Hey friends!
Lori Anderson here — your tour leader, yarn enthusiast, and forever admirer of Iceland’s people and landscapes.
I just returned from the Green Edventures Iceland Knitting Retreat: Shawls & Sheep Roundup, and I’m still glowing from the experience.
This is so much more than a knitting tour. Guided by two extraordinary Icelandic women — Bergrós and Inga — who were practically born with knitting needles in their hands, this retreat is a deep cultural immersion into Iceland’s history, artistry, and heart.
It’s not a “knit-along.” It’s an awakening — of hands, stories, and connection.
Each morning, we gather for knitting workshops from Bergrós’ book Shawls of Myth and Magic, creating our own heirloom piece while learning the tales behind the stitches. Afternoons bring hot springs, farm visits, and home-cooked soup. At Inga’s farm, over bowls of kjötsúpa (Icelandic meat soup), we exchange stories of our mothers and the women who taught us our craft.
This is the stuff of magic — the kind you can’t package or replicate. You simply have to be here to feel it.
Day 1: Reykjavík National Museum & Welcome Dinner
We kicked things off in Reykjavík under the towering spire of Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland’s iconic church whose design mimics the basalt columns you’ll see all over the island. From there, we dove into Iceland’s story at the National Museum, where textiles take center stage as part of the nation’s soul.
By evening, we were full of good food, new friendships, and anticipation for what was to come — our Iceland knitting retreat had officially begun!
The view of Hallgrimskirkja. The church is right in front of our hotel.
Day 2: Yarn Dreams Come True
Knitting heaven! We started our morning at a local yarn store, surrounded by colors so rich they seemed to hum. Choices were made. Changed. Made again. And finally — settled. Each skein felt like a promise.
Next stop: Ístex Wool Mill, where 99% of Iceland’s wool is processed. Watching raw fleece transform into Lopi yarn was mesmerizing — the heartbeat of Iceland’s heritage.
Istex factory. Picture Inga and Bergrós, our Icelandic guide and knitting designer.
Afterward, we soaked in the a nature spa hot springs surrounded by mountains and black sand beaches. Warm water, cool air, and laughter — a perfect prelude to the creative days ahead.
Soaking in hot springs near the ocean.
That night, Bergrós introduced us to the shawl design from her book Shawls of Myth and Magic. Each stitch, she explained, tells a story rooted in Icelandic folklore and landscape.
Day 3: Stitches, Stories & Knitter Talk
Three and a half fabulous hours in a knitting workshop — led by Bergrós, whose patience and artistry made us all feel like designers. Everyone started on their shawls, the colors and patterns slowly coming alive.
It was fascinating to see the variety of methods people used to track their rows and stitches — sticky notes, counters, spreadsheets, and yes, a few trusty scraps of paper. Conversations buzzed with the language of knitters:
“Are you a picker or a thrower?”
“Use a garter stitch…”
“I gotta frog my piece (rippit, rippit!)”
“Lifeline!”
“UFOs” (UnFinished Objects)
“I’m not hoarding yarn — I have a carefully curated collection!”
“LYS” (Local Yarn Store).
To anyone else, it might sound like code, but to us, it was symphony — creativity, focus, and joy in motion.
Begrós showing techniques during the workshop.
After lunch, we stopped by a local couple’s home to admire their handcrafted buttons and jewelry made from reindeer and sheep horns, then ended the day visiting a women’s wool co-op where thirty local artisans sell their handmade creations.
Day 4: Goats, Volcanoes & Giggles
The morning brought more shawl progress and plenty of “show and tell” before we set off for one of the most delightful surprises — the Háafell Goat Farm!
This family-run farm is helping save Iceland’s rare goat breed from extinction. These goats are one of a kind — shaggy, charming, and camera-ready. We even made up a new song and dance called, “The Goat Sh*t Shimmy.”
Are you a Game of Thrones fan? You might recognize them — twenty of these goats were cast in the series! Step aside, Jason Momoa — these stars have horns.
Later, we hiked the Grábrók volcanic crater, its ancient lava fields stretching toward the sea — a reminder that Iceland’s power runs deep.
We met the famous Icelandic goats.
Day 5: Wool, Waterfalls & Whispers of History
By now, our shawls were beginning to reveal their personalities. Each color shift told a story — some bold, some soft, all beautiful.
