Seaport Yarn

I’ve been here several times but I hesitate to come back because it always becomes such a hassle. I first learned to knit a few years ago and was thrilled to find a good yarn shop within a block or two of my day job. I didn’t know what I was talking about then and endured a lot of well-​intentioned but ultimately poor advice from the Greek gentleman who ususally minds the shop. He seems to have an opinion on everything from needle size to color choices, even though he is not a knitter — and he gets so attached to these opinions that he borderline refuses to sell you a skein of yarn if, say, he asks what size needle you plan to use and he doesn’t think the yarn fits your choice. I would explain tension and gauge to him but I don’t think it’s worth my while.
Again, he means so well, but makes a lot of awkward comments ranging from yarn choice to how Americans are suckers for green-​washing (this while I was checking out some Cascade Ecological Wool — he assumed I only wanted it because of the «ecological» label, which is kind of a weird way to do business…) commented (negatively) on my personal appearance, and argued with another customer about not honoring her gift certificate. He did this all with a smile so I don’t think he means anything by it or realizes how off-​putting this is. He told me I should dye my hair, that a hat I had knitted didn’t look good, and that I didn’t need any more yarn! Yikes, customer service 101.
Sometimes a girl just wants to fondle some squishy yarn in solitude, you know? I would come here more often (it’s been about a year) but I can’t deal with the constant need for interaction and the tendency to criticize my every answer. The credit card minimum is also high (I think aorund $ 30) so it’s not convenient to grab a one-​skein impulse buy, either. I’ve never dealt with the owner, Andrea, but if her husband is any indication I’m not missing anything. On my first visit I met an employee who professed her love of Blue Sky Alpaca and I keep hoping she’ll be there when I come back because she seems relatively normal, but alas, no, it’s always the friendly yet insulting gentleman.

This place is strange to say the least. I actually took a picture in the elevator to show me friend how sketchy getting to this shop location was. It just has a few paper signs saying it’s on an upper floor both at the front door and in the elevator that are just scotch taped to the walls. Very professional. When I walked in the place was empty except for some guy sitting on a leather couch in the back who didn’t really notice me until I started peering around.
I needed circular needles in a large size and super bulky yarn from Sirdar, which he said he hasn’t carried for years, so that was disappointing. And I wasn’t even able to peruse the needles, he just had them all in like a briefcase on the floor that he searched through for the right size. Then he insisted that he ‘test’ them first in order to make sure they wouldn’t break, because apparently some people complained that after buying the needles they had a faulty set that broke immediately or something. Ok. So he opened the packaging of the needles and pulled on each of them at the base to make sure they wouldn’t come undone and then insisted that I do the same. Well, I broke them.
He kept asking if I had free time each time he had to look for something in the briefcase which I thought was weird because it literally only took 2 minutes. Anyways he asked if I had some free time so he could superglue the needles back together to make sure they dont break again but I asked for a different set that wasn’t broken. We tested those as well before he re-​packaged them and told me they were $ 17 and with tax it was something like $ 19. I saw the same ones on Amazon for $ 10 so I was kind of pissed I wasted my time and money in this weird experience of a store.
After the needle ordeal, I didn’t even want to spend time looking around at the yarn because he was so odd I didn’t want to have to deal with him anymore and opted to buy yarn somewhere else.
Bottom line: Weird. Sketchy and weird.

I have been hearing about this store for years and only realized last week that it was only a few blocks away from my job. I decided to take a walk over during my lunch hour.
The owner is a very friendly gentleman who insisted on giving me a tour because it was my first time in his store. As I walked around the packed space I had the feeling of being in an indoor flea market because everything in the place looks as though it were left over from going out of business sales held by other yarn stores. All of the book are REALLY OLD and appeared to be used. I found that to be a major disappointment because the LYS is where one can always find the latest knitting books. I didn’t see any needles for sale, but I did see a canister with some in it.
Seaport carries a large number of discontinued lots and that is a good thing because I was able to get my hands on some discontinued alpaca silk I wanted to use for a gift for my mother, but I didn’t have enough of it in my stash. Although the yarns are very limited in color, the store carries an ample supply them. Because I am a big NORO fan, I was excited to see the selection… that was short lived. All of the skeins were missing labels, unraveling and looking kind of dusty in a corner cubby by the window. After I found one that I would purchase if in better condition, the owner looked through the skeins tucked away on shelves in sealed plastic bags. I was happy again.
Although this is not my favorite LYS, I will be back.

