When one thinks of knitting, one might imagine grandmothers' homemade sweaters, but long before it became a trend among hipsters and influencers, knitting in Iceland was an art of survival. Its roots stretch back to the 16th-17th centuries, when Icelandic households relied on wool as a lifeline in the harsh landscape. Archives and historical documents show that men, women, and children alike sat together, creating wool products that remained the currency in self-sufficient export – over 70,000 pairs of socks were shipped out as early as the 17th century.
Knitting was far from a "women's project." It was an economic engine, with everyone contributing. Wool garments carried them through harsh winters, while surpluses were sold to finance grain, equipment – sometimes even written tax exemptions.
The Lopapeysa: the national wool garment
When the industrial revolution reached Iceland and garment imports increased, a cultural need arose. In the 1930s, the lopapeysa tradition emerged, a round-yoked sweater, inspired by Norwegian patterns from URD magazine, but adapted to Icelandic wool and style.
After independence in 1944, the lopapeysa symbolized Icelandic identity, an adopted tradition with deep roots en.wikipedia.org
Lopi wool is unique with its double fibers: a coarse, weather-resistant outer layer and a soft, insulating inner layer. It provides strength, warmth, and lightness, making the lopapeysa both practical and iconic.
Men who knit: from tradition to today's community
Although the tradition was gender-neutral, visible male knitters disappeared as modern gender norms changed. But in the 21st century, especially after the 2008 financial crisis, a new surge emerged, driven by both nostalgia and a search for identity.
Strong evidence of this is the project "Karlar prjóna" (Men Who Knit) led by Pétur Oddbergur Heimisson. He organizes open knitting cafés at Reykjavík's old KEX Hostel to make men in knitting more visible and challenge stereotypes.
“The goal was trying to engage men to be more visible, by knitting in public and be proud…”
Filmmaker Kay Gardiner describes in the documentary Iceland’s Pullover Island how Icelanders of all genders and ages knit lopapeysur, especially in villages where old women knitted over 100 sweaters a year, but where men also actively participated.
Tradition, craftsmanship, and the boys
Icelandic researchers, such as Gudrún Helgadóttir, have studied how the lopapeysa has been established as a so-called "invented tradition" – a construction of national identity despite its relatively short historical roots. But its symbolic value is strong, especially after the financial crisis, when authenticity and cultural security were sought.
In modern culture, the lopapeysa is linked to the nation's "sheep culture": popular, yet deep and frugal, like a soul's mountainous landscape.
Finally
Iceland shows that knitting was never a gender-bound craft. Men have always been there, from a cold, harsh economy to national symbolism. Today, they continue, with pride and togetherness, in cultural centers and cafés. It is a reminder of how craft, identity, and tradition are interwoven, a story worth telling.
Selected sources & further reading
PDF: Knitting Around the World: ICELAND – historical figures on family knitting and export
Pétur Oddbergur Heimisson: Karlar prjóna – initiatives for visibility