Traditional Knits from the Faroe Islands

THE FAROE ISLANDS, THE FARM AND THE SHEEP

The Faroe Islands

Faroese sheep

Torkilsheygsgarður

The Torkilsheygsgarður sheep

The perfect sheep

FAROESE KNITTING CULTURE

Knitting traditions

School sweaters

Knitting patterns

Wool is gold

NAVIA

History

Yarn

Sustainability

Inspiration

Knitting patterns and designs

The people behind Navia

INSTRUCTIONS FOR NAVIA PATTERNS

Leaf-pattern cardigan

Children’s leaf-pattern cardigan

Sweater with retro pattern (child)

Traditional sweater

Baby clothes and blanket

Star pattern short-sleeve sweater

Patterned Sweater

All-over pattern high-neck sweater

Boys’ sweater (child)

White unisex sweater

Sweater with circular yoke

Raglan sweater

Patterned sweater (child)

Daisy sweater

Geometric sweater

Sweater with patterned yoke

Ladies’ sleeveless sweater

Cardigan with patterned yoke

Lace-pattern shawl

Festival sweater

Wave cardigan (child)

Leaf-pattern sweater

Children’s leaf-pattern sweater

Top and leggings for infants

About Navia

Navia was founded in 2004 as a business-college project for the then 22-year-old Óli Kristian á Torkilsheyggi, now the CEO.

Navia is a family-run company that continues a long tradition of sheep-rearing and wool-spinning. Óli Kristian’s great-grandmother, Suffía Gregersen, employed women to knit for her and sold sweaters in the Faroese village of Syðrugøta, where the family had a spinning mill; and the family’s farm had a flock of 200 sheep, so Óli learned about wool at an early age.

The first items produced by Navia were 1-, 2- and 3-ply yarns in six natural colours, and a small amount of plain-coloured sock wool. These were sold to yarn shops, cottage industry associations and even to small supermarkets all over the country.

In the years that followed, Navia grew bigger and produced a wider range of yarns. A new knitting book came out each year, more colours were added to the palette of yarn colours, and the yarn began to be sold overseas.
Since 2004 Navia has grown from a one-man enterprise with only a few different types of yarn to a company exporting yarn worldwide.

www.navia.fo
Instagram: @naviafaroeislands

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.