Gotham Fine Yarn

Gotham Fine Yarn
148 Orchard Street Between Rivington & Stanton Sts
Tel: 646.863.3504

Knitting and wine Thursdays and Fridays, I believe. I've never made it to the store when there was still wine to be had. The yarn is lovely, chosen for texture as much as color it seems, by someone who likes to play with the yarn. Large, once long table for a work surface, dedicated on class nights for attendees. Otherwise, table and chairs available for dumping your stuff on while you prowl this small, well organized space. Recent purchase of Tosh sock yarn was priced competitively to Knitty City, as was Brown Sheep Co's Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Hours:
Mon - Sunday: 1-8 PM

Smiley's Yarns

Smiley's Yarns
92-06 Jamaica Ave Between Woodhaven Blvd. and 92nd St (Queens)
(718) 849-9873

Ridiculous Hours:
Mon - Tuesday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: Closed
Thu - Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday: Closed

I am allergic to acrylic.  Stepping in to Smiley's, I took my life in to my hands.  I was looking for two specific things: Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride Bulky and a pair of size 8 DPNs.  I asked the woman seated behind the counter (who I'd seen a week or so before at their once-annual Smiley's Hotel Sale in Manhattan; look for the link in the bottom right of the homepage).  I thought I could get in and out quickly enough to avoid the worst of the acrylic-induced eye itchies and sneezies.  Not so much.  The woman behind the counter didn't greet me on entry; I didn't realize I'd become used to that at the Manhattan stores until the lack of greeting slapped me in the face.  I wandered around for a few minutes, found nothing but acrylic and none of the needles I was looking for, I approached the counter.  And was grunted at.  They barely had anything without acrylic in it, meaning barely had anything in the store that I could work with.  Fine.  No needles, no DPNs at all, evidently.  As per the grunting woman.  Fine, done, I'm gone.  I'd rather pay the prices as AC Moore's, Michael's, and even the Manhattan stores rather than deal with that crap.  Times are tough, my money is good, show some respect or it and I will be out the damn door.

Purl SoHo

Purl
137 Sullivan Street Between W. Houston and Prince Sts.
212-420-8796

Small, staffed with happy shiny Stepford people. Okay, they're universally cheerful. This is New York! It's creepy. On a recent excursion, the chick with the long hair was speaking so fast, in such a happy tone, in such a chirpy voice, I wanted to smack her.

The place is popular, so you can end up waiting a while for the staff's attention, and may have to chase them a bit for their attention.

The store is always brightly lit, making it easier for color matching. A little on the expensive side compared to Knitty City, but then, it's SoHo. Not a lot of needles/ other tools available. Haven't yet tried their sister store up Sullivan, the one with all the fabric notions.

Hours:
Mon - Friday 12-7 PM
Sat - Sunday 12-6 PM

Yarntopia

Yarntopia
974 Amsterdam Ave SW Corner of W. 108th St
(212) 316-9276

This is what I always imagined a yarn shop would look like: small, not brilliantly lit, packed with lovely hued yarn, a little messy but the good, lived-in, kind of messy. It reminds me of some of my favorite cafes, the kind with the chunky, mismatches sofas, whose cups never matched the saucers (when there were saucers).

The needle and book area is small-ish and directly back from the door, perfect for the shopper who needs just that one more thing to finish a project, though they're actually open late enough for me to get there after work and do a little browsing!

There are random sales and always something on discount, usually to be found around the counter. There's a big, comfy sofa just inside the door, opposite the counter, and the owner is happy to have people come and sit and knit and chat. She's a lot of fun to talk to, too.

Not cheap, about on a par with Knitty City and then say +10%, but the discounted bits can make up for it. I've found I'll only do better than Knitty City on the internet, or if I catch a particular sale.

Hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 12-9 PM
Wednesday: 12-7 PM
Thursday: 12-9 PM
Fri - Sunday: 12-7 PM

Downtown Yarns

Downtown Yarns
45 Avenue A between E. 3rd and 4th Sts
(212) 995-5991

Deceptively tiny little shop with a good range of choices in non-acrylic yarn.

Hours:
Mon - Saturday: 12-7 PM
Sunday: 12-6 PM

Knitty City

Knitty City
208 West 79th Street Between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave
212-724-9596

The mother ship. You can always find help there, though it's hard to tell the staffers from the equally helpful and knowledgeable regulars. Can be a little spacey about calling you when orders arrive, or so I've been told. Too far out of my usual travel zone to be anything other than a destination. Fortunately on a couple of nights during the week they stay open late enough for me to actually get there. Though they will say things like the store is closing, please make your final selections and bring them to the counter they don't really shoo you out, which is nice. And the announcements come verbally (too small a store for a PA system), in advance of the actual closing time, and regularly spaced. Once the owner forgot the like 10 minute warning and just stayed open a few more minutes, basically saying "Well this is the 10 minute warning" even though it was already 8. Cheerful and helpful without the sell-sell-sell that can be anything but. The staff is never dismissive. However the place is usually full of regulars, or has been every time I've been there, and it can get a bit intimidating. On the plus side, I feel perfectly comfortable throwing down my stuff in a corner as I roam around the store, feeling the yarn. The only thing to be leary of is someone trying to make off with (read: purchase) my yarn (read: what I've already hunted and gathered and laid beside my bag with the intention of purchasing... in a minute, after I look at this next bit of yarn of there).

