Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A Yarn Shop called Dreams

Up close

Isn't it great that this store is called Dreams? I met the nice owner, Tita Lilli de Leon, tonight when I went there... I told her about my blog title and my Ravelry name. Although I think her store began before I came up with them, and I did come up with them not knowing that such a store existed here in the Philippines.

This store definitely deserves to be called the Philippines's true Local Yarn Shop, or LYS. For one thing, it does call itself one: Dreams Yarnshoppe. For another, it has the best collection of yarns, needles and other knitting supplies to the serious knitter. They're mostly imported, even the locally distributed Red Heart is from China. I think it's only the crochet thread with Anchor and Cannon brands that are truly made in the Philippines (I'm not sure though.)

Photo-0117


However, being located in the upscale business district of Makati (the country's version of Manhattan, more or less), the prices cater to its moneyed residents, the locals and expats. You can find Addi Turbo circulars (didn't check the prices, since I knew I'd rather spend the money on yarn, someday) and Berroco yarns and other brands. There were some bulk yarns on sale, mostly acrylic and yarn, at reasonably fair prices, for the budget-conscious. I would have bought some if I hadn't joined knittinghelp.com's Year of the Stash, which is basically about stash management. For now, I have enough yarn. Really.

Look at the yarns (to the left of photo)

Anyway, I rarely venture out of my little apartment in Quezon City, except that I had decided to check out the local availability of knitting supplies in anticipation of my summer classes at Miriam College. Much as I wanted to rule out the Dreams Yarnshoppe, since it's about an hour away by car in traffic from the school, I thought I couldn't be a good knitting teacher without being able to inform my future learners about the state of the local market. (More on that later, in another post.)

Photo-0114

Granted, you could say that Craft World in Megamall (formerly at Robinson's Galleria) is some sort of LYS too, except that it has marketed itself more for general crafting. It does have its fair share of yarn, needles et al, but they sell some yarn hanks without any label if it's wool, acrylic, or whatever. Just a nice hank of gorgeous colors, and I'm not that much of a yarn expert yet. It's most likely acrylic. I bought a lot of my needles from this store when it used to be at Galleria, when I was just beginning to knit. They had a few double-points in various sizes. Tonight I got to buy size 15 (10mm) straight needles there, for roughly US$4 dollars. A good deal, and I badly needed that size.

My third source for knitting yarn and needles in Metro Manila, Philippines is Carolina's Lace Shoppe, and it's more known for sewing supplies including lace and beads, lots of them.

I'll soon make my prognosis re knitting supplies in the Philippines, since I have yet to check the downtown supply stores in Quiapo and Divisoria.

41 comments:

LoopyMom said...

Nice blog; it's so good to see other 'unravelled' fellow locals :)

When you get to check out other yarn sources (e.g., Divisoria or Kamuning), I hope you'll write about yarn price comparisons vis-a-vis Carolina Lace Shoppe Megamall, which generally sells its yarn cheaper (and in wider range of colors and sizes) than Craftworld.

I'm actually not a knitter but a crocheter of amigurumi, which my 2-yr-old daughter loves. I recently got granny square fever, hence I'd love to know where to get more affordable yarns before I move on to the costlier alpaca I'm drooling over.

Keep on dreaming!

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi Joy, you know me :-) this is Amy Cavosora... How's your family?

I could recommend tencel yarn cones for you, if you know someone flying in from the US to avoid shipping costs. Cheaper than alpaca, I think, and about as thin and shiny as mercerized crochet thread. Bought them online at WEBS and Heritage yarns, but waited for months to be brought over by my brother. A good deal...

LoopyMom said...

HI AMY, IT'S YOU!!! My sis mentioned that you knit care blankets, so when I stumbled on your blog, I tried to check if it might be you---and it is, yay!

Tencel yarn...so you mean it's not available here, even from Divi? OK, I suppose I 'could' wait for a balikbayan return.

So far I've crocheted 2 fuchsia octopi, 3 easter eggs, 2 'chickenese' easter egg cozies, and a bunny (freak of nature) for my daughter Lilo. My current WIP is a holder/purse for my cro-hooks. Hoping to make a baby afghan next. :)

Amy Cavosora said...

