Travel Crafty Stockholm
By Sabrina Gschwandtner
Stockholm offers whatever you are looking for in craft, whether old, new, rustic, or conceptual. Traverse the city for amazing, unique supplies, objects d'art, and knitted graffiti.
(Photo: A basket of trim for sale at Folckers.)
Old Touch
Upplandsgatan 43, Stockholm
Old Touch is an amazing and aptly named antique store filled with wonderful buttons, beautiful lace, choice clothes, and other old-timey remnants, all at very reasonable prices.
Folckers
Hornsgatan 52, Stockholm
www.folckers.se
A museum-like jewel, Folckers has been unearthing the best ribbon, tassels, and other trimmings from around the world for over 130 years.
Sundbybergs Textilcentrum
Järnvägsgatan 56 in Sundbyberg
www.textilcentrum.se
The big fabric store where all the fashion students shop is in Sundbyberg, just north of Stockholm.
Soders Tyger
Hornsgatan 53 Stockholm
www.soderstyger.se
Get your needles, patterns, thread, and other sewing supplies here. The staff is extremely friendly and overly helpful — going so far as to open up early one morning when I was desperate for polyamide thread.
Platina
Odengatan 68, Stockholm
www.platina.se/index.html
Platina is a store and gallery for handmade jewelry that will make you laugh, gossip, chant, and cry.
Gustavsbergs Konsthall
Odelbergs vag 9, Gustavsbergs Hamn
www.gustavsbergskonsthall.se
Gustavsbergs, an old porcelain and ceramic factory town, is twenty minutes by bus from Stockholm. Located inside the building where the factory workers used to pray, Gustavsbergs Konsthall is an artist-run gallery specializing in contemporary craft art. Along with exhibitions of work by internationally recognized and avant-garde craft artists, they also offer a "Ceramic & Glass Expo," selling choice books, ceramics, glass, and videos.
Marias Garn
Sankt Paulsgatan 20, Stockholm
www.mariasgarn.se
One of the oldest and most beloved yarn stores in Stockholm, Marias Garn offers yarn and embroidery supplies from around the world.
When you're in Stockholm, keep your eyes on the streets too! You might spot knitted graffiti by local groups Masquerade and Stickkontakt.
About the Author
Sabrina Gschwandtner is a New York-based artist and writer. As the author of KnitKnit: Profiles and Projects from Knitting's New Wave (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007), Sabrina has lectured extensively on the revival of handcraft in popular culture.
Sabrina will lecture at Haystack's annual conference: "Making: Past, Present, and Future," July 12-16, 2009 in Maine. Registration information is at: www.haystack-mtn.org/conference.php
I would like to add that if you are bringing any crafty teenagers on your trip, you shouldn't miss Lava at Kulturhuset! It's a great place for people between 13 and 20 where you can try different crafts, print your own t-shirts, make pins, borrow sewing machines and attend workshops. They usually have some kind of theme going on, you can check the calendar here:
http://www.kulturhuset.stockholm.se/default.asp?id=8222&ptid=22540&Category=Lava
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Cool, I totally trust these recs!
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It's always nice to see other people exploring your (now ex-)hometown. Even I haven't been to all these places, despite living in or near Stockholm for the last 28 some years. I'll have to explore some next time I go "home".
Thanks!
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