Meet the Icelandic knitting expert Ragga Eiríksdóttir
Iceland, The Land of Fire and Ice…and elves. Nature here has so many faces and it is as magical as its folklore. There are glacier lagoons, cascading waterfalls, hot springs, volcanoes, black beaches, and basalt rocks. The sky is glowing with northern lights. The land is covered with over 600 species of moss. And when the summer comes, lupine flowers bloom and turn Iceland into purple. There is no doubt that this place is dominated by Mother Nature and even fashion is subject to its rules. This is especially true of Icelandic knitting.
The importance of Icelandic knitting is revealed in some stories, including the legend of Jólakötturinn, The Yule Cat. According to local beliefs, this monstrous creature hunts for those who don’t receive new clothes before Christmas Eve. Why would the Yule Cat care about fashion? There was an important reason. Knitting was crucial for the Icelandic economy and survival. Before the winter, the entire household was involved in preparations to keep the family warm and healthy. The Yule Cat reminds us that the cold can be as dangerous as any predator, so there is no space for laziness even in the days leading up to Christmas.
Knitting has a long history in Iceland and the iconic garment is the lopapeysa, also known as the Icelandic sweater. This was invented in the mid-twentieth century (1940-1960) as a way of using Iceland’s abundant wool, even as imported clothing became increasingly fashionable. It also signifies the close connection with sheep, the husbandry of which has been an Icelandic tradition for over a thousand years. The lopapeysa is made from unspun Icelandic wool (lopi), which consists of both a rough fleece outer layer and an inner insulating layer - it is a practical design well-suited to Iceland’s harsh climate. Some people say that the Icelandic sweater is an extension of the skin of the Icelanders body.
The Icelandic sweater has been given protected status. In order to be called lopapeysa, there are seven conditions that have to be fulfilled.
The main criteria for a sweater to be "Icelandic Lopapeysa" are:
1. The wool used in the Icelandic Lopapeysa must be sheared from Icelandic sheep.
2. The wool used in the sweater must be new wool; i.e. not recycled.
3. The sweater must be knitted with wool; such as unspun Icelandic lopi wheels, léttlopi or Álafoss lopi.
4. The sweater should have a patterned yoke, worked in the round.
5. The sweater must be handknitted in Iceland.
6. The sweater must be knitted in a ring without stitches (not assembled).
7. The sweater must be open or whole.
Iceland has many knitting collectives, and one of the most active and appreciated knitting instructors and designers is Ragga Eiríksdóttir. Beside being the knitting expert, she is also an author and a psychiatric nurse. After accomplishing a university degree in nursing and working for over a decade in sales and marketing in the pharma industry, she decided to invest her time in projects related to knitting. Ragga learned knitting from her mother before she went to school. She was fearless from the start. She knitted when she was pregnant with her first and second child. In 2008 Ragga wrote Prjóniprjón, a knitting book that turned out to be a hit. It was the year when the economic crisis started in Iceland. People went back to their roots and knitting became a thing that kept them together.
“I tried to encourage people to be more creative, playful, and courageous. That was our way to survive this difficult time.”
For the past few years, she has also had a company called Knitting Iceland, that offered knitting tours to Iceland. In 2010 she started leading lectures on knitting for the US market.
In the interview below, she answered a few questions about the Icelandic sweater and the importance of knitting.
Ragga Eiríksdóttir
What is your definition of fashion?
My surroundings influence my perception of fashion. In Iceland, we have a very rich knitting culture. Everybody has some relation to this craft. If you walk around any of the Icelandic towns you will see people wearing knitted garments.
As a designer, I learned that fashion is something more than just a piece of cloth. You can use your skills and imagination to make garments very personal and it can connect you with your environment, people, and nature.
What was the biggest lesson about designing you have ever received?
I remember the moment when I started understanding knitting. Even though I learned knitting when I was around eight years old, the real comprehension came when I was in my early thirties. It was like the scene in the movie Matrix when Neo sees the green numbers going up and down. Suddenly I cracked the code and everything was clear. I understood the whole process, what is going on with the string and the needles etc. It was an epiphany that opened a new chapter of inspiration.
I also remember a moment when I lost my creativity. It happened when I moved to Sweden and I had a very stressful job. I had to stop working due to my health problems. Once I stopped my stressful work, the inspiration for knitting magically came back.
The whole point of these stories is that in order to have an epiphany and better understanding of knitting you need a good mindset. There is a lot of math behind knitting so you have to be in the mood for it. Knitting is a great activity to find a sense of calm but it also requires patience. It challenges you to look inside at what is happening to you.