I'll send you some tencel yarn through Mona, for you to try :-)

lifeasastitcher said...

hi amy, Yeah Dreams Yarnshoppe,it's like Heaven! been there last year and enjoyed my visit there, after smelling, snooping and deciding which yarns and needles to buy, I ended up paying 4K for Lion Brand yarns, Lang yarns, Susan Bates crochet hook set, hey didn't know they have addi needles...hmm will visit them again this summer...ooh I can already project how much money I have to put aside. Is there any yarn winder btw? Or any knitting accessories like split markers and so...
I wasn't able to visit Juan Luna and Ilaya [Divisoria Area]. They said the needles there are very cheap...But lately I prefer circular ones...
Hope you can post some more info on yarn shop there in Manila.

Amy Cavosora said...

I'm not sure of the yarn winder at Dreams. I got mine from the U.S. They do have a few accessories like knit-checks and stitch markers. I was able to buy some circulars in Quiapo, but they were already almost out of stock and very limited in size. I got nice Inox metal circulars for cheap, below P100 each!

Dreams has the best yarn collection, but Craft World (Mega) also has some imported acrylic.

A F said...

Thanks so much for this post! We are moving to the Philippines in a few months, and I'm getting rid of about 80% of my yarn stash here so that I don't have to ship it or store it. I was feeling a little sad, thinking that surely there wouldn't be any good LYS in the Philippines, given the climate. It'd good to know I was wrong and can pick up some new yarn if I run out!

Amy Cavosora said...

I don't know how Dreams will compare to the LYS-es in the US (assuming you're there) since I've never been to others aside from Dreams here. Primarily the yarn I've been able to buy locally are acrylic and cotton, although Dreams had some other fiber types, but limited choices in terms of colors and sizes. If you do have a fave yarn, or a particular fave brand of cotton and acrylic, maybe best to keep what you have in your stash to be sure :-)

Amy Cavosora said...

You're welcome :-) haven't been there for quite a while.

Not Important said...

Hi! I am so glad I found at least ONE knitter in Manila. i currently stay in Katipunan and Im a college student. I usually buy most of my yarn and knitting supplies in Dreams in glo5, however I've been trying to look for a place that's closer to where I stay. Just wondering if youve found any new knitting haunts near the area :)

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi Natasia, for now the only one i can think of is Carolina's and Craftworld in Megamall, although I think there's also a Craftworld in Robinsons Galleria.

There's also a stall inside Kamuning Public market where you can buy yarn and crochet thread.

There was a group called Stitch and Bitch Manila where I met fellow knitters, but it hasn't had any meet-ups lately. :-)

Not Important said...

That's too bad. :( I've been wanting to meet other knitters to ask for help and tips for buying cheap materials. Anyway thanks! This is a helpful post you have here :D

Amy Cavosora said...

I'll let you know if we have meet-ups :-)

hapz said...

hello, i need someone to teach me how to knit, do you know of anyone willing to teach one on one? preferably in QC area. thanks, suzie

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi hapz, I can teach you to knit. I live in QC :-) Please contact me at 0917-608-9625 or 0929-181-9758

Amy

livinginPalawan said...

Hi All. Where in Makati is Dreams? I'm coming up from Palawan next week, and just found out I'm going to be a grandma for the first time, so I've resurrected my knitting needles. I'm hoping to find some baby-soft yarn.

jewelmemore said...

hi...
I'm a Filipina currently staying here in Malaysia. I've recently picked up 2 new hobbies,obviously, knitting and crochet.I was checking for yarn availability in the Phils when I came across your site.Cool! Though i'm not an expert yet and I'm looking forward to meeting fellow Filipinos who could teach me more on knitting and crochet when I go back there...Hope to hear from you soon...my email add is marieerfe69@gmail.com thanks! God bless

Amy Cavosora said...

Feel free to join our new Multiply group, Pinoy Knitters.You'll need a Multiply account :-)

Dreams Yarn Shop has moved to Greenbelt 5 in Makati :-)

Anonymous said...

I buy yarns from baguio (and my friends buy me yarns from baguio too!)
they are soft, lightweight and inexpensive. like those used on their knitted products.
i think a ball is approximately 50 pesos and you can make one scarf (5 feet) with excess.

