Imagine … A whole village that morphs into an oversized ball of wool, accompanied by the sound of hundreds of knitting needles: Perhaps, that’s the best way to explain what’s gonna happen to Fuglafjørður, a village on Eysturoy's east coast, in spring. The first Knitting Festival ever was held in 2015 and turned out to be a big hit. This year, the Bindifestivalur will take place from 14-16 April, with knitting workshops, cafés, lectures, a gala dinner and 23 experts from Faroe Islands and abroad. Smart tour operators already offer trips to this unique festival.
Traveling to Faroe Islands because of knitting? Not a strange idea at all. Knitting is extremely popular, from Sumba to Viðareiði. At home, on ferries, at lunch breaks, on buses: Women are knitting almost everywhere. Teenagers, sales girls, the elderly; business women, stiletto-heeled: knitting is the thing to do, and it has always been an important part of the Faroese way of life.
In the old days, people traded knitted garments like woolen socks, sweaters and underwear for salt, sugar, coffee and other goods at the store. You want to find out more about those bygone times? Read „Feðgar á ferð“ (Heðin Brú, English title ‚The Old Man and His Sons‘, several other translations also available): ‚In the evening, the woman put a scarf on, she took her knitting and set off to milk the cow.‘ Got it? She took her knitting and set off to milk the cow ...
The following defines the passage from „Feðgar á ferð“ more precisely: Faroese milkmaids didn't only carry several wooden milk buckets with their arms and backs across mountains – they knitted complex patterns at the same time, during walking, balancing and dragging!
„Føroysk Bindingarmynstur“ is the book for those patterns and a must for all fans of Faroese knitting. I bet copies will be passed around at the Bindifestivalur, when the village of Fuglafjørður turns into a huge international knitting club. 70 workshops will be hosted, the majority in private homes and living rooms. A charming festival that emphasizes the essence of knitting on Faroe Islands nowadays: social gathering, designing, singing, talking, having food and fun.
www.bindifestival.com (translator with the Danish version) and Facebook: Bindifestivalurin í Fuglafirði. Travel: www.greengate.fo