This store is amazing. From the selection of knitting products to the experienced staff. They are so helpful I came in twice with a project that wasn't going well and they immediately and kindly pointed me in the right direction. I highly recommend this store!!! read more

This store has everything you need for knitting/crochet and fabrics for sewing projects. Friendly service. I went during NYC Yarn Crawl so it was very busy but the staff was helpful and friendly. read more

Brooklyn General - Fabric Stores Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Let me start this off by saying I'm not hard to please, a smile goes a long way. That is not what I was greeted with anytime going to Brooklyn general. My questions are always met with nasty comments and dirty looks. The sales associates watched me struggle to hold all of my things without asking if I could use a basket. I've never felt more unwanted in a store than I did there. If you are looking to start a new crafting hobby and are looking for some like minded people-don't go there. I was extremely discouraged I will be commuting far from my apartment to avoid this establishment read more

This review is based on my online experience. Loved how fast they got it to me once it was shipped. Loved also what great customer support they have since I also called and talked to them about my order. Great selection. Great prices (one of my yarns was on clearance) read more

I've picked up crocheting during the pandemic because who else hasn't picked up some crafty hobby while we were stuck inside. We got there right at opening and the employees were so helpful since I was trying to find a specific yarn. They also gave a couple tips on how to get started on knitting! If I'm back in Brooklyn I would definitely come back. (Also extra stars because they were playing the new Harry Styles album the same week it was released and it made me feel even more at home.) read more

Brooklyn General - Fabric Stores Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

As the young lady at the counter chatted with her friend (who was not shopping), my friend and I walked in. No one greeted us, no one asked if we needed help. We wandered around the store and I found a couple things I wanted. I went to the register to pay and still the chatting continued. When the girl at the counter finally looked past her friend, she wordlessly took my items and then asked for my email to look me up. I told her it was my first time, so I wouldn't be in the system. Rather than asking if I'd like to be added to the list, she pushed my items back across the counter toward me. No bag, no receipt, no "thanks," nor "have a nice day." My friend wandered over and asked about Row By Row and was met with a blank stare. My friend asked if they had participated this year and the girl said, "What's that?" My friend described it and was met with another blank stare. It was uncomfortable to say the least. When she asked again if they had Row By Row kits or any other kits, the girl at the desk said nothing. Had I not already completed my purchase, I would've left without buying anything. The lack of customer service is unacceptable and I'm not likely to return. read more

A great selection of beautiful yarn, but I found the service to be cold and unfriendly. No one greeted me when I walked in, and there was no one on the floor asking customers if they needed help. I asked a few basic questions about yarn substitutions and needle sizes, and was given unhelpful, judgmental, and disdainful answers. The people who work there don't seem interested in helping customers with questions, which is unfortunate because I've found the knitting community to be mostly helpful and collaborative. Although their yarn selection is top tier, maybe some of the best in the city, the shopping experience was so unpleasant that I'm not sure I'll be back. read more

A great yarn store and the workers were very friendly. I came to pick up my Noctuiade kit that I preordered and as I was walking out a skein caught my eye and I just had to add it to my stash; we had a good laugh about my obsession to own yarn with a catchy name, Soft Power. read more

Most of the time the staff seems put-off by customers. As if we've disrupted their work. I dislike shopping at this store. Which is a shame because it's convenient and they have a cute selection of fun to browse items but the people who work there, and I've been there over a dozen times and spent hundreds of dollars, are possibly some of the coldest and/or poorly trained staff I've encounter at a maker-friendly store. They seem completely uninterested in being helpful and they do not appear familiar with the products they sell. All questions were met with "I don't know. Whatever's there is what we have." No attempts made to help. I see from the other reviews I'm not the only person who's experienced this level of service. I hope the owner will take the comments to heart because I would love to frequent this shop more often but I go out of my way to avoid it because I often leave feeling frustrated with the experience. read more

Just a note. If you order yarn from this store, like I did on Monday. You cannot select a method and here it is Thursday and USPS cannot tell me when it will get to the Oregon area. And when I called them they said there is no way to estimate until the package is picked up and USPS can estimate. Difficult when we are waiting indefinitely for yarn to continue a project. Next time I'll go to my local yarn store and start a new project instead. read more

