Arcadia Knitting - Chicago, IL - Knitting and Crochet Supplies

Arcadia Knitting
1613 W Lawrence
Chicago IL
Phone: (773) 293-1211

Hours:
Tue-Fri 12nn-8pm
Sat 12nn-6pm
Sun 12nn-5pm

My sister and I opened the shop for some basic reasons. We weren't seeing the yarn we wanted to buy in other shops. There are too few shops in Chicago. We wanted to share our love of the craft with others. We wanted our own business and what else could we do that would be so fun that we wouldn't mind the twelve hour days?

What we have learned so far is that there are so many wonderful yarns that deserve to be knit and enjoyed. More than we will ever have room for no matter how big the shop. But we are learning to be very careful about price and value. How much per yard and how well does it knit up? Are the colors exciting? Are the patterns well written?

We swatch each yarn as it comes in to see what it looks like and how it knits up. Sometimes we take it home for tests: coffee, wine and olive oil. We admit that we don't loose sweaters because they wear out but because we're messy eaters.

Patterns are another story. So many to choose from and yet it's hard to tell: will this be easy for customers? Where's the mistake? Why does that shoulder seam look so funny? Now we ask yarns reps to give us a sample pattern before we buy so we can sit down and read through it in peace. This goes double for patterns from translation.

We admit that we are fussy and critical. We want good yarns, we want good patterns, we want our customers to be successful knitters. We will work hard to make it easier for you. But it's more than a craft, it's a life and a community. That's what we say about the shop, it's not much of a living but it's a life. So, now that we are on our way please stay with us and see how we grow and change.