"Otherwise, it is a great place to buy all your knitting supplies."
(in 55 reviews)
"The staff is so knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful."
(in 52 reviews)
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ImagiKnit
Rating Details »
Category: Arts & Crafts [Edit]
Neighborhood: Castro3897 18th St
(between Church St & Sanchez St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 621-6642
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Sponsored Result
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"This is a little gem hidden away in the city! I walked by the shop once when it was closed and stood, mesmerized by the cute window…" read more »
143 reviews for ImagiKnit
Review Highlights
This place is full of yarn and I have always found the staff very helpful. As others have said go focused with a yarn purchase in mind or you can spend hours looking at a lot of the QUALITY yarn choices. The prices are good and it is very conveniently located. They have sale items for all tastes and price ranges.
If they don't have what you are looking for they can order it for you and call you when it is there, what else can you ask for? I bring everyone who visits me here to see the place is a nice tourist attraction as well. A must for Your Yarn Crawl !
You know that commercial for Frye's where the man and woman walk in to the store, and the guy giggles like a girl and runs off in excitement?
That's how I feel about this store.
Hands down the best yarn store in the Bay Area. *Warning* You have to be very focused or you will walk in, stay hours, and walk out having spent the next 5 paychecks.
Best in the city, hands down.
Tip: See above. (Largest space, biggest selection, best staff)
Three words: Malabrigo test yarns.
Seriously.
I love this place. Secondary to the fact that they have Malabrigo *test!* yarns, they have an unparalleled retail selection of yarns I've never seen anywhere else before. and oh I'm in love. Please open one in Los Angeles, I implore you. :(
I'm bumping ImagiKnit up a star. I've found their service to be friendly and helpful -- which I hate to say was not always the case in the past. That has changed and the store feels more welcoming.
When it comes to selection, well, it can't be beat.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/6/2008
The selection here is phenomenal. It's by far the best yarn store for selection I've encountered on… Read more »
Learning to knit had been on my to do list for a while and when I moved just down the street form Imagiknit over a year ago, I told myself I was really going to do it. Well I finally decided that instead of spending so much money on gifts for friends' kids/babies, I'd start learning to knit cute stuff for them.
Though I have a bunch of friends who can knit, I decided I didn't want to harass any of them and took the beginner class. The class basically teaches the knit and purl stitches and different combinations of the 2 and gets you started on a project, probably a scarf. I admit that it took lots of practice before I was comfortable with the stitches, but now that I've got it down and seen how "easy" the basic stitches are I regret having spent so much money on the class ($80+ not incl startup supplies). I've made the effort to buy most of my knitting supplies here to support local business so I would've preferred to use that money on different sized needles and yarns.
But the class did help me feel more welcomed in the store. Whenever I need something fixed like a dropped stitch, I can go into the store where someone can fix it for me quickly. Also, all of the display items are for sale or you can get a print out copy of its pattern for free if you buy yarn from the store. I'm still a beginner knitter but have made a couple scarves and even learned to make beanies from a youtube video posted by Allison (the owner). Some of the displays are gorgeous and make me want to become a better knitter so I can make them on my own.
This is one, fantastic yarn store. The staff is so knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful. There are tons of choices of yarns. I also had taken a private lesson to learn how to knit a shrug, something I'm obsessed with. Katelyn was so nice and patient. She answered every question I threw at her about knitting in general. I love how Imagiknit offers a discount card; it definitely looks out for its customers.
I love this store when I am in here I feel like a kid in a candy store - So many types of yarn and so many textures - You can easily find any price range in here when you go - When I get home I am always excited to start my projects
Pros: Amazing selection of yummy yarns of all fibers and price ranges, some toys/books stashed near the register for kids to stay occupied, helpful staff (sometimes), and close to my house.
Cons: The staff can be hit or miss. Some days I get 5 people asking if I need help. Other days no one talks to me. Weird. One time I was at the button section for 45 minutes and no one asked if I needed any assistance. Being ignored is annoying. A sign of a good store is consistent and excellent customer service (like at Cliff's Variety), and Imagiknit is sometimes off the mark.
