San Francisco Shop Review – ArtFibers
My husband and I recently had a week long trip to San Francisco (without the kids!). He was there for a conference and I was there for yarn. No. Really. 5 days, 5 different yarn stores! Is that heaven, or what?
As an ex-city dweller, I love to visit all the different neighborhoods, which is where most of SF’s yarn stores are located. This trip, however, was our first staying downtown near Union Square, which made ArtFibers a logical first stop. Located at 124 Sutter Street, it’s very near BART, Union Square, Chinatown, and many other sites.
I went into the store expecting your typical yarn shop. My expectations were way off – it’s more like walking into a candy shop. The folks at Artfibers design, dye and package their own yarns, including a variety of plant, animal, silk and synthetic fibers. Walking through the shop is a feast for the eyes and the hands. Virtually every yarn they offer has been knit up in swatches that are easily fondled (and hard to let go!) The colors and textures offered are a truly tasty variety.
In the animal fibers, I was immediately drawn to Valparaiso, a mix of 50% baby alpaca and 50% merino wool. I’ve been on a sock kick lately, and can easily see this yarn knit up into some wonderfully soft booties for my feet. Andromeda, 70% silk/30% angora is an incredibly soft lace weight yarn that is absolutely to die for. I bought a 50 gram ball and quickly worked my way through a pair of wrist warmers, with more than enough left over for another pair.
One of the best things about Artfibers is their openness to trying their yarns. They have a “yarntasting” area at the front of the store, where you can sit in comfortable chairs, knitting any of the yarns they offer. You don’t have to guess how the yarn will look in a given stitch pattern or paired with another yarn – just sit down and give it a taste.
Once you’ve decided on your yarn, the staff will help you design your project. When you buy in the store, the patterns you come up with (using a design software) are included in the cost of the yarn.
ArtFibers should definitely be on the list of things to do for anyone visiting the San Francisco Bay Area. For those who are unable to visit the store, make sure to stop by their website.
ArtFibers
124 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-956-6319
yarn@artfibers.com
http://www.artfibers.com