What's not to love about a good local yarn shop? They have a great variety and occasionally have trunk shows that feature a certain brand. They have a lot of handmade/dyes yarn and they even have things beyond yarn. They have sewing patterns that are really nice. And of course, all the accoutrement. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I just wish it was closer to me as I live on the other side of the city but for me it is worth a trip. read more

I always make sure to leave time to visit this shop when in Chicago. Friendliest & helpful staff. Always find what I am looking for and sometimes a little bonus as well. read more

My first visit and in to take a class and I really liked the vibe here. I was able to pick up learning to knit a scarf after one class and the instructors are very knowledgeable and patient. They have so many yarns it's quite beautiful in the store to see them all stacked up. I will for sure be coming back for help on my future projects and also to admire the yarns. read more

I wanted to buy some strapping for sewing bags. To my great surprise they wouldn't cut less than a full yard. I need 1 1/2 yds for my project. Since strapping is difficult to buy where I live I bought it anyway. I wonder if they only cut fabric by the full yard. read more

Lovely shop, kind sales employees. Find somewhere else for beginning instruction, especially if you are left handed. I paid for private lessons and left without a single row of completed stitches. I am a skilled seamstress, I embroider and cross stitch, and teach painting- I take craft instruction well. The instructor suggested I just try to learn right handed. After a brief bit of instruction, she completed rows and rows of her own instead of modeling or watching the two of us stitch. When we asked specific questions they were not answered- instead saying "oh there isn't really a way to do that you just figure it out." I had scheduled additional private lessons for this week. I canceled and asked for a refund. read more

This store is near my apartment so I went to try it out. I needed a certain kind of yarn so they helped me pick one out. Before I went to check out they asked if I wanted the yarn wound. As a new costumer I thought "why not". Little did I know I was not able to return the yarn after it was wound. None of their staff told me this so I was out 20$ on yarn that I couldn't use. It is in their "fine print" that once it is wound it is final sale, but I wish the staff was upfront and honest with me from the beginning. Just want others to know this too! read more

I love this place!!! From the moment I walked in - everyone has been more than helpful!! Hilary and her team have very strict Covid protocols- but you still feel comfortable. I can make an appointment and go in and get help on a messed up project, or picking yarn for a new project. The options are endless. The entire team works together and are all amazingly helpful!! I love my new covid hobby!! Call and make an appointment- they have so many many types and colors of yarns, projects already completed for you to pick from- and then endless ideas!! read more

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I have not visited since the pandemic 3 years ago I love there associates and the environment

A delightful yarn shop, with a stylish, yet cozy atmosphere. I really appreciate the diversity of yarns and knitting accessories. I highly recommend Nina Chicago. read more

Found this lovely hub of creativity while wandering around Noble Square area in Chicago (reminiscent of Billyburg/Greenpoint, Bklyn being the NY-er that I am). Very impressed by the loveliness of the variety of items featured but even more so by the loveliness of all the staff! read more

I'm a guy, read as I have no clue when it comes to knitting. My Sister in Law however is quite the pro so when it came to Christmas I figured I would pop in to get her something. Talk about fish out of water, who knew all of the different things you can get. I know knitters as I am not one I needed some help. First employee made me feel rather dumb as I was not "in the know" thankfully the young lady behind the counter took pity on me. She asked a few questions and we agreed a new book and a pair of Snip Pups were the right thing. Thank you to her the gifts were a hit. Now that the SIL knows about the shop I get the feeling she will forever expect gifts from here... In fact I expect to be getting lists from her as she does not have a nice place like this back home. read more

