Iceland’s professional knitters needled by Made in China jumpers
- Thousands of the distinctive ‘lopi’ sweaters much prized by tourists and locals alike are now being made in southern China
- Country’s parliament urged to ban firms from branding products as ‘Icelandic’ unless they are made in the country
Trouble is rattling one of Iceland’s most distinctive industries: the production of the thick, hand-knitted “lopi” jumpers adored by tourists and worn with pride by locals.
The individually produced, very warm jumpers have become a symbol of Iceland. But local knitters are upset at seeing their profit margins diminished by the appearance of jumpers actually made in China, albeit from authentic Icelandic wool.
The practice was started by some local manufacturers who have successfully outsourced the labour to China. Containers full of local yarn are shipped from the North Atlantic island nation, made into jumpers, then shipped back again, labelled as “hand-knitted from Icelandic wool”.
Knitting co-ops around Iceland, struggling to compete, last month urged the government to ban companies from branding woollen products as “Icelandic” unless they are made locally.
“People buy the imported sweaters as the real thing,” said Thuridur Einarsdottir, founder of the Handknitting Association of Iceland. “But it is not.”
