Lanas Sixto at last!

Last Saturday, I made my first trip to Lanas Sixto! Lanas Sixto, along with Pontejos and El Gato Negro, is probably among the most famous yarn shops in Madrid. Unlike Pontejos, it deals exclusively in yarns. Unlike El Gato Negro, it does not sell yarn by weight... even though the antique facade of the building still professes "Ventas al peso" (sold by weight). I'm not making it up:

Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Lanas Sixto is not located in the yarn-opolis near the other famous yarn and haberdasheries, but it is super close! Check out this map:

It was a really nice fall day to take a walk, so we scooted up to Lanas Sixto looking for LOTS of yarn. I am making some crochet baskets using this pattern by Crochet in Color for Christmas gifts, and I wanted to pick up a few skeins of yarn to begin the work.

I had this brilliant idea to do a nesting set of these baskets in fading colors, from light to dark. Seeing as how I was making three baskets (plus a trial basket for hats and gloves in our apartment), and each basket requires 2 skeins of chunky yarn, I knew that I was going to pay a pretty penny for my supplies!

I went to Pontejos, but the least expensive chunky yarn that I could find (that wasn't horribly ugly!) was 5.25€ per skein of 50g. Ummm, so that would make my little "project" total somewhere around 60€! Before I committed, I decided to head to Lanas Sixto, and I am so glad I did!

First of all, the buying experience at Lanas Sixto (on a Saturday morning, mind you, when EVERYONE is buying yarns) was really nice. There were no pushy shop people demanding that you pick out your yarn immediately, and they had lots of yarns out where you could touch them. Here's a photo of the shop so you can get an idea:

Photo Credit: www.libertaddigital.com

Lanas Sixto deals mostly in Katia yarns, and their prices seemed very reasonable. I settled on eight skeins of Katia Alaska:

For now, I won't reveal the color scheme, just in case the receivers of my Christmas baskets happen to read this blog, but I am super excited! I also picked up a 7mm hook to make said baskets.

I finished one basket in about 2 hours for our apartment. I chose mustard yellow to go with our walls, although I'm not crazy about how the photo turned out... apartment lighting is tough! But just to give an idea:

So how much did I pay for said 8 skeins of yarn and hook? Sixty buckaroos? No way!! I paid 24€ for the yarn and hook, and there were lots of yarns in all price ranges at Lanas Sixto.

If you are content with a fine Spanish brand of yarn and are scared to face the crowds of Pontejos or El Gato Negro, I'd definitely recommend walking up the street and see what deals you will find at Lanas Sixto.

And if you're scared about your (developing) Spanish yarn vernacular, check out my awesome English-Spanish Crochet Dictionary!

Mercería Marquina - Katia Yarns in Northeast Madrid (Diego de León)

One of my students lives near Diego de León, and I had stopped by a yarn shop located on the way to her house a few times, but yesterday's purchase was so great that I had to recommend it to everyone looking for yarn and crochet or knitting supplies in Madrid.

1. Marquina Labores y Complementos

Address: c/ Eraso, 10, 28028 Madrid

This shop has a great selection of Lanas Stop, Nilo and Katia yarns, the Caron or Lion Brand Yarns of Spain. I previously had purchased two skeins of Lanas Stop Top Merino for my baby boy crochet sleeping owl hat and was really impressed with the quality of the yarn. It cost around 4.50€ per skein, but since it is a bulky yarn, it was worth the cost.

This shop breaks tradition and puts the yarn out WHERE YOU CAN TOUCH IT!!! Yes, the yarn is NOT behind the counter. Observe:

Yesterday, I stopped in to ask if they carried Nilo yarns, since the skein that I had purchased at Pontejos on Saturday - and subsequently used to crochet my first! baby dress using this pattern - was 100g, and even though the pattern says that you need 3oz (85g) of yarn, apparently you need about 150g of cotton yarn. To my surprise, they had one skein left in the color that I needed! Great! Now if only the dye lot matches nicely!!

