Iceland's Einrúm are combining architecture with knitting and setting trends along the way

“My grandmother, Katrín, had a balaclava which she had made in the seventies. I thought this was a brilliant hat,” explains Einrúm founder Kristín Brynja. “So in 2016, I asked [knitwear designer] Anne Grete Duvald to design a knitting pattern of a modern version of my grandmother's balaclava.”

With the balaclava being one of this autumn's most desirable accessories, seen on most runways during fashion week including Miu Miu, Givenchy, Jacquemus, Max Mara, Raf Simons and Moschino (to name just a few), Brynja's grandmother definitely was one step ahead of the fashion world. The balaclava is a knitted headpiece which goes all the way down to the neck with an opening for the eyes, with the intention to keep you warm despite cold weather. With its long history, it has been a consistent player in Scandinavian wardrobes for centuries. And recently it appeared in the October-November issue of Vogue Scandinavia, but is also the staple piece in Einrúm’s knitting range.

Founded alongside her husband, Steffan Iwersen, Enirúm is a brand that combines knitting and architecture in a unique way. With the couple focusing on different parts, Steffan on the architecture and Kristín on the knitting side, Einrúm encompases both spheres.

Einrúm offers different kinds of products, either knitting patterns or already knitted items, and their expertise within wood and timber architecture. At first glance it is hard to find a synergy between knitwear and architecture, however, after talking to the Einrúm founders it all makes sense. "Though architecture and knitting might seem very different at first sight, they are not so different apart from the object's scale. It's all about transforming an idea into a form to work with measures, structure and textures," explains Iwersen.

The effort put behind every knitted piece is truly commendable, and Brynja highlights that you treasure of the pieces you spent effort on creating with so much love. "The time spent knitting, the pleasure, and the project's challenge are part of the making process. In addition, you take care of the garment you spent effort on creating," says Brynja.

According to the duo knitting can be considered the very antithesis to fast-fashion, “Dead-stock or excess stock is never a problem, nor are questions of ethical supply when the garment is hand-knitted with a homemade approach." Brynja explains that if you end up not liking the piece you made "you can rip the parts up and start all over again with another project."

The yarns used to create their pieces are proudly locally sourced, "I have always loved Icelandic wool for its structure and isolating qualities. However, I wanted to refine the thread and demonstrate that the Icelandic wool was perfectly suitable for elegant and modern clothing. Therefore, I developed a yarn that is Icelandic wool and mulberry silk twined together," says Brynja. They also use yarn produced in Denmark, "the lamb yarn is merino lambswool and silk twinned together. A fantastic soft and delicate yarn that our retailers and customers have received exceptionally well."

Only working with timber and wood for architecture projects and local wool for knitting Einrúm has a clear sustainable vision, "It is about finding solutions that support the activity that is to take place in the environment using materials that will last," says Iwersen.

Iwersen has specialised in buildings made of CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) instead of concrete and steel which consumes larges amounts of CO2. "Wood is a renewable recurse, recyclable and substantially reduce greenhouse gas. Using timber or wood as a building material binds large amounts of CO2 in the construction. In 2014 we built our home from CLT elements, our house was a pioneer house, one of the first houses built in CLT elements in Denmark," Iwersen tells us over email.

Iceland's tradition when it comes to naming a company is that the name should clearly specify what sphere the business operates within, "For our company, the name would typically begin or end with architecture or knitting," explains Brynja, however she didn't want the brand name to be limited in that way, the name Einrúm (meaning solitude in Icelandic) was thanks to a chance visit, "One day, at an art museum, we came across a vast painting with the word 'einrúm' as an object. That's it, we both said... The word to us signifies privacy to create."

The couple first met when they studied to become architects at the Royal Danish Academy of Art. And they explain that since they realised how well they worked in groups it was never a question whether they should create a business together or not. Looking at the couple's different backgrounds, Brynja brought up surrounded by Icelandic nature, and Iwersen in Copenhagen, they felt the urge to naturally include both in Einrúm.

"The creative sphere is probably the largest one of all, including almost everything we do, therefore it feels natural to combine different forums," says Brynja.

Just like Einrúm has done.