Sweet little gift shop featuring a variety of neat things for adult human and children as well as their cats and dogs. The staff were helpful at checkout but busy with inventory otherwise. Items were priced in the middle range--not too expensive yet be prepared to spend some for the uniqueness. read more

I purchase a lot of fabric, primarily wholesale. So, calling a fabric company and asking about the prices they have on their website shouldn't be such an issue. Based on other reviews, the people who work at Brooklyn General Store are rude. Well, I just had the rudest phone call in my life. I called to ask about a specific fabric and color. I told her that the price on the website was $2.50, but she said it was $3.50 and that I must not be looking at THEIR website. I asked her multiple times about their URL since she told me I must not be looking at THEIR website, as in I was somehow on a fake website with their name and information on it. Ultimately, she told me if I purchased the fabric, I would not receive it because it was not in stock. If you can't keep up your stock and prices on your website, don't offer online shopping, and don't tell potential clients they must be on some fake website. read more

I live in the neighborhood and have frequented this store multiple times to make purchases. I will not be returning. The owner and staff are not just unfriendly and unhelpful but outright mean. The environment is very hostile if you ask for any assistance at all. Based on other reviews that call out continued bad behavior, the owner and staff have no desire to change, only to keep up the appearance of a good public image. Disappointed and sad that a store I was hoping to find community in has done the opposite. read more

The store has a lot of great yarns! But the staff on Saturday 28 th May 2023 (afternoon) were unfriendly and not helpful. I would have brought more yarn, but the staff could not tell me what the pattern name was of the Myak sample- also they could not tell me what yarn it was made of - i liked the twisted willow muse base and the staff could not tell me if they had more in the back and do i could not buy a sweater quantity as they could not tell if they had the yarn or not. I was very disappointed with the unfriendliness and i will not ho back or order online from this store. There are many other fantastic yarn shops in Brooklyn & nyc that I go too and this is not one of them as they were unfriendly read more

It is nice to walk into an actual store and see so many beautiful yarns. La Bien Aimee fans would definitely love this store for the variety of LBA products read more

Great store with great workers. Visited here with my sister on beginning of January. They greeted us as soon as we got there and asked us if we are looking for something particular. It was our first time visiting there but felt very welcoming. I stayed for a while to look all items, all organized well and the owner has nice taste on all things. I asked for The bathroom during the visit and it was very clean and they made their own curtains...which was inspiring to me. So I bought some fabric to make my own curtains and also some wool yarn to knit some accessories. Such fun and inspiring store. Yes I will go back here again! read more

A little of everything for crafters- a little fabric, patterns for clothes or yarn projects, a small selection of felted Waldorf type toys for children, a few aprons. If I had a project in mind, this would be a good place to pick up quality yarn, but they don't have many samples to demonstrate what the yarn looks like in a project. For quilters there's a small selection of fat quarters and fabric by the yard. In the back there's a shelf with sale yarn. When asked the sales person said it was 30% off the marked price. It was a pleasant store, but the woman working in the shop today was hard pressed to say hi, ask me if I was looking for something or make any effort to make a sale. I don't feel a need to come back. read more

Love this shop! I work for a similar outfit in London, UK and I had heard great things about Brooklyn General. I made the trip from Manhattan and had a very warm welcome from the lovely sales staff. Great array of products and especially wools too. Definitely worth exploring if you're into craft. read more

Brooklyn General - Fabric Stores Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I love Brooklyn General. When I walk through the door, I leave my real life behind and enter the alternate life in which I spend my days sewing charming overalls and knitting charming hats. Today I called to ask if they had yarn for a project I am working on, and Catherine spent a bunch of time on the phone with me, suggesting yarns and waiting for me to look them up online, and confirming what they had in stock. When we found one that worked, she offered to put it behind the counter for me to pick up at the end of the day. When I came in fifteen minutes before closing, she was just as patient and helpful as she had been on the phone, and I walked out with just what I needed. Great selection of high quality yarns and fabrics, as well as other sewing and knitting supplies. It has the feel of a wonderfully curated bookstore--welcoming, quiet, and full of worlds to be discovered. (I took one star off because it's expensive. I imagine it needs to be, to make rent in that neighborhood, but it's still prohibitive for frequent shopping.) read more

