In honour of Wool Week 2012 here are some of my favourite places to buy yarn. (Yes, I too, am looking forward to seeing Harvey Nichols wrapped in 100 metres of illuminated wool this Monday!)

Loop
I remember when Loop first opened on Cross Street in Islington, it was divine. It’s also where I learnt to knit socks with Jane Lithgow, a class I highly recommend. Check Loop’s fine selection of sock wools. This hand-painted Peace, Love & Misti alpaca is one of my favourites for sock knitting. The store quickly grew and has since moved to Camden Passage to a bigger space. It’s always bustling.

Knit With Attitude
A sliver of yarn heaven, Knit With Attitude opened fairly recently in Stoke Newington and stocks wonderful handspun yarns. Owner Maya B introduced me to Ravelry showing me how to search for patterns for specific types of wool. Super helpful. Recent purchases include this plant dyed Dazzle from The Natural Yarn Studio and Knit Pro Double Pointed Needles.

Liberty
I can never pass up popping up to the knitting and haberdashery section in the empress of all department stores. Since relocating floors, the wool section has grown and become even more enticing.

K1 Yarns
I discovered K1 Yarns last Christmas while in Edinburgh. Owner Katherine Walker stocks some of the most gorgeous (and yes, irresistible) Orkney angora and hand-dyed Selkie cashmere blends.

Purl Soho
Almost ten years ago a good friend and fellow knitter introduced me to New York’s Purl Soho when she roped her brother into bringing back the most beautiful silk blend yarn for us. We then began ordering online and sharing the postage. To this day it remains one of my biggest incentives to visit the Big Apple (I’ve never been!).

Scandinavian Knitting Design*
I can’t remember how I stumbled on SKD but so glad I did. Online catalogues of free patterns, tutorials and of course, lots of different types of yarn, with regular sales.
*The website seems to be down just now, but will post links to yarns and patterns once it’s up again.

This French yarn store was the only place I could find the whole set of Koigu yarns needed to make the Babette blanket – a crochet project I started earlier this year, and am about two-thirds of the way through… getting there.