Toulouse - part 2 - The Squishy Bit!

Hello again. Thanks for popping back for the next installment! As this is primarily a knitting blog, I expect that you're wondering when I'm going to get to the yarny bit! Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer! As we were in class until gone 5 o'clock each day, I was a little concerned as to when exactly I was going to manage to get any shopping done. Luckily for me, the shops in Toulouse stay open until 7pm, which gave me plenty of time to visit a couple of yarn stores. I'd done some research before leaving the UK, and knew that La Droguerie HAD to be my first port of call. It certainly was an experience! The shop is situated in a tiny square just off the Place du Capitole, so was within easy walking distance of my hotel!

When you go into the shop, the first thing that hits you is colour, colour, colour, colour, colour everywhere! Rainbow skeins of yarn hanging down, shelves stacked high with cones of yarn, walls of ribbons, and trimmings, shelves of beads and buttons. It was hard to know where to begin. I'd taken a couple of patterns with me, and had started to browse when I was pounced upon by an assistant. The first yarn I bought was to knit another Ishbel. The girl recommended using 2 yarns knitted together - a 4 ply alpaca and a 2 ply mohair. Who was I to disagree?! The yarn came on large cones, and she wound the two yarns together in one yarn cake. I chose the colourway Mure (blackberry). Want a look? Oh, go on then!

I then chose some more alpaca to make Peasy. I went for a lovely soft grey colour, Brume, which is French for mist. I hope that the yarn will work out ok, because it's a little finer than the suggested yarn, but this was the yarn that they recommended I use in La Droguerie. Fingers crossed! I reckon that all the girls who work in the shop must have strong arms, because all the yarn has to be wound, either from cones or skeins, into the yarn cakes! It also means that you have plenty of time for more browsing whilst your yarn is being wound!

Just looking at the yarn, I can already see it's going to make a lovely snuggly cardigan. I wanted some buttons to go with it - talk about being spoilt for choice! The buttons were just beautiful and it was hard to make a decision. In the end, I settled on some mother of pearl ones. Do you like them?

The alpaca was my favourite yarn in the store, partly because it feels sooooooooo soft, and also because of the fantastic range of colours it comes in. I treated myself to 50g each of five different shades of purple to make into some kind of scarf. Aren't they delicious? Just like a bowl of ripe summer fruits!

As I already mentioned, the buttons there were fantastic. I've never seen such a range anywhere before! I bought some simply because I liked them, without any specific projects in mind. I know that it isn't usual to match yarn to buttons, but hey! I'm willing to give it a try! I bought four of these .......................

and eight of these ........

and ten of these .........

and twenty of these........

I think that the little flowers will be used for some kind of Attic24 related crochet project. I could have bought loads more! If I lived in Toulouse, I'd definitely need a bigger button box! Here are all the buttons together!

Taking photographs in the shop wasn't allowed! So you'll have to make do with these glimpses through the window. I can imagine you now, your nose pressed up against the screen, peering in!

In one window there was a big tray of beads of every colour imaginable!

Once all of my yarn had been wound, and buttons chosen, I had to go to another counter to pay. It's not the sort of shop you can go into if you're in a hurry! I was in there for about an hour and a half, so was jolly glad that Mr JK wasn't pacing about outside!! A true yarny experience that I shall savour for a long time!

I also visited another yarn shop selling Anny Blatt yarns, and treated myself to ten balls of merino for (another!) Attic24 crochet project!! The range of colours was spectacular, and it was really hard to only choose ten! This was my final selection .......

So, a fun and squishy time was had by yours truly! Call back tomorrow to find out more about my trip en France. We're off to the Pyrenees, so get your skis ready! Bye!