ABOUT US

Sandnes Garn today holds the position as the largest producer of hand knitting yarn in Northern Europe, one of the world’s most up-to date spinning mills – in one of the oldest factories still running.

Sandnes Uldvarefabrik was founded in 1888, and a red brick building was erected in the very heart of Sandnes, Norway. The factory bore witness to the industrial revolution before it burned down in 1978 and was rebuilt in a valley outside of town. The ownerships and names have changed throughout the years, until we got today’s name which also reflects that it is no longer just wool that goes through our spinning mill and out into the world.

We contribute in a big way – to the joy of knitting in general, as no less than is million balls of yarn leave the premises every year. By the time the balls of Peer Gynt and Fritidsgarn – our most popular qualities – are picked up in a yarn shop in Oslo, Uppsala, Århus, Helsinki, Reykjavík, New York, Montréal or Tórshavn, they have already made quite a journey: these yarn types originate from the wool of Norwegian sheep, which is then transported to the factory for washing, carding, spinning, twirling, dyeing and balling. For all who are part of the process, be it animals or people, strict standards of welfare and general happiness apply.

At Sandnes Garn, we handle most everything ourselves, and taking extra good care of our clients is up there as a top priority. We keep in close contact with yarn shops in Scandinavia, and orders are shipped directly from our factory warehouse. Our goal is to at all times keep the most popular yarn qualities in stock. In addition to a broad variety of qualities subject to perpetual innovation, all carefully chosen to suit the current market trends. The customer service keeps a daily dialogue with shops in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and our sales representatives follow up their visits. Sandnes Garn also presents their new collections at trade shows in Scandinavia and Germany.

Iceland, Germany, USA, Canada and South-Korea are serviced by wholesalers. 

Our design department travels frequently and brings home the latest in colours, shapes and trends. Sometimes international fashion profiles are invited to develop designs. Sometimes designs developed here moves on as ripples, creating waves somewhere else in the world. And so we are a part of an ongoing creative dialogue that gradually involves more and more people. Today everybody knits, it seems; how nice is that?

With every ball of yarn produced and instruction developed, we facilitate the joy of creativity. In the hands of the knitter individual adaptations of our designs come to life. That, or something completely freestyles that makes its way unto a blog, then goes on to inspire new designs – and the circle is complete – and quite beautiful at that.