There has been an alternative, the one in pasig but i prefer the one in baguio since their stocks dont last long in the shelves. :)

If you go to baguio, just ask where Hangar Market is. That's uphill :)

I have been to dreams. Twice. But the yarns are just too expensive for me. :(

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi crocheted, thanks for the Baguio tip :-)haven't been there for years!
I've also been using up my stash rather than buying new ones. But now I have a new shopping destination next time I go there.

Lesya said...

Hi, I`m from Ukraine, but now I`ll live in Manila maybe 2 or 3 month. And now I need your help :)Where can I bay needles and wool for felting. HELP me please :)

Regards, Lesya

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi Elemi,

I'm sorry but I don't know where you can find wool and other felting stuff here in the Philippines. You'll do best buying your felting materials online.

Try to check yarn shops/knitting sources with international shipping based in HongKong and Singapore, as shipping would be cheaper from there, compared to those in Europe or US.

Rizelle Paredes said...

Hi there! came across your blog when I googled yarns in the Philippines. I haven't been to dreams coz I've heard that it's pricier then the local yarns. I just usually use monaco/ cannon cotton thread for my projects. I'm going to try and ask my friend to buy some yarns in baguio for me. BTw, do you know where I can buy some blended wool yarn/ nylon thread...basta yung plain for dyeing. I also want to try that out.

I just recently started crocheting (been on it for a month na) and I'm starting to learn how to knit. If you guys have meetups please invite me rin ^^ my email add is : munting_anghel22@hotmail.com. I'm almost always online in facebook so please feel free to add me there. :) just put crochet/knit buddy on the f/r. ^^ hope to hear more from you!

Amy Cavosora said...

Hi Rizelle, sorry I don't know if there's still some blended wool/nylon yarn in the Divisoria branch of the Wellmanson store that's also in front of Quiapo Church. But give it a try. They are, however, already dyed, so I dunno how else you could dye it.

I just sent you an invite to the Pinoy Knitters group on Multiply. Feel free to join :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I just found this blog through googling for yarn in Manila.

I don't know where to buy yarn but I found some really CHEAP circular needles at a fairly new Japanese store called Saizen in Robinson's Galleria (2nd floor). It's one of those 'everything for 85 pesos' stores. They have a craft section but there really isn't any yarn at all. All I could find were circulars (sizes were 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm; all made of bamboo, length was 60mm). I didn't need them so I didn't buy them but I thought I should post here just in case anyone was looking... I mean where else can you buy circs for 85 pesos, right?

I'm a beginner at knitting and bought most of my needles in Hong Kong and a few from the US (had a balikbayan friend get them for me). What I really need is yarn... like real yarn, not the crappy acrylic kind. But I'm also on a budget and can't afford the stuff in Dreams. I can't afford another trip to Hong Kong any time soon either so if anyone knows...

Honestly, I wish there were some kind of Knitting Association here that would order yarn in bulk from suppliers abroad as long as enough members would be willing to buy it. I've heard of places like that in other countries but none here. Anyone interested in starting one? :P

Amy Cavosora said...

Dear Anonymous, thanks for your post. Suggest you post your query for bulk orders at my Multiply for knitters, http://pinoyknitters.multiply.com/

I'm on yarn diet but I might consider selling some of my tencel yarn, which is what I have mostly. I do have other types of yarn, ordered from the US if you want to buy them. Some are cotton blends. Not that much, maybe 2-3 balls each.

:-)

daintrix said...

Hi. I'm Dain. I am four months pregnant and was put on bed rest because of contractions. It's been a week and I already got bored of watching TV and surfing the net. I want to try cross stitching. My friend told me that that the nearest store in my place where I can buy materials is the one you're talking about "Dreams" in Glorietta 5. Would you know if they have a website? Or is there any other store in Makati area?

The Joyful Crafter said...

Hi Dreaming Knitter!

How much do you sell your Tencel Yarn & is it 4-ply? I am kind of into thick kind of yarns and is currently looking for a kind of yarn that is 'baby friendly' since I will be doing most of my crochet stuff for my little princess.

Anyway, let me know.


