The Fiber Factory

I am updating my review to a neutral rating. The owner contacted me and has informed me that the instructor I had is no longer with them. I did not shop in the store, just went for my knitting lesson so I can not give them more than 3 stars. I appreciate the owners follow up and communication. I suggest that you give them a try.

It has been really sad to witness the downslide of Fiber Factory. They used to be a store that was filled with yarn, fiber and always had whatever needle size you needed. Now? The décor is bland and depressing and hasn’t changed in years. The bins of yarn are mostly empty and the last few times I’ve gone in to buy needles, they weren’t in stock and «on order». Every time?
For me, the nail in the coffin is one of the owners. Susan is unhelpful and whenever you have a question, if she decides to help you, you definitely know you’ve bothered her. I’m done. There are other wonderful yarn stores in the Valley with yarn in stock to make projects and value my business.

I made a special trip out to Fiber Factory during a quick weekend trip to Arizona to visit family. This store was lovely! It was very large– a lot of yarn, I noticed mostly DK and worsted, not much or any bulky that I noticed, but I wasn’t looking for it. Many beautiful finished projects lined the store, and several patterns too!
My biggest compliment was the friendliness of the staff. Good costumer service is hard to find at knitting stores sometimes, not here! The staff was extraordinarily helpful. One women even made a copy of a pattern! Another staff member walked me through how to do one of the stitches on a pattern… They really went above and beyond. I will certainly be visiting again!

Wonderful store ! Nice selection and staff more than happy to help you! They’re knowledgeable and comical… Just the way I relate to knitters:)

Fantastic place and very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Great selection of buttons too.

This is the best yarn store in the metro area. The staff are experienced and well informed. They can help you with any knitting, crocheting, weaving, basketry questions you may have. They offer a wonderful selection of classes in every fiber art area. They will special order items that you may need/​want with no problem. I highly recommend this store for fibre art enthusiasts.

I really love this place. I went in today and had a wonderful conversation with the staff along with tons of help with ordering the colors and yarns that I wanted. I have been knitting for about 20 years now and have worked at two knitting stores myself so there are a few different things I look for when going to a new knitting shop. The main three are of course quality of yarns, variety of colors, weights, textures etc, and price. I feel The Fiber Factory passed with flying colors. They had everything from $ 4 cotton to $ 20+ hand dyed wool and also have spinning wheels, which is great for when I have to order parts!
Best knitting store in AZ so far. I look forward to my next trip!

Hands down the most knowledgable staff and instructors of any fiber arts store in the Phoenix area. The breadth and depth of their class offerings is outstanding. Lots of places offer «learn to knit» classes… but for those who want to go past that toward mastery of the finer points of the craft, this is your go to place. You can learn knit, crochet, tatting, knotting, Navajo weaving, loom weaving, dyeing, spinning here. You can get expert answers to your questions and if they do not know the answers they know where to find them. They actively support the local spinners and weavers guilds as well as a number of community causes. They have great hours (including class schedules) for working folks. They are open a little later than usual to be a part of second Friday artwalks in downtown Mesa. They have numerous in store models of spinning wheels and weaving looms to try in person and provide excellent technical advice.
Store discounts are offered to those who sign up for classes. There is yarn available at various price points for crafters on any budget. Excellent selection of books, magazines, patterns, needles, notions, buttons, spinning fibers and weaving supplies. This is the place I would heartily recommend to anyone looking to seriously delve into the fiber arts.

I really enjoyed my trip to this store today. The staff was very helpful and friendly. I cannot wait to go back and get more of a look when my husband has the children :) There were a lot of different yarns and patterns. I was also really interested in their button collection. Overall — great store and service. Support local business.

Wonderful staff, wonderful selection, late evening hours. Some fiber, some wheels, great yarn and books. Thanks for being so welcoming!

OK selection and prices but seems very unorganized with yarns strewn in random shelves and baskets. Some colors over here and some over there. Good luck finding what you need.
Limited spinning fiber selection with minimum purchase on most fiber. They come prebundled. What if I want to blend some colors?
The staff has always been pretty unhelpful and sometimes very pushy with sales.

The Fiber Factory was one of the very first yarn stores that I went to years and years ago when I first learned to knit. I hadn’t been back until recently and my opinion is somewhat unchanged.
The staff is nice enough. The store is nice enough. I bought my spinning wheel from them and they let me try out every single wheel, which I appreciated. They carry different spinning wheels that not everyone in the state carries: majacraft, lendrum, etc.
Years ago, when I first went I felt sort of indifferent. I got some nice yarn and wasn’t used to buying yarn from a yarn store back then. Today, I sort of feel the same way. I don’t feel overly excited, but I would go back. I kind of have a fiber problem and I wouldn’t necessarily choose them as my first choice to get my «fix». I don’t feel a «sense of community» that I like to experience at my LYS (local yarn store), but they are friendly.
I would say «check it out» because you might find exactly what you’re looking for.

