USA TODAY 10Best: 10 best yarn retailers that have us hooked
USA Today 10Best
October 7, 2026
Yarn lovers know the right skein can inspire an entire project. Whether shoppers are looking for hand-dyed wool, soft everyday staples, specialty fibers, or the perfect colorway for a pattern, online yarn retailers make it easy to browse, compare, and stock up from anywhere.
The best shops go beyond inventory, offering thoughtful product details, project inspiration, helpful tools, and a sense of community for knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists.
These 10 yarn retailers, nominated by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best, stand out for helping makers find materials they’re excited to work with, from the first cast-on to the final stitch.
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Where to Get Crafty in the Elmwood
Scents by the Bay (2926 College Ave.) offers more than 600 perfumes and essential oils, including smell clones for designer fragrances and the old Body Time scents from Berkeley's iconic, now-defunct odor emporium. They also hold interactive fragrance-creating experiences where you can make perfume, soap, candles, shower steamers, custom aromatherapy bracelets, and more—all with a glass of wine in your hand. // ImagiKnit (2921 College Ave.) stocks every kind of yarn and crafting accessory you can imagine, in addition to holding classes and regular socials (Sunday is “Yarn Church,” and some Wednesdays have Group Therapy with Celia the Yarn Therapist). // Studio Sessions Sewing Experiences (2924 College Ave.) is a combo shop and garment-sewing studio, with events, instruction, and group classes for every level.
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Randolph moved to San Francisco from Connecticut in 2008. On her very first day in the city, she stumbled upon ImagiKnit, a yarn store near Dolores Park. She loved yarn stores. In fact it was a dream of hers to own one. She got the knitting gene from her grandmother, and knitting was a balm for her ADD; she spent many high school classes secretly knitting under her desk.
She got to talking with the shop owner and before she knew it she was hired and spent the next eight years working at the store, ultimately becoming the store’s manager and starting the e-commerce side of their business.
Randolph and her husband moved back east in 2016, but a few years later heard that ImagiKnit’s owner, Allison Issacs, was ready to retire. The Randolph family made the trek back to the west coast, this time with their baby son in tow.
Randolph’s dream of owning a yarn store became a reality.
And then came the second dream.
The family began looking at homes in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood in 2022. Eating lunch with her realtor at La Mediterranee, Randolph thought how lovely it would be to open a second store on College Avenue.
When Randolph heard that Sweet Dreams Toy Store was consolidating into one store in 2023, she reached out to the building’s owner to inquire about the possibility of moving into the space.
“He walked me around the neighborhood, introduced me to all the store owners that he knew,” said Randolph. “He introduced me to Gary (Gendel, owner of Sweet Dreams), which really meant a lot to me. Gary was just so supportive and so excited.”
Randolph’s dreams seemed to be dashed when another party made a deal with the landlord to move into the space.
But in December, the landlord reached out. The other deal had fallen through.
“It was full speed ahead,” said Randolph.
The Berkeley store, which she refers to as ImagiKnit East to differentiate it from the San Francisco location, opened in February.
ImagiKnit offers knitting and crocheting classes, as well as a class called “Fixing Mistakes.” It also offers group classes for kids and hosts birthday parties. Randolph also plans to hold social events, such as a Sunday “crafternoon” and is hoping to collaborate with nearby Vintage Berkeley Wine Shop for a regular “stitch and sip” event.
The new store sells yarn and knitting supplies, of course, but unlike the San Francisco location, the Berkeley location also sells toys.
“I really want the neighborhood to see that we’re more than just a yarn store,” said Randolph. “We’re really trying to pay homage to what Gary was doing in there and just like the feeling, the whimsy, that he brought to the neighborhood.”
ImagiKnit, 2921 College Avenue, Berkeley. Phone: 510-647-8789. Hours: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook.