A KNITTER’S GUIDE TO TALLINN
I often get asked about the best places to go in Estonia and Tallinn in particular for all things knitting and I love sharing some of my favourite places. It’s great to see so many people adding Estonia to their list of places to visit! While the capital Tallinn holds a special place for me as that is where most of my extended family live this is by no means the only place you should visit. There are so many other fantastic places outside the capital. So let me share with you my favourite knitting and craft places in Tallinn that have inspired me and show off more of what Estonian knitting and crafts have to offer.
YARN SHOPS
Of course yarn shops have to be included on any list for knitters! While the yarn shop scene in Estonia is very different to other places in Europe as well as North America there are a few gems to find some unique souvenir yarn for your stash!
LÕNG JA LÕNGAST / WOOL & WOOLLEN
This cute little shop is located outside the old town. It is lies between the old town / downtown and the airport (Tallinn is relatively small so everything is fairly close to each other!). Wool & Woollen is my local yarn shop (LYS) in Tallinn and is a well curated shop with a knowledgable owner. There is a section of the shop that is dedicated to local Estonian wool that is both dyed and undyed available in large hanks and wound cakes of various sizes. Beyond the local selection of Estonian wool is a fantastic array of colour and yarn choice for Estonian lace shawls (Haapsalu sallid) which have been the most well known piece of Estonian knitting around the world (however I would like to think that is now changing with introductions to Roosimine and other techniques from Traditions Revisited- Modern Estonian Knits!). The owner has many samples of lace shawls knit that she has knit to show off the different yarn choices. You can choose from traditional white and cream colours all the way to wild and bold neons with the wide array she has in her shop!
Lõng ja Lõngast / Wool & Woolen
Tartu mnt. 65 Tallinn 10151
Monday -Friday 10am -6pm
Saturday 10 am - 3pm
Sunday closed
There are other yarn shops in Tallinn but this is one of my favourites as it has a more personable feel and well curated. Other shops are Karnaluks which is a large craft supply shop - multiples floor containing needles, yarn, haberdashery, buttons.
Tartu mnt 63 Tallinn 10115
Monday – Friday 9am -5pm
Saturday 9am – 3pm
Another small shop that is nestled among other giftshops in the old town (vanalinn) is Domus Linum. They carry a nice small selection of yarn including Estonian wool alongside linen fabric.
Domus Linum
Müürivahe 31 Tallinn
Monday- Saturday 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm
HANDICRAFT SHOPS
Ok there are so many handicraft shops and souvenir shops around Tallinn but if you’re serious about craft then these are the ones you don’t want to miss!
EESTI KÄSITÖÖ
So there are actually technically 2 shops with this name both located close to each other in the old town (vanalinn). These shops are run by the Eesti Rahvakunsti ja Käsitöö Liit ( Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union) which maintains traditional craft across the country. Everything sold in these shops is certified handmade by the union from skilled makers across the country.
PIKK 22 ESTONIAN HANDICRAFT HOUSE
This is the original shop located on Pikk which has a shop at the front and at the back is an exhibition space for changing shows of art and design created using traditional crafting methods for both traditional and modern traditional inspired pieces. This shop is always one of my first stops when I’m in Tallinn as I like to check out the new show / exhibit to some inspiration. The front shop space sells an array of finished knit items such as gloves, mittens and stockings made by Estonian knitters across the country showcasing an array of techniques and patterns of colourwork knitting, braids and embroidery. A majority of the shop is dedicated to selling items for national folk costume (rahvariided / rahvarõivad) such as a display with bolts of woven fabric for various parishes traditional skirts, jewelry and belts. Also found in the shop are lovely juniper wood items and a small selection of yarn.
Pikk 22, Tallinn
Monday -Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday closed
KAARMANN
This newer addition to the Eesti Käsitöö shops is located just behind the Town Hall. It carries a very different selection of items to the shop on Pikk. The front half of the space generally has more souvenir items however the back space which is up a few stairs is where I go. In the back you will find displays representing regional handcraft centres from around the country. You can see the unique qualities of each region from the different displays showcasing places such as Tõstamaa (home to the roosimine inlay knitting technique) and Kihnu. The items in each of these regional displays are on sale made by master crafters and are real gems! There is also a very nice curated selection of books on Estonian craft including some good books by publisher Saara Kirjastus in both Estonian and English. Alongside the books is a larger selection of yarn both Estonian wool as well as yarn from Saara that works for their pattern books.
Kaarmann
Vanaturu kael 8, Tallinn
Monday -Saturday 11am - 7pm
Sunday 11am - 6pm
A GALERII
So I’m including A Gallerii which is a jewelry shop (located across the street from the Pick 22 Estonian Craft House) it because well there is a special maker, Mari Pärtelpoeg who is also a relative of mine, that makes so special pieces that look like knitted silver and gold. I wear many of her pieces and get loads of compliments on them by knitters and non-knitters. The shop is a collective of people who make jewelry and the vault features changing special shows.
Hobusepea 2, Tallinn
Monday -Friday 10am -6pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
BOOK SHOPS
Estonians love books- myself included! There are lots of bookshops around town and I include these here because there are some places to check out knitting and crafting books. Not all of these books will be in English.
RAAMATUKOI
I’m almost scared to share this place as it is one my absolute favorites and where a good portion of my treasured old books are from. I’m sure you won’t take all the good books- I promise I can share sometimes. Anyways Raamatukoi is located in old town across from Niguliste kirik (St. Nicholas church - which is now a museum). It is a bookshop that primarily sells old and used books with shelves lining every wall floor to ceiling covering an array of topics in multiple languages. I always stop by to check out the handcraft section (käsitöö) where there are books mostly in either Estonian and Russian covering everything from embroidery, sewing and of course knitting. Included in this section are also copies of the old Estonian crafting magazines as well. You can find some real gems in this section which I have used as inspiration for many patterns. Some well sought after books like Pitsilised Koekirjad by Leile Reimann on lace knitting (a book long out of print) are easy to come by and quite affordable compared to prices seen outside of Estonia by online sellers.
Harju 1, Tallinn
Monday -Friday 10am -5pm
RAHVA RAAMAT
Rahva Raamat is one of the chain book stores in Estonia. They have a wonderful location across from the Drama Theatre on the edge of old town with a lovely cafe and newly renovated art deco interior. Downstairs you can find a small selection of newly or fairly newly published craft books with books in both English and Estonian.
Pärnu mnt 10, Tallinn
Monday -Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday - Sunday 10 am - 8pm
APOLLO
Apollo is the other chain book store in Estonia with a convenient Tallinn location on the top floor of the Solaris shopping centre. This Apollo has a slightly larger craft section of books compared to Rahvaraamat. The books found here will be available in both English and Estonian.
Estonia pst 9, Tallinn
Monday -Saturday 10am - 9pm
Sunday 10 am - 8pm
Hopefully that has you dreaming of planning your next trip! Tallinn is just the gateway or entry point for many more amazing places in Estonia and many more regional techniques to explore!
EXPLORE MORE OF ESTONIA AND ESTONIAN KNITTING FROM ALEKS BYRD
MORE LIKE THIS
