The Lopapeysa Sweater

The Lopapeysa Sweater: A Journey North in Search of Iceland’s Iconic Knitwear

Author: Toni Carr

Embark on a journey through Iceland’s most gorgeous landscapes and intimate traditions—straight from your armchair. The lopapeysa sweater is a treasured piece of Icelandic culture, knitted for generations, always gifted, never bought, with warmth and love in every stitch. From the breathtaking scenery, to the deep-rooted history, to the wisdom of the locals; Joan of Dark and Kyle Cassidy will be your guides as you read and knit your way through Iceland’s culture, creativity, and lopapeysa tradition.

In this knitter’s guide to Iceland, join Joan and Kyle as they travel the 800 miles of Iceland’s Ring Road to bring you historic sweaters, exciting adventures, and new knitting patterns. By interviewing local experts and digging through archives, they trace the historic beginnings of the “lopi” sweater and its legacy—and, of course, provide 12 new, original lopi-style patterns ranging from novice to advanced. No matter your knitting experience, you will be able to knit your way through these projects and enhance your look with style that is beautifully modern while still honoring the lopapeysa’s rich history. We hope that this book will inspire you to visit Iceland with someone you love.

Toni Carr (aka Joan of Dark) is the author of Knockdown Knits, Knits for Nerds, and Geek Knits. She is also a contributing designer for Vampire Knits and Once Upon a Knit, as well as several publications for Knit Picks.

Kyle Cassidy is an award-winning photojournalist whose work has appeared in all the usual places. He’s the author of a number of books, most recently This Is What a Librarian Looks Like. Joan taught him to knit over Zoom, specifically for this book and now he’s always got half a lopi sweater in his camera bag. 

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