Spinng a tasty yarn at Winnie's cafe
Monday 27 January 2014
WHEN driving through a Dublin suburb, you are not expecting to encounter a grassy green sheep pen with gambolling lamb figures peering over the fence – not to mention 'Winnie' in the corner.
'Winnie' may be colourful and enticing, however, she is not a four-legged, warm-blooded creature but a cute four-wheeled little van of the Postman Pat genre, converted to 'Winnie the Wool Wagon' which travels to various events and markets around the country. 'Winnie' even has an entire craft shop and cafe named after her, which is attracting people from all over the place.
This is all the baby of Marina Hand, an accountant by profession, who was finance director for many years at Arup & Partners, consulting engineers.
"I always wanted my own business and I was trying to figure out what I would like to do so when this property, which I actually owned, here on Woodbine Park, Booterstown, became vacant, there was an opportunity. I was a knitter, had given up for many years, but returned to it about six or eight years ago."
Marina says that being an accountant, she wanted a viable business but she also wanted something that would interest her. Wool was something she felt there was a need for. There has been a huge resurgence in crafts, knitting, sewing and crochet but there was a shortage of wool shops.
"I did a bit of research and I spoke to the neighbours as well. They said they would love a cafe in the area as there was nowhere to meet, they would love a focal point. So, I put the two together and in November 2010 set up Winnie's Craft Cafe.
"It has been very well received in the area and we have great support from our customers. The aim is that it would be a bit of a haven here, where you can enjoy your hobbies and meet your friends. It's a nice, bright colourful place and we would have a lot of customers who don't knit at all but enjoy the colourful environment they are in.
"We have a lot of new knitters, and kids in the area who are learning to knit in school. Knitting and crochet have huge benefits for children in teaching them how to concentrate, manual dexterity and now with all the smartphones it is becoming more important to them.
"It is very good for mathematics because they have to count the stitches, count the rows. If there is a pattern in something they have to learn to multiply it out – 8 stiches by 12 times, that sort of thing. So, it is actually quite a mathematical kind of thing.
"Being an accountant that is probably the appeal for me as well that it is structured and mathematical, while people who don't knit think its kind of 'crafty' but it has both elements in it."
This time of year they see a lot of people coming in who have given up smoking or are on a diet, and knitting is great to keep their hands occupied, so they don't dwell on what they are giving up.
The shop is indeed colourful, the walls lined with wonderful wools and yarns of the world. In the midst of this there is a communal table around which knitting and crochet classes are held. The crochet classes are held by designer Aoibhe Ni Suilleabhan of Aoibhe Ni Crochet Design whilst knitting classes are conducted by Pauline Gallagher of The Knitting Class.
Both ladies have patterns published on Ravelry (www.ravelry.com) the worldwide 'social network' site for knitters where you can buy or sell your patterns, or store online a library of patterns you want to keep or knit.
Avid 'Ravelers', Marina explained to me, will buy balls of wool, take photos of them and upload them on Ravelry and this is known apparently as their stash!
They will then post pictures of the progress of their knitting project. And I thought foodies were fanatical.
The cafe is daytime, six days a week, and they have focused on gluten-free products for which they found there was a big demand.
"All our soups are gluten-free, we have gluten-free options on bread and cakes. A simple tasty menu is what we aim for and because I go to the markets with 'Winnie' and meet producers we try to buy from small local suppliers.
"We have two main bakeries that we get our cakes from, Cake and Crumb, a gluten-free bakery in Glaslough, Co Monaghan, and also from Caryna's Cakes in Terenure, as she uses lovely butter and decent chocolate. We make our own scones and brown breads daily and we serve Java Republic coffee."
On the menu they do delicious breakfasts up to noon including the full Irish or a 'healthy breakfast' with free-range poached eggs, grilled tomato, flat mushroom, spinach and homemade brown toast. They also do a breakfast bagel as well as an 'Irish-Italian' breakfast with bacon, sausage, fried egg and relish all wrapped up in a toasted ciabatta.
At lunchtime they have lovely warm salads including Clonakilty black pudding with apple and bacon, or baked Tipperary grilled goat's cheese salad. They also do a Spanish omelette and a pasta of the day, as well as soups, wraps and sandwiches.
Even though 'Winnie's' is based in Booterstown, Marina still loves the markets.
"Before we set up the shop we started going to the markets at Dun Laoghaire and Marlay Park. I did this basically to promote the business but also to talk to customers and see what they were asking for so when I did have bigger space I would know what they might like. It's a great way to meet your customers.
"I love markets, they are so sociable. I chug down to Castletown House the last Sunday of every month from March to November. It takes me about an hour to get there as Winnie's top speed is about 55km an hour. The van is quite loud and you can hear me coming.
"This will be my third year there with a core number of traders who all know each other. Last year we went to the Volvo Yacht race in Galway and the Roscommon Lamb Festival the year they had the world knitting attempt, which they succeeded in.
"We've been to the sheep shearing and we are hoping to go to the Ploughing Championships this year. We also go to the Knitting & Stitching Show each year, which is important because we meet all our customers."
There are also about 4,000 products on 'Winnie's' online shop and they ship countrywide and worldwide.
"A lot of people also use it as a catalogue, looking online before going to the shop because of the huge range they provide.
They carry beautiful silk yarns such as Noro from Japan, as well as Sirdar, Jo Sharp, Lanas Stop, Bergere de France, Cushendale's, Studio Donegal and, just before Christmas, were appointed a Drops Superstore, the only one in Ireland.
"The Norwegian Drops yarns are all natural fibres and they also have in excess of 3,000 free patterns online in English. My philosophy is that everybody should knit.
"We try to stock as wide a range of yarns, textures and prices as possible. If you have a fiver we can get you some wool and a set of needles. After that, it's up to you."
Winnie's Craft Cafe,
3 Woodbine Park, Booterstown, Co Dublin. Tel: (01) 2603734. winniethewoolwagon.com
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT