Great store with great atmosphere. Love the yarns, classes and teachers! Highly recommendread more

This used to be my favorite yarn shop, and I would drive 40 minutes to go there. I have spent quite…read morea bit of money there on yarn, patterns, and classes. All of a sudden, Every time I walked into the store I would be given the stink eye, and no one would speak to me. I would patiently wait watching for when the owner was free so that I could ask her questions, but she totally ignored me. Yes, she did know I was there and did know that I was waiting. I stopped going to that shop. Fast forward about a year later when I was at stitches with a friend. I passed by Mosaic yarn Studios Booth and asked a question about a pattern for a model they had there. The owner gave me a dirty look and said we sell it in the shop. As I walked away, I looked back and she was pointing at me and talking to her sales associate. I brought this up to my friend, and my friend told me that there was someone stealing from that shop, maybe she thinks it was you. When I frequented that shop, there was one time when I found something in my bag that they didn't ring up, and I went back into the store to pay for it. Stealing is not my cup of tea. Needless to say, I have never been back. I still spend a lot of money, but not there.

I have yet to be in a knitting store that didn't have friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff…read more Clearly there's a knitting subculture that is nicer, and more polite than general American Society. Good selection of yarn, classes, easy parking, and there's always a high level of expertise available for advice and coaching.

Three Bags Full is a feast for your eyes and your heart. Pure gorgeous color and texture (yarns,…read morebags, buttons, books, and all manner of needles, hooks, and well-crafted accessories) invitingly arranged everywhere you look. Amazing staff, exceptionally skilled and caring, are generous with their time and expertise. It is a delightful, cozy space, and if the yarns themselves or the samples displayed don't inspire you to start a project, the wooden tables continuously occupied by knitters (and crocheters, too) will make you want to pull up a chair and begin. Seated around the tables, it always looks like a group of friends have gathered to share time, stories, and craft--yet these are classes. Yes, you can sign up and join the party! And I have. Not only are there classes for specific projects, there are also classes where everyone is working on their own individual projects. Oh, how I love being able to have expert advice on how to read my patterns, fix my mistakes, and finish my projects. I love Three Bags Full, and the passionate, talented people who work there with my whole heart, and I invite you to visit. Support a local, woman-owned business. Take a class (they fill quickly), browse the notions (practical and/or whimsical, just what you need), and treat yourself to some fabulous yarn. Bring a friend, or make a friend when you get there (or both), you'll be so glad you did!

I'm thrilled that the knitting store, Rib & Stitch, relocated here in Winnetka, nestled on a little…read moreHubbard Woods side street east of Green Bay road. A welcome surprise for me is how comfortable the owner makes me feel whenever I come to the store. A great big work table and a couple couches allow anyone come in, sit down, work, or just lay out the extraordinary materials you might want to try. Besides the fact that the owner acquires the most gorgeous yarns and materials, she is also so generous with her time and creative ideas. There is no pressure to sign up for classes, which I really appreciate. With my insane schedule and random knitting inspirations, I would never be able to keep up with any class. Although I seem to knit when a project pops in my head, plenty of other knitters would find the owner of R&S could steer them to any number of wonderful projects. Although she has placed many of her own inspired creations around the room and in the window, offering an assortment of ideas, she enthusiastically will help you with whatever project you choose to do. Just come look at the gorgeous skeins of wool around the room and you will NOT leave this store either empty-handed or lacking for ideas.

I was so excited they put a new yarn store in Winnetka, and I was not disappointed! The owner is so…read moresweet and willing to help you find anything you need. The store is new so there isn't a lot of yarn there yet, but it's very organized and reminds me of a high end boutique. There was a lot of knitting samples, but no crochet samples which was the only bummer. I will definitely be returning to this store!

Stitch(es) opened the day after Thanksgiving, 2010 and it is a wonderful store. The owner is very…read morefriendly, and is stocking lots of wonderful yarns, including Lorna's Laces, Shibui, Madelinetosh, Malabrigo, as well as the popular Berroco, Cascade, and Classic Elite. The shop is bright and open, and Sue (the owner) often has open stitch nights and classes. If you have been looking for a new shop to check out, this is definitely one to put on your list.

Over the course of two months I have been in and out of the store so much. First of all the shop…read moreowner runs the place. She might have the best customer service in all of Chicago. She's fantastic. Secondly, she allows my dog to come in and chill while I knit. Good conversations between me, the customers, and the shop owner. Thirdly the selection may not be immense but it's good sampling of the best yarns out there. Prices vary between reasonable up to luxury. If you need any reason to go in there just go to visit with the owner and get inspired to knit something fun.

