Hidden River Yarns-A Review

A couple of weeks ago, Jen told me about a new to us yarn shop in Manayunk (Philadelphia) called Hidden River Yarns.  She suggested we check it out sometime.  I checked my work calendar and decided I was able to take a vacation day and needed some bestie adventures, so we planned a trip.  

The drive wasn't bad.  It took a little over an hour to get there.  The shop was on the main road so it was easy to find and only a few blocks away from the parking lot.  Manayunk is a artsy section on the outskirts of Philly.  The sidewalks had decals on them with birds and fish, the main street had all sorts of different cafes and shops.  

Manayunk reminds me of little artsy towns back in California. As soon as we got there, I texted John saying that we definitely had to make the drive down there sometime. There are so many little shops, bakeries, restaurants, and cafes that I think we could have a wonderful day just wondering around. There is also a trail along the canal that I think would be fun to walk along too.

When we first walked into Hidden River Yarns I was surprised at how small it was.  It's one room, with a couch and a table with a few chairs.  The ceiling was red with this cool, vintage gold detail work.  I was pleased to discover that 95% of the yarns in stock were brands I had never tried before, but have been on my list!  I saw a skein of Manos del Uraguay Alegria that I had to have.  It is so soft and the color is delicate with pops of bright in it.  I think it will make a gorgeous shawl.

We stopped next door to get a drink. Jess and I each got iced-tea that was brewed at the shop. So nice to go to an independently owned cafe and have something to drink. Evidently in the mornings they have great pastries too.  We then headed back to the yarn shop to hang out. The owner, Lisa, was delightful!  We sat in the shop for 2 hours, talking and knitting.  We would have stayed longer if we could.  Next time I will max out the parking meter, or park closer so we can stay longer. It would be great to go down for their Knit Night sometime too.

I also got some new to me yarns while at the shop.  I decided I wanted to try some Quince and Co. yarns. They are an American company, and they had such lovely colors to choose from. I am trying to be thoughtful about my yarn purchases so I sat down and scrolled through my Ravelry queue on my phone. I wanted to find a pattern that I have been wanting to make, but didn't have yarn for yet. I decided that I wanted yarn to make the Zig Zag Chevron Hat and picked out two skeins of worsted yarn for it.

The yarn is Lark which is 134 yards of 100% wool worsted yarn. The skein on the left is in the colorway River and the one on the right is called Glacier.  The blue hat will be a welcome pop of color in the winter without being too extreme.  This hat will give me a chance to work on my colorwork skills as well.  

I also found a skein of Manos del Uruguay that caught my eye.  I do not have a pattern in mind for this yarn, but it screamed out to me. It will make a lovely shawl.

The colorway is Cabaret, but Jess said it looked like Cherry Blossoms at Midnight. The owner of the shop said it looked like Ballerina Camouflage. Once I heard both of those names I knew the yarn had to go home with me. 

I give Hidden River Yarns a 5 skein rating.  Inviting atmosphere, friendly staff, quality selection of yarn.  If you are ever in the Philly area I hope you check it out.  I know I will be making a return visit in the future!