Tweed Lopi

Icelandic Sheep

I have long loved Lopi yarns.  Lopi yarn is a single ply yarn spun from the dual-coated fleece of the Icelandic sheep (a descendant of the Norwegian Spælsau, which, by the way, provided the yarn used to weave the Viking ship sails).  A combination of both the long, coarse hairs of the sheep’s outer coat and the short softer hairs of its inner coat, Lopi yarn is warm, durable, water repellent and hard wearing.  I have knit with Lopi yarn in all its weights, loving it all.

Thor has long eyed (and frequently borrowed) the Bulky Lopi pullover I knit for myself 20 years ago and still wear on winter’s coldest days.  Thus when I found Istex’s (Icelandic Textile Company) Bulkylopi (100g/3.5o, 60m/66y) in a blue tweed (shade 1415, lot 0952) at a great price a few months ago, I quickly ordered some for Thor.

The skeins…