Tom is very helpful. I am a super beginner with knitting and he walked me through everything. When I told him I’m taking it slow and making a scarf for myself, he called up his wife as his calculator and told me how many yarns I would need. only one near tribeca/​wall street area so. they’re doing 10% off sale on knitting books and alpacas this month so check it out!

So. I was hesitant to stop in after reading a few of these reviews but I really wanted to buy needles and yarn after getting started with knitting at work thanks to my co-​workers.
This place is very convenient for folks who work in the financial district or happen to be in the area. It’s a bit hard to follow bit once you get to the building there is signage everywhere. I don’t have other places to compare it to but I will say that the owner is an interesting fellow. I wanted thicker yarn and he didn’t have much for a ¹⁰⁄₁₁ needle. We found some but he didn’t have a lot in the store. I also bought needles that he continuously tried to discourage me from buying. Saying they were expensive. They were $ 17. I didn’t mind paying that and was a little out off that he assumed I wouldn’t.
He also proceeded to insist that I had an oil on that was making him sneeze. I told him I had nothing on but he went on to tell me a story about an African woman who once had some fragrance in his hair that was aweful to him. *side-​eye*
None the less, I left with what I came for.

It’s right around the corner from my work, in the interests of full disclosure.
The person who helped me was a mildly chatty Greek man, who found me some good yarn for a low price, plus bickered with me a bit over needle sizes. I wouldn’t recommend the store for folk who are new to knitting/​crocheting, but if you’re experienced and/​or are good at standing your ground, go on in.

This is an odds and ends, ‘won’t sell elsewhere’ store. You can find many of the brands that are in other stores, but the colors here are from old lines or are colors that other stores don’t bother to sell. If you’re going for murky or sickly or muddy, they have the colors you want!
The best comparison is Smileys in Woodhaven — ugly colors, ugly textures, lots of weird twisted/​knotty/​sparkly yarn. The difference is that Smileys gives discount prices for their discount quality, but Seaport charges prices identical to other Manhattan stores.
In addition to copious ugly yarn, there are old knitting books.
The reviews on this page are highly suspect — look at all of the filtered reviews!

I walked in and thought I had gone to heaven! There is a HUGE variety and selection of really great yarns in a variety of weights and colors!!! I picked up a baby Alpaca Glow to knit up for my daughter because it was a good value in the sale rack, was a color she would like and was soft as a kitten. I came in for circular needles and had to ask because needles are not displayed. The man running the place was lovely to talk to and seemed to enjoy my enthusiasm as I looked around and filled my brain with project ideas. So convenient to work too, it is an easy lunch-​time trip!

I can’t believe the number of 4 and 5 star reviews on this page; maybe my expectations are too high after visiting so many other yarn shops. It looked like somebody’s disorganized basement rather than a yarn shop with so many high reviews. I ended up not buying anything and left as quickly as possible.
1) The shop smelled. And not nicely. I wouldn’t want that to get into my yarn.
2) The yarn itself was a mess. Each cubicle had a mix of different yarns. Many of yarns I saw had open bands and had started to unravel.
3) The yarn «buckets» had no method of organization. Some alpaca was here, some was there. If you go in to browse around for a particular fiber, you need to do some digging.
I expect better from yarn stores. But like I said, maybe I’ve been spoiled by other ones.

They’ve got a great selection of Cascade Eco and a winder large enough to handle it, and some great Rios!

When I was a beginner knitter, I came here quite a bit. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and will assist you in anyway they can. They also have a weekly knitting circle where you can bring in your projects for help or learn new techniques like knitting socks using magic loop.
I like their overall stock. They carry quite a bit of Debbie Bliss. There’s not a huge mark up on the majority of their yarn. I love rummaging through their discount room. Yes, a whole room devoted to discounted high quality yarn. In the past, I’ve found balls of Jo Sharp cashmere-​silk blend on the cheap in that very room!
Their knitting needles/​notions on the other hand do have a higher mark-​up than their yarn. Make sure you clearly see the price marked on the notion otherwise you could be walking away with an absurdly priced plastic row counter that you can’t put back for fear of upsetting the nice lady at the register.