I'm in knitting heaven! I've been knitting for about 18 months and so far I've gotten all of my supplies from big box craft stores or Knit Picks online. I knew that Nina existed but I never really had a reason to stop in because I pick projects then yarn so I've never really needed anything outside of big stores. Fast forward to early this year, I decided I am finally going to make something for myself. I found a great sweater pattern and I wanted some nice, durable, and soft yarn to make something that would last. I stopped in Nina and I was not disappointed. First, everyone working here is super helpful. Everyone is a knitter and they are often just standing or sitting working on their own projects waiting for people to come in. They are very knowledgeable about the different yarn weights and where they come from so all of my questions were answered. Second, this is a great space to just come and knit. If you're working on something but don't want to sit at a coffee shop or alone at home, you can always come to Nina and sit on the comfy couch and knit. There's a few groups that meet throughout the week so you can meet other knitters and socialize a bit. Third, they'll explain things to you. I had a few questions about sizing and gauge and they were ready to talk to me. They also said I could always bring in a project and ask specific questions about it if I needed help, which is amazing. If it's a complex question, they'll charge you a tutoring fee but it's $25/hour which is definitely worth paying if you need someone to show you something specific and/or tricky. I'm glad I finally came to Nina. I've been participating in knitting groups online and everyone loves to talk about all of the hand-spun, hand-dyed local yarns they buy and Nina is just the place to find this stuff. They also sell accessories, needles, etc. so all of your notion needs are taken care of. They are more expensive than the big box stores but the yarn really is worth the splurge if you're looking for something elegant and durable and you're supporting local businesses around the world with your purchase. Parking is at a premium on Division so you may have to hunt around for a spot. read more

I recently purchased 46 (!) skeins of yarn at Nina Chicago. I brought a spreadsheet showing the # of skeins by color, but still the sales person took charge and very efficiently and accurately compiled my order. Then she and the woman working at the register did great teamwork to check me out quickly. Well done! It's an attractive space with a nice staff. I'll be back! read more

The staff is friendly and personable enough. I have been two times this summer and I like that they are helpful and available. The store has a beautiful layout. There is lots to look at. This store has a lot of personality. read more

Highly recommend this store. Very friendly employee and give a good advices. I felt comfortable to buy there even I don't know anything about yarns and all that stuff. read more

This place is GREAT!...IF you like being treated like complete shit. I suggested to a friend that we stop in here as she was looking for some nice yarn. Neither of us know a whole lot about yarn, so we were armed with some simple requirements from her Aunt (who would be knitting the yarn into something for her). WELL BOY ARE WE STUPID. The lady, if you could call her a lady, who "helped" us was about as snooty as they come. It is hard to imagine how she can sell anything. She essentially told us that the criteria given to us by my friend's Aunt was so incomplete, and that our descriptions of what we needed were so vague, that there was SIMPLY NO WAY SHE COULD HELP US. Not only was she the most utterly useless sale person I have ever encountered, but she was also the rudest. A few days later, my friend went to another high-end yarn store in Lincoln Square and with the same criteria, was easily assisted in finding several suitable options. They also offered that should it not work out, she could bring it all back AND somehow, they managed to be friendly *GASP* while doing it! I will never go to Nina again. It is a total embarrassment. read more

I went here ready to buy, but I needed a little help narrowing down the correct supplies. The saleswoman told me that "knitting is an exact science" and that if I don't know the specifics of what I need, I shouldn't buy anything. She continued to reiterate this fact for 5 minutes as she wandered around the store pointing to varying styles of yarning belaboring the point that "it's a bad idea to buy anything, I might ruin the pattern, etc..." So I left and spent my $60 somewhere else and I was happy to do so. The other yarn store proprietor threw caution to the wind and made many helpful suggestions and I found exactly what I needed. There is no point in having nice merchandise if you discourage customers from buying it! Knitting isn't an elitist activity, it's a warm and loving hobby. Shopping here is the yarn equivalent of buying a blood diamond... sure its pretty, but how many people had to be mistreated for it to be available. read more

Truly lovely (albeit pricey) yarn & decent selection. It's tidy & everything is in it's place but the staff is chilly & relatively unwelcoming/snobby. I'm all for lovely, deliciously decadent yarn (& I'll even pay for the overpriced-but-so-yummy-yarn) but I will not pay for the chilly reception I got here. I'll stick to the Knitting Workshop on Damen with it's welcoming & attentive staff, thanks. The only time I'll come back to Nina is when they have their big anniversary sale. I can deal with condescension for a great deal. read more

