… but it’s always warm in the Alafoss Wool Store. We got you covered on a cold winter day… Traditional Icelandic wool sweaters, the popular Alafoss Wool Blankets, warm and cozy wool socks, scarves, hats, mittens and gloves and everything else you need to survive the winter!
Stay in touch and keep warm!
The Alafoss wool store.
Morgunblaðið / Icelandic Newspaper October 17, 2014
Interview in the Icelandic newspaper, Morgunblaðið, with the owners of the Alafoss Wool Store: Guðmundur Arnar Jónsson and Gerða Gunnarsdóttir.
Icelandic wool sweaters (lopapeysa) have become very popular in the recent years. “I think the vast majority of the Icelandic population owns more than one and more than two “lopapeysa” and they are diligent to wear them at all kinds of occations” says Gudmundur Arnar Jonsson, the CEO and owner of the Álafoss Wool store. With him in the picture below is Gerða Gunnarsdóttir, the co-owner of the Álafoss Wool Store. Both tourists and locals buy Icelandic wool products in the store.
The Icelandic Wool Sweater (Lopapeysa) is still going strong…
The Icelandic wool sweater, Lopapeysa, has kept Icelandic people safe and warm throughout the centuries, and no wonder that this ancient garment is still a part of the wardrobe of people in the 21st century. The natural colors of the Icelandic sheep have survived all fashion trends, are classic and warm colors, and the attributes and characteristics of the Icelandic wool are ideal for colder weather climates. Gudmundur Arnar Jónsson is the CEO and owner of the Álafoss Wool store and runs two stores the company operates, one in down town Reykjavík at Laugavegur 8 and the main store in the Álafossvegur in Mosfellsbær. He says Icelandic wool products are by far the most popular products in the store. All the wool sweaters that Álafoss sells, are hand-knitted by local talented knitters from all across the country, with 100% quality Icelandic wool from Ístex.
More than one and more than two…
“Around the financial collapse in Iceland, the interest in Icelandic wool clothing grew enormously, but instead of buying sweaters already made, many started knitting their own wool sweaters and we noticed a big difference in our yarn sales. Our hand-knitted sweaters that we have in our store are still very popular, and our customers are impressed by the developments taking place in the design, patterns and colors,” explains Gudmundur. “I think the vast majority of the population has now multiple Icelandic wool sweaters and they are diligent to wear them at all kinds of occations. Grandparents of the country are busy knitting this term and drawers in the childen’s and grandchildren’s wardrobes are being filled with warm sweaters, socks, hats and scarves.”
The popularity of the Icelandic Lopapeysa can be attributed to the changing times but also to a growing interest in the outdoors activities.” With a good raincoat over a wool sweater, you can hardly find a better outdoor clothing than the Icelandic wool sweater. Our rescue team members know this and they rarely are seen without their wool sweaters. If you get too hot for comfort, you just take off the outermost layer and the lopapeysa is warm, lightweight, breathable and water-repellent.”
The traditional patterns are always classic, but Gudmundur says that the knitters are very creative in coming up with new patterns and designs. “As a result, the Icelandic lopapeysa is becoming more of a fashionable product and offers more options for those who want the sweater in unusual colors and design. The new neon colors that were recently added to the collection are very popular. Ístex has been efficient in introducing new knitting patterns with innovative designs.” The Icelandic wool sweaters either come as a pullover, with zipper, or buttons or even with a hood. “The open wool sweaters (zipper / buttons) are the most popular today, with more ease of use and easier to take on and off.”
Warm and cozy Alafoss Blankets on a cold winter night…
The Alafoss Wool Blankets are also very popular. They are a quality product, Icelandic design and made with 100% Icelandic wool. In our store we offer a great selection of blankets, the classic horse blanket in mix with other more contemporary designs. “One of the newest editions is the Landscape-collection which is a simple design but features a captivating color pattern that is inspired by the beautiful colors that characterize the Icelandic landscape and nature.”
Gudmundur says that the Alafoss Wool blankets can be found in most Icelandic homes as they are essential on a cold winter day. “What’s better than to cuddle up in your couch in front of the TV or with a good book, with a cup of coffee and maybe some Icelandic chocolate, and get warm and cozy with an Alafoss wool blanket?”
Álafoss Wool Blankets Icelandic Wool Sweaters Icelandic Knitting Yarn
It’s that time of the year again! To start thinking about the Holiday gift knitting projects. The Holiday season is approaching faster than you realize and before you know, it will already be December.
The best thing about knitting the gifts for friends and family is not only that these DIY Knitted Holiday Gifts will save you money, the personal touch will also make them much more meaningful to your loved ones.
Will you be giving a personal hand-knitted Christmas gift this year? Have you already started? Half-way there? Done? Haven’t started yet?
If you need some ideas, please feel free to browse through a great selection of pattern books and knitting kits or even a list of free knitting patterns on our website.
And of course, if you need more 100% Icelandic Lopi yarn – you can order it through our website and we offer fast world-wide shipping.
