I Knit London

Visited my boyfriend who lives in London, and I wanted to find a knitting circle while there. They welcomed me right away and made me feel right at home. Will go back when I visit him soon.

I went on a very quiet Friday around lunchtime. I had planned to have fish and chips at Masters afterward, but begrudged my plans when I saw all the awesome street food vendors outside. (Good thing Masters was so good!).
I really enjoyed the selection and bought some of their I Knit or Dye yarn in a really nice green colorway, and also enjoyed watching the two wool shop dogs play and play-​fight. It was awesome, after six days away from my own two pups.
I didn’t have any questions about the yarn, and the shop guy left me alone. Perhaps it’s my American ways, but I didn’t find anything rude or off-​putting about him, and don’t know why reviewers would say that about him. But maybe my lack of interaction sheltered me from whatever issues Unilocalers have described.

Visited I Knit London on a recent trip. Lots of books and patterns to choose from.
Nice yarn and some cool accessories but the staff weren’t overtly friendly. A nod when I walked in yet absolutely no inquiry on whether or not I needed help or any conversation at all as a matter of fact.
I purchased some yarn and several accessories and not any conversation at all.
The lady behind the counter just stood there knitting with her eyes closed as if she couldn’t see me she wouldn’t have to help me.
Fine I guess if you needed something but there has to be more friendly places to shop?

What a wonderfully stocked shop in a great location. Lots of fabulous yarns to squish, a great selection of needles and lots of lovely books and magazines as well as being able to purchase an alcoholic beverage to sip whilst you browse should you wish.
HOWEVER… I cannot praise the service I received so highly. The chap behind the counter seemed very disinterested and when I asked him a question about wool weight he positively looked down his nose at me and very snootily told me what kind of yarn I needed for my project. I heard him speaking to other customers in a very similar manner when they asked for advice so at least it wasn’t because he just took a dislike to me.
I would say that this is the kind of shop that you go in when yo know what you want and can do a quick transaction, I got the feeling that it wasn’t ok to browse and take your time (which most knitters will tell you is part of the pleasure)
I had been looking forward to visiting this shop for months (I live in Glasgow) and was very disappointed in my overall experience, that said I did leave with a lovely hank of yarn and some fabulous dpns :) (I would normally have walked out but the lure of the lovely yarn was just too much!) I would not hurry back to this establishment next time I am in London and I will most definatley visit one of the other shops on my to try list. Oh I forgot to add it is pricey!!! I just bought one hank to make welly toppers for my neice, and that with the dpns came it at £16

I live not far from Waterloo and I needed to buy some wool to make a present for my friends.
I googled and this shop came up, I checked their website before going but decided to pay an offline visit as I didn’t have time to wait for the online order to come through.
The shop is very nice, the dog is cute and the girl at the counter very friendly and helpful!
On the not so bright side — this is very expensive. No joking, I only knit because a) I love it b) it is cheaper than buying an interesting natural knitwear. But at those prices I would rather give up knitting and go to high street shops for ready made clothes. The metal needles (a set of 5) is £9 o_​O
I asked for advice and the shop assistant was very kind to explain the difference and help find a cheaper alternative (which was still a bit pricey doh) and also gave some knitting tips. 5 star for that service!
However, I think I will have to take my custom elsewhere :(

There are moments in your life when you just think to yourself in a panic, I NEED A CROCHET NEEDLE.
Luckily there are a few options. iknit had me traversing the city bypassing Broadway market option in favour of the kooky Unilocal reviews that it had and its opening hours.
The guy behind the counter was everything I was expecting and although my purchase was swift and decisive, I made a mental note to return with other knitting friends and learn how to knit with speed while admiring the collections of all the paraphernalia you could want in a knitting space.
My grandmother was a professional knitter and every year my mother insists on me attempting something new.
I’m hoping that by attending cool spots like iknit, I will trick myself into knitting new and wonderful presents.
Its warm and colourful there with all the wool. There is a tiny dog on the couch and the owner appears judgemental and cold. But I love the vibe.
SNOTTY NOSE KNITTING — who knew it could be this way?
Amazed.
The prices though. Ridiculous.

