Seattle is a knitter’s Valhalla: The cool, damp climate practically requires wearing cozy knitted gear, and the region has a large, active fiber and needle arts community. If you need evidence of how enthusiastically Seattle supports knitting, consider that many yarn stores here are open 7 days a week. And of course Seattle itself is a major draw, with a bustling, cosmopolitan city center and tremendous physical beauty and wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities everywhere. Note: Seattle is the heart of a large metropolitan area with many more yarn stores than are covered here. The shops listed here are close to central Seattle and fairly easy to get to, so even if your business doesn’t allow you to wander very far from the city center you can still find some knitting mojo. For listings of stores farther afield, see lystour.com or the Seattle Knitter’s Guild Directory of Local Shops.
Yarn Stores
Two yarn stores are close to downtown Seattle, but one of them requires a bit of a scenic detour: Churchmouse Yarns and Teas is on Bainbridge Island, a 35-minute ferry ride across Elliott Bay. Pier 52 is a short walk from downtown Seattle, and the ferry {view ferry schedule} costs less than $10 round trip and leaves frequently, so getting to Bainbridge Island isn’t as daunting as you might fear. The view on the ride over, and the scenery once you arrive, are definitely worth the trip. A short walk from the ferry terminal brings you to Churchmouse. This bright, spacious shop has yarn is arranged by weight, accented by lots of enticing sample garments, many of which were made from original shop patterns. The shop sells tea, packaged nibbles, and teatime accoutrements, but it isn’t a cafe. There are plenty of spots for snacking along Winslow Way, though, as well as window-shopping opportunities.
Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
118 Madrone Lane, Bainbridge Island
Monday–Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10–6, Thursday 10–8, Sunday noon–5.
Back on the mainland, most sights of interest to tourists are along First Avenue, including Pike Place Market and the Seattle Art Museum. Toward the top of First (at Bell St.), on the way to the Space Needle, is So Much Yarn. Cozy, well-organized and tidy, So Much Yarn stocks a broad selection of yarn and buttons. Look for self-striping sock yarn from Caryn’s Creations, hand-dyed in the colors of Seattle sports teams, and check out the boutique next door, The Endless Knot.
So Much Yarn
2302 First Ave.; Monday 10–6, Tuesday 10–8, Wednesday–Saturday 10–6, Sunday 11–5.
If you’re in the University neighborhood (near the University of Washington), there are a couple of yarn stores close by. On the east side, handy to the 25th Ave. NE thoroughfare (and just above the University Village Mall), is Acorn Street Shop.
Knitters walking in will be heartened to see floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with yarn and a nook that’s very well stocked with needles and notions. The shop’s extensive class schedule includes clinics for individual help, as well as scheduled free demonstrations. Just up the block from Acorn Street Shop is the Queen Mary Tea Room, where you can sit and have breakfast, lunch, or formal tea. Be forewarned that the Queen Mary is something of a commitment; it’s not conducive to ducking in for a quick, inexpensive cup of coffee.
Acorn Street Shop
2818 NE 55th St.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10–6, Tuesday and Thursday 10–8, Sunday noon–5.
To the northwest of the university is Weaving Works. You could easily lose an afternoon browsing through everything stocked here. You’ll find supplies and and books for just about any fiber art you can imagine, including silk painting, weaving, and basketry. Weaving Works has the largest selection of books of any shop I visited in Seattle, plus raw fleece, silk cocoons, and roving for spinners. Some of the streets in this neighborhood are tricky, so it’s a good idea to follow the driving directions on the Web site or call the shop for directions.
4717 Brooklyn Ave NE
Monday–Wednesday and Friday 10–6, Thursday 10–8, Saturday 10–5, Sunday 11–3.
In the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, not very far from the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Fiber Gallerydevotes a healthy section to organic and environment-friendly yarns from sources including soy, recycled cotton, and unusual plant fibers like nettles and banana silk. One unexpected find was hand-dyed roving from Slug Ranch Fibers, in Snohomish, Washington. Their great selection of books is arranged enticingly on a front table for easy browsing, and they offer lots of classes and group stitching opportunities.
Fiber Gallery
7000 Greenwood Ave. N.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11–6, Tuesday 11–9, Thursday 11-8, Saturday 10–6, Sunday noon–5.