This place is awesome! Don’t waste your time looking at yarn at Joann’s or Michaels — Fiber Factory is the real deal. If you have some time to kill swing by and pet the yarn. They have a great selection of beautiful yarns, made from all kinds of fibers/​blends.
The staff is always so nice. I haven’t taken any classes here yet but I’d like to. They are open on Second Fridays with a special project to do (haven’t participated in that either!) and they have a nice couch area so you can just sit and knit (or crochet, or whatever!).
I have also been to Tempe Yarn and Fiber — it’s similar to TFF, but it seems smaller to me.

I was torn between three and four stars here… Yes, I was pretty snarky with some other Valley yarn stores, and I don’t want you all to have to drive to Tucson to get all the best stuff… (You don’t — try Knit Happens or Jessica Knits). Maybe my standards are too high. But there is a BIG quality difference in a LOT of product here as compared to my five star yarn stores.
Fiber Factory has new digs in Mesa — amazingly more cramped than the first location. I guess they moved BECAUSE their space was so big at the other location, high rents, etc. I was hoping this would mean they would pare down some of their (crappy) stock. Alas, they brought it ALL with them. All that NASTY acrylic baby yarn in piss yellow and pepto bismol pink? Oh, yes. It is still here. WHY? I ask. WHY? If I wanted that shit, I would go to Michael’s or Joann’s. In fact, I would MUCH rather buy Lion Brand from Joann with my 40% coupon — a lot of Lion Brand stuff is nicer than some of the crap on Fiber Factory’s shelves.
Maybe it is because they want to focus on their spinning classes: they want people to pay to make their own nice yarn, rather than stocking it. They do have a nice selection of Cascade and Brown Sheep and other wools — they seem to have a large felting clientele. But if you want to find yarn to make a garment? This would not be my first stop. It is just too hard to wade through the muck to find nice product.
They do carry a lot of Berroco, some of which is lovely, some garish. And they have a shitload of novelty yarns. But I can’t quite figure out the way the store is organized. It is not by fiber. Weight maybe? That must be it, although a lot of the crappy acrylic is together?
My central complaint is that I always feel like when I go to Fiber Factory, they have EXACTLY the same yarn as the last time I went. I rarely find a new yarn I haven’t heard of or want to try. Based on the clientele, they are not marketing toward the young or fashionable who want to make funky garments (no Twinkle, no Teva Durham, no Sublime here)… it’s purely baby blankets and felted stuff.
As Carina mentioned, the «crack den» is funny, if you can handle it. But between them and the staff, it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. While there are a couple of nice ladies on staff, there are more snotty know-​it-​alls and a few clueless ones thrown in the mix. Altogether, and it’s like a friggin’ hangover: I have a splitting headache, but maybe if I just threw up I’d feel better.
They have an ultra-​cramped couch area where you can look at pattern books and stick your husband or your kid to play with the basket of *gulp* toys. If you’re a germ phobe, you may not want to let your kids near it, as the toys are very well-​used and look like the bottom shelf at Cost Plus World Market. SARS, anyone? Just bring some Purell.
Again, Fiber Factory is not my fave for yarn, but good in a pinch. Closer than my favorites and good if I need to felt something, but if I want to make clothing, I’ll usually go elsewhere or shop online: my sanity usually can’t handle the staff or the clientele.

I have another addiction… In addition to gemstones, silver, gold, copper and my trusty torch, I have another tactile obsession — it’s yarn. I am a happy hooker. I like to crochet. I have this disgusting stash of yarn that rivals my gemstones and wire.
As you can see in previous reviews, I got my crack fixes at Lonnie’s for my jewelry making addiction. I had yet to find a yarn place in Mesa to fill that void. Until now.
The Fiber Factory is located down the street from Sweet Cakes Café (home of the heavenly sweet sugar cookie with fab frosting).
It’s a lot bigger than what I was expecting and I have to say — I was very impressed with their yarn selection. I even saw brands that I hadn’t seen since I left the UK!
The Fiber Factory even sells things if you’re into spinning and weaving as well! It’s a huge store. It boasts over 4,000 square feet of yaaarn! I couldn’t resist. Sorry.
I dragged along poor hubby the other day… and as I was fiending over every single skein of yarn in the store, he came over and whispered in my ear, «Honey, look at the crack den in the back!»
Crack den?! In a yarn store?!
I saw what he meant — the gathering of women who were knitting and crocheting. I loved what I saw, but that was way too much estrogen for me.
The prices of yarn in the store cost a bit more than say… Joann’s or Michael’s, but you get a better variety of bamboo yarn (surprisingly soft!) and other types that you just can’t find at the super craft stores.
Parking’s a breeze if you follow the directions from their website as they have a private lot behind the store. No worrying about getting towed off of Main Street.
I know where I will go when I want to fiend over things that are not gemstones.