On the way to our holiday destination, we broke our journey one night at Wangaratta, or ‘Wang’ as I’m reliably informed the locals call it.
As well as stumbling upon an excellent Indian restaurant, right next door to our hotel no less, we also got to stop at the home of Australian Country Spinners the next morning, the Wangaratta Woollen Mills.
In fact, when we were discussing where to break our journey, Sean had said ‘do you think Wangaratta would be a good stop over point?’
He had no idea how good.
Now, let’s be clear. ACS yarns are not high end. They in fact provide some of the most pedestrian and awful novelty yarns you’re likely to see. But they also make some damn fine, solidly reliable Australian wool products. When you go to the mill shop, you’re greeted by a site like this.
Mountains of mill ends bagged up for bargain prices. It’s a bit pot luck as to what you get. There are no labels and you have to sniff out the good stuff. It’s very much a kid in a lolly shop kind of scenario though – the fibery fumes go straight to your head and you think you need to buy SO much.
Which I did.
That’s about 4kg or 8lb worth of wool, mainly 4ply and Patonyle sock yarn – again, not labelled, but not hard to spot. Down the bottom of the bag, you’ll see a big white blob. That’s one of the great treasures. Almost a whole kilo of white 2ply which I have been teasing my sister, Fee, saying it would make a great wedding shawl. Hint hint.
There’s been suggestion that I was restrained, perhaps too restrained, that I could have bought more. Yeah, I could have. But it’ll take me forever to work through that massive bag as it is. I’m happy. I think you can see from the grin Sean captured that I was like a kid at Christmas.
I’ll just say though that the experience was slightly soured by the attitude of the shop. We took a couple of photos, just like the one up the top – very general photos with no real information on prices or anything. The woman behind the counter said that we had to stop taking photos and what were they for? I said to send to a friend. She said ‘that friend might be a competitor.’ OK, fair enough we should have asked I suppose but honestly, what competitor? And what would I be revealing? As RoseRed later said, ‘you mean you might let on their secret that they sell yarn?’ Yeah. Right. The woman said the owner would confiscate our phones if he saw us.
I’d like to have seen him try.
But it was fun and I got some nice stuff I’ll enjoy using. It was good practice for July when I’ll go to the Bendigo Woollen Mills. Now that’ll be a hoot.
Bells
I have just been on a 6 day “yarn gathering” bus trip with theKnitters Guild. Wangaratta Woolen Mills was one of our stops. I came out with the same bag of yearn and I, too, looked like the cat that got the cream. We went on to Bendego Woollen Mills and then more outlets in Melbourne. What a trip!
Looks great, I can see a road trip coming up. How much is it for a bag.
Looks great, I can see a road trip coming up. How much a bag is it.
do they sell on line i have some yarn on cones from wang which I bought on line–trouble is Iam in Queensland
Kathy
oh wow what a stash ! what did that cost you? i think i’m going to have to plan a secret womans business weekend there . I might never come back…lol
Sorry to hear about your experience with the photos – as a local who visits the shop when I’m after wool, I can vouch for the staff being more than helpful and really friendly. Maybe next time, explain why you are taking the photos. The Wool shop is truly a wonderful place to grab a bargain.
I’ll never understand shop policies like that. “Get away with your free publicity!” Oooookay.
But wow, you do look like the cat that got into the cream in that photo!
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what excellent itinery planning! sounds like you were very sensible in the face of overwhelming choice and temptation.
You look very pleased with your bag of wool – it must be fun going through all the bags of wool. I should have stop at Wanga when I was there in Dec but we ran out of time.
That is some great loot you got! I think I would have gotten trapped in that store for hours, digging through that huge pile. It’s odd that they didn’t want you taking pictures…
Oh, you naughty, naughty photographer! WTF?! That looks like quite the stash you managed to snatch up. I don’t get the whole “no picture taking” rule. It’s just dumb.
Roxie has the right idea. I’d write to them and let the owner know how rudely his staff treats customers. They might change their minds if their profits are suddenly on the line. And you DO look like a kid at Christmas. A very happy kid. What fun it would be to dig through big piles like that.
I’ve always wanted to check out the Wangaratta Mills, but have not been passing through Wang at the right time. Besides the customer service issue, it looked like fun!
That attitude sounds just like the grumpy owner of a sweet shop I used to frequent when I was growing up
) Glad you got a good bag of swag
How fun! Too bad the staff wasn’t well mannered enough to have handled that a bit better.
I want a shop like that! But, you know, with better service
What a LOVELY smile! And what a killer stash enhancement.
