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Yarn Shop Reviews
Oregon
Angelika's Knit Shop
2110 North Lake Rd.
Lakeside, OR 97449
541-759-3975
Reviewed by Mina Smith
This is a great shop I like in Lakeside, Oregon. Angelika Burles runs this shop. She sells knitting machines and some of the nicest yarn for both hand knitting and
machine knitting.
She has great classes and is very knowledgeable about
knitting.
Boersma's
203 NW 3rd St.
McMinnville, OR 97128
503-472-4611
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
Talk about temptation. This is a shop that carries it all. Combine marvelous gals behind the counter and the touches of greeting cards or pins or little touches to do with knitting that you'd never imagine and Boersma's carries it all. If you walk in without anything in mind, you'll walk out inspired, carrying magical skeins of gorgeous ideas. I had purchased some yarn a year earlier in a shop out of state and was realizing I was unable to finish my project because of not enough yarn. I found similar colors and weight along with suggestions as to how to make my end results a success and possibly even more lovely than originally intended. Their books selection is outstanding. On a scale of 1-10, Boersma's is a definite 11. To boot, there is a complementary fabric shop across the street that insures fabulous fun behind a sewing machine too. 5/07
Coastal Yarns
131 West 2nd St.
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
503-436-1128
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
This once used to be a sweet oasis of amazing temptation with creative one-of-a-kind seascape patterns. After some ownership changes, it has suffered dramatically from lack of everything = inventory, yarn variety, supplies selection along with a vivid deletion in any overall enthusiasm. I stepped inside a short time ago and was visibly disappointed with any recognition of what used to be. No one greeted me even though I was only the other person in the shop. No offer of help. Even though I wandered trying to find something to tempt my wallet- I was seriously looking- I left empty-handed and terribly disappointed, like I had lost a good friend. Whoever thought a small knitting shop in a coastal artsy community could survive with barely token attempts to meet demand has short changed what could be a luscious lure for a lot more than simply the locals. 7/07
This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Lori Patterson
I love this store. I went with my mother and my very impatient son (who was 10 at the time) and she helped us out so he wouldn't have a melt down. She has lot of great varieties of yarn and fabulous section of Blue Moon. She has a whole wall dedicated to sock knitting. I will definatly have to come back for some next time. 10/07
Creative Beginnings
620 S Holladay
Suite 1
Seaside, OR 97138
503-738-9580
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
This is a cute small knitting shop with some added floor space devoted to a small selection of silk flowers, seashells, ribbons, scrabooking touches and gift cards. Not a lot of yarn selection but what is there is lovely and serves to tempt the average knitting need. There is a coffee counter with a warm suggestion of staying and knitting a while but... there are vivid hints of hurry up and move on. I've been stuck a few times with questions but rarely felt confident with the tentative answers provided. If what you want is not there or not enough and more needs to be ordered, don't hold your breath. I once waited over three months for two skeins of Encore yarn, gave up, searched and found it elsewhere only to be called long after I wanted it that it had arrived. On a scale of 1-10, Creative Beginnings merits a 6 with some strengths in yarn selection but less than ideal in the way of attitude & customer service. 7/07
Custom Threads
1282 Commercial St.
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-7780
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
This shop is a diamond in the rough. What it lacks in initial impression because it's tucked into a tired old building, it fosters in heart and imagination. When you first waltz thru the front glass door, it looks like a hodge-podge of color, patterns, supplies, knick knacks and busy distractions but when you begin to dive in between the clutter there are discoveries to be found. What's more, both ladies who run the show are a wealth of experience, knowledge and willingness to stop whatever they are working on to help with the most mundane of requests. If you can't find it anywhere else, they will exert every effort to unearth it for you. Their unending talents are legendary to locals who have stumbled in with problems, only to leave with increased inspiration. On a scale of 1-10, Custom Threads earns a walloping 10 for determination alone! 7/07