If they had better customer service I would give ImagiKnit 5 stars.
One additional pro that bumps this up to 5 star....
I'm a little new to fancy yarn that requires you to wind it from a loose hank into a tight little ball appropriate for knitting use. Most stores let you wind your yarn the day you purchase it, but I fell into some yarn that didn't get wound right away, and winding it by hand was a disaster waiting to happen. I went to Imaginknit, fessed up that I had no idea how to use the ball winder, and they graciously helped me wind some yarn I purchased that day AND the yarn from another store. The employee spent 10 - 15 minutes with my friend and me, making sure we knew how to do it properly. I was so grateful for this!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/3/2009
Full of pros and cons for the beginning knitter.
Pro: Tons of yarn.
Con: If you're new to knitting,… Read more »
Oh my God... If I had a million dollars I would probably spend at least a quarter of it in this store.... Thank God I don't have that much money.
The store is literally filled wall-to-wall with quality yarn. Even the cheaper yarns are nice. This isn't one of those average granny basic yarn shops. It's the real thing, and they have places to sit down as well as beautiful hand knit sweaters, hats and scarves... Helpful staff and a big box of toys for bored little ones is a BIG plus. You can come here with any question or pattern and the staff is eager to help. I love this place.
I learned how to knit when I was in third or fourth grade. I started a pink, blue, and white sweater and almost finished it. I just had a tough time with the sleeves and abandoned the effort when Duran Duran came along in the fifth grade.
So lately, I've seen other people knit, and I thought about picking up knitting again as a hobby. Today I went to ImagiKnit to buy needles, yarn, and a book. The staff was very, very helpful. I described how I was a novice again, and they helped me pick out a book, some wool yarn and bamboo needles. They showed me how to use the yarn baller.
I'm going to knit a wool scarf in sage green. I came home and I'm already casting stitches. This place is great, and I plan to go back as soon as I'm ready for the next project... which might be in 25 more years... but hopefully, it will be in a few weeks.
I have tried knitting at least three seperate times- and the close I have come to "success" is a badly knit scarf that unfortunately, not even I will wear in public. Recently I decided to try *one more time* and this time, I invested in the beginner class at imagiknit.
WOW. The class was great and I actually have finished two (count them- TWO) scarves and am now working on a hat. The instructor, Chris, is extremely patient and helpful. I strongly suggest this class to anyone looking for a knitting class.
The shop prices do seem a bit daunting, but even to a newbie like me it is clear that the yarn quality here can't be beat- and let's face it, sometimes you get what you pay for. At imagiknit you get great service, helpful advice and beautiful/unique/quality knits to work with.
Dear Imagiknit,
You have given me everything a knitter asked for. When I decided I wanted to learn how to knit socks, you introduced me to Dream in Color Smooshy, and my yarn stash hasn't been the same since. When I ran out of Rowan Cotton Glace to finish my cardigan, there you were to save my sweater from incompleteness.
So many times I have tried to leave you. You have stolen my heart and my hard-earned paychecks. But as soon as I say "No more!", you beg and plead for me to come back, dangling a new skein of hand-dyed sock yarn in front of my face, and my knees go weak once again.
Imagiknit, you were my first knitting love. I will always be there to haunt your walls of lace and sock yarns. I will continue to dig through your inviting baskets of Fleece Artist and Handmaiden. Imagiknit, you complete my fiber-loving soul.
With love,
Leigh
This is the first real yarn store I've been to (unless you count Michael's and Joann's!) and I was overwhelmed by the selection! They had exactly what I was looking for (Manos del Uruguay) and a large selection of other yarns. Here I was introduced to Malabrigo and Misti Alpaca - I only bought the former but discovered the latter to be the softest yarn ever! I liked that they had samples of knit items - if you purchase the yarn for them, they will give you the pattern for free. However, I wanted a pattern for a scarf that required a different type of yarn from the one I purchased, and the guy almost wouldn't give me the pattern!! :( I guess they go as a "set" or something. However, in the end, he gave me the pattern, so I can't complain too much. They had a few test knit patches of different yarn scattered throughout, but I wish they had more as it gives you a better idea of what the yarn will look like once it's knit.
