I had a great experience at Maxime Wools! I was on holiday for six weeks staying in a nearby neighborhood in London and wanted to work on a longer-term project; I decided on a toddler-sized blanket and needed more yarn than I had. I did a Google search for yarn stores nearby and came across Maxime's, so I stopped in. I explained what I was working on, shared what size I was aiming to make it, and showed the yarn I had already started my project with. They recommended a similar yarn (they didn't have an exact match) and how many skeins they thought I would need (which initially I thought sounded like too much, but I'm newer to crochet, so I went with it and sure enough, they were right -- I was surprised at how much yarn blankets eat up)! The Hayfield baby chunky yarn I used is nice. I also bought a couple of ergonomic hooks (I explained the type I was using and that I was having some hand fatigue, and one of the ladies suggested it would help -- she was right!), measuring tape, plastic darning needles, and yes, a bit more yarn for other projects. :) I was sad to have missed their bi-monthly meet-up in the shop, which I had read about on their website, due to conflicting plans. Essentially, you can bring your project and work on it while sitting and chatting with fellow yarn enthusiasts. They provide coffee, tea, and light snacks and you are asked to bring a small donation amount to support a cause of their choosing. Overall, I was happy to find Maxime's and the ladies there were friendly and helpful. I certainly had a great time crafting during my time in the area and have some lovely gifts for friends and family as a result! read more