Where can I buy Icelandic wool and yarn in South Iceland?

Wool shops and mills in South Iceland include Þingborg wool shop near Selfoss, the Hespuhúsið plant dye studio in Ölfus, Uppspuni Mini Mill near Hella and Víkurprjón in Vík. All of them sell Icelandic yarn, and several also sell hand-knitted sweaters.

How can I tell if an Icelandic sweater is hand-knitted in Iceland?

Most hand-knitted Icelandic sweaters carry a label with the name of the person who knitted them, so check the label for the knitter's name, Icelandic wool and "hand-knitted in Iceland". A traditional lopapeysa is knitted in the round, so it has no side seams. Local wool shops such as Þingborg sell sweaters knitted by people from the area.

Is Icelandic wool itchy?

Lopi has a rustic feel because it contains tog, the coarser outer hair of the fleece. Many people wear a thin layer underneath. Yarns made with more þel, the soft inner fibre, feel gentler against the skin.

Lopi is Icelandic wool yarn that is unspun or only lightly twisted. Because it holds more air, it is light and very warm, which is why it is the classic yarn for the Icelandic sweater, the lopapeysa.

Can I visit a wool mill in South Iceland?

Yes. Uppspuni Mini Mill near Hella is a family-run mill that turns fleece from Icelandic sheep into yarn. Visitors can watch the machines from the entrance, and guided tours are available when booked in advance. In Vík, you can also see knitting machines at work at Víkurprjón.

Wool Route for Knitters in South Iceland

From Sheep to Sweater: A Wool Route Through South Iceland

In South Iceland, the road from sheep to sweater is a short one. The sheep graze the mountains and valleys in summer and come home to the farms in autumn. Their fleece is washed, spun, dyed and knitted within the same region, often just a few kilometres from where it was sheared. Here you can see every step for yourself, and meet the people who make it happen.

For knitters, this closeness is part of the pleasure. Buy yarn in the place it was spun, watch colour come out of a dye pot, and hear the story behind a sweater from the person who knitted it.

Horned Icelandic sheep with a thick white and brown fleece

The route

Start at Hespuhúsið in Ölfus, an open plant-dye studio where Icelandic wool is coloured with plants using traditional methods.
From there it is a short drive to Handverksskúrinn in Selfoss, a craft collective run by local women where everything on the shelves is handmade.
Head north into the countryside to the Icelandic Woolmarket and Mill at Flúðir to learn about Icelandic sheep and see how wool becomes a finished product.
Then return south to Þingborg, a wool shop in a 1920s community house east of Selfoss. Local women have run it since 1991, and its racks are full of hand-knitted lopapeysur in patterns you will not find anywhere else.
A little further east, near the Þjórsá river, Uppspuni is Iceland's first mini mill. It is a family farm where fleece from the family's own sheep is spun into yarn. Tours need to be booked in advance.
The route ends far to the east in Höfn at Dokk, a workshop and shop working with natural materials, including wool, and offering courses such as knitting.

Knit it into your trip

You don't need a separate trip to follow the wool. These stops sit along routes many visitors already travel, so you can knit them into your plans with ease. Hespuhúsið and Handverksskúrinn are close to The Lighthouse Way. Flúðir is part of the Golden Circle area. Þingborg and Uppspuni lie on the way to The Volcanic Way and the South Coast. Dokk in Höfn also rounds off a journey along the South Coast.
Take a day for the western stops, or weave the route through a longer stay. Either way, you'll go home with yarn that has a story, and a good idea of where it came from.

Sheep grazing in front of Skógafoss waterfall