Well we’re almost packed up and ready to leave these beautiful islands, so I figured I’d give a little breakdown on where to find craft and art supplies in Kirkwall.


This photo is from the blog Furman Study Away

The Tree Shop is located on Albert Street in the centre of town. It has a pretty big tree in front of it, and truth be told it’s probably one the of the biggest up here. Trees are few and far between because of the wind.

The shop is packed full of almost anything you might need. I have to ask for whatever I need as it’s tiny and so full it’s hard to focus on what’s available. They have a fairly good selection of items for a wide range of crafts and their prices aren’t too bad. They don’t have everything, but it is a tiny shop. I don’t think they carry fabric, but do have wool. I’ve spent money there so they must be doing something right 🙂


Next we have The Joke Shop & Fabric Grotto. Why have a put a photo of Rendall Furnishings? Well The Joke Shop is inside the furniture store. There is a hairdressers and a couple of other shops in there as well.

Alright so it sells most things a joke shop would sell on one side of the store and fabrics and such on the other. They have buttons, zippers, and other fastenings. They carry many things related to sewing. They have a nice selection of fabrics and are quite helpful. I’ve been in there a number of times and I have found something on every visit.


Orcadian Crafts has a crazy selection of wool. You buy it by weight and they loads of colours. A lot of it is thinner wool, but there is a ton of it! They are located on Bridge Street very close to The Joke Shop.


This photo came from the Orkney communities website.

Last but not least we have For Art’s Sake. It’s right next door to Orcadian Crafts on the first floor of Voluntary Action. They have a great selection of pens, pencils, paints and everything you would need to draw or paint. They also have sketch books and canvases. They offer workshops and taster sessions on a variety of things. They also hold exhibitions and are very helpful.

I am not at all saying these are the only places to browse or buy crafty supplies in Kirkwall, but they are my favourites.

So the big move is Friday! Orkney to Merthyr Tydfil. We’re looking at roughly 15hrs travel time. I’m not sure if that includes the hour on the ferry. Well wish us luck! 🙂

Knitting update – My knitting is improving slowly but surely. The rectangle I’m making for the 2nd mitt is going much better