May 2021 - Newsletter | A few new exciting products, Álafoss yarn update, eider down and hot dogs. And the mandatory volcano update

Dear reader. We'd like to share with you a little bit about our trip this weekend to Djúpavík, a new co-operation with an eider down specialist, why we are suddenly selling hot dogs, Álafoss lopi updates and a few other things (and of course the mandatory volcano update).

We had the opportunity to visit this incredible place, Djúpavík, in northern Iceland this weekend. It's not famous for a lot, and it's remote and isolated location keeps this place a hidden gem, but they had the most advanced herring factory in Europe in the year 1935. Mostly built by hand, this factory was enormous and technologically futuristic. It was abandoned in the 1960s and has recently been restored as an art gallery and if you ask nicely our friend Magnús (the hotel manager) will take you on a historical tour around the factory which is mind blowing. If you ask extra nicely he will take you sea swimming in the fjord. Prepare for the coldest bath of your life :)

Djúpavik is also known for it's part in the recent DC movies such as Aquaman and Justice league. They filmed quite a lot at this location and the hotel's guestbook is filled with Hollywood celebrities thanking them for their hospitality and incredible experience. The hotel really is a gem. It's like going back to 1930.
At Gjögur, which is a very small town near Djúpavik, we were invited to use a private lagoon on the beach. The area is a low-temperature (39-46°C) source of hot water and in the middle of the surf there is a small man made pool which has a steady temperature of ~40°C all year. Sitting in this lagoon while the waves break on the cliffs and the cold wind howls around you is a surreal experience. There are a few location like this around the country and we will gladly share the locations with you upon request. However this one is privately owned and off limits.

If you would like to follow us during our travels around Iceland you can check our our Instagram for more pictures and live streams #icelandicstore

The Icelandic Hot dog.
We regularly receive questions about the Icelandic hot dog and if we sell it. Until now we have actually not even thought about it but since we started selling this product, a few days ago, we have fulfilled more orders than we could have imagined. At the moment we are only able to sell this to the US since it involves some paperwork which is just too time consuming for shipments within Europe. We are working on a solution for EU shipments and we will announce when/if we find a good one. If you have had this hot dog you know what's what. If not, we recommend you try one with everything! The Icelandic phrase "Ein með öllu" is something everyone over here knows. Simple translation, one with everything. That would mean Vals ketchup, Remulaði, Icelandic mustard, onions (raw and fried) and a Coke.

Álafoss yarn update.
Finally! After much, much, wait we have finally gotten the first shipment of this sought after yarn which has been sold out for over 6 months. We have received white #0051 and expect the grey and black colors to start appearing in the next few days and weeks. We are told by Istex that blue colors will follow and then we suspect random colors to follow. We have been able to fulfill some orders that had white yarn and we will continue to ship orders as soon as we get all colors needed for the orders to be completely shipped. We thank you for all your patience and apologize for all the promises broken in this process.

Icelandic Eider down.
We are very excited about our new co-operation with Freyja Bergsveinsdóttir. She is an eider down farmer, graphic designer and a teacher. She owns a small island in Breiðafjörður (fjord in the west of Iceland) where she cares for Eider ducks and collects their down once they are done using it for their nests. Which she then makes duvets and other products from. Eiderdown is used in various high-end luxury products that require powerful insulating properties, such as duvets and arctic clothing. It's hard to explain the incredible feeling of eiderdown. Holding and touching it is really an incredible experience, it's almost too light for your nerve endings to comprehend and it "feels" like you're holding nothing at all. Eiderdown likely is the lightest, softest, warmest and most comfortable natural material on the planet. We plan to start selling eider down duvets and other products associated in the coming weeks. More on that later.

Volcanic update.
It seems like this one is here to stay for a while. It has changed it's behavior a bit and is now acting like Geysir. It takes a break for a few minutes and then violently erupts 300-500m into the air (~900-1500ft.) It's still possible to hike up there and take a peak but if the eruption continues it will soon close off a valley that you would need to pass through. Plenty of room for helicopters and airplanes to fly over though. First responders are now busy making a defense barrier to keep it from flowing over the south peninsula road.


New location.
We finished moving a few days ago and our new, much larger, warehouse will enable us to keep expanding our selection of products and shorten our delivery time. It will also enable us to have guests over for a visit. We don't plan on opening a storefront any time soon but if you'd like to visit us, even just for a cup of coffee and a handshake, let us know and we'll arrange to meet you.

Thanks again for all your support. It means the world to us.
With great regards from Iceland
Stella & Orri