Yarndogs

dang it! i can’t believe they closed before I could post my review. I am writing it anyway to keep up my extensive LYS list.
I had a great time at this store, mostly because I lucked out and stumbled in when they were having a huge sale. Normal prices were a tad high and some attitudes a bit hoity toity (and why do women always faun over my husband when they learn he knits). We bought oodles of stuff.

Nice little spot! Selection of yarns is lovely. Bought some local California yarn on sale.
Walked in with my daughter and got a smile and welcome. Friendly; felt free to take my time and look around. During the wring-​up of my purchase was asked if I’d like my yarn wound, whether I’d like to be on their mailing list etc. The woman helping me found out where I was from and we talked about some of MY local yarn stores that she’s been to.
Looking forward to the next time I’m in town so I can come back here. Might bring my knitting and sit and chat for a bit in the shop.
Glad I stopped in!

I was very disappointed in Yarndogs. I visited the store for the first time last week, excited to see what wonderful yarns were in stock. My husband even came with me (we had reservations next door at Dio Deka). First of all, no one greeted us… as far as I can tell, no one even looked up when we came in the door. Their stock is pretty boring and expensive. I’m a loyal customer at several local yarn stores, so I know what good yarns cost. But, everything at Yarndogs was at least 5 dollars over what I would normally pay. I found some Malabrigo on sale and decided to buy several skeins. Keep in mind, I’d been in the store for at least 15 minutes, and not one employee had said anything to me. The store wasn’t particularly busy, so I’m not sure what was happening there.
I brought my skeins up to the counter and the woman was curt and rude. When my husband asked how long it would take the skeins to be wound, the woman actually ROLLED her eyes at us. We bought over $ 70 dollars of yarn, I don’t think it warranted the eye rolling. I chose NOT to get my yarn wound, and we got out of the store quickly.
I would also like to note that it is a small store, and the phone rang several times while we were there. The woman behind the counter was almost yelling every time she answered the phone, it was really quite distracting!
Bad service, rude employees, and overly priced yarn? I won’t be going back!

I am returning to knitting and am not very confident at that. I have found the shop welcoming and comfortable. Since my first lesson I have been back when I can for advice with the project I am working on, and the staff have never been anything but accommodating and patient, even when it was really busy. As a result, I have been back many times and love to spend time there, its a great community AND I have stuck with it and finished my project. Woo hoo! I have always found it very easy to park, so I am not sure why the other customer earlier had such a problem.

I am from Michigan but I travel to San Jose for work. I was looking for a friendly place to get some knitting done. I read about their Thursday night gourmet knitting and decided to stop in. I was warmly welcomed and the women who clearly come their every week were very welcoming also. I had a great time drinking wine and knitting with these women. I also found some irresistible yarn while I was there. I plan to go back each Thursday I am working there.

Yarndogs is a small, specialty yarn store in the quaint downtown Los Gatos. They have a nice selection of knitting and crocheting classes. They have classes for different techniques for knitting socks which I am interested. Having only shopped at Michaels and Joann’s for yarn before, it is a bit of a culture shock to see the price of yarn there, but that is to be expected because they carry higher end yarns.
Their «classroom» is a table surrounded by comfy couches. When I visited, there was a knitting summer camp going on for kids. I would have loved to learn in an environment like this when I was a young girl.
I will write an update after taking my first class.

First, let me say, if I could give them more than 5 stars I would! I took a knitting class ther today (knitting 101), and it was an amazing experience! I was the only person in the class, but they didn’t cancel it (like they have done at another place I tried to take a class from). The staff was warm and helpful; and there was a fun group of women kniiting along side me that was more than willing to share their insight into the knitting world. I was the youngest person there (28), but that didn’t matter. There were fun stories told, lots of advice given, and they never made me feel like I was asking a stupid question, even when I probably was.
One of the greatest things about the store is that they offer a ton of interesting classes at a reasonable price. And they let you know, if there is a class you want at a specific time, they will do their best to make that happen for you. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this place! I don’t know how it compares for price, because I am such a newbie, but I’ve browsed the yarn and they have a beautiful selection.
The only con I can think of is it is a bit of a small store, but even if they don’t have what you are looking for, the people are happy to help you with any questions you have. I saw that first-​hand. I think this was the perfect place for my introduction into the knitting community.

I agree that the employees have much to desirer. I brought my friend in for her first visit. How hard is it to be friendly when you want our money? We asked about a great beret pattern and we were lead to where the books of patterns were. I use to be a happy customer of Creative Hands in Belmont and they always gave great ideals on patterns and yarn. You always left with another great project to start. Again with the way the economy has hit these knit shops, you would think they would be happy to see new faces.

