Traditional Knits from the Faroe Islands

This is a beautifully presented book with photos that will inspire you to knit some of the patterns. There is a great section on the culture of the Faroe Islands and I like the fact that the patterns cover a range of ages from a baby to an adult.

The patterns are not for a novice knitter but would suit a person who would like to develop their knitting in the round, brioche, fair isle, lace and cable skills. The patterns have black and white charts to guide you with the stitches. Most of the garment patterns are knitted in the round up to the armholes and then are divided for the sleeves but could be adapted to straight knitting.

The patterns give one a good choice from slipovers to shawls and jumpers.

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.