Weaving Works

Wow what a yarn selection! If I were not on a yarn diet I could have done serious damage to my budget!
I was in Seattle with DH, he was on business so I had my days to myself. I decided to visit this shop based on comments from non knitters that I had met that said all their knitting friends raved about this shop. I can see why it was fabulous!
The yarn selection was fantastic. They also had a great selection of weaving supplies and fiber for spinners. I could have spent way more time fondling the wonderful yarns and fibers (I spin too).
I would definitely go back if in the area again. I took the #62 bus from downtown Seattle and it worked out great, the bus stop was ¾ of a block (short block) away.
Have to admit I did break my «yarn diet» and bought a skein of yarn. I have to say that when I travel I don’t purchase basic yarn that I can get at home. I like to buy a little «luxury» yarn as a souvenir.
I asked if there was a post office near by because I wanted to ail the yarn home and they actually mailed to my house for me. They re-​rung the sale as a mail order so I didn’t have to pay sales tax and that off-​set the shipping so it cost me less than $ 2.00 to have it mailed in the end. I thought that was very nice of the staff and it did impress me that they were so accomodating!

Took up some crocheting classes here in one of the series sessions that are offered. It was priced decently for a few classes and very informational. The Beginning Crochet series I took of 3 sessions in the evenings was approximately $ 79. It was nice to have the option to do something fun after work. They give you a skein and needles in the beginning of your first class. You get to choose the color that you want. They mention that choosing a lighter color is better so that you can see the stitches. They also have a wide range of selection of classes that are offered quarterly. The instructor was extremely helpful and really nice. The store offers a lot of selection of yard as well.

Excellent expansive supply in a crowded little store, but also online. Competitive prices, friendly staff, some snooty shoppers. Street parking is painful, and people drive way too fast on Roosevelt. Watch your step if you’re getting out of your car! It’s worth it.

They have a great selection of yarn at this location that is well organized by weight from lace weight in the front of the store to super chunky in the back. This store was also one of the only stores in Seattle that I visited that carried roving to spin!
Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. They have plenty of notions and needles.
Parking was pretty easy to find on a weekend afternoon along Roosevelt.
They carried some great brands such as Madelinetosh, Juniper Moon, etc.

I try to visit this wonderful store anytime I am in Seattle. They have a great selection of fibers and weaving supplies and the sales personnel are very helpful. I am venturing into nuno felting and they gave me excellent advice. They have changed locations since my last visit and I found the parking challenging. The building photo on the Unilocal website is of their old location and it confused me. Perhaps it could be changed for the current location?

I very recently tried needle felting and loved it, so before ordering some wool assortments on Etsy I thought I’d see what I could find locally. I first visited another yarn store which only had a small selection of pre-​packaged roving bundles, but Weaving Works is another story entirely. So much beautiful wool! There was a whole wall of solid dyed Corridale (which seems to be a popular variety for felting, and apparently for spinning and weaving), at least 30 to 40 colors. Then there were several additional shelves of other types of wool, silks, hemp, cotton, and nylon blends in lots of natural hues as well as some bright colors. They even had some baskets of raw wool fleece. And, in the context of my limited pricing knowledge, the prices seemed more than fair. It could probably get expensive if you were spinning a lot of yarn, but for needle felting it was a steal! I ended up with a produce bag’s worth of wool in several varieties, including a little $ 4 bag of mohair curls, for $ 20. That is a lot of little felted animals.
In addition to the selection and prices, the service was fantastic. Since I’ve never bought wool in bulk like this and have only barely started felting, I had a lot of questions. The clerks were extremely helpful and friendly, and seemed genuinely interested in my projects (as opposed to the invasive — and required — «so what is this all for?» you get at a certain craft chain). They also left me alone while having that open, «available for help» vibe, which I think most people prefer.
There is only street parking, but living in Seattle that just doesn’t bother me. Their signage could be a little more obvious; I was convinced my map was lying to me until I was standing in front of the store. But that’s only a problem once, I suppose!
They also had a board behind the cash registers that had lots of classes beyond «beginning knitting» listed, so that’s something to check out if you’re curious.