Hours:
Monday: 11-6 PM
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wed - Thursday: 11-8 PM
Fri - Saturday: 11-6 PM
Sunday: 12-5 PM

School Products

School Products
1201 Broadway Between 28th & 29th
212-679-3516

Also known as the Karabella store.

Ridiculous hours -
Mon - Friday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 – 3:30
Sunday: Closed

Lion Brand Yarn Studio

Lion Brand Yarn Studio
34 W. 15th Street Between 5th and 6th Aves
212-243-9070

Hours:
Mon - Wednesday: 11:30 AM - 7 PM
Thursday: 11:30 AM- 8 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM - 3 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 12 - 5 PM

Pretty, well organized and well lit store, with helpful people, willing to order anything they don't have on hand.  And what they have on hand is all at least partially acrylic, which doesn't work for me.  I was okay hanging out at the table in the middle of the store, far from the shelves that line either wall.  The far part of the store, closest to the counter, has their higher end, acrylic-free yarns.  Pretty stuff but nothing that moved me make a purchase.  And I haven't been back.

The Point of everything

The Point NYC (now closed)
37a Bedford Street
Bedford St at Carmine St

The point at The Point on Bedford is enjoyment. They're a bakery and yarn store, with lots of tables and not much space. I am rather picky when it comes to retail staff. They should be attentive without being intrusive, as well as helpful and knowledgeable without being pedantic or condescending. With a full room of knitters (not shoppers), The Point's staff nailed my requirements.

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Yarns Definitions (or, that comes from what?)

Yarns
Yarn	From	Reference
Cashmere	wool from the Cashmere goat	Wikipedia
Alpaca	wool-like fiber or fleece of the alpaca (same family as llama)	Wikipedia

Mom’s blue hat

This was knit flat using 29” circulars for two reasons: 1) I knit during my commute and on public transportation, where I’m not likely to get a seat, using circulars is just easier and 2) I was figuring out the pattern as I worked and that’s harder when knitting in the round. The first time I did this I had to add about 5 inches (40 stitches) after I completed most of the hat, because it was much too small around.

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Yarn Connection

Yarn Connection (now closed)
Madison Avenue off of E. 37th St.
Upstairs

Tight, tiny store, dusty. Old magazines. Needles located behind the door. The staff had their favorite people and was more than willing to chat with them. I asked for help and got it, but not good help – I told the woman I am allergic to acrylic, showed her the yarns I’d picked up, at my request she located other colors for me but she never bothered to tell me that two of the balls I’d picked up contained acrylic. What part of allergic didn’t she understand? And of course the store had gone out of business, so I couldn't return it.

Knit New York

Knit New York (now closed)
14th Street between 2nd Ave and 1st Ave, closer to 2nd.
Down short flight of stairs from street level

Large, white, clean shop. Never tried to the café.

First trip: helpful people, gorgeous colors in the yarns, very pricey but great sale bins. Spent $70 mostly on yarn.

Second trip: unnecessarily aggressive staff were beyond unhelpful (ended up with wrong sized needles because she wouldn’t listen), still pricey yarns in an astonishing variety of colors, uninteresting sale bins. Spent $16 only on tools.

A. C. Moore

A. C. Moore in Glendale (Queens), NY
Union Turnpike between 69th Ave and Woodhaven Blvd.
In back on the left in the Stop and Shop shopping mall

Huge, fluorescent lit craft store. Yarn is straight back from entrance, against the far wall. The staff is not helpful, is frequently dismissive and downright rude. More interested in chatting with each other than in helping you. But they’re quick to ring you up, don’t have to be told to open another cash register, and answer questions accurately (surly manner not withstanding). Yarn is basic stuff – Patons Classic Wool, Peruvian wool, Alpaca, cottons; some of the better blended yarns (cashmerino, silk/wool); and “other” yarns like the Spa stuff and the ones with Soy Solids (?). Very reasonable prices. Items easily 10-15% cheaper for the exact same items in Manhattan stores. Example: clover bamboo US10.5 29” circular needles were just under $10 at AC Moore, and US11 24” circular needles were $11.50 at Knit NY. Reams of Red Heart for $2-3/ skein.

Michael's The Arts and Crafts Store

Michael's in Rego Park (Queens), NY
Metropolitan Ave at Woodhaven Blvd
In the shopping mall with Trader Joe’s, Staples, Home Depot, around the corner from Panera Bread.

Huge, florescent lit craft store. Yarn is in the far left corner of the store, against the wall. Less yarn than AC Moore with comparable prices. Yarn includes the basics like wool and cotton. Lots of cotton.

Baby booties and hat

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Introduction (aka way too much information)

I am two months into my latest addiction, knitting. I resisted the call of the yarn for a long time, as all of my friends heeded the siren call, one by one marching to the rhythm of the status quo. I had no intention of becoming another follower of the latest trend, especial since it wasn't the "latest" anymore. Why join a fad that had been around so long? It was a winding road, one I was pretty much taken by the hand and lead to by the pied pipers of knitters, M and O.

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