Tuesday 14 September 2010

The Wool Shop Tour of the Eastern Region

OK, so I am starting to feel a little bit as if I live in the Wool Shop capital of the world. Whenever I go out of Cambridge, I find marvellous, marvellous wool shops.
A wool shop a wool shop a wool shop! Shall I go in, oh go on then might as well
I’m starting to think I should start Wool Shop Tours Of The Eastern Region. It would be great. We could hire a coach and I could be just like my hero, Brendan from Coach Trip. I would have a clipboard and I could shepherd (see what I did there?) my flock of knitters around the wilder reaches of the Fens, in a whirl of yarn and buns. I promise I wouldn’t make you go to Aldeburgh. We could play Red Devils on the bus, or Pub Cricket, or the game my mother invented where the first person to see a man with a beard out of the window wins (we used to make our own entertainment). Now doesn’t that sound better than Knit Camp? Touring the Fens on a steamy bus and shouting at men with beards? Of course it does. Shall I start organising it? Shall I ring up about visas?
The sign, it beckoned, but I needed no encouragement
So, yesterday I went to Ely Wool Shop. For those of you who know Ely, it’s right opposite the Cromwell museum. I went in search of some nice yarn to send to my swap partner in the Ravelry Blog Hub swap, which I got, hooray. And then, I was slightly mugged by some Malabrigo Lace which I saw sitting near the till. Malabrigo Lace! Exactly the colour of a summer sky! (I think I can remember what a summer sky looks like). I squeaked with involuntary delight. I patted it. It was like patting a gentle woolly cloud. Readers, I am afraid some Malabrigo Lace came home with me for a Featherweight Cardigan. Because you may remember the Citron, and how much I enjoy knitting long, long rows of laceweight. But I promise I will not moan (and actually the Citron is now finished and looking rather smart. If there is enough light to take photos in I will unveil it tomorrow).

Anyway, I loved Ely Wool Shop, and I thought it had a really nice, varied selection of wool – Malabrigo (it is so soft!), Manos del Uruguay, Artesano and lots, lots more, also a lovely selection of buttons, needles and what not. I liked it very much. My yarn budget is now essentially spent up to 2015 but who knows, I may win the lottery or I may have a moment of weakness and be back. I am quite likely to have a moment of weakness, if I am honest with myself. More likely than I am to win the lottery, as I wouldn’t know how to buy a ticket.
I want to touch it. Do you want to touch it? I do
There was one thing that threw me a little, though. I’m sure I spotted a couple of the giant balls of Aran. Does this throw my Wool Shop Theory out of the water? It’s possible that a New New Wave of Wool Shops is emerging which combines the best of all styles and worlds, giant Aran, Malabrigo, lovely wooden needles and light and airy surroundings. That sounds ok to me.
I am not going to look at you because I am part of the display. This is my job. Jeez
The one thing Ely Wool Shop didn’t have was a window display quite as innovative as this one I spotted a couple of doors down. I just put that forward as a suggestion, because I’m sure cat + wool wouldn’t be a completely disastrous and appalling combination at all. We all know cats are easy to train.

10 comments:

Chrissy said...

And why haven't you shown us your lovely lovely new Malabrigo Lace. I want to see the summer sky WAHHHH!!!!

Susie said...

Oh I know! I'll take the summer sky in any form I get it this year. Keep your fingers crossed for me the rain lets up tomorrow then I can take pics ;-).

Marushka C. said...

I just bought my first skein of Malabrigo Lace. It's lavender and so soft & pretty that I am almost afraid to knit with it. For now I just open the storage bin occasionally to admire it.

Spundun said...

I am sobbing quietly right now. Want. To. Live. In. Ely.

Yes, a yarn + cat display would be perfect. I can be their cat!

Susie Jefferson said...

I think the cat should move into the woolshop forwith, if not sooner! Cats are intelligent and innovative, and I am sure an intricate juggling act - with wool balls, Malabringo Lace and some large (blunt ended) wooden knitting needles is sure to feature any minute now...

Vivianne said...

Ely is just down the road from my sister ....;-)

Susie said...

Please, someone, teach a cat to juggle? I bet they can.

Everyone should move to Ely because it actually has 3, yes 3, wool shops. One of them is called the Ely Cycle Centre and it also sells DIY equipment, toys, fabric, airfix and yes cycles. If Mary Portas ever went in it the thought of having to rebrand it would probably make her collapse on the spot.

Oh Miss West said...

You're trying to hurt me, aren't you? I don't live in the Wool Shop Capital of the world. I don't live within walking distance of great wool shops (well, to be fair, I don't live within walking distance of anything other than my neighbors' homes).

I need to save my yarn money, and come visit you.

Silver said...

I will so come on your wool tour (and besides, it would be a good excuse to finally visit the UK). I'm usually iffy about going on slightly snooty-sounding fiber-arts-related tours, but I know yours wouldn't be snooty or pander mostly to rich ladies with lots of free time. :D

Susie said...

No, it definitely wouldn't be snooty ;-).

And I know my tour-organiser skills must be killer, because I once successfully got my mother and Aunty Kath on the tube from St Pancras to Harrods... and back again!