VALKERYIE FIBER

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Our ethos

We are a women-owned independent business based in both Akureyri, Iceland, and Portland, Oregon.

Each strand of our yarn is plied with history. For centuries, Icelandic knitwear has been central to life on the island, in large part by the Icelandic sheep, a breed found nowhere else in the world. Generations have refined the art of harvesting, spinning, and knitting this remarkable fiber, valued for its natural insulation and water resistance. More than a necessity for survival in the North, the lopapeysa (the traditional Icelandic wool sweater) has become a symbol of national identity.

At Valkyrie Fiber, our mission is to create a yarn unlike any other in the world. By blending pure Icelandic roving, sourced directly from local farmers, with soft, fine Merino, we preserve the bold character and resilience of Icelandic wool while making it comfortable for everyday wear. This hybrid is a truly one-of-a-kind yarn: strong, warm, and storied, yet softened for modern makers. Each skein is then hand-dyed in Portland, Oregon, where every colorway is carefully crafted as an ode to the stories of Iceland.

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Inspired by my love for home

The Icelandic Collection

Join a new generation of the Valkyrie

Behind the brand

Amy Skylark Foster is an award winning songwriter, author, and fiber artist originally from Canada. In March 2022, she traveled to Iceland on a knitting tour and felt an immediate connection. The country’s history, mythology, and landscape were inspiring, but it was the creative and fibers community that inspired her cultivate her second home in the north of Iceland. From this bond, she founded Valkyrie Fiber. Her vision was to preserve the strength and character of Icelandic wool while softening it for everyday wear. Today, the wool is sourced and washed in Iceland, spun in small batches at a mill in New York, and hand-dyed in Portland, Oregon. The result is a yarn that is both unique and deeply connected to its origins.

For those visiting Iceland, Valkyrie Fiber can also be found at Garni Gangi in Akureyri.

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Such an innovate and special yarn that celebrates tradition!

Ashley, Canada

01

Source and wash in Iceland:

Each skein starts with Icelandic wool, washed at the source. Our supplier is…

02 Ship to the mill in New York

The Icelandic fiber travels to Amy’s trusted mill in upstate New York. There it’s spun with Merino wool and packaged for Amy to take back with her to Portland to be dyed.

03

Wound Into Skeins:

Freshly spun yarn is set, allowed to rest, and wound into skeins.

04

Skeins arrive at Amy’s Portland studio where the real colour work begins.

Head to the dye studio in Portland

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Quality Control

Our Process

Dye by hand, one batch at a time

Amy dyes every run by hand in large vats. Layers are built slowly so tones read as natural.

Each skein is checked for feel and consistency before it’s labeled.

of our fiber

History

The Icelandic sheep is among the world’s oldest and purest breeds, brought to the island more than 1,100 years ago by the Vikings. Over the centuries, these sheep adapted to Iceland’s extreme climate and landscape, developing a coat that is both insulating and naturally water resistant.

This coat is composed of two distinct layers. The outer layer, known as the tog, is long and coarse, providing protection against wind, rain, and snow. Beneath it lies the þel, a softer undercoat that traps heat and insulates the animal. When spun together, these fibers create a wool that is uniquely durable and weatherproof, qualities that made it essential to Icelandic life for centuries.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, attempts to crossbreed Icelandic sheep with foreign breeds introduced diseases that the native flocks could not fight against, due to their isolation. To preserve the breed, the Icelandic government culled all imported and crossbred sheep and enacted strict bans on foreign sheep and wool. These protections remain in place today, making Icelandic sheep one of the few truly pure breeds in the world.

Icelandic wool has long been central to the country’s survival and economy. While its rustic nature is valued for strength and resilience, some find it coarse when worn without underlayers. Valkyrie Fiber was created to bridge this gap: to honor the strength and history of Icelandic wool while offering a yarn that is both enduring and comfortable to wear. By sourcing pure Icelandic roving directly from local farmers and spinning it with soft, fine Merino at our mill in Upstate New York, we have created something entirely new. This is the first yarn of its kind: a blend that unites the durability and heritage of Icelandic wool with the softness of Merino. The result is a material unlike any other in the world, carrying with it both the story of a thousand-year-old tradition and the innovation of modern fiber artistry.

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