Finally made it to MarLen

Okay, I've lived here long enough that I should have been to MarLen before, but I haven't. Part of the trouble... their hours... not open on Saturday (only Monday-Friday 9.00 to 18.00). It's just tough for me to get downtown during the week before closing. But if you're looking for a cool experience and some Czech brand yarns, this is the place to go. It is quite different, and probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I thought the stuff was fabulous and I went for yarns that were colorful and different from what I could get elsewhere. The women in the knitting group mentioned that much of the stuff is various strands wound together--often different widths and textures. Some have felt that it can be difficult to knit with, others have loved it. I'll have to give it a try and let you know.

The place is packed floor to ceiling with yarn, fabric, buttons, beads, etc. There are three walls of yarns and they are all packed (see picture). There is also stock on the floor and in a standing cabinet as well. I liked that you could stand and look through the yarn--touch it, smell it... whatever. There are many small yarn places in Prague where you have to ask to see what they have because it's behind the counter. The newer places, like the one in the Palladium, display their stock openly, but this is not the case in some of the older neighborhood stores.

Bought several things to make something for the girls. I'm thinking that it will be a nice way to remember their time in Prague. One has sequins sewn in (for the little one), another has a gold metallic thing going for it (for the older one). You buy the yarn by weight. Seemed like a good deal despite the exchange rate. I also picked up some interesting buttons. Matched the yarns and thought I could use them for the kids. I was going to pass by the buttons, but after a quick glance, I noticed there were some really interesting pieces. Worth a look. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful fabric. Wish I had come here when we first arrived... I might have had fabulous throw pillows! Instead I'm stuck with Ikea.

My recommendation is that MarLen at Karolíny Světlé 12, Praha 1 is worth a trip.