Just got back from a 10 day trip to Japan – six days in Kyoto, three days in Takayama and two in Osaka.

While our schedule was full of various tourist related site seeing spots I was able to pop into a couple of knitting related shops in hopes of getting a full set of Japanese knitting needles.

The first stop was Masuzakiya in the Porta shopping mall under Kyoto station. It wasn’t too hard to find once I asked for directions from the information booth and was given a map. It’s closest to the central entrance to Kyoto Station.

I did a double take when I first saw the shop because from the outside. The racks of sweaters in front make it look like any other clothing store in the mall. Once inside I could clearly see yarn along the walls and in bins on the floor.

I showed up in the late afternoon and was the only customer. Several clerks were ready to help but a bit perplexed when I walked in. I quickly scanned the shop and noticed all of the knitting supplies were behind the register. My first thought was that it wasn’t going to be easy to ask for needles but I did come prepared with a picture of a set of  Clover needles I had found on the internet. I pointed to the picture and  at first the clerk didn’t quite understand but eventually caught on and said “setto?” I nodded and said “Hi, setto”.   A set of  clover needles appeared – exactly as shown in the photo. Success! I then tried asking for smaller sized needles that weren’t in the set. She didn’t seem to have any. I also popped around the register to check out the Clover gadgets they carry. It all look pretty familiar to what was available back home – needles, stitch counters and etc.

Next stop was a craft store in the basement of Kyoto Tower called Yoshikawa. I thought I might have a hard time finding it but no, it’s quite easy to find. Just enter Kyoto Tower at the corner near Starbucks, go down the escalator and there it is. It takes up nearly the whole basement with no real store front to speak of.

Really this was the place I should have visited first. The set of needles I had bought at Masuzakiya were about $10 cheeper there! Also they had a much better selection of needles and gadgets. Not only did I find smaller sized needles but also picked up a few rulers including another Nihon Vogue gauge ruler. Not only did they have knitting supplies but also things for many other crafts. Everything was out in easy to reach displays. No need to ask for help.

Since I had gone to both shops for needles I can’t really comment on the yarn at both shops  but did have the impression that the yarn selection/quality was better at Masuzakiya.

Later that night when pulled out the set of knitting needles I noticed that the set only included even numbered needles (4 – 14).  How crazy is that! I really wanted a whole set including the odd sized needles. Darn it! The next evening I returned to pick up all the odd sized needles.

In case you’re wondering, the reason I wanted a full set of needles from Japan is that they come in a different size range than what is available in North America or Europe. Check out this gauge that came with the set. The needle number is on the left side of the hole and corresponding millimeters on the right side. These needles increase every .3 mm in size.

I’m not sure how much I’ll use these needles because the quality isn’t as good as my Addi Turbo needles. While the cords aren’t quite as bad as the ones on the Clover Bamboo needles they’re not as flexible as Addi Turbo or Knit Picks. Also they’re aluminum with no nickel plated finish.

Recently we flew to Barcelona and then drove over the border  to France and spent several days wondering around the small region  in the French Pyrenees called Ariège.

Our first day in Ariège we arrived at Auberge Les Myrtilles late in the afternoon and decided to settle in since it’s quite a drive to get to anywhere from there. It’s at the end of a road that stops at the foothills of snow sprinkled mountains.

After exploring the small village (about 20 full time residents) we  warmed ourselves in front of the fireplace and examined their stock of tourist brochures. Until then I really hadn’t given much thought to what we  were going to do in the countryside. I was just glad to finally be on vacation.

One particularly interesting brochure published by the local chamber of agriculture lists all types of farms that one could visit for a tour and/or purchase products directly from the farmer. Two mohair goat farms caught my interest. I suggested that if we happened to be in that area we should stop by for a visit.

The first farm, Les Bergers Cathares, that we visited is between Le Mas-d’ Azil and Pamiers. When we got near Rouzaud we spotted signs with arrows and the word “Mohair”. The brochure mentioned that this farm raised mohair goats and operated a boutique that is open to the public. When we stepped out of the car we noticed the flock of goats out in the pasture. With so much fiber on their backs, at a distance they could be easily mistaken for sheep.