After researching around online, I found that the prices at ImagiKnit are slightly highter (can range from 50 cents to a dollar or more per skein), but sometimes it's nice to actually see and feel the yarn in person before blindly purchasing it online. They also have a few couches/chairs to sit and a table in the back with lots of pattern books. I think the chairs are mainly for bfs who get dragged here - I saw one snoozing.
Some of the staff are nice; others I found to be a bit snobby, but whatever. The woman who helped me spin my hank of yarn with the ball winder was great. I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in SF.
I've been twice so far, once to sign up and buy materials for the Crochet 101 series, and the second time for class. What stands out to me is that the place is sooooo chiiiiill.
Yes, you might wait a minute or three before being helped, or just being acknowledged. Yet, rather than any condescending test of (im)patience, it's more like a loosening up of the gears of some great cosmic clock. I think if a motorcycle were to crash through the display window, hurling some leather bear clear to the back of the store, the tranquility in the place wouldn't so much as ripple.
P.S. Kurt = awesome.
This cute little yarn shop is the absolute reason that I started knitting! I walked in with a friend of mine, not long after moving to San Francisco and I was amazed with the walls covered in beautiful yarns. The staff is more than helpful in choosing the right yarn and even suggesting projects for beginners.
I have been shopping here for over a year and I'm always telling all of my friends about the BEST yarn shop in the Bay Area. I love all of the test yarns and Malabrigo exclusives. I brought a co-worker in for yarn for her first scarf and she instantly fell in love. She bought a few skeins and we were having a hard time with the ball-winder but Michelle came over and patiently helped us figure it out. Just in time, because I was about to be very frustrated. And of course, Jonah is always very helpful with any zany knitting question that I have for him.
You can lose hours of your life in this shop, much like a great bookstore. It makes life a little sweeter : )
When I first bussed my way here I was a bit worried about the neighborhood... it was already dark and, there was a few blocks of walking involved rather dark and quiet streets. While this place is in Castro, it is a bit away from the buzy booming areas.
Having said that, once I see the lights shining out from the windows of this store, I feel that I am in cozy, warm safe haven.
Oh and talk about a knitter's treasure cove! Beautiful yarns from floor to ceiling... they also have a very buyer-friendly system where, if you buy too many rolls of yarn and end up not using a few, you can keep their special invoice/receipt and they will buy them back from you! How great is that.
I am now living in Sausalito so I am not sure how convenient it is going to be for me to try to come to this store again, but I absolutely loved this store and do recommend it to fellow knitters!
I walked into ImagiKnit in search of some mohair for a super cool pair of bunny slippers that I found in "Stitch and Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker".
I don't knit, I crochet and this store sure made me a happy hooker!
There's a huge selection of all kinds of yarn arranged by material. Cotton here, wool there...everything you could ever dream of!
This place is super dangerous for a yarn collector like me. I'm constantly buying yarn and imagining the amazing things that I can stitch up with it, but I rarely finish those projects.
huge selection of yarns! HUGE! the staff is super friendly and helpful!
so many different colors and textures... every time i go in here i get lost in balls of yarn. the only problem i had was finding yarn that wasnt wool (i needed cotton for a friend who is anti wool)
but thats besides the point... right?
its worth the uphill bike ride all the way across town to get my yarn. yay for knitting!
I'm always impressed with the array of colorway choices that Imaginknit provides however it would be nice to see more non-wool fibers available in better colors. Took a class here and it was ok, a bit overpriced for the number in our group. Still, the best shop I've been to in the Bay Area. I'd like to give 4 1/2 stars for them being open 7 days a week. That's a major plus.
F jhlksehfluskeh fdUehw hfe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do not be alarmed, the previous outburst is not meant to alarm or annoy. It is merely my piss poor attempt at providing a visual picture of an unusual phenomenon recognized by knitters across the world as the Yarn Orgasm.
I had several of them during my visit to this store. If you live in this city and are a knitter, you're foolish not to come here as often as you can. If you are an out-of-towner like myself and have done adequate yarn store research, I hope your paths lead you here. I zeroed in on this bad boy months ago and feel that it absolutely lived up to my expectations.