Wow! Nina is a great store for knitting. They have everything and it is such a sweet shop. I literally walked in and said, "I want to learn to knit. What do I need?" They did not oversell to me or overwhelm me. In fact, we left it as - see you in a few days! They have so many different kinds of yarns and the shop is an inspiration to knitting projects. This place will make you cozy and happy. read more

The classes here are excellent if you're a beginner! They were so sweet and helpful. I came back about a week later because I wanted to try a more difficult project. Nina was so helpful on the phone, and even more helpful when I arrived about 15 minutes before closing. I was expecting her to point me in the right direction, and send me on my way. Not only did she help me figure out what yarn to use, she let me start my knitting project and taught me how to continue. She also showed me an awesome website for knitters, and all different projects I might be interested in. This all took place after they were closed! Fantastic store!! read more

Nina Chicago - Fabric Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This past week, I had my first yarn emergency. I ran out of my dye lot color of my current project. My situation of non matching dye lots freaked me out so much that I called the manufacturer in hopes of locating it somewhere, but to no avail. I had to get a different not completely matching skein. While over at Division street for Rib-B-Que, I stopped in and picked up the necessary skein. Walking in Nina's, the store feels like a high end yarn boutique. One of employees directed me to my much needed Blue Sky Alpacas dyed cotton. I promptly found my color and searched for another color because I'm liking the project so much. When I finally decided on the color, I noticed three different dye-lots for one color. Thankfully, they gave me a bag of yarn. The yarn itself was about $2 more than most Internet and base retail prices, so I dropped a pretty penny here for convenience sake. When I looked at other yarn, it was difficult to tell who was the manufacturer since the skeins were turned inside not exposing the labels. Nina's stocks some great yarns like Louisa Harding and Debbie Bliss, but I really couldn't experience them because I couldn't tell where they were. I didn't notice any cheaper yarns either. All I found was a small Cascade offering and a lot of kits. Overall, it's a nice yarn store. It seemed pricer than my home yarn store. The store owners were nice and created a comfortable atmosphere. It's a good backup for yarns not sold where I usually go, but I'm weary of the prices. read more

I really like all aspects of Nina - the atmosphere, the yarn, the knitting guides and the one on one help. I started going to Nina in Jan 2010 when I took a beginners knitting class. Nina has been extremely helpful since then. I love going in there to purchase more yarn and talk to her about a projects. I also love that she has a number of free patterns and is wiling and ready to share them and give you ideas. Nina is always eager to help me out with mistakes or ideas. She is also interested in seeing her customers finished projects and giving praise or making comments for improvement. Overall, she is a really good knitting mentor. While the yarn may be expensive, I do not think that is Nina's fault. It is high quality yarn and meant to be used on specific projects. You can also ask Nina for suggestions on more reasonable yarn types and easily go to a Michael's or Hobby Lobby, etc to find what you are looking for. read more

First off, I may be a bit biased, as I learned how to knit at Nina. I decided to have my grandma buy me knitting lessons for my birthday a few years ago, googled some yarn stores in Chicago, and decided Nina's rates were pretty reasonable and the store wasn't so far from me, and went there. Man, am I glad my random googling helped me find this place. Keep in mind, 95% of what I knit is made with all-natural fibers, and I abhor the idea of acrylic. If you don't share in those sentiments, Nina might not be the place for you. I like to think of Nina (the shop) as kind of a yarn art gallery--it's not a superstore, you won't find every color of every brand there, but it's a well-curated selection of really interesting and lovely yarns, from Habu's silk-stainless steel cobweb weight to the big, bulky Ozark Handspun stuff. The store also has a great selection of yarns whose proceeds go to help the communities that make them (Be Sweet from South Africa and Manos del Uruguay come to mind). And while some of the yarn is pretty spendy (Blue Sky Alpaca Silk is just never going to be as cheap as Brown Sheep, no matter how I desire it), the store also has a great selection of Manos and a decent selection of Cascade 220 (which is toward the back, for those of you who couldn't find it). The folks who work here are all great, and not super-obtrusive on the customers, so if you have a question, ask! read more

