Skein

Charming little shop with commercially available selection of Rowan and other expected lines, skip it if you are looking for a local yarn or indie. Nice selection of books an patterns.
Parking can be a challenge but not impossible within a block or two. It’s a long walk from «downtown».

Not a huge fan sadly. Beautiful selection of yarn but the teacher and other knitter in the store made me feel very uncomfortable. I also got very different advice from them vs the store owner, which made me confused. I spent $$$ to start a sweater. You think someone would take the time to make sure I was starting my project okay and that the instructions would match the yarn recs. Instead I got one lady ROLLING her eyes and making me feel judged. Obviously I’m a novice and I want to make the pattern match the yarn, but left bc I would rather go somewhere else more welcoming.
Def NOT a place for beginners or those who need help. Might be a place to just buy yarn and gossip. Sorry. The owner seems nice though.

Walked up to a really charming place. Owner seemed friendly, even tho she was busy she took time to acknowledge me. Place was nicely displayed. I’d go again as long as the knitting teacher lady that was there Friday isn’t! I very nicely asked her what yarn she was using… N she say, «it’s from Germany» and up went her nose and that was that. Now I’m a knitting instructor myself and I would never brush off anyone. Especially if they could b a potential client. FOR SHAME on the help :(
To the owner, your place was comfy. See u again soon.

This was my first time and I enjoyed every bit. The sales lady explained the different types of yarn. She also showed me different items that were made from the varies yarns. She explained to me the classes that were their each day and provided me with a card with the names and times each trainer would be. The thought she was very good. The parking was a little hard getting their, I dont think there is much she can do about it, remember that house has been there over 20 years. I plan on going back and take some lessons.

First of all, the phone number poster here on Unilocal is incorrect. Second, I just called them to see if the stocked a certain yarn. The man that answered, didn’t know how to find it. He put me on hold. Then a woman got on the line and stammered for a few seconds and then asked me if I would call back in about 5 minutes.
To me, that is bad service!

Pros: (1) Ann Marie is extremely helpful and super nice
(2) bigger selection of yarn in comparison to other area shops, great assortment of Plymouth and Encore
(3) patterns and books available
(4) Reasonable prices
Cons: Parking is somewhat limited and difficult to park since it’s on a slanted curb.

After reading the mixed reviews I was a bit skeptical about visiting Skein for the first time, but WOW am I glad that I decided to stop in. I’ve been to quite a few local yarn stores in the last 6 months due to a recent fiber addiction. :) Most have fairly limited inventory (I assume due to the high cost of quality yarn) — but not Skein! They have tons of yarn on hand just waiting to be worked up into something beautiful. I’ve read some reviews about the owner being a bit… pushy, but I didn’t find that to be the case on the day that I visited. She was helpful when I had questions, but also left me alone to browse at my leisure (& trust me, it took a long time of browsing through the many yarns before I made my selection!).
Skein also has a ton of patterns & books to leaf through if that’s your kind of thing (personally, I find it easier to look at patterns online — I’ve talking about you, Ravelry!). Overall, I would definitely recommend checking out Skein. I have a weakness for locally dyed & spun yarns which I didn’t see any of, so I think I’ll give Skein 4 stars. It may not be the most trendy atmosphere that some of the other nearby LYS’s seem to be (ie: Gather DTLA, Abuelita’s, The Little Knittery, etc.), it definitely has an older, dustier feel, but it has some solid yarn choices for your needles & hooks to work their magic on!

First of all, how cute is it that this business is in a HOUSE?! bwah. I love that.
On to more important things…
Pros of Skein:
–The owner seems very attentive, kept on asking me if I needed help or anything (haha, she asked me like 3 times and handed me a bag even though I was sure I wouldn’t need a bag because fancy yarn costs so much monies)
–The house is cute and cozy
–They offer classes if you are interested in learning
–Selection is pretty good
Cons:
–It is so hard to park here! They have a tiny driveway/​parking lot that can accommodate literally 4 cars, but you can’t get in it unless you’re coming from one side of the street because there is a double solid yellow if you’re coming opposite
–They don’t stock a lot of cotton yarn, and I’m not very educated in terms of the fancy yarn brands, but to me it seemed like there was a lot of yarn there, but nothing really stuck out to me. At Abuelita’s in Pasadena, I am always touching the yarns and wishing I could buy more, but here… I didn’t get that.
–It’s expensive. Although, they DID have some skeins going for $ 7 (acrylic/​wool blend) which was surprising!

Finally! I have been to knitting/​yarn shops all over LA and my main problem has always been that they have such a limited supply of yarn or only one skein of a particular color. I tend to work on lager projects and like to buy my yarn ahead of time.
WELLL… Skein has an amazing selection of beautiful yarn! Sure you can probably get better prices on the internet, but I prefer to browse and feel the yarn and see the colors for myself. They had plenty of skiens in the colors I wanted so I was able to get everything I needed for two baby blankets plus some really interesting yarn I will be making a scarf out of asap.
The owner was very friendly and helpful and gave me information on more classes since I had mentioned I was interested in learning socks.
This is my new yarn store now!

