I've been coming here since I got back into knitting after a 15 year hiatus (cough*kids*cough). Such a wonderful place: beautiful yarn, supremely helpful owner, comfortably arranged. Joanna has helped me with and, I know from the local yarn community, that she's done amazing things for many local knitters. read more

Good yarn variety and will ball up the yarn for you! They don't do classes as far as I know but you will be able to find most knitting supplies you need. read more

I recently got into knitting and have been obsessed with this place. Is the allure of yarn variety a tactic to get me to buy more? Probably. Is the option of interchangeable circular needles probably to get me to spend more money? Probably. Well, hear it here first, folks: I don't care! Because walking upstairs and seeing the carpet underneath, the yarn tucked into perfect cubbies, and the employee working on several projects reminds me of my grandparents house, and I know that if I didn't buy anything, they would! So yes, I am giving in to the siren song of pretty, soft yarn. It also helps that I can ask the most beginner-quality questions (like what needle do I buy for this yarn?) and not feel shamed, but feel invited into a special community. I've only been twice so far, but both times have been successful trips! read more

I've crocheted for two decades and lived in Bethesda for almost as long. But I just discovered this wonderful shop. It's full of handy supplies and the most beautiful yarns. If you're looking for special yarns with which to make soft sweaters, blankets and more, check out this shop. read more

Helpful staff and yarns I had not seen before. A little tucked away but worth stopping in.

I recently had a private knitting lesson with Joanna. Highly highly recommend!!She was so helpful and patient. I learned a lot in an hour. They also have a great selection of yarn. I always leave with a project. read more

I have recently gotten back into knitting after many years out of practice. Joanna was extremely helpful in finding the type of yarn that my pattern called for (as well as suggestions for alternatives of different weights), providing tips on the particular pattern I was working on, and even invited me to the shop's Wednesday night knitting club! The shop is cute, clean, and convenient. I felt encouraged after my visit and will definitely be returning for any of my future needs. read more

Love them. So helpful and great yarns. They have a free knitting get together every week

This is a wonderful place to buy yarn. The yarn is priced at a fair price and better yet is the personal working. The were a wide assortment of colors, kind and so on. They are so nice and helpful. Joanna is wonderful and a beautiful person to deal with. She offered my son knitting lesson and he has begun his beanie. He has had to stop for a while, but we will be back for more. I can't wait to do back and purchase more yarn!! read more

Second Story Knits - Made a scarf with the yarn I purchased. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Wonderful store! Second Story Knits takes over the space of Knit & Stitch = Bliss; two of the employees are now the store owners! Great knitting products, great professional advice, and a great space to visit and to knit. If you are a knitter, or know someone who is, this store is for you. read more

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This place is absolutely fantastic!! The sales associate who helped me was so kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. She even printed me off a pattern and modified it to fit my needles! I cannot recommend this place enough! Plus there's a great pho place right under it, so you can really make it the perfect afternoon. read more

