A Little Knitty is a yarn store and gift shop located in Milton, WA, which is about 10 miles…read moreoutside of Tacoma. We stopped in to shop for yarn on a Sunday afternoon and found the shop to be spacious and charming. The staff was very welcoming and helpful. All in all, a lovely shop. Half of the store is for fiber crafts and the other half is a gift shop with vintage-style offerings like drinking glasses, clothes, accessories, candleholders, and more. I really liked their yarn selection because I don't care for knitting with wool and they had lots of cotton, silk, and bamboo. Their prices are reasonable. I fell in love with yarn called Bamboo Bloom and bought two skeins. The woman who rang me up kindly gave me a copy of a pattern to knit with the yarn, a cute cowl. A knitting class was taking place near the back of the shop while we were there. I eavesdropped and was impressed with the instructor. Much like the other yarn stores I visited while vacationing in Washington, I wish I lived nearby so I could visit there more often.

I cannot rave too much about A Little Knitty! I've been knitting for about six months; I found A…read moreLittle Knitty three months ago and I'm so glad I did. I visited a number of other yarn stores--in the Seattle area and elsewhere when on vacation. This store stands out. Being new, it can be intimidating to ask for help and to ask what are really basic questions, but I never feel uncomfortable or silly here. THE STORE: The vibe is friendly. The space is large and spacious (not cramped or dark). The selection is extensive - both as to yarn and notions. The prices are great as well--I've priced my two go-to yarns at a number of places. They are the cheapest in the Seattle area here, and their prices beat most online vendors. [You get to support a great store with your purchase too!] THE STAFF: All the staff is lovely, but Nicole and Jen deserve special thanks and praise. I've done a number of private one hour lessons with Nicole. She has helped my skills grow so quickly--she is patient and provides the right amount of guidance. Jen's minute check-ins are great for a quick bit of guidance (and she's willing to spend the extra time to wrap things up when I bring in something a little more complicated than I realized). She's also a great resource to bounce questions off of when just browsing. If you're in the Seattle area, you need to swing by!

My friend and I traveled to the area for other reasons, and decided to fit in a little yarn…read moreshopping. Unfortunately, the hours posted on Google were not correct, and when we arrived, the store was officially closed, although a class was going on. Win, whom I am assuming was not just sales but perhaps the manager, was extremely apologetic. Rather than turn us away, she let us browse , saying that she was teaching the class but wouldn't have time to help us in real time. She let us know that we could flag her down if we had questions. We really enjoyed ourselves. The store is much larger than any local yarn store I have been to previously, and there are many unique and different yarns. Win came to help us after her class, and could not have been more wonderful. What started out as a browse, turned into some nice purchases. It's a gem of a store, and I look forward to going back on my next trip up north.

Great yarn store. They cater to all kinds of fiber arts. The selection is fantastic - you've got…read moreyour staples (Noro, Malabrigo, Manos del Uruguay etc) as well as the fanciful and rare, in all weights, fibers and types, and neatly organized too. It's located in an old industrial space. Light industrial brickwork. The sign is a little small and hard to spot. You enter through a small door and go up a few stairs, and voilà - Alibaba's cave. The staff is helpful, friendly, and very knowledgeable. They'll help you as much as you want them to, without being pushy. In my case, there were some yarns that I liked, and they found the right projects for my taste and skill level, made sure I was kitted out, and taught me the techniques I'd need. In case you need patterns, they've got them. There's a full room dedicated to books. Don't miss the clearance section! They also do knitting workshops during week days by reservation, for a very modest fee. They also have classes, though they do fill out fast!

