The unspun Icelandic is a bit harsh, but okey for people without sensitive necks. It was kind of a pain to knit with because, since it’s unspun, the yarn breaks easily if you put too much pressure on it. For this reason I didn’t want to knit an I-cord to pull it tight, instead I wound a long strand of yarn very tightly, and let it curl back on itself. This makes a nice strong cord, and it’s much faster to make than the I-cord. The pattern is nice, easy to follow. I like the tie so you can adjust the closeness of the fit.