Plötulopi – Unspun Icelandic from Ístex

Plötulopi – Unspun Icelandic

from Ístex
Worsted (9 wpi) ?
328 yards
(300 meters)
100 grams
(3.53 ounces)
19.0 sts
= 4 inches
US 7 - 4.5 mm
100% Wool - Icelandic
pencil roving
Care: Dry Flat, Hand Wash
Color: Heathered, Solid color
Construction: Unspun
Dye: Machine dyed
Ply: Single ply
Milled: Iceland
Source of fiber: Iceland

Plötulopi is unspun wool (pencil roving) and is traditionally used to make authentic Icelandic Lopi sweaters. It is fragile and needs to be handled delicately.

Plötulopi is mostly knitted using two or three strands, resulting in garments that are exceptionally light and airy. Plötulopi is surprisingly strong once knitted thanks to the unique characteristics of Icelandic wool.

Gently wind the required number of strands of Plötulopi together or knit straight from the plates.

A single strand of Plötulopi is very delicate. It can be strengthened by twisting it lightly or by knitting it with one strand of Einband. Plötulopi is great for felting, hand spinning and many other things.

This yarn is also sometimes called “unspun Icelandic” and is the yarn sold by Schoolhouse Press.

From the website: Plötulopi can be worked one, two or more plies at a time, depending on how bulky a yarn you want. Gently wind the required number of strands together into a ball by taking the end from the centre and the end from the outside of the plate, or plates. Plötulopi is very fragile to knit. We recommend the continental knitting technique as it permits control with very loose tension.

Since Plötulopi is an unspun yarn, it is fragile to work with; however, due to the length of its fibres, it knits into a sweater that is both sturdy and soft.  

Material: 100% new wool
Plate: 100 g ~ 300 m
Bundle: About 2 kg
Suggested needle sizes: Depends on how many strands are used
Gauge for 1 ply: 19 sts to 10 cm (4”) over St st using size 4½ mm (old UK 7) (US 7).
Gauge for 2 ply: 14 sts to 10 cm (4”) over St st using size 5½ mm (old UK 5) (US 9).

100% new wool. Unspun yarn, sold by weight as a one-ply, flat, round roll, which is called a “plate”.

popular colorways

1 White

700 stashed

898 projects

3 Light Beige Heather

349 stashed

369 projects

5 Black Heather

449 stashed

639 projects

9 Brown Heather

224 stashed

253 projects

484 Green

163 stashed

158 projects

1026 Ash Heather

651 stashed

735 projects

1027 Ash Heather

372 stashed

337 projects

1030 Beige

331 stashed

388 projects

1032 Dark Brown Heather

241 stashed

250 projects

1033 Black

331 stashed

426 projects

1038 Ivory Beige

508 stashed

737 projects

1053 Faded Denim Heather

156 stashed

140 projects

1420 Marsh Heather

159 stashed

160 projects

1421 Spruce Green Heather

185 stashed

203 projects

1423 Clover Green Heather

293 stashed

295 projects

1424 Golden Yellow Heather

323 stashed

302 projects

1425 Sunset Rose

200 stashed

165 projects

1426 Dark Amber Heather

332 stashed

467 projects

1427 Jasper Red Heather

258 stashed

250 projects

1428 Plum Heather

339 stashed

275 projects

1430 Carmine Red Heather

171 stashed

197 projects

1431 Arctic Blue Heather

213 stashed

194 projects

1432 Winter Blue Heather

350 stashed

323 projects

2020 Dark Wood

150 stashed

182 projects

2021 Frost Grass

122 stashed

201 projects

2025 Gulf Stream

177 stashed

177 projects

9102 Grey Heather

402 stashed

405 projects

9103 Dark Grey Heather

329 stashed

267 projects

Cream

159 stashed

218 projects

Light Ash Heather

103 stashed

213 projects

Light Gray

104 stashed

188 projects

White

165 stashed

375 projects