the blue blog archives: nyc knitting

Pop quiz. You're a certifiable yarn junkie and you've got five hours in New York City. Where do you go?

Well, I started at Knitting Hands in Brooklyn (website - info here). This is a great yarn store! Brooklyn knitters sure are lucky to have such an awesome LYS. The place was packed with customers (lots of new knitters looking for help with new projects) and the staff was very friendly. There's every yarn you could possibly want here - GGH, Colinette, Manos, Blue Sky Alpacas, Mission Falls, Plymouth Yarns, andandand.... There's even a large selection of the less expensive acrylic yarns (making up for the lack of strip mall craft stores in NYC I guess). And lots and lots of pattern support too - books, older pattern magazines and tons of individual patterns. Wowie! I got caught up in the patterns for a while and then almost got some Mission Falls cotton (such pretty colors!), but then I decided to contain my excitement. Didn't want to get carried away at the first store. So I left empty-handed. Of course my hands were quickly filled after stopping by Urban Monster, a hip baby gear store next door! Had to get something fun for the boys, you know.

Next up, I crossed the river and stopped at the Yarn Connection in midtown (website). What a cute store located up on the second floor with a huge window looking out to the street below. We were buzzed in and found an incredible selection and amount of yarn in a small room full of cubbyholes and baskets and bins. This place is like Rowan central! I could browse Rowan yarns all day long and could no doubt knit my way through all the Rowan mags with the selection they've got here! They also had more crochet stuff than I usually see, which inspired me to pick up a few things for my first real crochet projects.

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky for a fun crochet scarf and Berroco Suede for a crocheted bag. Both in blue. What else?!

I had hoped to make it to Purl Soho (website), but the next store was so great that I never made it. That's right, I spent the final two hours of my knit-trip at Knit NY (website)! Can you imagine anything better than a store with all of this and yummy baked goods too?

They've got one ball of each yarn (in every color) in its own tiny cubbyhole out on the wall for you to admire and touch. It's such a cool way to display the yarns. It's practical and beautiful. And you get to sit right in the middle of everything and knit. Check out the cool transparent stools full of colorful yarnballs. This place rocks! Two hours, a yummy doughnut, 20 balls of yarn, two books and one t-shirt later and I was done. Just enough time to grab a slice of pizza and hit old Broadway.

posted by alison at 8:25 am | in fantastic fiber voyage , nyc knitting

Comments

What fun what fun! It looks like you had a great getaway.

What show did you see on Broadway?

Posted by: Johanna at April 13, 2004 8:47 AM

Wowee... what an awesome day. I've turned a nice shade of green at all those great knitting stores.

Posted by: Linda at April 13, 2004 8:51 AM

Yarn and needles and books, oh my! and donuts too! And (presumably) great coffee to go with all! I'm drooling...

Posted by: Marg at April 13, 2004 8:55 AM

Sounds like you had a great day. The combination of yarn and doughnuts is a perfect one, I'm very jealous!

Posted by: kerrie at April 13, 2004 9:08 AM

I'm about to re-name my blog the green blog. (she says, with the envy apparent on her face)
Awesome stuff!!!!!

Posted by: Sarah Elizabeth at April 13, 2004 9:10 AM

ALL THE YARN FUN! And the mention of pizza...yum. Wish I could get a honkin' slice of Sicilian pizza RIGHT NOW.

Thanks for taking us with you on your NYC trip, and I'm glad you had a great time :-)

Posted by: Becky at April 13, 2004 9:32 AM

Wow, what a great trip. I will have to check those spots out next time I get up to nyc. Glad you had such a great time!

Posted by: froggy at April 13, 2004 10:00 AM

what a great day in my favorite city.

Posted by: carolyn at April 13, 2004 10:13 AM

Sounds like a perfect day--glad you had fun and bought lots of yarn!

Posted by: Leigh at April 13, 2004 10:33 AM

Excellent! I'm so glad you had a good time. Next time you'll go to Purl, but you did make three really good choices. I always forget to send people to KnitNY even if just for the novelty of the store/cafe combination.

Posted by: Jackie at April 13, 2004 11:20 AM

I'd love love love to visit New York. I'd hit all museums, and vintage shops in addition to yarn shops of course. Please stop by and see my own spring fling here.
http://flyingwombat.typepad.com/wombatty/2004/04/purple_purse.html

Posted by: Elizabeth at April 13, 2004 11:21 AM

i love that nyc has so many yarn stores, you can go multiple times and never hit the same one twice. you got me yearning for a yarn field trip to the big apple!

Posted by: stella at April 13, 2004 12:28 PM

Hey There!
I'm a new knitter. Love your blog! I've been admiring the D. Bliss Cashmerino Super Chuncky (wow, that's a mouthful), but can't afford enough for a sweater. A crocheted scarf seems like a great idea, even though I too don't know how to crochet! Can you point me towards a pattern? I'm willing to learn!

Thanks,

Cruz

Posted by: Cruz at April 13, 2004 2:53 PM

this is a great post! I love seeing what you did! What fun.

Posted by: Melly at April 13, 2004 6:39 PM

I'm glad you had a great time here! Hopfully, that means you'll come back for another visit soon. I am dying to see your blue suede bag!

Posted by: Stacy at April 13, 2004 7:05 PM

Hi Alison!

Just wanted to tell you, that your lovely spring fling tank has made its way to Denmark now!
We are 3 girls knitting it on a spring knitalong: Helle (http://schwartz.typepad.com/fru_schwartz/) Bettina (http://traaden.blogspot.com/) and myself :) And I guess you very soon will se the results in our blogs ;)

have a nice day!
Elisabeth

Posted by: Elisabeth at April 14, 2004 5:54 AM

needless to say, i'm very jealous of your trip (but in a good way) because you certainly deserve it. i see you bought the suede...is it for the crochet bag in the berrocco #225 pattern book? i just bought the pattern book and yarn last week to make the julie bag...also, i've made 24 of the 26 granny squares for my retro quilt...how about a crochet-a-long? anyone up for it? hope to see you on sunday...

Posted by: lisa b at April 14, 2004 2:41 PM

From a Brooklyn knitter:

You missed the best yarn shop in Brooklyn - the Yarn Tree! Next time you're in NYC, be sure to check it out. It's a small shop, but she sells only natural fiber yarns, some hand-dyed or hand-spun in her own workshop! The Yarn Tree also has classes. The shop is on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg.

Posted by: Leigh Tarentino at April 17, 2004 10:35 AM