I’ll have been to and returned from Latvia by the time you are reading this post, so I thought I must catch up on my crafty travel diaries.
I went to Vienna, Austria, in May 2023; back when Little Miss Drop Stitch didn’t even exist!
Let’s face it, Vienna is not known as the wool capital of the world, so there wasn’t many shops to explore, but the ones I did were well worth the visit. There was also a mishap along the way! If you would prefer to listen rather than read, then click here to go to the YouTube video.
WolleWien
I absolutely loved this yarn shop because they did their own brand of yarn. And it was merino. And super bouncy and squishy. I purchased 3 balls of their DK weight (50g balls). This is how I came to design the Marie Headband: my mum complains wool is itchy so I was determined to change her opinion on that. I just didn’t anticipate I’d have to travel to Austria to do that! She loves the headband and wears it on all her walks. I really enjoyed the stitch definition of this yarn; it also almost has a shiny lustre to it.
Of their own brand yarn, they did 4ply, DK and Aran weight (all merino). I think they did chunky but I could be getting mixed up with the Aran weight. They also stocked British brand The Fibre Co, which is made from Cumbrian sheep. It is rather expensive, so I have used the sock wool of this brand in the past as that only requires one hank. They also stocked Lang yarn and other brands.
So, I’d say their own brand was the best price point and the rest of the yarn they stock is priced at middle to splurge. But hey, you’re on holiday! The vibe in WolleWien is definitely natural fibres, as opposed to acrylic, which does push the price point up.
Only downside is this isn’t really a shop you can just stumble upon because it is a little tucked away. Google maps at the ready.
My experience of WolleWien also involved taking someone who wasn’t a knitter with me. Arms folded, it made me feel like I’d better not indulge and spend all day in there. I did plan to go back to the shop the day after once I’d decided what I could make with the gorgeous aran/chunky weight wool…but this didn’t go to plan and I’ll get back to this in a moment.
Pingouin Wolle
This was right near my hotel in the ‘Artist’s district’ and is way better inside than outside. The front of the shop is fabric, and a good range too, however, some were quite high up. I don’t know if it’s just a British thing, but no was was I going to bother someone to go up a ladder to get a bolt of fabric unless I was 100% sure I’d be buying. I noticed they did have a fantastic range of jersey fabric.
The back of the shop is the yarn section and they had lots of popular brands, including Rico. I bought 3 of the ‘Make it Tweed’ for 6 euros each, which I think is a great price. This is also the place to come if you prefer acrylic yarn or have a lower budget.
I really enjoyed this little shop and also purchased some twill tape and Gutterman thread. Their haberdashery range was fabulous and I could have spent a lot longer in there if I knew what I wanted.
I used the Make it Tweed in the jumper below.
So, what went wrong?
Well, I’d planned to get WolleWien’s fabulous heavy weight own brand yarn for a cardigan and knew how much I needed. When having breakfast, everything seemed a bit quiet…too quiet. At breakfast in a bakery, I was told they were closing soon and it was only around 10am. Turns out it was Assention day and this is a bank holiday in Austria. I messaged WolleWien on facebook and they did get back to me promptly; to my dismay it was closed. It was also the last day of my holiday.
So, I feel like I want to go back! They don’t have a website you can order from, but maybe I’ll message them to see if they can offer this service – even with customs fees, it’ll be a cheaper option. If this doesn’t work out, then I plan to go to Salzburg in the west to see where the Sound of Music was filmed, then travel by train to Vienna for a little shop and then to Bratislava in Slovakia. This is a short train journey and costs under 10 euros.
Honestly, WolleWien own brand yarn is that special I would go back in person.
Me-Made Dress
I thought you might like to see the me-made dress I took to Vienna. I wore it on the first night because the design is close fitting and we all know what happens to our waistlines on holiday! Pattern is 5209 Butterick Retro. I rather like it styled with trainers and I’m all for the comfortable option on holiday.
If you like high end fashion (or just having a nosy), then Vienna could be the place for you. They had all the designer brands like Channel, but I particularly liked this Karl Lagerfeld window display.
Finally, here are a few of my favourite photographs. Vienna is a wonderful place to soak up culture, whether it be music, architecture or gastronomy. I would also rate Vienna as the best hot chocolate I have ever had and that goes for all the hot choccies I had there.
Adieu!
Little Miss Drop Stitch 