Ingibjörg Guðjónsdóttir, Your Guide to an Icelandic Knitting Adventure**

Ingibjörg Guðjónsdóttir, affectionately known as Inga, is an experienced guide poised to lead an extraordinary knitting tour in Iceland's rural northwest. With over 30 years in the tourism industry and a deep-rooted passion for Icelandic culture, Inga is the perfect complement to the renowned knitting instructor, Bergrós Kjartansdóttir. Her extensive knowledge of Icelandic traditions, folklore, and rural landscapes will enrich the knitting workshops and cultural experiences on this unique journey.

Inga's expertise extends beyond guiding; she has a profound understanding of Iceland's history, particularly the role of women in sheep farming and textile production. As participants engage in knitting the SEIÐUR shawl under Bergrós's guidance, Inga will lead explorations through the countryside, visiting local farms and museums. These excursions are designed to provide insights into the traditional Icelandic way of life, connecting the craft of knitting to the nation's cultural heritage.

Arrival at Keflavik airport by 10am. Transfer to Reykjavik on your own.. Drop your luggage off at the hotel, and have breakfast on your own, or with new friends.

12:30 Meet at the hotel and walk to the National Museum for a tour about Icelandic history and textiles. (*walk 20 min, 1 mile)

3:00 pm Return to hotel. Check in. Relax before dinner. 

6:00 pm Dinner at a local restaurant (included)

Overnight at 3-star hotel,(Hotel Leifur Eiriksson) in downtown Reykjavik. 

Meals: D

Note: Group airport transfer on day one is not included because it is so easy to take the Flybus.is to Reykjavik and allows people to arrive at time the is convenient and economical for them. Detailed instructions on how to get to the hotel will be provided.

*If you would rather not walk to the museum, and need to take a taxi, one can be arranged for about 12 USD each way.

Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, you will start the day shopping at a local yarn store.  Here participants will pick out yarn to make their shawl and be able to stock up on all sorts of Lopi, wool yarn made from the fleece of Icelandic Sheep.  Over the next few days there will be opportunities to buy many handmade wool products in both Reykjavik and the countryside.

As we leave the city, we begin to notice the fall colors of the vast moss covered glacier swept fjords, and flattop volcanic mountains of the countryside. Along the way, your guide will share stories and information about the landscape, history, and culture of Iceland.

Our first stop is the Istex Wool Factory for a guided behind the scenes tour. Participants will learn how yarn is manufactured in Iceland and see how wool purchased directly from local farms is processed into to skeins sold on store shelves throughout the country, and the world.

Afternoon:

We continue the scenic drive north and enter the break taking Hvalfjörður. Participants enjoy a soup and bread lunch in bistro of Hvammsvík Nature Spa, followed by a 2-hour soak in the mineral waters. Purchase a beverage from a swim up bar, and enjoy the sounds of lapping ocean wave and sea birds while soaking in one of the several hot spring pools. 

Evening:

After checking into the hotel and getting settled, we will meet in our first knitting circle. Bergrós will introduce you to her work as a knitter and designer and go through some of her work. She will go over the project that we are going to start on in the workshop, as we take our first step in making the knitting examples of the Seiður shawl. Tonight, Bergrós will assess each participant's abilities and stitch tightness for recommendations on needle size for each person's project.

Overnight and dinner at Hotel Hamar or similar (2 nights).

Meals: BL

After breakfast, we will continue under the instruction of Bergrós with our shawl. You can ask all the questions for different techniques and get Bergrós help with details you need more help with.  

In the afternoon we drive to Ullarselið in Hvanneyri “wool center” where the University of Agriculture in cooperation with the women's association of the south west has made it possible for the women in the region to experiment and work with handspun wool. After an educational introduction by one of the associates, participants can support the initiative. The shop has so many beautiful products made by local women for purchase. 

We then take a short walk in Borgarnes along the shores of Borgarfjörður. 

Evening hot tubs and looking toward the sky for northern lights.

Second night at Hotel Hamar, or same category.

Dinner at Borgarnes Englendingavík

Meals: B

After breakfast we meet for our knitting workshop. By now you should have a doll-size example with all the small details you need to make your full-size shawl, and if you haven't started your full-sized one then it is time to start that. Today you can also use the time with Bergrós to get an explanation of another shawl that you might be interested in from her book.

