Knitting with Icelandic Wool (Knit & Crochet)

I felt it was time to write a review on this book since I have had it approx a year~ I need to say that this is one of THE best books I have in my knitting book collection besides,( of course,) anything Elizabeth Zimmerman, or Alice Staremore,. I have loved knitting and wearing yoked knits for a long time, but I could not believe my eyes ,( and still dont!) when I see what lies ahead for me to knit, There are sweaters for everyone,in the family, including dressy lace outfits, and dresses for ladies~ I didnt think I would take a leap into the knitted skirt bc I can sew a skirt easilly enough~ however~ one cannot create interesting fabric as it is possible in knitting. I love the little girls jumper! I knit the pattern but, it was not was knit using Lopi~, but rather in a very soft merino wool~ which is what I always knit for chiildren. straight across the board! Even my picky husband loves his Lopi( Arnii )sweater, which I did in the same colors per book , but, I deleted the very first few rounds bc I just wanted shading present on his garment and it worked out well., I am in LOVE w/ Birta!!, That alone was worth the price of the book! Someone stated that these garments are shapeless and can be unisex and yes,, they are correct about that,( tho not all of them), If you belong to Ravelry you can get lots of tips from other knitters on how to customize your garment to shape it softly ( or more tighly if desired) to conform to your body~ I did so w/ Birta, It is an incredibly beautiful garment, one I am prouldy taking on a cruise to Alaska. ( DH is taking his also) I could knit from this book forever and have stated this before in other comments~ B.etween this book and my Knitting Pure and Simple patterns ( all top down), I am pretty much set for a long time to come, I know how to adjust top down or bottom up for the waist, it is very easy to do and the info is out there for anyone who needs help in this area , just go to Ravelry for help!My one and only complaint is the lack of short rows ~ if I do not use them I am constantly tugging on my garment and it is uncomfortable for me so I add them.. I NEVER thought I would knit something to wear while playing out! ( classical violin) but I did find the lace top , done in black,, was a very lovely choice to wear over a cami underneath and a pencil skirt,~ and I am no spring chicken age wise either! It is tastefully elegant for many ages~ The bonus for me was the sleeves that were elbow length,,, so I did not have any restrictions while playing. but I do plan on knitting another and adding length to the sleeve for a different look.I have learned over the years I have knit (12 ) that one can knit just about anything one can think of,. and when I saw the lovely dresses in this book I decided to consider a casual dress in this book at a later date.The thing about these patterns is that they are,, in fact, unique~, the steeking is simple, and yes yes yes, one can fit the sweater to themselves better if they so choose via shortrows and increases/decreases at the waist,,,or, add more width if needed to the hem. These patterns( for the most part) knit up so quickly, they dont live in the knitting basket for a year which is bonus for myself! The longest time it took me to knit one full men's sweater was a month~ Most garments ( so far) were knitted in a matter of a week or 2 depending on size and time I had , ~ It is hard to lay this book open to knit ,, but then again, I never knit a pattern using just any book or pattern, I copy the project and add notes as I knit ,so if I want to repeat a style or another yoked garment in Lopi light I know about where my waist is and the same goes for the Lopi that is thicker. How many many complients I have recieved on Birta! I did knit it in the same colors as the book( bc those colors are what drew me to that sweater in the first place!) and it is one of my all time favorite sweaters ,,,,NOTHING I have made from this book sits on the shelf unworn~. I do live in a colder clmate so I have many more days to wear sweaters~ If I did live in a hotter climate, well I guess I would not be using lopi in the first place! so as far as I know, I will be using and knitting out of this book for many many years to come.

Knitting with Icelandic Wool is a classic book of Icelandic patterns utilizing Lopi yarn. The Lopi Sweater is a classic and one that almost every knitter has made at one time or another. One of the greatest things about a Lopi sweater is that it only has two small seams. Another great thing about it is its warmth. The book opens with the origins of Icelandic knitting and the wool industry in Iceland. Thereafter, follow patterns, all fairly familiar to me from previous Lopi books.Some of the more special patterns in this book are Aftur, a typical Lopi pullover, Alafoss, another classic Lopi Pullover, and Ar Tresins, a classic Lopi Pullover. All of these are knit with different types of Lopi yarn. There are knits for men, women, children and babies. While most of the patterns are classic, there are several that are more modern. One of these is Endureisn, designed in 2009. It is multicolored throughout and not just on the yoke and the bottom like most Lopi sweaters. It is quite beautiful. Fadmur is a lace shawl-swater, also quite different from classic Lopi patterns, knit all in white.The book also contains patterns for hats, mittens, socks, dresses and leggings.While many of the patterns in this book are so similar to Lopi patterns that there is not really a need to have both sets of patterns, this is a wonderful book in its own right. I love having knitting books so that I have a lot of patterns to choose from. I suggest that the knitter look at The Best of Lopi and this book and decide of which one of the two better fits their needs. Both are wonderful knitting books.

I use this book constantly! There are so many designs, in every weight of lopi yarn. The patterns are very well written and so easy to customize.I have made 3 different sweaters from this book. Each time I wear one, they get so much attention.If you've never made a lopapeysa sweater with lopi yarn, you really should! Even a novice knitter can easily make a gorgeous one using this incredible book!

It would be useful if the patterns were better organized. Each pattern has a name, but the names don't tell you what kind of pattern it is. I didn't realize until I had looked through the whole book that there is an index in the back grouping the patterns (sweaters, hats, etc.). But some of the sweaters are pullovers and some cardigans. It would have been nice if it were clearer about which is which.

I got to learn a lot about the local wool by handling six days a week. I was around for the author's company's rebuild. This woman's designs I believe are a part of that successful process. I have noticed they have a new designer the past couple years. In my opinion Vedis is sorely missed as she was able to blend the old ways with the new ways seamlessly and without struggle.Pro1) Well known, admired and superb author in this field2) Gives an old time look in a contemporary world and the blending of the two is fantastic3) The selections with the main focus on sweaters is smart4) Some of the best designs and features in the dresses5) Showcases Icelandic wool in a way that will appeal to non-Icelandics6) Vedis' work has always been easy to follow and this is no exceptionCons1) Binding -- All craftbooks should be made to lay open

Ich kann mich meinen Vorrednerinnen in allen Punkten nur anschließen: Knitting with Icelandic Wool ist wirklich ein wunderschönes Buch mit ganz tollen, sehr gut verständlichen Anleitungen. Auf über 255 Seiten bekommt man jede Menge Anregungen - ein Muss für alle Strickfans! Ich zumindest habe den Kauf nicht bereut, obwohl ich ehrlich gesagt nur eine Anleitung brauchte, die ich sonst nirgendwo finden konnte, aber dies Buch bietet soviel mehr und ist damit seinen Preis absolut wert!! Bei mir wird es sich nicht bei einem Pulli bleiben...

Los jerséis son muy bonitos aunque no tienen muchos modelos. Las explicaciones se comprenden fácilmente aunque no tengo un nivel muy alto de inglés

Perfect. Very informative book with a range of lovely patterns, a lot of techniques explained with clear diagrams. Good price as well on the day I purchased it. I would say though, that this is not for beginners as I have found that in places the instructions are sketchy, so you have to be able to do a bit of interpretation! Also, different wool weights explained, and how to handle them, which is very useful. Arrived well packed although dispatch was a bit slow. Worth waiting for though

Beautiful patterns with detailed instructions

Great book, well worth buying, info in the beginning is very interesting, cute patterns too.Some sizing on the charts are confusing- 34,36,38,40 etc.- no connection to any other sizing that could be found.Photo shots are great, one can see what they look like on an everyday person.