LYS

Winnie’s Craft Cafe

| Elanor

I was in Winnie’s Craft Cafe this weekend. Address is 3 Woodbine Park  Booterstown, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, call +353 1 260 3734.

Winnie's Craft Cafe
Winnie’s Craft Cafe

I was unfortunately accompanied by a tired but manic toddler, so there was no sitting down, having a hot chocolate and sampling cake for me, it was as much of an in-out job as I could make it!

It’s quite difficult to find unless you know it’s there – not really the kind of place you’ll just happen across as it’s in a small parade of shops in the middle of a housing estate. Sat-nav lady got me there safe and sound though, good girl.

Winnie’s stocks Sirdar, Patons, some Rowan and lots of lovely Drops. Drops is brill stuff cos it’s pretty good quality AND cheap. I don’t know how they do it, acually.

I came away with 3 balls of Fabel, 2 of metal-shiny cotton viscose and a single sirdar supersoft aran for a commission. And some pins so I could block some sample swatches I needed to wash. And the whole lot was 10-something. Euro!

I left hastily before my son could fall over again or rip anything else off the walls (and before they realised they’d undercharged, I mean, they must have)!

Definitely will go again next time I’m home. I’m determined to get that slice of cake!

Loop-di-loop!

| Elanor

Excited to have an excuse to go fondle some yarn! I need to source some DK-weight silk (or bamboo) blend yarn in high-contrast colours from an indie yarnie or spinner based in the UK or Ireland. This is for a design that needs to be finished by July 1st, so LET ME KNOW if you have such a beast!

I’m going to take the two little skeinlings with me, oh joy! Does the buggy come too or no? Eternal question for mums on the tube! Tired babies versus hoiking the wheels… no, it comes, otherwise i’ll be carrying the pair of lumps up all those stairs at Angel!

I’m especially eager to see these yarns:

Juno Pearl Image

ImageOld Maiden Aunt – Alpaca Silk Sport/fine DK

I really, really hope loop have swatched with these, cos otherwise I may be spending <gulp> £38 squids!

Nesting Instinct

| Elanor

My kniteratti gang made a stash swoop on Nest in Crouch End today. Pretty shop and yummy cake! And it’s now open on a Sunday which just rocks. Handsome man took the kidlets round to Aunties’ and I got an afternoon off! Bliss! Got myself some pretties too.

Nest

I would love if Nest was closer to me. It’s in Crouch End, and it’s a pain in the neck to get to it from where I live. I’m not going to be able to dash there quickly if I run out of yarn the night before a deadline. Boo :(

It’s in a wee little row of shops round back of the high street. Quite an unassuming entrance, but when you go in, all the lovely yarn makes a gorgeous vista in front of you. In the window are some wispy, lacey garments that someone’s put a lot of effort into, and on the table in front of you is a rainbow jumble of singles for your squooshing pleasure.

Finer yarn is on the left and thicker on the right. They have it all listed on their site, so I won’t bore you with the details, but it’s quality stuff at a decent price. I’m particularly fond of the small skeins of JC Rennie 100% lambswool I picked up for £1.25 each. They also had stuff I’d never heard of, and most of them got a manhandling from me. I’m not a crocheter except for trimmings, but it did look like they were well-stocked for crochet enthusiasts too. I loved the little trinkets and bibelots that were dotted ’round the shop too. There were very cute earrings made to look like a ball of yarn with needles stuck through, and I also like the button set with the flower, stem and pot each on a different one.

Best two things though were the cake (lemon curd) and the knowledgeable service. Aplayfulday was there, who just happens to be a PRvangelist “for members of the fibre community”. Hmmm… can you smell the oil burning from the speed of the spinning of the cogs? There’s a card that’s gone straight into the contacts folder now!