Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks

How did I end up here? I was making a hat for a friend and needed some yarn called ‘reggae’. A beautiful variegated wool mix in red, yellow and green. I used Unilocal to locate yarn shops in the area and this one was on the list and well reviewed so I thought I’d pop in.
Talk about over stimulated! There were exotic blends in a vast array of colors and textures just screaming out for someone to take them home and create a fabulous piece of clothing from them. I spent an hour in the store looking at everything. All the while thinking, «I can’t afford that. Oh that I can, but it’s not the right color… but I’ve got to buy something! I can’t walk into this store and not fall in love with at least one thing.»
Well, I did walk out of the store without making a purchase only because they did not have the color combination I was looking for and knew I was going to have to frequent a few more places.
A few weeks later I was back to help work on a charity quilt. I was a little bit more relaxed so had another chance to peruse their amazing selection. Plus I had a little Happy Hour beverage from the café in the back.
This place was the total package. Great selection, decent prices, lots of help when needed, and a place to have a bite to eat while playing with pointy sticks. I’m sad to know they had to close their doors.

Unfortunate SAD News: Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks has closed it’s doors and is currently doing business online only. August 2009

If you dream it, they have it. There are so many selections, it’s insane. However, selection is always good in my book.
Most of the yarn are reason, but there are always a few that you’re afraid to touch. The store has a great selection of accessories, along with a mini café if you want to knit, eat, and drink.

Man smiles while drinking hot bowl of soup in a knitter filled yarn shop on a brutally hot day. Explain.
During my freshman year of college we had a «late night crew» on our floor that hung out from 2am-​4am nearly every night. Activities included sparring in various virtual Playstation environments, sparring in reality, dealer’s choice dime raise poker, half awake hearts, acapella arrangements of «For the Longest Time» (don’t ask), live performances of the Indigo Girls «Galileo» by the girls down the hall, soup kitchen like distributions of rice and curry (made with vegetables taken from the dining hall salad bar), and brain teasers.
Women is in an elevator when the power goes out. «My husband is dead,» she says. How did she know?
One armed man is found in the desert with a stick. How did he die?
I don’t think those were quite what the Mind Trap cards said, but with this heat slowing all active brain processes, whatever.
So how did I end up in a Yarn shop, drinking hot soup?
1) Had a day off from work
2) Better half wanted to make a sock monkey
3) Today also happened to be my dog’s birthday.
4) We decided to get dog a present from Sellwood Pet store
5) And stop by nearby yarn shop while we were out
6) Discovered Yarn shop had AC, fresh squeezed Lemonade, coffee,
beer, wine (some impressive NW finds), and food!
7) Tried the Melonade (only $ 1.75), Iced Nutella Mocha, and Apples & PB
8) Sampled «Pasta E Fagiole» Soup of the day
9) Seconds later ordered a bowl
Peter makes some amazing soup, and at $ 4 for a generous bowl with slices of bread it’s a bargain. Savory bits of thick bacon, onions, perfectly done beans and carrots (neither too soft nor too hard), deep flavorful broth, a generous amount of pasta shells. I’m not sure what the soup of the day will be in the future, but with the kind of care that went into the drinks and snacks we sampled I’m sure a return for us is imminent.
The space also seemed like a good place for knitters (and non knitters) to escape the heat, the ladies there were having a blast, and with AC, an abundant supply of yarn, tasty beverages, and thoughtful food, why wouldn’t they?
Apologies to those trying to figure out the two other brain teasers, I remember the answers even less than the questions. So um… pictures

this is a pretty good l.y.s. the space is big and open, a nice change from the crowded dark nature of many other stores. i just wish it wasn’t so far from downtown. the selection of yarns is pretty average as are the prices.
bonuses: in store café = yummy treats and plenty of spots to sit.
also, they have an awesome selection of books and not-​so-​easy-​to-​find zines.

Big and lovely! They carry a lot of interesting local yarns and stuff that they dye there in the store (hence the «dyeworks» part of the name). The café’s not bad, and there’s lots of space to sit and knit. There are a few of my favorites that they don’t carry, or don’t carry in much quantity, but they make up for it by having some stuff you can’t find anywhere else.

Such a great neighborhood knitting shop! I walked in to several employees with big smiles and one who showed me the lay of the land and asked what I was most interested in, so nicey! They have a large selection of yarns from the basic less expensive to the ornate, hand dyed more expensive lines. The inside is spacious and well lit. The café and sitting area were filled with merry knitting folk, and they have a variety of classes to help from casting on to the elusive and difficult for this left hander cable stitch.
This is not one of the snooty knitting shops with the neo-​hippy attitude or snarky biddies, 0 intimidation factor.

It’s a nice shop — OK selection and I bought this beautiful swift that was locally made that I’m so thrilled about. But customer service is shoddy, at best.
When I walked in, I asked someone for help picking out yarn to match a gauge and they guy made me go through my entire story, before pointing to his apron and saying, «As you can see, I’m wearing an apron and I just make coffee. I have to go make coffee now.» (silly me!). Then I heard one of the coworkers loudly yelling on the phone at a family member, right in the middle of the store. The other person working could barely look up from her own knitting to help me. I had to be pretty aggressive about getting help.
I’m from out of town and of course, ended up running short on yarn. I called them and they promised to hold the last skein I needed of a specific dye lot (hand-​painted, of course). I’d put in 2 calls to them and finally called them again, sick of waiting for them to call back. And they «accidentally sold it» today. When I had just talked to them that morning and they had it. They were making me wait for the «person that does the phone orders» to call me back. They won’t call the yarn distributor either.
I’m almost done with my sweater and I just want to cry. I’m so disappointed and it’s going to be so incredibly difficult to match. I frequent Portland fairly regularly and I will certainly not be a repeat customer.
Yet again, I’m learning these lessons — ALWAYS buy even more yarn than you think and ALWAYS buy yarn from somewhere near you. I am now going to have a Seattle shop help me find the dye lot or at the very least match my dye lot.

Ironically Abundant Yarn is kind of lacking in yarn. It’s a huge, bright, open space with very little inventory. The needle selection was down to the last dregs the last time I was there. The café is a nice place to sit and knit though the barista the last time I visited was obviously having a Very Bad Day which resulted in a rather large hissy fit.

This is a great yarn store, spacious, tons of windows, and a café (the Busy Bee) as well as a party room to rent for all of your knitting get-​togethers. Plus they offer free classes every Saturday, on a variety of topics, from seaming to felting.
Only draw back — I wish they were closer to my house.