Let the record state that I am not a knitter. My girlfriend knows more about mixed martial arts than I do about knitting, which really just speaks to how little I know about knitting. What I do know, however, is that my girlfriend likes to knit so I decided to stop by Nina's last night to get her a gift certificate. As a guy who is clueless about knitting, I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked in the store. Fortunately, the owner of Nina (who also happens to be named Nina -- go figure) was very nice and helpful in answering my questions and making me feel comfortable. Given my situation, I'm not sure I could've asked for more. Thanks Nina! read more

I go in search of yarn stores when traveling, and Nina was this trip's stop. It's in an interesting little space, and well laid out for easy browsing and fondling. The really nice fibers all seem to be at one end of the front room so you can easily compare one to the other (and possibly a few of the best ones against your cheek, not that I do that). (I ended up with a lovely garnet skein of Kismet Fiber Works' Sleek DK.) The service was just right; she checked with me when I came in, talked to me a little while I browsed, and then talked shop as I checked out (since I have a shop as well). I would definitely come to hang out, knit, and huff yarn fumes if I had the opportunity. read more

Quite possibly my favorite knitting store in the city. Nina is a soft-spoken woman, but you can see her passion for knitting come through when you ask her questions about yarn, needles, etc. She's got a great selection of yarn, and plenty of patterns to keep your fingers busy. I went in today with a pattern I'd found online for a scarf, and Nina steered me towards the right style of yarn, and shared a similar pattern that will ultimately be easier to knit. My parents live out of town, and wanted to give me a gift certificate/credit to Nina. She told me today how she played a game of phone-tag with my dad until they were able to connect and "seal the deal," so to speak. I appreciated hearing that story, and her help in the store. I know I'll be back when I'm ready to start my next project! read more

I love this shop, the display,the atmosphere,the big kniiting needles in the window and the collection of needles and yarn the have is just amazing. Finally a knitting store that is not filled with merchandise and you feel overwhelmed by just stepping inside. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. I even like the graphics they have, Thank you for bringing knitting to a different level. read more

I went to Nina's for the first time today and I thought it was a pretty wonderful store. I was a little intimidated by the look -- at least as I perceived it from their website -- but it turned out to be a wonderful, inviting, warm place and I will definitely go back. As others have noted, the selection is not huge, but what they have is really wonderful and they do have Blue Sky Alpaca, which a lot of folks seem fixated on these days for some reason, so they should be happy to know that, if they don't already. They also have some good Lorna's Laces and a couple different kinds of Malabrigo, which is cool. I did not see the Cascade 220 that someone else mentioned, which I think is notable, because it's considered a more affordable yarn. Nina's definitely did not stock much lower-price-end stuff, but then again, frankly, if you're buying natural fibers, you're not going to get cheap regardless of where you shop (minus Joann's or Michael's of course, but they don't have much of a selection of natural materials). I couldn't give it five stars because of two things that I haven't noticed in the other comments: 1) the lighting is sub-par. It does create a nice environment, but it stinks for really checking out the color of yarn. And 2) they don't have much in the way of knitted swatches, and the ones they did have didn't all have tags on them to tell me what the item was knitted from, which bothered me. I like to know, sometimes, what a yarn will look like knit up (some yarns are less predictable than others). Of course, if they had a ton of swatches, it would probably interfere with the look of the store. I still think it would be worth it and they could come up with something. There you have my 2 cents worth! read more