My rating has mostly to do with the new location. The sales person I spoke with tells me they have about the same square footage as the old store, and it looks to be the case. They’ve done a nice job with the lighting to compensate for the long, narrow aspect of the store, and have windows at both ends. They still have the same good selection they’ve had in the past.
The lack of parking is, IMO, a huge, huge issue. There is no parking lot. There is no nearby parking lot that isn’t designated for other businesses, so that parking there may be a tow risk. Street parking is tight and always occupied, and much of that is currently blocked off by Sound Transit construction.
This means there is no quick popping in to see what’s new or pick up something; your trip is going to be an event to plan for, and you’ll have to allow several minutes to find parking.
I am currently attending a series of classes at the WW. The «classroom» is a small area with three worktables squeezed in the back with the (skimpy) storage they have, tucked behind some shoji screens, and in no way compares to the nice large classroom they had in the past. For the first class the only parking I could find (after 15 minutes of looking) was on the far side of Roosevelt HS which required a hike of 6 – 8 blocks to the store. It’s not that I’m lazy, but that’s not exactly convenient. I also (wisely, it turns out) chose to use the instructor’s equipment despite owning my own (and I would have liked to learn on my own equipment!), because otherwise that 6 – 8 block walk would have included hauling some 40 lbs of equipment to and fro with me in the rain. I had anticipated the parking might be a problem so I left my equipment behind at home — turns out I was right! I can’t imagine that anyone taking a class that requires equipment would find this to be practical, whether it’s a spinning wheel, a loom, or a knitting machine you’re bringing. It is a detriment to the learners that bringing your own equipment isn’t very feasible — I didn’t even see a nearby loading zone that would allow one to unload the car and then go on a quest for parking.
In short, the location is disappointing. I would rather they have gone elsewhere than the U District than sacrifice the convenience of parking for their customers. I don’t think this was well thought through and I think it will ultimately cause problems for the business.

I’m a sporadic knitter, which means I often forget how to work or finish a piece by the time I get back to it. The wonderful staff at Weaving Works always manages to help me pick up where I’ve left off. Thank you!

I wish my experience was as great as other reviewers. I went to weaving works for the first time after many friends had raved about their selection. They did have a really great selection of fiber and yarns and those things.
My purpose for driving to weaving works was to look at and purchase my first spinning wheel. I have no experience and was told this was the place to go for a little help and to try out wheels. They did have a nice variety of wheels. Since I didn’t know what I was looking for and wanted some help I asked the SALES person some questions. She couldn’t really give me any direction to start. Even a simple «what wheel should I try that might be a good beginner wheel?» Was met with «any of them are good. It just depends on your style.» Since I’m new to wheels (not to spinning) I needed a place to start. Suggest a wheel maybe? I mean… Sell me on something.
I did buy some fiber because I couldn’t resist but the chances that I will return for more over buying online for cheaper are slim, since online customer service would have been on par or better than the service I received.
I was really disappointed to walk out (after dragging my family with me there) without a wheel. I was ready to buy, but didn’t feel the sales person really tried to make a newbie like myself feel confident in a purchase. I felt they maybe assumed I wasn’t a serious buyer which is their loss. I have worked in sales many years and I know if you’re talking to someone new you need to discuss the features or demonstrate how it’s used even just a little.
Also, when one of the wheels didn’t seem to be spinning properly at all I asked why it didn’t seem to be pulling in and she didn’t have much idea or assistance.
Needless to say, it’s good for buying things you really need, but you can find better deals online and if you plan to get help on a $big ticket$ item, you won’t. So don’t expect friendly helpful knowledgeable service here. Sorry weaving works, thumbs down from this fiber addict!

My «go to» yarn place. They have an every-​changing and fresh selection, and answer questions thoughtfully, even when really busy. Everyone seems to have a job there, unlike «some» places, where people seem to stand behind the cash register and emanate snarky looks — all too common in most yarn places.
I have tried every yarn shop in the area that I find out about, and I always come back to the Weaving Works. It is consistent, friendly, and good. Darn it. (No pun intended.) I won’t name names, but this place sets the standard, and others fall short. No more wasting my time — I always come away with something I don’t need from here. That’s good, right???

I always knew Weaving Works was awesome, but after moving away from Seattle, I love it even more.
The shop is big and very nicely organized. Cottons here, sock yarn there, superwash there, etc. As someone who is allergic to wool, have a whole wall devoted to cotton is a dream.
I don’t find the yarn especially expensive compared to other shops. It might be more expensive than online, but you pay for convenience of a store and being able to touch it and see colors.
The salespeople are great. I think I’ve only met one person who was a bit on the quiet side, but the rest were great. They are always willing to lend a hand in choosing yarn or even giving their opinion on which colors go well together.
Their needle selection is pretty good; they don’t have some of the pricier brands, but that is in line with the store — it’s more down to earth.
I only knit, but there are fibers in the back and spinning wheels in the front, which I haven’t seen at other stores. I know they also do a sheep shearing event once a year that you can go to. I also haven’t taken any of their classes, but I used to get their mailings and they have a lot of them.
I wish I had the money or the technology to fly there when I need yarn now that I’m not in Seattle!

Large and lovely selection of yarns. I didn’t really get a good look at their needle selection, but it didn’t seem as expansive as their yarn selection. The staff seems friendly sometimes, but a little busy sometimes. And the prices are pretty decent.
The area I end up in most is the superwash wall in the back half of the store perpendicular to the entrance door, and the Madelinetosh shelves opposite from the counters.

