Despite the driving and the viewing of ruins and the rain and all the rest of the vacation, I’ve managed to sneak in a bit of knitting here and there; enough so that yesterday afternoon I finally finished my first Jaywalker sock for the SYAC sock swap.
Just to show you where this sock was completed, here’s the sock silhouetted against the view from the window in our room (hint – we’re in Cashel).
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And here it is in all its striped and swoopy glory.
Still not much luck tracking down any yarn. We swung through Blarney and wandered through the Blarney Woollen Mills, a place one might expect to find yarn. There was a small table of it, true, and the price was fantastic – $16 Euros for a bag of 10 skeins of DK yarn in tweedy colors. But it just didn’t speak to me, nor did I want to buy yarn just for the sake of buying yarn, because I’ve already got far too much yarn like that in my stash as it is. So I left it there, and am hopeful that perhaps we’ll still find a yarn store somewhere in this country in the remaining two weeks of this trip.
Any Irish knitters out there who might want to help me out? Internet time is extremely limited, so doing lengthy Google searches isn’t really feasible these days (all pictures and journal entries are compiled and edited, such as they are, offline, before we’re uploading stuff, because they sometimes charge by the minute, depending on where we’ve been).
Your sock is enjoying a heck of a nice view.
Here’s a link to the Wool Works list of shops in Ireland: http://www.woolworks.org/stores/ireland.html
Okay, and what’s on that page. Sorry for the long comment, but I hope it helps out.
Blarney Woolen Mills
Blarney, County Cork, Ireland
+353 (21) 385280
Sold yarn in 20 50gr skein bags. Great prices. Nice yarn called Emerald Aran. Limited selection of colors, since they only carry their yarn. They had cotton and bouclés also. Have other stores at Dublin, Killarney, Kilkenny and Cobh. The main store had more yarn selection.
Brandon Yarns
Parteen (near Limerick)
Ireland
Cobh Knitwear
14, Midleton St,
Cobh (pronounced Cove), Ireland
Cork Craft Supplies
Paul Street Shopping Centre
Cork, Ireland
+353 (21) 4254613
Owner: Mrs Christine O’Mahony
email: crafts@corkcraftsupplies.com
World Wide Web: http://www.corkcraftsupplies.com
Needlework, haberdashery products, rug plans, fabric dyes, bits and bobs, beadwork design, quilts and patchwork, tapestry and kits.
Cork Wools
10/11 Market Parade
Patrick St
Cork, Ireland
+353 (21) 4274816
Craftspun Yarns
The Old Mill
Johnstown, Naas, Co Kildare, Ireland
+353 (45) 876881
fax: +353 (45) 879371
Owners: Andrew, Elizabeth, Warren Ogden, Dolores O’Moore
Driving instructions: from Dublin take N7 to Naas (18 miles). Johnstown is a small village on the left with a traffic light and sign, 2 miles before the Naas turnoff. At the light, get into the left turn lane. The store is easily visible from the light, it is a bright peach/pink with green trim. This is an old mill and a yarn distributor. They have an excellent collection of yarn for knitting and weaving, in skein and on the cone. They had a lot of natural (undyed) wool yarn that was really lovely. They carry wool, cotton, cotton/linen, alpaca/Wool and mohair yarn. The prices were great, the shopkeeper friendly, the building charming. M-F 9:30am – 5:30pm, Sat 10:00am – 1:00pm.
Destiny Yarns
Rathdowney
Portlaoise
Co. Laois, Ireland
+353 (505) 48801
fax: +353 (505) 48801
Owner: Carmel Guilfoyle
email: destiny-yarns@yahoo.com
100% Cotton yarn in 40 shades on 1 kilo cone price retail 40euro per kilo (20x50g). Mail order shade cards available on request.
Elegant Stitch
Innisfallen Shopping Mall
Killarney, Ireland
Ennis Wool Centre
37A Lr. Market St.
Ennis, Ireland
Fashion Wools
40, North St,
Skibbereen, Ireland
Fashion Yarns
Bandon S.C.
Bandon, Ireland
Harts
Ash St,
Clonakilty, Ireland
Hickeys Fabrics Shops
Henry St
Dublin 1, Ireland
+353 (1) 8730714
The only city-centre shop in Dublin to offer a decent selection of wool. Head downstairs for a good range of Wendy, Sirdar and Tivoli and a very small selection of Rowan yarn. Submitter reports that staff aren’t very knowledgeable. All other city-centre wool shops stick mostly to cheap acrylics – the best shop in the city is the Wool Shop in Bray.
