When I write untreated wool, I mean wool that has not been superwashed. I am one of those who does not use superwash yarn – a treatment of wool where a plastic coating is applied to the wool fibers so that it can be machine washed. When yarn is superwashed, it also loses the wool's self-cleaning and breathable properties. It is the wool fat lanolin that makes the wool self-cleaning and this disappears when a yarn is superwashed. 

🧶 Norwegian wool

Pinto horse sweater , Tusseladd and Føyka (Photo: Marte Stensland Jørgensen)

Norwegian wool is fantastic! We have several different breeds of sheep in Norway, and they can be divided into two “main types”: Sheep breeds with two types of wool (guard and undercoat) and sheep breeds with only undercoat. If you are in doubt about what guard and undercoat are, you can take a look at a polar dog. The long, stiff, robust hairs you see on the dog are guard hairs. These make sure that rain and dirt do not get into the dog's coat. The undercoat, on the other hand, keeps the dog warm and is very soft.

Norwegian yarn from sheep with only underwool (crossbred):

The sheep with only undercoat are called crossbred. Their wool consists of long, very durable fibers that can withstand A LOT! I prefer Rauma 3-ply, a carded yarn which means that the fibers lie “pile to pile”. There is more air in the yarn, which makes the garments lighter (than, for example, with Peer Gynt which is a worsted yarn where the wool lies parallel and can be experienced as denser and clammy to wear). The disadvantage of using wool without guard hair is that the garments are not water-repellent on par with yarns such as Álafosslopi.

It is important to mention that all untreated wool contains residues of the wool grease from the sauce which makes the garment water-repellent to a certain extent. You can also add lanolin to the garment with a lanolin wash if you wish. 

🧶Icelandic wool:

Tufsingdalgenser, Takotna and Matoaka (Photo: Marte Stensland Jørgensen)

I use a lot of Icelandic wool (Álafosslopi, Lettlopi and Platulopi)! These yarns contain both guard hair and underwool. The underwool is soft and the guard hairs are stiff. The guard hairs and lanolin in the wool make the garment robust and water-repellent. The Icelandic sheep is related to the old Norwegian sheep breeds and has great similarities with them. There are many reasons why I use a lot of Icelandic wool:

🧶 Wool is warm, durable, water-repellent and very nice to look at.

🧶 The outer hairs rise like a halo around the sweater when it rains.

🧶 In addition to the wool's good quality, it is produced in an incredible number of beautiful colors!

The yarns can be a bit itchy, but Icelandic wool is not strictly intended to be worn close to the body. I wear my lopi sweaters as jackets and almost always have a thin wool top underneath.

For those of you with sensitive skin: I know there are some out there who find wool to be very itchy. Wool always gets softer after washing and after use, so don't judge the wool until you have knitted and rinsed the garment. Tip: wool soap and conditioner from Lopi can be found here.

🧶Garnalternativer pinne 6 mm (13 masker på 10 cm):

The Wilderness Gene in Vams, Okapi Child , hand-colored Vams

Remember that the pin size to get specified knitting tension is individual. Therefore always check the knitting tension before you start. 

🧶 Álafosslopi (100% Icelandic wool): 

• Suitable for those who will be wearing the garment outdoors a lot in all kinds of weather. This yarn contains guard hair and underwool from the sheep, which makes it water-repellent. Garments knitted in Álafosslopi can withstand a lot of hard use, but it does feel a little lumpy when worn, so it is better to knit the sweater too big than too small. The yarn can be itchy, so I recommend wearing wool underwear underneath. 

🧶 Platulopia (100% Icelandic wool): 

• This yarn is unspun so it can be a bit difficult to knit with as it frays easily. But you get an incredibly light, warm and soft sweater, with the same properties as Álafosslopi. To match Álafosslopi in thickness you have to knit with double thread . 

