REYKJAVÍK

Saturday Morning after breakfast and an introduction meeting, we’ll go for a ramble around Reykjavík. Anna, our local Fiber Ambassador, will tell you about the city's old and contemporary history with add ons from her own observations as a longtime resident. You’ll get to know the shopping, business, waterfront and neighborhood districts before arriving for our visit at the National Museum of Iceland. Because it’s Saturday, there will be lots of extra vendors along the shopping streets plus the famous Reykjavik Flea Market will be open for business. What treasures will we find???? At the end of the day, we’ll regroup and share our day’s adventures over dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Reykjavík. And for those with any energy left after that, perhaps a drink and some knitting… Our favorite way to close out the day.

REYKJAVÍK

Sunday Morning we’ll check-out of the hotel after breakfast. Our bus will take us through the neighborhoods of the city to our hands-on workshop with Auður Björt. Auður is a local teacher and knitwear designer. She’s going to teach us the tricks and tips of making a lopapeysa, the traditional patterned-yoke sweater that’s come to represent Iceland across the world. Our instructor has written a step-by-step guide for constructing these garments. We’ll receive all the materials needed to construct a lopapeysa in miniature (in order to finish within the day’s workshop). Next, we’re off to catch an evening flight to Akureyri from Reykjavik’s small, domestic airport. Once in the north, we’ll drive a short distance to Húsavík, known as “the whale capital of Iceland”. According to the Book of Settlement, Húsavík is the oldest settlement in Iceland. We’ll be at our accommodations just in time for a late dinner. Those with any energy left can have a drink at the hotel bar and knit –  or, enjoy an evening stroll to the bar from the movie set of the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Fire Saga starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. In fact, we highly recommend viewing this movie at least once before coming on the trip. It will get you all set for enjoying the north coast vibes.

ICELAND’S NORTH COAST

Monday After breakfast, a real treat: we’re visiting Mórúnir Yarns at Lón farmstead, about a 30 minute drive along the bare and rough Atlantic coast. Our host, Guðríður, will introduce us to the unique and intelligent Icelandic leadersheep. Leadersheep are a subspecies of the Icelandic breed, with soft wool in a variety of colors. Oh, and did we mention, Guðríður is also a fantastic dyer, with a studio full of fantastic skeins on offer? Back in Húsavík for the afternoon, we’ll have free time to grab lunch at the Home Bakery or other restaurant of your choice, do a little browsing around for wooly goods, visit  the town’s excellent history museum or look for plötulopi (unspun, lopi style yarn offered in bales rather than skeins or balls) in the hardware store. Yes, the hardware store! We’ll also get an introduction to the bay’s marine residents at the world class Whale Museum. Tired yet? No problem. We’re hopping on the bus for a drive up the hill to GeoSea, one of the most beautifully located geothermal baths in the country. After dinner, those who still have energy can head out to explore the town’s nightlife or settle in for an evening of knitting together. 

ICELAND’S NORTH COAST

Early Tuesday morning, we’ll head west, to Skagafjörður. During the day’s drive, we’ll have lots of adventures! First, we’ll visit Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods. Then, in Akureyri, we’ll have a very special walk with “the hidden people” in the town’s botanical garden. We’ll also have lunch with the lively yarn shop owners Íris and Sveina and (of course!) visit their yarn shop Garn í gangi (Yarn in Progress). Continuing westward, we’ll arrive at our final destination for the day at Hofsstaðir, our farmstead guest house on the north coast. A dinner of local produce awaits us, with dining and rooms that look out over breathtaking, serene surroundings. 

ICELAND’S WEST COAST & GLACIERS

Wednesday morning, we’ll start another day of eventful visits in the west, where the Icelandic sagas were written in the 13th century. At mid morning we will visit Glaumbær turf house. It’s a beautifully restored farmhouse that allows visitors to learn  how Icelanders lived for centuries. From there, we’ll journey deep into the farmland region of Skagafjörður, to visit Stórhóll, home of the Icelandic goats, sheep and Rúnalist gallery. Farmer and textile artist Sigrún will offer up a taste of her farm produce. Then we’ll gleefully dive into the farm’s colorful, farm-grown Icelandic lopi yarn. Some of the skeins even bear the name of the sheep who provided the fleece! Our explorations continue as we arrive at the town of Blönduós. Here, we’re given a very special welcome at the Icelandic Textile Museum. It’s the very best place to encounter the wool crafts Icelandic women have preserved for centuries. In Borgarfjörður, we’ll stay  two nights in a country hotel with rustic charm called Hotel Á. It’s right alongside the glacial river, Hvítá. Here you will learn the many meanings of this letter Áá in Icelandic. We have the whole place to ourselves and can relax, chat and have a steaming cup of tea or nip of something stronger whilst enjoying some stress-free knitting time. 