The selection at this store is decidedly above average. There are floor-to-ceiling shelves packed full of luxurious natural fibers (for the fiber snobs amongst us) and an excellent selection of quality acrylics and acrylic blends for the more budget-conscious knitters out there (of which my husband has learned is not a group I belong to).
The employees were also made of awesome. There were 4 of them. Two of them actually greeted me and appeared genuine. Statistically speaking, this is phenomenal (as anyone who goes to yarn stores frequently can tell you). I'm a shop-alone kind of gal so I appreciate that they mostly left me alone and weren't pushy once they realized what I was all about.
So yes, this was an excellent store on all counts. I only came here to browse but was so overwhelmingly pleased by what I found that I decided to buy 2 skeins of Malabrigo lace weight that were brazenly calling my name from the bin by the door. I couldn't help myself. I'm a lace whore and that yarn was begging to come home with me.
So, I got hit with a huge dose of reality when I moved to San Francisco: Michael's isn't allowed.
Okay, Okay. I get it. We want "fancy" yarn. "Nice" yarn.
This also means "expensive" yarn...and, damnit, I'm cheap.
Pearl downtown sucks for yarn. It's picked-over and over-priced for what it is. That tiny shop on Upper Haight has pretty much nothing. Art Fibers downtown is WAY out of my price range.
Imagiknit is just right. AND THEY CARRY FIBER FOR SPINNING!!!!
Seriously, they are my go-to source for all things knitting. Extensive pattern selection and two rooms stuffed to the gills with yarn. They also have a WONDERFUL clearance section for all of you stash addicts.
And the prices are decent. It's no Michael's, but it's the best place in the city for a lower-middle-class knitter like myself.
The staff is helpful, too. They've always assisted me with subbing yarns and the like.
The yarn lined walls are filled with a diverse array of yarns, from the mundane wool or synthetic to lush cashmere and malabrigo. Pouring over the many colors and textures will make the time pass by very quickly. Once, I came to a halting point in a project and came to ImagiKnit to get more Malabrigo to finish the project. I was upset when they didn't have any stock of the shade that I was looking for, but they were so great that they said they would be able to take my name and give me a call when they got more of that color in....how cool is that? Unfortunately, my experience hasn't always been as positive....there can definitely be a snooty vibe that seems to be par for any place even remotely hip.
At any rate, it is worth the trip out to the Castro and enduring some snooty aloofness because this is one of the best yarn shops in the city.
This store is really spacious, and has a huge selection. The store is thoughtfully organized, so it's easy to find what you want. There's a cute selection of buttons, too. There are sofas and chairs around the store where you can browse through the selection of books and patterns in the back, or relax if you finish shopping while your friends are still fondling the yarns.
I've found the service here to be uneven: sometimes snobby, but more often polite and helpful. They also have a swift and winder that you can use to wind your skeins into center-pull cakes, so you can start knitting right away. They're usually happy to teach newbies how to do this.
Parking in this neighborhood can be a real pain, but it's a short walk from the J-Church, among other muni lines.
Wow. There's a lot of yarn in here. The little cubbies go up past your head and are filled to bursting. I'd heard a lot of this place and was always curious about it. But it's so off the beaten path for me. It was just always on my list of shops to check out if I happened to be in the neighborhood.
I'm glad that I finally did get a chance to go in. I immediately dropped $40 in yarn. Not a ton of money but I'm a newbie knitter so it just seems like a lot for one visit. I felt that the service was good. I was asked twice if I needed any help and they were really sweet about it. The only negative comment I have is that I overheard someone being offered a frequent buyer's card (one of those punch/stamp card deals). When I went to make my purchase there was no mention of this card. Inconsistent.
But otherwise it was a good visit.
