Where to Buy and Authentic Icelandic Wool Sweater in Reykjavik
On my recent trip to Iceland I was determined to come home with an authentic Icelandic Wool Sweater. As a lover of all things Fair Isle and Scandinavian, my eyes were wide open for the perfect sweater. While out walking around Reykjavik, I looked in a few stores, but quickly realized that it was going to be slightly more challenging than I imagined. I was convinced that the ones in the stores were not authentic wool and were not hand made. So I turned to the internet. I found a tip online that said the Flea Market was the best place to find one at an affordable price. Many websites also stated that the ones in the stores sometimes were not handmade or from Icelandic wool.
The Kolaportið Flea Market is located in Reykjavik in a large building near the harbour and only open on the weekend. Luckily I came across this info early enough in my trip that I could go. I had no idea what to expect. When I walked in it was filled with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. The majority of them were selling clothing and food. When you walked in the entrance, to left was clothing and to the back right was more of a small food market. There is an ATM available on site since cash is recommended.
I walked around in search of vendors selling sweaters, and there we about 10. Some of them were actually knitting onsite. I took multiple laps looking at them and even focused in on other items such as hats, gloves, and some crocheted items. I fell involve with this one child's sweater that I wanted so badly for my daughter, but no one was attending the booth. I looked around and lingered a bit. I figured I would go to another booth and then come back and maybe someone would be there. When I circled back the sweater was gone. It bummed me out for the rest of my time at the market because it was the only one. Lesson learned. If you really want it stick around!
I ended up purchasing crochet booties for my daughter from a very nice older woman who spoke no english and had reasonable pricing. Also, I purchased a sweater and a wool hat from another woman who was very sweet and did speak english. She had a mirror so you could try them on and had a large variety. The sweater rang in at roughly $120.00 (USD). Pricey, but much cheaper than the stores were selling and 100% authentic.