Update
When I travel, I look for yarn shops in each city or town that I visit. I search the internet, clicking on links from Google, Ravelry, and ones that other bloggers have posted. I find it frustrating when the links don’t work and I end up on an error page. Yarn shops come and go. When they go out of business, change owners, or when money is tight they let their web page expire.
I’d love to go back to Madrid and Barcelona to check these yarn shops again in person, but I have not had the chance yet. I can, however, check the links on my site and do a little more investigating to see if new shops have opened. That is what I decided to do – here is my updated post.
Spanish Yarn Shops
When my daughter and I traveled to Spain, one of our priorities was to visit the yarn shops there. I had searched on Google, and also on Ravelry, a fiber craft related social networking website. I found a short list of shops located in Madrid and one shop in Barcelona.
Madrid
We arrived in Madrid in the late afternoon. Since this was the first stop on our European trip, we were tired from our flights (Chicago to Paris to Madrid). Rather than going to bed early, we wanted to do some walking to help us fight jetlag. Rather than just wander aimlessly, we decided to check out the two yarn shops near the Plaza Mayor and within walking distance from our hotel.
Lanas Sixto
The first shop, Lanas Sixto, carried a lot of Katia yarn, in fact, I think they had every color of every Katia yarn made. The Katia yarn company started in Barcelona in 1951, eventually growing to an international company. Although Katia is produced in Spain, it is widely available in Europe and sometimes in the States.
Lanos Sixto’s website is outdated, requiring the use of the antiquated Adobe Flash Player. I was not able to pull it up on my computer. There are old mentions on Yelp and Facebook, with the only current reviews on Google. Google also lists hours. I’d recommend a visit if you are in the area, but to contact them if you are coming from a distance. Their address is Calle de Atocha 9, Madrid.
The staff people at Lanas Sixto didn’t seem especially friendly – they didn’t want us to touch the yarn. We found out later that this type of store is considered the “traditional” style.
I think if I had realized this was a traditional store – and if I spoke a little Spanish – the experience here would have been much more pleasant. The yarn was beautiful and I had intended to buy Katia yarn in Spain. Although I didn’t buy any yarn at Lanas Sixto, I intend to go back the next time I am in Madrid.
El Gato Negro (The Black Cat)
Three minutes away, we also visited El Gato Negro. This shop carried only their own brand of yarn, but it was very nice. The clerk told us that all of the cotton and wool yarn was produced in Spain.
We noticed signs up all over the store that looked like “Do Not Touch” signs, although they were in Spanish. I ask an English speaking clerk and she confirmed that we were not to touch any of the yarn.
However, the store had touchable samples on display in the front of the store – here we could touch and feel as much as we wanted. It was interesting, but I’m glad we don’t have traditional style stores in the States.
The yarn was sold by the gram – I could purchase exactly the amount that I wanted. I purchased some wool and some cotton yarn. I’ve started knitting with the wool yarn. The yarn is nice, although not outstanding. I am eager to find a pattern to use for the cotton yarn.
El Punto Madrid
On our second day in Madrid, we visited the Museo del Traje, or Costume Museum, in northern Madrid – we found it very interesting. In this area of the city, we also ascended the Faro de Moncloa tower, walked through one of the many local parks, and visited another yarn shop.
The yarn shop, El Punto Madrid, was a small, bright shop with a nice selection of yarn. They had some yarn from England and Norway in addition to a lot of Katia yarn. The staff was pleasant and helpful – and they let us touch the yarn. I was able to purchase a couple skeins of Katia yarn here, although I haven’t started knitting with it yet.
The website no longer works, but I added the link to their Facebook page. They did not appear in a Google search – I would try to contact them before visiting. A different shop, Lanas Punt oy Mas came up in the search – a new shop to check out when I visit next.
El Corte Ingès
El Corte Inglès is a department store chain throughout Spain. We visited one location in Madrid. It’s fun comparing department stores from other countries. We found the area that housed yarn and fabric. The displays were cute, but most of the yarn was acrylic or blends. We did find a couple that we liked, though, and as usual were not able to leave without a purchase.
