vali the Norse god of revenge, Magni the son of Thor and god of energy, and Baldur, the god of magnificence all now take pleasure in protected standing. As do goddesses like Dagny Gefnur and Freya, goddesses of affection, magnificence, and well being.

A garment that has protected people for hundreds of years is now protected by human regulation. The standard Icelandic sweater-. Íslenska Lopapeysan- is now a product identify protected by the nation’s meals and veterinary authority. Which means an genuine Icelandic sweater should be comprised of wool sheared from Icelandic sheep, the wool should be new/virgin and never recycled and it should be hand-knit in Iceland.

“The lopapeysa isn’t only a relic from Iceland’s previous — it’s nonetheless a staple wardrobe merchandise,”  says Orri Hermannsson of the family-run Icelandic Retailer.

“Knitting is taught in faculties. Many Icelandic individuals knit their very own sweaters, together with some males. Though that is nonetheless a primarily feminine pastime, no one lets prejudices or stereotypes get in the best way in terms of having fun with the normal passion.

For a talented knitter, it’s going to take some 18-25 hours of knitting to make a top quality knit sweater. Thus the worth tag. Some value over $400. The Icelandic Retailer solely sells sweaters made by Icelanders. “Nothing leaves the shop with out the approval of our senior knitter, Bryndís Eríksdóttir.”

The primary immigrants from Norway introduced sheep to Iceland. The craft of knitting is talked about within the first Icelandic Bible, printed in 1584. Knitted garments have even been used as a way of commerce since 1582. A pair of sixteenth-century mittens had been discovered throughout archaeological excavations in Storaborg in southern Iceland.

Knitting is believed to have migrated from England, the Netherlands, and Germany on the flip of the sixteenth century. Archaeological excavations have additionally uncovered proof of Icelandic knitwear in different components of Europe. A pair of mittens knitted in Iceland round 1700 had been found in Copenhagen, Denmark. Icelandic college students be taught to knit at college as a part of their crafts training.

The primary distinction between Icelandic and Norwegian knitwear is that Norwegian sweaters are sometimes blue white and pink, the sample is normally a star (generally resembling extra a flower), and infrequently has dots on the torso.

Icelandic patterns are normally diamond-shaped and zig zag. Icelandic colours are normally “sheep” colours, gray, white, black, and so forth however at present sweaters are extra numerous. Hamar, Gerde, Pétur, Skjaldbreiður,  Ásthildur, Elís and Fagradalsfjall are ou Icewear’s bestsellers.

Wool processing has been a commerce in Mosfellsbaer since 1896, beforehand with the corporate Álafoss of Iceland till  Ístex took over in 1991. Istex buys wool instantly from farmers in Iceland and processes it into yarns. It’s Iceland’s foremost wool producer, producing seven yarns and a knitting sample guide. Yan colours vary from Frostbite and Glacier Blue to  Milky Means, Tough Sea, and Black Sheep.

Iceland’s knitwear trade benefitted from its independence from Denmark in 1944. The Lopapeysa was launched as a brand new Icelandic custom and image of nationwide identification. There are a number of theories in regards to the origin of the patterns, one in all them factors to Auður Laxness, the spouse of Iceland’s Nobel Laureate in Literature, Halldor Laxness; she was stated to be impressed by the design of Inca tradition that she noticed in a guide brough again fromhis travels.

Norwegian patterns had been primarily based on the Greenlandic nuilarmiut, conventional formal put on with a beaded collar that covers the shoulders and bust and has brightly patterned geometric designs. Though the origin of the yoke sample can’t be traced, Icelandic yokes (generally with matching cuffs and waist) characteristic nationalistic symbols like flowers, leaves, snowflakes, and horses.

Wool and horse hides soaked in fish oil had been the one supplies the Icelandic people needed to shield them in opposition to regardless of the climate threw at them… “Afréttur,” means widespread grazing land owned by native farmers.

Icelandic wool is characterised by the 2 components of the fleece: the “tog”, which has similarities to protect hair, and “þel”, a sort of down hair. The þel is nearer to the pores and skin, the hairs are comfortable, positive, brief, and springy. The tog is the outer a part of the fleece and is made up of lengthy, coarse, and glossy hairs. The þel is ethereal and offers good insulation however the tog is water and moisture-repellent. When wool work grew to become a manufacturing unit trade within the late nineteenth century, combing and spinning had been carried out by machines. The machines couldn’t separate the þel from the tog so the Icelandic “Lopi” or sliver we all know at present is a combination of þel and tog.

The Icelandic “vistarband”, a type of serfdom, was abolished round 1900. Consequently, laborers moved from rural areas to cities in search of new alternatives and plenty of males went to sea. This drastically elevated the demand for comfy work sweaters that may very well be made rapidly. Faroese sailor sweaters had been very fashionable marketed items in Iceland round 1900.

The sailor sweater was the wool sweater’s predecessor. Patterns differed from one nation to the following and generally even from one crew to the following however they had been normally black on a white background. For a very long time, the patterns on the international sailor sweaters had been associated to Christian symbols like crosses and stars and had been presumably meant for defense. The Icelandic sailor sweaters didn’t have a sample. The black-and-white look was achieved by mixing two or three colours collectively which created a type of speckled look.

The primary wool yarns are Lettlopi, Alafosslop, Plotilopi, Kambarn. Einband and Housband ( wioth nylon and utilized in socks).

Icewear is cool and has been no for 50 years. The Icewear knitwear firm began as a knitting studio in Hvammstangi in north Iceland in 1972 and is now championing a brand new period of maintaining heat below its unique slogan, “Be heat, be properly,”

Says Icewear proprietor Ágúst Thor Eiríksson. “We really feel extremely fortunate to work with the woolen fiber of our Icelandic sheep. I’m personally fascinated by these hardy creatures whose existence in our harsh atmosphere has led to the outstanding composition of their wool. It’s the excellent fiber – breathable, light-weight, water-repellent, and naturally pure. Our sweaters are all designed in Iceland however not knitted right here.

“Knitwear is a good instance of how Icelandic cultural expression combines with modern fashion and performance, exemplifying the spirit of self-sufficiency that defines Icelandic individuals.”