Icelandic handicraft - Events and places of Interest for the crafty ones

Icelanders are a crafty people and the country a treasure chest for interesting designs made from local material. Here‘s a small selection of craft shops, exhibitions, and events around Iceland, that make your handicraft heart beat a bit faster. Pack an extra suitcase!

Handicraft events

1.    Hönnunar Mars / Design March

April 2024

Seaweed fashion design, a pizza place with freshly felted wool pizzas, and an observative run through Reykjavík with the Architect Association of Iceland where only three of over one hundred events from the DesignMarch 2023. Its vast program covers the whole range of design, spreading exhibitions, shows, and events in venues all over Reykjavík. Locally and internationally acclaimed speakers bring their best ideas to the table of the most popular event „DesignTalks“ at Harpa. Make sure to safe yourself a spot!

2.    Handverk og Hönnunn

Reykjavík / November 2024

The non-profit organization CRAFTS AND DESIGN / HANDVERK OG HÖNNUN turns the Reyjavík Town Hall for a week in November into a diverse and lively fair. There, crafters working with wood, ceramics, textile, paper, and more find a forum to present and sell their work. Nowhere else can there be found a bigger selection of genuine Icelandic art and handicraft in one spot. A great opportunity to discover new artists, innovative designs, and beautiful creations and the perfect spot to talk to the people who make it!

Architecture, fashion and interior design are only a few focus areas of the diverse exhibitions at Design March

3.    Ullarvikan / South Iceland Wool week

Selfoss / 29th of September- 5th of October 2024!

For one week, wool enthusiasts meet and greet in the South of Iceland, with the main hub of the South Iceland Wool Week being Þingborg community hall, near Selfoss. A unique sheep breeding show, judging only color of the wool, marks the fun beginning of the events. With a cake as fee for entering a sheep in the competition, it is also a yummy experience for visitors. Sheep shearing, spinning, weaving, plant dyeing, and a large variety of Icelandic and English workshops as well as a Maker‘s market at the end of the week, leave no wishes of the handicraft heart open. This event is a unique opportunity to follow the processing of Icelandic wool from sheep to sweater. Bonus Tipp: every year, a free knitting pattern is released to celebrate the craftiness. Check it out on:

4.    Iceland Knit Fest

Blönduós / 7.-9th of June 2024

Once a year, the Nortwestern town Blönduós turns into a Mecca for knitting enthusiasts. The warm-up of the Iceland Knit Fest already starts before the festival itself, with a usually nature-themed knitting competition that invites everybody to let their creativity flow. The winner is then announced during the festival. Sightseeing trips, and knitting workshops, exhibitions as well as a knitting mass and craft market fill the weekend with lots of knowledge and fun.

Knitting, shopping, participating in workshops - the Blönduós wool week is a place to exchange handicraft knowledge and make new friends

Handicraft Places around the circle of iceland

Shops, museums, and gas stations in even the smallest towns, sell locally produced handicraft. The selection often exceeds the well- known Icelandic sweater „lopapeysa“, and one can stumble upon great finds, that make unique souvenirs. Here is a tiny selection of interesting places dedicated to handicraft:

When traveling in the south, a nice addition to explore wool works is the woollen circle.  It connects Hespa workshop , an open plant dyeing studio, Uppspuni mini mill, and Þingborg Woolshop, all situated near the highlights of the Golden Circle. 

Going west the Ullarselið in Hvanneyri, close to Borgarnes stands for new and old techniques of processing wool by hand. Handicraft evenings where knitting and spinning together in cosy atmosphere are offered as well.
Buying clothes “made in Iceland” is possible in Hvammstangi, Northwest Iceland. The KIDKA WOOL Factory Shop is one of the biggest knitting factories in Iceland. Solely Icelandic wool is used in their machine-knit garments, that combine fashionable design with traditional patterns. Through a window in the factory shop one can watch part of the production. Handknitted sweaters and accessories are available as well.

An hour further north the Textile Center in Blönduós is now a hub for textile residencies, workshops and events. Located in the former women’s college, an exhibition shows the history of the building as a women’s college from 1901-1978, recreated rooms and artefacts. When it comes to historic handicrafts, Snartarstaðir close to Kopasker in Northeast Iceland houses has a large selection of handicrafts from the 19th and 20th centuries. Going back even further in time, the National Museum of Iceland hosts the most extensive collection of historic garments, handicrafts and much more.

Where tradition meets technology - yarn hooks on a knitting machine at KIDKA Woolfactory

Is your sense of direction sometimes a bit impaired? Try wearing a sweater from leader sheep wool and you never lose your way again! The” forystufé” is a rare and special breed of Icelandic sheep that is not only different in looks by having long legs and often a colorful and softer coat, but is also more intelligent than its comrades, with a stronger sense for direction, weather changes, and possible danger. The "forystusetur" in Þistillfjörður is a museum dedicated to sharing knowledge about these four-legged miracle-workers and here one can purchase handicraft made from their horn and wool.

Also in the Northeast of Iceland is the Gilhagi Wool Mill,  a great opportunity to watch the entire process of washing, combing, and spinning of wool into yarn in one place. The mill uses sheep wool from local farmers and offers a range of naturally colored yarn.

Find more craft and design stops on your travel route here on this map. In case you want to get more proactive and dive into Icelandic handicraft yourself, you can find lots of workshops here . Also, learn more about the famous Icelandic woolsweater "lopapeysa" here.

Happy knitting!