Solvara Knitwear: A youthful take on Faroese knitting tradition

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Solvara Knitwear

Katrin Sølvará, a young knitting enthusiast from the Faroe Islands, has literally been turning heads with her original Faroese-inspired knitwear designs. Bold flowers, strong colours and youthful cropped silhouettes have made her knitting patterns widely shared online, and what began as a small creative project has quickly grown into Solvara Knitwear, a thriving knitwear business.

Now based in Denmark while studying International Business Communication, Sølvará balances university life with a thriving knitting pattern business. Having knitted since she was a teenager, for her knitting is a way of interpreting the traditions of her Faroese home in a contemporary way. “My starting point is often something traditional – Faroese cables or colour work – but I like to place it in a modern context,” she explains. “For me, it’s about showing that these techniques can still feel relevant and playful today.”

The development of Solvara Knitwear gained unexpected momentum shortly after she moved to Denmark. Within weeks, her designs began circulating widely on social media. “It was quite a funny combination,” she recalls. “My social media suddenly started growing a lot, and then I happened to walk into a local yarn store wearing my Daisy Sweater. They asked to take a photo and shared it on their Instagram, and suddenly everything seemed to happen at once.”

Katrin Sølvará’s knitting patterns are inspired by the traditions and colour work of her Faroese homeland.

Learning the craft and finding a voice

Although knitting plays a central role in Sølvará’s life today, her relationship with the craft began in a more hesitant way. She was taught to knit by her grandmother around the age of thirteen, focusing on technique, such as cables and sock heels. At the time, however, the results did not particularly appeal to her. “I thought those cable patterns looked terribly old-fashioned – very grandmother-like,” she says with a laugh.

Instead, she began experimenting. Using fine sock yarn and small needles, she started shaping small, knitted animals, inspired partly by crochet toys she had seen online. “They became strange little combination animals – a bit like characters from Alice in Wonderland,” she says. “But I really enjoyed the process of figuring things out myself.”

After a period exploring other creative pursuits, Sølvará returned to knitting in her early twenties. This time, she began following patterns more closely but quickly felt the urge to modify them. “Many of the patterns available were beautiful basic sweaters,” she explains. “But I felt like I was missing something. I wanted something wilder – maybe five colours, two types of cables, something that really stood out.”

Solvara Knitwear itself began quietly during the Covid years as a small hobby project. “At first, it was just something fun on the side,” she says. “But right now it’s almost like a full-time occupation – I even bring my knitting to lectures.”

Solvara Knitwear: A youthful take on Faroese knitting tradition

Designs that combine tradition and playfulness

One design in particular has become closely associated with Solvara Knitwear online: the Daisy Sweater. The now recognisable flower motif grew out of Sølvará’s experiments with traditional Faroese colour work patterns while preparing to knit part of a national costume.

“I found a traditional pattern with a flower motif,” she explains. “The flower itself was beautiful, but the way it was positioned felt slightly off to me. So, I began rotating it and adjusting the surrounding shapes. The idea was still rooted in tradition, but with a playful twist.”

The result proved unexpectedly popular. Even before the pattern was released, the sweater began attracting attention. “The first time I wore it into a yarn shop, someone immediately asked what it was and whether I had designed it myself,” Sølvará says. “At that point, the website was already up and running, but I wasn’t selling anywhere near the amount I do now.”
While the Daisy pattern remains a hallmark, Sølvará has since expanded the catalogue with pieces such as the Chloe Sweater, a simpler design with subtle decorative details. “I try not to release patterns too quickly. It takes time to develop a pattern properly,” she explains, adding: “But knitters notice that care.”

Solvara Knitwear: A youthful take on Faroese knitting tradition

Passion as the driving force

Despite the rapid growth of Solvara Knitwear, Sølvará’s ambitions remain grounded. “When I started, I thought it would be nice if a little knitting income appeared in my account now and then,” she says. “But now it has become something I do only because I genuinely love it.”

At the same time, she does not necessarily envision Solvara Knitwear as her sole career. Maintaining a balance between creative work and other professional pursuits remains important. “I think it’s healthy for me to keep it as something I do alongside other work,” she explains. “That way it stays a passion rather than something that adds pressure.”

Solvara Knitwear: A youthful take on Faroese knitting tradition