As you know, I’m spending this weekend in Minneapolis. What’s the first thing I do when planning a trip? Scope out the yarn stores!
Today, I’ll show you my favorite sites for finding LYSs. In addition to being handy when you travel, you can even use these sites for finding a store near you!
Ravelry
Oh, I love Ravelry. You knew it was handy for finding patterns and yarns, but did you know it can help you find a yarn store, too?
Click on the ‘Yarn’ tab at the top of the main screen, then look below the list of yarns on the left:
Enter a city or zip code, and you’ll get a list of results!
Once the list of results comes up, you’ll want to go to the website to make sure that it’s actually a store. For example, since Ravelry contains a database of Indie Dyers, some of the listings that come up are for Etsy shops (and the dyer does live in the city), and there’s nothing for you to actually visit.
The results give you a street address and a link to the website, as well as the distance from the address you entered… so planning your trip is easy!
Knit Map
KnitMap is a site specifically designed for this purpose! In addition being a database of yarn stores, it allows you to search by features (like ‘open now’ or ‘has spinning supplies’) and read reviews of each shop.
When you enter the city you’re searching for, a list of yarn stores comes up as well as a map with the stores on it:
Click on ‘details’ to view the reviews for a store. Seeing the reviews can really help you decide if you should put a store on your ‘must see’ list… particularly if there are oodles in a city or if you’re wondering if an out-of-the-way shop is worth your time.
Planet Purl
Planet Purl also has a yarn shop directory, just click on ‘Yarn Shop Directory’ on the top toolbar:
Type in your city, and you’ll get results!
The downside to the Planet Purl results is that you only get the name of a shop, the address and phone number. There is no website listed for the shops, and they’re listed in alphabetical order (instead of distance from the center of the city), so for big cities, you’ve got a serious sorting problem on your hands.
The upside of Planet Purl is their travel guides. For a number of cities, bloggers have written a ‘yarn guide’ to the city, which can help you sort out the great spots to hit!
Where will you search?
Are you headed anywhere that’ll get you to put one of these sites to use? Or maybe you’d like to search around your hometown… you might find somewhere new!
Hi Stacey,
Excellent post! I didn’t know I could use Ravelry for searching for stores. And I didn’t know there were specific websites for that, such as KnitMap. I’ll use them for my next trip to the U.S.!
Cool! I just always check the “crochet friendly yarn shop” list on the CLF group on Ravelry, but this opens up more options.
That’s a great idea, Marie!
Thank you! I’m doing a bit of travel for work over the next couple of weeks – Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne – so here’s hoping I have some time to check out local yarn stores!
@Melanie- fun!
You might also want to look at my ‘Yarn Lover’s Guide to Sydney’: http://www.freshstitches.com/a-yarn-lovers-guide-to-sydney-australia-wool-shop/
I didn’t know about that feature on Rav. I’ll definitely use it. Too bad it won’t tell me where the bead stores and tea shops are! Speaking of tea, if you’re into it, there’s a great shop in Minneapolis called Tea Source.
I was in Seattle this summer and in danger of running out of yarn and I just Googled, but I think I’d have been better off with your strategies. I found a place that I was going to drive to, but then later I picked up one of those cartoon-y tourist maps and it showed a yarn store in walking distance. So I went there and it was truly a fantastic shop. (In the end, I didn’t run out, the projects I had brought kept me busy, but having the backup prevented a lot of anxiety.)
As you have perhaps guessed I’ve recently discovered your blog from your posts in the Stellanti thread on Rav, and I’m really enjoying reading it. (Though I don’t crochet at all.) I like your “voice” and your topics and your visuals. The one thing that bothers me is the posting date. It just says the month and day? Only the dates in the comments show what year it was posted? I find that disorienting.
Hi Justine-
Thanks for your comments about my blog layout. I do wish that the year was posted as well, but unfortunately, the blog template I am using does not provide me with that option. I have looked at a number of templates, and although this one has the date downside, it has many other features that makes it the best I can find…
Ahhh! This is such a “nice to know”, Stacey, thank you for sharing!!