Crafting on Vacation: How Do You Do It?

Dear users, dear authors,
How do you handle crafting on vacation or buying yarn while on vacation?

Last year, I really went all out buying yarn on vacation. Now I’m on a yarn diet—at least until the end of the year—and I really like it. With all my stash, I sometimes feel like I’m in a store. I want to finish a lot of projects before I go shopping again.

For vacation, I have a small craft bag where I pack whatever I’ll need during my trip. I definitely don’t go anywhere without yarn and needles. :) Most of the time, they’re simple, smaller projects. I don’t take more than what fits in the bag. 

I always take too much with me—yarn for simple little projects, but also for shawls and scarves. I never know who or what will inspire me, so I want to be prepared.

I don’t usually buy yarn on vacation, but I do stop by every yarn shop or craft store.

Well, I definitely take yarn and a crochet hook with me on vacation. But only for projects that don’t require stuffing—it would be impractical to lug that around because I can’t estimate how much I’ll need.
I mostly crochet flat pieces (shawls, granny squares, or bags that don’t require a pattern).
If there’s a craft store nearby, I have to go in—just to look around at first. I usually buy things that I can’t get here in Norway, or that are very hard to find. A lot of things are cheaper in Germany.

As a craft enthusiast, that’s exactly how I feel when I’m on vacation in America. There are great craft stores there, too—really big ones. I end up shopping there as well. There’s such a huge selection of everything from yarn to craft supplies and baking utensils that we’re always completely overwhelmed just looking around. I can never walk past the buttons, but I can resist the yarn because most of what’s offered is acrylic. 

We’re driving “home” in our camper—to Italy, to Gargano...
I always take an extra bag with yarn and a matching pattern... although I usually go "journali" shopping first, then I find a much nicer project than the one I packed, and then..... the next yarn shop is mine.... and you often find little craft shops there too, with safety eyes, various unusual buttons, bag handles, matching leather bases, and everything that here you can only get online anymore (I live out in the middle of nowhere, between the seas) 
In spring 2019 we were in Portugal.... and there too I first had to go to the needlework shop.... forgot my knitting needle 😯😉
Basically every little bit of space in the camper gets used... Anything that becomes free in the food storage gets filled up with craft supplies.... 

There really should be a travel guide dedicated solely to craft stores—nicely listed by size, selection, and photos. It would also be great to include craft markets or hands-on workshops focused on wool. After all, there are travel guides just for fishing enthusiasts or wine lovers. So why isn’t there a travel guide for craft lovers??? Just us here at CP alone already represent a large potential customer base.

Or maybe a tour that takes you from Designer A to Designer B to Designer C. At one, we’d learn how to dye wool; at the next, how to use an embroidery machine or master a special knitting technique. You could put together your own itinerary based on your preferences. That would be exactly MY kind of vacation! Nice and creative, and guaranteed not to be boring.

Best regards, Ina

Yes, Ina, you’re actually right. That’s still missing.

What a question: No vacation without yarn and needles! This time I’ve brought: socks, sponge yarn for a washcloth, and cotton yarn for a little vegetable bag. (I actually finished one of them on the train ride to the vacation spot!) Because of the rain, I haven’t been able to go hiking in the mountains much lately, but at least the sock is coming along with a new heel variation! If there’s a yarn or craft store at the vacation spot (which isn’t the case here), I’ll definitely take a curious peek inside, but I rarely buy anything specific. 

Hey Josefa....
Tell me, would it be “allowed” to start a kind of travel guide here in a thread....
Then everyone could list their favorite shops they discovered on vacation...
Or would that be “unfair competition” (or whatever it’s called)...
We could start by breaking it down by federal state.
A travel guide for craft stores...
A great idea... Just dreaming...
Best, Stephanie

I’d prefer it if you kept your comments general.
If specific stores are mentioned here, that might not be ideal.

Thanks for your reply...
If we were to write, for example: “In the state of Duckburg, in Chatterville, there’s a great craft store with lots of knitting and crochet supplies...”
would that be okay??? So without mentioning any names or street addresses...
  That would be a “rough” version of a travel guide, and it would give us a general idea of where to find things...
Best regards, Stephanie

In general, it’s fine.