Why Birds Flock to Iceland The North Prepares for ... - Land og saga

Handknitters UnitedThe One stop shop for all Things Woollen at the Handknitting assn.Sheep came to Iceland with the Vikingsettlers and they quickly proved theirworth, not only for their meat but also theirwool. Living conditions were very basic andespecially tough in the cold and dark wintermonths. Sheep helped keep the settlers alive.These Icelandic sheep have two types offleece—an outer, weather and water repellantlayer and a soft, warm fleece close to theskin. Combined, they have provided warmclothing for farmers and seamen, adults,children and babies for centuries. Makingsweaters became a tradition in farmhouses,cottages and houses around the country.The Handknitting Association of Icelandwas founded in 1977 to help overcomeproblems that knitters were having ingetting their handiwork marketed. Agroup of women formed the association,established standards and guidelines forthe production that was - and still is, animportant supplement to many familyincomes and shortly thereafter, opened ashop to sell their members’ woollen goodson Skólavörðustígur, the main shoppingstreet that descends from Hallgrímskirkja,the cathedral overlooking the city.As the name indicates, these woollencreations are hand made. The motto fromthe outset has been, ‘Buy directly from thepeople who make them’. Walking into theshop, one cannot help but be amazed at theskill and productivity of these ladies—andsome men, too, from all walks of life, livingin all parts of the country. Every item hasthat sense of individual uniqueness that onlyhandmade items carry.The world of knitting has changeddramatically since the association began.A few decades ago, the designs took on theform of the ‘lopapeysa’ or sweater, withits distinctive scalloped pattern, whichhas become so popular worldwide, butnumerous young Icelandic designers havealso turned their attention to wool as amedium of choice for their fashion designs,resulting in new products, styles andcolours. There is a wide range of sweaters,gloves, hats, scarves, socks, bags and manyother items in sizes to suit everyone froma Viking warrior (or farmer) to a prettyfashion model to a newborn baby.The store has become a centre not onlyfor selling the fi nished products but also forsupplying the wool and all the accessoriesrequired to make woollen items.The association has established highstandards for the wool they supply theknitting community so as to get anequally high quality product back to sell.This is all the best genuine Icelandicwool with its unique characteristics.Visitors can have their purchasesshipped to them and they can also emailorders from the website in the comfortof their own homes. That includes thepatterns, wool, needles and accessories,not just the clothing. If knitting isyour hobby, there is a world of warmdesigns just waiting for you.–asfHandprjónasambandImages by © Gabriel RosenbergEnter the Volcanic Caféfeel the shakes and Tremors of Earthquakes and VolcanosWhat is it like living on a small islandwhere eruptions occur on averageevery four years and earthquakes of varioussizes occur daily, is a question Icelanders arefrequently asked. An island where ice andfi re are constantly battling, moulding andreshaping the island’s appearance and theislanders’ mood and emotions. The onlyreply we can give is: We wouldn’t know howto survive in a country which is not alive.But if you are curious about the realityof the Icelandic life-force enter the VolcanoHouse, a café in the centre of Reykjavikand experience for yourself the impact of aneruption or an earthquake while enjoying acup of tea or coffee, or munching on a sliceof cake or homemade bread.Volcano House is no ordinary café. It isalso a cinema and a museum, specialisingin the tremors and shakes, the colours,the smells and the touch of living in thisstrange, remote corner of the world.Volcano House’ in-house cinema offerstwo back–to–back documentaries. First up,a fi lm about the eruption in the WestmanIslands in 1973. The second one, ‘TheVolcano Island’, by the Icelandic fi lm makerJón Sigfússon, is a documentary on theEyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, nominatedfor the 2011 Emmy Award for outstandinglocation cinematography.The Westman Island documentarycontains unforgettable footage from the 1973eruption which started without warning inthe middle of the night on January 23 rd .The entire population—over fi ve thousandindividuals—were evacuated by boat to theIcelandic mainland where they stayed untilthe end of the eruption seven months later.The documentary contains truly dramaticand unforgettable footage.The Eyjafjallajökull eruption causedmillions of people to be stranded acrossEurope due to thousands of flightsbeing cancelled over several weeks. Thisdocumentary contains some breathtakingaerial views and footage and is truly a gem.Additionally, Volcano House offers ahands–on geology exhibition where guestscan handle various samples of pumice, ashand lava from Icelandic volcanos.An interesting exhibitionA large collection of semi-precious rocksand minerals from around the countryare also on display and are available forpurchase. Volcano House offers guidanceand information throughout the exhibitionwhich is particularly interesting for schoolgroups and students of geology. VolcanoHouse occupies an enviable location in theheart of Reykjavik, with large bay windowsoverlooking the colourful old harbour. Itis open seven days a week from 10.00 to22.00. The documentaries in English canbe viewed hourly from 10.00 to 21.00.German language commentary is availablefor groups or private screenings.–ssVolcano HouseSkólavörðustígur 19 • 101 Reykjavík+354 552 1890handknit@handknit.iswww.handknit.isTryggvagata 11 • 101 Reykjavik+354 555 1900info@volcanohouse.iswww.volcanohouse.is12 www.icelandictimes.com www.icelandictimes.com 13