We just published fantastical sea creatures knit mitten patterns designed by Icelandic designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, better known as Ýrúrarí, on ISSUU. She designed them exclusively for the Iceland Knit Fest held in Blönduós in June 2019.
Ýr Jóhannsdóttir graduated with a BA in textile design from the Glasgow School of Art in spring 2017. Since graduation, Ýr has participated in various textile projects, group exhibitions, and stage performances both in Iceland and abroad. For her machine knitting project “Þættir”, that evolved from her final project at school, Ýr has stayed in residencies in Germany and Iceland to research this technique made on an analogue home-knitting machine. The project will be shown in the store window of the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan, New York, as part of “wip” residency in February 2019 and is funded by Iceland’s artist salary (Listamannalán) and the Iceland Design Fund .
Ýr has also worked on expanding her “up-cycle” project, where she gives old jumpers new life with new, hand-knitted additions. World-famous musicians Erykah Badu and Miley Cyrus own up-cycled sweaters by Ýrúrarí. Ýr is now working on pattern books and a workshop to share her ideas and techniques on up-cycling. More info on www.yrurari.com. Ýr will both present a lecture and teach a workshop during the Iceland Knit Fest.