Off the needles but someone else's

Knitting is a cottage industry in Iceland.  There were sweaters everywhere, on the locals, on guys working in the streets, on guys on fishing boats, on ladies working in shops, and tourists.  We were with a tour group and someone said the hand knitters should get organized so they could sell their sweaters for a lower price.  I couldn't keep my mouth shut and said that I knit and it is typical to spend upwards of $80 for yarn for an adult sized sweater  if you don't buy good quality yarn it will look likes something the cat drug in after a short time  and then there are at least 60 hours of work in it.  Then the shop needs to mark it up to cover operating expenses.  They hadn't thought of it that way!  There were tourist shops all over and many of the small towns had a local hand made shop with all locally made items.  Some shops looked like church bazars and others were very artsy.  The hand knitters are organized and their sweaters have to meet certain standards.  The shops also sold felted items, buttons and such made from reindeer antlers, rams horns and cut lava stones, then there were leashes, keychains, bracelets and such made from horsetail hair,  wallets and pouches made from tanned fish skins, I should have taken more pictures, pottery, paintings and sketches and lots of artsy things.  I'll show you my sweater and purchases next week.  --Ann--
Linking to Judy's OTN