Afternoon: We visit the champion of Icelandic Goats, Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, a former nurse, who currently owns and operates Háafell, an Icelandic farm that has been in her family for generations. Jóhanna was born and raised on this land as were her six children!  This incredible woman has been fighting to save the Icelandic goat breed from extinction since 1989. She will share her story, her joys and challenges as a goat farmer, and her mission to promote goat products (cheese, meat, cashmere) in Iceland. 

Later, we will make a lunch stop on route, and then visit the Grenigerdi farm workshop where we will meet with the owners, a charming couple, Rita and Páll. They make and sell buttons made from natural materials like birch trees and reindeer horns. 

Late afternoon we will arrive at the village of Hvammstangi on the Vatnsnes Peninsula.

Overnight and dinner at the  Hótel Laugabakki. Enjoy hot tubs at the hotel before or after dinner. Don't forget to look outside for chance to see the northern lights!

Meals: B

Morning: After breakfast we meet again to work on our shawls and listen to Bergrós stories about her art, family, and book.

In the afternoon we visit the Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduós. The

museum exhibits beautiful Icelandic national costumes, and artistic embroideries along with many of the tools and equipment used to produce them. Founded by the Women's Union in East Hunavatnssysla, it is the only one of its kind in Iceland. Spend some time at the museum and shop at the store on site.

Second Night at Hotel Laugabakki , Dinner at Víðihlíð, Inga's all-time favorite for Fish & Chips.  

In the evening we will socialize, knit, and gaze for northern lights.

Meals: B

In the morning we will drive to Ægissíða, Inga's farmhouse, and spend the day there enjoying the countryside where the land and the sea meet between the mountains.  You will instantly feel at home at her home. 

Bergrós will continue her workshop in the cozy living room of the farmhouse. Participants will enjoy Inga's homemade Icelandic meat soup. Wanna learn from the expert? She won't mind you shadowing her process. 

Weather permitting, we can take our needles outside to knit in the sunshine and take in the golden light of autumn.  Depending on interest and time, other activities include meeting the farm's sheep, or walk in the countryside.

On the way back to the hotel, we go around Vatnsnes Peninsula to Hvítserkur Rock. Hvítserkur, otherwise known as the Troll of Northwest Iceland, is a 49ft tall basalt rock stack protruding from Húnaflói Bay. The rock is a seal sanctuary, and nesting ground for seagulls, shag and fulmar. Your guide will tell you about trolls and elves and associated folklore.

Dinner at Sjávarborg restaurant at Hvammstangi

Third Night at Hotel Laugabakki.

Meals: BL

In the morning we meet in our knitting circle with Bergrós and share how are projects are coming along.  

After lunch, we go to Þverárétt sheep corrals, for the roundup to experience Réttir - the Icelandic sheep roundup. This is a national treasure in Iceland. In September each community designates a day where the sheep that have been roaming free in the wild during the summer are brought in for the winter.  This is a VERY unique exciting opportunity to be part of a community event. Participants will observe the excitement of people, dogs, and horses during the roundup. With special permission from farmers, participants may also be able to get involved (and dirty) by helping to sort the sheep when they are brought to the sheep park. 

Overnight at Hotel Laugabakki and dinner at the hotel.

Meals BL

Note: Like all outdoor activities, the sheep roundup can be affected by the bad weather resulting it being cancelled for safety purposes. 

After breakfast we  head back towards the south and we stop to visit Þingvellir National Park for a short hike and history lesson. Þingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its culture and scientific significance. Historically it is where the first parliament of Iceland was founded by the Viking Chieftain and the place were laws were made and disputes were settled. It is also a place where plate tectonics can be studied. In the park you will stand on the North American plate and look across the valley at the Eurasian plate as you walk through the fissures caused by the movement of the plates. 

We will stop for lunch as we continue on to Selfoss to meet Guðrún at Hespuhúsið. Here, we visit Guðrún in home and workshop. Guðrún is an expert in plant dye yarn and a fascinating and passionate woman who loves to share her work.  

Finally, we drive back to Reykjavík in the early evening. 

Overnight at Hótel Leif Ericsson or Guesthouse Freyja or same category.

Farwell dinner.

Meals: B

After breakfast enjoy Reykjavik on your own. Visit museums, shops, local pool, or the Sky Lagoon. Group transfer to the airport at 12:30pm from the hotel. 

Meals: B