Fiber Nook And Crannys
530 SW 4th St.
Corvallis, OR 97330
1-877-668-1048
Reviewed by Sandi Marie
Great shop they just moved to a larger building complete with area for children to keep busy while adult shops. Lots of yarn and spinning supplies. The staff are friendly and supportive. They have a huge assortment of yummy yarns classes they offer and a sock of the month club. There is no question about knitting or crocheting Michele does not know. Places to sit and knit or crochet and laugh. Good selection of books. I have been going there for 15 years. 4/08
Foothills Yarn and Fiber
3057 Lingren Road
Odell, OR
541-354-3542
Reviewed by Linda Gouge
Foothills Yarn and Fiber is a wonderful shop specializing in alpaca products, located in a gorgeous setting on the alpaca farm of Connie and Tom Betts. One of the great attractions of this shop is the opportunity to watch, pet, and even feed the alpacas who live there. Then too, there is Charlie, the alpaca guard dog, who is friendly with everyone, particularly those who pet him, and who just might think he is an alpaca. One of the things that is immediately apparent when one enters the shop, is the great kaleidescope of colors that virtually surrounds you. There are so many choices of yarn and color available that it is a problem to limit oneself to just one. The book selection is great and regularly changing. It is difficult to look through the books without buying one or two. They also offer hand knitted items for sale which make great gifts. Some of those items might have been knitted by Connie, Tom, or their son. Another great feature is the offering of handspun alpaca yarn which is absolutely gorgeous. Connie or Tom will most likely be able to tell you the name of the alpaca who donated the fiber to make the yarn. For those who like to spin their own yarn, they also offer alpaca fiber and roving. You can even get Connie or Tom to demonstrate how handspun yarn is spun on either Tom's or Connie's spinning wheel. They offer classes on various projects and have a knit night on Thursdays when people can gather at the shop to knit and visit with other enthusiasts. The Betts are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about raising alpacas, and the fiber crafts. They are more than happy to share their knowledge with you if you ask.
The shop is wonderful and after visiting it once, one just has to go back again, and again. 9/06
Gossamer The Knitting Place
550 SW Industrial Way, no 28
Bend, OR 97701
541-383-2204
Reviewed by Maia Mills
What a find! Located in Bends' Historic Old Mill DistrictDistict, Gossamer is a beautiful shop owned by two sisters who are passionate about the craft. They have a beautiful selection of fibers as well as needles and accessories and some wonderful gift ideas. I found the staff to be extremely friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this shop to any knitters visiting Central Oregon.
Juniper Fiberworks
143 SW Century Drive, Suite B
Bend, OR 97702
541-318-0726
Reviewed by Judy Davidson
Deb Annear at Juniper Fiberworks opened her needle arts store Fall 2000 and is already a friendly magnet for needle crafters in this wonderful community. Her brand-new roomy shop is located in a sunny new building,
fully stocked with a calliope of fibers for knitting, needlework, and cross stitch.
Classes are offered continually by Deb and other local artists in a comfortable and semi-private corner of the store. Couches are available for sitting and knitting as well as displaying knitted afghans. There is a fine
selection of needles, notions as well as unique buttons for finishing projects. The book shelves are full of potential projects and patterns.
This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Patsy Bryant
Bright, airy, large room. She carries a lot of quality yarn, sorted in her shop by color. Shop also has needlepoint yarn (for those small motifs). Wonderful location as right across from her, in the same building, is a fly-fishing store: Something for the DH (or DW) to do while waiting!
She's the only shop in Bend, as far as I know, except for the usual Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart.
This shop was reviewed by a third knitter.