I asked the shopkeeper if she had any other cotton yarns for baby dresses, and she surprised me with four different options. Mind you, that's only cotton. She also had plenty of wool and acrylic blends, and she told me that beginning in September, they would start getting in better selections of wools, even fur-like wools that reminded me that the fur coat obsession is still going strong in Madrid (an obsession that I never really understood, particularly when my boyfriend told me that his mother's engagement gift was a fur coat for which his father paid the equivalent to 6,000€... and that was over 30 years ago! Did I mention that I've only seen her wear a parka?). I will grant the optimistic shopkeeper that the sample that she showed me of the "furry wools" was really nice and very soft. I might just see a white faux-fur cardigan in some little baby's future, but only because it's faux!

The clerk was very nice, in a Spanish way (those of you who have lived here know exactly what I'm talking about), and helpful. She informed me that they have classes for knitting and crocheting in the shop, and they will be offering classes in a local café that they have rented beginning in the fall. I asked her for more information, and she said that if I stop back in after a few weeks (by the way, this is the answer you will always get from a procrastinating Spaniard), she will have an informational sheet for me.

They also have a lot of finished pieces in the shop that they make and sell. They sell kits for many of the items, so if you see a dress you love, chances are they will either sell you a kit to make it at a great price (I have seen them from 10-14€) or that they will sell you similar supplies and explain how to make it. She told me that they made this adorable cardigan using the same Katia Capri yarn that I purchased, but using a double strand.

 I ended up purchasing the Nilo red skein and two Katia Capri skeins in violet and white. The bill was 10.60€, but she only asked me to pay 10€. You can't beat a discount! (And no, for all of you skeptical types, I didn't tell her that I would be writing a blog entry about her shop until after I had shopped and paid.)

This shop doesn't have too much in the way of buttons and laces, but the price is right and the selection of yarns can't be beat! If you're near the neighborhood Salamanca or want to take a quick trip to metro stop Diego de León, check out this lanería. You'll be glad you did!

Shopping for Yarn (and Crochet Supplies) in Madrid - City Center

In my last post, I vowed to get my big butt out of bed early on Saturday morning to go explore what I have since named the "Haberdashery District" of Madrid, which I had discovered the weekend prior. However - in the grand tradition of mutable schedules characteristic of Spain - everything was closed at 5pm on a Saturday, and so I had to either "early to rise" or miss out on yarn and supplies.

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.

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.

They have the buttons organized by color, although there are more on the right side of the shop behind the counter.

3. Almacenes Cobián - Calle Marqués del Viudo de Pontejos, 2

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.

Photo credit to www.portalmerceria.com

 

4. El Gato Negro - Plaza Mayor, 30 (with entrance on Calle de la Sal)

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.)

This research is really touch work, as you can tell from the HUGE smile on my face!

 I went to the Gato Negro a few weeks ago, but they were closing for siesta, so they only let me in to buy two skeins of yarn very quickly. However, those two skeins are my favorites to work with, and I made this hat with the bone colored yarn and a few pairs of slippers - that I have yet to put on Etsy - with the blue color.

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!

Three Yarn Shops in Vallecas and Vicálvaro

In order to hook on the metro (ahem, crochet, that is) for six hours a week, one does need materials.  And no, I'm not talking stripper shoes and corsets.

I have yet to go to the famed Gato Negro in Madrid's city center, although I have stopped by three mercerías (yarn and notions shop, also defined as haberdashery, but I have not a clue what that means) in Vallecas and Vicálvaro.  I was surprised that, as both of these neighborhoods are classified as "blue collar", their sewing shops were disappointing, to say the least.  It seems that yarn work in Spain has become something for the rich and famous - see the many adorable cutesy yarn shops in Salamanca, with yarn at prices I can't afford on my student budget - or for the elderly, who are accustomed to making projects in season, and thus expect the yarn shop to be out of wool yarns since it's 45 degrees celcius outside.  I, however, was floored when I asked to see their collection of wool blends (lanas) and was told that all they had was what I was seeing.  So sad.