Thanks,
Peach

Anonymous said...

hi.. how nice to see a pilipina knitter and crocheter ... love your blog ...im monette sitting at Abu dhabi .. i start crocheting when i have my first baby and then stop .. after i have my second baby i start crocheting again ...i love yarn ... but yarns here are so expensive ... they do not even have a lot of craft shop in here... so i search web to where to find local yarn shop not included carolinas ... as i know them for long and im a bit bored on the yarns.. i want a different variety and style .. like a pompom a wool and so on .. im buying online ..but not satisfied when the yarn comes....thanks for the blog i have now an idea where to go this november is our vacation .. and for sure to buy yarns for me to last a year of hobby craft ...i will try rosario for sure as it is the most recommended yarn shop if your looking for cheap ... i remember when im stil on highschool there is one shop in glorreita near marcella .. but its totally out of my way so we dont go shop on makati any more .. we have market market near us they have carolinas ... thanks for your blog again .. i used to have blog before its cold jazzwakz crochet collection ...but i dont have time to blog no more .. i have another kids .. ahhah so i post all my creation on facebook .. you can see it if you want ... monette lucena ... thanks again ... your blog is cool

Amy Cavosora said...

Thanks for your comment. I haven't been knitting lately :-) but I do hope to get back to it soon.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for blogging about Dreams Yarnshoppe! I just bought my first yarn and crochet hook a while ago in a store at Market Market and i didnt get what i need for the pattern i have(the sales lady was not really helpful). So, Im thrilled to check out Dreams Yarnshoppe soon! I am really glad to stumble upon your blog very helpful info :) Im a mom of two by the way, and planning to make money in crocheting. Kudos! :)

Dreaming Knitter said...

The best-priced yarns outside of Divisoria stores are in Carolina's Lace Shoppe (Mega), but these are only acrylic ones by Red Heart, mostly. They also have cotton crochet thread that you can double/triple/quadruple for knitting.

Craft World in Mega still has old stock of Carmencita (precursor to Red Heart, now discontinued) acrylic yarns.

I found Familia acrylic yarns at VC Trading in Farmer's Cubao.

Chewy the Yorkie and Cassie the Poodle said...

Hi! I have just opened my online yarn store based in Manila, Philippines. Please check out Yarn Source Manila in multiply. Thanks! More yarns to be posted soon. http://yarnsourcemanila.multiply.com/

Anonymous said...

Hi I came upon this blog while i was looking for yarn shops, I'm a new knitter and I just want to share about the shop in Rosario Pasig called Lacio Gen. Mercandise, it is the first stall right beside the footbridge c: they sell yarns for p280/kilo, though I think those are the yarns that are on sale and needs some washing first. There are also other shops there that sells embroidery threads. Just wanted to share the info to the comments for additional references XD

Apol Junabelle said...

Hello,
I just came across this blog and I am glad to find that there are still people interesting in crochet and knitting. I just resurrected my hobby for crochet and I am re-learning. I am here in Cebu and unfortunately I haven't found a local yarn store here...so far I just found country crafts but it has limited crochet stuff...I hope to look for more yarn stores here..

Anonymous said...

alam ko na ngayon kung san makakabili ng yarns. matagal na kasi ako naghahanap. thanks

agnesjade said...

hi,.. im also a crocheter from iloilo,.. im looking for different weight of yarns,..can u suggest me some...?

agnesjade said...

hi nice to see this blog,..cos im looking for a yarn shoppe here in phil,...good to see this blog of yours,..
im agnes from iloilo,...im also a crocheter, and i have an online business of crochet projects,.. do u also have a website of Dreams yarnshoope? i wanted to buy,...pls help with this...

Anonymous said...

hello, what a nice blog, i was a silent reader for some time looking up for yarns thru google and here i always end up reading your blog :) I love crocheting, but I dont know how to knit, I wish to learn more of it :)

Anonymous said...

hi... nice to stumble upon this blog and finding out that many are still interested in crochet and knitting. I also have the same problem, like searching for a shop where I can find variety of yarns and threads which of course will suit my budget...

Mine are from VC Trading and Manning's in Farmer's Cubao,they sell a bit cheaper but with limited choices compared to Dreams in G5.

I just wish that my brother will fulfill his promise that he's going to buy tons of yarns and threads so I can put up my own shop... yey!...

God Bless...

Qubes said...

Craft World in Megamall is apparently closed? I went down there to get some new hooks and needles but it's gone. Any idea where they moved? :)