Innisfallen Wools & Knits
Innisfallen S.C. Main St.
Killarney, Ireland
Kerry Woollen Mills
Ballymalis, Beaufort,
Co. Kerry, Ireland
+353 (64) 44122
fax: +353 (64) 44556
Killarney Handicraft Centre
74 High St,
Killarney, Ireland
Little Bo Peep
46/47 Moore Street
Kilrush
Co. Clare, Ireland
+353 (65) 9051643
Owner: Deirdre Culligan
email: deeculligan@utvinternet.com
Stockist of a wide range of knitting yarns and patterns, mohair, cotton, baby wools etc. Tivoli, Sirdar and Wendy yarns.
Melanie’s
Unit 3 Riverview Main St.
Ballinasloe
Co Galway, Ireland
+353 (509) 41937
Owner: Melanie Langlois
email: MLang24205@aol.com
A vast range of yarns, patterns, accessories, tapestry, cross-stitch, embroidery, crochet, quilting, needlepoint kits, children’s craft supplies, ribbons, buttons, bows, spinning wheels by Ashford, looms, dyes, and large haberdashery range. Free tea or coffee while you browse. Children’s play area. Home delivery for disabled or housebound. Mail order welcome.
Munster Knit & Sew Centre
Lotabeg, Mayfield
Cork, Ireland
The National Knitting Centre
Lisfannon
Buncrana
Co. Donegal, Ireland
+353 (77) 62355
fax: +353 (77) 62357
email: cranaknits@tinet.ie
World Wide Web: http://www.celtic-internet.com/cranaknits/
Yarns suitable for Aran handknitters. All natural fibres.
Pins and Needles
36 Stephen St
Waterford, Ireland
+353 (51) 823212
Shipstitch
Shannon Town Centre,
Shannon, Ireland
Singer Sewing Centre
34 Ralahine
Ballybrack, Co. Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
+353 (1) 2853742
fax: +353 (1) 276 1673
email: singerbray@info.com
World Wide Web: http://www.singerbray.com
This family-owned centre carries a limited selection of yarns (no luxury brands), mostly aran, chunkies and acrylics at good prices. They do carry Tivoli. The nearby Wool Shop is a must-see.
Springwools
Olde Sawmills
Ballymounte Rd 12
Dublin, Ireland
Driving Instructions: from Dublin take M50. Submitter couldn’t remember the exit, but the phone book map had it. From the highway, take Ballymount Rd (submitter thinks it was east) and the Old Sawmill building is poorly labeled on your right. The building is off the road a bit, looking almost like a strip mall, behind another building that is on the street. It is after the gas station. If you get into town with a 6 or 7 road round-about, circle back. This store is a mini-WEBS. They carry a huge amount of yarn given their very small store. They have a lot of selection, but seem to specialize in over-runs. They have both skeins and coned yarn. Submitter thought the coned yarn was more special and wonderfully priced. The cone yarn seems to be from the mills that produce the aran sweaters for sale. Submitter highly recommends this store.
Stitches
Shopping Arcade
Mallow, Ireland
Tivoli Spinners Ltd
Tivoli Mills
Cork, Ireland
This is where Tivoli wool is spun. They probably have a shop on the premises.
Traditional Creations
The Courtyard 38 Scotch Quarter
Carrickfergus, Ireland BT387DP
+353 (1960) 363672
Owner: Jacqui Gilpin
email: gilpin@creations.unite.net
Stocking major brands of knitting wools and craft supplies. Tapestry and embroidery supplies including anchor materials, cross stitch kits, etc.
Traditions
Lower Cross Street
Galway, Ireland
+353 (91) 564838
fax: +353 (91) 564838
Owner: Marie McAlinney
This is a hand knit sweater store that sells yarn also. Submitter liked the Kilcarra yarn they sold by the hank. Seemed nicer than the stuff in yarn stores by Kilcarra. Limited selection of colors. From their business card: “International mail order service available.”
The Wool Shop
71 Main Street
Bray, Co. Wicklow
Dublin, Ireland
+353 (1) 2760394
Comprehensive range of Rowan and Jaeger yarns, as well as Tivoli, Kilcarra, bright acrylic yarns and needlecraft supplies. Of course the shop isn’t legally within the Dublin city boundary but any determined shopper can take the DART suburban train to the south coast to visit this excellent shop and its helpful owner as well as popping