Wallingford is an attractive, human-scaled village within Seattle, not far from Green Lake. This is a decidedly nontouristy neighborhood, but you could spend a very pleasant couple of hours strolling along 45th Street and exploring the shops and restaurants.
Wallingford Center, on the corner of 45th and Wallingford, is converted schoolhouse that dates from 1904 and contains about 15 shops and restaurants, including Bad Woman Yarn, a compact shop with a respectable selection. Look for hand-blown glass shawl pins and Lantern Moon knitting totes. Right across the arcade is Crackerjack Contemporary Crafts, an amazingly tastefully curated store specializing in the work of American artisans. A major reason to make the trip to Wallingford Center is Trophy Cupcakes and Party for an over-the-top cupcake.
Bad Woman Yarn
1815 N. 45th St.
Monday–Friday 10–8, Saturday 10–6, Sunday 11–5.
Artistic inspiration
In the heart of downtown, a few blocks from the waterfront, the Seattle Art Museum is compact and emphasizes contemporary art. There’s an intriguing “bead quiz” and video of local bead artists. Don’t miss the display of African masks on the third floor—it’s very striking, and the rest of the Africa and Oceania collection has some nice surprises as well. Throughout the museum you’ll find high-tech flourishes such as video digitally projected on translucent scrims, as befits the high-tech powerhouse that Seattle has become.
Seattle Art Museum
1300 First Ave.
suggested donation $13
Tuesday–Wednesday and Saturday–Sunday 10–5, Thursday and Friday 10–9.
Hammering Man, in front of the
Seattle Art Museum,
has become a city landmark.
The Seattle Asian Art Museum is a small, elegant jewel in the verdant setting of Volunteer Park (designed by Frederick Law Olmsted). The gorgeously preserved Art Deco building was the original home of the Seattle Art Museum.
Like its sibling the Seattle Art Museum, SAAM has a great kids’ activity room, with guided activities keyed to the current exhibit. It’s clear from the comfy chairs, books, and toys that both parents and kids are welcome to hang out awhile—which is a great way to dispel the idea that museums are hushed temples of high culture, where reverent gazing is the only activity allowed. In the skylit central courtyard, the small cafe is surrounded by sculptures and friezes, reminiscent of the sculpture court in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Seattle Asian Art Museum
1400 E. Prospect Street, Volunteer Park
suggested donation $5
Wednesday and Friday–Sunday 10–5, Thursday 10–9.
Events
by Swedish designer Elsebeth Lavold, as well as
the Nordic Knitting Conference, in 2009.
For immersion in all things fiber, the Pacific Northwest has the Madrona Fiber Arts winter retreat, in its 10th year. With loads of classes by both nationally known and home-grown instructors, a marketplace, and drop-in demonstrations and clinics, the 2009 winter retreat can scratch just about any knitting or spinning itch.
In 2009 retreat was held February 12 through 15 at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, less than an hour south of Seattle. Classes always fill up very quickly but you can be put on the waiting list, and the marketplace and demonstrations are open to anyone. Signing up for the mailing list will alert you to future retreats, as well as the smaller, less formal classes that Madrona’s organizers occasionally put together.
{Madrona Fiber Arts Site} {sign up for their mailing list}
One of the 2009 Madrona instructors, Elsebeth Lavold, has an exhibit at Seattle’s Nordic Heritage Museum through April 5, 2009. “Knitting Along the Viking Trail” shows the Viking motifs that inspired Lavold’s beautiful, intricate cabled designs, along with plenty of her knitted garments. Lavold also taught a series of knitting workshops at the Nordic Heritage Museum in early February 2009, which sold out, and she was a popular presenter at the first Nordic Knitting conference, in October 2007.
Nordic Heritage Museum
3014 NW 67th St.
$6 admission; Tuesday–Saturday 10–4, Sunday noon–4.
the first Nordic Knitting
Conference in
November 2007
Community
The Seattle Knitter’s Guild has regular meetings (usually with speakers) monthly and a calendar that lists open knitting sessions, such as those offered by the local yarn stores.
About the Author: Rebecca Freed
Rebecca Freed is a writer and editor who works on technical publications to support her yarn habit. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and blogs at rebeccafreed.typepad.com.
Text and images © 2009 Rebecca Freed. Contact Rebecca.
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