ICELANDIC WOOL IMMERSION

As everyone is still recovering from jet lag, we’ll take it easy today and focus more on learning than on exploring. Get ready to delve into the world of Icelandic wool! We’re spending the day with local textile designer and artisan, Ásdís Birgisdóttir. Ásdís is from a family with a long history of woolen handcrafting. She took those skills and experience with her to the Arts & Crafts University of Iceland (now the Art Academy of Iceland), where her focus was the spectrum of Icelandic patterns and motifs applied to lopapeysa. Ásdís will teach a full day’s workshop in bardaprjon, a traditional Icelandic intarsia knitting technique. Throughout history, Icelanders wore slippers made of sheepskin or sealskin over thick socks. Inside the slipper, hidden from view, were multicolored, highly patterned, knitted inserts. The inserts were made using bardaprjon, a type of patterned garter stitch. We’ll use Lopi Light yarn and create our own designs, swatching to select from a range of offered colors, motifs and sizing. After the workshop, you’ll have time to stretch your legs, have a soak or continue working on your project before we depart for dinner at Eldstó, a nearby cafe with great, homestyle fare and an onsite studio full of art and ceramics.

THE WESTMAN ISLANDS

Now that we’ve had a few good nights’ sleep and have some hands-on wool work under our belts, it’s time to get exploring! A short drive will have us to the south coast, where we’ll hop on a ferry over to the Vestmannaeyjabær, or Westman Islands. This beautiful archipelago was created by volcanic action. We’ll have a full day to explore it – and explore it we will, on a very special scooter trip around the main island! But don’t worry, these scooters are custom built for ease of maneuvering. You won’t need any prior experience to handle one. We’ll enjoy lunch while on the island, plus spend time in the local museum that documents the 1973 eruption which, Pompeii-like, caught the local community by surprise. The excavations have revealed an interesting time capsule of island life. 

WATERFALLS AND WOOL FARMS

We’re moving on from our base in Hella today, with a drive that takes us past many dramatic landscape features. We’ll stop at two beautiful waterfalls and spend some time in the village of Skógar, on the edge of Eyjafjallajökull glacier. (We’ll also learn how to pronounce that name!) But that’s not all… we’ll also visit the famous black beaches at Vik. After a full day of beautiful sights, our friend Kidda will welcome us to her home and studio. Kidda is working with a very particular type of sheep from Iceland – the Feldfé, or “leader” sheep. We’ll learn about the unusual properties of this subset of the Icelandic sheep breed and hear why there is now a great deal of interest on the part of wool folks in Iceland in developing and promoting it. While at Kidda and Siggi’s farm, we’ll enjoy the collection of beautiful textiles on offer at the studio there, from blankets to handknit lopapeysas and yarn to sheepskins. Plus we’ll try out the Icelandic pancakes typically served with coffee and tea when visitors arrive. By the end of the day, we’ll arrive at our next accommodation, in the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. (Yes! We’ll learn how to pronounce that word too!)

MORE AMAZING SOUTH COAST LANDSCAPE

Pack your warmest woolens in your day bag. You just might need them today… It’s going to be an all-day excursion to some of the South Coast’s most intriguing offerings. In the morning, we’ll be aboard a boat, floating in Jökulsárlón, also known as Glacier Lagoon. This iconic lake is almongst the most scenic locations in Iceland. We’ll continue gazing at the striking landscape through our lunch at a fantastic restaurant sited just above the lagoon. Our day continues with visits to Skaftafell National Park, Skaftafell glacier, the Reverend Jón Steingrimsson Chapel, Dverghamrar plus more, as time and weather permit.

A RELAXED RETURN WESTWARD

We’re headed back toward Hella this morning, toward a community of wool folk in southern Iceland that we love to visit. On our way back, we’ll stop to spend time at Iceland’s famous Lava Center, where we’ll gain a better understanding of what’s really going on under the surface of this island nation. Nearby is a fantastic little shop full of locally made goods. We might just have to stop in for a visit… By midafternoon, we’ll be at our final accommodation of the trip, where we’ll enjoy luxurious digs for the final three nights of the tour. Take time to rest, soak, knit with friends or take an afternoon hike – whatever offers you renewal. In the evening, we’ll be out watching the night sky for a fine display of stars and possibly even the Northern Lights! 

LIFE WITH SHEEP

Autumn in Iceland means it’s time for one of Iceland’s favorite agricultural events: réttir (roundup). Families that keep sheep on various farms gather as a community  to saddle up their horses, ride into the highlands and spend a week or so collecting the vast number of sheep set free to graze during the warmer months. Once gathered, the sheep have to be herded down to community corrals for sorting and walking to their individual farms. It’s work, play and celebration all in one – a time the whole community pitches in to work together plus invites friends, family and guests to help. We love to be there! Rettir is also a lopapeysa fashion show, with locals proudly showing off their handmade sweaters in a variety of colors, patterns and motifs. As this is a morning event, our afternoon will be free to visit some of our favorite woolcraft studios in the area plus the country’s first independent spinning mill, Uppspuni. It will be an all-things-sheep-and-wool day!

OUR FINAL DAY IN ICELAND

Take a few moments this morning to reflect upon and enjoy the fact that you’re in Iceland. We’re not rushing off to do anything quickly! There’s plenty of time to organize your packing, knit together while taking in the view and maybe even gather for a show and tell of all the goodies acquired by our group through the week. Our midday excursion is to the nearby Caves of Hella, an archaeological site located on the land of Ægissíða. The caves reveal remains and artwork that predate the earliest Nordic settlers. We’ll enjoy a fantastic guided tour there, plus a special tasting of local dishes accompanied by some beautifully brewed and distilled beverages. Time and weather permitting, we’ll explore a bit more of the area before returning to our hotel for our final, celebratory dinner in its lovely restaurant. Final night’s evening knit session together? Yes, please! 

HOMEWARD BOUND

After breakfast, we’ll load up our bus and drive back to Keflavik Airport for flights home. We’ll arrive there with plenty of time for everyone to check in, check luggage and get through security before departures.

Anna was born and raised in Iceland and lives in Kópavogur, south of Reykjavík. She has a great passion for folk crafts, textile history and knitting. She is a certified guide with a BA in Art History and Tourism Studies. Anna learned to knit in elementary school and from her grandmother, like so many Icelanders. After a 30-year break from knitting, she took up knitting again in 2019 and is unstoppable. Anna enjoys leading tours for Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft where she can share her passion for the Icelandic sheep and the unique properties of wool with interested guests from all over the world, along with knitting, travel and the history of her country and people. Anna has traveled extensively around the world and is a certified guide with a focus on the practical knowledge of a guide in Iceland according to the European standard ÍST EN 15565:2008e.