Threads that Unite the North: Artisan Wool Workshop - Iceland

Finishing touches on one of the machine knitted wool textile artworks. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

In early October, I participated in an international wool art residency in Bláskógabyggð, Southwest Iceland, sponsored by the National Geographic - Lindblad Expeditions Artist Fund. This unique artisan wool workshop brought together leading creators from across the North Atlantic—including Greenland, Iceland, Norway's Lofoten Islands, Scotland's Outer Hebrides, and India. United by a passion for sustainable textiles, heritage sheep breeds, and raw fleece, our cohort combined traditional techniques like hand knitting, crochet, and felting. Over one week, we collaborated on three contemporary textile artworks inspired by the shared cultural history, craftsmanship, and resilience of northern fibre communities.

Aly carrying wool between the shed and workshop at Geysir. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

We had the pleasure of staying at Geysir Hestar homestead, an Icelandic horse ranch, which provided the most wonderful work space with a view to the Stokkur geyser and surrounding geothermal landscape.

Working on one of our wool creations. Left to right: Ragnheiður, Ragnhild and Halla. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark.

Introducing my fellow international Textile Artists & Wool Crafters and our work in progress ...

Felting background mount - left to right: Ellen, Meg and Niharika. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

Ellen Frederiksen (Greenland) | Sustainable Agriculture & Wool Processing: A retired teacher and entrepreneur who with her family tends Greenlands oldest working sheep farm at Illunnguujuk in Southern Greenland. As founder of Brattahlid Wool Workshop, Ellen provides cruise-ship guests with authentic wool craft experiences. She is actively campaigning for a local wool mini-mill to establish sustainable on-island processing for Greenlandic fleece.

Photo - Halla in background crocheting the edging on one of the wool textile art works. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark.

Halla Lilja Ármannsdóttir (Iceland) | Avant-Garde Knitwear Design & Textile Art: An Icelandic textile artist and knitwear designer holding an MFA from the Swedish School of Textiles. Halla blends industrial machine knitting with meticulous hand techniques. Her sculptural, heritage-inspired designs have been featured in international textile exhibitions across Iceland, Sweden, and New York.

Photo - Ragnheiður balling yarn. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

Ragnheiður Valgerður Sigtryggsdóttir (Iceland) | Traditional Craftsmanship & 3D Weaving: A prominent fiber artist, educator, and volunteer with The Icelandic Handicraft Association. Holding an MA from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design, her practice specializes in spinning, complex pattern design, and three-dimensional weaving structures utilizing regional wool. She also serves as a Project Manager for the City of Reykjavik.

Photo - Hard at work with a good bit of laughter and a table full of wool from across the North Atlantic - Left to right: Ragnhild and Meg. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark.

Ragnhild Lie (Norway) | Heritage Sheep Breeds & Natural Plant Dyes: A textile artist and founder of the acclaimed brand Lofoten Wool. Championing ethical farm-to-textile production, her business processes fleece from raw Old Norse sheep. Her facility features a regional wool collection station, retail boutiques, and artisan workshops specialising in botanical plant-dyeing and raw fibre preparation.

Photo - Niharika leading our Forest Bathing experience - Centre: Niharika. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

Niharika Rajput (India) | Eco-Art installations & Wildlife Conservation: A New Delhi-based wildlife artist, National Geographic Explorer, and nature educator. Niharika merges creative artistry with ecological activism, designing hyper-realistic animal sculptures. She leads community-driven upcycling workshops that convert local waste into functional, artisan-made products to preserve cultural craft traditions.

Photo - Me (Meg) working on one of the wool textile art works. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark.

In case you didn't know as well as running Birlinn Yarn I am also an artist:

Meg Rodger (Scotland) | Hebridean Wool Craft & Eco-Textiles:  I am a multidisciplinary artist operating from the Isle of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides. My practice is deeply rooted in the extreme Atlantic climate and island ecology. I utilise raw wool, free-flowing fibre manipulation, and local craftsmanship to explore the interconnected heritage of global maritime sheep-rearing cultures.

Photo - Collaboratively discussing combining machine knitted work, with Lofoten tweed and felted wool textiles. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

Over the course of the week, our discussions centred on our cultural connections—seafaring, migration, folklore, cosmology, island resilience and the North Atlantic heritage sheep breeds that bind us together.

Finishing touches to one of the hand knitted wool textile art works. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

Hanging wool textiles art works for discussion and consideration as part of the collaborative creative process. Photo credit: Alexandra Daley-Clark

By combining traditional artisanal craft techniques with contemporary textile training, we maximised our intense one-week timeline to push the boundaries of collaborative fibre art and low-impact design.