I knit. So what? Go ahead make your jokes. But beware my Zhang ziyi-​esque needles coming your way.
Best outfitted Knit shop out of 4 other shops. If you can’t find what you need here… You’re SOL! Not a bad website either.
She serves alcohol in the shop too. Beer and Shandy’s! The lady’s cool!

Let’s play pretend:
Pretend that you own a yarn shop on lower marsh.
Pretend that it has awesome couches and people come by all day and just hang out and knit.
Pretend that your prices are way too high, but people still pay them b/​c they love to knit.
Pretend that you can bring your adoreable dog to work and people give it loads of attention.
Pretend that your yarn shop even sells BOOZE
Wouldn’t you be the happiest person in the world, and therefore the nicest?
Well in MY world the answer is yes, but apparantly the dude who works at I Knit London lives in some cooky mixed up world where up is down and mean is nice.
I love the shop, but the dude who works there is always so cold. Just let me love your dog! Not only am I paying too much for yarn and needles, but I keep coming back! AND bringing friends, would a smile (or some price tags) be too much to ask? Apparantly, Yes.
I would give 2 stars, but the dog gets a star of his own.

I knit has a very vibrant community around it due to regular knit nights and events as well as a great selection of stock. It can be a bit intimidating if you don’t know anyone in there but do persevere! Drool over the Malabrigo and then quench your thirst with a pear cider…

I like to knit. I only make scarves though. I did go through a phase of making ipod cases. But mainly just scarves now.
I planned to just pop in here and browse, but i spent £30…I have no idea how it happened things moved so fast. But before i knew i had in my hands 2 balls of wool (£8 each — it is soft but not sure if it is £8 soft), some bright pink jelly yarn (which looks confusingly like liquorice shoe laces) and a book about learning to crochet.
The customer service there was odd. Despite my friend spending £40, and myself £30, they didn’t make us feel very valued, but more of a nuisance for approaching the till. Shame.
The well stocked fridge of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks was very tempting, but i paid my money and left.
I might be back. But for the moment i am content with the knitting section in my local John Lewis store.

My friend recommended I check this place out when I was complaining about not knowing anywhere to get nice wool other than Libertys. I Knit is a sweet little shop just around the corner from Waterloo station where inside, along with various exciting yarns (including waterproof jelly yarn) they sell an impressive selection of books and magazines on knitting, crochet and patterns as well as good quality knitting needles, crochet hooks and haberdashery.
The staff are a friendly couple who are really happy to give advice but won’t hassle you if you just want to browse privately. The wool was not as cheap as I had hoped, but it’s better value than at Liberty’s and think I still just need to accept the fact that making your own socks is not actually cheaper than buying them from a high street shop. Although they do have a bargain basket where you can buy balls of last seasons colours for £2, I haven’t looked in there. I may be a knitter, but I’m not totally un-​cool you know!
What’s really nice about this place is that its not just a shop but somewhere for socialising and events. On Wednesday and Thursday nights they are open till 9pm and invite people to come along to knit and natter from 6pm onwards. Its free to do this and they have a license so you can enjoy a beer, cider or soft drink all for £3 or under whilst clicking away. They also hold knitting classes and other events as well as promoting other knitting related goings on around London.
Check out thier website to sign up for the newsletter so you can be kept updated on all the listings and future knitting fun.

I walked into this place, eager to buy a bit of wool.
After a wander around the sales floor and a peak at the price of every single skein of wool, I dejectedly left. My purse couldn’t even handle the cost of wool for a simple scarf.
Everything was TOO EXPENSIVE. £9.99 for 50g? Surely, you jest.
But the wool certainly was pretty… Maybe some day in the future I’ll be affluent enough to ignore price tags.

