By Green Edventures Tours, based on tour leader Lori Anderson’s notes from our 2026 Shawls and Sheep journey.
Tour Leader, Lori Anderson pictured with a goat from Háafell Goat Farm. One of the unique stops on our Iceland Knitting: Shawls & Sheep Roundup Tour
What is an Iceland knitting tour for women actually like? On Green Edventures’ 2026 Shawls and Sheep journey, we worked on a shawl knitting project with an Icelandic designer, met local textile artists, learned about natural dyes, and experienced Réttir, the annual sheep roundup. Between our shawl knitting workshops, we explored Iceland’s landscapes, visited museums and farms, and found plenty of time to knit and talk together. Our tour leader, Lori Anderson, shared these moments from the road….
This was a trip for women who love crafting and want to understand the place behind the materials. This tour focuses on our shawl knitting project to bring home; the people and stories became part of it.
Iceland’s famous réttir, an annual sheep roundup. Local farmers help each other bring their sheep down from the mountains where they were roaming all summer long.
Starting our Iceland knitting vacation in Reykjavík
We started in Reykjavík at the National Museum of Iceland, looking closely at traditional garments and historic textile craft. The detail in those pieces made us think about all the hands, skills, and lives behind the stitches. It was a fitting introduction before we began work on our own shawls.
The days developed a lovely rhythm: a knitting workshop, a trip out to meet local artists or explore the countryside, good food, and more knitting when the moment allowed. Needles came along in the van. A conversation could begin over a pattern and continue through the next stretch of road.
Wool museum in Iceland on Knitting Tour with Green Edventures
Shawl knitting workshops and Icelandic textile makers
Accompanied by an Icelandic designer through the week, our group got to experience a ‘Knit & Lore workshop’, shawl design and technique came together with folklore and local history. Working a new stitch is one thing; learning a story connected to the place where you are knitting makes it easier to remember.
We met an artisan who handcrafts buttons from sheep, goat, and reindeer horn. We stopped at a local women’s cooperative and saw the work of textile artists. During a private textile museum visit, we looked at generations of wool handiwork, national costumes, and embroidery. These encounters made the craft feel personal: real people keep these skills alive and continue to make new work from them.
Examples of Icelandic sweater designs. Class about Icelandic wool being taught.
Goats, a volcanic crater, basalt and local stories
Only this Iceland knitting vacation also leaves room to discover the country beyond the workshop. One morning of shawl work led into a visit to a goat farm, where the curious Icelandic goats were ready to meet us. We later climbed to the rim of a volcanic crater for a broad view of the surrounding landscape. On another day, we stood before an extraordinary formation of basalt columns.
Some places invited quieter reflection. After visiting the textile museum, we heard the history of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, whose story inspired Burial Rites, and went to the site of her execution. The landscape gave a different weight to a story many had encountered on the page.
One of the many stops along our knitting journey. Tying in Icelandic history to the wool we knit.
Knitting and conversation at Inga’s farm
Our guide, Inga, invited us to her home farm and welcomed us with homemade lamb soup. The afternoon unfolded around the table: eating, talking, and knitting together. It is one thing to learn about a country in a museum. Sitting in someone’s home, with a project in your lap and a warm bowl in your hands, offers another kind of connection.
Women crafting and working on their shawl knitting project at Inga’s farm in Iceland
Réttir: Iceland’s sheep roundup
Réttir is Iceland’s annual sheep roundup. After days of handling wool, learning about textile traditions, and working on our shawls, we joined the bustle of the sorting corral. Some women stepped into the ring to help local farmers. Lori’s report included muddy boots, laughter, and a memorable bit of footwork she called the “Sheep Shit Shimmy.”
The experience connected the yarn in our hands with the animals and community behind it. It was lively and a little messy, which made it all the more memorable.
Our group helping local Icelandic farmers sheep round-up during the annual rettír. A privilege not offered to all who visit.
Natural dyes and a finished Icelandic shawl
Near the end of our journey, we walked through Þingvellir National Park and visited a textile workshop for a demonstration of plant dyes. Seeing how local botanicals can color raw wool brought another piece of the story together: sheep, fiber, maker, landscape, and the work on our needles.
One of the participants, Jenny, shared her completed shawl knitting project. The finished piece was beautiful, but what made it hers were the memories attached to it: museum displays, workshops, goat cuddles, soup at Inga’s table, the sheep corral, and the company of other women. A project made on a trip can become a way of remembering the trip long after you unpack.
One of the shawl projects started on our Iceland Knitting Shawls & Sheep Round-Up Tour, now complete!
Is an Iceland knitting tour for you?
If you like the idea of working on a project while meeting local makers and exploring Iceland, this kind of journey may be a wonderful fit. You do not spend every hour in a classroom. The experience moves between guided knitting time, cultural visits, outdoor stops, meals, and the conversations that happen in between. Curious what the women who joined us thought? Watch one of our review testimonials!
The moments described here are from our 2026 Shawls and Sheep tour; specific visits and activities can change on future departures. View the current Iceland knitting tour itinerary for the next trip’s dates and details, or contact Green Edventures with questions about the knitting experience and pace.