ALectureaboutAðalbjörgJónsdóttir

Hélène Magnússon, a knitting designer, will give a lecture about the knitting artist Aðalbjörg Jónsdóttir (1916–2018).

Aðalbjörg was among the most well-known and respected knitting artists in Iceland. She gained considerable popularity for the formal dresses she knitted from Icelandic wool in the 1970s. The Icelandic Design Museum preserves one of her dresses from that period, which was donated to the museum by former president Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. In 2018, Aðalbjörg was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Falcon for her contribution to Icelandic knitting tradition and design.

Hélène is originally from France. She completed a master’s degree in law and worked for a time as a lawyer in Paris. In 1995, she moved to Iceland, where she worked for many years as a mountain guide while also studying textile and fashion design at the Iceland University of the Arts. Hélène is a prolific knitwear designer, has published numerous pattern books, and produces yarn from Icelandic lamb’s wool.

Aðalbjörg and Hélène met in 2007 and formed a strong friendship. In recent years, Hélène has been working on a book about Aðalbjörg and her knitting patterns.