This is a great gem along Lower Marsh. When I stepped in I was charmed by the homey atmosphere and the ready made pieces throughout the store. I could have been in there for hours…
Along the walls there is such a large selection of quality yarns and blends in little cubbyholes. They had plenty of alpaca and wool yarns to chose from in many different colors, weights, and varieties. There are plenty of different brands, and all within reasonable prices.
There was also a very large selection of knitting and crocheting books. The largest I had seen in one place. From Stitches and Bitches to Manly Knits. In the back corner of the store is all the haberdashery and needles!
They also offer knitting and crochet classes. People also meet here every Wed & Thurs at 6pm to knit and craft and just hang out – they have a little fridge of beer and wine in the back. How great, a knit shop with an alcohol license!
I’ve been to plenty of knitting shops since then, and I love it. You can have a nice glass of white wine while chatting with everyone (who are always friendly), and finishing the hat you were working on.

I’m not a knitter, but I’m made of glitter.
I once tried to knit, but got sick of it.
And so I stopped.
Hark! Walls of yarn for sock you can darn.
And knitting books free of crochet hooks.
A knitters delight.
Not much ready made to buy, not for a girl nor a guy.
But you can my to create, and watch needles mate.
To make scarves.
This place is alright, and pleasing to sight.
But its not for me as I live in a tree.
And I don’t knit.
Yarn of every shape, color and size, a joy to yarn lovers eyes.
If you want to learn to knit, I bet here you can ‘git’
the best foundations to start.

This is decidedly not one of the new breed of über trendy knitting shops where everything is so beautifully displayed that even non-​knitters find themselves tempted to buy a couple of balls of wool. However, it is one of the original knitting hubs of London and an instigator of sorts of the trend for knitting circles amongst vaguely hip young things.
Stock is not especially well displayed, the fronting is not very attractive and they sell a lot of quite unfashionable looks. However, everything is good quality and almost all natural fibres and it a very friendly, if not particularly aesthetic shop.

What a fantastic place to grab everything you need to knit.
I first encountered this Aladin’s Cave of wool as part of a Qype group and I have to say — it was fantastic! With wool seemingly from floor to ceiling, these folks are helpful, knowledgable and really friendly. If you’re looking for a particular wool for a pattern and they don’t have it, they can get it.
They also have excellent video’s on how to knit, knitting tips and techniques and interesting styles to boot!
Thisis no ordinary knitting shop with classes, a comfy sitting area and the constantly friendly voice of the women who invented seamless knitting. I may yet finish that sweater I started 10 years ago thanks to these folks!

Learning to knit among friends at this hidden knitting lair was an incredibly fun experience. I-​Knit gives classes suited to complete novices (like myself) as well as more established knitters who can follow a pattern and everything.
A night of knitting may not be the first choice for an evening out with friends, but this turned out to be a lot of fun — they have a bar, and you can bring snacks as well.
I even came away with my very own trapezium of knitted material — The reason it was a trapezium is that I started with 15 stitches and ended with 28, but nothing could detract from the pleasing fact that I managed to learn to knit and purl in under 2 hours, as well as eat enough pink and yellow party rings to not need dinner.

Proof that knitting is not just for grannies is evident in the fact these folks have kitted out their knitting emporium with a well-​stocked bar. I wouldn’t recommend tackling hardcore fair isle after a few bevvies, but a beginners class with a few beers is surprisingly enjoyable, I think even the boys would agree. Staff are friendly, knowledgable and patient, and after a little refresher course, I was ready to take up knitting againeven after that disaster with the skull and crossbones mittens (don’t ask).
On the more geeky ‘yes, I actually knit’ side of things, the yarn here (like in most London yarn shops) is at the pricier end of the scale, but it’s gorgeous and worth it for a special project. There’s everything from hand-​dyed hanks of varigated wool to plastic yarn to knit (or crochet) handbags. They also stock all the hard-​to-​find magazines, including the US faves like interweave and Knit 1, and have a shop full of inspiration. Definitely worth a trip South!