Hamanaka
Hamanaka is a Kyoto maker of yarn and craft materials, working since 1956. The company keeps much of its production in Japan and is known for needle felting wool, felt sheets, felting needles and mats, and hand knitting yarns. Eco Andaria, its recycled paper yarn for summer bags and hats, found buyers far beyond Japan. Hamanaka also puts out kits with pattern sheets and publishes craft books. The English pages on its site list the ranges and the shops that carry them.
Suits felters who want fibre that packs down fast and holds a clean edge, and knitters looking for something other than plain acrylic. Abroad it is not the cheap option: import markup is real, and many pattern sheets and books come in Japanese only, with diagrams doing the explaining. Colour numbers stay printed on the labels, which makes reordering simple. Ranges do get refreshed, so a shade or kit can disappear.
Pros
- Yarn and craft wool maker since 1956
- Much of the production stays in Japan
- Wide colour range of felting wool
- Eco Andaria paper yarn for bags and hats
- Wool, needles, mats, kits and books in one line
Cons
- Import markup outside Japan
- Many instructions in Japanese only
- Colours and kits get discontinued
- Few official stockists abroad
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