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• store: Morris and Sons (formerly Tapestry Craft)
• address: 50 York St, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• website: www.morrisandsons.com.au
• date of visit: January, 2010

This is my last post about the yarn shops I visited in my recent trip to Australia (although, fingers crossed that I’ll go back soon!). And, although I don’t mean to play favorites, I saved the best for last: Morris and Sons. It’s my favorite probably because it’s most like what us Americans think of as a ‘yarn store’: it’s a destination for people in love with yarn. What do I mean? They have Sit & Knit sessions, they have knowledgeable salespeople… gosh darn it, they have staff who are on Ravelry! And the staff will chat with you about what they are working on, and what they recommend, because they know their stuff. I really love that. And, as you can see in the photo at left, they have a table! Because they teach classes! It’s wonderful, really. Coming from America, I didn’t think any of this was too exciting, until I went to a large number of yarn stores that just sold yarn. I’ve come to love the community aspect of a yarn store… and this place has it.

Okay, enough of my ramblings about the greater functions of yarn stores in society… onto the details. Morris and Sons is a two-floor store, with needlepoint and such on the top floor, and knitting & crochet yarns on the bottom floor. Like I said, they have classes, a table, a book corner and of course, lots of yarn. As is the case in most places in Australia, the focus tends to be on lighter weight yarns (because it’s really warm!), but this place has a sizable selection in all weights. Noro, Jo Sharp, NZ Naturally, Debbie Bliss and Fila di Crosa are just some of the lovely brands that are there. And… here’s the most exciting part: for each type of yarn they have, they knit up an entire ball into a swatch! So, not only are you able to see how the yarn looks when it’s worked up, but you can get an idea of how much is in a ball… hooray!

In addition to yarns, there is also a wonderful needle/notions selection… including interchangeable circulars. And, although I haven’t yet ordered, they have an online shop, so it’s easy to browse their stock.

One final note for visitors… it’s right in the heart of downtown, so it’s really easy to get to! Get to either the City Centre or Wynyard subway stops, and just ask a person on the street, “I’m trying to get to York St., between Market & King”, and you’ll be pointed in the right direction (Sydney actually isn’t too big of a city). So, if you’re in Sydney, there’s no excuse not to stop by!