Oh Sunspun... you and your cute village like ways…read more If you're into yarn then Sunspun is definitely worth the trip to Canterbury. This gorgeous little shop is a treasure trove of yarns, fabrics and imported knitting pattern books. The staff are lovely and their expertise will help you in making the right selection. If you are a knitter looking for something a little different in the way of yarn or a more challenging pattern to attempt, then Sunspun will inspire! They also have a rewards program, for a small membership fee you will get discount on each purchase! Awesome!

Sunspun is more than a shop for yarn and wool, it's a boutique. While I'm still a beginner at…read moreknitting, this place and the lovely ladies who run it, are quite happy to fuel and enable my hobby with their knowledge and extensive stock. They carry brands of yarn that you won't find at any Spotlight or Morris & Son's and has a cozy, well kept atmosphere, hence the boutique status. They are happy and quick to answer any questions via phone or email regarding stock or helping you track down a dye lot you bought from them a while ago with success! Very easy to spend big $$$ here.

I'm a knitter, OK? I don't care if you think it's a nanna sport. I find it therapeutic and…read moresatisfying. Anyway, like sewing, knitting is a bit of a dying hobby and dedicated wool stores are hard to come by. Wool Baa, with it's cute name and Albert Park location is a bit of a mecca for knitters. It's a rather tiny store compared to those of years gone by, but beggars can't be choosers, right? Being so small the selection probably isn't very large (though they do make the most of the space, with shelves going almost to the roof) and the address means the pricing is perhaps steeper than it could be. That said, what makes Wool Baa great is the people. The staff are older than most shop assistant (unsurprisingly) and they know what great service means. You get their full attention. They listen to you. They ask questions and understand your knitting woes. They're helpful and thoughtful and don't mind if you can't knock out a cable knit with your eyes closed. Once a week, they also host a free knitting group too. Purl that, Lincraft.

This wool shop is so pretty!!! Best service ever too. There are balls and balls of beautiful…read moreColours of wool almost to the rooftop. Thursday's there is a cackling knitting group... what a great atmosphere. Oh and you can re order online so all good!

Ever pictured yourself as Demi Moore in 'Ghost' with the Potter's Wheel, Patrick Swayze's ghost…read morelingering behind you... Yeah, neither have i but at Carlton Arts you can pick up some skills on using the Pottwer's Wheel. At Carlton Arts, they have classes for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced individuals so get out there and give it a go, it's actually a lot of fun. I attended some classes and have to say i was over joyed with the experienced (i giggled a lot). At first it's hard to pick up the method of sculpting, but as your mum always said; "Practice makes perfect".

I think it was the movie Ghost which made working with clay so popular. If you have an interest in…read morepottery, then the Carlton Arts Centre provides friendly, relaxed classes that'll teach you the art of wheeling or hand sculpturing your very own ceramics. There's even an annual exhibition where you'll get the chance to display your work and hopefully even make a sale or two.

I'm going to have to describe The Curious Oyster Shoppe as simply adorable. Another of the newer…read moreshops along the junction end of High St in Thornbury, it's filled with jewellery, knick knacks, cards and women's and baby clothes, much of which is made from recycled materials. The clothes are particularly fun and generally one offs, but fairly pricey given the whole locally made/produced/eco-friendly aspect. There's also a really terrific range of cards with funny slogans and cute pictures, some of which have a local twist. A lot of the jewellery is pretty distinctive, such as necklaces made out of old spoons and retro pendants. On the whole, it's basically the kind of store where you can't know what you're going to find in there on any given occasion, just that it'll be something special. At the moment there are some vintage inspired first aid and sewing kits stored in metal, biscuit-esque tins. The owner is lovely and has a really natural smile that puts you at ease. A really fun shop that's great to drop into.

Curiouser and curiouser! The Curious Oyster Shoppe is a little craft box brimming with…read morelocal/national designers of assorted jewellery, homewares, stationery, childrens/womens clothing and just gorgeous little things. Notable items include locally produced lip balm in kitsch tins, 'Things By Bean' gift cards with irreverent and anti Hallmark quotes at affordable prices. This is a cute gift store predominantly for the ladies interested in Frankie or other craft/design oriented individuals. There are some real outside the square gift ideas and is one of the better retail offerings along this stretch of High street. The store is inviting and owner/staff is friendly, not pushy. I did miss their opening hours a few times but eventually found my way in. The majority of the stock is eco-friendly and every sale over $90 is rewarded with the planting of a tree

Whilst there are a few stores like this one on the Yarra trail, Endina takes the cake for stocking…read morethe larger items for your home, and also for the larger price tags. With tables, side tables and huge mirrors on display, the furniture is great, however quite expensive. There's always a large amount of people eyeing off the pieces inside, and although some of the smaller items can be picked up for a decent price, the bigger items have you quickly turning the price tag back over and backing away slowly. Love the furniture, not so much the price.