Oh my, what a great selection of yarns and patterns! This place has everything a novice or advanced knitter could want. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable too, which are musts because I like to occasionally consult someone about my pattern and/​or yarn.

A really lovely store with a good selection, decent amount of yarn on sale and a nice working space. I went here two days in a row and bought way more yarn than I needed. They were helpful but not pushy. When I was struggling a bit trying to find a pattern on my phone (I dream of a ravelry ap), they offered to let me use their computer to look it up.
I wish it were cheaper of course, but I think I always say that about yarn stores. Definitely on my list when I return to Seattle.

Lovely lovely selection of beautiful felting wool and yarn in all widths, textures, and colors of the rainbow. Most amazing to me is how they found sheep with such vibrantly colored purple and green wool! They must import them from abroad… Anyway, bought gorgeous felting wool here in bulk and at bulk prices. Perfect!
The saleswoman I interacted with was a little tight-​lipped and irritable seeming, but maybe that’s because I was hauling their merch all over the sales floor. Pro tip: unlike fabric stores, where you take the bolt up front and they cut it for you, the bulk felting wool is self-​serve, they just weigh it at the register, YogurtLand style. Mmm…

Handcraft heaven! Weaving Works is a really great place to find an abundant supply of merchandise not only for weaving but also for knitting, crocheting, basket weaving, and more. My friend and I came in to get a crochet hook and ended up browsing through the whole store. The items here are beautiful and unique, and the sales associates were very helpful. If you’re a «crafty» person or would like to be, this is a must-​stop!
Unilocal 365 Challenge #186

Still love Weaving Works.
I was knitting this super large project (a Knit, Swirl sweater) and ran out of an obscure yarn. I called EVERYWHERE and visited almost every place too! Finally, as I was giving up, I called Weaving Works and said I am looking for Bamboo Yarn. Any type, do you have it?
They explained they did. So, I dragged my mom to the car and we went to get the bamboo yarn. Lo and behold, it was the yarn I was looking for! AND it was on sale!
Weaving Works was my life saver.
Now, my biggest obsession is the yarn they spin themselves. It is much cheaper than named brand yarns they were explaining to me and my mother.
My mom bought one ball and knit a sweater! From now on, I’m a believer and I will start buying their yarn. It’s so soft and I can’t resist a deal!
Ask them about the yarn they spin themselves or their bulk yarn. I guarantee you’ll be happy :)

I love this place. If they would let me live here, I would curl up somewhere in the Merino wool section and never leave.
Loveable things about WW:
— their selection is grand. I have never gone into this store without finding just the thing I was looking for (and a few others…)
— they know what they’re talking about. Ask them a question and you will get an expert answer.
— they cater to all levels. You don’t have to be a knitting/​crocheting/​weaving expert to get what you need from this place, and the folks who work there are willing to spend time with you to help you find just the right thing for your project. Seriously, bring your pattern and they will help you figure it all out.
In conclusion: Go here!

As I knit and purl my way from novice to intermediate the Weaving Works always has everything I need to adorn my needles. Their selection of yarns is the most diverse that I’ve come across within the city, from inexpensive to gloriously decadent, seemingly every hue that can be made from a ewe, and yarns yet unspun. They have all of the tools of the trade: a great selection of needles, patterns, books, buttons, spinning wheels, and, of course, the incredibly resourceful and approachable staff. My customer experience has always been very positive: left alone to look and browse when I want and quick to receive help when I need it.
Weaving Works is a very comfortable space in which to shop, explore, read through patterns, ask questions, or experiment with a new technique at their large table.
My needles are clicking away in another city these days, but Weaving Works remains my favorite place to get my fiber fix.

If this review were based on selection alone they’d get a 5. They’ve got the variety of knitting, crochet, weaving, bookbinding, spinning, basket weaving, etc supplies down pat. They know they’ve got the best selection in Seattle.
Unfortunately this seems to lead them to believe they don’t need a little something called CUSTOMER SERVICE. I’m not a princess, I don’t want or need people to wait on me hand and foot. I don’t need you to pretend we’re best friends when I walk in the door. However if I ask about something, like how to use the color dyes you have on the floor and am told you don’t know anything about it so I should wait for someone else to come back from lunch and when I do that person vaguely waves in the direction of the dyes and says the directions are on the label… well I won’t like that very much.
It also wouldn’t hurt you to realize that all of your customers won’t be white, women, over the age of 45, or make more than $ 50,000 a year. That doesn’t mean they might not be good customers for your store.
And hey, come out from behind the counter once in awhile would ya? I’d love to give you five stars.