Knitting supplies - London

[fleacircus]

Help me please experienced knitters... I've bought a fab book from Pruni, want to get started on some of the projects but don't really know what I'm doing and am scared that if I buy wool online I'll get it wrong. Can anyone recommend somewhere good to get yarn and other knitting stuff? Either in North or central London ideally? Thank you!

John Lewis or Libertys are generally very helpful and have a reasonable range (not enough for some exacting mumsnetters but OK for most!). Loop if you are near Islington looks lovely to browse in.

Loop is nice, prices the same as anywhere else. I hear Liberty's have closed down their shop a bit.

There's meant to be a new shop in Central London, off Carnaby? I'll dig up the details.

loop tend to stock mostly very expensive "designer label" type of wool (or at least that was teh case on my one visit there) but the guys on the counter seem very knowledgeable and helpful

JL have a wider range of less expensie stuff, which of you are just starting you might be less worried about making mistakes with

oh, have just remembered, there is supposed to be some place on blackstock rd too, don't know the name and never visited so not sure how helpful this is

Ah, that's probably true, but as I'm a yarn ponce, I didn't notice. (Seriously, I can only knit with merino wool, nothing standard, it brings up my exzema something fierce.)

liberty's have finished revamping their yarn dept and it's lovely! has natural light so you can make sure of the colours. the only problem is exersizing restraint!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH

Oh - there is a place on Blackstock Road, a haberdashery? I assume that's the same place, I've been in there to get felt and embroidery stuff but that was before I started thinking about knitting so I wasn't paying attention. It's hilarious, though, terrifying witchy type owner. I'm actually too scared to go in alone, made my sister come with me last time.

Thanks for all the suggestions, Islington is really convenient for me so I'll check Loop out. Cheaper stuff would be good though as I am pretty much a novice and am trying to start with simple things; threatening DP with a scarf and hat to get myself started! Bless him, he's even promised he'll wear them. Going into central London on Saturday anyway so shall check out JL then - should've thought of that, feel a bit stupid!

If you want really cheap, practice yarn, James Selby department store on Holloway road sells a small selection of basic acrylic and baby yarns.

fleacircus, Blackstock rd is just round the corner from me and me and the dd's go into Lenarow, as it's called, almost every week (usually a ribbon for the girls and a couple of balls of Rowan for my stash).

She's certainly eccentric but has a good supply of yarns (both cheap and posh) so do give it another go..x

fleacircus, we'll meet you there if you like

oo, oo, if you are quick won't your local (lit or not) Lidl have some inexpensive cotton double knitting? Several of us topped up our stashes with this at the weekend and the colours are really quite pretty. There is one up your way isn't there bundy?

I think I more or less had the last of the cotton but did they did have some acrylic left. they're at the junction of blackstock rd and seven sisters (knifings permitting)

Will have to summon up the courage to go back. Maybe I'll even be brave enough to go on my own! Can't wait to get started knitting, I'm really excited about it. I'm just coming to the end of a needlework project so need something new to work on.

fleacircus you are freaking me out a bit (hello, I'm not stalking you I promise!) we are both teachers in north london, both ttc and both starting to knit! Are you sure you are not me???

I went to the stich and craft show at olympia today and picked up some nice wool. and some fab tips from the lovely knitting ladies. there's another in october at ally pally.

bellabear, i've never been to a stich and craft fair. can you get wool there? what is the main emphasis on?

The main floor was mainly needlpoint. Upstairs was knitting and scrapbooking stalls. There were some cool knitting stalls - web of wool (for stripey wool for socks) and a stall devoted to alpaca wool. There was a Black Sheep stall selling loads of cheap wool. The best bit was the knitting ladies where you could sit down with them and do some knitting and get some tips. It was my first, but my sister went to Excel and said that was a lot bigger with more wool buying opportunities, and the knitting ladies said to go to Alexandra Palace in October so will try that.
I expected more wool buying opportunities tbh, but it was good fun and I got some excellent advice.

hmmm, a couple of wool stalls doesn't really make it worthwhile for me, but that allypally one sounds good. i think i'll pop along.