🧶Blue fur wool yarn (100% Norwegian wool): 

• A yarn from Norwegian fur sheep. All the wool is dyed in the sheep's natural color, which is gray, giving the wool a special shine. High quality yarn. Well suited for outdoor activities.

🧶 Troll from Hillesvåg (100% Norwegian wool): 

• A soft and good wool yarn made from underwool. This is a very good alternative to Álafosslopi if it is too coarse for you. Well suited for outdoor activities.

🧶 Rauma Vams (100% Norwegian wool): 

• A 2-ply knitting yarn made of 100% Norwegian wool. The yarn is full and airy and makes light and warm garments. It is very easy to knit and is well suited for felting. 

Yarn options Pinne 4.5 mm (18 stitches on 10 cm):

Hopi knitted in Lettlopi and Hopi knitted in Vidde lamb wool yarn and Varde fur wool yarn. (Photo: Marte Stensland Jørgensen)

Remember that the pin size to get specified knitting tension is individual. Therefore always check the knitting tension before you start. 

🧶 Lettlopi (100% Icelandic wool): 

• Suitable for those who will be wearing the garment outdoors a lot in all kinds of weather. This yarn contains guard hair and underwool from the sheep, which makes it water-repellent. Garments knitted in Lettlopi can withstand a lot of hard use, but it can feel a little lumpy when worn, so it is better to knit the sweater too big than too small. The yarn can be itchy, so I recommend wearing wool underwear underneath.

🧶 Vidde lambswool yarn (100% Norwegian wool): 

• Vidde is a soft, high-quality Norwegian yarn made of lamb wool which is great if you are going to use the sweater both indoors and outdoors. The yarn only contains underwool, which means that it is not as water-repellent as Lettlopi, but in return you get a much softer garment. Wool contains lanolin, which is the sheep's natural wool fat. This means that all yarns made of untreated wool (not superwash) are water-repellent to a certain extent. Lanolin also makes the garment self-cleaning. Suitable for both outdoor activities and everyday garments. 

🧶 Varde fur wool yarn (100% Norwegian wool): 

• A yarn from Norwegian fur sheep. All the wool is dyed in the sheep's natural color, which is gray, giving the wool a special shine. High quality yarn. Suitable for both outdoor activities and everyday garments. 

🧶 Platulopia (100% Icelandic wool): 

• This yarn is unspun so it can be a bit difficult to knit with as it frays easily. But you get an incredibly light, warm and soft sweater, but the same properties as Álafosslopi and Lettlopi. 

🧶 Hip wool from Hipknitshop (100% Peruvian wool): 

• A super soft alternative for those who itch. Great for everyday wear. 

Yarn options Pinne 3.5 – 4 mm (22 stitches on 10 cm): 

🧶 Tinde (100% Norwegian wool):

• A shiny, soft and airy fur wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk spun from wool from Norwegian fur sheep. Norwegian fur sheep are a Norwegian breed of sheep different from the Norwegian white sheep. The wool contains both light and dark fibers, and the dark fibers give the yarn and the colors an exciting depth and melange.

🧶 Sun (100% Norwegian lamb wool ):

• a soft, airy and resilient yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Sol lamb wool yarn can be combined with Tinde fur wool yarn, and is used with Ask from Hillesvåg in the book Wilderness Sweaters for Children

🧶 Ash (100% Norwegian wool):

• 2-ply carded yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk that produces durable, light, airy and warm garments. It is very versatile and due to the airiness of the yarn it can be used with different knitting tensions. The yarn is not superwashed, and can therefore be felted.

🧶 3-ply Rauma (100% Norwegian wool):

• a 3-ply carded yarn. With its 3 threads, this yarn is particularly durable and long-lasting. 3-ply Knitting Yarn produces airy, warm and durable garments. The yarn quality is mainly used for traditional sweaters and cardigans, but it is also well suited for solid-colored garments and structured knitwear. This yarn is perfect as a replacement for Sol og Ask from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.