An adorable little shop in the Castro district of SF, which means: Men working in a knitting store! The people here are so sweet and helpful. I really didn't need any more yarn, but dang it, they had a bunch of cool knitting/project bags and totes that called my name. But if I were looking for yarn, there are skeins and skeins of drool-worthy fibers packed in cubbies from floor to ceiling, and they're arranged by weight, going in a counterclockwise direction throughout the store. So you start with your lace weight when you walk in the door and end with the bulky weights at the end. There's also a selection of knitting tools as well as knitting-related impulse items to wring the $$ out of any self-respecting knitter. They offer classes here too so it's a full-service knitting store. Whether you're just thinking of getting into knitting or are an expert, you'll find something here to intrigue you. Oh, and they let me use their bathroom--double plus good!
My non-existent inner knitter really wanted to come out.
It has that Lovejoy's Tea Room feeling-cozy & filled with old mismatched antique furniture and its shelves are piled miles high with yarns of all shapes, sizes & colors & textures. Wools, chenilles, linens & all the accouterments a would-be-knitter would need.
I was probably the only non-knitter in the store but I found some beautiful hand painted & some sequined yarns for my holiday project this year-god's eyes. Prices range from the moderate to kinda spendy.
One day, I'll release my non-existent knitter & let her run free here to play but without my credit card.
Lovely yarns, huge selection, righteous prices.
The service was a little lacking, but not intolerably lame.
One word: Malabrigo. If you need it, they have the most varieties and colors, including test yarns from the factory.
I bought some yarn that is made from recycled cotton.
I am definitely coming back. I am a hard core yarnie. They had stuff I never knew existed.
SA-WEET!
I yelped this place before stepping foot inside, and I have to say, thank you fellow Yelpers!
I walked in not knowing what to expect... I'm a beginning stage knitter (I can knit, purl, yo, ktog, but that's about it) and walked in just wanting to peruse the shelves.
The girl (JR I think?) was SOOOO helpful. I think at one point I just looked like I wanted to give up and she felt so bad for me and really kind of stuck with me throughout the whole process from picking a pattern, the yarn and the needles. She even told me to come in anytime during the week if I needed help completing a project.
Also, she helped me ball the yarn, which ended up being way more fun than I anticipated. It is a bit pricey, but the quality is SO nice that it's worth it!
Thank you so much ImagiKnit for all your help!
"Oh, my girlfriend Karolyn and I love us some knittin'. We took a knitting class there and it was all sorts of fun. It could have been that we always met for cocktails beforehand, but honestly it was a good group. Our second class was crochet and, well, that didn't work for us. The teacher was about as friendly as sitting on cactus. Didn't learn much that time.
The shop in general is lovely and they have everything you need to fulfill your knitting project fantasy. While it will cost you, the staff is also there to help you with any questions you may have. Despite my bummer of a crochet class, I still give them five stars."
as are most yarn stores... it's pricey, but a great selection. they have sales all the time and a punch card that after you have filled it up you get 10% off your next purchase.
the place also has a nice cozy feel with the sofas and the random works strewn around. i only wish they sold more crochet needle sizes. oh well... it is still my first choice in yarn stores.
I'm not a crafty girl. I see other women, you know, those women who bake vegan cupcakes and do leathercrafting, women who throw together little slips of something fabulous on their sewing machines 30 minutes before going out, women who bead their own wedding dresses and knit bikinis and bind their own books. I'm not one of those awesome creative creatures that make places like Portland and SF so great.
In fact, I am a total spaz.
But Amy -- the Great Goddess of Patience Incarnate -- has taught me how to knit!
It is because of her (and Imagiknit, and my husband who bought me the knitting lessons for Christmas) that I have something to do with my hands while I slack away my pregnancy, atop the pillow nest on my couch and --hooray!-- no longer snacking on anything that isn't nailed down.
This store is well-stocked, easy to navigate, and staffed with very nice people. Plus-- a cute little dog!
Cozy, happy, five stars. I will be back for the hat class in February. Baby needs a woolly new lid!
Walls from top to bottom from every color of the rainbow greet me as I walk in. I spot some Twinkle by Wenlan yarn. Why hello luuuuver!
Combing through the shelves was a feat in itself even though skeins are organized by label and weight. I drift into the other large room, find a baby section, small table in the back, books, buttons, and some sale yarn - seems like there's a whole dedicated section for it!
There are some display scarves and hats up for sale, you know when you are crunched for time and want to give a handknit present and pass it off as your own.
