The Naked Sheep Knit Shop

The Naked Sheep Knit shop is fabulous! Great location, vibrant colors throughout and great stock levels! Nicely laid out shop, you will find fun yarns and baskets, notions and comfy places to sit. Big classroom in back of shop. Also the sign in the bathroom is so funny; it is worth stopping in for to make you laugh out loud. Enjoy! Come visit!

This is a smaller LYS type yarn shop. They have a knitting night on Thursdays. There are several types of yarn, such as wool, alpaca, hemp, available in a variety of hues. Patterns are sold. Their prices are standard for LYS.

I’m from California and I was visiting this shop I was only up this way for a day and ½ so I Picked one shop I wanted to stop at I knew I wouldn’t have time to go to more. I looooved the name so cute. The shop is very open and I loved the setup. They have different finished products that were made with different yarn which was really nice. When I arrived there were two ladies one that worked there and one that was there just making knitting something. The lady that worked there didn’t greet us when we walked in or really help I walked around looking for some yarn and not once did she ask if I needed any help. I had to go up to her and ask her for help. She was very helpful though and she was very nice. When I checked out she was very nice and we made some small talk. Overall it was a nice experience and I will definitely go back to this shop when I visit again. Last but not least Don’t let the knit part of the name fool you they are crochet friendly as well I picked up a couple new hooks and stitch markers :)

Excellent customer service and atmosphere. Staff is always friendly and willing to answer a wide range of knitting questions.

I sat in the store for five hours one hot day and the owner helped me on my project. She is so nice and helpful. I really like this store because of the owner and the ability to sit and ask questions for hours without feeling annoying or unwanted.

I just started knitting less than a month ago (a friend is teaching me), and I screwed up the cap I’m knitting, so I decided to visit this shop and see if they could help me. Cheri (who I guess is the owner) was there on the Sunday I went in, and was very helpful and patient. The store is smaller than I few of the other knit shops I’ve been to, but it looks like they have a good selection, and since it’s close to where I live, I’ve be going back for yarn, and probably more advice.

I’ve been in this shop 3 times now trying to get excited about my local yarn store since it is in the neighborhood. Each time I’ve walked in, there’s a group of people knitting and talking, and I’ve looked around for about 20 minutes without anyone acknowledging me, saying hello or asking if I need help. The person behind the counter wasn’t busy helping anyone else, but still never said anything to me until I went to the counter and purchased my yarn. The selection and quality of yarn is good, but the staff seems too clique-​y and engaged in conversation to help customers.

I’ve been taking classes here and wow! I went from absolutely no knowledge about knitting to being pretty darn ok!
I’ve received nothing but warm welcomes and friendly service from all the people who work there and intend to be a repeat customer for many years to come!

I called to find out if the store carried a pattern/​chart holder that I’d seen online, so I called Cheri and oh joy, they had it! I told her I couldn’t get out because of the snow and could she hold it for me. She could! So today I drove all the way out to north Portland to pick it up. Yeah, it’s a really long drive for me, but I didn’t want to wait till someone online could ship it for me.
There were a number of ladies knitting by the front door, and they all smiled at me and said hello when I walked in. That meant a lot to me. I’ve gone into other yarn stores where the knitting group just ignores me.
Cheri showed me just how the folding chart holder works, and then I browsed through the yarns. I didn’t need any, but I did pick up a Knit and Spin magazine that I’ve been wanting.
I got wonderful customer service again and wished I could’ve stayed longer, but I had a lot of errands to run. The shop is so light and airy, and the selection of yarns and accessories is excellent.
The only negative thing is that it’s so far away from me! Thanks for another great shopping experience, Cheri.

This is a great yarn shop. It has a wonderful community that has developed among the customers. Cheri is always helpful, with project issues, yarn and other knitting needs. I do have to say that sometimes when there are groups hanging out knitting, we can get boisterous and rambunctious. So come join the fun!
I do have to reply to Candice B — I want to tell her that it is standard policy that all special orders from any yarn shop are non refundable. If you order it you pay for it, so don’t order it unless you really want it.