This is an amazing store with top notch customer service. I called because I needed assistance with my sewing machine which was not bought at this store and they were more than happy to assist me. Catherine the owner took time to return my call to see how she could assist. If you need anything having to do with sewing (fabrics, needles a machine) or knitting (yarn, needles, patterns) etc.... check out their website https://brooklyngeneral.com read more

Some people here leaving 2 stars because you weren't greeted when you walked in, really?? I went out of my way to come here for some knitting and darning supplies; I found them, with some help from the sales people there. There was a nice little community of people enthusiastically chatting out front and a large selection of yarns, fabrics and books indoors. The store offers what it says it offers and no one spat in my face or anything. Can't even remember if I was greeted or not because I don't have such a fragile little ego. I'll definitely come back again to pick up some lovely things I wish I'd bought while I was there! read more

As with any yarn and fabric shop I expected to fall in love with this place. But upon entering the store I got none of the following services that I consider to be of QUALITY customer service. 1. No greeting. 2. No can I help you/let me know if you have any questions. 3. No suggestions for suitable yarns/fabrics/ideas for projects. 4. No interest in the customer or what they are working on. 5. Rude service-I had to ask to be helped. Just a general turn off, coming from someone who used to work in customer service for over 6 years. 6. I had a coupon, said nowhere that it couldn't be used in store. The girl just stares at it and said the manager was able to do it, but she didn't know how and then never made any efforts to FIND OUT how to do her job. Interesting... Perhaps they should hire people who actually have a passion for crafting, sewing, knitting and design. This is a field for your employees to INSPIRE. NOT scare away and intimidate customers. You are losing sales, based on what I'm reading from other people who have had similar experiences as mine. I have been in almost every yarn shop in the city, and I work as a professional fashion designer, and I have NEVER been so turned off by a creative establishment. Will not be back, and will not recommend to any of my friends who are also crafters. read more

This is a wonderful store full of goodies for your crafting needs. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming and the staff gave excellent service. I am not a knitter but the skeins are beautiful and luxurious. There is a substantial selection of cotton fabrics not often seen in other stores. It is certainly worth a visit or two. read more

I really, really wanted to love this place but sadly I didn't. I came here since it's close to home and I'd heard about it before, and I wanted some fabric for my first quilt. I liked that they have a lot of variety-- as far as quilting-weight fabrics go. If you come looking for fabric to make clothes, the selection is veeeery limited, basically only offering $36/yd Liberty fabric, some denim and a bit of shirting. I did think the fabrics were a bit overpriced. Most of them were around $15/yd, for fabrics I paid ~$10/yd in Boston. I'm not sure how much of it is due to being in NYC, to be honest, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I would like to echo the other reviewers' sentiment about the staff and store not being warm and welcoming. I couldn't tell who worked there and who was just hanging out, and nobody offered me any help. I grabbed what I needed and went to the cutting table, and someone finally helped me there. But if I were a newbie to sewing, which I assume there are a lot of since they offer classes, this would be very off-putting. I came here wishing it would be like Gather Here in Cambridge, MA, where I kept coming back just because people were friendly and I was happy to pay a small premium to support a local business. But here, I'm paying the premium for what? It seems unclear. I'm not sure I'll come back, since I can find the same fabrics online. read more

I really like Brooklyn General. I want to like it more, though. This store has such a great selection. Yarn, needles, fabrics, and books. You could get lost for hours looking through the book selection alone. It's probably the best selection of knitting/crochet/sewing/craft books that I've ever seen anywhere. The store is also beautiful, because of both the large selection of pretty yarns, the creative displays, and the atmosphere of the store itself (which is original old time general store). What the store doesn't have, however, is a warm and welcoming feeling. I think that's because of a few specific issues. The first issue, as many people have already mentioned, is the weekday girl that they have on staff. She is severely lacking in social skills. Not the type that makes you feel comfortable asking questions. The second issue is the lighting. The store is very dark, and gives off a cold feeling because of it. In some parts of the store I have trouble seeing the true colors of the yarn. The third issue is the lack of people knitting in the store. There is a table, and a sofa at the back of the store, but I've never seen any customers hanging out and knitting there. It's so far back, that I feel like I'm in Outer Mongolia when I'm back there. Moving the table or the sofa to the middle or the front of the store, would be much more inviting. This would entice customers to sit, knit, be social, and probably come back more often . Maybe it would give the weekday girl a chance to practice her social skills, too. read more

