Trip to Northern Europe and Scandinavia with crafting theme
- MingMakes
- 33 minutes ago
- 5 min read
In July 2026 I had a wonderful cruise around Scandinavia and the Baltics. In this post I share some of the crafting stores I visited, and a few me made garments I wore. Being primarily a sewing website, I'll start with that first, and then move onto the knitting stores having recently started this hobby.
We started with a few days in Copenhagen which I warmed to immediately. I was very taken with the relaxed vibe, friendly and respectful atmosphere, clean environment and efficient metro system, quality food offerings, beautiful architecture and picturesque water views.
As every crafter knows, new destinations are a welcome opportunity to explore different crafting stores, and I came away with a few purchases, inspiration and a warm heart.
For sewers
Me mades
I love packing me made garments for a holiday to give the trip an extra special touch. I am certainly not close to having most of my wardrobe handmade, but I have a few outfits I can put together.
The Lilou Dress features in the book Love At First Stitch by Tilly and the Buttons, where I started my sewing journey. The pattern features a scoop neck at the front, which I changed to a boatneck as I think it suits me better. The bodice is lined, but I also continued this to the skirt. The checked linen fabric was a bit of challenge for me as a beginner to cut symmetrically and pattern match, but it looked OK where it mattered. The fit around the waist needed adjusting after I'd sewn the skirt to the bodice, so I detail how I did this too. You can read my review here.
When the weather turned slightly cooler, I paired this with my Simplicity 4428 cardigan. This was a sewing palate cleanser with only 3 pattern pieces, and has proved to be a versatile layering item. You can read my review here.
First stop on the cruise was Kiel, Germany where I wore my Avid Seamstress Culottes. These have become one of my favourite garments due to the comfortable fit, the lovely shade of blue, the weight of the ramie linen which feels substantial enough and a waistband that sits just at the right level for me. You can read my full review here, including details on how I adjusted the fit.
The day we docked in Oslo was hot, so I chose my double gauze Sagebrush Top and linen Saguaro Set trousers. This kept me fairly covered up from the sun with comfortable breathable fabrics. You can read about my Sagebrush Top here (my second of this pattern), and the trousers here.
Last stop on the cruise was Skagen at the top end of Denmark where I wore my latest make, Simplicity 8014. This was a complex project for me, as I used my bodice block to create the pattern using the Simplicity one as a base. I am in the process of writing a series of blog posts about this one, so stay tuned.
Being on a cruise, there are always opportunities to be a little more dressy for dinner so here I am in my Elodie Dress on another gorgeous sunny evening. You can read my review here, which includes details of how I adjusted the fit of the bodice and increased the overlap of the skirt.
Sewing stores
Skipper Stoffer - Copenhagen, Denmark
Denmark is a big knitting nation, so I already knew I'd be visiting some yarn stores but hadn't researched the fabric stores as my stash is already more than enough for my lifetime. However, on day one in Copenhagen I came across a small fabric store by chance called Skipper Stoffer.
Once inside I was amazed to see shelves full of ex-designer deadstock fabric including Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Prada and YSL. They also a good range of Liberty fabrics and Linton Tweeds.
I came away with 3 pieces of Giorgio Armani linen and big hopes for garments I'd make with them. The store has a Facebook page but otherwise doesn't have much of an internet presence or provide online ordering. They seem very modest about their offerings which made me wonder whether they were genuine, but I have no other reason to question it and the quality did look amazing so I look forward to creating my own Armani wardrobe.
Fadenwerk - Kiel, Germany
Having now got a taste for sewing purchases, I visited another fabric store in Kiel called Fadenwerk. This was much bigger than I was expecting with a great range of fabrics, and a section for knitters too.
I bought a few knitting notions, and a buckle that I intend to use in another belt for my Simplicity 8014 denim dress.
For knitters
Knitting For Olive - Copenhagen, Denmark
Having recently started knitting, I looked up a couple of yarn stores I wanted to visit. Knitting For Olive is a name I've come across in the UK so it was great to visit their flagship store.
Here they had samples of all their patterns which you could try on, and the walls of neatly arranged yarn was a feast for the eyes. I bought the pattern for the Fern Tee and a soft blue silk yarn that should complement the blues and greys in my wardrobe. I chose this pattern as it is a lovely elevated t-shirt and looks to be a step up in complexity to what I've done so far.
Woolstock - Copenhagen, Denmark
Another store on my list was Woolstock with it's lovely vibe and cafe where knitters can natter and enjoy working on their projects. The store is beautifully designed with a wonderful homely feel.
The lovely owner Louise was on hand to help me choose a pattern and yarn, and I left with several notions, the Andrea pattern which I intend to knit as a short sleeve top, and some white cotton yarn.
I took my time soaking up the crafting atmosphere as hubby was more than happy to park himself in the cafe. They had a wall map where visitors could leave a message which created a fantastic display of happy customers.
Baldvinsson - Skagen, Denmark
Having now bought enough yarn for 2 knitting projects which would keep me occupied for at least 8 months, I didn't look up any further stores. However the universe always wants to further my crafting goals and so on our last stop in Skagen right at the top of Denmark, I happened to pass a store called Baldvinsson with a few knitting kits casually in a basket outside. I nearly didn't go inside because the kits were for children's accessories, and it was clearly a children's clothing store but I thought it could do no harm.
Well financially it did do harm, but it was outweighed by the joy it brought to my crafting soul. They sold several patterns for children's clothing and accessories but also a selection of yarn. It's always great to source items abroad that would be difficult to find back home, and so I bought some organic cotton yarn from Danish brand Karen Klarbæk in Brick Red.
I bought this particular colour because on the walk from the cruise port to the town, we passed lots of buildings painted in this red colour and it really appealed to me.
Now I'm back home, I am full of crafting inspiration and supplies, and look forward to sharing my progress with you.
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Links
I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.
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