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
This without a doubt one of the nicest yarn establishments in Oregon. A gorgeous selection of yarns, kits, needles, amazing books and intriguing ideas. I've visited each time we have vacationed in the Bend area and never walked out empty-handed. My only compliant is the help. More than once I've asked questions or attempted to buy yarn and needles only to get home and realize I didn't get enough or my needles were not what I should have to complete my project. Certainly they have responded over the phone but why did my mistakes have to happen in the first place? One of the gold mines of any yarn shop is knowledge and this is the only weakness of Fiberworks. If you know what you want and don't require much help or are adventuresome, try this shop and enjoy the temptations and wonderful selection of beautiful offerings! 5/07
Kathy's Knit Korner
1703 Pacific Avenue
Hillsboro, OR 97116
503-648-8525
Reviewed by Nancie Golon
I have been going to this shop for my yarn for about a year now, although she has been open for over 20 years. You will find an excellent selection of yarns for hand knitting, machine knitting and crocheting along with her years of expertise.
She also has classes for teaching it all including machine knitting. These are informal groups and you can always get assistance in any part of your project. A delightful lady and shop.
Knit-Purl
1101 SW Alder
Portland, OR 97205
503-621-6442
Reviewed by Chris Finkle
Lovely yarn shop tucked inside the busy city with amazing ideas and gorgeous one of a kind yarns. Not necessarily large in square footage but what is stashed into their shelves is beautiful. My complaint is their attitude. I purchased a piece of equipment to work with my yarn and was not given any instructions how to use it. When I made a return trip in due to a malfunction, it took next to a miracle for the positive response I anticipated. It was less than inspiring to realize this shop knows how great they are. They really don't care if they display some almost-too-good-for-you attitudes along with their beautiful yarns. 5/07
Lint
1700 NW Marshall
Portland, OR 907209
503-226-8500
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
Sweet little shop in the same neighborhood as some big Portland hospitals and medical clinics. Not the greatest selection of yarn but good. I found a lovely book but when I was told they didn't carry the yarn recommended in the book I was disappointed. This is a small store but mighty with at its heart some creative ideas and a nice arrangement of temptation. Well worth a look see when you are in their neighborhood. 5/07
Mabel's Cafe & Knittery
3041 SE Division
Portland, OR
503-231-4107
Reviewed by Eva Galanes-Rosenbaum
The shop is always full of people, young and old, male and female, who are friendly and seem extremely happy to be there. I love to eavesdrop, and this is a great place to listen in on others' conversations, but be warned: you may join in! You can bring your own projects/yarn, buy stuff there, or work on the communal project (last time I checked it was a very haphazard scarf).
I'm consistently pleased with the variety at Mabel's. They have a good selection of yarn, but I feel like I can browse the whole shop without being completely overwhelmed. The staff are all friendly and very helpful; they take time to show customers how to read patterns, master a tricky stitch, or choose the right needles/hooks. Mabel's is very crochet-friendly, which I really appreciate. Lastly, Mabel's carries Stumptown coffee (Portland's finest) and great pastries/desserts. Give Mabel's a try -- even my guy friends have started knitting/crocheting because they like it so much.
Molehill Farms
16722 Boones Ferry Rd.
Lake Oswego, OR 97035-4214
503-697-9554
Reviewed by Kristen E. Tabor
This is a little yarn shop rather close to the I-5 corridor; but, it's one of those shops that seems bigger on the inside than the outside would lead you to believe!
The owners have been involved in the local knitting community for a long, long time; I can remember when my mother and grandmother were part of the Stafford Spinners, meeting at the old Molehill Farms location! The same great people in a new spot.
They have gobs and gobs of great yarn, wool, knitting and crocheting implements... and you can usually find a few people hanging out and knitting. They usually meet on Wednesdays during the lunch time, anyone is welcome to drop in and knit a few rounds.
