A Lopapeysa for the grandchild

I'm increasingly enjoying knitting, especially in the evenings to relax in front of the TV. I've now knitted for every member of my family at least once, some with a sweater (usually the typical Icelandic sweater , the lopapeysa ), and some with at least a hat. Only my grandchild hasn't had anything yet.

We recently went to the wool shop ( Ullarverslun ) in Þingborg near Selfoss; I had heard so many good things about the wool there.

So far, I have always knitted my Icelandic sweaters with Léttlopi, the "medium-thick" Icelandic wool, but I really wanted to try Plötulopi,

What is Plötulopi?

Plötulopi is a thin, unspun yarn made from the wool of Icelandic sheep. In Germany, this wool is also called "Plattenwolle" (slab wool). The wool is actually somewhat softer than other Icelandic wools. It is usually sold in flat, round slabs of 100 grams each.

A single strand of this wool is very delicate, precisely because it is not spun, and must be handled carefully - if you are not careful enough, the thread will quickly break.

You can also knit Plötulopi (very carefully!) with one strand for light summer garments, but this wool is usually knitted with two or three strands, making the knitted garment quite light, yet still very durable and warm. For really thick winter sweaters, Plötulopi is knitted with four or five strands.

I really wanted to try knitting with Plötulopi. But really good yarn is an expensive hobby... Ultimately, I decided to try a knitting kit for a children's sweater for my first attempt, which cost about €50.

I actually had a bit of trouble with the instructions; there were practically three pages of text entirely in Icelandic, and I had actually never heard of the chevron pattern and was a bit helpless at first.

And the wool was definitely "more different" than the wool I'd knitted with before; I had to knit much more carefully – I found it really exciting! Even though my family couldn't understand why I could find this wool so exciting to knit with...

In the end, I muddled through fairly successfully, not quite according to plan, but somehow it worked out and I ended up with a pretty, soft, warm wool sweater for a little lady.

The grandchild is thrilled - and so is the grandmother!

PS: I already have new Plötulopi here for a new knitting project!

[Translated from here.]