Sooo... Saturday. Noon. I was shopping for yarns... with the rest of the world, apparently, as you had to take a number in a few shops I visited or at least wait a while to be helped.
(Fun Fact: Noon is "early to rise" in Madrid. Particularly in summer. Trust me on this one.)
I took the train from good ol' Vallecas to Atocha and then to Puerta del Sol, where I walked up Calle del Correo to the first plaza on the right. Behold, I was confronted with a LARGE store front of a HUGE yarn and notions shop with an ENORMOUS crowd of everyone wanting to buy things IMMEDIATELY... or, as they say, para hace cinco minutos.
Here's what I found out about the shops (Almacenes Pontejos, Almacenes Paz, Almacenes Cobián and El Gato Negro) I visited. I could have spent hundreds, perhaps billions, of euros in these heavenly stores, but I limited myself to what I could crochet for the rest of the month. (That was an arbitrary and unrealistic goal, much like those I set for writing my dissertation or practicing better eating habits.)
1. Amacenes Pontejos - Plaza de Pontejos, 2
If the candy shop in Willy Wonka sold yarn instead of candy, it would remind me of this shop. Especially the screaming customers who "want it" and they "want it now."
To the right of entrance is the yarn section. Take a number, or ask who is the last person (¿Quién es la última?), and start looking at the beautiful wall of yarn... behind the counter. The impatient shopkeeper will be with you in less than 20 minutes, if you're lucky. I had all of my yarns picked out by the time he got to me, which made both of us happy. The prices here are great on Lanas Stop yarns and Katia yarns. 100% cotton yarns are also inexpensive and they have good color selection. Check the dye lots, as I saw a lot of people getting multiple ovillos with slightly different shades.
To the left of entrance, you have spinning displays of amazing button-ness. I didn't look because, frankly, there were too many screaming people, and I am amassing a huge collection of adorable buttons without booties to which I can attach them.
There are also lots of patterns, supplies, silk and ribbons, lace and everything you would need to make wedding or communion or baptism favors --- and I was informed that most of the people were there to buy these very things.
Be sure to check the counter tops to the right of the yarn wall, as I found some great yarns from Mallorca that were on "clearance" (or as close to anything in Spain ever really gets to clearance, which still amounted to 1.95€ per 50g for cotton / acrylic mix). The colors were definitely off-season, but hey, the heat wave can't last forever. Right?
Once you pick out your yarn, the gentleman hands you half of a card and you go to the cashier. He takes the other half of the card to the cashier - which seems like a lot of traveling for him, and I now understand why he's slightly grumpy - and you pay and collect your yarn there. I paid around 12€ for five balls of yarn (4 of the clearance yarns I previously mentioned and one skein of 100% cotton Nilo yarn in red).
Here is an image of the button selection from around the web, since they weren't too keen on me taking photos.
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| Photo Credit to SoupCouture.blogspot.com |
2. Almacenes Paz - Calle Marqués del Viudo de Pontejos, 7
This shop is great for buttons, because they're cheap and you can touch every single button, if you so desire, without having to ask permission from the clerk. They also have some things in the way of clothing fabrication, and many finished baby pieces for sale, but they don't have a yarn selection. I paid 1.80€ for six buttons.
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| They have the buttons organized by color, although there are more on the right side of the shop behind the counter. |
This shop has three floors, each with something a bit different, but they are more into thread crafts and garment making. They have a button wall on the button level, which is nice, but the buttons are expensive. They also have a great "venta al mayor," or warehouse pricing, section. If you're looking for a lot of notions for jewelry, garment making, or lace crafts, this is the place to be. For yarn crafts, not so much. The following is a photo of their mercería, completely devoid of yarns. Le sigh.
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| Photo credit to www.portalmerceria.com |
I really cannot say enough good things about the Gato Negro, a yarn shop that has been in business for over 200 years. There is no better place to buy quality yarn in Madrid. I repeat, no better place (that I am aware of... I hope to change this opinion in the future... but for now, no way.)
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| This research is really touch work, as you can tell from the HUGE smile on my face! |
Even though they, in the Spanish tradition, have all the yarns behind the counter, they have sample yarns hung up at the front of the store, grouped by materials and colors. They have everything from acrylics to viscose to my current obsession, 100% cotton. The wall is a great way to get a feel for the yarn, and it includes the prices on the tag.
The yarn in El Gato Negro is priced by the kilo, with most yarns ranging from 26.00€ per kilo up to 64.00€ per kilo. The minimum that you have to buy is 100g (so 100g of high quality 100% cotton yarn cost 4.20€ per 100g, which isn't much more than in other shops... ok, it's a few cents more, but the quality! oh, the quality!!)
You tell the ladies which yarn you want, they get it for you from behind the counter (notice the recurring theme) and weigh it for you. On a produce scale. Awesome! You pay at the cash register and go on your merry way. I can't say enough good things about the staff. They are happy to answer any questions you have (not sure which yarns to pair? not sure which size hook to use with a yarn? not sure where to find something that they don't sell?) and are very generous with their time - practically a myth in Spanish retail.
Another great feature of this store is that they have finished pieces hanging on the walls and tell you which yarns they use and how much the project costs (for example, a granny square afghan with lots of cute flowers for less than 20€ for supplies). It's a great way to get inspired! You can see a bit of it in the pictures above.
I spent 8.55€ and got one skein of 100% cotton yarn in butter yellow and one skein of 100% cotton multicolored yarn, in the pink / coral / orange family with white accents. Love it!
One thing that I don't love about El Gato Negro is that they sell their yarns in madeja, not ovillo, form. This means that you get a big bunch of yarn that has been tied up in several places and have to take it home and get someone to hold the yarn while you spent 20 minutes making a ball out of the yarn. It is important that you know this, so that you don't get home and start playing with the yarn for an hour before you realize that you have created A GIANT KNOT and your beautiful investment is now laying in A GIANT KNOT at your feet. Nobody likes A GIANT KNOT.... Not that I've experienced the GIANT KNOT personally or anything.
(Buyer beware: I did notice that the same Nilo yarn that I bought at Pontejos was about .80€ more for 100g at the Gato Negro, but you can't buy the Gato Negro cotton yarns anywhere else)
So there you have it! A quick run-down on the best places to buy yarn in Madrid city center. After an exhausting morning of yarn shopping, you should treat yourself to a frozen yogurt at Llao Llao, the most awesome froyo I've tried in Madrid.
Lastly, thanks to my very patient boyfriend, who spent the morning shopping for yarn and buttons. I'd like to emphasize the patient part. ¡Gracias cariño!
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