Customer Service must be sold somewhere else, and their yarn selection is hardly impressive enough to make up for that. If you have to visit, just don't rely on what you're told being true. On my first trip of the week I purchased 9 hanks of yarn for two major (and one smaller) projects -- one using alternating colors and one with stripes. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and bought equal amounts of two colors (2+2) for both projects, when the striped project actually required 3+1. No big deal, right? It's the same price, brand and weight, I just need a different color. The receipt says they take returns for 14 days, so this should be easy to fix. Spoiler alert: it wasn't, because they wouldn't accept a return. I went back the next day -- only 22 hours after my original purchase -- with my receipt, the yarn, and the tags all together there in the bag. They refused to accept my return! I was baffled. I was standing there with the receipt which clearly said I had 14-days! Her excuse was that because the yarn was wound, they wouldn't accept it as a return. Wait, what? They wind their yarn in store! It's done right there, with the machine on the counter/table so everyone can watch. There is no warning that the yarn being wound makes it unreturnable, and the receipt says "Returns within 14 days" and nothing more. It's an absurd excuse. To make it 'unreturnable' before it even leaves the store is insanity, and refusing to help an otherwise solid customer on something so small is terrible business. I had to pay full price for another hank of the exact same yarn in the color I needed, because I wasn't sure if I could match the color, brand, and weight elsewhere when there are so many on the market. Maybe it's silly to be upset about $20, but to me it's more the fact that this is deceptive and breeds ill-will. Only 22-hours had passed, the yarn was brand new with its packaging receipt and bag, they claim to accept returns, etc. etc. It's just baffling. This was only the biggest issue I encountered. However... Employees seem prone to long personal conversations while customers wander. Their wide selection means they only stock a couple hanks of each yarn, so you'll have to make multiple trips if you need more than 2-3 hanks of any specific yarn. They only sell "great" round needles that are actually awful -- interchangeables that tend to unscrew while knitting, leaving a gap with exposed screw threads that snag your yarn and prevent easily moving it in the round (For Sale: one 16" round size 6, hardly used, packaging open and unreturnable). One person I met was knowledgeable and nice, one was indifferent and never spoke to me, and the other seemed to view customers as an interruption, and immediately had no patience for my return. Finally, Second Story Knits is inside a multi-unit building, up a steep and narrow flight of stairs with no apparent access for the handicapped. Any business in such a location failed to think about their customers from day one. At the end of the day, my review seems to be in line with all the reviews that aren't "five stars" in saying that their customer service is lacking, even at its best. One-star and five-star reviews, with nothing in between; make of that what you will. read more

Second Story Knits - Returns within 14-days -- unless they decide not to, in which case this doesn't apply. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I know there is some buzz that the owner and staff person are unfriendly and I have experienced that in the past. I was very pleasantly surprised when i returned two times recently and the owner seems to have had a personality change for the better. She was warm and kind both times. I was thrilled to experience it and will become a patron again. So, if you've been turned-off by the reception you received in the past, try it again. Fabulous yarn selection. read more

Great knitting shop; helpful staff; stocked with quality yards and knitting materials.

Such a fantastic yarn selection! Beautiful colorways, local dyers, lush luxury yarns... I was in heaven! I was wanting to drop some major $ here, and they had the yarns to make me want to. Unfortunately the customer service was not friendly nor welcoming. They greeted me when I walked in, and sized me up with a couple questions. I don't know what they were looking for, but apparently I didn't answer correctly because after their initial feigned interest the two ladies completely ignored me, *barely* answered my questions, and made me feel like I was a gnat in a gelato store. They knit together and gabbed about their dinner plans, and which restaurants are posh enough. I was very disappointed. I really wanted some of those yarns. But I walked out empty-handed, on principle; as much as I loved and was ready to buy some very amazing and beautiful yarns, I was unwilling to give my money to such lousy customer service. I love to support local businesses, especially LYS since they've struggled so much in this economy, but I'd rather order yarn online from anywhere else than to give my money to this shop. read more

The store can be a little difficult to find, but it's just a short walk from the red line metro stop. Really great selection of yarns, including some I haven't seen elsewhere in the DMV area. Notably, they have a very large selection of Noro and probably the most interesting collection of sock yarn around. There is almost always someone hanging out and knitting and the staff are helpful. They will wind your yarn for you after purchase. read more

Love SSK! (And I just realized it has a great acronym for knitters!) After moving to Bethesda recently, I come here at least once a week (Sundays 4-6 or Wednesdays 7-9) for open knit & crochet night. It's fun to get together with others and the co-owner, Joanna, is really knowledgeable if you ever have a question or knitting mishap. She also generously lets us use her swift & ball winder :) There's a great selection of yarn, notions, samples, kits, etc. as well. read more

I walked in as a fairly new knitter hoping to receive some help on identifying an appropriate project and all the supplies. The person there was very little help and just told me to look on Ravelry and once I picked out something, then would help me. As a newbie - Ravelry was overwhelming but I did pick out something. The sale associate quickly suggested a yarn and the number of skeins, and other supplies but with little explanation on why I needed them or how he determined the amount of yarn to purchase. Although not the best experience, I would definitely go back and browse the yarn there. Lots of selection. read more

The people that work at this shop are so nice and accommodating. I always try to stop in when I'm in the area. I was visiting this past November and realized that halfway through a project that I was going to run out of yarn. I phoned to see if they had more of what I'd purchased. The woman that answered the phone was so helpful. They had it in stock and were willing to ship more to CA. I was very pleased that she was so helpful. Another great reason to shop small and independent. Thank you!! read more

