Greetings fiber friends!
The NYC Yarn Crawl is here (Thursday, October 1st - Sunday, October 4th) and we're ready to help make sure you get to all the shops and fill up your bags. There are 13 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 a few days to make this work and we've got your back. Note that we added Thursday, October 1st to the crawl to give you more time to visit the 3 new shops this year.
We're starting a movement to get knitters and crocheters to ride on the 2nd car of the subway during the crawl (and all the time). Help us keep up the crawl energy while you're riding to your next stop! Knit1Car2!
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.
We will have a limited quantity of NYC Yarn Crawl 2026 Totes available for sale and free NYC Yarn Crawl pins and buttons for any crawlers while supplies last.
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 Thursday, October 1st through Sunday, October 4th. You're going to have a rough time if you try getting everything done in just one day. This year, we're crawling for 4 days so you can hopefully visit all 13 shops. Please check the hours of each store to plan out your days. All the store info is conveniently located on theNYC Yarn Crawl website.
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 the scavenger hunt item 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 to an hour going to a shop, don't you want to spend at least that much time in the shop too?
How do you win prizes?
There are two different ways to win fabulous prizes from our sponsors. First, each store will be holding a raffle drawing with 2 random winners from EACH store. To enter the raffle, you just need to check-in at each store you visit. Each store you check-in to is another chance to win. There's no purchase necessary to check-in, just speak with an employee. You will need to submit a valid e-mail address to be contacted if you win a prize.
The second way to win a prize basket is by participating in the scavenger hunt. To enter the scavenger hunt, you will need to visit ALL 13 (!) stores and look for a knitted bat with a secret keyword. When you find the word, write it down somewhere safe and don't forget to record which store you found it in. Entries are submitted online through the Yarn Crawl Scavenger Hunt page (link coming soon).
For additional details see the NYC Yarn Crawl's How To page.
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.
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.
At Knitty City, we'll have a different guest pop-up shop each day of the crawl. 20% of all pop-up shop sales will benefit Heifer International.
Yarn Over New York
Friday, October 2nd, 12-6pm
Yarn Over New York is beloved by all New York knitters and crocheters. Jessie's vibrant colors will surely brighten up your day.
Hanging on by a String
Saturday, October 3rd, 12-6pm
Hanging on by a String is a vegan focused hand dyer. Ashley dyes some animal based fibers, but her passion is with tencel, bamboo, cotton, and eucalyptus.
Jonathan Castro Designs
Sunday, October 4th, 12-6pm
Jonathan Castro is our local UWS potter. We love his scented candles! His functional work is inspired by traditional Japanese pottery but with a modern style. His sculptural work draws inspiration from underwater plants and animals.
A little bat told me that Jonathan may be bringing some bat themed pieces to fit this year's crawl theme. . .
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. We have the official NYC Yarn Crawl Tote for $25. You can pick up one of Knitty City's Boat Tote bags (modeled by Brooklyn Boy Knits above) for $46.
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!
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 Bottletop Boy (pattern on ravelry.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.
Daily Provisions. Breakfast, sandwiches, and crullers.
Tacombi. Our taco shop of choice. Watermelon juice is a great way to rehydrate.
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.
Blondies Sports. One of our neighboring restaurants. 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.
Salt & Straw. Some unconventional ice cream flavors make this a must-go-to stop while you're here.
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, we're here for you.
Cheers and happy crawling!
-Zac and the Knitty City Team
