Toronto is OK

Spent the weekend in New York, on a short vacation.

I did a bunch of research before I left: which knitting shops should I visit? Purl and School Products rose quickly to the top of the list, based on what I'd read about them online, and personal recommendations.

Both are terrific shops -- with welcoming staff and a nice selection and interesting locations. And I bought a book in each. I was hoping to find some hidden treasures, some books that aren't available in Toronto. What I ended up with were two books that have been on my list for a while, Barbara Walker's Treasury of Stitch Patterns Volume 2 and Debbie Bliss's Toy Knits. But both of these are available at home.

What about the yarn, you ask... Yes, there was certainly some stuff on the cone and unlabeled skeins that looked really interesting in School Products. Purl had a lovely selection of Rowan, Noro, Alchemy and similar sorts of products. But again, for the most part, there was nothing I couldn't find here at home.

All in all, I came away from both stores with the feeling that we're pretty well off here in Toronto. We have a variety of stores, each with its own niche, and we have access to some absolutely terrific yarns of all types -- the inexpensive practical stuff, and the luxurious and truly remarkable. We should be proud.