Second Story Knits has continued the great yarns and helpful expertise I found about 15 years ago at this location under a previous name. I've had to go online in recent years to find patterns for my grandson, but I rely on SSK to advise me on yarns and amounts needed for the items I make. This year's recommendation for his 12th birthday sweater is the first time they have been way off the mark, but I wasn't concerned about the two extra skeins until I went to return them. This was the first time I accepted their offer to wind the skeins, and I had them do all but one. To my surprise, the store would only refund the unwound hank, saying their customers will not buy pre-wound yarn. I accept their experience on that issue, and I don't find the policy unreasonable. However, I find it highly unreasonable that customers are not routinely informed about it. No admonition was given as I mulled how many skeins to leave for winding. No caution was uttered when I picked up the yarn. I saw no signs posted at the time of purchase, pickup or return. And the back of my receipt is blank. Even though I indulge my fingers and my grandson by knitting with expensive fibers, I don't have money to through away. ... My mom died before I finished her shawl. Guess I'll add this surplus ball to the yarn shrine. read more

I was underwhelmed by this store. The sales associate seemed more interested in socialzing than customer service, and wasn't very helpful to a beginning knitter. I did find the yarn I was looking for, but I wont be going back. read more

Not a place for the beginner knitter. I felt belittled and ignored as the salesperson was more interested in helping the experienced knitter who was also in the store. For me, it is worth it to get back on the Red Line and go to Looped Yarn Works in DuPont Circle. There, I was treated with kindness and respect. read more

I had 30 minutes to kill in the area and haven't been to this store in years, so I thought I'd pass the time here. They have a good selection of yarn that covers all the bases. You can find yarn for just about any project if you're flexible about your choices. No store can carry everything; there are so many yarns available these days. The shopkeeper was friendly and very pleasant, and the prices are reasonable. I would be pretty content if this was my LYS, but I live in Virginia. read more

I agree with the last posted review. This is not a place interested in helping aspiring knitters and crocheters. This is about selling yarn and I guess helping more experienced customers who want to take classes. The salesperson was so rude, she actually turned her back on me to take a phone call and never thanked me for my business. I would never go back there again. read more

New owners exude warmth and friendliness. The yarn selection is growing daily. This wonderful neighborhood shop offers many classes - group and private. For those of you who need a sweater repaired or finished, they have an excellent finisher with 25 years + experience. read more

What a great shop! I started coming here as a new, youtube-educated knitter, and I couldn't have been luckier that these guys are around the corner from my office. Everyone I've worked with here has been super, super friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to give me input on new projects I'm planning to start or answering any questions I might have. They are also really great in always offering to wind the skeins of yarn I buy, which is much faster and easier than having to hand wind at home. They have a good selection of a variety of different yarns - visiting here is really aesthetically pleasing with all the different colors and textures of yarn stacked up on the shelves. A great place to just browse! read more

I went here for the first time during this year's yarn crawl and really liked it. They have a nice sized shop, a good classroom space, and a lot of yarn choices. The staff offered help several times but weren't pushy. They were helping other customers while I was in the shop and the exchanges I overheard were helpful and courteous. read more

I stopped by the shop on my tour of DC yarn shops. The staff is great and very friendly. I was looking for yarns not easily found in the Midwest. They were knowledgeable about the yarns in their selection. They had a nice variety of yarns. They are located just a few blocks from the Bethesda Metro which makes it easy to get to for visitors. The bonus was they let me use an umbrella for the rest of my shopping day. It was pouring rain and I had left my umbrella at the hotel...several Metro stops away. read more

Second Story Knits is undergoing a wonderful transformation! The layout is much more open now, the yarns are wonderful, and the vibe is friendly and inviting, very upbeat. I went in for their grand opening, and there were more people browsing, chatting and buying there than I've ever seen in that space in its previous incarnation--well done, ladies! I know this is going to be a frequent haunt for me--more yummy yarn is on its way, community knit-nights on Wednesdays, and more! read more

