It’s been about two weeks since I last released a pattern, and this is due to my being outside of the continental US for the past few weeks. Luckily, I am back in town and can utilize my photo box and other tools to get the next pattern finished (hint: it will be ocean themed!).
Map of the Hawaiian Islands
Photo Credit: http://www.hawaii-holidays-online.com/maps/hawaii-map.html
In my recent travels, I visited the island of Kauai, the smallest of the 5 major islands of Hawaii, USA. During my time there, I found the only yarn store in Kauai, nestled in the town of Hanalei on the North Shore. The island really touched my heart and re-awakened my appreciation for small businesses. I’m devoting this entire post to the northern shore of the Kauai Island and the sole supplier of hand dyed yarn in the area, Hanalei Strings.
First… A Few Facts about Hanalei
Hanalei is small, but it contains an unforgettable charm in its town square. The entire area has nothing but small businesses, and you can find most anything here: pizza, breakfast, various clothing shops, hobby stores, real estate, and more. Two restaurants I recommend are Hanalei Bread Company for a fantastic breakfast, and Hanalei Bay Pizzeria. The crust for the pizza was soft yet had a crispy bottom. The dough was slightly sweet, almost like there was a touch of honey in the crust. I eat pizza everywhere I go. Trust me when I say that this should definitely be a stop during your visit! Also, Hanalei Bay Pizzeria supports other local businesses with their sourcing of meats and other toppings.
Hanalei Bay and the surrounding area has been around since before the 1900s. The northern shore of Kauai gained a small bit of popularity when featured in several movies and shows, such as “South Pacific.” In addition to having great food, this area is known for its hand carved wooden art and ukulele concerts that take place yearly.
If you decide to visit Kauai, it is expected that all visitors will respect the island with aloha. Please keep this in mind during your visit. This includes driving within the posted speed limit, allowing others through during traffic, and being courteous at one way bridges, allowing 5-7 cars through to keep cars moving on both sides. Be respectful of private property and also keep the island beautiful by not littering and recycling when able. One of the highlights of my visit to Kauai was the relaxing vibe throughout, and the lack of congestion in the area. I selfishly hope that this island stays quiet and relaxed for years to come.
Hanalei Strings
Hanalei Strings is nestled in the middle of Hanalei town, and I walked past it twice before spotting it. This store actually caters to two types of strings: hand dyed yarn and crafting notions are in the front, and the rear of the store caters to musicians (specifically quite a bit of ukuleles and their strings). All of the yarn is locally dyed by Hanalei Hand Dyed Yarn. The colors are inspired by the nature seen on the islands. I was impressed by the richness of the hues. Indeed, there is even a stormy ocean themed yarn that had both bright blue and a deep black. I bought a skein of the Stormy Sea colorway in a superwash 80:20 merino and nylon blend in DK/ sport weight (pictured in the featured photo of this post). I also got a few handmade shell stitch markers to take home with me.
I hope that you enjoyed this brief look into my visit to the Kauai Island of Hawaii. Please note that I did not receive any sort of promotion or was I asked to write about these businesses. This is purely my opinion and observations of the area, and I sincerely wanted to share this lovely part of the island with you. Below you’ll find links that support the information in this post in addition to links for some of the companies mentioned.
Interested in other indie dyers and small business locals? Check out this other post I made about Texas locals and other indie dyers, linked here.
Links:
History of Hanalei Town, Kauai
Hanalei Bread Company’s Instagram
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