France report

So we went to France – we had a week in a village in Provence, and a week in Paris. In Provence (apart from other activities), we visited the Anny Blatt factory store.  It was fun, and I did make a purchase, but I wouldn’t recommend driving a massive distance out of your way to get there. It is however, very close (well half an hour’s drive) to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so if you have relatives, or say a husband with interest in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, you could soften them up with some wine tasting, and then shop to your heart’s content. It was a little bit unusual from the Australian / Hong Kong / US yarn shopping perspective. 

The sign above reads “Thanks for not touching the skeins”, and fondling was quite discouraged. There was no sock yarn on display, the assistant referred me to some plain yarn which could conceivably be used for a sock after I enquired “Avez-Vous des laines pour les chaussettes”, but the yarn was not super wash. The assistant also expressed concern that I would be knitting with “tres fine” yarn. Lace knitters should not expect to find anything of interest on the lace weight front.

I did see the sign below, which reads “100% Cashmere, 10 euro per skein”, and got interested (and I touched them and all…) 

I ended up buying 6 balls of Anny Blatt pure cashmere, and even knit my husband another cashmere hat, despite his other disappearing in mysterious circumstances. 

Anny Blatt factory store: 33 rte Ste Cécile 84830 Serignan du Comtat (just outside Orange).

We then went to Paris, and as much as I love Paris, this was not our most successful trip. Younger daughter woke up on the second night vomiting, and then the fourth and sixth nights were spent with older daughter out-vomiting younger daughter ten-fold. I did visit two shops, and bought yarn at the second. The photo below shows older daughter outside Coudre-broder-tricoter (15 Boulevard des Batignolles, Paris 75008). She is wearing another hat knitted by me to the Veronik Avery pattern in Classic Knits (links to follow). It still rides up! 

About the first, the shop is lovely from the outside, but they only sell Pingouin yarns, and apparently (or so I was told in the store) all Pingouin yarns contain acrylic. I did buy a much needed set of row counters.

The second shop was lovely. Le Comptoir (Knit Map details) is a tiny shop, but the selection is impeccable. I bought some Noro Cashmere Island to make a striped scarf for myself this time. I also slipped and picked up some Regia silk 6 ply (I love, love, love Regia silk), and “helped” my mother buy some more Regia Kaffe Fasset sock yarn. All in all, a worthwhile outing. 

Le Comptoir: 26 Rue Cadet Paris, Ile-de-France 75009