Sounds like it might be time to write letters to the managment of the ACS, complaining about their unfriendly staff, and asking the reasoning behind the no-photo rule. I’ll write one if you get me the address. “I was planning on visiting Wangaratta on my next trip to Australia, but I understand that the staff at the ACS outlet store is quite unfriendly and absolutely forbids photography. I would want to take pictures and share them on my blog with all my knitting and weaving friends around the world. But if photography is not permitted, well, we won’t have a lot of time in your country, and perhaps I could spend it more profitably elsewhere.”
You look so cute and happy with your bag of yarn!
Perhaps the shop owner has never heard of free publicity???
I always get so overwhelmed in places like that, and unable to make decisions! Glad you came away with such a great haul!
Sorry about the spelling error. I really am glad you HAD a great stopover. Even if you probably did say “ooh, ah”!
Yes, you were restrained. I bought at least two bags that size!! LOL
I had to visit twice; the first time the yarn fumes got to me and I couldn’t think so I had to go back the following day to buy! Fortunately we had three nights in Wang (yes, they really do call it that) on our way to Bendigo in July 2008.
I asked if I could take photos; I was told I had to have written permission from management (which is, of course, tucked away in offices in Melbourne).
Glad you ahd a great stopover.
oh, I’ve encountered that sort of attitude before too – I love that ACS think that their outlet shop might be an attractive poach-site to “competitors”, given it’s outstanding product placement and merchandising. and the “owner”? hmm, yes, like that’s one person…!
nevertheless, the look on your face in that photo with the GIGANTIC bag of yarn is priceless and I love it!
bless Sean and his stop-overs
I love a good treasure hunt — sounds like it was a fun stop along the way, Indian food and all…
Wow what a haul! Sounds like it might be worth the trip one day when my stash decreases a little….who am I kidding it’s never going to decrease enough to hide a 4kg intake in one go!! I will also be going to Bendi so may see you there, just have to organise accommodation and I’ll be set
cat that got the cream, that was my first thought when I saw your smiling face!
I have to agree with Ailsa, why do people have to go and ruin a perfectly fabulous shopping experience by being so rude?? It is Nuts!
ps congrats on scoring some great yarn!!
I’m glad I wasn’t there – this kind of backward business practice is so typical of ACS – and way too many Australian yarn stores in general – and that’s one of the reasons I think they are STOOPID.
Good yarn haul though.
Are you sure 1kg of 2ply is going to be enough for a shawl??!! (tee hee!!). Perhaps you could offer to make Fee’s dress as well!! (there is a lovely Rowan pattern for a ballgown made of KidsilkHaze…)
You look like the Cheshire Cat, with all that yarn! Fab photo!! Hope you’ve got a really really really big suitcase for Bendi though…
Hmmm well I guess seeing as how you’re saving yourself for bendigo (a worthy cause) I will let you get away with your mere 4 kgs. And I would just start the shawl anyway, you can enter it in a show if people are too selfish to get married for your benefit!
People are funny about photos, really, what counter-espionage plots are the ACS involved in?? The Spy Who Knitted Too Much??? Live and Let Knit?? Eye of the Knitting Needle??
You do look like all your Christmases have come at once, what joy!!!
They are a sour lot, aren’t they? I had the same conversation the last time I went though the ACS shop. I said it was for my blog and they still insisted on deleting the photos – the sour old duck watched. Didn’t make it a favourite place of mine after that…
But besides that, yay for stash enhancement. There’s nothing wrong with bread-and-butter yarn. Nothing wrong at all!
Well it seems ACS are worried about competition but not worried about how they treat their customers. You seem one very happy lady though, it looks like Santa bought you a big gift of yarn, lol! One day I will have to go and have a peek at their store, I have never been to Wangaratta!
How fun. I miss the mill end yarn store we used to have. I was able to feed my knitting cravings for so much less money.
Glad you enjoyed yourself and came away with treasures, in spite of the dramas. I always find those sorts of threats to confiscate phones, cameras or memory cards really funny. Reminds me of a situation last year when some security guards told Tim and a mate to hand over their cameras for taking photos of Tim’s pushbike in a carpark at a shopping centre. The mate laughed heartily and Tim asked to see their badge, gun & court order! I hope your holiday has been a fabulous one and you’re feeling rested.
How odd that they think competitor first, rather than publicity! I do think I asked Webs if I could take a picture or two, but they had no problem whatsoever! Most stores are happy to have customers spread the word.
Wow, a wedding shawl. I’d love to see what kind of shawl you come up with for a wedding!