Yarn Trek

So, I took Boyfriend on a yarn store excursion yesterday, and it was so much fun! I imagine that most of you know that I live in Philadelphia (close enough), so this was a Philly-fied yarning day.

First, we stopped at Reading Terminal Market. Anyone who has been there knows how awesome it is. Full of all different food stands and yummy treats. This was me basically throwing a bone to Boyfriend. He loves to cook and learn about food, and going to the Market was a nice thank you for coming with me to the yarn stores.

So, after chowing down on some General Tso's chicken and wonton soup, we set a trail for Nangellini. This was my first time in the store, and it was a pleasant one. It specializes in novelty yarns, but there were some more conventional ones too. They also have paintings and finished knit or crocheted objects to buy. They seem to really be the epitome of the "new vanguard" of fiber art: young, hip, and alternative. The owner has some awesome crazy colored hair, and the entire shop seemed very young, if you catch my meaning. The sales people were helpful but not overbearing, and the atmosphere, all in all, was welcoming and slightly kooky. As for the yarns, there were a lot of yarns where I just looked and said "wtf?" But that's the point of novelty yarn, isn't it? They also had more traditional wools and Noro, some mohair and silk (Debbie Bliss, I think, wonderfully soft stuff). But what they pride themselves on, as far as I can tell, is their recycled silk. Basically, from what I understand, it is taken from sari mill ends in India, where women spin it into yarn. It's irregular and sort of fuzzy, but the colors were breathtaking. Such vibrancy! Lemme see if I can find a photo...

There we are. Although I can't say that the photo does justice to the color. It's gorge. It's about $14 for a 100 gm, 100 yard skein, which didn't seem too bad. Since I'm a wimp, I picked up a conventional yarn, Elizabeth Austen Andes. The color was Boyfriend's choice. Although it's not the most exciting yarn, the color is pretty and the price was right. It was in the half-off bin, so it cost me about $5. Not sure what I'll do with it, though. I was thinking maybe a pair of hobo style mittens for the Boyfriend, since he loved the color so much.

Next, it was off to Sophie's Yarns. This is easily the most chill yarn shop I have ever visited. They had just gotten a new order in, and the owner (Jennifer?) was sitting on the floor, putting yarn on the shelves. She excused the mess and explained that she had decided to have some pancakes instead of going into work early. Can't fault her for that, I would have done the same thing. The atmosphere was really friendly and chatty. We talked about shawls, Susan Bates sock needles, schools and yarn, among others. At one point, she asked us if we minded if she brought the cat in. Of course we didn't, so we were treated to a friendly, sweet, and exceedingly soft cat. She even allowed us in the back to check out the yarn still in the boxes! The selection was quite nice, being mostly workhorse yarns. There was a big selection of Ella Rae Classic and Happy Feet DK, along with a lot of Plymouth Tweed. A lot of Tweed. There was also a decent amount of Noro. It was all gorgeous. I ended up getting a skein of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky out of the $6 bin:
Holy crappy picture, Batman! Sorry about that. It's really a lovely olive, almost military green. I'm thinking a hat.

Last but not least, we went to Loop. From what I understand, this is the most well known and well established yarn store in the area. The atmosphere is more businesslike, although the salespeople were friendly and there was a knitting circle starting. The selection is out of this world, but definitely skews towards higher end yarns. It's organized neatly and nicely, and the shop itself is lovely. I walked away triumphant with what I had come to the city for:
Malabrigo. Hot damn does this stuff feel soft. If you don't remember, it's for the Pauline I want to make. I think the sophisticated color will offset the possible childishness of a bonnet. I don't usually pay $12 for a skein of yarn, but this stuff is very soft, and I figure it's a learning experience. I mean, there's got to be a reason so many people love this stuff.

So, thus ends my mini yarn shop review of Philadelphia. I haven't been to Rosie's Yarn Cellar yet, but I shall make that trip someday. In conclusion, go to Nangellini if you like funky yarns in a funky shop, Sophie's if you like a chill atmosphere and affordable workhorse yarns, and Loop if you're pulling in the expensive yarn big guns. They're all great in their own way, and you really can't lose.