Greenwich Yarn

I went to this store yesterday to buy some yarn, and left in a state of semi-​disbelief. I don’t think I have ever been treated so rudely in a retail establishment. When I got home I looked up Greenwich Yarn on Unilocal,and found that I’m not alone in being treated this way here. Customers don’t deserve to be treated with such disdain.

I wish I would have read these reviews before I went here! Talk about an awkward experience. I entered the store and there was a group of ladies sitting around a table knitting ~ which is cool. No one said anything when I came in, but when I started looking at yarn a lady approached me to ask if I had questions. She wasn’t friendly and she wasn’t rude, she just seemed uninterested. Nothing is marked with prices so you have to ask each time for how much something is and they have to check their pricing binder to tell you. The lady helping me later seemed irritated when I was asking prices. I felt a bit obligated to get something since I had been poking her around asking questions so I did leave with some nice yarn, but I wasn’t happy at all with the experience.
They have a lot of product and it’s nicely organized. The shop clearly have a tie in with the community, since they had a class going on, which is great, but I felt so unwelcome. I really did feel like I was interrupting the worker by being there. I would suggest having a cheery person working to greet people. Also, post the prices so customers don’t have to ask and don’t feel like they might be getting ripped off. Those two things right there would make a huge difference.

I made the trek into the city to do some yarn shopping here. Apparently they’re closed. From May 27^th– June 4^th.
Prior to heading up, I had checked out their website to review the yarn brands they carried. No info on their vacation/​odd closing days.
Negative stars on the customer service side
If I ever make it back to this location I’ll consider amending my star rating.

I’ve never felt so unwelcome in a shop ever! I entered the store while there was a knitting class on and no one even raised their eyes to me. I asked for help with some yarn but was ignored for a good 5 minutes. Eventually when I was helped, I was treated like I didn’t have any business being in there. When there are helpful, supportive stores around, I certainly won’t be giving my money to this one in the future!

I had an excellent experience at Greenwich Yarn today! The owner was instructing a beginner, but she took time to walk me around the store to show me all the products which might interest me (I was looking for fingering weight for socks or a shawl). I found a ton of things I liked but ended up buying a new Cascade handpaint super wash at an excellent price. Got two different color ways and I waited for a couple of minutes while she wound the skeins for me. I loved my purchase and enjoyed my visit!

At Greenwich Yarn, I had the worst customer experience I’ve ever had in a yarn store. The two old ladies knitting at the table didn’t greet me as I walked in. I asked if they sold any organic yarn. One of them said, «no,» and nothing else. Because it was clear they didn’t want me to be there, I strolled around for about 20 minutes and looked at every single yarn (as others have mentioned, the lack of visible prices is irritating). I was ignored the entire time I was there. I never went back, nor will I ever. Even though it’s a short walk from my home, I prefer to drive across town to Imagiknit.
I’ve talked with other people about this shop, and all but one have had the same experience as me.

If you want personalized service and great yarns this is the only place in town. I have been to every yarn shop in the city and this one is by far the best. Laurie is great and is unbelievably good at assisting you with almost any problems.

I come to San Francisco frequently to visit my daughter and her family. I have only visited 2 of the yarn shops over the last 16 months. I will definitely return to Greenwich Yarn. Not sure, but I think the nice lady who was minding the shop is the owner. I was the only person in the shop for about ½ an hour and was browsing after she pointed out all of her sock yarn (lots). Another woman came in with here knitting very excited to show «the owner» her progress. They sat down together and I couldn’t help but eavesdrop (small space). The «owner» helped her patron and was very encouraging and nice. I spoke up at one point and they happily included me in their conversation, even inviting me back to knit whenever I am in town. Very friendly experience.

I’ve been coming to this shop on and off for thirty years — off only because I didn’t knit for periods of time. This is a wonderful place … to knit, hang-​out with friends, make new friends, laugh, and yes, have lunch. I can understand how some might feel intimidated (I did), but we are honestly a good group of men and women who love to knit, and learn new techniques. Laurie, the sole owner, is a knit-​genius and is always more than willing to help with a problem, a mistake, or any question anyone has. With her help I have completed project after project and love each one. She has a remarkable selection of yarns (wools, cottons, silks, and blends) that make selecting a project a piece-​of-​cake. Laurie will assist with appropriate yarn selection and calculations. Everyone is welcome to come back any time with any question until your project is complete. She also teaches knitting. Our small dogs are welcome as well. Please come join us around the table to knit, learn, and laugh. It’s a ton of fun! We’ll be looking for you!
Thanks for reading this through … Ming C.

