Ragga Eiriksdottir
Instructor Website: http://www.raggaknits.com
Ragga is an Icelandic knitting expert, designer and entrepreneur. After earning a university degree in nursing and spending 10 years in sales and marketing, she decided it was time to let creativity take over and invest all her time and energy on projects related to knitting. She now owns and operates the well known knittingiceland.is and works full time as an instructor, designer, and knitting tour guide. Ragga's firm belief is that knowledge liberates the knitter. That's why she loves to motivate and enable knitters to think outside the charts and beyond the patterns. Ragga's sound knowledge of the Icelandic knitting heritage and techniques and her laid back teaching style has earned her an international reputation as a fun and informative instructor.
BIO ~ Ragga Eiriksdottir
- 1995-1997 Psychiatric Nurse, Reykjavik University Hospital
- 1998-2004 Pharmaceutical Representative, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Iceland
- 2004-2007 Pharmaceutical Product and Brand Manager, Novartis, Sweden
- 2008-2010 Director of Education and Information, Confederation of Academic Unions, Iceland
- 1999-2005 Columnist, commentator and sex educator, Iceland
Books ~ Ragga Eiriksdottir
- Prjóniprjón (Self published, 2008, Icelandic), co-author.
- Kúr og lúr (Nálin, 2009, Icelandic), contributing designer and editor
- Prjónum saman DVD (Knitting Iceland, 2009, Icelandic)
- Prjónaperlur (2010, Icelandic), contributing designer
- Saumaklúbburinn (monthly publication, 2009-2012), contributing designer and technical/inspirational writer
- Rússneskt hekl á íslensku (Knitting Iceland, 2010), editor, publisher
- Knit your own Lopapeysa DVD (Knitting Iceland, 2010, Icelandic and English) - distributed in N-America by Up North Fiber Arts Supply
- Knitting Iceland - Patterns published online in English and Icelandic.
- Yarn Magazine (Australia, 2010), Freyja cardigan
Affiliations ~ Ragga Eiriksdottir
- The Icelandic Handicrafts Association
- TKGA
- Icelandic Association of Women Entrepreneurs
Awards or recognition:
- 2011 Entrepreneurial grant awarded by the Landsbanki Bank in Iceland
- 2012 Entrepreneurial grant awarded to women in small businesses by the Icelandic Ministry of Employment
Education ~ Ragga Eiriksdottir
- Graduated with a BSc degree in Nursing from the University of Iceland in 1995
- Studied hypnotherapy and deep relaxation when working in psychiatry 1996-7
- Intensive Training Institute in Sex Therapy - University of Guelph, Canada 2000