Álafosslopi is a bulky weight yarn, one I don’t often use. For most knitters, it’s ideal for quick-knit projects. For me, the larger needles tend to slow me down. I chose this yarn for a jacket because I was looking for a yarn that would be both warm and light for such a thick yarn.

This swatch is knit with 4.5mm needles, and I have 14sts and 22 rows for 4 in / 10 cm.

It’s a dense fabric with nice drape and it’s quite warm. This is an ideal fabric for a jacket. If I were working a sweater I’d go for a looser gauge.

This plain swatch gave me a wonderful feel for the yarn and the type of fabrics it can create.

For a single ply yarn, I find it surprisingly easy to work with. I untwist yarn as I knit, and I’ve been known still to split single plies. I don’t have any of those issues with this yarn. It provides a smooth knit and can handle being ripped out too. I know, because I had to restart my current project and had to rip out over 300 meters of knitted fabric!

Ístex Álafosslopi, Bulky weight, 100% Icelandic wool, 100 meters / 100 grams. Swatch shown in 57 Grey Heather.