When we parked our car, we never expected to see the amount of needlepoint canvases when we entered…read morethe store. Everything was well organized & in perfect catagories!

a great neighborhood jewel of a store. jane has loads of…read moreyarns, beautiful canvases and runs fun classes. always helpful employees (thanks, deb!) and the finishing on every project i've done has been perfect. a sweet spot to check out new needlepoint finds.

Hear ye, hear ye! Ye Olde Alpaca Shoppe is a funne activity as an adulte or kid!…read more Who wouldn't want to pet soft fuzzy alpacas? I sent a text as requested from their website to make an appointment for a tour and while it took a few days to respond back to me, we were able to book on a convenient day for us. In addition to the alpacas, there are rabbits, pot bellied pigs, horses, ducks, cows, and goats just to name a few of the farm folk that live here. The two young assistants that gave us the tour were very experienced and mature beyond their years. They had a lot of knowledge about each animal. If you wish to browse at the gift store, there's a lot of alpaca wool clothing, accessories, and stuffies for sale. They also sell their wares at local farmer's markets so check them out if you are interested in alpaca wool items. The cost of admission is very reasonable at $10 per person. If you are a fan of petting zoos and alpacas this is your place!

Love Alpacas?! Come visit SafeHouse Farm Alpacas! The farm is located in Barrington, IL. Just less…read morethan an hour from Chicago! The kids had such a wonderful time getting to know all the farm animals! Linda, the owner, was very personable and passionate on what she does. This was a very fun and educational visit for all of us! The kids loved feeding hay to all the Alpacas, donkey, ponies, horses, and goats! Farm visits are by appointment only! This is great because the hour at the farm is yours to explore with your family. And not to mention all the fun photos you'll get to take with all the animals! Before you leave, don't forget to purchase a dozen fresh farm eggs! We can't wait to visit again!

My friends and I were very excited to see a new yarn shop opening in our area. We were very…read morepleasantly surprised and excited. The staff are very helpful, friendly and welcoming. The shop itself is so bright and open. Yarn and accessory selection is outstanding and staff are ready to help with yarn and pattern choice. There is a variety of classes offered and are very instructional. This is a valuable gem in the neighborhood.

The shop is bright and sunny. The staff are all friendly. I took the beginning Tunisian Crochet…read moreclass. My instructor broke down the technique into understandable bits and was very patient. I learned two basic stitches, how to recognize and correct errors, and even completed my first project! I look forward to visiting AriYARN Shop and Studio frequently!

I spend far too much money on craft supplies. And there are so many crafts I pick up, buy supplies,…read morethen abandon. So I thought this would be a good place to purchase some supplies. It's a little out of the way, and it's a bit of a jumble. Most of these supplies look as though they sat in a warehouse for a long time. You have to be willing to look and search. I'm pretty craft-compulsive, and I bought nothing. Nothing. There were some (longtime?) customers in the store so they must know what they want. I was able to go down aisles, wander down corridors freely and no one bothered me. I suppose if I asked for help I would have gotten it. Sorry but this was not my vibe.

Holy cow, if you are a crafter, you need to come here. Basically any kind of craft or hobby can be…read morefound here, with a big emphasis on miniatures and dollhouses, but there are also trains, model cars, candle making, stamps, paper, embroidery floss, baking tools and cookie cutters, school supplies like markers and colored pencils, and much more. That said, it's a bit disheveled and dim; you're not in a Michael's. But if you are willing to poke around you, are sure to find some treasure! It's a good thing for GPS because the location is slightly hard to find, but gladly the nondescript building does have a big sign on it, the address is posted on a sign near the street, and the aqua blue door are all things to look for. Worth the drive!

I had an awful experience here. I came in with my son and they had a dog who immediately ran…read moretowards him. Naturally my son got startled and scared. They then basically told me that my son needed to go next door to the gelato shop if I wanted to browse because they needed to let the dog roam free??? Which honestly was so unwelcoming we just left. Also there was dog pee all over the floor right next to all the yarn. Which is so incredibly gross and unsanitary.

What a delightful yarn-and-more shop in the Portage Park area. For those that enjoy the needle…read morearts, this is a must stop. Besides having all sorts of yarns (some available and some you can order), this outlet has classes, workshops, lessons, needles, magazines, accessories, and you name it. They offer a lot in this little corner store ... and if you are still not sure, get a gift card. Alluded to in the yarn-and-more comment, they also have Book Club days and WIP (Work In Progress) Wednesdays ... both of which are times to be together and knit while you meet and greet others with like interests. They also have a Yarn Crawl ... all to say they offer needle arts fans loads of options. Give this place a try ...