Some of the shawls in their early stages developing their own personalities.
After a morning of knitting, we visited Blönduós, a small coastal town that feels like a postcard come to life. We wandered along the seawall to a little church and then visited the Textile Museum, a stunning collection of Icelandic fiber art past and present.
We ended the day with the haunting tale of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, Iceland’s last execution, a reminder that beauty and tragedy often weave through the same threads.
Day 6: Soup, Seals & the Soul of Iceland
This day was pure heart.
We gathered at Inga’s farm, her home perched above the sea, the air rich with the smell of lamb soup and herbs. Inside, Bergrós shared tales of old Iceland and showed us vintage knitted treasures that connected generations of women through wool.
Inga made meat soup with lamb and vegetables right from her farm. We even helped pick the potatoes!
Lunch was Inga’s famous kjötsúpa — tender lamb, potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas, all simmered with love. Around the table, we shared stories of the women who taught us to knit — our mothers, grandmothers, and friends.
Later, we hiked along the coast where sheep grazed freely, and seals bobbed in the surf. The rhythm of waves and laughter was its own kind of meditation.
Day 7: The Réttir — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
The réttir, Iceland’s annual sheep roundup, is a full-body immersion into Icelandic rural life. Locals and visitors alike gather to herd the sheep home from their summer pastures. It’s part work, part festival, and all heart.
We joined the lively chaos — shouts, songs, and wool everywhere! By the end, we were covered in smiles and lanolin. The local women’s group treated everyone to hot chocolate and homemade desserts, and it felt like the whole country had come together for one big, joyous reunion.
Sheep in the corrals during the round Up (Réttir)
Day 8: A Day That Comes Full Circle
It’s a day that comes full circle — walking in the footsteps of Vikings and returning back to Reykjavík, where our Iceland knitting adventure first began.
Our last morning took us to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can literally walk between continents. The air was crisp, the cliffs dramatic — it felt sacred. Standing there between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, we could almost feel the pulse of Iceland beneath our feet.
Walking through Thingvellir National Park.
We ended the day with a visit to a wool co-op and natural dye studio. Our hostess showed us how color is coaxed from leaves, roots, pinecones, and even insects (yes, really!). Laughter filled the room when she mentioned how dyes were once made with cow urine — ah, the lengths knitters will go for the perfect hue!
A natural dye kitchen at the workshop we visited.
As we drove back toward Reykjavík, the sight of Hallgrímskirkja Church rising above the city skyline was both exciting and a little bittersweet. It’s such a beautiful landmark — but it also meant our journey was coming to an end.
That evening, we gathered for our final dinner together — warm food, shared stories, and heartfelt toasts to the week we’d spent together. The table buzzed with laughter, the sound of friendship newly forged through wool, wind, and wonder.
Day 9: Farewell & Full Hearts
Our last morning in Iceland began quietly — breakfast together, a few final laughs over coffee, and one more round of photos before packing our woolly treasures. Some ladies dashed off for a bit of last-minute shopping in Reykjavík (because there’s always room for one more skein of yarn!), and then we made our way to the airport.
As I looked around at everyone — new friends, finished shawls, and full hearts — I realized this journey had become something much bigger than any of us expected.
We came to knit, but what we found was connection — to Iceland, to each other, and to the generations of women who’ve passed this craft through their hands and stories.
Each stitch now carries a memory: laughter at Inga’s farm, the scent of lamb soup, the hush of seals on the coast, the warmth of hot springs, the rhythm of Icelandic horses trotting past fields of moss and stone.
We left with yarn in our bags, but we also carried something far richer — a thread that ties us to this place, and to one another.
Until next time, Iceland. We’ll keep your magic close — stitch by stitch.
Why Join an Iceland Knitting Retreat with Green Edventures?
Because you can’t find this experience anywhere else.
It’s not a tour — it’s a living story, told through yarn, tradition, and friendship. You’ll knit with Icelandic designers, soak in hot springs, dine on farm-fresh soup, and step straight into Iceland’s heritage — one stitch at a time.
👉 Check availability & join us for our next Iceland Knitting Retreat!
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Check out this blog by Tour Leader, Tara Short about our Green Edventures Iceland Westfjords Lopapeysa Workshop