ICELAND’S WEST COAST & GLACIERS

Thursday is a day of cooling down inside a glacier, then warming ourselves back up at a luxurious local spa! In the morning, we’re headed for an adventure at the longest man-made glacier cave in the world at Langjökull. Ready to drive to the top of a glacial ice cap in a monster vehicle?!?!?! Dress warmly, bring water with you and don’t forget your sunglasses! The glare from the glacier can be bright and you’ll want to enjoy the view. Afterwards, we’ll stop in at the  Húsafell bistro where you can enjoy a light buffet lunch or (as the Icelanders enjoy the most) go to the hot dog counter and have a pylsa með öllu. (That’s a hot dog, coca-cola and Prince Polo for dessert.) On our way back to Hotel Á, we will stop at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls in the river Hvítá. Here you can see springwater and meltwater from the glaciers flowing from underneath the lava fields into the gushing river. It’s truly dramatic – and beautiful. A visit at Háafell, the farm crucial to the preservation of the Icelandic goat breed, is next. Then we’re ready for the warming up… at Krauma geothermal baths & spa at Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring. After a long, eventful day, we’ll gather for a farm-to-table dinner and relaxing evening at the hotel.

WOOL & WONDERS OF THE SOUTH COAST

On Friday, we continue our journey by traveling south to enjoy a three-night stay at the luxurious 360 Boutique Hotel. Before we say goodbye to the west though, we’ll stop in at the town of Borgarnes to visit The Settlement Center museum. They have an amazing lunch buffet and we know better than to miss eating there! We also know all the secret spots for finding wool, sweaters and all kinds of finished goods you can enjoy taking home to friends and family. After lunch, we will drive to Thingvellir National Park, a national monument where Icelandic history and nature meet. As we walk through the landscape, our Fiber Ambassador Anna will explain the historical events that have taken place there and point out its geological wonders. In nearby Selfoss, we’ll stop at the town’s Old Dairy for dinner and perhaps… some ice cream??? 

WOOL & WONDERS OF THE SOUTH COAST

Saturday is our day of deep diving into all-things-Icelandic-wool. The south is home to a group of local farming shepherdesses who cooperate farm to farm and studio to studio to increase the value of the local raw material, wool. Our first visit is at Uppspuni Mini-mill, home of the first independent, small-scale spinning mill in the country. We’ll drive onward through the rich farmland of the south to where a new sheep breed is being developed, called a Felse (pelt) sheep. At this time of the year, all the sheep are at home instead of grazing out in the common lands at higher elevation, so we might get the opportunity to visit with them, pet a goat or spend some time with other farm animals. (Let’s not forget to mention the wonderful farm dogs – always happy to receive a belly rub or run after a stick you’ve thrown.) If the weather is good, we’ll picnic for lunch! Back at the hotel, we’ll have a show and tell with our week’s purchases and contemplate new projects together. 

WOOL & WONDERS OF THE SOUTH COAST

Sunday gives us the opportunity to learn about a basic element of Icelandic life: geothermal activity. At the Geothermal Exhibition, we’ll see how Icelanders have harnessed and put geothermal water in use to power nearly every household in the country. We’ll also get a glimpse at a new technology that might just counteract global warming in a big way: Carbfix, a technique where CO2 is turned into stone in two years. Then it’s time to get out into the Icelandic landscape to enjoy its drama and beauty for one last time. We’ll drive along the black sand beaches of the south coast, with lots of prime photographic opportunities. We’ll take a lunch break at bustling-but-now-quiet Eyrarbakki village, an old fishing and trading village with original houses that convey its past glory. We will see light towers, ocean waves, icecapade volcanoes and mountains in the distance – all concurrently, if the weather allows. So let's hope for a sunny day! The last stop of our south coast adventure will be at Hespuhúsið (Hespa Yarns), a natural dye studio. We’ll meet and look into proprietress Guðrún´s dyeing pots, perusing the skeins and skeins of fantastic colors available in her studio. In good Icelandic tradition, Guðrún always welcomes us with a cup of coffee, homemade cakes and cookies and a friendly farm dog, ever hopeful for some belly rubs. Back at the hotel, you’ll have time to organize your stuff and pack before we gather for a final, celebratory dinner.

HEADING HOME

On our final morning together, we’ll have breakfast and then depart for the drive to Keflavik Airport. It’s about an hour and half to get there, so we’ll plan our departure based on the earliest times that people need to catch their flights that day. Safe travels home, everyone! 

Anna is a native Icelander and lives in Kópavogur, just south of Reykjavik. In her work at the National Museum of Iceland, she greets and guides visitors through the exhibitions while explaining the history, changes to and current culture of her home country. She holds a BA in Art History and Tourism.  Anna rediscovered knitting in 2020 after a 30 year hiatus. Now she’s unstoppable – and has compiled “a lot of stash” along with numerous projects. Leading trips with Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft gives her the opportunity to share her passion for knitting, wool, travel and history with visitors from all over the world.  Anna is a certified guide with a focus on practical knowledge in the field of guiding tourists around Iceland in accordance with the European standard ÍST EN 15565:2008e.

 Audrey lives in Hancock, NH -- a small, quintessential New England town -- with her family.  In addition to a wild and wacky multi-generational household of people and pets, Audrey manages her small farm, Meka Farm, which includes raising a small flock of sheep for fiber and meat as well as pigs and various types of poultry.  Audrey is excited to be part of the Rowan Tree Travel team and  combining her loves for travel and handwork with her backgrounds in non-profit work and teaching.  Her Ukrainian-born grandmother taught her how to knit when she was about seven-years old and Audrey continues to knit and create for friends and family while also encouraging her teen son to knit.  You can keep up with Audrey and her knitting, sheep and farm adventures on Instagram: @mekafarm or at www.mekafarm.com