Faversham Pilgramage

Last weekend, three of my crocheting friends and I ventured out of South East London and into the wilds of Kent in search of fresh yarn foraging ground.

Faversham Market Hall by Sarflondondunc on Flickr

Alighting at the lovely ancient town of Faversham on a sunny summer market day, the first thing we did, of course, was make our way through the craft stalls and congenial hustle and bustle to get lunch. Then, more than satisfactorily fed and watered in the fittingly eclectic cafe The Yard, we set forth to The Yarn Dispensary in the quaint market square.


We sat at this very round table for lunch! Photo from Faversham Life website

A yarn shop most aptly named - I gather because the tudor building was once, indeed, a pharmacy or apothecary, but now in our eyes, just as health giving.

Despite their evident knitting bias, we nevertheless quickly settled in to the intense and therapeutic business of familiarising ourselves with the stock. We found linens, silks, cottons and wools, as well as alpacas and even yak.


Inside the Yarn Dispensary - c/o www.bestofengland.com

We picked up on yarns from Sirdar Sublime, Yorkshire Spinners, Debbie Bliss, Baa Ram Ewe, Fyberspates, Juniper Moon, Louisa Harding and Erika Knight, to name just a few, as well indulging in decorative hooks and other notions, some patterns and even cheeky, yarn-based car stickers (to add to the existing collection).

We conversed at length to the delightful owner, Gillian Ely, and exchanged business cards on behalf of the Knitting and Crochet Guild.

We were afforded a peak at their workshop space and regaled with the tales of a yarn shop keeper. Eventually, weighed down with brown paper bags, we tripped back out into the sunshine and made the only sensible next step - tea and cakes of course! It had been a perfect afternoon and the journey back to the big smoke was smooth and crochet-filled.

Mandy Mellican and Gill Gardiner - very happy and 

about to get off the train back at Bromley South Station.