Along Rylstone’s main street sits a shop that has put this rural town on the global craft map. With its rare, artisan yarns, Convent and Chapel Wool Shop has been quietly redefining the town’s identity, drawing thousands of visitors to Rylstone.
While some might be ogling over their next winery getaway, crafters all over New South Wales and beyond are pinning the Mudgee Region to their travel wishlist. And we’ll give you a hint – it’s not to sip wines. Travelling from Sydney, the town of Rylstone isn’t just their coffee stop en route, it’s the destination.
Located along Rylstone’s Louee Street, Convent and Chapel Wool Shop, a specialist rural wool shop, is a must-visit for knitters, crocheters, and craft enthusiasts.
Opened in November 2014, Convent and Chapel Wool Shop is the brainchild of Margot, who transitioned from a 30-year career as a corporate lawyer and marketer in Sydney to a life dedicated to craft and community. Living in the iconic Good Samaritan Convent, a 1930s Spanish Mission building in nearby Kandos, Margot named the shop in tribute to her unique home.
“There aren’t many wool shops still around, but out of those that are, we are highly specialised,” Margot explains. The shop is renowned for its carefully curated selection of yarns sourced from small mills and independent dyers across Australia and the globe.
“We carry yarns that aren’t easily found in other shops,” says Margot. “Some of our international brands are only in a handful of shops worldwide, and for others, we are the only stockist in Australia.” The shop also stocks knitting and crochet accessories, books, and unique items like rosewood yarn bowls and ball spikes. You can even find a small selection of hand knits.
“We’ve become an institution in the crafting world,” says Margot. “We promise everyone who comes to our shop will love and remember it”.
Whether you’re in Rylstone for the wool or not, the picturesque building (often tagged as #themostbeautifulyarnshopintheworld on social media) will no doubt draw you in. “Pretty much every visitor to Rylstone comes to our shop, whether they are crafters or not,” says Margot. “They love the experience.”
Expect colourful stained glass windows that complement the vibrant yarns and hand-knitted displays, timber floors, a skylight running the length of the roof and a collection of antique furniture.
“We’ve become an institution in the crafting world,” says Margot. “We promise everyone who comes to our shop will love and remember it.”
While the interiors create an experience in itself, it's Margot’s unique collection of yarns that are the real draw card. “We have yarns from all over the world. We want them to be unique, very special, and created by fellow artisans,” Margot shares. Shop everything from Icelandic and Finland wool great for Icelandic jumpers, classic yarn from the Shetland Islands for traditional fine fairisle knitting, and lace for heritage lace knitting. There's even local wool from a farm only 2 kilometres away.
That’s not all. “We have authentic Irish Tweed that comes directly from one of the few Tweed mills left in Donegal, Ireland. We have hand-dyed yarns and additionally, offer Merino, Silk, Alpaca, Kid Mohair, and Cashmere yarns - all natural and not synthetic.”
Ready for a unique shopping experience? Swap wines for wool at the Convent and Chapel Wool Shop, open Friday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