Total mess, zero customer service, stocking carts blocking every aisle yet nothing in stock.read more

If the rumor is true, that Michael's is going to take over for JoAnn Crafts, we're in trouble…read more Someone needs to teach the staff how to cut material/chords. I obviously wasn't paying attention at the time or I would've noticed she measured 2 yards of cord that had been spliced together. Unfortunately, by the time I realized what she had done I had thrown away the receipt. They obviously didn't take the cord back and refund my money. They will obviously never be a JoAnn Crafts

This place is as essential to my life as gas in my car…read more The joy of getting from point A to point B, finding something, building something, creating something is priceless. The coffee shop is a bonus. I had never been in Bonney Lake before meeting my now husband of 5 plus years, and I have developed the habit of coming here whenever anything happens in my life. Everything is expensive these days, but I come to Ben Franklin to walk the aisles and feel my feelings. I come here when I am sad, scared, happy, excited. Through celebrations and losses, milestones and ordinary days, it has been a constant place of comfort, creativity, and possibility. I do not usually let staff at any store affect my day one way or another. They have their own lives and stories that I know nothing about... every employee I have encountered here has been kind, helpful, and genuinely pleasant. My child is growing up with paintbrushes instead of iPads, with crochet hooks and yarn, fabric, puzzles, sewing machines, and handmade keepsakes that become symbols of memory. She is learning how to create, imagine, and build with her own hands. A big part of that is because this place exists. We truly love Ben Franklin Crafts. Please do not go anywhere.

Very disappointing customer service experience…read more I stopped by Ben Franklin Crafts in Bonney Lake today looking for some stretch or jersey-type fabric that I could use for a backdrop. Unfortunately, my experience with the customer service in the textile department was very disappointing. I asked the sales associate if they carried any stretch fabric. Before I could even finish explaining what I was looking for, she cut me off and told me that they didn't have any stretch fabric. As I continued looking through the fabrics, I found several materials that clearly had some stretch, including crushed velvet and other fabrics in different textures. I pointed out the few fabrics that I found to her and said that there were a bunch of stretch fabrics, and her response was, "You call that a bunch?" I then explained that I was looking to use the fabric for a backdrop, rather than clothing. She responded, "Oh, I thought you needed it to make clothes or something." The interaction continued in a way that left me feeling like I was more of an inconvenience than a customer who was simply asking for assistance. At that point, I walked toward the exit but decided to speak with a manager because I felt uncomfortable leaving without addressing what had happened. I asked for a manager but was directed to a supervisor. I explained the situation, and her immediate response was essentially that they didn't have any stretch fabric. I told her that I had actually found several examples myself. She then said, "I guess they're new." Unfortunately, I didn't feel like my concern was really being heard or that anyone was interested in helping me find what I was looking for. I ultimately gave up and left without purchasing anything. It's not the fact that they may not have had the exact fabric I wanted--that's understandable. It's the way the situation was handled. A simple, "I'm not sure what we have, but let's take a look," would have made a huge difference. I wanted to support a local business, but based on today's experience, I left feeling very disappointed and uncomfortable. Hopefully management takes this feedback seriously, because customer service matters just as much as the products you carry.

Kindergarten craft table, but for adults!... and kids.... But ADULTS!…read moreLike a an organized junk drawer... Which itself is a contradiction in terms. Like your grandparents craft room, and your parents retirement box. Best description... Tacoma's DIY Archie McPhee.

The pay by the bag thing was a total scam. I tried my best to navigate what was supposed to go in…read morebags and what was off limits but it was a mess. The smallest signs that said "not for bags" were written in sharpie on tape. I was sure I picked all the bag eligible items but when I went to check out every item was rung up. So instead of 7 dollars it came out to 23. In response to owner- I looked for the signs as best I could, I thought all these things I picked out were good to go. The signs are very small and not obvious so it's hard to tell what is individually priced and what's not. Everything in the store has a price on it. But yes next time I will triple read the signs to avoid paying 22 dollars for old pins and beads!:)

A local shop that had my church logo digitized closed it's doors. We lost our artwork as well as…read moremy company artwork that had been digitized. On a very short notice Outhouse was able to digitize our church logo and embroider a vest as a gift for our new pastor. The work met my expectations, but the time it took well exceeded expectations. Oh, the dog in the office is extremely well behaved, and does like head scratching. No jumping, no barking, just a dog that is happy to see you. We are working up an order at church fog more embroidery,

They printed birthday tees on short notice. Great quality tees and service! Great communication.read more