Highlights
Price from: 265.000 ISK
Knitting workshops: The workshops will focus on Icelandic lace.
Icelandic lace shawl workshop (about 5-6 hours): we will look at the characteristics of the Icelandic lace, seen in the Old long shawls and triangular shawls and explore different constructions methods. We’ll see how designs and patterning evolved and how the unique characteristics of the Icelandic wool played an important role. Hélène will tell us about the beautiful lace dresses from Aðalbjörg Jónsdóttir, inspired by the Old Icelandic “klukka” (knitted slip) but infinitively more delicate and elaborated. She will tell us about the book she is writing about her and will show us some magnificent samples.
We will knit a lace sample and will go through some advanced techniques.
Icelandic wool workshop (about 1 hour) : Hélène will tell us about the unique characteristics of the Icelandic wool and will tell us about Love Story, the softest Icelandic wool Icelandic lace weight wool she created especially for her lace designs. She will tell us about the genesis of the famous unspun lopi. We will knit a little sample in the round, using the Magic loop technique that allows to knit on a long circular needle even the smallest diameters.
« Steek with me ! » workshop (about 1 hour) : for Icelanders, purling back, especially stranded knitting, is probably more intimidating than steeking. Beside the traditional method, we’ll explore many different steeks. We may even dare steeking our lace !
Icelandic knitting heritage lecture (about 1 hour): Hélène will tell us about the rich Icelandic tradition and will show us a few genuine samples. She will share with us stories from elderly knitters she has been interviewing in the past years.
Icelandic plant dyed workshop (about 3 hours): Guðrún Bjarnadóttir teaches botany at the Agricultural University of Iceland and is interested in etnobotany. She uses all her free time to collect plants and dye the Icelandic lace weight yarn Einband (Istex). The yarn is called Hespa, which is the word for skein in Icelandic. She will introduce us to plant dying in Iceland in the Old days and we’ll get to make some samples with Icelandic lichens.
Knitting equipment: Yarn for the workshops is supplied but make sure to bring the knitting equipment listed in the equipment list.
Equipment list