For The Knit Nurse!

This post is mainly in answer to a question posed by The Knit Nurse in a comment on my blog. She is going up to Aberdeenshire later this year and thought I would be able to point her in the right direction of good yarn shops in the area. Sad to say there aren't that many, that I know off.


These were the pix I took while in John Lewis's in Aberdeen last week. The selection of yarn was pretty poor as was the state of the balls of yarn on display.

As you can see many of the balls of yarn have loose strands hanging down and some were all tangled up with other balls. Others seemed to have the ball bands missing!

What a sad sight to any knitter, the area just looked totally neglected and unloved.


I would not recommend going here to buy yarn.

However there is one yarn store that I have heard good reports about. I have never actually been there myself, but I'm sure they had a stall at Woolfest this year but I could be mistaken as there were so many!

The shop is called The Wool Shed and it is in the Alford Heritage Centre, Mart Road in Alford Aberdeenshire. Alford is 25 miles West of Aberdeen on the A944. They are open 10am - 4pm Mon till Sat and 2pm - 4pm on a Sunday. They stock yarn by Colinette, Noro, Rowan, RYC, Debbie Bliss, GGH, Laine du Nord, Louisa Harding, Katia, Lana Grossa, South West Trading and Opal to name but a few. I think the next time I am up visiting my parents there will be a trip up to Alford arranged!!! If I remember correctly there is an automobile museum there, so the "boys" will be catered for too!

However on a trip up to Banchory a few years ago I bought yarn from Milton Studio at Milton of Crathes, near Banchory, Aberdeenshire. It can be found on the A93 Aberdeen to Banchory road. They had some interesting yarns when I was there, but having just looked at their web site there is no mention of yarn now. However they do have an amazing array of cloth for quilting etc and sewing stuff. They run classes on felting and quilting too. On the Milton of Crathes site you will also find a restaurant, art gallery and craft studio. Crathes Castle and the town of Banchory are also not far away, and well worth a visit.

As I don't know where you will be staying and Aberdeenshire is quite a big area, I hope this has been useful for you? I'm sure if you "google" wool/yarn shops in Aberdeenshire there will be more! Hope you have fun when you are up.