Barcelona
When I first researched Barcelona, I had only found one yarn shop. I was surprised that in a city the size of Barcelona there wasn’t more interest in fiber arts. When we arrived, I Googled the area map and found a second shop listed. Then, when we visited the first shop, the shop owner told us about a third one.
All You Knit is Love
Just up the alley from the Picasso museum is the first yarn shop we visited in Barcelona. All You Knit is Love is owned by American Jennifer Callahan, and her Spanish husband, Miguel. Jennifer was working at the shop when we arrived. She is a lovely woman and we were glad to meet her.
All You Knit is Love has a few yarns under her own label. We were especially intrigued by the yarn made from milk, k2tog (70% Wool, 30% Milk). I also liked Purlwise ( 100% Linen/Flax) and purchased some for a shawl. I definitely recommend a visit if you are in Barcelona.
The old website link was not working. An internet search gave me a different web address, but it only directs users to the Facebook page here.
Fil&Tropia
We took the metro to Fil&Tropia, a yarn shop near the Eixample neighborhood. It was a small shop but they had some very nice locally produced or locally dyed yarn. They also carried some Katia and other internationally known brands of yarn.
When we arrived, there was a group of women sitting in the back – either a knitting group or a class. The person helping us spoke English, but seemed a little uncomfortable with it. I’d love to go back again sometime.
The shop seems to still be in business, but is no longer on the internet. The address is Carrer del Torrent de l’Olla, 23, Barcelona. The phone number is +34 931 41 91 13 – contact before you visit.
Llanes Tosca
Jennifer from All You Knit is Love, told us about the traditional yarn shop – Llanas Tosca. Located on the edge of the Plaça de Vicenç Martorell, the shop holds traditional hours. We had a little trouble finding it open, but eventually we were able to visit. The shop does not have a website, but review sites list the hours as open from 10 am until 1:30 pm, and then from 5 pm until 8 pm. The address is Carrer de les Ramelleres, 17, Barcelona. Phone: +34 933 02 04 81 – again contact before visiting is recommended.
Even though this was a traditional shop and the yarn was behind the counter and untouchable, we found the staff helpful and friendly. Most of the yarn seemed to be the Spanish Katia yarn. It was worth the stop.
Other Possibilities
There are three other shops that have popped up on Ravelry and the internet since we were in Barcelona. The first is Dos Punts. It looks like this small shop – with a beautiful website – carries a variety of craft supplies including yarn. The second one, which focuses on crochet, is called Lalanalú. A third shop that I found was Miss Kits. If the website is any indication, this is a well-stocked and organized shop that I’d love to visit. All three shops carry beautiful yarn, so I have reasons to go back to Barcelona.
For Madrid, there are a couple smaller shops listed on Ravelry. A larger, popular shop caught my eye – Trizas y Trazos. The modern, colorful website points to a promising yarn shop experience.
Shopping in Spain
Have you shopped for yarn in Spain? Please share your experiences with these shops or other shops you’ve visited in Madrid, Barcelona, or other cities in Spain.
I visited Miss Kits today and was overwhelmed with the wonderful array of locally sourced hand dyed yarn. It’s a beautiful store with very helpful and knowledgeable staff. They mainly stock fingering weight yarn which is also perfect for our Australian weather.
Thanks for the review! Fingering weight is my favorite, even though my winters are cold. I’ll be sure to check out the shop on my next trip to Spain.
Could you give me an indication of the price of their yarns?
Yarn prices in Spain are similar to other places in Europe and in the US. National brands tend to be less expensive than hand dyed yarn. If you are concerned about the price and it seems high compared to what you hoped to pay, consider just one or two skeins to make a special smaller project – a shawl, scarf, or cowl. Each time you wear the item, you will remember the fun you had traveling and choosing the yarn.
It will be a pleasure to have you visiting our yarn store in your next visit to Barcelona 😊
I would love to!
There is a nice yarn store in Granada, Punto y Ganchillo, they mostly sell Drops and some other known brands. In Fuengirola I visited a shop called Norwegian wool (i wonder if it was called Lanas Noruega), they sold mostly only Sandnes Garn. All these brands are familiar for me since I’m from Finland, and I would really love to find some Spanish wool like Wooldreamers in yarn stores in Southern Spain where I often stay.