The Yarn Company

Top notch hand dyed yarns in mainly more natural colors — overall the store is okay, the service is okay, but frankly in manhattan, you can do better. Be careful with their non existent return policy — you get store credit and 3 months to spend it, so it’s really a mandatory use it immediately or loose it type of store credit.

Great selection of interesting yarns. Whenever I am in NY I try to visit. This trip, however, I was really disappointed. I purchased several skeins of VG yarn and asked to have it wound. The person doing the winding made a mess of four skeins of this fairly expensive yarn! By the time I got home, I had to spend several hours just un-​tangling and then rewinding the yarn! It was wound too quickly and much too tight! Surprising lack of understanding about yarn and how to wind it!

I have been back to this shop perhaps 1 – 2 times since my original review, and I experienced a somewhat more pleasant experience with the level of customer service. However, given the location (or specifically the steep rickety stairs) and my past experiences there, it’s not one of my preferred shops. But like I’ve said in other reviews of mine, there’s a yarn shop for every type of customer – I’m not convinced this shop is for me.

This place seemed sketchy to go alone… (ring bell and wait for the door to unlock??)
Thankfully my SIL went with me and to our surprise, we went up a very narrow steep staircase that opened up into a large airy store. Staff ignored us and the yarns there were definitely of the high end caliber.
I couldn’t figure out how they were curating the store…
Their pricing for yarn was higher for the same brands compared to other stores.

First, let me say that I have not visited this shop in the last two years because of the horrible service. I thought of them because I’m visiting NYC and looking for yarn. Unfortunately, I’ve crossed The Yarn Company off my list. Yuck — very mean, unhelpful staff ruin what would be a delightful knit shop.
They have always had a very good selection of yarns and implements, but it’s just not worth it to be treated poorly when paying top dollar for goods.
I thought this might be simply my personal experience until I learned that both my sister and a cousin (extremely refined gentleman) had similar experiences.

Nice small yarn store. Their selection is not as vast as places like purl soho, but you get the attention that may be hard to get at other places. They are patient, friendly, and eager to help. Very organized

This will be my last visit to The Yarn Company. The selection of hand dyed yarns previously made up for the patchy service, but after the way I was treated in the store this weekend never again. On entering I was welcomed and asked if I needed any help to which I replied no, I was happy browsing. Although it shouldn’t matter, I was well dressed following an upper west side brunch and was also wearing one of my own hand knit sweaters.
After perusing the shelves at the front of the store, I went to the back room to check out the much hyped (by the YarnCo) Verdant Gryphon «crib». I was followed by one of the sales staff who apparently needed to urgently rearrange jars of buttons at that exact moment. After a few uncomfortable minutes of feeling watched, I returned to the front room and miraculously the button jars no longer needed attention. I doubt that The Yarn Company has such a problem with theft that trailing customers around the tiny store is necessary. I felt very unwelcome, and I will not be returning.

The Yarn Company used to be really terrible – all those one star reviews seem quite old! However, I would agree that up until recently I hated shopping there. They have done a complete 180! The salespeople have become more informed and more helpful without hovering. They take time to look at your patterns and help you look for ideas. They boast a ton of locally-​made and –dyed options that Knitty City can’t match. What is more, they have somehow convinced companies like Malabrigo and Madelinetosh to make custom colors exclusive to this store, which pretty much guarantees that if you shop there, your work will be unique. Pricey, yes, but you get what you pay for when it comes to yarn (as with most things). Nothing but the nicest here. The only down-​side is that they are so specialized that if you come in with one specific idea, they might not have it or anything close to it. It is a tiny space, though, so I understand the constraints. Come here for inspiration, amazing yarn and good suggestions.

This is an odd one — up the stairs, wait for the buzzer. I can’t figure out what their niche is — there are more hand-​dyed small batch yarns than some shops, but also the standard high-​quality brands you’ll find elsewhere in Manhattan, and then there are heaps and heaps of balls of some yarn, and just one of another. It’s all very confusing.
The Yarn Company offers some of the more obscure knitting tools and bits and pieces.
They were friendly and non-​hovering when I visited. The current owners ought to flag the older reviews or ask for their removal.

Lousy customer service. It’s too bad, they have lovely yarn and a nice selection of patterns. Why two stars? I purchased two kits (yarn & pattern) some of their exclusive yarn and splurged on a $ 50 Signature needle. When I went to use it one week after I purchased it, i discovered the separate cable connection wasn’t smooth-​which is Signature’s claim to fame. When i called them, they told me I can either call or email the manufacturer. Really? You sell me a faulty needle and it’s my problem? I can get that kind of service from an online store!

There are NEW OWNERS here and the atmosphere is now friendly and welcoming. I don’t know anyone who didn’t find the old operation off-​putting. So far I’ve only been back for buttons, of which they have a huge selection, and the salespeople couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.

The space looks like a place you’d want to crochet/​knit in, warm and inviting with yarn everywhere. The store is well organized and the staff is extremely knowledgable and helpful.

