Photo courtesy Generation X-Ray on Flickr.
This is part of a series we at Apt613 are hoping to do in the next few weeks to get all of us here in O-town ready for the holidays. If you’re looking to indulge your inner crafter or need toys for the little ones in your life, read on! This post was written by Claudette.
A couple of new funky stores have opened in the Market this fall, adding more variety to Ottawa’s expanding independent shopping scene. Here’s a bit about two new ones that you might not have discovered yet:
For knitters who often have to travel to the suburbs for their supplies, they can now stock up on knitting supplies downtown. In early November, Yarns Etc. opened at 1 Nicholas Street. The store is located around the corner from the Arts Court (2 Daly Street) between Besserer and Rideau Streets. The store carries yarn and cross-stitching supplies, ribbons, yarn and books, and buttons were set arrive last week. While I’m not a knitter, I was really impressed by the variety of wool, from Merino and Alpaca wool to good old regular wool. Store owner Seema told me that she is the sole carrier of Dream in Color wool in Ontario. Yarns Etc. also offers a tailoring service as well as knitting and crochet lessons by Seema. Right now, they’re offering a great promotion: the lessons are free until March 2010. For more information: 613.795.0084
If you’re looking for eco-friendly toys as Christmas gifts, then Nest Family should be your destination. This new store is at 204 Dalhousie Street, and it specializes in wooden toys with eye-catching bright, bold colours. I was really impressed that these toys range from the classic mini rocking horse to modern wooden magnetic puzzles. The magnetic wooden puzzles are made of simple shapes that form a relatively simple image. The simplicity of the parts allows you to form all sorts of other interesting images and with the contrast of the black magnetic tray to the colourful wooden pieces makes for a striking visual. Their website indicates that the wooden toys are eco-friendly as “they are made with wood from sustainably managed forests, and coloured with water-based pigment,” in accordance with the European Toy Safety Standard EN71. The store’s best selling item are cherry-stone warmers: organic plush animals and pillows that have a removable sack that contain cherry pits. The sack is warmed in the oven or microwave to become a warmer for young and old alike. Traditionally, the cherry-stone warmers are used to sooth babies suffering with colic. Nest Family is filling a niche as their store carries items unique to Ottawa and Ontario, including reproduction Shaker Boxes made in New Brunswick, decorative pillows made in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and silk Finnish long-underwear. The store’s future plans are to continue to provide Ottawans with a great selection of eco-friendly toy and other eco-friendly products. For more information see their website http://www.nestfamily.ca/ or phone: 613.241.7333.
Another downtown yarn source that has just moved in is KnitKnackers Yarn Warehouse at 299 Bank street right across from Hartman’s and above the dollar store.
If you’re looking for more items for this series, you can go to Etsy.com and click the “shop local” link in the left-hand column, then enter “ottawa”. You’ll find tons and tons of Ottawa-based independent artists and crafters that sell their stuff through Etsy.
That’s a great idea Shawna…Never even thought of looking that up even though I know a few people that sell their stuff on through Etsy. Will do it tonight.