Knitting...any one recommend any good yarn shops in London?

[Earthymama]

I'm going to see Tamsin Grieg in RSC production in London on Friday so will have time on Saturday to find a shop with interesting things like big wooden needles, different yarns and patterns.
So any ideas? I've found Loop and IKnit so far on t'int; what can you recommend?

Loop is alright, but not marvellous. Last time I went, it had a few precious items out, it was all a bit depressing, really.

John Lewis can be ok.

What part of the UK are you in? You may have better LYS to be fair.

Wait, should I dig up the picture of my favourite Canadian yarn store?

Liberty's wool dept is only ok too. But you do get to wander around Liberty, always nice...

can I just take this opportunity to say, that when I was in London, in fact the day I shared a rather super lunch with NQC ,, I visited Liberty and it was like a blow to the stomach, the denigration and desicration of LIberty's yarn and fabric department. I was gutted and distraught. I used to spend all my lunch hours in there when I worked in the office above what is now Benetton ( in the days when it was that dodgy bank that got busted) just fingering the chenille and the summer weight cottons.

I don't think I'll ever recover

Good luck to you in your quest EM

Not a crafter myself but there is a big shop in South London near Tooting Bec tube
this

Just to cheer you all up , here's a picture of my favourite yarn store, showing about a quarter of the shop ...

No idea.

It's not for her that I go there, it's for all the wool. There's more in another room off to the right, and more downstairs (cones, and bargains).

Oh, and the staff are helpful and informative. They have lots of books and patterns and needles and so on, too.

A handwritten notice asking customers to leave their bags at the desk is always the sign of a classy establishment.

Oh, it's not a classy knitting shop. But it's huge and full of yarn, of all kinds, from all over.

It's a bit grotty and chaotic, and a total nightmare to visit with a toddler. (Although they're nice about kids, really.)

DH's favourite yarn store is probably the NYC one he met Uma Thurman in, though. Not that he's that much of a fan, but it certainly gave him something to brag about at work ...

Is that shop in East London NQC. Not that I'm planning to take up knitting again, no, really I'm not, absolutely not even though I've just bought a great book about aran knitting, no really, but I might like to have a mooch around it one day.

Also, pop over to my thread about reduced hours and increased nursery fees and tell me whether I should stop working or not.

None of the great shops are in East London. The messy one is in Toronto, the one with Uma Thurman is in NYC.

I saw the thread about the nursery, but didn't know what to say. I thought you liked your job?

I sort of do, but I also sort of like not working. I think I'm being a bit of a drip today.

Thank you all for your responses. I really like to look at wool and yarn, to handle it and talk to the shop owner about it. I also want some nice wooden needles.
When I lived in St Helens there was a fab shop but I can't find one near here in Wales though am planning to visit Penarth where ther's a really highly commended YS.

I'm in London for theatre (if I can find the tickets in Christmas chaos) so thought it would be nice to visit a really good YS and a gallery and eat lovely food and go to a sophisticated though arty bar and look alternative and intelligent........and all in 2 days!

earthymama if you fancy a schlep to
vauxhall this place does special knitty evenings, though i've yet to try it..

as mentioned, John Lewis isn't bad and I quite like the helpful staff in Liberty's (regent st)

I know the shop in St Helens ! (my mum lives in N-le-W). Have a lovely time!

earthymama how did it go?

There's stash, in southwest london, have never been there somehow but...its good

theres also a place in forest row that is marvelous but a schlep, obviously.

if you want needles, I don't think you can go far wrong with kangaroo. Lantern moon are lovely but right now my second favourites are River John commuter needles

my favourites are the ones my 3 yo ds made me for xmas...

oh and john lewis...I dunno, I find it disapointing. depends what you're after really. Neither brent cross nor oxford street do much exciting stuff, no noro or anything. bit of louisa harding but thats about it

actually their range is not dissimilar to newport hobbycraft

(you're local to me, yes? have you tried yarns n' yarns? its a proper lys)