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If you are living in London and looking for joints that provide quality yarn and wool supplies, look no further. We have several places where you can shop for wool, needles, and haberdashery. These places are as contrasting as it gets. From the bustling departmental stores in the central part of the city to independently owned shops that are situated in the outskirts of the capital and are at the south of the river.
300 Oxford St, Marylebone, W1C 1DX
At the heart of the city, John Lewis stands as a towering symbol of fashion and style. On its fourth floor, you will find an assortment of some of the best quality supplies for knitting and wool work. It includes needles, patterns, books along with the wool from some of the top brands in the world such as Wool and the Gang, King Cole, Baa Ram Ewe, Rowan, and a reliable in-house brand of their own.
In the middle of the haberdashery and knitting area, the store displays a curated workspace. It consists of a table with equipment for the craft an array of knitting projects made with gigantic spools that are used to sit on as chairs. This spot is the epicenter of The Knit Hub, an in-house event by John Lewis which introduces workshops for knitters of every ability. On the first Monday of each month, Rowan Knit Club meets at the same spot.
Waterloo, Studio 8, Make Space Studios, Newnham Terrace
Make Space Studios house this store which is a hub of artists and craftspeople. A visit there is a unique experience because you would have to climb up a long flight of stairs and then ring the bell to get permission to enter the premises. The store is merely a five-minute walk away from Waterloo Station.
Coral Andrews is at the managerial helm and deals with every visitor with a smile, sitting in a corner, and getting on with her latest knitting or crochet project. Since its inception, it is independently owned by Gerard Allt. They have wool and supplies from many brands apart from their own, I Knit Or Dye. This wool is hand-dyed in every color of the rainbow in their Liverpool Studio. Then, it is transported to the south of the city to be sold in the shop in London.
Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8EL
Peter Jones is a subsidiary of the famous John Lewis. It has a smaller selection than its parent store but it provides a more tranquil and serene experience of shopping and interaction among the like-minded people at the Sloane Square in Chelsea’s upmarket when compared to Oxford Street. The store offerings include pattern books and design catalogs along with an assortment of wool from Bergère de France, Erika Knight, Rowan, Wool, and the Gang, and John Lewis’s own brand.
There are aisles and shelved full of Knit Pro needles that come in multiple colors and finish with Symfonie wood finish.
Regent St, Carnaby, W1B 5AH
Situated in a room at the back of a gorgeous Tudor-revived building, it is the home ground for the Rowan brand’s wool and other knitting supplies, so a tremendous display and number of accessories is a must. You can also enlighten your inner knitter with pattern books and design brochures to take up your game to the next level. Liberty offers the most luxurious and expensive yarn you could buy in the world. The selection extends to hemp, mohair, cashmere, denim, linen, fleece, lace, and alpaca.
There is a trade-off between value for money and superior quality products. for the pros with a hefty budget for knitting supplies, it could be a viable option. For the novices, it is better to learn with affordable pieces and then graduating to the luxury ones.
15 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EA
This is also one of the stores that will compel you to come back and forget you are on a budget. Located in the Islington part of London City, it is a shop with an excellent yarn collection, an assortment of embroidery and knitting needles, and haberdashery sourced from the best suppliers of the world. They have an active shopping website where you can browse through their endless range of kits, pattern books, and place your order. After the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, their London shop is open too.
You will also find items and articles made of wool, such as mittens, caps, and so much more if you do not want to knit one yourself. The brands displayed in the shop include Sophie Digard, Julie Arkell, Nathalie Lete. At the shop, they also host workshops and classes where renowned teachers from around the world teach the intricacies of the art.
Susan Cropper is the owner of the joint. She is a New Yorker living in London.
It does not matter if you need a glossy multinational brand store or a rundown independent store to purchase your knitting supplies, London has so much to offer. Only you should know where to shope It is true that you can online from the comfort of your home, but there is no match to the physical experience of the store with endless aisles and rows of merchandise, just enough to get lost in the fantasy.
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