Faroese Wool: What Is It Like to Knit?

Editor's Note: Knitwear designer Sissal Kristiansen wrote a fascinating article about the history of knitting design in the Faroe Islands for Farm & Fiber Knits *Fall 2025. Sissal also included her Pole Vest design, which draws inspiration from traditional Faroese fisherman’s sweaters. Knitted in Navia Brushed Tradition, a 100% Faroese wool yarn in six natural colors, the airy and lightweight fabric is so unique that it deserves a closer look. Navia yarns are now made available in the US through Kelbourne Woolens.*

Sissal’s Pole Vest makes use of the haloed surface of Brushed Traditon to create a lightweight fabric. Photo by Gale Zucker

We asked knitwear designer Kerry Bullock-Ozkan to give this Faroese yarn a taste test. Kerry enjoys designing with breed-specific yarns, and we’re excited to share her explorations. Find additional resources below if you would like to continue learning about sheep from the North Sea.

— Editors

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Soft, Haloed, and Distinctly Northern European

I’m an unabashed fan of the wool from Northern European sheep breeds, so I was excited to acquaint myself with one I hadn’t yet spun or knitted—the Faroese. You might be more familiar with some of their cousins, including Shetland, Icelandic, and Finnish Landrace. Faroese sheep, like many of their relatives, are dual coated, with a softer, shorter undercoat and coarser, longer outercoat.