First, I highly suggest reading the filtered reviews as well as those on this page. While some of the filtered reviews are very strongly worded, they do speak some truth about the store.
The good — Extremely convenient FIDI location, on Broadway next to Century 21, upstairs so it is quiet. The only yarn store in the ‘hood, they stock lots of beautiful premium yarns, knitting needles, and books. There are some crochet hooks, but more space is devoted to knitting. Gorgeous yarn, premium fibers, premium brands.
The meh — Store is not organized. All yarn is in hanks, and as far as I could tell they do not have a winder for customer use, so you will need to wind your own skeins at home. Most of the yarn is on the thinner side, and the needles and hooks they stock are mostly on the smaller side (the 9 mm hook I purchased was the largest in stock). Since it is all premium yarn, prices are high. Hooks and needles are non-​returnable and you cannot try in store (see below).
The bad — Customer service (or lack thereof). I have been to many other yarn stores in the world, my favorite for customer service being the Lion Brand Studio. In every store they allow you to experiment with hooks and needles that are not sold in sealed packages. So if you have a fiber and aren’t sure of size, you can leave with what you need. I am experimenting with 550 test paracord. I brought it in and started to try a hook.
«Stop that! Put that down! You can’t just come in here and start opening things and trying them. You just don’t do that!»
Deep breath. When I asked her advice on size she told me that I shouldn’t bother working with paracord (not useful; I want to work with paracord). I ended up getting the correct hook, but nothing else. Gorgeous yarn, but I couldn’t wait to get out of there and I didn’t want to give her any more time or money.
So even though I have to take the subway and the yarns may not be as premium, I will shlep up to Lion Brand in order to enjoy a well laid out store with nice staff. Harrumph!

I’ve been here 2x to buy some yarns for my scarf project. They have a good variety of yarns (not sure about their quality– but interms of colors) but the structure of the «store» is not that organize… heck~ it doesnt even look like a store, more like a room fill with yarns and supplies.
I would give this place a extra star if they have better service.
The 2x that I was here, the lady that greeted/​helped me wasnt that friendly… very intimidating for a beginner like me… I dont think I’ll come here again!

As a beginner, I’ve found this to be a place where I can find some really nice and unique yarn that Lion Brand just doesn’t sell. Not sure what everyone is talking about when it comes to the owner, Andrea. Each time I’ve come in she’s been more than friendly and helpful. Perhaps people don’t like to be talked to or helped in a store, but since I don’t know much about yarn yet, I’ve always been very appreciative of the advice. I just finished a scarf for my husband with some fab hand painted merino wool and I can’t wait to start new project!
Give the place a try, I’d hate for someone to pass on this place because of a few angry people. Even the Stitch and Bitch books recommend this place. Happy knitting!

I hate giving bad reviews and always like to give the benefit of the doubt. I tried it out despite the bad reviews from google search [all 1 star].
The only positive side of this place is that they do know their yarn.
The negative side: The owner is a horrible mean woman who doesn’t like to help.
I wanted a specific ball of yarn in a bag of 12. I didn’t want to open an unopened bag of yarn balls in the place without being supervised [didn’t want to look like I was stealing, so I thought I’d be courteous and let the owner open the bag up and take the ball of yarn that I wanted out.
She just grabbed the ball of yarn on top. I told her I would feel better if I had THAT ball of yarn [ it was in a clear plastic bag and they are a multi colored balls of yarn] She told me they are all the same.
Even if that is the fact, I feel as a [was willing to pay] customer I should be able to pick out the ball of yarn that I wanted. After all it’s $ 10 !!! Some people don’t even make that much in an hour.
She felt $ 10 wasn’t worth her time. I was probably in the store no more then 10 mins.
I have never felt so strongly as to NOT support a small company then this one.
I do not recommend shopping here even if it is for the convenience [which is why I attempted to try to shop here.