About three months after my review, the owner contacted me, asking me to give them another chance. I wrote back explaining that my thoughts of the rudeness of the staff were echoed in at least 8 other reviews. I asked if they had done anything about this to guarantee a better experience. No response. Thanks for reaching out but....really, no response to thoughtful comments? read more

One of my favorite NYC yarn stores. Lovely selection, many of my favorite brands, eg colorful Mad Tosh, Malabrigo, silky Smooshy. Since they're in spacious Brooklyn there's a wider selection than Downtown Yarns and less danger of becoming buried under falling yarn than Knitty City. They've always been friendly when I've come in, but I have no problem with staff chatting away with regular customers and leaving me be. As with every sodding yarn store in this city you have to ask for it to be wound, and I often forget or feel intrusive asking, but hopefully I'll get over this. On one visit their payment system was down, and it seems an especially fiddly system as it can take ages at the counter paying. read more

As a connoiseur of yarn stores and having recently returned to the Church of Fabric, I am uniquely qualified to tell you just how awesome Brooklyn General was when I visited in October. The yarn shelves are full and varied (as a West-Coaster, I was THRILLED to be able to see Morehouse Merino yarns in person) and the fabric selection is colorful and hip (I'm pretty sure I saw some Alexander Henry in there). If I was local, I would be able to satisfy my wool felt needs there as well! Store employees were friendly and welcoming as well, which isn't always the case in yarn stores - one even sat down with us and knitted for a few minutes before closing! (Did I mention the sofa and table in the back? A much-needed respite after lots of walking during our trip, it was so nice to just sit and knit after we purchased our souvenir yarn). The only thing that keeps me from giving BG 5 stars is the lighting - it would be nice to see the yarn in incandescent lighting instead of harsh flourescents. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience! read more

Brooklyn general's ambience is fantastic- the store is very open and rustic feeling, their yarn selection is sizable (for nyc) and diverse with plenty of staples (so much malabrigo!) as well as many gorgeous, less common options. They have plenty of knitting and sewing books, a standard selection of notions and some nifty looking fabric (although I didn't really investigate that too much, not really a sewer) and other odds and ends for the crafty crowd. ....HOWEVER! I cannot abide by this customer service! Seriously guys, what the h? I came in on a weekday afternoon so I was one of two customers in the entire store. When I walked in there was one employee at the register who did not look very busy, but she didn't acknowledge me. I did a slow lap around, and still- no eye contact, greetings, asking if I need anything.... nothing. After a while I asked the employee for some help. After a short chat about how many yards I would need for a fairly simple project that I did not have the pattern for on hand she recommended that I would need AT LEAST four skeins- for a project that I knew would roughly need two (it did btw, with leftovers). So yeah, not exactly helpful. All in all, I did not feel very welcome. Anyway, I would still recommend giving it a try- The yarn selection is beautiful, and maybe it was just an off day or whatever. Edit: after reading some other reviews, it seems like most of the bad experiences people are having are with this one person who is the weekday staff. So go on the weekend for friendlier service. Or know exactly what you want when you go in and put your headphones on. read more

Good book selection unlike what other stores in NYC carry. Nice variety yarn including items for spinning and felting. Helpful staff and interesting classes including drop spindling and sewing. Very cozy. read more

Came here to take advantage of their yelp deal and begin to gather items to do my sewing homework at home. Initially I think the staff was apprehensive but warmed up once I pulled my check list out. She then helped me go through it and picked out items. She even talked me out of a few purchases such as a pen cushion saying I could make it myself. I'm sure they were more expensive than places around my way. Ended up picking up adorable jersey knit in a chevron pattern for my first project which will be a pencil skirt. I'd return for the fabric collection. read more

