I discovered this shop several months ago, and this is where I'll be going for yarn from now on (unless I can only get a specific color online)!
It's hard to imagine some people would have bad experiences at this place, but I think a few of the claims are too outrageous not to address. So to the person who left a long review about how this shop is terrible, I have some counterpoints:
1. I have been here multiple times already, and it's impossible to get in the door without AT LEAST two or three people noticing and greeting you. They love to chatter, which creates and almost-constant buzz in the shop. It's actually quite pleasant because it keeps such a friendly atmosphere! One of the few situations in which the staff don't respond to you immediately is because they may be busy helping someone or sometimes have several other people already wanting their attention. But usually, there's someone else there available to help you.
2. The knitting group is anything BUT 'rude' or 'grumpy.' They go out of their way to make space for you if you want to join the table, or browse the yarn on the shelves behind them. I often have a knitting project on me, and they are very interested and want to see it. They are sociable, talk to you like you're a long-time friend, and make you feel welcome. That's what finally convinced me to sit with them and I've been coming back to their table since! I would not suggest moving their table to the other room, to me it's part of the charm of the shop. The bad experiences are typically one-time incidents that new visitors create themselves, not the staff or regulars at the store.
3. I looked up this yarn shop exactly because I've been wanting to make the jump in quality from Joann/Michael's to nicer stuff. General craft store yarn will split (individual strands splay out on the needles) because it's poorly twisted, frizzes and wears down quickly, and will melt instead of burn because it's made of plastic (as one of the girls put it). This shop's yarn is real wool, has an excellent color selection, and is much more agreeable to me in quality. As for half-empty shelves, they do not have to be chock-full in order to have good stock, and there has not been one quality yarn shop I've seen with their shelves stuffed. So what? The yarn tends to sell quickly. And even then, I've looked around enough to see enough yarn of one color to make a sweater or skirt.
Extra points:
4. This shop has a comprehensive stock of accessories and tools not just for knitting, but also other yarn crafts like crochet and weaving. Much better than any general craft store, where they have bare basics- and that stuff is typically half-gone.
5. Great selection of pattern books. I am THRILLED to have found books that go beyond one-color small projects, and hats and scarves! Before it was a lucky day to dig through the knitting section at Barnes & Noble and find one or two nice pattern books. This place is full of them! Somebody hide my wallet, quick!
6. There's usually something of a snack bar in the corner, where you're free to grab a little food and a drink.
7. They take yarn donations of smooth yarn (nothing fluffy, puffy, or bumpy) if you're trying to get rid of some yarn! In my case, I'm trying to oust my old craft store yarn. And, they tell you where to take everything else if you're that determined to get rid of it. They recommended a Salvation Army store down the street, and that's exactly where I went to drop off a bunch of fuzzy yarn they couldn't take.
All in all, I am very happy with this store. I will see these ladies again soon!
-Heather read more