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Yarns of the Argentine
by Kelly Chichester

If you’re a knitter who loves to travel, Argentina is a country you should definitely consider visiting some day soon. Diverse as it is large, Argentina has many nature destinations to choose from like the glaciers in El Calafate, the tropical Falls of Iguazu, the sophisticate wine country in Mendoza, and fresh powdery ski slopes in Bariloche. (See www.enjoy-argentina.org.) Its capital, Buenos Aires, however, is where all the action is, especially if you are a knitter.

An avenue named Scalabrini Ortiz is where most of the yarn stores of the city can be found. Located outside of the shiny tourist district, unless you have three hours to spare, walking is not an option. Cabs, which are pretty cheap, are great for getting around while public transportation like buses and the subway are even cheaper. Many Argentineans, especially those in Buenos Aires, often speak a fair amount of English, which is great if you are too lazy to learn Spanish. But I would encourage you to take some basic Spanish courses or study a book with key phrases to help you get around. As a knitter, it would also be very important that you learn the key terms of knitting in Spanish as well. This website, http://crochetandknittranslator.blogspot.com offers some helpful information.

Compare and Contrast

Yarn stores in Argentina aren’t like yarn stores back in the states with cozy couches to sit in and warm tea to sip on as you knit. They’re more like mad houses, filled to the brim with women buying yarn by the kilo for sweaters, hats, and scarves for their loved ones. Many stores have a “Take Number” dispenser and you would have to wait your turn to be served. Usually the wait is about 10 – 15 minutes long, depending on how crowded the store is, but there is a lot to take in during that time. All of the yarn is behind the sales associate, stacked from ceiling to floor and along the walls of the entire shop, representing all sorts of colors and fiber contents. Unfortunately the majority of yarn in Argentina is not labeled, which makes it difficult to determine gauge or yardage for certain projects as well as if you are allergic to the yarn itself. Also keep in mind that the price for yarn is determined by how much it weighs on a scale in grams.

Once you finally get your turn, the attendant is usually very helpful and will give you her/his full attention until you are satisfied (that’s why the wait is so long in the first place, exceptional customer service). Most are friendly and would probably notice that you are a tourist and ask you questions about where you are from and give you advice on places to visit and restaurants to eat at as well.

Helpful Tips

Now before you go off and buy your plane ticket, let me give you some more tips:

Because Argentina is located in the Southern Hemisphere, their seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. If you plan on visiting in January or February, be warned that a lot of the yarn stores (and other venues for that matter) would be closed or have limited hours due to long summer vacations. But this could be a good thing seeing that most Argentineans don’t knit during the summer months and so you can skip the lines.
The current exchange rate is about $3 ARG to every American dollar and seeing that prices are not inflated to match American prices, your money will go far down there. The last time I went to Argentina, I brought only $300 ARG ($100 USD) to the yarn stores at Scalabrini Ortiz and came home with 5 kilos of yarn, enough to make 3 adult sweaters, a couple of hats and scarves, and a pair of socks too.
When traveling in a foreign country that you do not speak the language, be careful to protect your personal belongings. I always carry my money and credit cards in a small pouch that I keep under my jacket or shirt so no one can see it. If you must carry a purse, however, make sure it is a style that has a short strap to place on your shoulder and stick right under your arm. Also leave your passport in your hotel room or in the hotel safe and instead walk around with a photocopy of your passport for identification.
If you’re looking for patterns, there are tons of beautiful ones in Buenos Aires. Many magazines are found at newsstands sprinkled all over the city called “kioscos”. For some reason the yarn stores don’t really sell books. If you find a pattern you like at the yarn store, you can photocopy it there or at a kiosco across the street or you can hope to find it someplace else for purchase.
Unfortunately, many of the yarn stores there do not have websites to visit. However, here are a couple that I did find:
- Hilados Arpa at http://www.hiladosarpa.com.ar/index.php
- Dianzora at http://www.dianzora.com.ar/.
Don’t stop your search for new yarn at Scalabrini Ortiz in Buenos Aires. These knit bloggers that live in the city may be helpful in finding even more stores for you to shop. And don’t worry; they speak English too:

Hopefully this has convinced you to call your travel agent and start planning your trip now. But please, do take a break from the knitting and visit a sexy tango show and eat some tasty ice cream too.

Kelly is a senior in university working on a BA in Spanish and History. She has been to many countries,
including Guyana, where her family is from. In her spare time she likes to cook, cuddle with her
boyfriend, and read knitting blogs.
Oh yeah, she knits too.

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