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

671 stashed

857 projects

3 Light Beige Heather

341 stashed

353 projects

5 Black Heather

438 stashed

628 projects

9 Brown Heather

220 stashed

246 projects

484 Green

157 stashed

157 projects

1026 Ash Heather

634 stashed

716 projects

1027 Ash Heather

365 stashed

327 projects

1030 Beige

321 stashed

377 projects

1032 Dark Brown Heather

237 stashed

240 projects

1033 Black

318 stashed

408 projects

1038 Ivory Beige

487 stashed

705 projects

1053 Faded Denim Heather

154 stashed

138 projects

1420 Marsh Heather

153 stashed

153 projects

1421 Spruce Green Heather

174 stashed

194 projects

1423 Clover Green Heather

281 stashed

282 projects

1424 Golden Yellow Heather

316 stashed

292 projects

1425 Sunset Rose

194 stashed

157 projects

1426 Dark Amber Heather

312 stashed

446 projects

1427 Jasper Red Heather

241 stashed

239 projects

1428 Plum Heather

324 stashed

264 projects

1430 Carmine Red Heather

167 stashed

187 projects

1431 Arctic Blue Heather

203 stashed

185 projects

1432 Winter Blue Heather

339 stashed

311 projects

2020 Dark Wood

142 stashed

169 projects

2021 Frost Grass

113 stashed

187 projects

2025 Gulf Stream

161 stashed

163 projects

9102 Grey Heather

388 stashed

402 projects

9103 Dark Grey Heather

320 stashed

264 projects

Cream

159 stashed

214 projects

Light Ash Heather

98 stashed

201 projects

Light Gray

95 stashed

182 projects

White

165 stashed

376 projects