Weaving through Kichijoji

A couple years ago mum and I took a weaving class at Habu Textiles in New York with an instructor from Kyoto through an English translator. We made a scarf in two hours (see pics) with a very simple Japanese table-loom produced by a company called Avril. After a lot of internet-searching I finally found Avril's website and tracked down their store in Tokyo. I visited the store Saturday afternoon and it turns out they offer weaving classes on this loom in addition to classes in felt-making, knitting, and spinning. I'm excited to start some new projects - they also sell gorgeous yarns!


In the process of finding Avril I also discovered a great Tokyo neighborhood called Kichijoji. Avril is located just off of Nakamichi Dori, a pedestrian-only street with some interesting specialty shops. A surprising find was A-materials, a store selling vintage American fabrics. There was something very Japanese about the selection and the way the fabrics were presented. Another gem was Kanal, a boutique selling beautifully made clothing with a curious mix of Japanese- and Victorian-inspired designs. For fabric-lovers, there's also a glossy new Marimekko store on Inokashira Dori, parallel to Nakamichi Dori.