Nice stuff but seriously, how rude can the staff be?

Coming to the Greenwich yarn shop is without a doubt one of the best experiences that I have ever had. I joined the wonderful group of ladies and the fantastic owner, Laurie, 10 months ago. I have formed incredible friendships and have gotten so much help and encouragement from everyone. Laurie, is very soft spoken and extremely modest. I’m not sure she knows how truly talented she is. She is a master knitter and has always been there for me, teaching with great patience and friendship. I am quite surprised by the negative reviews, because that has certainly not been my experience. Yes, we do sit around the big table, and sometimes have lunch, but we all try to be very welcoming to everyone that comes into the shop. Sometimes you may have to wait for help from Laurie, but it is well worth the wait!!!
Knitting is challenging, frustrating, exhilarating, and completely addictive. This is one addiction I am proud to say that I have acquired.
Take a chance and learn to knit at the Greenwich Yarn shop. You will not be disappointed and along the way you will meet some fabulous women, occasionally some lovely men and all in all you will have a feeling of creating something that is uniquely yours.

If a yarn store has such poor customer service– I’m not even going to give them a try. thanks Unilocal

This is an update. I have frequented several yarn stores in San Francisco and this one is the best. A long table awaits customers with many knitters who are friendly and welcoming. The star of this table is the owner
Laurie Nelson who will give lessons or just advice to all who enter. In the back of the store are many yarns on sale.
But what is most special is that Laurie will not push you to buy. Often she stops me from buying too much yarn. Can you imagine that happening in any other store?
Greenwich is the best.

a year later since my review, this place has become home. i go in there as often as i can and love all the ladies there. i am 23 and a very new beginner to the knitting and have been helped every step of the way. i just knitted a dress, yes a DRESS, for mardi gras (i am from new orleans) and it turned out FABULOUS.
as far as the reviews of high prices:
SF is the most expensive city in the nation. knitting is an extremely expensive habit and those two combined are a deadly combination for the wallet. there is no acrylic yarn here, no faked dyed stuff. it is extremely high quality stuff, some hand dyed by ladies in the shop. if you want red heart or anything along those lines ($ 4/​skein) then head to walmart. if you want great feeling yarn that turns out amazing knitted up, head here.
also, in relation to the table of people sitting around…
i am one of them on an almost regular basis and ALWAYS say a greeting to anyone walking in, i’m southern, it’s in my blood. if you feel intimidated, come in, sit down! i love meeting new people and know the other ladies do too. if the owner (Laurie) is busy (and a lot of times she is swamped with questions, concerns, etc) please be patient. i can understand it can be frustrating when there are a lot of people waiting to talk to the knitting queen (she literally can help with ANYTHING!) but it is only her.
in this update, i still love this shop. after moving here just over a year ago from new orleans, this place really saved me. the good conversations, the good food, the great knitters, i couldnt ask for a better place to make me feel so at home in this often crazy city :)

The yarn: Descent selection of various brands. They seem to have a lot of Noro here. BUT I couldn’t find a price on anything except the sale items in the back (which, on sale, seemed to be the price they should have been marked in the first place). I don’t like having to ask for pricing or having a surprise at the register.
Staff: Not a greeting or peep until after 20 mins when they saw I was about to leave.

