The Perfect Knitting Holiday – Valencia, Spain

A knitting holiday in Valencia, Spain offers the perfect combination of an authentic knitting tradition in a joyful Mediterranean  setting. Even before the recent revival of knitting in cities all over the world, Valencia had a rich knitting culture all its own.  When I first came to live here in the 1980’s, I was enamoured by the city’s many typical, old-fashioned yarn shops, where the women who owned the shops spent much of their time personally guiding their customers with their projects. Unlike  in the U.S., where knitting had become a dying craft, Valencia was a place where the art of knitting was still very much alive, still being passed on from one knitter to the next, just as it always had been, for as long as anyone could remember.

I am a before-the-boom-knitter. I learned the basics from my Grandmother when I was a child. However, it wasn’t until I came to Valencia that I was able to improve my skills, thanks to the active knitting community here. And recently, just as in other parts of the world, there has been a growth in popularity in knitting and crocheting in Valencia too. Throughout the city, from Starbucks to the city park, people meet up and “stitch ‘n bitch” in good company.

Knitting Holiday Specifics

I frequent a wonderfully warm and cosy yarn shop that is especially welcoming called Lanas Derecho y Revés.  It is right around the corner from City Garden B&B and I recommend it highly to our guests who knit and crochet. Aside from the wide selection of quality yarns, the shop offers crotchet classes and guidance to knitters in English. The shop is always abuzz with friendly clients working on there projects. As a visitor to the city, it is a perfect place to mix with the locals.

Accomodations

Your knitting holiday accommodations will be at City Garden B&B Valencia, in Ruzafa, Valencia, an urban bed and breakfast that prides itself on its relaxing, comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. Newly opened in march of 2017, special features include a spacious terrace, Mediterranean breakfast, comfy beds, and the perfect location in the popular Ruzafa neighbourhood of Valencia.

Knitting holiday activities

• Activities take place in the knitting shop, Lanas Derecho y Revés, located only a two minute walk from City Garden B&B, on Calle del Músico Padilla, 4 in the Ruzafa district of Valencia, 46005.

• The knitting activities open to you are totally flexible, from simply browsing in the shop to taking a crochet class. Lanas Derecho y Revés offers the largest variety of quality yarns in the city, incuding the well known Spanish Katia brand, the much acclaimed Uruguayan Malabrigo hand-dyed wools (the only provider in the city), as well as many others.

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  You can start a knitting project under the expert tutelage of Chus or join a group crochet class with Laura, (both in English) . For these classes it is better to inquire in advance to make sure to coincide with Chus and Laura’s schedules. Of course, I am also available to accompany you to the shop and introduce you to the girls. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further details. 

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As we knitters know, this time-honoured craft is not just for grannies anymore. In this fast-paced, machine-manufactured, modern lifestyle of ours, many of us have found the perfect antidote in the peaceful, pleasure of creating an original scarf or a beautiful sweater out of a simple ball of yarn. For us, a knitting holiday that allows us to travel and, at the same time, indulge our passion is the perfect vacation indeed.