Traditional Knits from the Faroe Islands

Oli Kristian a Torkilsheyggi, the CEO of Navia, founded the company in 2004 as a business-college project when he was 22 years old. Navia is a family-run company rooted in a long tradition of sheep-rearing and wool-spinning. Oli Kristian’s great-grandmother, Suffia Gregersen, employed women to knit and sold sweaters in the Faroese village of Sydrugota, where the family had a spinning mill. Growing up on the family’s farm with a flock of 200 sheep, Oli learned about wool at a young age.

Navia initially produced 1-, 2- and 3-ply yarns in six natural colors, along with a small amount of plain-colored sock wool. These products were sold to yarn shops, cottage industry associations, and small supermarkets throughout the country. Over the years, Navia expanded its operations, producing a wider range of yarns. They released a new knitting book annually, added more colors to their yarn palette, and began exporting yarn overseas. Since its inception, Navia has evolved from a one-man enterprise with a limited selection of yarns to a company that exports yarn worldwide.