Entre Chien et Loop... a Woolshop at Dusk

OK, I know that it should read entre chien et loup* but yesterday at dusk I went to visit The Loop Woolshop in Camden Passage.  If you have ever read any knitting magazines, you may recognise their very distinctive branding: 

I had read a few reviews about the shop but frankly I thought that it would not live up to the publicity... how wrong could I be.


So, the shop is over two floors in a small establishment in buzzy Camden Passage (actually all the shops are small along there as they are turn of the 18th century buildings).  You push open a small door an enter a strip wood floor emporium.  I resisted the temptation to run headlong towards the first wall of wool that I saw and plunge my hands into it, it was full of fantastically dyed sock yarns which each seemed to have my name on it.  Then on the opposite wall, something that I have not seen since childhood, row upon row of darning yarn in all the colours of the rainbow and many in between.

It was so nice that the girls behind the desk immediately greeted me and asked if I had been there before and if they could help me.  On learning it was my first visit, they explained were things were in the shop and encouraged me to have a good look round.  Well, I did not need the encouragement and dashed up upstairs... it was even better than downstairs. 


In the corner was a fantastic collection of knitting, crochet, felt and other woolly books... I tried not to dribble but it was difficult.  There were the usual suspects but some great imports from the US which proved to be very tempting, even better was the comfy sofa next to the bookcase to browse through the patterns.  What particularly impressed me was one lady could not find the exact pattern that she wanted, they suggested looking on Ravelry!

On a large table in the centre were more yarns and books. Then scattered about the room were some fabulous chunky yarns over-flowing from old crates.  The variety of yarns was phenomonal, yes there were some really expensive yarns, handspuns, cashmeres, alpacas, from it seemed each and every continent (longingly remembers the South American yarns) but they were very special.  To be honest they were appropriately priced and frankly this is not an ordinary yarn shop but an extraordinary one!


Now, it seems that I may be working just round the corner so I checked out their knit and natter sessions and it seems that I could go to the sessions on Thursday evenings, which would replace my Thursday mornings at my beloved Roses and Rue.  


I would most definitely recommend a visit, with a full purse because you really will want to buy and what is more it will be a fantastic experience from walking in until the girls wish you a fond farewell.  Like Arnie... I'll be back :)


*entre chien et loup is a french term for the dusk and roughly translated means between the dog and the wolf.