Greetings fiber friends!
The NYC Yarn Crawl is here and we're ready to help make sure you get to all the shops and fill up your bags. There are NINE shops participating in the crawl this year. If you want to hit them all (and you do want to hit them all), you're going to need a plan. Fortunately, you also have 9 days to make this work and we've got your back.
What is the NYC Yarn Crawl?
It's like a bar crawl, only for the yarn obsessed! There is no charge to crawl, and we're open to everyone. You just visit each shop, enter drawings, take advantage of tons of special deals, and have fun. Knitty City will have 10% off all purchases in store and online PLUS an additional 20% off select clearance yarn and most books and patterns.
Planning for The NYC Yarn Crawl
Things you need to think about in advance
What days can you crawl?
The NYC Yarn Crawl runs from Saturday, October 2nd through Sunday, October 10th. You're going to have a rough time if you try getting everything done in just 1 or even 2 days. If you can, plan to spend a few days crawling this week. You also need to check the hours of each store. All the store info is conveniently placed on the NYC Yarn Crawl website here.
Notably, String is closed on Saturday and Sunday. And ALL of the Brooklyn stores are closed on Monday. Knitty City will be open every day 12-6pm during the crawl.
How should you spend your time?
Go at your (or your group's) own speed. Don't try to rush through the shops. Make sure you allot yourself enough time to see what every shop has to offer. There will be a lot to see at each shop and you'll have a better time if you go through them at a reasonable pace.
And of course remember to check-in at each shop to enter the free giveaways. Each store will have an electronic sign-in. You'll want to sign-in to all of them, even if you've signed in at other stores or in previous years. Also be on the lookout for knitted leaves with a secret word in each store. Write it down or take a picture with a note reminding you which store you saw it in. This is this year's scavenger hunt. Every store has a different word.
Keep in mind the travel time between shops. If you're going to spend 30 minutes - an hour going to a shop, don't you want to spend at least that much time in the shop too?
Which shops do you NEED to see on certain days?
Every shop has their own promotions and miniature events going on, including some limited offerings. You'll need to check each store's website and social media feeds to see what's happening. Follow them all on social media and subscribe to their newsletters to get the latest updates.
Knitty City has 2 pop-ups to kickstart the opening weekend. Keep in mind that it might not be enough to see each shop only once. You might have to make two or three trips to the same shop to get your fill.
Pop-up with Jonathan Castro Designs
Saturday, October 2nd, 12-6pm
Jonathan Castro is our local UWS pottery designer. We love his scented candles that can be used as tea cups after you've used up the candle. He has new scents this year and we can't wait to see what else he's been working on!
Pop-up with Hu Made
Sunday, October 3rd, 12-6pm
Amanda Hu's uniquely dyed and hand painted yarns are a local UWS treasure. Hu Made is inspired by unexpected color combinations drawn from art history, nature, and city vignettes.
Her Watercolor Cotton line is always a delight. No two colors will ever be the same and each skein will have it's own unique one of a kind flare.
What do you need to crawl?
Don't leave home without these essentials
You don't need any tickets or passes (besides subway fare) to participate in the crawl. A properly equipped travel pack will do you wonders though.
Phone, wallet, keys. Never leave home without them.
Comfortable shoes. You'll be on your feet for most of the day. We don't want you to be literally crawling at the end of it.
A bag or two. Something to carry your essentials. You don't necessarily have to bring a bag to carry your purchases. If there's anything yarn shops love (besides yarn) it's bags. You can pick up one of Knitty City's Boat Tote bags (modeled by Brooklyn Boy Knits's Louis Boria above) for $36 ($40 and 10% off!)
Knit/crochetwear. You can't really expect us to believe you're going to yarn crawl and NOT wear your latest project. Now's the time to show off what you've been working on!
Face masks and hand sanitizer. We're still in a pandemic and all of the yarn shops involved in the crawl will require you to wear a mask inside. If you don't have a mask on hand or it becomes damaged, just ask for a new one. We'll get you one. Stay safe and stay healthy.
Water and snacks. You can burn a surprising number of calories walking around all day. You can probably skip gym day, but you can't skip eating and staying hydrated.
Plan your meals
That means lunch AND dinner
This burger and fries by Bottletopboy (pattern on lovecrafts.com) look amazing, but you probably don't want to eat them. Yarn can't be your only sustenance when you crawl. By Knitty City, you have lots of great options, so the UWS is perfect for your first or last stop of the day.
Joe's Steam Rice Rolls. A Knitty City favorite. If you don't know what a rice roll is, go find out. Almost every staff member puts it into their weekly rotation.
Swagat. Our local Indian restaurant is another regular go to for us.
Peace Food. Delicious and refreshing vegan food to keep you going.
Zabar's. You simply can't talk about eating on the UWS without mentioning Zabar's.
Irving Farm. Our local coffee and bakery stop for that quick pick-me-up.
Coppola's. Excellent Italian food just next door from Knitty City. Try their chicken parm!
Blondies Sports. Our other neighboring restaurant. Sometimes you just need a burger and beer.
Levain Bakery. Not really a meal per se, but these are hands down the best cookies you'll ever have.
We're not getting any kickbacks from these places. We just love them and want them to continue thriving in our neighborhood.
That should just about cover all your needs. If you need anything else, you know where to find us.
Cheers and happy crawling!
-Zac and the Knitty City Team
