OUT AND ABOUT - Berlin

Helena and I were so excited to be invited to Berlin by the wonderful team at Wolle Roedel who are one of our first stockists in Germany. They have about 100 stores across the country - including some new concept stores called Idee which are very modern and multicraft focused.

Our visit actually coincided with the publication of our book Wonderland/Kindermode Stricken in German by publishers OZ Verlag. This is huge milestone for us at MillaMia, and something that has made us so happy! We are able to now reach this passionate nation of knitters who have loved our designs and wanted to be able to access them more easily.

Saturday began with a 4 am start! Short, early flights on Easyjet are never exciting but we were relieved that our travelling went smoothly - bar one inadvertant adventure on the train from the airport! Nevertheless we still made it to the KaDeWe shopping centre, and Idee in Berlin on time for an 11am start.

I took the opportunity to knit on the Bosse Cardigan for my son Freddie and Helena was happy to be able to wear her lovely new Snow Storm Wristwarmers

Idee truly is a mecca for crafters - they stock everything from Liberty fabric to gorgeous pompoms, paper craft and stationary. Helena and I decided that we were in heaven and picked up lots of lovely stamps and fun Christmas decorations.

The Wonderland/Kindermode Stricken display looked great

The Idee staff made us so welcome and showed us to an area of the store where there was a whole section of wool set up for MillaMia. We had a good selection of our Wonderland samples with us but they had many there already, so we decorated a tree with our free Christmas decorations (watch this space and our Facebook page for exciting news of this new FREE pattern next week!). They had around 100 books in store for Helena and I to sign as we met customers, who were mainly German but one or two international customers too.



It's such a thrill for Helena and I to see Wonderland printed in German

 

As well as signing books and meeting lots of new customers, Helena and I ran a workshop using our Christmas Ornaments pattern with the staff from Idee and their customers. It was great fun as the ornaments are all quick and easy to make - perfect for a workshop as everyone feels as though they have achieved something in a relatively short space of time.

. . . and finished!

Ellen and Yvonne, our friends from Wolle Roedel / Idee came and took us out for a delicious lunch of currywurst sausage, chips and beer which I would heartily recommend as it was so delicious. Apparently this is a typical Berlin lunch and pretty much the equivalent of fish and chips!

Ellen, Katarina and Yvonne enjoying that traditional Berlin lunch

As is always the case when you're enjoying yourselves, time flew by and it was 4pm before we knew it. Helena and I we were off travelling home again all too soon but had decided before we even left the city that we would definitely going back again next summer (for the weekend this time . . .) to see more of beautiful Berlin!

A wintery kiss goodbye from Berlin!

(posted by Katarina)