You get what you pay for. Sure, yarn double then at Michaels (plus you get all those coupons in the mail, then the newspaper freebies, yadda yadda) but this yarn is like premo yarn. Not that yarn that makes you chafe in your armpits (I’m looking at you crap-​po sweater). It’s like a yarn heaven in there. I wanted to pile some skeins on the floor and jump into it like they were leaves. I didn’t because I want to come back but if I ever come back drunk…
Kidding. Just kidding. I woke up «early», two weeks in a row for a beginner class with some of my lovely ladies. First class, they opened up the store and made us tea. They showed us around the store and explained the layout: some of the yarn had to be specially cared for, others could be machine washed. They had plenty of needles, accessories, patterns, and inspiration stashed around the store. If you take a class, you can get a discount (but your purchases won’t go towards the frequent buyer program). I bought a skein of yarn and some wooden needles (very good for beginners!) and sat down. Our teacher was Liz (I believe. If you ever go, she’s a gorgeous girl, with lovely brown hair who makes her own AWESOME sweaters. Now THAT is inspiring) and she was so patient. There was 6 of us in all, 4 of us are 20-​somethings, the others was her mama and her daughter, about 6. Liz made time for each of us. We were of varying experience levels so she showed us how to start and then let us go! It was perfect knitting weather: rainy and dreary. What a nice way to spend a Saturday in a warm, comfy shop with great company.
I had already learned some knitting (knitted part of my Halloween costume. I was basically making that sucker until 10 minutes till the party started) so she showed me other stitches and what not to keep me interested and make my class worthwhile. My friends and I went a bit crazy with buying yarn. I’m still in the process of making my scarf and hat but will eventually finish… one day. They told us to come back in when we needed help.
Friendly and awesome. Well worth the drive to dear ol’ Los Gatos. It’s a great way to spend the morning with friends and satisfy that shopping habit. The yarn is expensive but like I said, you get what you pay for. If that doesn’t sell you, Otis, a cutie of a dog, comes in and is quite friendly with the knitters.

I“m writing this review as a former yarn shop employee at two different yarn stores.
First and foremost, Yarndogs has a great selection and carries a number of different yarn lines. Their prices are not any higher or lower than any other local yarn stores. They have a good selection of patterns and books. They have a frequent buyer program. The store dog, Otis, is a total love.
So why, you might ask, am I only giving this establishment two stars? Because there is one particular employee who works there who needs a serious attitude adjustment. No, I am not some Los Gatos maven in pearls and fashionable clothing, I am a knitter comfortable in sweats and a t-​shirt. However, this does not mean I am going to rob your store blind. I can also assure you I shower on a regular basis. So why do I get the stink eye every time I go there to buy yarn?
Some people might say that I shouldn’t give the store a 2 star review based on one employee. But in these days of online ordering you need to have your employees present your «product» in the best possible light. And that light has gone out for me when it comes to Yarndogs.

Great shop, friendly, full of light and well organized. Good selection of tools as well as all of the yummy yarns! Always an abundance of my go-​to yarns, sock yarn, as well as hard to find/​local gems. They have spinning fiber as well, which is a particular treat.

Wow, I love this store! I recently went down with pneumonia and spent a lot of my downtime knitting. My chiropractor is in Los Gatos, so one day I had my mother swing by Yarndogs after an adjustment to see if I could pick up some extra worsted weight yarn for a hat pattern I’ve fallen in love with knitting.
We walked in and were greeted by smiling faces. The first things I noticed is that the store is clean, well-​stocked without seeming crammed or cluttered, and there is a couch area for sitting and working on projects.
I asked to be pointed to the yarns I needed, and was shown to the correct area. Great selection — everything from acrylics to high end cashmere blends. And they carry Cascade 220. Yayayayay! Until then the only place I could find it «locally» was Sunnyvale (which is a long way to go from the south end of San Jose!) And despite being in Los Gatos, I didn’t find the prices to be unreasonably higher than other shops I’ve been to.
They have a rewards program, a wide range of notions (all sorts of needles, stitch markers, and even cute buttons), a good selection of patterns, and — this is important — when I asked about a worsted weight pattern for gloves, I was shown where to find them in the patterns area and *then they suggested I look for free patterns on ravelry before buying* I totally love it when stores aren’t first and foremost about how they can separate you from your money at all costs.
I’m super excited to have found this gem of a place — and am excited to have rediscovered my knitting mojo, which had been hibernating for a while. :)

Yarndogs ran a 20%+ off everything promo (plus some yarns discounted further) + raffle giveaways on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). Total yarn heaven at 7 a.m. Love love love this store!

