This summer our family did another road trip out to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. This was our third visit and while we visited some old favourites, we also discovered some new ones! I made it a priority to check out some local yarn shops and did I ever find some treasures!
Read more below…
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I love the drive from Toronto, Ontario to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. While it is long, the landscape is beautiful and it’s a nice way to see the country. We make fun little stops along the way….memories in the making! If you’d like to check out some travel photos, check out my alternate account on Instagram: @sweet_bee_adventures
There was a day that we spent in Sydney, Nova Scotia, so my yarn adventures focused on that area. I know there are many amazing local yarn shops around Nova Scotia and I hope to someday visit many more!
Moraff’s Yarns and Crafts
752 Victoria Rd, Sydney, NS B1N 1J6
My first stop was to Moraff’s Yarns and Crafts in the Whitney Pier neighbourhood of Sydney, Nova Scotia.
I was greeted by Agnes who is the owner and an absolutely wonderful person to chat with. Agnes took over this unique shop in 2007 when the previous owner retired. There’s something magical about this shop, it’s almost like stepping into a history of craft and yarn in the most delightful way. There are supplies and tools for embroidery, weaving and sewing but I was there for the yarn.
There’s a really neat selection of modern brands and lines but also a collection of older yarn that is no longer being manufactured. This was very interesting to me because I love trying different yarns and fibres and seeing all the classic labels and various products was really fun. One of my finds was Lily Craft Yarn. It’s slightly thicker than a traditional worsted weight. It’s 100% cotton and has a great soft and squishy texture that can sometimes be hard to find with cotton yarn. I think it would make a great oversized dish cloth!
I also purchased 2 skeins of Hayfield Baby Chunky from Sirdar in the most lovely shade of blue. Fitting because it reminded me of the beautiful blue sky and ocean beaches that were all around us. I know many of my Instagram friends use Sirdar so I was excited to find some and begin planning a future project.
I missed Moraff’s when we were out east a few years ago so I’m very happy that I was able to pop in on this visit. Thank you Agnes for being so gracious and friendly. I will definitely come back to say hello next time I’m in Sydney!
The Bobbin Tree
48 Prince St, Sydney, NS B1P 5J7
This was my second visit to The Bobbin Tree. I always enjoy stopping in to see the collection of hand dyed yarn that’s available and always struggle with what I should get. It’s a really fun shop with bursts of colours and inspiration everywhere you look. Squish, colour and texture around every corner!
I couldn’t leave without purchasing something local so I bought a hank from Celtic Raven Fibres @celticravenfibres in a beautiful “Sea Glass” colourway. Actually, the last time I was visiting Sydney, I bought Celtic Raven fibres then too! It’s a gorgeous yarn to work with. I paired it with a mini hank to use as accent stripes, most likely in a scarf.
I found Estelle Colour Braid which I thought was really cool. This yarn was new to me and looked like it would be fun to crochet with so I picked up two different colourways.
If you’re ever around Sydney, this fun shop is definitely worth a visit to! It’s not a far walk from the harbour boardwalk and there are a ton of cute little shops in this area. I’ll be stopping in again for sure!
Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop
40 Neville St, Dominion, NS B1G 1P6
One the highlights connecting with others in the fibre community. I heard amazing things about Tracy’s Rolling Yarn Shop @tracysrollingyarnshop and made sure that we made a stop at their home base in Dominion, N.S.
Tracy has the most wonderful way of connecting with the fibre community by traveling around Cape Breton with a beautiful collection of yarn and accessories. The trailer is laid out so neatly and everything is organized in such clever way that it’s easy to enjoy looking at all the beautiful yarn. There is a great selection of brands that you might be familiar with but also many gorgeous local and indie hand-dyed options which is what I like to look for when I’m visiting a new place.
With Tracy’s recommendations, I purchased two hanks of @fleeceartist_handmaiden hand dyed yarn. One hank in the colours of Nova Scotia and the other in the colours of Cape Breton Island. Absolutely beautiful yarn and I’m so excited to prep them for a new project.
You can find Tracy traveling around, visiting local markets and other exciting locations around Cape Breton and also sometimes parked in Dominion. Tracy also has a great selection of yarn available to purchase online (check out the website above) Tracy, it was such a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can connect again on my next visit!
Do you have a favourite local yarn shop? I’d love to hear about the places that are near and dear to your crafty heart! Let me know in the comments below about your favourite shops.
Happy Crocheting!