For a small store they have good selection of mid-​range yarns. The first few times I went there, the owner did follow me around a lot, but now she knows that I like to browse and gives me my space. The stock is probably more suited for someone like me who knits more ‘classic’ styles than the latest Vogue-​style items.
I do wish that they had more parking. There are only 4 – 5 spaces in the lot and a few close by on Walnut and if I go by after work they are often all full. I don’t think that the owners can do anything about that, though.

Ok. I have been a loyal customer in this store for almost 10 years now. And, even though the yarn is over-​priced, I have come and spent money regularly in support of local, small business.
But no longer. Buy online or go to other yarn stores in your area, even if it means a little more gas. You will save money, get better customer service and save yourself the frustration of an inappropriate store owner.
The owner is Ann Marie, and she is very traditional Asian. Not always the most hospitable until she gets comfortable with you. She has the widest selection of Plymouth Encore yarns, which is what I buy a lot of or my charity knitting and toy projects.
But, today was the last straw. I have a long list of chronic health conditions and Ann Marie has always made remarks about my health and what I should do to fix it, and not have pain anymore. I have tolerated it because I know how Asian culture can be towards anyone who is disabled. Usually her remarks are brief. But today was relentless. Non stop comments about taking less medications, eating better food, and maybe I am not really in pain as much as I think. Even as far as to suggest chicken soup and not taking all my medications!
I told her several times nicely that I have more than a dozen health conditions, from lupus, to severe back pain, fibromyalgia, to a heart condition; and my health and pain levels are being managed as best I can. There is no easy fix or solution. I knit and give to others who struggle in their lives; I shouldn’t have to explain any of this to her.
She crossed the line and it is not the first time. Highly inappropriate customer service. I will take my business elsewhere. And give warning to all those who don’t need a pushy store owner, or live in chronic pain, not to visit her store.
A final note on the parking for this store. The lot is small, for only a few cars. And, it is difficult to drive in and out of safely. Limited street parking as well.

This store frustrates me to no end. It has so much potential, so many things could easily be improved, and yet there is never any improvement.
The owner is pushy… And I’ve never been good with the high pressure sale. This is a yarn shop, not a used car lot. The place is poorly organized, and it feels like you’re shopping in someone’s basement,
Ambiance and service aside, I do think she has one of the deepest selections of Rowan Yarns available in Southern California.
The last straw for me really is the fact that EVERYTHING is priced at least 15% above retail. I think her pricing structure is severely flawed if I’m paying $ 35 for a ball of yarn that is normally priced at $ 29.99, or $ 28 for a pattern book that retails at 17.95.
In the end, I really can’t recommend for people to shop here, do your homework and research before you buy. Please learn from my mistakes.

Whenever I come to this store, I always feel welcomed and the owner always updates me with the latest yarns that she has received. Ive read others reviews and I have to say, I’ve never had the bad experiences nor have I ever seen the owner be rude or condescending! I always find what I’m looking for and usually find yarns that I don’t expect!
I will say that some of her yarns are more over priced than at other LYS, but not by much, at the most I may be able to find the same yarn for a couple dollars less, but then I have to drive further. All in all, I like this store!

This place has a lot of different types of yarn. Yarn can get pretty expensive.
The owner is very nice and helpful. There is a teacher there for help or classes. A few parking spots next to the building.
This store has been used on the TV show «The Closer.»

This is one of my favorite stores. The owner is very nice and tries to be very helpful. She is a little shy so she might come across as not friendly or pushy to some people, but really she’s just shy.
The store runs knitting/​crocheting classes and a lot of knitters/​crocheters use these as opportunities to just hang out with other fellow knitters. I used to hang out here on Wednesday nights and I totally love that group. Unfortunately I can’t go anymore because of school.
The selection in this store is not the biggest, but the owner is willing to order things for you and they arrive much faster than some of the other stores. I ordered a Cascade 220 from her and it arrived in a week and a half. I also placed an order from another local yarn shop and let’s just say 2 months later I still have no yarn.
The prices here are slightly more expensive than some other yarn stores. Typically I find the yarn here to be $ 1 to $ 2 more expensive than stores at cheaper locations. Given the location of this store I give it a pass. More expensive real estate = more expensive prices, and $ 1 to $ 2 extra per skein is not going to kill me so I’m happy to continue to support her.

Nice store with wide selection of patterns and very helpful staff. I overheard a person giving lessons to two women who was doing an excellent job of teaching the ladies to knit with very clear slow kind instruction. The prices of yarn range from affordable to expensive lux types. Not a good source for lace knitting but a top selection for yarns for babies and kids (not the usual 5 pastel shades and that is it).
4 stars means worth a trip if you are a knitter and in-​town visiting.

