The lopapeysa — the round-yoked Icelandic sweater — dates only from the 1950s, but it draws on centuries of Icelandic wool craft. The Icelandic sheep's fleece combines a long, water-repellent outer coat (tog) with a fine, insulating inner coat (þel), and lopi yarn keeps both together. Icelandic brands knit lopapeysur and lopi accessories, and the best remain hand-knitted in Iceland and carry the Handknitting Association's label.
Knitwear houses in Iceland
-
Varma
$$Icelandic wool sweaters, blankets and accessories knitted in Reykjavík
Iceland knitwear: frequently asked questions
Which luxury knitwear brands are from Iceland?
Luxury knitwear houses from Iceland in this index include Varma. Iceland's knitwear is built on lopi, the unspun or lightly spun wool of the Icelandic sheep, whose dual-coat fleece gives the lopapeysa yoke sweater its distinctive warmth and weather resistance..
What is a lopapeysa?
A lopapeysa is the traditional Icelandic wool sweater with a patterned circular yoke, knitted from lopi yarn made of the Icelandic sheep's dual-coat fleece. Genuine hand-knitted examples are labelled by the Handknitting Association of Iceland.