This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
This is a tiny little house tucked in off a main road, almost unnoticed in a forest of trees. A nice selection of a variety of yarns but not a lot of inventory. I walked in hoping for inspiration and was greeted with a smile and an offer of help but that was it. When I inquired about some books and yarn I was curious to purchase, I was somewhat disappointed with the "less than" reponse. Lake Oswego is a suburb of Portland, competing with larger and better stocked competition; a tiny business like this needs to cultivate an edge with their customer service or imagination. Not so. I left empty-handed and disappointed because I was eager to spend and tried to, but they seemed too busy with their conversations to notice me very much. On a scale of 1- 10, I'd rank them a 4 when it comes to customer curiosity and 5 in their yarn stock. 7/07
Naked Sheep Knit Shop
2142 N. Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97217
503-283-2004
Reviewed by Heidi Loutzenhiser
Naked Sheep is a wonderful neighborhood yarn shop with a great selection of yarns, especially felting wool yarns. They also have a really extensive selection of knitting notions, including all sizes of bamboo and wooden needles that are displayed well and easy to find. They have a huge selection of patterns to choose from, including lots of patterns developed by Cheri the owner, and the Naked Sheep staff.
Naked Sheep offers a wide variety of classes from beginning to advanced, and has a comfortable separate room for classes. Classes include fair isle, intarsia, sock and glove knitting and entrelac. Store staff is always willing to help with knitting projects and questions. There are also a couple of comfortable sofas in the shop where you can work on a project and get help if needed.
If you like to knit for your dog, this is the place. The shop dog Riley sports a new sweater every day, and the store does a new Riley sweater pattern each month. 1/08
Northwest Wools
3524 SW Troy, just off of the intersection of SW 35th Avenue and SW Capitol Highway
Portland, OR 97219
503-244-5024
Reviewed by Cheryl Rubenstein
This store and its friendly, knowledgeable staff are the reason I finally learned to knit. Always patient with questions from beginner to advanced knitter. Beautiful selection of yarns, roving, patterns and other knitting,felting, crocheting supplies. Interesting knitting/spinning classes, and ongoing knitting instruction. 7/08
PT Yarn Shop
16006 HWY 101 South
Brookings, OR 97415
541-469-6286
Reviewed by Laura Lantz
This yarn shop has the loveliest, most helpful, and downright friendly girls in all my experience with yarn shops! Mary Lou, the owner is truly a caring woman who will help you with any and all questions or problems. Soxie is equally helpful and cannot do enough to be sure the customer is satisfied.
They carry many brands of wool, acrylics, and imports, and all the other accessories you can imagine. If they don't have something in stock, they will get it for you and are only too happy to do so.
I cannot be overly complimentary when it comes to the PT Yarn shop and I wish them continued success. If you ever get to Oregon, its a must see on your list of shops to visit!
Skeins
P.O. Box 9 (1/2 mile north of town-call for directions)
Seneca, OR 97873
541-542-2558
Reviewed by Kristi L. Rickman
This wonderful store is packed with all types of yarns, books, patterns and supplies for knitters. But that's not all! It is a treat for spinners and weavers too! Skeins has many spinning wheels and a very nice selection of fibers. I always leave with enough yarn for several projects because it is impossible to pick just one project when you see the inventory! And never worry, if you need help, Teresa has the answers.
Skeins is located in Seneca, Oregon. It is fair to say it is remotely located. You won't find this store in a mall or on Main Street. It is located on a working cattle ranch, nestled on the hillside in the pine and juniper trees. The winding driveway takes you past cattle, sheep and llamas (in assorted colors). Always call before making the trip, as Teresa may be out taking care of the animals.
This is truly the most unique store you will ever find and you will be absolutely amazed by the selection and hospitality.
Because of the remote location of Skeins, Teresa does many mail orders. However, if at all possible, it is well worth the beautiful drive to experience Skeins for yourself!
Thimbles & Threads
665 Ivy St.
Junction City, OR 97448
541-998-3312
Reviewed by Kay Grapel
This is a combination quilting and yarn shop on the main street of Junction City. You are always greeted by the friendly staff when you enter; the shop has a very warm, small town welcoming atmosphere. Their selection of yarns continues to expand. They stock a variety of sock yarns, hand-dyed and natural fiber yarns, and feature Addi Turbo needles. If they don't stock what you want, they are happy to special order. They also have a neat line of baskets and bags made in Asia of a combination of fabric and fine gauge basket-weave material - I use one as a handbag and get lots of compliments.
