The best craft stores in NYC

Lion Brand is like the godfather of yarn: The family-owned and -operated business started in New York in 1878 and is America’s oldest hand-knitting yarn brand. But don’t be intimidated by its lineage, the studio is welcoming to all skill levels. Inside the cheerful space is a unique display of backlit translucent panels showcasing a rainbow of available yarns. You can test-drive select options at a sampling wall, check out free demonstrations from the knowledgeable staff, then browse the 2,000 complimentary patterns available to customers. A broad range of in-store workshops ($25 to $70) are also available (more than 45 options), some that include all materials, like “Beginning Crochet” and “Beginning Knitting” ($50 for a two-week session) and others that offer discounts on materials if purchased from the studio, such as “Intro to Fair Isle/Make a Hat” ($55 for a three-hour session) and “Intro to Cables” ($50 for a three-hour session).

Our favorite part of summer camp was always arts and crafts, and this cozy Williamsburg studio evokes all the memories of that carefree time. Centered around one large handcrafted wood table are barrels of brushes, boxes of beads, overflowing cabinets of markers, crayons, tools, clay, and anything else you need to create that one-of-a-kind handmade item. The menu of daily walk-in projects ($10 to $45) includes sculpture from beeswax, beading, printmaking, and decorating shirts, bags, cards and skateboards, to name a few. If you’re looking for something a bit more advanced than lanyard and painting, choose a weekly workshop or a three- to six-week course ($100 to $350) taught by local artists. The space is also available for hosting parties, showers and special events.

Patti Gilstrap and Seryn Potter, the designers of the hip locally produced Flirt label, decided to forgo their cramped Brooklyn store in exchange for a new 2,000-square-foot sprawling space that is “home to all things creative,” says Potter. The multiuse area houses a retail boutique, a room for classes (pattern making, knitting, etc) and a design studio in the back where a majority of the Flirt label is manufactured. Busy crafters looking for instant gratification can take the “Build a Bag” four-hour workshop (no sewing experience necessary), which guarantees you’ll leave with a handmade cotton tote (the $95 fee includes all materials). If you prefer to work leisurely on a long-term project, the weekly open studio time ($10 an hour, Sun noon–6pm) gives you access to a sewing machine and accessories, and a knowledgeable person always on hand to answer questions.

Originator of NYC’s first Stitch ’n Bitch group, this threadcentric depot offers sewing with sass. Besides offering scads of classes, co-owner, author and former Parsons instructor Elissa Meyrich stocks patterns for Minimalist pillows inspired by artist Sol Lewitt ($18), sewing machines (from $200) and magnetic-seam guides ($3). Stop in and learn how to make a leather clutch in one session ($95), a tote bag in two classes ($105), or take the “Crafty Accessories” class ($95) and make a belt, clutch purse and headband in one night.

In 2001, Rita Bobry decided to close her flower shop and turn her crafting hobby into a profession. Her cozy neighborhood knittery stocks needles, patterns and a multitude of coveted, hard-to-find knitting brands such as Debbie Bliss, Brown Sheep and Mango Moon’s Tibetan Silk, as well as Frankie, Bobry’s golden retriever. But Bobry is most proud of her impressive selection of locally made fair-trade options. The laid-back hangout also offers two-week beginner crochet classes ($50), gift-making workshops ($100), hats for beginners ($50) and much more.

Knitting isn’t just for grandmas and geriatrics anymore, and this colorful retail studio hybrid is proof. Gaining inspiration from regular trips to yarn shows in Italy, owners Laura Eackloff and Goldie Axelrod line the shop walls with sweaters that reflect what is currently on the runways and in fashion magazines, as well as next year’s forecasted trends. Aside from the inspiring decor, customer service reigns supreme here. The staff will hold your hand through a project every step of the way, from ensuring that cast-on edge is nice and neat; to helping finish seams so they look professional and handmade, not homemade; to even creating a custom pattern for you (free with purchase). Beginners should opt for private lessons ($50 per hour), which promise to teach you the basics of knitting and crochet in only an hour.

A kaleidoscope of floor-to-ceiling colors—this gem of a shop might be packed with enough yarn to wind around Manhattan. It’s the go-to source for distinctive, high-quality yarns (from $6). In-store designer Lidia Karabinech, who has worked for Donna Karan and Ellen Tracy, will create a custom pattern for you, or help you select the perfect yarn—giving advice from the first stitch to the last seam. If you don’t have the time or desire to knit a piece on your own, String will do it for you. Other offerings include trunk shows featuring designers from around the world, creative knitting theme events, and private lessons on subjects from beginning knitting ($50) all the way up to finishing ($50).

Feeding the explosive DIY trend, Knitty City, a craft-store-cum-community-center offers a rainbow of yarns. The blond-wood bedecked space hosts crochet and knitting classes for all skill levels, including a dudes-only session. In addition to an array of threads ranging from “learning-friendly” acrylics to luxurious cashmeres, the shop also stocks knitting tomes, needles and other tools to facilitate your next cable-knit creation. For those still abstaining from the ubiquitous hobby, there are ready-made goods for sale.

This tiny craft shop is packed with things to do: Whether you’re nine months or 90 years old, there’s something for everyone. At both locations, you’ll have a hard time choosing from the huge selection of pottery, plaster craft, beading, wood organizers, stools, boxes, chairs, mirrors, frames, and more, to paint or mosaic. You just pay for the materials, never the studio time. Individual instruction is also available for projects, including T-shirt designing ($17) and Create-a-Cuddly ($30). Walk in any day of the week or stop by for their adult-friendly evening hours from 6:30 to 10pm (Wed–Sat), where the complimentary wine is sure to get your creative juices flowing.

Magpies will gravitate to the shimmering host of funky-to-elegant beads ($1–$10), which are grouped in terra-cotta bowls and hang in strands from the walls. Sourced from around the world, the global theme continues with ethnic art from Africa ($200 and up) and silk scarves ($18–$48) from Thailand that you can purchase along with bauble trimmings such as silk and leather cords (from $3). What’s more, if you’ve mangled the back of your favorite earrings, they offer jewelry repair services.