We look forward to hearing back from you what you have in mind for this Holiday season 🙂
Have you checked out our handmade Icelandic soaps that are 100% natural with no preservatives or chemicals? They are handmade in small batches; hand-stirred, poured, hand-cut and labeled and cured for four weeks before sold.
Plus they have REAL Volcano ash from the volcanic eruption from Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 and the other has pure glacier water from a glacier (Snæfellsjökull) located in the west part of Iceland.
The Volcano Soap Bar is made with real volcano ash from Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland. The ash gives the soap a mild scrubby effect. This soap will gently remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin fresh, soft and nourished. All natural ingredients. This soap has a mild scent of spices. For all skin types. Ingredients: Olive oil, water, coconut oil, Shea-butter, lye, apricot oil, cocoa butter and volcano ash. Weight approx. 80gr (3oz.)
The Glacier Soap bar is made with pure Glacial water from Snæfellsjökull. With Shea-butter the skin will be smooth and nourished. Good for all skin types. This soap has a mild scent of the fresh mountain air. Ingredients: Coconut oil, Olive oil, water, Shea-butter, lye, apricot oil, cocoa butter. Weight approx. 80gr (3oz.)
The Birch Soap bar is a soap for sensitive skin made with Betula (Birch) oil. Mild scrub effect. Only all natural ingredients are used and no preservatives or chemicals added. Ingredients: Coconut oil, Olive oil, Macadamia-nut oil, Sweet Almond oil, Hemp-seed oil, Birch oil, Shea-butter, Dried Birch leafs, Essential Oils: Sweet Birch oil. Weight approx. 80gr (3oz.)
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The Little Icelandic Soap Factory is an Official EU Soap Maker and Soapguild.org member.
This beautiful Icelandic wool sweater with penguin pattern can be found here on Istex’s website.
Knitting yarn: Léttlopi – 100% Icelandic wool
Are you one of those knitters who is constantly looking for new knitting patterns… and more to it, a completely free knitting patterns? Perhaps you have multiple knitting projects on your needles, but we are sure that everyone agrees that you can always add one more to your list of to-do’s. Right? 🙂
This beautiful pink Icelandic wool sweater is a must try if you have been looking for an easy and free knitting pattern – using Icelandic knitting yarn Álafoss Lopi. As this is an old knitting pattern, the original color is no longer available – but we recommend this color: 0159 Álafoss Lopi.
Click here to download and print the free pattern
Enjoy it and we would love to hear back from you if you have already knitted the sweater or when you do – and please feel free to share some pictures with us 🙂
Best regards from Iceland
Mistur Guestbooks – handmade in harmony with nature –
Each book cover is made of recycled paper and decorated with Icelandic fish skin that is chosen especially from the color and texture and adapt to each book.
The guestbooks are handmade and therefore unique but you can chose which color you want on your own guestbook. Each book is 15 x 30 cm. and contains 40 pages waiting for memories of your gatherings. You can also choose to have the text in Icelandic or English.. Gestabók or Guestbook 🙂
Ever dreamt of knitting your own traditional Icelandic wool sweater – your own Icelandic lopapeysa?
Now you can get a free pattern of a basic Icelandic wool sweater with a beautiful pattern, the same as Actress Scarlett Johansson is wearing in the movie “We bought a Zoo” from 2011. Instructions available in English, Finnish, and Icelandic.
Download this free pattern of the beautiful sweater Aftur, designed by Védís Jónsdóttir by clicking here.
http://www.planiceland.com/Lopapeysa/
We came across this article about the traditional Icelandic wool sweater that we call “Lopapeysa”.
They are spot on that we truly love our wool sweaters and it’s both a fashionable clothing and a very practical one at the same time. Many have multiple sweaters in different colors and patterns. I have at least four “lopapeysa” – a pullover, a wool sweater with buttons, a wool sweater with a zipper and a wool vest that is perfect for hiking.
We wanted to share this article with you – you may want to read a little bit more about the traditional Icelandic wool sweater.
All of the traditional Icelandic wool sweaters from Alafoss are of course hand knitted in Iceland with 100% Icelandic wool 🙂
Click on the picture to see Traditional Icelandic Wool Sweaters from Alafoss
SIZES S (M) L (XL)
Chest: 82 (87) 91 (96) cm
Length to underarm: 31 (32) 33 (34) cm
MATERIALS
Létt-Lopi – 50 g balls
A 0059 black 4 (4) 5 (5)
B 0054 ash 1 (1) 1 (1)
C 9418 stone blue 1 (1) 1 (1)
4½ mm circular needles 40 and 60-80 cm
3½ mm circular needles 40 and 60-80 cm
GAUGE
18 sts and 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm measured over St st using 4½ mm needles.
Check gauge and adjust needle size if necessary.
NOTE
Body is worked in the round from lower edge to underarms, then worked back and forth, finally yoke is worked in the round. Pattern and dec are worked from chart. Round begins and ends at left side of body but on yoke round begins and ends on left side of back.
Pattern by http://www.istex.is
Álafoss Wool Store Blog 