overpriced and junky store. It’s true, you would not know this was located right next to the Century 21 shoe store unless you knew before hand where to go. I knew the address from checking their website and thought I was in the wrong place until I did a little digging. No sign is outside to let you know where it is at all. Anyway, you take the elevator to the fifth floor and it’s a one room space with yarn all over. No ambiance and a little intimidating for a beginner like me. I just told the woman working there I was doing a simple scarf using size 11 needles and she showed me a few different yarns. I ended up going with the Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed yarn which cost $ 16 a roll. They do take credit cards now, though.
Overall, I would say skip this place if you can and head over to Lion Brand which has a much nicer and organized store as well as you may get a better deal on prices. Also, I was disappointed that the girl who helped me did not offer to wind my skeins of yarn for me. I didn’t see one in the store, but I’m sure they had to have one. All in all, disappointing. I’ll stick to Lion Brand.

Oh Boy, Does this store have yarn, yes. Is less than a block from my office, yes. Will I ever take my business there again, No!
They have a great selection, but the kind of attitude that I have received from the owner is just appalling, she always wants to let you know that what your asking for or doing is wrong, without even looking at your pattern, I am sure she confuses a great many new knitters. If you can deal with the younger woman that works there then you should be all set, but I just don’t have the patience to deal with a woman like that when I am spending good money on yarn! The selection might be good, but it doesn’t make up for the crazy you have to deal with to get it!
Try Lions Brand Studio or Brooklyn General, they are far more helpful and have good selection as well.

No way you’d ever stumble into this store unless you knew where it was. There are no signs outside and just little paper photocopies near the elevator. The entrance is dingy and uninviting. When we went, there was a guys standing outside trying to get people to buy men’s suits. But we felt confident we had the rights spot, entered, and went up to the 5^th floor. We were welcomed by the owner who promptly stated: «You found us! We’re CRAZY here!» She actually repeatedly mentioned the craziness of the store and employees. A bit overwhelming in her assertions on that point.
Owner tried to steer my husband into the back to sit down and hang out and seemed a bit taken aback to learn he was a knitter and looking for some needles. She seemed to have oodles and oodles of needles but not well organized. She happily plunged in to find him the ones he was looking for but they didn’t have them.
This store is haphazardly organized. It looks like everything is together, but then there are random baskets of things here and there. There was no sale section, but there is always a sale going on you just have to ask. When we were there, all cotton yarns were 10% off. So not an impressive sale. The selection of yarns and books is impressive, and the prices are ok. I paid $ 10 for a skein of malabrigo lace. I consider $ 9 to be an appropriate price for that yarn. I have seen it cheaper than $ 9 in NJ and much much higher at other yarn stores in NYC.
The guy working there (owner’s spouse I think. or maybe co-​owner) wound my skein but in a weird way because he was doing it while also working on his computer. I think I would ask to wind it myself next time as I ended up with something kind of cone shaped.

HEAVEN for Pattern lovers, Seaport has every back issue of every knitting mag that matters plus enough books to keep a knitter very happy. Two rooms of yarn contain endless (albeight some expensive) options. Sure things are a few dollars higher, and the book selection is a bit worn for the full retail price tag, but there is a serious selection here. I ended up buying a Punta Yarn, which was pretty nice ($ 16), but only semi-​equal to malabrigo in lusciousness. Still, they had some amazing stuff in there and some inexpensive options in the back. If you’re a hand –dyed fan, you’re going to pass out the minute you walk in.
My only gripe is one that i have with every yarn shop. no one offered to ball my hanks ;(.
Still, I think I must have spent two hours in there and by the time i left I was more than satisfied. They even are saving the dye lot of the yarn i drooled over for me!

Lots and lots and lots of yarn. Interestingly set in office space that still looks like office space with tons of yarn on shelves. The items are organized according to what room you’re in. Each office room hold specific types of yarns: bulky in the back section, fine yarns in the front corner office, etc.
Ok selection of books, not anything like the extravaganza at Nancy’s Custom Handweaving, but adequate. That said, I drop a boatload whenever I go. It’s those Bryson needles, I’m addicted to them.
Andrea, the owner, is a sweetheart. I can’t recall the name of the other nice gal who works there but the both of them knew there were only two skeins of the exact color of Brown Sheep I needed, got them for me and ordered the rest I needed.
Good selection of needles and knitting notions. They even have roving for spinning and spinning and knitting get together every month. I signed up for their email notification and got heads up to some pretty good sales.