Visiting NYC and touring yarn shops. Love the Yarn Company. Beautiful yarns you can’t find other places. Can’t wait to order and start knitting.

The Yarn Company is a far cry from its old days. Gone are the messy yarn collections and unfriendly service. The staff and owners are friendly, helpful and professional. The shelves are refreshingly and neatly organized with the help of dividers and the staff. Plenty of light and sitting space. As a note to someone who commented that they don’t carry Malabrigo, let me tell you that they do.
I find it unfair that the store still carries the bad reputation from its previous owners since it has been over a year that a lot of positive changes were made.
I think this Upper West Side area is lucky to have two knitting stores which I enjoy giving my business to since they both meet my varied creatives needs.

Happened upon the store and was blown away by the selection. The staff was very friendly and they went out of their way to help with a project.
Bought the most beautiful yarn… one of their more expensive yarns but I honestly have never seen anything so unique. They also carry a lot of hand-​dyed yarns which are really hard to find in this area. I’m sure I will be returning soon…
I see this store had bad reviews in the past but the store is under new ownership and they really were very friendly and welcoming. The yarn is a little pricey but comparable to other yarn stores. Stick to craft stores if looking for cheaper yarn.

Although there is a decent selection of yarns in terms of weights and companies, there was not a lot of variety in color, even including the «special» yarns made exclusively for the shop. But most disturbing is the attitude. I brought back yarn to return, since I had changed my mind about the project I had been planning. I understand the need to have yarn returned within two months, but why is the store credit only valid for TWO MONTHS? The attitude of the staff and policies of the store are so customer unfriendly. There are enough yarn stores to choose from in New York City, and I will certainly never shop here again.
Linda R.

My mom and I have a tradition: when we go out of town, we always try to go to at least one yarn shop. I looked online for a few in Manhattan.
We got to this place, and the cutest part about it was we had to be buzzed in to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the actual store. The place was the size of a small living room; yarn was everywhere! Not cluttered, just placed in every nook and cranny.
The staff seemed friendly and didn’t hover, which was awesome. The prices were comparable. Hey, knitting is not a cheap hobby. You want cheap yarn, go to Walmart!
My only beef (a throwback from my retail days): Follow the protocol for customer service. Meaning: help the in-​store customer first, then handle the phone. Do NOT walk over to the counter where you see customers waiting to check out, then turn your back and answer the phone. If yarn weren’t so damn addictive, I woulda walked out.

Glad I knew what to look for here or I never would have found this yarn shop. Yes, it is on the second floor. There is only a small sign on the door, and you have to be buzzed in. The store itself is a decent size though with a good variety of yarn and a nice big table to sit and knit at.
We wondering in here out of the rain and were asked immediately if we needed any help. When I said we wanted to warm up a minute before exploring they maybe seemed slightly taken aback but were not rude about it. We wandered the store warming our numb fingers on the luscious yarn.
This store is rather expensive (though not as bad as knitty city). There is a good amount of sale yarn though. On sale, the yarn prices become normal. So I don’t think you’ll ever find great deals here but you could find some decent yarns at an affordable level.
With so many yarn stores around, I don’t see any strong reason to pull me back to this place.

There’s one sentence every brick and mortar store owner needs to know: «Can we special order that for you?»
It’s a tough retail market out there with pretty much every single item going for less on the internet. Of course internet vendors can charge less because they don’t have to pay for prime real estate nor pay as much for other overhead, including employees sometimes. Particularly when the economy is down and everyone is looking for a way to save money, now is not a good time for bad customer service.
I’ve been to the Yarn Company twice in the last year. Both times, the store didn’t have what I was looking for. Neither time did anyone offer to special order the item for me. Both times I felt like I was intruding somehow by being in the store, as though I wasn’t good enough for the store. Sure, I don’t look like I exude money but when I am at a store, I am there to spend some so I’d rather not be treated curtly. Truth of the matter is that I can’t even say much about the yarn selection here as I felt so uncomfortable both times I’ve been in the store that I fled as soon as I could.
I would actually like to support a brick and mortar yarn shop as I value the browsing experience of looking over yarn selections in person and seeing the colors in person and feeling the texture of the yarn. However, it’s unlikely that I will return to the Yarn Company given the overall unhelpful and somewhat hostile service.

This past Saturday was my third visit and I have to say I have only had pleasent experiences here although that may just be a coincidence. My first visit I was led by my friend an experienced knitter, the second I was going back to get more of the yarn that I needed to finish the scarf I had started with my friend and the third more yarn for a new scarf. I sat down at the table and was actually approached by a very nice woman who was a customer and she showed me how to knit European vs. American style.
The prices do seem high especially after I went home and looked on-​line and even on eBay to see the same brand of torino yarn-​I would return here but plan to check out other places as well.
I get the impression people in the neighborhood just come here because it is close or because they have come for a long time.