Wheel & Barrow have a decent range of home wares, including pots, pans, crockery, glasses, kitchen…read moregadgets. I love coming here and browsing through the many kitchen accessories I can't afford to buy. In all seriousness though, the prices aren't too bad, especially for the location, but I'm a stickler for a bargain so I usually come in here, look for ideas on what I want, and then buy them cheaper online.. I have, on occasion picked up a sale here though, including my scanpan wok that I use on a regular basis.

Last year while looking for a present for a dear friend who loves to cook and entertain, I went…read moreinto Wheel&Barrow on High Street and I've since become a regular customer. With a huge array of kitchen and barware on offer, it's easy to lose yourself in the wide array of products but it's great that the staff at this store are so helpful. I remember looking for some stemware on one occasion and the sales staff were so helpful as they advised me which brand would be better value for my exact needs. On another occasion, I was looking at getting new bakeware and was again given very good advice to do with my own occasional baking needs, which helped me save some money as well. They have a good range of awesome wine decanters, martini glaases and decadent barware. If you're looking for quality barware, stemware, cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery or serving platters, start at Wheel&Barrow. Chances are you won't have to go elsewhere.

"The greatest collection of everything but nothing in particular." How aptly said. This is the…read moretagline from the Supply and Demand store website. Yet, as a home ware store, Supply and Demand does its jobs well enough and offers a huge range of crockery and cutlery, napkins, table matter, candle holders, vases, tea towels, bathroom gear, art and selected pieces of furniture. It also carries a great range of vintage inspired tin signs, plenty of glassware and bits and bobs to give your home a fun, quirky appeal. I absolutely love the French inspired vintage garb, new (old) milk crates, milk bottles and the elegant collection of affordable provincial style décor items. And even though the shop is quite cluttered (and it will take you some time to soak in the atmosphere), it is because of this that Supply and Demand is so much fun to shop in. Great for gifts and picking up home décor items that you don't necessarily need but just add a fun touch to your décor scheme.

If you are a devoted interiors person like I am want to be, Supply & Demand does fill in the gaps…read more A great go- to place for a wide variety of homewares at heavily discounted prices. Some are contemporary, some provincial, some industrial, some retro kitsch... You get the idea here. It does offer a lot, and they seem to be working on their layout of things, which these days seem more grouped according to style and also function. Yay visual merchandising! Makes for a more pleasant buying experience. True, a selection of the items sold do make you wonder about the longevity and overall quality, but like I said, an interior stylists needs the range to work with, within budget and most importantly looks great and looks the part that they are crafting in terms of achieving the style. Good stylists know that you do NOT put a room together with things from ONE single store alone even though you could and no one will stop you. But beware the raised eyebrow! Sometimes, things just need to look good from a distance. The staff mostly leave you alone until you approach the counter with your goods. Still, don't really expect the ultimate customer service here. They have an offshoot store on High Street, Armadale called Industria which focuses more on, you guessed it, industrial furniture and home wares.

Dwell is the younger sibling of Tempted, a lifestyle store about 50m down the road…read more Where Tempted sells smaller more lifestyle oriented products (think photo frames and vases), Dwell stocks bigger household items like couches, floor lamps, armchairs and dining tables. Dwell isn't a high-end furniture store, but it's not competing with Fantastic Furniture either. It's a comfortable mid-range sort of store that is on par with the likes of Freedom (perhaps a little lower) in terms of price, but the stock is available in MUCH smaller numbers. If you want something for your home that isn't from the usual suspects like Freedom, Ikea, Plush, etc. without paying a fortune, Dwell is a great place to start. Oh, and should you see something you like but isn't quite right, make sure you let the staff know. They have catalogues full of things that can be ordered just for you.

I love the furniture in DWELL. I think that they have some beautiful pieces. And the staff are…read moreamazing, cant' help enought So wonderful and enthusiastic. My experience was disappointing though in customer service from the owner. I wanted to redo my home office, and was ready to purchase a few pieces of furniture. I went in a couple of times, and even dropped off wall paper samples to help me match fabrics. I was so very disappointed that the owner never got in touch with me about the samples and helping me to finalise my choices. The staff were great - fantastic actually. They were so wonderful to me, but in the end I felt like the owner was too busy to spend time helping me. Feel sad, cause I was really looking forward to getting a couple of the pieces :)