iHanna’s Guide to Stockholm – flea markets, crafts, art and fika

Hi, I’m not an expert but…

…I have my favorite places in Stockholm, Sweden (I was born just outside the beautiful capital of Scandinavia)!

…I’ve been asked so many times (and recently twice by e-mail) about my Do Not Miss This When You’re in Stockholm List by flea market hunters, artists and crafters who visit my creative blog. I thought I’d publish a small list here to help out if you’re new in town!

…I hope this guide to Stockholm will point you in the right direction so that you can go from here on and explore on your own.

Observe that this guide was written in 2008.

It’s a huge beautiful city, so let’s get started.

Craft and Art in Stockholm

• Swedish Handicraft
  Hemslöjden is a chain store filled with Swedish craft (and also an organization and a magazine that you have to buy!). You’ll find traditional Dalah?star (Dalecarlian horses) for tourists and new hip stuff made from wood, cotton or wool!
• Craft & Art Supplies
  Panduro Craft Store is a chain of stores with almost every craft materials available in Sweden. The biggest shop is at Kungsgatan 34 in the city, but another one can be found again in Skärholmen outside Stockholm. If you’re at Kungsgatan an have the energy also go to artist shop Kreatima now at Sveavägen 42 Kungsgatan 58, that’s where I buy my favorite pens (like the Pilot G-tec in black)! Note though that these shops are huge in size for little Sweden, compared to an American Michael’s I think they will be pretty tiny?! :-)
• Yarn in cozy places
  I would’ve never found one single yarn shop in Stockholm if I didn’t have expert advice from my knitting friends because yarn shops are tiny and cozy in Stockholm. You’ll find the best ones hidden away on car empty streets behind the big shopping streaks. Go to ?sterl?nggatan in Gamla Stan (the Old Town) to find both Anntorps väv and Sticka for example.
• The Old Town in Stockholm!
  Well, it is the most touristy place to visit but still a must-see with the beautiful houses and narrow streets! Go early in the morning and enjoy the architecture and stillness. Then go back during the day and get run over by Americans, Germans, Italians out on a mission, hunting for kn?ckebr?d and other Swedish artefact’s to bring back home… :-) But don’t miss a walk in the Old Town, coz’ you’ll find lots of fun shops (yarn, paper, crafts, clothes, candy), touristy stuff, little squares, statues, museums and those cozy caf?s you can’t live without in big cities… it’s close the the water all the time and just around the corner is the Royal Castle too!
• Paper, journals, stamps
  Oh, and in Stockholm you’ll find the cute little paper shop Ljunggrens Papper where you’ll find beautiful papers, handmade books, stamps and cards. It’s run by author and bookmaker Barbara Bunke who wrote my favorite bookbinding book! At the huge, expensive and historic compartment store NK you’ll find ink, pens, beautiful notebooks (Moleskine, Paper Blanks etc.) and more paper! At Skapa Hobby you’ll find scrapbook supplies (the address is Hornsgatan 29).

Flea markets and thrift shops

The indie place “Street” has closed down and Sk?rholmen’s loppis (flea market) is not in Sk?rholmen any more. You will find other places though, new ones is popping up all the time. Off course the city is more expensive than other places to thrift in Sweden, but they will take time to find. Here are some shops so you can go browse through Swedish junk at your pleasure! :-)

• V?rbergs loppmarknad – big flea market outside of town (go by subway). Best on the weekends when temporary sellers come in and sell cheap.
• Myrorna Second Hand is goodwill that has several shops around Sweden and quite a few in the Stockholm area. Their homepage is only in Swedish and totally crappy for linking, but you’ll find all the shops at the Myrorna Shops List! My favorite is in Sk?rholmen (you go there by subway). The most central one is at Adolf Fredriks kyrkogata 5-7 close to another favorite for crafters Hemsl?jden (see below).
• Stadsmissionens Second Hand is also goodwill and located at several places. Emmaus Stockholm is another one, go by subway to Slussen and find three of their shops (650 square metre (kvm) second hand stuff)!
• I’ve enjoyed one knit caf? in Stockholm and there are several others to join if you have the time. Here is a knitting calendar to keep you updated.
• Bonus: Small and big flea markets in a huge list of Loppisar and loppmarknader in Stockholm!

iHanna’s Personal Stockholm picks

• Visit Pocketshop – row after row with beautiful new paper back books! They have a small selection of Swedish novels translated to English too. In the city my favorite Pocketshop is at Kulturhuset close to another favorite store (where I never shop but fill up with inspiration); Designtorget! There you’ll find cool new design (furniture, jewelry, books and fun little gifts). For a better view Sergles torg (the black and white square) including a place to sit and sip your caffe latte take the elevator (or preferably the moving staircase) up to the fifth floor where you’ll find art exhibitions and yummy Caf? Panorama!
• Architecture then…
  The architecture of Stockholms stadsbibliotek (the library) is a favorite, it’s very cool and worth a visit! It’s at Odengatan 63.



• Museums in Stockholm
  I have several favorites even though you don’t go often enough in your own country! Visit the spring exhibit at Liljevalchs (for new art), Nordiska museet where you’ll learn about Sweden’s cultural history (don’t miss the craft part if you’re there in the summer)! And of course for a energy shoot of art go to Moderna museet (modern art and nice shop) and the huge Nationalmuseum (historic and new paintings and sculpture).
• Gardens and green places in the city
  Stockholm is a city on connected islands so the water is everywhere present and so are treas and grean areas. A favorite garden of mine is Bergianska (I ♥ this place) close to Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (stuffed animals and lots of ancient history) that has a 3D movie theater called Cosmonova (I ♥ this place too, it brings out the child in me every time I go).

  I also like Rosendals Tr?dg?rd at Djurg?rden (close to the tivoli Grönalund and the city zoo Skansen with historic buildings, nordic animals, Jonas Wahlstr?m spirit and monkey house, etc!) and the huge Haga Garden with Fjärilshuset (green house with butterflies flying around you!).

I’m not listing all the smaller places because you’ll find them by yourself (plus they might move before you get there). I don’t live in the center of Stockholm (thank god!) but these are some of my favorite choices that you will be able to locate easily when you visit Stockholm. Have fun and let me know if you got there!

• Gula sidorna is where you can type any Swedish address and get a map with directions from A to B. Good luck!
• Stockholm Town – the official visitors guide!
• Stockholm Museums – lots of information about the big selection of museums!
• Caf?kartan – reviews (in Swedish) of caf?s! Very handy site.
• Stockholmsbloggen – a blog in Swedish about Sthlm news

A warm welcome to Sweden!

Always remember my dear friends; the best art and craft material comes from thrift stores! And don’t forget to have lots of fika when you’re in Sweden – maybe I can meat up with you and join in for coffee and a cinnamon roll (or if it’s winter we’ll have saffron buns of course)! I’ll bring my knitting and you can tell me your secrets.

© All photos is by me, Hanna Andersson. This guide was created by Hanna Andersson, November 2008.
/iHanna

Disclaimer: Please do not send me your questions about this (as I don’t have addresses, road explanations or other details). I do not have the time to do research for you. This is my recommendations – take it or leave it. I’m putting it up there because I couldn’t find anything good online in English on this topic! I think you should google your way to further information! Please note that this is not a complete list of art and craft adventures in Stockholm and that I don’t guarantee that the information is still correct when you find it.

If you want to add your own personal favorite places feel free to comment below or make a list of your own and link here! Thanks! :-)