Fibre of the Month : Lopi - Icelandic Wool

• Posted on 15 February 2022
• By Traci B.
• Posted in Hand Knitting, Icelandic Sheep, Icelandic Wool, Lopi Yarn, Wool
• 0

With the renewed interest in both knitting, natural fibres and it being an anniversary year for the Istex Lopi yarn company, we decided a blog about Lopi yarn and the Icelandic sheep was definitely in order.

Overview:

The history of Icelandic wool is more than a 1000 years old! The Icelandic sheep was first brought to Iceland by the Vikings in about the 9th century. The animals are descendants from a variety of sheep known as the Northern European short tails. The Latin name for the breed is Ovis Aries Borealis and it is an extremely cold hardy sheep with great vigour. Their adaptability to extreme climatic conditions made them an integral part of the early Viking settlements and, eventually, the development of the Icelandic culture. Today, the Icelandic sheep is virtually genetically identical to its ancestors of 1100 years ago. It is, in fact, the purest, most ancient, domesticated breed of sheep alive in the world today. Because of this, Iceland maintains very strict laws banning the importation of other sheep into its country. 

Fibre:

The fleece of the Icelandic sheep is a premium, dual coat formed from two distinctly different fibres. The long, coarse top coat called the tog and the soft, fine undercoat called the thel. The combination of these two contrasting fibres in a single fleece account for the remarkable strength, warmth, water-resistance and durability of the Lopi yarn. 

The tog has a micron count of 27-30 and a spinning count of 56-60 and can grow to a length of 6-8" in under a year. The undercoat, the thel, is downy soft with a micron count of 19-22 (comparable to most merino or heaviest cashmere) and a spinning count of 64-70. It will grow from between 2" and 4" in roughly 6 months. These two fibres growing together is unique to the Icelandic sheep and makes for a rugged, sturdy animal well insulated from the harsh Icelandic climate.

The tog is a true wool (not a guard hair) that grows from the primary hair follicles, whereas the thel is a soft fleece that grows from the secondary follicles. As the two different fibre coats can be separated by hand for spinning, the downy soft fleece is often reserved for baby garments or light shawls. The coarser tog, with its natural spiral crimp, more closely resembles mohair and is wonderful for worsted weight spinning. The world famous, traditional Lopi yarn is a lightly spun blend of both tog and thel.

Icelandic sheep grow fleeces that are low in grease or lanolin. They are considered an open fleece meaning that the fleece does not grow as one single unit, and due to the low oil content the fibres are loose and billowy. Because of this, the weight loss when washed is significantly less than many other breeds. Because of the dual fleece and the high spinning count, a single fleece can yield upwards of 65 hanks or 36,400 yards of Lopi yarn! 

The average yearly fleece weight from an adult Icelandic sheep is between 4 and 7 lbs. They are often sheered twice a year, partly to give the pregnant/lactating ewes a break and also to cut the winter fleece before the new one begins to grow. This "summer" fleece that is sheered in the fall is usually very soft and clean and can fetch an excellent price per lb. 

Industry:

The Icelandic wool industry functioned primarily as a home based trade from the beginning of the Viking settlement of Iceland until the late 19th century when industrialization took over. For centuries, handmade woollen products were a main export for the country, but after the industrial revolution of the 19th century, factory production took over.

As the purity of the strain of the Icelandic sheep has been protected due to the ban on sheep importation, the unique quality of the Icelandic wool has remained virtually unchanged since the time of the Vikings. This has worked to enhance the appeal of the authenticity of the fibre, and maintaining a hold at the forefront of the exotic category, as well as setting the standard for artisanal and traditional wool and fibre arts all over the world.

The fibre is popular among both Icelandic citizens and tourists in the country and abroad. Icelandic wool products are found in many of the local Icelandic galleries and markets, as well as in numerous locations in other countries around the world. A versatile wool, it is easy to spin and is available in a variety of both natural tones and many pigmented colours. It is also one of the best fleeces for hand felting, one of the fastest growing craft industries on all continents.

Ovis Aries Borealis or The Icelandic Sheep:

The Icelandic breed of sheep is part of the Northern European short tail family and have a naturally short fluke-shaped tail. It is interesting to note that sheep that have been imported to North America are disqualified from being registered if their tails are docked. This helps to ensure the purity of the breed and, notably, prevents any unnecessary discomfort on the part of the sheep. These strict regulations extend to all aspects of Icelandic sheep's life---In May, the herders release their flocks to summer in the Icelandic wilds. There, they feed on a diet of rich vegetation which naturally complies with these regulations---no growth hormones and no artificial preservatives or chemicals in the animals food; just grasses, berries, and wild vegetation. They are pretty much free range animals.

With their many varieties of colours and patterns, their massive dual coated fleece and horn variations, (They can have two horns, no horns--polled, or many horns--polycerated) the Icelandic is eye catching. The fleece is often white, but it can be a variety of many other colours--cream, light grey, tan, caramel, milk chocolate, silver, dark chocolate, dark grey, and jet black. A genetic variation that causes spotting adds further recognized white markings and patterns. The face and legs are free of wool.                                   

They are an average, mid-size sheep, ewes weigh in around 68-73 kg and rams around 91-100 kg. They are usually short-legged and stocky, though fine-boned and not overweight. They are prolific breeders and the females often carry a gene, the Thoka gene, which may cause them to give birth to large litters of lambs. Another interesting strain within the species is the Leader sheep. The animals that carry this gene have a hereditary ability or are predisposed to be able to lead other sheep over dangerous ground to safety.

Naturally resistant to the cold, they are usually left unshorn for the duration of the winter season, though most herders keep their sheep in a barn or corralled where the sheep can run in and out during the cold weather. And if you're building a fence for a corralled area it's important to remember to build it nice and high---Icelandic sheep are incredible jumpers, some can even go as lofty as 4'!

In mid-September the Icelandic sheep are rounded-up and sorted into their respective herds. This whole process is an early autumn festival/celebration called Rettir. The sheep farmers go out on horseback to gather all of the flocks from the wild and herd them into a special sorting ring called Retts. These Retts can be found all over Iceland; some are ultra-modern designs, while others are ancient, hundreds of years old and still in use! This process, the Rettir, takes several days, many of the strongest riders depart and begin the herding days before the final round-up. It is a festival with music, food and much revelry!

The Icelandic Rett during the Rettir.

Although it has been challenging to get Lopi yarn in stock this year, we do have Alafosslopi in stock here at Owls Hollow.