We were in Hanoi in January, and it was cold! Not just because it was winter, but because many places in Hanoi are not heated – even when it is only 13° celsius outside. There’s nothing quite like shivering through a water puppet performance… Our tour took us back to the Old Town, and this time, I found quite generous amounts of Chinese, soft wool yarn at Len Thai Min at 7B Dinh Liet.
Along with the wool, they have milk cotton, and a huge selection of acrylic (motorbike included in shot for scale).
I did not investigate the needles and notions, but they seemed to have a fair selection of straight needles at the counter. Everyone was very friendly, and as helpful as they could be when we did not share a common language. Through our guide, I learnt a new word in Vietnamese; “len” is wool.
Prices were very low – I bought some grey sportweight wool yarn at $15USD for 500 grams.
I’d love to visit Hanoi in winter. Several years ago I was there in July and it was soooo hot. I think if I’d seen a yarn store it would have been too hot to even think about wool.
What a bargain – $15 for so much grey sportweight – bliss.
That big wall of yarn is surprising to me, somehow. When I visited China in November (about 12 years or so ago) I saw lots of yarn and women knitting, but it was cold. (Inside and out, as you say.) I imagine VietNam as always being warm. Shows what I know.
How cool! And what a great price! I love that the wool is in boxes. So tempting!
Nice, so much yarn to look at, glad you had some nice shopping time. And grey wool, no surprise there, lol.
I would have been into the needles and notions tho.
cheers
I was enquiring about buying knitting yarn in Hanoi, as I live in a place about 100 km south and have time to knit in the chilly winter. A pity that the selection is only of colours, but all the “wool” is 100 % acrylic from china, easy to wash and dry in the climate, but I have not found yet any natural fibres.
by the way: len, Vietnamese for wool comes from (la) laine, French for sheep wool, as the French governed Vietnam until 1954 and left some traditions and words behind.
I like the motorbike in the shop, only there would they park a dirty bike in a yarn shop..ahahaha, imagine that in Sydney – not .) YaY to the yarn shopping, you can never go wrong with grey!