The farm’s boutique offered two types of mohair yarn, one that was 100% kid mohair called Caresse and another with 77% kid mohair and 23% silk called Diva.  Besides knitting yarn they carried various articles of clothing and blankets. At first it was quite overwhelming. I’ve never knitted with mohair so I had a hard time deciding how much to purchase; especially since I had no projects in mind. Inspired by the blue version of this sweater, I ended up purchasing four balls of  Diva in various shades of blue. I just hope that’s enough to make a lace scarf.

Unfortunately the other mohair farm that we wanted to visit wasn’t open that day. We should have planned our timing better because both farms are in the same general area. A couple of days later we decided that we would really like to visit a another farm and this time get a tour.

Mohair Pyrénées was well worth the visit. I think the owner was a bit surprised when we drove up for the 5:00 pm tour. I bet they don’t normally see American tourist in October. Even though we were the only tourist there, Nicole was very happy to show us around. We started the tour by watching a video about how mohair yarn from the farm processed and spun into yarn. After the video we went straight off to a barn full of yearlings. Her dog Scottie rounded them all up and guided us to a near by pasture. While in the pasture we petted the goats and visited with Nicole in Spanish and French. After spending time with the little ones Nicole took us to another pasture full of older goats. Scottie guided them to a stand of trees and Nicole pulled down branches for them to feed. She said it was like dessert for them. With 150 goats, we were wondering what happens to the older ones and asked if they ever eat the goats. Nicole emphatically respond, no. We could tell she loved raising these goats and that they seemed more like pets than livestock.

After the tour she opened her boutique for us. I was surprised to find how much bigger it was than the one at the other farm. It seem to have many more articles of clothing and a bigger selection of yarn colors. She also had several pattern books. I tried to resist buying more yarn but as usual, I managed to buy four more balls
of Diva; this time in red. Nicole also gave me a small cotton bag as a special gift.

After visiting Museu Tèxtil i d´Indumentària we wondered the narrow streets of this old neighborhood enjoying the shops and old architecture.

I knew there was another small yarn shop in the area but thought I had done enough yarn shopping that day. Lately I’ve been trying to not to make any more impulsive yarn purchases until I use up what I have. It’s amazing how fast yarn can accumulate over the years, especially if there was no intended project when it is purchased. Only one stray ball of yarn has actually turned into a finished object, that was the yarn I used to make the swallowtail shawl. That yarn was purchased almost three years ago while on vacation in Paris. OK, so earlier in the day I did buy some  J&S Shetland yarn from Persones Llanes. I justified that purchase because I can’t readily get that brand where I live.

Well, somehow we eventually ended up at La Barcelana.

We popped our head into the door and I briefly looked at the yarns. Our timing wasn’t great because I think they were just about to close for the afternoon break. Various unlabeled yarns were stashed in bins along one wall and in the back room a woman was weaving on a large loom. This time I stuck to my pledge and didn’t buy anything. While the shop did display a few knitted items I got the idea that this shop catered mostly to weavers.

My first yarn store visit in Barcelona was to Persones Llanas. That’s me standing in front of the store happily clutching my purchases.

So, this is crazy – while in Barcelona I end up purchasing wool from Shetland.

Official Tally:

– 1 ball of J & S Jumper weight

– 6 balls of J & S Lace weight

– 3 balls of J & S cobweb

We asked about local Spanish wool. Isn’t merino from Spain?

Apparently it’s not being produced although the owners mentioned they are working with a local artisan and were hoping to get a shipment soon.

I don’t speak Spanish so I’m not sure a what the whole story is. That’s what my husband relayed to me after a long discussion with one of the owners who is from Barcelona. The other is originally from Tucson but she was giving a lesson in the loft.

My husband wryly mentioned that we were on a world wide tour of yarn stores. The response was, I know what you mean.

