Knit/Purl
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YarnTraveler (Stacy) over 3 years ago / Last Updated about 1 month ago
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- 1101 SW Alder St
- Portland, OR 97205 US
- Directions »
- (503) 227-2999
- http://www.knit-purl.com/
Other Crafts
Classes
Seating
Snacks/Refreshments
Wifi
Spinning Supplies
Chain Store
Notes
Open Knit Night: Thursday 7-9 pm, often with snacks and free champagne.
Hours
- Mon - Wed:
- 10:00AM - 07:00PM
- Thu:
- 10:00AM - 09:00PM
- Fri - Sat:
- 10:00AM - 06:00PM
- Sun:
- 12:00PM - 05:00PM
Comments and Reviews
by feministmama on Wednesday, Oct 03 2007 at 09:15PM UTC
Nice store, great people, great yarn (mmmm.....Blue Moon) but a little too pricey for my budget.
by kerrieann on Saturday, Dec 01 2007 at 07:50AM UTC
This is a very nice high end store, but I wasn't impressed with the service, a bit snooty for my comfort level.
by ptarmigan on Sunday, May 04 2008 at 06:24PM UTC
I know them mainly from their web store and newsletter, which have been good resources for me. The physical store is indeed high end and somewhat cramped, but a great source of inspiration. And kudos to them for bringing in superstar instructors (Ruth Sorensen, Annie Modesitt) and the Oleana trunk show. If I lived in Portland, I'd be there once a week just for the rich, stimulating yarn fumes.
by Anonymous on Monday, Jul 14 2008 at 07:33AM UTC
The staff was very snooty and not very helpful. Good selection, but I'm not going back again.
by AcrophobicPixie on Thursday, Aug 21 2008 at 03:40PM UTC
Good selection, but the staff was not very helpful, and some were down right rude.
by jahara on Monday, Sep 15 2008 at 08:32PM UTC
This place seems cool to me, at least as an online shopper. I placed an order on Friday, it was at my door on Monday, flat rate shipping, which was nice -- encourages you to buy more when they don't keep upping the shipping price. Plus, nice little handwritten note explaining how they picked the two skeins of one yarn (bought by the gram) that were the smallest, but still slightly over my order, and to let them know if that was an issue for me. It isn't, but the note was nice. Will order again, and since they are just 3 hours away, will visit next time I am in Portland.
by lusciousluka on Wednesday, Oct 01 2008 at 08:49PM UTC
Nice selection of Koigu and other sock yarn. Nice atmosphere. Bought some sale yarn, sock yarn and Malabrigo.
by pinktiburon on Friday, Oct 31 2008 at 09:33AM UTC
They have a great little area for spinning, and a few great yarns, but the prices are pretty lofty. Though, their location would account for that. The staff was polite but very reserved when I went. Not really rude, just not very nice.
by knitgirl99 on Thursday, Jan 22 2009 at 08:54AM UTC
Great corner location, loads of light. Kitty-corner (NW) to The Governor Hotel downtown. Inspiring yarn collections in colorways that make your fingers twitch! Clean, inviting, well organized. Don't forget to go downstairs to check the sales tables & bins. Staff has always been pleasant and helpful if I needed them but let you roam at will.
by dixiestix on Tuesday, Feb 10 2009 at 04:35PM UTC
This is one of my favorite yarn shops in the country. It's a little pricy, but I've had great customer service and when I'm visiting Portland, I try to make time for the Thursday knit nite. I've also placed a shipping order. Not only did I get what I needed, it came with a hand written note referencing our conversation.
by SunflowerCompass on Sunday, Feb 22 2009 at 07:13AM UTC
Nice shop, good location, great place for socks and excellent ambient lighting. We weren't clued in to the sale area downstairs however- didn't find out about that until we were back home looking at previous comments. It would have been nice to have been told about the downstairs by an employee, or even a sign!
by Sam on Saturday, Feb 28 2009 at 07:58AM UTC
Very nice store with a great selection of mostly high-end yarns. Best selection of Koigu ever! (see the photo of the wall) It was also great to be able to buy ShiBui yarn from the source. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was nice.
by Anonymous on Friday, Mar 27 2009 at 08:35AM UTC
This shop is fantastic! It's my favorite in downtown Portland. They have an excellent selection of high-end and economic yarn choices. The staff is always sweet and helpful and will help you find patterns, calculate yardage, choose colors, and get as excited about your project as you are. The Thursday night open knit night can get crowded, but there's always good company!
by heidi on Tuesday, Jul 07 2009 at 02:42PM UTC
lovely selection of yarns but the staff were horribly rude and condescending. i've gone in twice and had the same experience both times so i doubt i'll be going back anytime soon.
by symphony91 on Monday, Aug 10 2009 at 01:41PM UTC
Selection is mainly high-end, luxury yarns, organized by yarn weight. The staff members present the day I went were very helpful-looked up a pattern on Ravelry for me, and gave directions to my next stop. There is a sitting area right next to the book selection; all in all, I have absolutely nothing I can complain about.
by hattieshats on Friday, Oct 02 2009 at 08:20PM UTC
Help here is hit and miss. I've been in when they are extremely helpful and very generous with their time (looking up patterns, trying to help with pattern errors) and other times staff is kind of rude. It's a crap shoot. The yarn selection is phenomenal. They carry lots of luxury and higher end yarns as well as hard to find fibers and, of course, their in-house yarn brand, Shibui Knits.
by gailmowry on Sunday, Oct 04 2009 at 08:01PM UTC
I enjoy going to Knit/Purl to find fabulous yarns and spinning fiber. They are friendly and serve great tea. They also carry my favorite yarns from Abstract Fiber in wonderful colors.
by knittypops on Monday, Oct 05 2009 at 04:54PM UTC
Fancy, but friendly! Lots of lovely things, mostly in the higher pricing and quality ranges. Very downtown boutique-y. Shibui yarns are absolutely lovely, and they wrap everything up nicely. Sure, you probably pay a little extra for that pretty tissue paper, but it makes you feel oh-so-special, haha.
by budasue on Saturday, Dec 26 2009 at 03:25PM UTC
A great deal of yarn, but difficult to detect any organization. The bins certainly needed some attention, as yarns were a bit mixed together. I would have liked to see more knitted models of current designs. The staff was friendly and available for help when requested. A pleasant shop, all in all, but a bit out of the way for a visitor to Portland. Not sure I would make the effort to visit again.
by KnitChica on Tuesday, Feb 02 2010 at 11:21PM UTC
With so many great yarn shops in Portland, I truly don't understand how somewhere with such poor customer service can stay in business. I have stopped by twice recently in an effort to "give them another chance" and have left frustrated and annoyed. On both occasions I was the only customer in the shop, yet the staff chatted amongst themselves and didn't even say 'hello'. Perhaps it is better when particular staff are working, but that has not been my experience. I won't be back and will choose to spend my money at one of Portland's other fantastic shops from now on.
by irulan on Friday, Apr 23 2010 at 05:33PM UTC
Customer service is unpredictable. I've had awesome service and just downright ridiculous service. I usually don't go in unless I'm hosting an out of town friend who wants to check it out. They yarns they carry are amazing. Really amazing stuff and a lovely space. I might call ahead to ask what kind of mood the staff is in and how busy it is just to be prepared.
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