3 REASONS WHY THE NAKED SHEEP IS MY FAVORITE YARN STORE IN STUMP TOWN. (I’d list a lot more, but I don’t need to be as long-​winded, so I chose my top 3 things).
#1: GREAT PLACE FOR KNITTING COMMUNITY:
Portland already has an array of amazing yarn stores but this one really gets the importance of building a strong community of knitters and fiber-​crafters. The owners, Cheri & Brad) are lovely people who are both charming and welcoming (Mr. Brad is so funny he often has me in stitches), so much so that they’ve attracted a very wonderful group of knitters and crocheters. I’ve noticed that a few yarn stores in town sometimes send a chilly vibe or judge you because you ask newbie questions about knitting or yarn choices. Not so here at the Naked Sheep. They value novices as well as experts in the craft here at the shop.
More, Cheri, takes an active interest in promoting crochet. As an avid crocheter I appreciated this so much that I agreed to teach crochet classes at Cheri’s wonderfully inclusive shop.
#2: LOVE THAT I CAN ORDER YARN I NEED:
And in addition, I’ve been easily able to order Cascade Yarns quite quickly if I need a sweater sized amount (or a full sized bag) of a color for a special project from this shop. They also will order some of the other yarn brands, but Cascade orders seem to come in most quickly. If you’re planning a larger project this can be most helpful and easier than having to scour the internet or other shops for skeins of yarn in the same dyelot.
#3: WELCOMES THE SUPPORTLAND CARD
Finally they use the Supportland Card to track purchases here which means that one less frequent buyer I need to carry around in a wallet that can already rival George Castanza’s.

it’s rare that I take the time to write about a shop. Good experience, bad experience — I don’t usually bother (I’m from the east coast). A place has to be extraordinary one way or another for me to take the time to write a review.
The Naked Sheep fits this bill to perfection.
Cheri has created such a warm and friendly atmosphere that the store has become like a gravitational pull for me.
My knitting has improved too — her classes are insightful; her prices fair; her personality– fantastic — what more could anyone want?
Back east I was once brought to tears at a shop, here it would only be through the laughter shared on a Thursday Knit Night.
Thank you for doing what you do Cheri … I am so happy I stumbled across your shop,

I’ve shopped here several times and always feel like I’ve interrupted a private party I wasn’t invited to. Each time, the indifferent owner has been so engrossed in a conversation with one of her friends that she can’t be bothered to say «hello», let alone offer up any customer service. They have a small, decent selection of yarns & normally I seek out local businesses. But there are better yarn stores in town with friendly, service-​driven employees.

My first (and last) experience with this shop was absolutely terrible.
The owner is a hateful, nasty woman who doesn’t greet you when you come in or thank you/​wish you a good day when you leave — she knit and ignored us for several minutes when we arrived, despite only one other person being there, who was also knitting. Even when I summoned up the courage to speak with her and explained what I was looking for (my husband took me to pick out a knitting/​crochet kit as a present) she continually pushed a set that cost more and belittled what I was interested in, saying the only reason to choose it was it was «cheap»!
She also lies outrageously — both my husband and I heard her say it «could take up to» 2 weeks for the kit they didn’t have to arrive when she ordered it right then and there and we paid for it, witnessing this. Not to mention no receipt, and she conveniently left out very pertinent information.
It took 3.5 weeks (nearly a month) to arrive and by then we didn’t need it anymore. When we called to tell them we wouldn’t be picking it up and to issue a refund, first she wouldn’t listen to my husband and said that sales are final on special orders (she NEVER informed us it was a special order, OR their policies for them) so, I called her.
I was patient and calm with the shop owner but she continually refused to listen to me, even ignoring me when I cited the website for the store’s guarantee,
«At this time, we do not sell yarn or needles on-​line.
Give us a call, and we’d be happy to ship something out to you.
Yarn, needles, more patterns?
Take a look at the products we stock in our Portland store.
Give us a call, and let us know what you’re looking for.
We’re always happy to help.
Your Order is Guaranteed!
If you are not 100% Satisfied, let us know and we will make it right!»
All she would offer was store credit, and from the sneering attitude she had with me from the beginning I never wanted to go to her store again, so I declined the store credit and again requested a refund — mind you, this is on merchandise that is brand new, that we have not picked up or even touched, and she again refused! She lied when she said, «I TOLD you I wouldn’t order it until January 1^st!» (We WATCHED her order it and heard exactly what she said together.) I suggested I would contact the BBB, to which she laughed! It was amusing how determined she was to be horrid to me, because at one point she told me, «I won’t talk to you anymore, I have CUSTOMERS to take care of!» To which I said, «I am a customer.» She viciously replied, «I will put you on hold!!»
When she came back she again refused to issue any refund on the brand-​new items we had not picked up, so I was left with nothing else I could do but to let her know that if she refused to issue a refund, we would have to contact our credit card company and have them dispute the charge.
She became even more hateful and nasty towards me after this, if it were possible, and grudgingly stated she would refund our money, but that I may never set foot in her store, in fact, I was not allowed to call her store ever again, and she would only deal with my husband!
When she did speak with my husband she drilled it into him how very banned I am once again, and a few days later we received our refund.
The horrible customer service and lying alone, regardless of my «status» there, I would never go back — there are plenty of other local friendly, non-​cliquish yarn stores that are happy to receive my business, and quite a bit of it.

