Tejido de Punto Madrid

A few weekends back I took a trip to Madrid for a friend's birthday. There were just three of us so it was a really relaxed, eating and drinking kind of weekend with the bonus of blue skies and sunshine!

I, of course, bought my knitting with me and knitted on the plane there and back. However, I neglected to bring an extra ball of yarn and so ended up unable to continue with my stitching at thirty thousand feet. New mantra - always bring more yarn than you think. I'm making a top for my Sister-in-Law, which is unusual as I don't normally take requests, but she is family after all. With all that knitting time on the plane it's finished but I'll save that for another post (and for her to take a nice picture of it on).

While I was looking through the guide book I thought I might as well research into a few yarn stores in Madrid and somehow we made time to visit some (OK, i might have dragged them slightly). The first was El Gato Negro (the Black Cat) which was located just off of Plaza Mayor. The beautiful old shop front hides a long slender shop behind it and I have to admit I wasn't prepared for what lay inside.

As you enter there are tufts of yarn tied onto rails which you are free to touch, but once past this initial tuft forest you are met with signs telling you not to touch anything! As a British person used to squashing, smelling and basically sticking my face in every ball of yarn I see in a shop it was like torture not being able to touch.

At the back of the shop most of the yarn sat behind counters and there was a big weighing scale in the middle, presumably where they weigh out what you want to buy and cost it accordingly.

I was a bit intimidated by it all to tell you the truth, plus there seemed to be a lot of acrylic and so didn't buy anything, but was glad to have paid a visit.

The second yarn stop was Lanas Sixto on Calle Atocha. Unfortunately I felt even more intimidated in this shop as I was the only customer and with most of the yarn behind counters again, I didn't even feel comfortable enough to browse.

Even though I didn't get to buy anything it was really interesting seeing how the yarn shops operate in another european city and to compare how they differ to home. I much prefer the sticking your face in it openness of UK yarn shops and really appreciate that we have access to so many different fibres and yarns. Although I can't say i recommend going for the yarn shops Madrid is a great weekend city break destination. Just go and stuff your self with food and drink instead of yarn.