Istex - Woolen Goods from Iceland

Istex is producing the famous Alafoss-lopi and other yarns for hand knitting. Instruction books for hand knitting with great variety of designes are published regularly. Istex is also producing industrial yarns for knitting, weaving and carpet manufacturing.
Istex is buying wool directly from farmers in Iceland and processing it to yarn. The wool scouring is located in the town Hveragerdi and the spinning mill in the town Mosfellsbaer. Wool processing has been in Mosfellsbaer continuously since 1896, before under the name Alafoss of Iceland until Istex took over in 1991.



Icelandic sheep and it´s wool
When Viking settlers first arrived in Iceland in AD 874, they brought with them two breeds of domestic livestock, the Iceland Horse and Iceland Sheep. In time, both would have almost as much impact on the history and development of the country as man himself. Without sheep, Iceland would have been uninhabitable From the very beginning, Icelanders have found themselves engaged in a relentless struggle to come to terms with the rugged environment in which they live. While the horse served for transport and labour, sheep were the key to the nation's survival, providing generations of Icelanders not only with food but also with wool as protection from the biting cold of the harsh northern climate. Without sheep, Iceland would have been uninhabitable. Although the medieval sagas may have been inspired by deeds of heroism and feats of bravery, they also tell of the activities around which daily life revolved, among them shearing, spinning and carding ­ skills and crafts which became traditions and altered little through the ages.

Woolen blankets made out of Icelandic Wool


Icelandic wool and the woolen products
Evolving over 1,100 years of exposure to the sub-Arctic climate, Icelandic wool has a distinctive combination of inner and outer fibres. The outer fibres are long, glossy, tough and water-resistant, while the inner ones are fine, soft and insulating, providing a high resistance to cold.
A further striking characteristic of the Iceland Sheep is its natural colours, black, grey and brown as well as the usual white. Together, these create the distinctive look of Icelandic knitwear, one of the best-known examples of which is the Lopi sweater.

As a breed, the Iceland Sheep is unique -the purity of the strain has been protected by centuries of isolation and a total absence of contact with others. By the same token, the wool it produces has no counterpart anywhere.
Textile production techniques may have changed dramatically since the days of the early Viking settlers­ but the Icelanders¹ commitment to quality and tradition has not.