Really lame selection of yarn, the barest step up from Michael’s. Lots of acrylic and acrylic blends. A bit of Rowan for higher end stuff. Some Lamb’s Pride, but not an amazing selection. No Malabrigo, no Manos, no Cascade. Not a lot of interesting blends either. The layout of the store is crowded without actually having a lot of yarns, low shelves everywhere with quarter-​full bins of yarn.
The books and magazines seem pretty dated, definitely not skewed towards the fashion forward.
If you don’t have knitting friends and don’t know how to use YouTube for instructional videos, this place would probably be good for getting help on knitting techniques. Judging by the samples, you probably wouldn’t get help on more advanced techniques, though.
And definitely not kid-​friendly. My 4 year old boy picked up a skein (he had clean hands, I’m not a terrible person) and immediately got yelled at and referred to as a «little girl» by the saleswoman. That was the last straw for this place for me. Nothing fun to look at, really boring yarns, way overload on acrylic, overbearing saleswoman, bleh.

Yarn, yarn and yarn — lots yarns.
Baby yarns, sport yarns, double knit yarns. worsted yarns …
I found this fine yarn store from « Unilocal» reviews, and love it.
The store is a charming little old house in Pasadena. As soon as I walk-​in the store I saw yarns, magazines, instructional books, a working table …, needles, hooks displaying on the wall … and lots lots more stuff.
Crochet beanies for little ones is fun, my daughter wanted «pink» for my granddaughter, and my daughter-​in-​law wanted «gray» for my grandson. There were so many different shades, texture and made from different part of the world for selection.
The store manager was very helpful, I told her that I need something for my grand kids, she immediately responded, — oh you would want something that is machine washable. Oh– yeah, why I didn’t think of that! — Thank you!
I got the yarn color, texture I wanted, easy to work on, 75% acrylic, 22% wool 3% viscose, machine washable, Made in Turkey,
I’ll be back for colors in fashion for next season.

First of all, I’d like to say I’ve been around the block when it comes to knitting and craft stores, I used to work at Michaels and Aaron Brothers, and have been to stores in Santa Monica to San Fernando Valley to Stockton and Seattle; so I know my stock. Love Love Love this store!!! Sure they don’t sell a couple of my favorite yarn brands (i.e. malabrigo, blue sky, & koigu), but they make up for the pricey stock with affordable baby dk and washable worsted weights in PLENTY of colors.
As for people’s gripes about Anne Mary, the store owner, I was at first put off by what I assumed was pushiness for a sale, but really that’s how she makes you feel welcome, in a really weird but nice way. Just let her know what you came for so she can show you her wares, she takes pride in her selection and I imagine it would get boring fast if you never talked to your customers.
As for «male» knitters feeling unwelcome, let’s face it you are a dude and you walk into a high end yarn store you are about to get inundated with the eye, and guys it’s not the «evil» eye it’s just a bunch of female knitters, many older, who think it is sooooo adorable that you knit, and want you to share your knitting story. nothing personal guys. :b
anyhow you can NOT beat their prices for drop in classes, Susan and Nancy are friggin’ awesome. And one last thing, I’ve been to two other knitting stores in the LA area that happen to get awesome reviews comparitively and the people who work there are some of the MOST unfriendly faces you can get. Wont’ EVEN friggin ball your yarn up even if you’ve spent over 80 bucks on dream yarn at slightly lower prices. Though they do say they will demonstrate how to use the winder if you don’t know how. :(And don’t start me on stores that won’t let you knit for free at their knitting tables so long as you don’t ask for help with your projects, ridiculous!
anyhow thumbs way up for Skein in Pasadena!!!

Normally, I really don’t like to bring up gender stuff but since there aren’t any reviews from men, I think my experience was kinda funny…
First off, I’ve been knitting for a little while now and like many have mentioned, you can only take so much of the Michael’s in Pasadena, CA. I had a project in mind and was looking for some yarn that was a little nicer so I hunted down 2 local yarn shops, Skein being the closest. It’s so close in fact that I decide to walk.
When I find it, I realized that it’s the old Poo-Bah’s (which kinda made me sad because that was a rockin’ music shop) and I walked in. As a side note, I’m a pretty clean-​cut, button-​down shirt kinda guy and if I didn’t know better, you’d think that I was a registered sex offender walking in the front door… ALL the conversation came to a screeching halt, the women clutched their purses and time slowed down. Keep in mind, I was not armed and did not look menacing in any way other than the being a dude walking into a yarn shop.
When their panic subsided, I started wandering around and the lady that owns the place kept about 4 paces behind me the ENTIRE time. This was probably because of concerns of me stuffing my pockets and pants with yarn that I was more than likely to shop-​lift… Seriously. The selection was alright, but not really anything out of the ordinary (I know this now) and it was actually pretty expensive.
Since I asked an appropriate yarn question and my threat level was down from red to yellow, the owner pointed me in somewhat of the right direction, however it did feel like she was pushing a yarn on me and not listening to what I actually wanted/​needed.
I’ve been back a couple of times since and had the good common sense to bring in whatever I’m working on or at least bringing a pattern along to prove that I’ve got reason to be there. I can’t really say that there’s been a marked improvement, but it’s not nearly as bad as the first time walking through the front door.
One nice thing is that they provide lessons or help for something like $ 15/​hr with a skilled knitter which is something that I’ve walked in and done a couple of times with projects that are a little trickier… Kind of like a knitting tutor.