This is a really small yarn shop. Notice the display on the left? That’s just about the whole stock and I think much of it is from the US. In case you’re interested, they do offer a PDF catalog via their website. Since my current knitting phase is learning about Shetland knitting, I was thrilled to buy some Jamieson & Smith wool. Now I have some for comparison with VY and Jamieson.

The owners are very enthusiastic advocates of knitting and are encouraging Barcelonians to expand their knitting horizons. The next day I purchased a copy of Verena Moda De Punto, the local knitting magazine and noticed an article about “Nuevas Costumbres” which included a photo of group of  young knitters gathered in the loft knitting.

The store is conveniently located in the old part of town not to far from the Picasso museum. Across the street from the Picasso museum is an interesting textile museum.

On our way to the City History Museum of Barcelona in the old town, I was able to convince my husband to pop our heads into Merceria Santa Ana to check out a more traditional Spanish craft shop.

We didn’t get very far into the shop before we came across the button counter on the first floor. It quickly dawned on me that I might as well check their stock for something that might work for the Firebirds cardigan.

Many of the buttons were attached to cards that sit in bins on the counter sorted by type/color. There were also stacks of boxes with buttons behind the counter.

Like every late Saturday afternoon, this place (and any other store on this busy pedestrian street) was very busy.  I sifted thorough the cards as quickly as possible, hoping my husbands patience wouldn’t run thin. While they had a really good selection of buttons and several claps, it was soon apparent that finding what I had in mind in a short period of time could be difficult. I finally settled on some buttons that seemed to fit the bill; ones with a dark metal tone.

Since my husband speaks fluent Spanish I had him do the talking.  Apparently, these buttons were not in the boxes behind the counter but had to be delivered from the stock room. As we waited for the buttons to arrive, one of the clerks working in the back room spilled what sounded like a full cannister of buttons on the ground. It got everyone’s attention including many of the clerks in the area who came to her aid. We all watched as many hands helped clean up the spill.

After what seemed like an eternity, my buttons arrived but the alert clerk noticed that they were the wrong color. He then placed another order with the backroom for the correct ones. As we waited for the second delivery, the place seemed to get even more busy with people starting a queue for the next clerk. Finally the long sought after buttons arrived and the clerk handed a hand written ticket to my husband, mentioning that we had to now pay the cashier and collect the buttons with the receipt. This confused my husband until I reminded him of the time we went shopping in Paris at a similar store. Apparently, it was the same system. You to tell a clerk what you want, they get it, write a ticket, you take the ticket to the casher to pay and then you collect the purchase with a receipt from the cashier.

By the time we got the buttons, I was no longer interested in checking out their yarn selection. Normally such experiences wouldn’t frustrate me but I felt bad about dragging my husband into the shop and then not making it to the museum in time before it closed.

Not leaving well enough alone, this weekend I went to a few yarn stores here to check out what they had. None had as good a selection as Merceria Santa Ana. I really wanted some clasps but all seemed to either be too big or made in shiny silver. I did however find an alternative.
Don’t tell my husband, but I think I’ll use the ones I found today.

When I started knitting again several years ago I made a point of visiting several yarn stores while on vacation in London and Paris. As a knitter it seemed like an excited thing to do but, for my husband it turned into several diversions that I’m sure weren’t on his list of places to visit. Although he was very patient, I could tell he’d much rather else where.

It was on that trip, after checking out several yarn stores, that I realized that I could buy most of the best yarns from around the world at my local yarn stores or through the Internet. With that being the case, I started to question whether it was really a wise idea to spend time seeking out yarn stores while on vacation.

Well as I mentioned several weeks ago, while on vacation in Tokyo last month, I did happen to stop by Okayada in Shinjuku to pick up  Clover’s new row counter which is called “Mini Kacha-Kacha”. This time I decided it was OK to check out this craft store since it just happened to be within walking distance of our hotel and I knew exactly what I was looking for. I promised that I wouldn’t stay too long.

If you do like searching for yarn stores while you’re on vacation and find yourself in Tokyo I would recommend two sources of information on where to go.
1. Download Pinku’s excellent list of stores that I found thanks to a post on Knitter’s Review. Just find the link to the Excel spreadsheet.
2. Vogue Knitting, Fall 2005 has an article on knitting in Japan that list several stores.