I would've liked to give 5 stars, but I had high expectations. There were two small couches, one in each room, and I just didn't get the feel that people hang out to knit there. Maybe my timing was off.
The classes offered were really basic and few. And I didn't see many knit pieces on display. Or maybe the ones that were on the racks weren't that inspiring. I guess that's where your imagiknation comes in.
Still, if I lived in the neighborhood, it would be my favorite LYS.
Why can't I leave this store without spending $150?
Oh, yes... I'd love to roll around in the yarns they sell there.
I think I go to Imagiknit at least once a week, just to check out the stuff they've got. Yes, I do end up leaving with at least two skeins of yarn that I don't need or know what to do with, but who cares? I love it...
The people that work there are super nice and extremely helpful. They know just what you need if you tell them what you want to make.
Oh, and all of the hand knits they have there on sale and as samples are just super fun to look at. When I go in there, I wish I could just get everything! The selection of yarns there is just amazing...
Sigh... I really want to like it there, but sometimes I leave feeling more wound up than my ball of yarn...It's like grandma's house, when grandma is a repressed, her patience is thin, and she's jonesing for valium. There's gay man grandma and regular lady grandma; it all runs tense.
I've been praying to the Yarn Gods asking for a miracle... help me find peace in this otherwise charming store. Here's what beamed down from above: they have a great selection and an easy breezy location. And answering annoying, banal knitting questions again and again will prickle even the most saintly of grandmas. (I know, because I teach knitting myself!) The place is freezing, especially in the winter, because one room is like a converted garage. You'd think with all those balls of yarn lining the walls it'd serve as some kind of insulation. Maybe they're edgy because they're freezing.
I'd say I've gotten friendly service there about half the time. It depends on who's helping you or what kind of mood they're in. Best to ask the underlings; newer people who work there, who haven't lost their bright eyed, bushy tailed spark. It's the other half that makes me want to take a bath afterwards. Even the way they talk to each other is tense in a subtle, waspy way, like they're just barely keeping their annoyance under yarny wraps. Ideally, I wouldn't have to ask a question, ever. If I ask more than one or two questions; i'm pushing it; I definitely think twice before asking. (the questions I was asking were about special ordering yarn...)
I'm thinking I should succumb to the wasp factor and take a valium before shopping there. I'd feel better about spending my money when i'm numbed up. I really want to like it, but I mostly just feel uncomfortable when I'm there.
The largest yarn store in SF and the best (in terms of selection). They expanded a few years ago, knocking down a wall in the process. The place is organized by yarn type (wool, synthetics, cotton, etc.) They carry the best yarn brands (Noro, Debbie Bliss, Manos, Jo Sharp, etc.) and always have a sale section.
The main room has wool yarns and needles, while the other room has knitting books, non-wool yarns, and knitting cases. There are some cute knitting related gifts like greeting cards with knitted squares, fancy knitting needles, tags to sew onto your knitted pieces (e.g., hand knit with love by...), and knitted animal ornaments. The staff might not greet you but they are helpful and knowledgeable once approached.
They also have sample squares for most yarns with clear signage that tells you more about the yarn. Plus they have knitting and crochet classes and a blog, http://www.imagiknit.c...
You earn a stamp on the frequent buyer program card for every $25 spent.
Yes, I RIDE A MOTORCYCLE
Yes, I HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
Yes, I AM A PASTOR
Yes, I am an ASIAN MALE
and YES I KNIT!
Just try to figure me out . . . and while you are doing so head on down to the best knitting store in SF and make a hat!
Let me pile on to and affirm the praise that has already been given!
2 Stars - Staff is great (helpful, quirky, diverse)
2 Stars - Selection is fantabuloso (Anything you would want)
1 Star - Prices decent, but great sales!
I think that equals a big 5'er for this yelper!
I love this yarn shop. They have some beautiful yarns. They are a bit pricey so I have to really save my $$ in order to buy yarn there. They do always have yarn on sale but if you are knitting on a budget you have to only buy the sale stuff. I love going in there just to get some inspiration. The staff is very friendly and cool and are always willing to help pick out yarn for projects.