I've never written a yelp review before but because of the outright disrespect and overall rudeness of the employee working here I thought I should. Every time I come here I am greeted with nasty looks from the girl and weirdly mean silence, I feel like I'm being judged. I always leave with a terrible taste in my mouth. Not to mention how overpriced everything is. Do not come here unless they hire someone actually friendly! I work in customer service- this is absolutely not how you treat your customers!!!! read more

I was wowed from the moment I stepped into the store. Spacious, well laid out, and friendly people. What more can you ask for? They have a huge stock of quality yarns (Noro, Manos, Malabrigo, Debbie Bliss, Cascade etc), at fair prices, and I walked away buying more then I intended to when I walked in, and isn't that the charm of a good knitting store? They also have a huge blackboard behind the register with times of knitting and sewing classes. The only downside is that it's about 5 avenues away from the closest train, but I was so happy with my trip there that I can't deduct a star for that. read more

Nice and not-so-nice: The physical ambiance is wonderful. But - I agree with those who found the customer service unpleasant - at times. Sometimes the sales people are very helpful. I guess it depends on who is working there when you go. I've mostly bought fabrics and love their selection but sometimes wish they had a few more "standards." Ditto with notions. No blue velvet ribbon?! read more

Came in looking for a gift. They have a very nice selection of yarn including difficult to find yarns I thought were only available online. The ladies were very nice - which was a pleasant surprise. I mean we have all walked into a yarn store and felt as we needed to spend 2 years knitting at their table to get anyone to treat us nice, right? Not here. They also have a computer with a guest RAV log in - very helpful! They helped me pick out a sub yarn for a specific project for a friend and offered suggestions for another small project. Very pleasant experience. Price was on par with other yarn stores. Thank you! read more

I like this place. I used to find myself running from store to store -- get this yarn here, this needle there, this book online. But I found everything I needed for a recent knitting project under one roof here. I have to agree that the girl at the counter was less than enthusiastic, and it seemed very much a tight community where you'd have to do some heavy socializing with the employees to get any treatment beyond mediocre customer service. But all this was fine with me. It's better than going into super tiny yarn stores where the owner follows you around. I like to browse freely. I'm not as much a sewer as a knitter, but I did notice trendy fabric that you can't buy anywhere else (Amy Butler, for example). I definitely plan on going back here, even if it is a bit out of the way. read more

Sometimes I'll pop in here to work on a project when it's not too crowded. It's a chill shop with very helpful staff, though it's a bit of a trek if you don't live in the area (skip the long walk from the train and take the B61 to Union and Columbia). I love their selection of fingerling yarns and can't seem to visit this place without leaving with a couple of skeins of new yarn. They also have a nice selection of hand-dyed yarns, instructional and pattern books, fabric, and regular knitting and sewing tools. If you are new to fabric arts, you might experience some sticker shock here...if the Yelp deal is still available I'd recommend using it ($20 for $40 worth of goods, I think). read more

So, once in a while, when I have a free weekend day with my bf, we'll grab brunch in Brooklyn, and he'll ask if there is anything else I need. At that point, I'm like, welllll... there is brooklyn general. It's got a TON of lovely yarn and fabric and notions galore. read more

Small towns have nothing on Brooklyn and this place wins the award for best small town feeling place this side of the BQE. Catherine Clark proprietor, Blue Bird Midwifery founder and owner, rocks. - Great yarn - Sewing classes - Community. Go. read more

Gorgeous, well curated collection of fabrics. I hate shopping at big box fabric stores or kitschy grandma fabric shops. They have a nice variety of prints in light and heavy fabrics, and they also carry a good selection of oilcloth! I bought this cute fabric covered in folksy matryoshkas and dala horses that I cannot wait to turn into pillows for my mom. I'm sure their yarn is impressive, too, but I know nothing about knitting. The staff was very gracious and friendly. It was a pleasure to shop here, though I wish they were closer to Boreum Hill. read more