the blue blog archives: guess who's coming to Berlin?

Well, that's what everyone here is trying to guess, because it's Voting Day! Looks like it could be a close one. Like I don't get enough of this kind of drama at home.

No idea who might be coming to Berlin in a few months, but I'm actually on my way to Berlin tomorrow. It's very nice here auf dem Land and all, but I'm a city gal. And I haven't visited Berlin in seven years. I can't imagine how much it's changed since then! Most important question: who knows of any good yarn stores in town?? (Wink, wink.)

Update: The results are in and it seems that none of the parties is strong enough to take power and none wants to work with any of the others. Isn't parliament fun?

Don't know anything about German politics? Here's my version of the current parliamentary problem, illustrated through an actual fight between B and S. There is only one Kinder Bueno left (Kinder Bueno is a yummy chocolate bar, which is actually meant to be broken into pieces, like a Kit Kat). B says he wants it. S says he wants it. B has finished his dinner already, so he's sort of earned it more, but S will be done in just a minute or two. No problem.

Parents/Voters:"How 'bout you share the Kinder Bueno?"
B/(major party #1):"No!"
S/(major party #2):"No!"
Minor political parties (pointing in different directions):"We're not sharing with THEM! We are prepared to be in the opposition."

Sounds just like a four-year old, doesn't it: 'if I can't have it, then I just want to be able to complain about it.' My prognosis? Well, I can tell you this - B ended up getting the Kinder Bueno.

posted by alison at 7:04 am | in vacation 2005

Comments

Hi Alison,

hello from Hamburg :) The only yarn store in Berlin I know is the Woll-Kontor. They also have a homepage with online shop: http://www.wollkontor.de/ On the Mustersockenknitalong-list there will be a "Zugsocking" to Berlin and they want to visit this yarn store so I think it´s a good one.

I wish you a Goodspeed and have a wonderful time in Germany :)

Best wishes and wink zurück
Goldbek

PS: I love your weasleys, they are very cute!

Posted by: Goldbek at September 18, 2005 7:48 AM

Alison, I have to say, I'm loving your entries from Germany! Most German blogs are in, um, German. I err, don't read/understand German. Not only do I get to spy into your vacation/visit with family...but I get a glimpse of a beautiful country (Where I'm told I do indeed still have relatives, but I don't know their names!)
So with that said LOL, can't help you out on the LYS suggestions ;)

Posted by: Carla at September 18, 2005 7:49 AM

Someone's been busy making Weasleys! Cute. :) I like the sky full of Weasleys. (They need a flying car...)

I've been to Austria several times with my dad, and we spend most of the time in the small town where my relatives live... where I bum around the house, and my dad goes hunting. :P I've started putting my foot down, and insisting we see at least *one* touristy sight each trip. ;)

Posted by: Andrea at September 18, 2005 9:17 AM

I´ve never been in this shop but somewhere I read something nice about it. http://frau-wolle-berlin.de/

Have fun and yes a lot of things have changed during the last 7 years.

Sibylle

Posted by: Sibylle at September 18, 2005 9:37 AM

Hi ! I went in Berlin for a week during last july and for sure, though a lot of great yarn come from Germany, it's really hard to find yarn in Berlin !
I have been to Kadewe, a huge drugstore where I have bought some Regia socks yarn (a great choice). You can also find there Gedifra yarn and big needles. However, no GGH (Rebecca). I had collected some adresses on yellow pages but a lot of those shops didn't exist anymore (rrrh). Good luck..

Sorry for my bad English..

Posted by: Louise at September 18, 2005 11:40 AM

hey, keep us updated on fine knitting places in germany. i'm moving to friedberg and am hoping that i'll be able to readily support my knitting habit once i get there. thanks.

