Iceland

Icelandic sheep: the fleece and my experience spinning it

Icelandic sheep: the fleece and my experience spinning it

I went to Iceland in part to explore their sheep and especially the wool that they produce. Icelandic sheep are the only breed on the island. When the Vikings settled Iceland around 870 CE, they brought sheep with them. It has been illegal for centuries to bring any more to this island meaning this breed has developed in isolation. According to Robson and Ekarius*, this is one of the world’s purest livestock breeds.

Icelandic sheep are grown primarily for meat but those of us who are spinners know that their wool is prized for strength and beauty. In Iceland there is a company named Istex that manages most of the wool clip of the country. I shared a tour of the scouring facility in Blönduós on my blog HERE a few weeks ago.

These sheep are shorn twice a year. The shearing in the fall when they’ve just come down from the mountains where they spend the summer is the best wool. This is because it is cleaner. The second shearing is in February or March before lambing after the sheep have been in the barns for the winter. This wool is mostly used for carpets. Sheep barns look like this and you can imagine that the sheep are busy bumping into each other and dragging dirt and hay across each other’s backs for many months.

The Icelandic Nature: Wild beauty

The Icelandic Nature: Wild beauty

I love being outdoors and Iceland is a place I can revel in amazing views, wildlife, and the wild swings in weather. The first post I wrote about exploring the landscape of Iceland is HERE. It included photos of the Northern Lights.

Since then I’ve enjoyed exploring more of the northern part of the country and wanted to share a few of those adventures. There are a lot of photos here and I hope you enjoy them. I had to choose from so many, but these were some of my favorite spots. I made these trips with the best of friends and though you don’t see them in the photos, know that I was enjoying time with three of the best humans I have ever known.

I love open views, horizon, and feeling like I can see forever. I grew up in New Mexico which is like a warmer Iceland in many ways. I love being able to see the horizon, to view mountains in long stretches, and of course I love being above treeline in my current home state of Colorado. When I visit relatives in places like Michigan and Mississippi where there are a lot of trees, I get lost easily and I feel hemmed in. Many people have commented that the photos I’ve posted on social media of this trip look very stark, but I love that feeling of open space.

Arriving in Iceland

Arriving in Iceland

The Textile Center in Blonduos, Iceland has an artist residency for fiber artists. I have wanted to make my own trip here since my colleague Cornelia Theimer Gardella started coming here for residencies in 2015. I wasn’t sure the residency would happen until not long before we left because of covid, but I am now in Iceland. I’m currently watching the ice float by on the river Blanda and contemplating some designs to turn Icelandic fleece into small tapestries.

I flew into Reykjavik of course and had a couple days in the city before getting a bus north about 150 miles to Blonduos. Reykjavik feels walkable and fairly small though I realize this is just because they have a defined city center and there are extensive suburbs. I enjoyed walking the path along the harbor and watching the Esja massif across the water in the changing light.