Seemingly good selection of yarn, but absolutely horrendous customer service…
I walked in the other day to find a half a dozen women circling the table, knitting away. No one even looked up as I entered, so I wondered if perhaps they were having a class and were not actually open to the general public. I asked if they were open and received, «Could we be any more open?» Then nothing.
I smiled and waited. I couldn’t figure out who actually worked there and who were customers, so I scanned the table for any sort of recognition, and I finally asked who worked there. I got a wave of the arm to two people – the cranky old bat that had already been rude and another woman leaning over a knitting project who hadn’t even glanced my way.
I finally just said to the masses that I was new to the area and looking for a local yarn shop to frequent and that I had a mistake I was hoping to get help with.
The response: «Get in line.»
Now I can understand that they were busy and that this cliquish group around the table were perhaps awaiting their own help, but at least one of the two women who worked there could have said as much. A simple greeting followed by, «We’re a little busy now, but feel free to have a seat and knit with us,» would have sufficed.
Customer service, or rather simple manners, are important to me, so I now drive to another yarn shop instead of just walking down the street to this place.
Looking through the reviews, it seems a lot of people have had this experience. You would think they would want to improve upon their reputation…

I’ll start by saying that Greenwich yarns has a gorgeous selection of yarns…
Now the reason for my 2 star rating…
I went into Greenwich Yarns a couple of weeks ago and I won’t be going back. I have been a hand knitter for a number of years and recently decided to buy a knitting machine since I love knitwear but don’t have a lot of time. I chose a yarn and asked how much it was and was told $ 10/​skein. While I was waiting for the skeins to be wound into balls, the bitch and stitch circle sitting around a table in the middle of the shop starting asking me questions as to what I was going to knit. I received disapproving looks and was told that machine knitting is not really knitting. The thing that really bothered me though was when I went to pay, I was told that there was a mistake and the skeins were actuall y $ 15/​skein, $ 5/​skein higher than I was told! Funny how the person who waited on me *remembered* this after I had the skeins wound into balls.
If you choose to shop here, know that you will be watched and discussed by the people knitting there. Very uncomfortable. And beware of changing prices!

Yarn: Okay, not the best prices but decent.
Staff: Once you get around the GIANT TABLE FULL OF PEOPLE HAVING THEIR LUNCH and giving you the «outsider!» glare, they are… there. They may even be helpful, though they are not helpful to me nor are they anything but rude. They always talk to me like I don’t know a thing about knitting and act like I am interrupting their Social Time at the Table. Never have gotten a smile from the staff/​owner/​whatever, and my husband gets stared at as if he’s going to rob the place.
I would rather drive an hour to my friend’s store in the East Bay than walk five blocks back to this place.
OH — and receipts are HANDWRITTEN so be prepared to check some math (and not be in a rush… or claustrophobic).

I’ve been to Greenwich yarns a handful of times and have ALWAYS felt uncomfortable in the store. They have a GREAT selection of high-​end yarns and I always managed to find something to drop $$$ on when I’m there. Other than the great yarn selection, I’m wondering if maybe it’s because I’m not one of their «regulars» to the store. I got followed around the store a lot. I had a friend with me one day and he walked by a table, saw an measuring tape and absent-​mindedly rolled it up and set it on the table. One of the sales ladies walked up a few seconds later and unrolled it and draped it over a chair all the while throwing my friend a dirty look. I had to finally tell him to quit messing with the store’s stuff (even though I thought it was a minor thing for him to roll up a measuring tape… the dirty look was unnecessary). The next time I went in my boyfriend took me… we just happened to roll up on his Harley (it was a nice day out) and the sales people in the store looked at me like I was going to try and steal something from the store… I DID notice you followed me around quite a bit! I don’t remember buying anything that time, but I think I did. That was only time anyone working smiled at me… when I bought something. Oh, don’t even try to joke or engage with the staff, all you’ll get is *crickets*.
Seriously, a GREAT selection of yarn, but the sales people need to lose their «better than you» attitude.

I consider Greenwich Yarn as the mother of other yarn stores in SF (several former employees went on to open their own yarn stores in town). Greenwich is the oldest and while it isn’t the largest, they do have the BEST sales in town. The big sales happen a couple of times a year (sign up for e-​mail updates and they’ll tell you about the sales) and the sale yarn fills up the back courtyard. I still have a huge inventory of yarn from the not to be missed sales. They have a mailing list and they’ll e-​mail you about sales. I also come here when I’m in the neighborhood just to admire the nicer yarns.
Laurie, the owner, has always been helpful (and never rude). Some people sit in the front room and knit (they have a candy basket there too) and others gather in the back. It’s cozy inside the shop. They have knitting lessons, a good collection of books, and needles. I learned how to crochet here.
Recycle your Greenwich Yarn bags — bring them back to the store and they’ll take 10 cents off your purchase.