I absolutely must update this review. If I could give the Naked Sheep 10 stars I totally would. Last night I went in the shop with a cap I was working on. Somehow I’d managed to mangle it within inches of completion. Seeking only advice I took out my project and asked «is it fixable?» Cheri looked over the mess I’d made for a moment, pointed out where I’d lost my way, pulled out a few rows and explained to me how to fix it. I was invited to sit while I made a few corrections and Cheri even wrote down a brief (but super helpful) guide for how to complete my cap.
Not only was this beyond what I was expecting but Cheri even postponed her dinner to take care of me. You couldn’t ask for better a friendlier place,

I love this shop! Besides being in my neighborhood, Cherie is great, the selection of yarn is great and the prices are great. Oh, and did I mention that everyone who comes in the door is greeted and actually helped by a real and friendly human being?
Can’t say enough good things about Naked Sheep Knit Shop! And, if the music is the only negative thing you can find about this business, I’d say that’s a pretty flimsy excuse to not shop there. Do you like the music at Freddie’s?

First — read the «filtered» reviews at the bottom. Not sure how Unilocal does this filter but I think they need to update it.
Anywho — LOVE the shop. I’m a 10+ years knitter and been to shops all over the country and I have to say the N.S. is one of the friendliest and fun-​est shops. The regular group is warm and eccclectic. The conversation is varied — funny, educational, raunchy, heartbreaking and uplifting. All while knitting!!! I am, once again, fascinated by the people who knit at the shop, their stories, their projects and their hearts. LOVE IT!!! It is the atmosphere the Cheri, the owner, cultivates.
Why four stars– for me personally — location. I’m on the other side and corner of the city and most of the time the traffic is not fun. Clearly not Cheri’s problem as she always has a warm smile everytime I, or anyone else, walks through the door and it makes up for the irritation of the 5N.

The ladies here are the best. Since my neighborhood knitting & yarn shop closed, I don’t get over here often enough. They have an amazing selection, excellent service and the people are some of the nicest you can find.
I’m sorry someone thought the music was weird, but PORTLAND IS WEIRD. Get over it. If you own a shop, you have the right to play what you want. The owners put their blood, sweat, and tears into the place. I can overlook most music for 20 or so minutes.
Knit shops are about finding that amazing yarn that you can’t get anywhere else, finding someone who can help you figure out that gnarly pattern or take a class from an expert who’s made that silly sock 50 times over.
Portland needs shops like this (but not too many or this one may go away too!) :)
BTW — you want weird music, go to that knitting shop on Broadway. There you will experience weird music, pay high prices AND be ignored. Here, you just get great service, kind staff and a great shop. :)

Arctic Blast 08 had gotten to me in a big way and I needed an indoor activity aside from tv watching cat petting (and, you know, beer drinking). So I headed over to the Naked Sheep in search of yarn, needles, and most importantly a book to teach me how to knit.
I expected the woman manning the store to frown upon my attempt to teach myself, and instead force me into a class. But she was actually incredibly helpful, selecting a book that she thought would be most helpful, and pointing me in the direction of the best yarns for the first project in the book. Once I had picked the prettiest yarns she selected the right needles and gave me a few warnings (beginners always knit too tight, don’t knit too tight! I did. I think it looks neater.) She also invited me to their weekly knitting night to get help on my first project, or just to hangout and meet other knitters and be inspired. I approve.
As far as price and selection I can’t comment all that much, as I said, this was my first project. But they seemed to have a range of yarns, although the store isn’t huge. There’s a section of books in the back, including a big section of what appeared to be reference patterns, and a table for perusing said books. There’s a sitting area in front, where they apparently host Thursday knitting nights.
Overall super cozy and friendly. Even if you can’t find your perfect yarn I’m sure you could strike up a conversation about your new favorite design and pick up a new technique or two.

I decided to teach myself to knit with a kit from CostCo over a vacation. Needless to say, that didn’t work so well. Living in the neighborhood, I went in and talked to Cheri, and got signed up for a learn to knit class. That was January 2007, and I’ve been a knitting fool ever since.
Friendly and knowledgeable, a large selection clearly labeled with easy to understand logic, and just two blocks away, how can I go wrong? I would recommend them to anyone with a knitting bug.