In this cinematic, on-the-road episode, you’ll hear all about the wool and shepherding industry in the Faroese Islands or Faroes (Føroyar). You’ll get to hear a spinning machine, special background music from the feat-of-modern-egineering underwater tunnels, reports from the traveler’s log in the ferry cabin, and spontaneous interviews with shop owners and workers. You’re going to love it!
Featuring Johanna from the Snealdan Spinnery and CEO Guðrun Rógvadóttir from Guðrun & Guðrun hand-knit wool fashion brand.
CONTENTS OF THIS EPISODE
- About this special episode and voyage
- About the Faroe Islands
- 11:00 about the tunnels: the first underwater round-about was built by the Faroese!
the first underwater roundabout with beautiful music on the radio composed especially for this tunnel
- 15:00 Faroese sheep-keeping: they have more sheep than people! Very traditional
- 17:00 my experience: eye-opening to learn from a new culture with an open mind
- Traveler’s Log - from the Ferry Cabin
- 2 nights on the boat
- What it’s like
- What the vibe is
- Wool shop on board
- 21:00 Recap After Visiting Navia Shop / Announcement
Heimarvirkni; a communal effort
Snaeldan Spinnery, the knitting machine that finishes the ribbing
Snaeldan yarn and Navia yarn, both 100% local and waaaaay to prickly for most.
Snaeldan Spinnery, piles of sweaters
- 23:00 Introduction to Snaeldan Visit
- A Conversation with Johanna at Snaeldan Spinning / Knitting Mill *poor audio quality
- A little about color theory
- A note about the machine
- Relaxed yarn vs tightly-wound yarn
- A little more about the machine
- Walking through the shop
- Different types of yarn: softness / smell / colors
- Introduction to Guðrun & Guðrun Interview
- Interview with woman CEO, Guðrun Rógvadóttir
- How G&G Started - (they’re 20 years strong)
- Shame Faroe wool & skins weren’t being used
- They were being burned because sheep are mainly used for meat
- (it’s the same in Holland)
- …materials like wool are so valuable!
- Wool was the first Faroese export, “Wool is the gold of the Faroes”
- Eventually, with modern times, that no longer was the case
- It was “uncool” and not considered business-savvy to knit when G&G started, but it took off anyway
- Faroese-Specific Wool & Traditional Designs
- Islands are very cold and wet
- Wool is great for that
- Traditional garment: thick coat, two layers, outer layer is very thick/rough and water resistant
- Sheep are spotted
- Wool is itchy
- Natural Colors
- Question: What makes a design unmistakably Guðrun & Guðrun? 1. Well, there’s the most famous sweater…
- A rep for Dior saw it at a fair and loved it
- It still sells really well, it’s doing numbers in Japan
- What the Designer Guðrun Ludvig is Best Known For…
Guðrun &Guðrun desings in the shop in Torshavn
- Where They Get Their Materials
- Their Women’s Empowerment Project
- Question: You Started Small; How Did You Grow?
- Your Website is Beautiful; How Did You Build It?
- About the Documentary a Newsgroup is Filming on Their Empowerment Project
- What Does the G&G Team Look Like?
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
“This is also the reason that the podcast exists, to show people that handknitting and hand stitching and materials like wool are so valuable. We have something right under our noses that can be a counter-balance to the fast fashion industry.”
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Google Results: Floortje Naar Het Einde Van Het Wereld
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