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

645 stashed

830 projects

3 Light Beige Heather

325 stashed

338 projects

5 Black Heather

424 stashed

610 projects

9 Brown Heather

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242 projects

484 Green

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1026 Ash Heather

620 stashed

700 projects

1027 Ash Heather

353 stashed

318 projects

1030 Beige

313 stashed

367 projects

1032 Dark Brown Heather

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237 projects

1033 Black

308 stashed

399 projects

1038 Ivory Beige

459 stashed

680 projects

1053 Faded Denim Heather

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1420 Marsh Heather

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150 projects

1421 Spruce Green Heather

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1423 Clover Green Heather

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276 projects

1424 Golden Yellow Heather

309 stashed

288 projects

1425 Sunset Rose

187 stashed

152 projects

1426 Dark Amber Heather

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1427 Jasper Red Heather

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1428 Plum Heather

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260 projects

1430 Carmine Red Heather

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1431 Arctic Blue Heather

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1432 Winter Blue Heather

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2020 Dark Wood

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2021 Frost Grass

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2025 Gulf Stream

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9102 Grey Heather

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9103 Dark Grey Heather

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Cream

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208 projects

Light Ash Heather

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Light Gray

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176 projects

White

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376 projects