They have classes and on Wednesday afternoons you are welcome to bring your UFO's. Judy is in charge of the yarn area, teaches many of the classes, and is often available to answer your questions.
They have an on-line store, and a frequent buyer reward program.
I now live over 100 miles away and this is still my favorite yarn shop. 3/08
Web-sters Inc.
11 North Main St.
Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-9801
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
An enchanting and tempting yarn wonderland! I happened in almost accidentally and was amazed at my find. Gorgeous selection of designer type yarns with all the trimmings. Marvelous gals behind the counter to help and cajole excitement about the offerings that are beautifully displayed. In addition there is a section to the store of wearable art. Exquisite selection of one of a kind scarves, shawls, outfits that are wickedly tempting to any woman's artistic side. It's like stepping into an old friend's living room and be warmed with the confidence of trying fabulous ideas with wonderful materials that are almost as much fun creating as finishing! On a scale of 1-10, this shop rates a 10 without a doubt. Now if you want your grandmother's old fashioned yarn, try somewhere else! 5/07
Wild Rivers Wool Factory
Highway 101
Langlois, OR 97450
(541) 348-2033
Reviewed by Martha L. Schram
Quaint little shop with local fibers and hand-spun yarn, including batch lots for sweaters. Quirky, fun wool artwork is everywhere, incredible felt is offered for sale, and the owner/proprietors are happy to chat about anything woolly. The shop is a spot for local spinners and fiber artists to offer their wares to the public... the items displayed change so it is a great spot to return to again and again.It doesn't hurt that the little market across the street has fantastic hot dogs! Lunch and a yarn fix - what more could you ask for? 7/10
Woodland Woolworks
100 E Washington St.
Carlton, OR 97111
1-800-547-3725
Reviewed by Tim Ray
A great shop out in the country. Plenty of yarns to choose from, friendly help, and even a lot of spinning and weaving products. They also have a great catalog which they do a lot of mail orders through.
The Wool Company
990 2nd St. S.E.
Bandon, OR 97411
1-888-456-2430
Reviewed by Christine Younger
This shop is in a little yellow house. When you walk up to it, you think it's tiny but when you go in, it's open and airy. Yarn is displayed neatly, with lots of sample items to temp you! The ladies are so very helpful, even rewinding a ball of yarn I brought in with me. I was on vacation but needed help with a pattern I was working on - they were helpful. I would encourage any knitter to stop in and enjoy their hospitality. Sure wish we had a shop like this close to home. 8/09
The Yarn Garden
1413 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-239-7950
Reviewed by Lisa Fithian-Barrett
Friendly and very knowledgeable staff. A wide variety of yarns with lots of special ones to add pizzazz to your project. Open 7 days and open late on Wednesdays for sitting around and knitting. A wide variety of interesting classes are offered frequently. Great resources and support for the beginning knitter. I speak from experience!
This shop was reviewed by a second knitter.
Reviewed by Chris Finklein
What strikes you when you first cross the threshold of this world of yarn is how DARK it is. Yes, they have amazing yarn but I was struck with the difficulty to wander around without bumping into next to anything. Once you get over the jumbled floor pan and the fact colors are mixed up everywhere, you might have luck. If you can't find it where it says it is try asking for help if you can find someone. Or ask the person who insists on walking beside you no matter where you explore. I've had both experiences. This is a wealthy spot for yarn selection but it needs some help when it comes to feel & see appeal. I'm not drawn to any store that feels like a basement and insists on covering every square inch of space with stuff. Truly, they carry a wealth of offerings and their classes with expertise are first rate, just don't wear your sun glasses when you waltz thru the door! 5/07
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