In case you are shopping for yarn here in Madrid, you should know this: when you walk into a yarn shop, most of their yarns will be behind the counter, and you have to ask them to pull down what you would like to see since you can't, as I nostalgically call it, "browse by touch".  This is annoying and time-consuming, and you have to have a pretty good mastery of "Spanish for Hookers" parlance - which, incidentally, I acquired through this website -, although the great thing about having to physically interact and converse with the shopkeeper (oh, how I miss you Michaels and Jo Ann Fabrics!) is that they know their product, and they often know what product you need, even if you don't.  And they will tell you; Spaniards are open like that.  As in, "No, I think I'd like a grey that's a bit lighter"... "No, you need this grey for that hat.  It will be better.  The End."

So, here are the three shops that I have visited recently, with a few comments on each:

1. Mercería in Mercado Villa de Vallecas

Address: c/ Sierra Vieja, 61, 28031 Madrid (Vallecas, Casco histórico)

This is an alterations shop that happens to have things by way of yarn.  They cater heavily to crochet threads and knitting.  Their button selection is slim pickin's.  I purchased two balls of Katia Costa Rica for 3.80€ each and a 3.00mm crochet hook for 2.10€.  They didn't have any crochet hooks between 3.00mm and 7.00mm, "because it's not the season for those hooks" (this logic is flawed, at best, but here I'd like to draw your attention to the "shopkeeper is always right" mentality that I referenced above).  I also purchased two wooden buttons for another project, and I believe these were about .20€ each.  They had a small selection of ribbons.  I wish they had more, as this shop is super convenient to my house, but alas.  I will update with any amazing finds.

2. Mercería in Vicálvaro

Address: Mercería / Lencería Benita; cross of c/ Jardín de la Duquesa and c/ Mercurio, 28032, Madrid (Vicálvaro)

I happened upon this shop because I am currently nannying a girl who lives right across the street.  I didn't have great expectations, as this is primarily a lencería (lingerie shop, but not in the dirty way).  They only had one set of shelves with yarn, and they are very poor quality (Dulce).  However, this is the place to go to stock up on buttons.  The browsing experience is a delight, as they have arranged the buttons in folders based on color, and you can actually touch and play with the buttons before requesting them.  Most buttons range from 0.07€-0.50€, with the mean being around 0.17€ per button.  And the buttons are adorable!  I picked up everything from wooden buttons to silver-plated buttons to wooden buttons shaped like rabbit faces to flat white buttons for 0.07€ a pop.  They were adorable, and it was one of the best buying experiences I've had.  Incidentally, the yarn skeins cost 1.25€ or 1.50€, depending on the weight (the finer weights are more expensive).  They are all acrylic, but I will be returning for ribbons - of which there are hundreds!! - and buttons.  I spent about 8€ here and came home with 2 skeins of yarn and 22 adorable buttons.  The shopkeeper even gave me a button that I wanted because they didn't have any more in stock - trust me, that doesn't happen in your average haberdashery... I still don't know what that word means.

3. Mercería y Labores Geva

Address: c/ Real de Arganda, 40, 28031 Madrid (Vallecas, Casco histórico)

If Michaels had a baby with a Spanish mercería, it would probably look something like this shop.  There is even a clearance section, where I purchased two skeins of wool / acrylic Turkish yarns (whose name escapes my feeble brain) for 1.95€ each.  They crocheted really nice, as I made a hat out of them yesterday.  I also ended the search for THE IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT TO FIND 4.00mm crochet hook.  And she acted like it was odd that I couldn't find the hook at other mercerías, which leads me to believe that they will have more hard-to-find supplies (insert evil laugh here).  I purchased two skeins of Lanas Stop Top Merino yarn in rose and cream at 4.80€ a pop.  I also picked up four buttons; two were silver with filigree and used in my baby Mary Janes (check them out on Etsy) and two pink buttons for 0.10€ each.  I spent almost 16€ at this store, so until I start selling more Etsy items, this will be another one of those luxuries that I can't afford... like new underwear and Coca Cola.  Oh, well, at least I'll lose weight and my boyfriend will have easy access through my holy drawers.  Check out this shop if you want a good buying experience, but don't go on a Tuesday, when all the old ladies in a hurry are trying to get to the outdoor flea market and your browsing time will be limited.