Excellent selection of natural fiber yarns (my favorites) and very patient teachers for their classes.
The shop gets a little hot with the direct sun light but they have an extra studio around the corner to conduct classes in if that is the case.
Overall, my experience with the staff has been positive.

If you love yarn and you love dogs, this is a destination LYS for you.
Yarn Dogs is one of my favorite yarn shops in the Bay Area. The staff are friendly and helpful. There’s a frequent buyer program, and lots of yarn, books, needles and other great accessories.
Then, there are the cute dogs, Otto and Purl, who could not be cuter.
Yarn Dogs is a cozy store and highly recommended!

This is my favorite yarn shop in the Bay Area, and I’ve been to quite a few, especially after last year’s yarn hop. It is also the first yarn shop in the Bay Area I’d ever been to, so that could be another reason it holds a special place in my heart.
Yarndogs was where I learned how to knit and crochet. One thing I love is that if they have a class listed but you can’t make the offered time, they’ll set up another class if you have at least 2 people, which was perfect for me since I have a knitting buddy. I thought that was extra nice (I mean let’s face it, 2 people are not that many folks). My friend and I took the beginning knitting and beginning crochet class there, and thus a new knitter/​crotcheter was born!
The service at Yarndogs has always been great for me. They recognize me as a repeat customer when I come, and they are always super helpful whether it’s helping me find the right yarn for a project or showing me how to do a technique when I run into trouble. Their selection of yarn is fantastic. Although some can get expensive, there are also reasonably priced yarns as well, and they also have sales from time to time. The store expanded a while back, so now it’s even bigger and better. They also have a great selection of needles and everything else your crafty heart desires.
If you’re a social knitter, they hold a bunch of knitalongs and general knitting sessions. I haven’t really gone to many, but I used to take a class that was at the same time as Thursday’s Gourmet Knitting, and it seemed like a great group, super friendly and they’d bring little snacks for everyone.
Yarndogs also has the cutest doggie mascot, Otis!

Yarndogs has a wonderful, modern selection of yarns. I’ve been to some other yarn stores (think Green Planet) where the yarn seemed to be more appealing to older folk, which is fine, but as a young knitter, I appreciated the selection here.
The prices are up there (though the yarn IS fabulous) and the return policy is HORRENDOUS. The only thing you can return there is unopened yarn for 60 days after purchase. Everything else – needles, patterns, sale items, etc – are final sale.
Despite the return policy, I do enjoy Yarndogs. The workers are friendly and helpful and the selection of yarns was top notch.
The prices are expensive but the product is worth it, so I’m not deducting points for that. However, the return policy is really worth the 2 star deduction.

Yarndogs has a nice selection of yarns, and a great selection of knitting needles and crochet hooks. Their prices are what you would expect from yarn shops, and their doggy, Otto, is extremely cute. They have a loyalty program where you get $ 20 for every $ 200 you spend, which seems fairly typical.
I feel I can only give them an A-​OK rating, because though they have a decent selection, I have yet to get good service from the people who work here. For example, any time I have a question, I need to ask it twice, despite the fact that whenever I go into the shop, there is at least one person staring at me the entire time. I can only conclude that they figure I’m going to stuff some skeins into my purse and burst out the door.
I would recommend Yarndogs if you live nearby, but it isn’t worth it to go out of your way unless they have exactly what you want.

I was a loyal customer of Commuknity, which has been closed for almost a year, and I think Yarndogs is it. It’s a little out of the way for me (I’m from Milpitas), but the selection is wonderful, and the staff is great. They carry Cascade, Berroco, Dream in Color, Malabrigo, Misti Alpaca, TONS of Noro… I think I fell in love the minute I stepped in the door. They also offer an extensive range of classes, so if you’re looking to learn anything from drop spindle to basic knitting to colorwork, they’ve got it.
Also (and this is important to me, at least), they’ve got their own little parking lot. Because the last thing you want to do when you need a yarn fix is to circle around looking for street parking.

I found some of the staff to know very little and I am not an advanced knitter.
I also found some of the staff to be a bit unfriendly. I spent over $ 100 one day and went back for advice the next day only to feel a bit snubbed.
I much preferred Knitting Arts before it closed.
I would only use this store as a last resort, although I will say the prices are fairly reasonable.