Knit & Ride an Icelandic horse, June 2025
ISK2.854
Knit & Ride highlights: the tölt and flying pace, the special gaits of the Icelandic horse, beautiful landscape, knitting a riding lopi sweater in the midnight sun
Dates: June 15-22, 2025
This Knit & Ride an Icelandic horse tour is a fabulous combination of Icelandic knitting and wondrous horse rides in the Icelandic nature, through rough lava fields or delicate summer flowers, crossing rivers and galloping in the breeze. We will knit in the midnight sun enjoying one of the most expansive views of Iceland. All the way, Hélène will give us an insight into the Icelandic knitting traditions and we’ll learn new and old techniques. She will tell us especially about the handknits used for riding. We will knit a riding lopi sweater under her guidance and learn all about ridings socks.
Delicious food. Accommodation is in a picturesque country guesthouse with a grass roof, a sauna and a hot tub, from which we will take fabulous day rides (note that the program is not exactly the same than in 2023).
Here is a small video from our previous tour to give you a little idea!
Upon booking, you will receive a link to fill up the registration form.
Please read the detailed information below >
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Orders ship from France (VAT from your country, no Customs fees in Europe) / Commandes expédiées depuis la France (TVA de votre pays, pas de frais de douane en Europe)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Upon booking, and in order to make the trip enjoyable, please make sure you are familiar with the day-to-day itinerary, the riding experience and the fitness condition required, as well as the list of equipment. For any questions, please check our FAQ first (answers to frequently asked questions).
Departure: 2025, June 15-22, 7 nights, confirmed
Group size: 12
Price: 435.000 isk
Single room supplement (only in Reykjavik):
Not included in price: flights to and from Keflavík International. Wool for knitting a full-size riding lopi sweater and riding socks are not included in the price.
Included in price:
- 1 guide/knitting instructor
- 1 guide/horseriding instructor
- 2 nights at a guesthouse in Reykjavík, twin room, dressed beds, shared facilities, breakfast included. Possibility of single room.
- 2 nights in a picturesque country guesthouse, dormitory style, sleeping bag, shared facilities. Sauna.
- 2 nights in a mountain hut, dormitory style, sleeping bag accommodation.
- Full board from Day 2 to Day 6, breakfast and lunch on Day 7, breakfast on Day 8
- Horses, saddlery, tack, rain gear and helmet are provided
- All transfers as per itinerary, knitting as per itinerary
- Yarn for knitting swatches during the workshops
- Our guides will prepare all meals during the trip. Participants ́ help with washing dishes is highly appreciated.
Because participants come from all over the world, the tours are operated in English but Hélène and Anita are bilingual in French. A lexical of knitting terms in German/English/French/Icelandic is available during the tour.
Fitness et riding level: This ride is suitable for intermediate riders: participants should be able to ride for up to 5 hours in uneven terrain and not be afraid to gallop. Accessible to all those in good health, who are doing some sport regularly. Experience of riding is a prerequisite.
We reserve the right to reject any rider for reasons of riding inability or behaviour endangering the safety or welfare of the riders or horses. No refund will be made to any rider who is rejected for any such reason, nor can refund be made to any rider who is unable to complete a ride or the tour.
ITINERARY
Day 1 (June 15 2025): Knitters arrive to Iceland from all over the world at various time during the day. They will be spending their first night at a guesthouse in Reykjavík close to the Icelandic Handknitting Association of Iceland, full of lopi sweaters and Icelandic yarns.
Day 2 (June 16 2025 ): In the morning, we set out on a knitting adventure and stop on the way to interesting places for knitters such as the Þingborg Wool centre where local women produce soft unspun lopi, as well as at the Uppspuni minimill. We arrive to our picturesque guesthouse in the afternoon. Meet and greet with our horses and the lovely and highly skilled Anita who will guide the riding part of our tour. Picnic lunch enroute. Dressed beds, dormitory style.
Day 3 (June 17 2025): Today is a full day on horseback – we ride along Rangá, one of the finest salmon river in Iceland- that we will cross in two places. At lunch time, we will have a picnic in an old shepherd’s hut that looks like a hobbit house. Then we ride to Réttarnes, an old sheep round up made of lava stones and have maybe a little knitting break there! From there, we ride through the old lava field Þjórsárhraun and end up with the horses in Skarði – where you can find the biggest cattle farm in the country. Picnic lunch en route, dinner on premises. Dressed beds, dormitory style.
Ride: about 5-6 hours on the saddle.
Day 4 (June 18 2025): In the morning, we ride around Skarðsfjall – take about 2-3 hours. We end up in “Papahella”, the largest man-made cave in Iceland where a delicious lunch buffet will await us. In the afternoon, we enjoy a knitting workshop with Hélène punctuated by a little drive to see a couple of waterfalls, among them the beautiful Waterfall of the Thieves. Picnic lunch en route, dinner on premises. Dressed beds, dormitory style.
Ride: about 3 hours on the saddle.
Day 5 (June 19 2025): In the morning, we will ride the old sheep trails, back and forth from our farmhouse, and pass a viking house. The afternoon is all about knitting and we can enjoy a ride to the local swimming pool (and maybe find some yarn, who knows?) Picnic lunch en route, dinner on premises. Dressed beds, dormitory style.
Ride: about 3 hours on the saddle.
Day 6 (June 20 2025): Today is a relaxing day at our country farmhouse, with no riding but plenty of knitting, enjoying the sauna and hot tub. Lunch and delicious dinner on premises. Dressed beds, dormitory style.
Day 7 (June 21 2025): It is now time to say goodbye to the horses and slowly head back to Reykjavík with many interesting stops and lots of yarns. When in Reykjavík, we will gather at Hélène’s workspace, full with her yarns and design knitting samples. It will then be time to say farewell and enjoy a free evening in the city. Night in the same guesthouse than on Day 1.
Day 8 (June 22 2025): Departure
KNITTING WORKSHOP
TRADITIONAL RIDING SOCKS AND RIDING LOPI SWEATER
A bit of history: Hélène will tell us about the Icelandic knitting traditions with a focus on the knits traditionally used for riding, both in the old days and today. Special attention will be given to the riding socks and the Icelandic lopi yoke sweater. This last one is a fairly recent invention probably dating back to the 50’s that became immensely popular in the 70’s. It became right away the working sweater in Iceland and is used ever since by farmers, fishermen and horse riding people.
The Icelandic wool: Hélène will tell us about the different types of Icelandic wool and the genesis of the famous unspun lopi and we will experience the feeling of knitting with this highly breakable yarn.
Traditional Icelandic lopi sweater: On Day 2, we will pick up some lopi yarn at Þingborg wool center in the colors of our choice and start knitting a full size riding lopi sweater during the tour. We will knit it after one of Hélène´s designs. There will be a choice of different patterns, both sweaters and cardigans, all included a horse motif in the yoke of course! Hélène will guide us through the process and special techniques, old and new (such as the ladder back jacquard technique). Note that the wool for knitting the sweater is not included in the price of the tour.
The Icelandic steek: lopi sweaters are knitted in the round then simply steeked (that is cut into the finished knitting) to make them into cardigans. We will try our hands at the traditional Icelandic way on a swatch so that, if applicable, you feel confident steeking your riding lopi sweater once it is finished.
Riding socks: we will explore the different types of socks used from riding and their evolution through the centuries.
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