The best and most dangerous aspects of living where I do? My three-block proximity to Nina. While I admit I was at first a bit intimidated by the store (its hip aesthetic and quiet atmosphere), I can't stay away now. (Although, I admit I'm a decent knitter, and so maybe I have a bit of that "part-of-the-club" sense that others here say can make or break a yarn store experience.) Nina, the owner, was quite helpful on my most recent project, in which I brought in one of my wedding shoes and needed help matching yarn to it for a shawl I'm making. She ended up having to special-order the yarn for me, since my project required quite a bit more than she had in stock--which she did graciously. I must also mention that this woman must have the best taste ever in music; everything she plays in the store makes me think, "I should ask what this is," though I seldom do. Price-wise, I think that anywhere one shops, it's expected that she would pay more for high-quality yarn. I think Nina's prices are on par with other stores that carry the same items, if not even a buck or two cheaper. read more

I stopped at the old Nina for a specific red yarn for a hat I was making for a friend who moved to Canada. They got it off the shelf for me and wound it for me. When I got home, I saw it was the wrong weight. I ordered from Webs. However, I'm upping my rating because I've come to realize the new shop has a great selection of hooks and needles. read more

I was in town visiting family over the holidays and needed to stop at a knitting shop to stock up on some yarn for the plane ride home. I really wanted to stop by NIna because it looked like a more modern yarn shop (where my tastes tend to fall when knitting) from its rad window display and nice logo. But I was a little disappointed in their yarn selection. I tend to knit with larger yarns (I mostly knit with 15mm/US 19) but I didn't see anything like that here. The book selection was interesting (I saw a great one about knitting for your home) but in terms of the projects you could make I felt like it was really run of the mill grandma projects - baby hats, scarves and socks and the yarns weren't terribly unique or inspiring to me. Sorry Nina, I'll have to visit Loopy Yarns next time! read more

When it comes to look and atmosphere, Nina is gorgeous and my decorator's eye is more than appreciative. When it comes to yarn selection, however, I am less than impressed. Not into the artsy yarns that make a sweater just by being knitted, I like to find more variety in the yarns that one needs to design around- but that's just me. Nina does have a fine selection of knitting books, which became evident when my mother traveled all the way up from the burbs to buy one she had been hunting for. read more

I really enjoyed my recent trip to Nina. I am new to the neighborhood, and as a knitter/ yarn-lover I had to check it out. My goal for this trip was to pick up a set of needles, and just browse the store. I went early afternoon on a weekday and the shop was very quiet, which really let me peruse. Upon entering Nina was on the phone doing business, was apologetic and welcomed me to the store. As a small business owner- I know business must be done, and I was content to explore on my own. There is a lovely selection of yarn here, but I was intent on not bringing home more yarn. Because I am not dedicated to one type of needles, I asked her if I could feel the material of the bamboo needles- she was hesitant- apparently knitters don't like to purchase opened packages of needles? (It might be nice if there were a few samples available to check out the few different brands she had available). But she opened the package for me to have a feel to get a sense of them which was great. She also asked about my project, and was helpful figuring out the right size needle- pointed out some of the struggles of other knitters to "get gauge" that I wouldn't have noticed, definitely glad to have the input! Also found a great and reasonably priced project bag, Yay! Overall good experience, will be back! read more

Cute and welcoming store. Friendly staff. Beautiful assortment of yarns and fabrics. Top quality. The beginner class I took was very nice. The instructor was so sweet and encouraging of everyone. She was very easy to understand and helpful. She welcomed everyone back at anytime. Especially encouraging us to come during their open knitting time. If I wasn't from out of town , this would be a favorite new hangout read more

I'm suprised to see the comments about the icy service. The staff is always nice when I go in there. This is the place I learned how to knit. The knitting 101 class is great because you learn how to make a scarf, during the first class, and the prices for the classes are fair. I also took a private lesson there, and learned how to rib in one session. They are also nice about giving you free patterns for certain yarns if they are available. I love knitting on thick yarn (because you get finished so quickly), and Nina has a great selection of thick yarns. I also appreciate the way the store is organized. Nina used to work at the Container Store and it shows- very easy to shop. They often have refreshments available, and you can sit in the front area and hang out and knit if you like. I will agree that it is a bit expensive- I usually try and go during one of the sales and stock up then. Only thing is that there is only 1 cash register, so you can stand in line for a loooong time during the sales (like for over 10 -15 minutes). Overall, I like Nina's over some of the other knitting stores in the city. There is a knitting store right in my neighborhood, and I will drive 15 minutes to Nina's. read more