Posted by: lindsey at September 18, 2005 12:57 PM

Hi, from Berlin. I agree, it's not easy to find yarn shops here.
If you will happen to be near Kollwitzplatz, you can try LOOPS(Woertherstr.19 Prenzlauer Berg, tel : 030.44.0.54.9.34). They have relatively good selections of yarns including GGH, Regia, Lang, anny blatt and etc.

Viel Spass!!

Posted by: aya at September 18, 2005 1:17 PM

Dear Alison,

I'm a journalist and knitter (and blogger, and a reader of your blog) - so this day is not working on ufo's or wip's -- but on lection. Miracle: every party sees themselves as the winner! Happy country, nobody lost the election! ;-)

Woolshops: forget Wollkontor.

KADEWE only has Gedifra yarns and recently a very very few Rowan yarns.

Better shops are:
La Laine: Kantstrasse 145, (Charlottenburg) (Very close to Savigny Platz)
mo-fr 10:00 - 19:00, sat 10:00 - 15:00
Lana Grossa, Lang-Yarns, Noro, Bouton d'or, Anny Blatt. This is my "LYS".

Loops: Wörtherstrasse 19, (Prenzlauer Berg)
mo-fr 11:00 - 19:00, sat 10:00 - 16:00
GGH, Noro, Colinette (mohair), Lang, Bouton d'Or, Anny Blatt,

Fadeninsel: Oranienstrasse 23, (Kreuzberg)
mo-fr 10:00 - 18:00, sat: 10:00 - 14:00
Same yarn - brands as Loops.

I'm not sock-knitter, therefore I cannot recommend which of the shops has good sock yarn - I simply don't recognize it.

Enjoy your stay in Berlin - funny that I read your blog and now you are just around the corner!

Hug
Sabine

Posted by: Sabine at September 18, 2005 2:03 PM

Hi Alison.
Well, being born in Berlin I'm following the very puzzling election too. Everybody appears so happy in TV, all parties are winners. Though I cannot call it a win-win situation.. ;-)
On yarn stores: I can also recommend La Laine and Wollkontor (Nassauische Str. 11/12, 10717 Berlin-Wilmersdorf). You can also find a huge selection of Regia sock yarns in most of the Karstadts. Have fun shopping!

Posted by: Carola at September 18, 2005 5:03 PM

I'm glad you're enjoying it here! Whereabouts are you? Is it cold there too? It's freaking cold in Munich, really nasty and wet. I put the heating on for the first time this season :-(
I totally agree with you about the politicians... it's soooo ridiculous! I'll have to wait and see what the news are tomorrow morning.

Posted by: Dorothee at September 18, 2005 5:05 PM

Sabine had I known you are in Berlin, and had I known your blog earlier I would have asked you before my last trip in the big city :)

Alison I still can give you some hints for yarn shops in Hamburg :))

Posted by: Sibylle at September 18, 2005 5:14 PM

Glad you are liking Germany. Too bad it just got cold this week. I will see if I can find anything for Berlin, but I am in the Pfalz and have not yet ventured to Berlin.

By the way... your shrug is gorgeous!

Chao!

Heather
-Rheinland-Pfalz

Posted by: Heather Hagen at September 18, 2005 9:57 PM

See, now, in our house the voters would have gobbled the Kinder Bueno up as a result of the arguing. Does this count as a revolution of some sort?

Posted by: Krista at September 19, 2005 4:35 PM

Hi Allison! I finally posted my sockapla2za pictures...I've got mine packed up and waiting-do we mail them tomorrow? (Tuesday?) Thanks again for organizing this wacky knit-along!

Posted by: Katie O. at September 19, 2005 11:12 PM

My family is in Graz, Austria and Vienna or rather Wein. So if you need help in that direction I can help you out>

Posted by: cindy villarreal at September 20, 2005 12:42 AM

Hi I'm an american living in Berlin. I know of some yarn stores here, but they aren't as fabulous as in the States. Write me if you get this and I'll fill you in!!!!

Posted by: kimberly at September 20, 2005 12:46 AM