Great yarn, knowledgeable and friendly staff who go out of their way to help. Went again just this week and was not disappointed. Joan and Diedrick were really helpful, knew exactly what I wanted (some non-animal fiber for a double rib cowl for my sister with allergies), and made it a great experience. There literally has not been a time that I've visited when I haven't left happy. read more

Horrible customer service. I walked in excited to start a new project and ready to spend some money. I found some yarn I liked but obviously needed a pattern for it. The only salesperson there had one word for me "Ravelry." As anyone who knits knows, Ravelry can be overwhelming! I kept asking for help, ideas, anything. She suggested how many stitches to cast on. Ummmmm....that's a start but then what? It was like pulling teeth to get any information. What kind of knitting store doesn't offer knitting patterns to browse through? Or at least takes a beginner by the hand and makes sure she knows what to do with the $150 of yarn she just bought! So here I am at home after an hour on Ravelry, still no closer to knitting. read more

I have been looking for a teacher like Joanna for years. With patience and professionalism, she guided me through a challenging transition in my knitting. Some knitting stores have knitters who pose as teachers. Joanna is a gentle teacher who is also an accomplished knitter. I will return again and again! Tesa read more

This place is the only reason I knit! I came in a total novice and the patient and friendly help of the staff kept me going through major mistakes and rip-outs; with their help I ended up with a beautiful sweater--and then another! Now I always have at least two projects going so that I can keep knitting until I can bring in my mistakes and learn how to correct them. Wonderful selection of gorgeous yarns, but the staff absolutely MAKES this place. read more

Very knowledgeable staff in a very friendly store. No private club atmosphere here. New owners are skilled knitters who have mastered a variety of knitting techniques: fair isle, brioche, slip stitch, gansey, and aran, to name just a few. Assistance is offered with patience and expertise. A great new store in the neighborhood! read more

(this is my boyfriends yelp, I'm writing from his name) To start this post, I'd like to mention that I am a beginner who came in completely clueless. I didn't understand that 9mm in needles is actually 12 U.S, or what the difference was between the wool that I was seeing. I was greeted by a lanky, arrogant lady with short black hair who automatically assumed that I wasn't worth her time. She probably thought- oh, she's young, she's a beginner. My buying experience was absolutely atrocious with this woman sighing and puffing as if I was a nuisance and should leave. Every question that I asked was met with a raised brow, as if I stunk of smelly cheese. Completely unacceptable. For a beginner, it was discouraging to say the least. This experience made me feel like I wasn't good enough and that this woman was judging me because I am young. A business is built on customer service and honestly, this has been one of the worst customer service experiences that I have encountered. It honestly takes skill to make someone feel so degraded. Again, unacceptable. read more

Twice I have been in this store, and twice I have experienced terrible customer service. On my second visit (I'm not sure why I returned) I asked for a particular yarn and was answered with a curt "no." I followed up with "Do you know where I might find it?" and again the answer was another curt "no." It's a shame. The store has a decent selection and I would like to patronize a local business, but I'm taking my business elsewhere. read more

I love this Second Story Knits . The staff are so friendly. I am always greeted warmly, staff will help with new and older projects ( sometimes it takes me a while to use the yarn I buy). I have sent others here and hung out at the big table knitting with a friend. I enjoy checking in periodically to see what beautiful yarn in what lovely shade I can use for my next project. I am often inspired (or tempted) by samples in the shop. read more

Knitting stores can have a "private clubhouse" kind of feel, especially if you don't look like their usual clientele. Not at Second Story Knits - every time I've been in there, the owners have engaged me in pleasant conversation even if there were others in the store. The prices are perfectly reasonable for a yarn store, and they carry at least a few gorgeous yarns I haven't seen anywhere else but online. I would rather go here and support the store than go almost anywhere else for yarn. read more

I just learned how to knit a few months ago and this local yarn shop is absolutely perfect. The community knit groups are fun and friendly, with lots of experienced knitters happy to share their inspiring projects and their expertise when I have a newbie question. Joanna, the shop owner, loves knitting and yarn and that love comes through in the assistance she offers. Whether it's choosing a yarn, needles, other notions, understanding a pattern, or untwisting a stitch, Joanna can leap tall buildings with a single bound. read more