The world,
in yarn.

Flagship at Laugavegur 23, in a 1916 house with Viking murals — locally designed Icelandic wool goods plus a café. Three branches, all in Reykjavík, a clear step above the souvenir shops.

The classic yarn shop at Síðumúli 20, a favourite of local knitters. Closed Saturdays in summer (June–August).

The knitters' association shop on Skólavörðustígur — the place to buy a genuinely certified hand-knit lopapeysa (Icelandic wool sweater).

Guðrún Bjarnadóttir's open plant-dye studio, Hespuhúsið — natural colours from rhubarb, lichen, and lupine. Visits to watch the dyeing can be booked.

An easy stop on the Golden Circle route — local farm wool and plant-dyed yarn. Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00.

A mini spinning mill and yarn shop on a working farm, where you can see the wool being processed. Niche, but worth it.

A wool mill and shop in one — watch the process, then buy the yarn.

Flagship of the classic wool brand, in the little village of Álafosskvosin (there is a waterfall of the same name). Fifteen minutes by car from Reykjavík.

A yarn and embroidery shop at Efstaland 26. Mind the very short hours: Mon–Fri 12:00–16:00, closed weekends.

A classic handcraft store since 1940 — lopapeysur and well-made design objects, with several branches in the city centre.

An Icelandic wool brand with reliably good sweaters, hats, and scarves.

An outdoor-and-wool chain with branches around the island (including Vík). More touristy, but some pieces are genuinely practical.

A wool factory shop in north Iceland, selling its own KIDKA brand.

One of Copenhagen's best-known yarn shops. A refined selection, books and kits, a quiet atmosphere, and staff who know their craft.

A boutique yarn shop carrying Isager, Filcolana, Hedgehog Fibres, Rosa Pomar and more, plus a house line of its own.

The shopfront of the Danish indie brand itself — Pure Silk, Soft Silk Mohair, Compatible Cashmere. A pilgrimage stop for fans.

"The wool place", right by Nørreport station — easy to reach, and full of locals.

Regementsgatan 84 — Sandnes, Svarta Fåret and more, with a stick-café knit night on Thursdays until 8 pm.

Six floors of craft heaven (yarn on 6F, ribbon on 7F, sewing tools on 8F, cotton on 9F, specialty fabrics on 10F). From Shinjuku station exit A9, toward Kabukichō. 10:30–20:30.

On the 4F of Keiō department store (opened Sept 2021) — yarn, fabric, sewing machines and craft supplies in one stop, zero minutes from Shinjuku's central west exit. 10:00–20:00. A ¥550 annual membership gives 10% off.

Three floors of yarn, embroidery supplies and instruction books. One minute from Bakurochō exit 4. Mon–Sat 9:00–17:00, closed Sundays and holidays.

An industrial-yarn specialist on the 3F in front of Asakusabashi station — high-quality surplus yarn from knitwear mills around the world plus Japanese artisan yarns (wool, cashmere, mohair, cotton, synthetics), with house sock yarn, patterns and tools. 11:00–18:00.

Tokyo flagship of the old-line Japanese brand DARUMA, at 2-6-1 Ebisu-nishi — house yarns, fabrics and patterns, between Ebisu and Shibuya.

amirisu's import-yarn flagship, moved to a new Omotesandō space on 20 Sept 2025 — La Bien Aimée, Brooklyn Tweed, Woolfolk, Isager and more. Tue–Sat 12:00–17:00.

The first physical shop from the Knittingbird community and magazine, one minute from Gaiemmae station. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

The long-running brand Puppy's flagship showroom in Shimokitazawa — house yarns plus imports like Husky and Soft Donegal, with staff who can advise serious knitters.

A Kobe institution with yarns from around the world, one minute from Sannomiya station. Also sells online.

A personal favourite: a small shop in a residential neighbourhood, devoted to fine European yarns for hand-knitters. There is a little space to sit and start knitting what you just bought. Nominally by appointment, but if the door is open you can walk in.

Fine imported yarns in Motomachi — cashmere, alpaca, angora — where you can test-knit yarn and needles before deciding. Tue–Sun 11:00–16:00. Kitanagasa-dōri 5-2-19, Coffio Kobe Motomachi 103.

In Sakaemachi, Kobe — Danish Isager and other imports, expert help choosing, plus house kits and workshops. Sakaemachi Building 3F.

A DIY superstore in the basement of 30 Chongqing N. Rd. Sec. 1 — yarn, beads, ribbon, Chinese knotting cord and more, plus imported yarns and tools, with craft classes (knitting, wool felting, beading) almost every day. 10:00–20:00.

At 247 Chang'an W. Rd., where the owner helps you find the best-value yarn in the shop. Mostly Chinese brands and unlabelled origins — skip it if provenance matters to you, though Spanish brand Katia is on the shelves. Cash only.

Founder Tomo collects distinctive yarns from around the world — Portuguese and French brands among them — along with tools and buttons. The online shop is lively too.

Run by designer Stephen West and Malia Mae Joseph — a boutique devoted to hand-dyed yarn, including the house brand West Wool. Indigenous- and queer-led, with frequent workshops. Haarlemmerdijk 132-A.

A yarn specialist since 1980 — yarn, needles and books at Lijnmarkt 22 in the centre of Utrecht. Tue–Fri 10:00–17:30, Sat to 17:00.

Natural-fibre yarns at Concordiastraat 68-22 — BC Garn, Filcolana, Freckles & Speckles, Onion, Regia, Sock Yeah!, Uschitita and more, plus classes and handmade goods.

An old-school fabric, yarn and notions shop in the city centre, on Zakkendragerssteeg / St Jacobsstraat. Staff speak English, Dutch and German.

A craft chain at Oudegracht 97 (also on Brusselplein) — yarn, mohair and needles among everything else. Not a yarn specialist, but the range is complete and the quality steady; prices are not the lowest.

A sustainable, animal-friendly yarn shop on Telingstraat near the Dom tower — Lang Yarns, Knitting for Olive, Rauma, Ístex, Rohrspatz & Wollmeise, Oh My Pebbles and more, with the house dye studio Mina Dyeworks at the back. Open Thursdays until 9 pm.

A neighbourhood yarn shop in Leidsche Rijn (iwoolly.nl). Information is thin — check Instagram @iwoollylys for hours before going.

A third-generation family yarn maker at Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz 1001 — cotton, chenille, merino and macramé cord, with a mission to revive Argentina's natural-fibre craft.

Seventy years of yarn-making at Scalabrini Ortiz 973, on the same street as Cencherle. Mon–Fri 8:30–17:30.

A modern yarn shop at 5416 Parkcrest Dr — classes, a communal knitting space, and a young, easy-going community.