What and who inspires you as a designer?
I'm inspired by the traditional colors of lopi: white, black, gray, and brown. I like simplicity.
I also do small modifications to classical garments to make them fit better on different types of bodies. I found such tiny little engineering fun and inspiring.
If you could describe an Icelandic sweater in 3 words, what would they be?
Light, warm, beautiful.
Why is knitting important for Icelandic people?
Knitting appeared in Iceland around the 16th century and became a big part of Iceland's economy. There was nothing romantic about that. It was a very practical and utilitarian tool and a necessity to survive both in terms of protection from the harsh weather and as a source of income. People bartered with knitting, so they could exchange it for other products (for example, 100 pairs of socks for 7kg of wheat). Every person on the farm had to knit, even the kids. Nowadays knitting is a part of our educational system both for girls and boys. It is all around us. We might not think about that much but it is there.
For me, and many Icelandic people making things by hand, it is a very unique experience. In today's world, we work so much behind the computer and do things online. We don't have anything in our hands to express our creativity. The most significant importance of knitting is creating something which is tangible and that you can share with others. It also says a lot about you as a designer, for example, there are knitters who like to follow certain rules and there are artists who always experiment. You can learn a lot about yourself by knitting.
The process of knitting has psychological and health benefits. It reduces stress and increases relaxation. The repetitive nature of this craft and the act of sitting quietly in an armchair and focusing on the knitting needles can put the brain into an alpha wave state similar to the effects of meditation. Besides that, the social aspect is very important. The knitted garment symbolizes the connection with people. It is an appreciation, a gift from a person who dedicated time to put their movement and energy into every stitch. Icelandic sweaters are related to special occasions. We give them for Christmas and knit them when a child is born. Babies, teenagers, adults, old people, everyone wears them.
What is unique about Icelandic wool?
Icelandic fleece is dual coated which is optimal for our weather. On the outside, we have very strong and glossy fibers (outer coat), and on the inside, we use types of fabrics that are soft and light (undercoat). You really have garments that are optimal for Icelandic conditions.
It keeps you warm without sweating and it's even water repellent.
What is the meaning of the Icelandic sweater designs?
The Icelandic lopi sweater is knitted with a band of pattern around the yoke and a section of designs above the cuffs and the bottom of the sweater. These motifs refer to the natural Icelandic landscape and old symbols. The yoke is the most distinctive part of an Icelandic sweater, and it is partly inspired by Greenland Inuit bead collars of their national costumes.
Popular symbols depict zig-zag patterns, horses, leaves, mountains, and a variety of natural phenomena, such as lava, snowflakes, and clouds. Artsy illustrations are also getting more visible in Icelandic sweaters. For example, some of my patterns honor the Norse goddesses such as Vár (the goddess of protection and agreements) and Freyja (the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility).
Icelanders have a rich tradition of using designs. A good collection of these designs can be found in the book Ornaments and Patterns Found in Iceland (Íslensk Sjónabók), which contains a massive collection of patterns created in the 17th to 19th centuries.
There are several factors to consider when using patterns on an Icelandic lopi sweater. For example, it must have a traditional Icelandic reference and it needs to form a balanced whole in terms of shapes and colors. But lopapeysa knitting is still a young tradition so people are open-minded about changes and modifications. We are more strict with the material and overall look.
Are there any myths or stories about Icelandic sweaters?
People often ask about the origin of Icelandic sweaters. The use of lopi dates back to 1940 and the idea comes from the Norwegian designer Annichen Sibbern Bøhn. Her knitting pattern was inspired by the bead-embroidered costume worn by Eukaluk, the character in the film "Eskimo" about a Danish explorer who came to Greenland. Annichen’s design appeared in one of the Icelandic magazines and inspired people to knit geometric and seamless patterns.
What is also interesting is that in the old times, knitting used to be a man's job on the farm. When the industrial revolution started in Iceland it became more of a women's profession. My grandfather told me that when he was around six years old he fell asleep to the sound of the clicking needles. His mother was a great knitter and her husband was a fisherman. When the weather was bad they stayed home and knitted together. It was totally normal for men to knit.
Nowadays we observe more and more gender equality so there are no rules on whether it is a female or male profession. People also realized how much of a superpower it is to be able to make a garment on your own that is why there is a growing interest in knitting workshops.
What can the fashion industry do to be more sustainable?
We can educate about the importance of handknitted garments in terms of timelessness, social aspects (local production) and usage of natural materials which are better for our bodies.
