UPDATED 11th NOV 2006!A lot of this post is copied from an earlier post, but I have additions to my information and will be changing this post probably several times more. It is difficult to find yarn shops in Milano - most of them are not listed. They are not listed, for they are small and very often very old shops (like a yarn shop lady today told me - "this shop was already here when I was a little girl"). When I tried to find out where are Adriafil yarns sold, I wrote a letter to the company (for it was indicated that if I'd like to know their sellers I could ask from them by e-mail), I got an answer from the company that I should call their wholesale guy who will tell me the locations, no thanks, I thought, if you do not have the information why should I spend my money to find out? That doesn't mean that I lost my appetite for some Adriafil yarns, not at all... I have been asking locals, have been keeping my eyes open and taking unusual routes just to run into a yarn shop (or even a merceria - sells all sorts of fabrics' stuff). And I have been a little lucky. So... here they are.
Centro della Lana (the Yarn Center) - it really deserves its name, for it is the biggest yarn shop I've seen around in Italy! It has everything you need - fancy yarns, sport weight, DK, lace weight, bulky and amazing color range. I think they take in all from their producers which are Grinasco, Ornaghi, Regia, Laines du Nord, Lana Gatto, Mondial, and many other smaller producers.
It is located in Via Montevideo 25 (closest tube stop either Porta Genova or S. Agostino on Green line). The price range is normal from €2 to €5 per 50 gr ball.
One day on my way back from the school of my daugher I decided to take yet another bus to rach metropolitana and I accidentally found ANOTHER shop! (Of course due to my bad luck it was closed for lunch). It is located at Piazza Ernesto de Angeli in the beginning of Via Pietro Rubens. Its name is Foderami Castelli. And on the windows I saw that they have Sesia, Mondial and some other types but I really must go back to check their full line. (Closest tube stop De Angeli on Red line (Bisceglie branch)).
Canetta (Shops of the magazine Mani di Fata) - You can find amazing quality yarn there, but no fun-fancy-special yarns. But the quality is exceptional, especially the softness of most yarns; and they have wide selection of colors in back-room, so don't hesitate to ask. The only shop where I know the sales lady DOES speak English is conveniently in the very historic center on via Dante (The street that leads from Duomo to the Castle Sforza) - Via Dante 4. (They changed their location - they have much bigger and lighter and nicer rooms now). On the window they have baby clothes and embroidered stuff, laces... so check in, they don't keep yarn on the window usually. And they have good choice of magazines and design sheets. Shops of Canetta are located:
- 2 Via Solferino angolo Via Pontaccio (in Brera)
- 7 Via Vettabbia (near San Lorezo church and Roman pillars)
- 22 Via Mazzini (between Duomo and Missouri tube stop)
- 4 Via Dante
The magazine of Mani di Fata is my favourite from the local market. Though the designs are modern, feminine and sexy - they don't experiment much and I have started to look for more interesting magazines.
Another shop, though very small is near Corso Buenos Aires (anyways a must when visiting Milano, for it is a big shopping street, huge I'd say) - It is called La Bottega della Lana (The Wool Shop) - address Via Pergolesi 1 (from Monday to Sturday 9:30-12:30 and 15:30 til 19:30, closed Sunday and Monday morning), near Red Line tube stop Loreto. When walking on Corso Buenos Aires, coming from the tube stop, walk on right side of the street and it is on your right. It is really tiny, but ther is a nice choice of Orrnaghi yarns. Just a few steps after the shop you can find a great icecream shop. So if it is hot outside and you are hot-headed about yarn - icecream will cool you down.
Another yarn-store is in the area of the Central Railstation (Stazione Centrale), I managed to visit it, and it is excellent. Nera Toffoli Idee & Filati. You can find them from Piazza San Materno 16, corner of Via Accademia. Pay attention! On via Pergolesi is the entrance to the underwear shop, right around the corner on via Accademia is the yarn shop entrance. They have a very good choice of Ornaghi yarns, Regia sock yarns, even Laines du Nord. They also have all sorts of stuff for embroidery. Closest tube stop on Red Line (Linea Rossa or Line nr 1) is Pasteur, just one stop after Loreto. Again remember, they close for lunch - from around 12 to 15. Apparently they have started to sell their merchandice online. It is great place to visit if you love to be creative with fabrics.
I received a copy of InZona just a week ago, and from there I found a great place again: Non solo maglia. It is near the Grande Naviglio and quite difficult to reach - for many streets there are just one way. But instead of taking your car and risking not finding a place to park, take public transport: take the green line metro to Porta Genova, exit the tube and find the bus stop of nr. 74 (Going towards Famagosta). Exit in the 6th stop - Tosi-Pestalozzi; walk down the via Pestalozzi, and find number 10 (it is straight after a small garden) - there is a small gate, go in to the yard, until you reach a house at the end of the lane, turn left and walk a little, then turn right again and walk a straight until the last block of houses, where you can see Non Solo Maglia on the house at right of you. The address is via Pestalozzi 10 (int. 16) - last number showing the "box" of the shop.
There is a small merceria in via Capecelastro 22, it has some fabrics, some buttons, some embroidery materials, some yarns - mainly, they have Lana L'irlandese! You can reach it easily by taking red metro line towards Rho - exit in Lotto Fiera Milano... when going through the gates of metropolitana, take the first exit on your left and from there goes bus nr 49, the shop is called Foderami Calze, and you have to step down the bus at the fifth stop - Capecelastro-Morgantini. I bought tunisian crochet hook from there today.
I found a small but an excellent place today, I took a different route back from my daughters school, saw a glimpse of yarn balls on a window and stepped down the bus a soon as possible. At Piazzale Siena there is a shop called Tricots. Here is a picture to make it easier for you to find it, the lady there is very helpful and we had a nice chat. They have Adriafil, Regia, Ornaghi yarns, some pearls, DMC etc. Keep in mind, small shops in Milano are closed for lunch hours and monday mornings!
Typesetter, a blogger and knitter from Milano wrote me this: "Another place I usually shop is Lanar, in via Nino Bixio (right off the circonvallazione). Thye have a limited range of yarns they produce tehmselves, but some of those yarns are excellent (wool and silk blends in nice solid colors), and their sport yarn at 1.16 euro per 50 grams ball (or 16.50 euro the 500 grams skein) is unbeatable!"
I really should visit all of them again, take some helping pictures (for they are often difficult to find) and write down the yarn companies they sell. I also have another 2 shops to check and I will do it as soon as I get the chance.
Hope all this helps someone. I think I'll translate this post into Italian, but not now... way too much writing for the past hour.