Okayada is a craft store destination that’s in a couple of skinny buildings between Studio Alta and the JR train tracks. To get there just walk out the east exit of the Shinjuku JR station and start heading north towards Studio Alta, a building with a big movie screen (which is just below the JCB Card board in the picture). It’s just a couple of blocks to the left near the train tracks. Somehow we ended up in the building that sells fabric and after climbing several fights of stairs realized that the knitting section was in another building on the fifth floor around the corner.

Since I didn’t need any yarn and my husband had tired feet, I only stayed there long enough for quickly tour around the fifth floor to peek at the yarn and to buy the row counter.  Although I didn’t look too closely, they seemed to carry a good selection of yarn. Unfortunately,  I forgot to check the prices but think Japanese yarns probably are not any cheaper than in the US. At least the row counter wasn’t.

On my way to the NWRSA conference, I decided to make a brief detour to Woodland Woolworks. I’ve been getting their catalogs for about a year now and several times have been tempted to place an order but end up talking myself out of buying more stuff until I work through my current backlog.

Although it was a worth while detour (especially since my husband was not in tow), it’s definitely off the beaten track. Once off I5 my trip seemed to slow considerably as I wound my way through the 99W suburban mess. The trip got considerably more pleasant once past Sherwood. At this point, the landscape started looking more like the rolling hills of Tuscany. After passing several vineyards, it dawned on me that I  must be in the heart of Oregon wine country.

After winding  through this scenic country side, I was totally underwhelmed to find Woodland Woolworks housed in new-ish warehouse factory on the outside of town. The building wasn’t even worthy of a photo.  I quickly got over the look of the building once inside. Heck, after all I wasn’t there to see the outside of the building.

At first, I was a bit confused by the set up. The entrance guides you straight into their order packing room and I happened to show up just as  a large group of fellow NWRSA members were finishing their purchases. After I figured out that I shouldn’t be picking through the boxes in this room, I finally came upon the overstock/discount room. It was mostly stocked with yarns but also had a few spinning and weaving item. Nothing caught my eye, but I’m sure lots of other knitters would have been thrilled with some of the bargains. I’ve been trying not to buy any more yarns unless I have a specific purpose for it.

Besides the bargain room there were three other show rooms in the building; one with spinning wheels and tools; another with weaving stuff and a third with knitting tools, yarns, books and fibers. Since I’m not a weaver, I really didn’t give that room a second look.

I spent a bit of time in the room with the spinning wheels, debating on whether I should purchase a pair of Forsyth mini combs.  Since I already have a wheel I didn’t look closely at them but I can tell you that they have just about every brand on the market. I also thought about getting a "Spinner’s Control Card" but wasn’t sure I really needed it. After later hearing Rita mention that this tool couldn’t be an accurate way to find substitute yarns, I sure glad I didn’t get it. I’ll save details about why for a later post.

Since I really didn’t need anymore spinning tools, I spent most of my time wondering through the yarn and fiber sections. My main justification for going to Woodland Woolworks was to purchase 1.5 pounds of plum merino for my current project. (Yes, I’m still considering whether I’ll stick to the pattern or deviate a bit.) Anyways, I quickly found what I was looking for. They definitely had one of the most comprehensive selections of fibers, yarns, books and tools that I’ve ever seen. I just wish it didn’t take four hours to get there.

I was a bit tired and hungry after the long drive so I only browsed for 1/2 hour and managed to get out with only buying what I came to get. While I usually buy most of my yarn and books at local shops, I’ll still consider Woodland Woolworks when  I can’t find what I’m looking for locally. Since they have a wide range of fibers and spinning tools, it’s more than likely that as I use up my fiber stock that I’ll place an order through their website in the future.

By the way, despite advertising in NWRSA’s Loose Threads, they did not have a booth at the conference. Someone mentioned that they haven’t shown up at conferences for awhile now, but nobody knew for sure why.