I have nothing but love for Nina! I'm a total newbie knitter, having only learned this summer and worked on a couple of projects. Nina and Sam are total sweethearts, always helpful and ready to answer any questions. I've been told I'm more than welcome to stop by with questions and just hang out in the store, knitting. I also just took my first class at Nina and am definitely looking forward to signing up for more! read more

It had been a few years since I visited Nina. I was busy having a couple of kids and working and just didn't have the time for knitting. But yesterday, I found a cute pattern online that called for Berroco Pure Pima. After calling the Knitting Workshop on Damen and Arcadia knitting on Lawrence, I called Nina, who had just what I wanted. I hopped in the car and stopped by the Wicker Park shop on my way home. Even at 5:30 p.m. I got on-street parking directly across the street from the store. When I walked in, Nina was chatting with two other customers, but when I told her what I was looking for, she recognized me from our phone conversation and took me right over to the Berroco. She took a look at my pattern, talked to me about it, and immediately started winding my 7 skeins of yarn into balls. The other two customers also wanted to look at my pattern and seemed really friendly. I get the impression that Nina is someone who just really loves and respects the process of knitting. Hers is not a huge store, and most of the yarns are high-end, so she probably doesn't get a lot of looky-loos, and she probably doesn't care. Her shop is there to provide really nice yarn (not all of it is expensive: my Berroco was only $6/skein), used to knit really nice patterns from really nice books. She was extremely personable and friendly with me, telling me about upcoming classes, book-signings, etc. But, again, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would have a lot of conversation with someone wandering in off the street who didn't really have a clue what they wanted. And, yes, that person is me a lot of the time. When I'm in that mood, I usually hit up Jo-Ann or Wal-Mart and wander around the aisles until I get an idea. Nina (the store) is a great neighborhood shop with beautiful yarn, books and accessories. As long as you have a clue what you're looking for or what you want to accomplish, you'll get all the attention you need in this store. read more

Cute little shop with polite, knowledgeable staff. Small space leads to a slightly crowded feel, and the prices feel a little high, although that's partly due to the simple fact that they carry only high-quality merchandise. read more

Definitely not the best prices I've found on yarn in general but I went in late November when they were having their anniversary 40% off sale and it was complete madness in there! At 40% off everything, the prices were ridiculously good but I never thought I would see women pushing and shoving over yarn and knitting needles! Seriously, it was like a Marc Jacobs sample sale in there or something...I had to wait in line to pay for over twenty minutes. While I was there I saw the cutest ruffled scarf that I knew would be the perfect Christmas present for my mom. It said the pattern was free so I bought the yarn that it called for and waited on line to pay. When I got up to the register and asked for the pattern the woman (who I assume is the owner) apologized and said that they havn't finished writing the pattern yet but that she could e-mail me when it was done. One week, two weeks went by and no pattern. So I went into the store one day after work and asked if she could just dictate the pattern to me. She was extremely apologetic about not having it done yet and then stood with me for almost 1/2 an hour working out the pattern (I wanted it wider and not as long). If that isn't going beyond customer service, I don't know what is. And of course, Momma loved the scarf I made! read more

Since stiching my first stich I have become a loyal customer of this gem of a shop. Rows and rows of gorgeous wool, a nice variety of needles, books, and ideas galore. They always have the perfect shade of my favorite malbringo wool. The only bad thing I can say is that I have become a yarn snob after shopping at Nina I can not buy wool at Micheals or Joanne Fabrics... it's just not natural! I have been here so many times trying to figure something out and Nina and crew are always so helpful. Nina is a great place to take a class and just hang out and knit. She always has cool tunes playing. Nina is my personal hero! read more