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Knitting shops on Long Island

Get your purl on at these yarn boutiques

With colder weather finally upon us, the idea of a soft, cozy hand-crafted hat, scarf or mittens grows more appealing. And with all the yarn shops dotting downtowns and roadways from Valley Stream to Montauk, Long Island knitters and crocheters can always find a class, a knit-in (sometimes with coffee, wine or snacks!), a friendly set of hands to help, or just -- as one needlework fan puts it –- some commu-KNIT-y as needle crafters gather 'round these shops' ubiquitous tables.

Here are Long Island shops that offer yummy yarns, unique learning experiences and friendly places to gather as you create your next family heirloom or give to others.

Yarn Garden
661 Old Country Rd., Plainview
516-931-4909

This family business, started by the parents of sisters and co-owners Cathy Lombardo and Carol Basile, first opened in Hicksville 42 years ago and draws knitters and crocheters ranging from a 5-year-old who learned to cable to a 93-year-old regular, says Lombardo. Want to learn a new stitch, technique or stuck on a pattern? Buy your yarn here –- Yarn Garden stocks offerings from more than 50 yarn makers and has more buttons than we've ever seen in one place, on circular racks and in plastic tubes on shelves, as well as needlepoint canvases –- and the instruction is free. Just add your name to the notebook and be prepared to wait: The shop's two tables are always hopping, Lombardo says. (On a recent stormy Tuesday afternoon, five women who had braved the teeming weather were gathered at one of the tables).

CLASSES: $100 for five private 1-hour lessons. Also hosts charitable knit-ins and collects donations of handcrafted items.

Rumpelstiltskin Yarns
22 Main St., Sayville
631-750-1790
rumpelstiltskinyarns.com

This large, airy shop has a nook boasting a long knitters' table. It's also the only spinning wheel dealership on Long Island, says owner Angela D'Aguanno, selling its own hand-spun and hand-dyed yarns along with natural fibers from makers like Farmhouse Yarns.

CLASSES: Cold Winter's Night Sweater for knitting novices (Nov. 18, $150 plus supplies for six sessions), a scarf class for kids (Nov. 14, $50 plus supplies for two 1-hour classes) and spinning classes on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays ($180 plus supplies for six 1-1/2-hour lessons).

Three Black Sheep
213 Lake Ave., St. James
631-584-YARNWEB
threeblacksheep.com

Diana Kessler took over this friendly shop in 2006 and has kept its spirit of community knitting going with free stitch-and-wine sessions one Friday a month. (next 7-9 p.m. Nov. 21). Of note: Knitwear designer Debbie Bliss will appear Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (call to reserve a spot).

CLASSES: Beginners knit or crochet Dec. 6 ($55 for two 1-1/2 hour lessons for either); previous classes have included making a beaded evening bag, lace shawl or knitted teddy bear. Also hosts a free afghan knit-along, where knitters gather once a month to learn a new pattern for each square.

Infinite Yarns
275 Main St., Farmingdale
516-293-0010
infiniteyarns.com

Yummy yarns abound, as does a constant chain of knitters dropping in for supplies, help with a project or just some communal knitting time. Owner Anne Schneck says about 50 women –- some come from as far as Manhattan -– attend the shop's Stitch of the Month Club ($10 per session, plus yarn). Fans of crocheted lace will find an extensive line of crochet threads, Schneck says, and she carries lots of natural fibers.

CLASSES: Knit and crochet, including beginners' lessons. The shop creates new classes by popular demand.

Knitting on the Lamb
49 Green St., Huntington
631-271-YARN
knittingonthelamb.com

Don't be fooled by this shop –- you enter into a square room filled with luscious yarns, including Manos del Uruguay and superchunky Ozark Handspun, but beyond that you'll find the Baby Room, stocked with pastel and primary-colored yarns and patterns for infant items. Go a little deeper, and you're in the Lamb's classroom, which sports the obligatory knitters' table and is surrounded by shelves groaning with more yarn.

CLASSES: Crochet a Yarmulke, Knit a Christmas Stocking, Fair Isle Color Techniques and Argyle Socks ($40 for private lessons, $30 semi-private, $20 group, some class prices vary). The shop also provides custom pattern writing offered by a woman whose work has appeared in Vogue Knitting.

Garden City Stitches
725 Franklin Ave., Garden City
516-739-5648

Find a huge selection of yarns, kits and Vera Bradley bags and accessories here. On "Odd-Ball Sundays," bring a ball (of yarn) and your needles between noon and 5 p.m. to knit for an hour ($3) or the whole day ($10).

CLASSES: Knitting classes are held noon-2 p.m. Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday (Wednesday session is for ages 21 and over) and 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday (ages 8-14), and provide general help to knitters for $25 per class (the kids' class is $20); call ahead to reserve a spot.

Granny's Yarn Shop
465 Main St., Islip
631-581-9236

One of Long Island's older shops –- it's been around for about 25 years -– Granny's doesn't host classes or scheduled knit-ins, but it does provide help for knitters and does have yarns ranging from $3.98 balls for afghans to novelty and imported yarns. You'll actually feel like you're in grandma's attic as you comb through piles of yarns, loads of pattern books and circular racks of unique buttons for cardigans.

Knitter's Therapy
837A Fort Salonga Rd., Northport
631-239-6955
knitterstherapy.com

There may be some Long Island walk-in closets bigger than this shop, but owner Shawna Coyle has managed to pack in plenty of unique yarns (some ranging up to $74 a ball), including baby camel, yak and beaded silks, and samples of knitted items, which she's hung from the ceiling. The shop's whole raison d'etre is the soothing powers of knitting, and you'll find snacks and coffee and tea, and a table, too.

CLASSES: Include Pedicure Socks, Beginner Shrug and Fast Holiday Gifts; kids' sessions meet on Saturdays from 2:30-3:30 p.m., and the shop's patrons participate in knitting caps for the community's annual St. Baldrick's Day fundraising event.

The Village Knitter
57 W. Main St., Suite 130, Babylon
631-321-7378
thevillageknitter.com

Now in a new location, this neat-as-a-pin shop features a "Morning Sip and Stitch" on the last Wednesday of the month, Open Knitalong Night from 6-8:30 on Thursdays and May We Help You? sessions on Fridays from 10 a.m.-noon.

CLASSES: One-session holiday knitting classes ($25 plus supplies) include Wire Cuff Bracelet with Beads and Felted Wine Sack; multi-session classes, kids' and teens' lessons; private classes are available, too.

The Knitting Corner
718 New York Ave., Huntington
631-421-2660

The knitters' table in this shop is at the window facing busy Route 110, and provides a calm respite for nimble-fingered knitters who constantly stream in and out. No classes are scheduled currently, but if you're looking for company, knit-ins are held on Thursday nights from 6-8. Find metallics, cashmeres and washable wools as well as books, buttons and accessories. Mottos and articles posted throughout the shop boast of knitting's power to relax and renew you.

More Long Island knitting shops

Nassau:

Knit
1353 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn
516-625-5648

Knit-Pic
97 Merrick Rd., Baldwin
516-623-8400

Knitherapy
593 Plandome Rd, Manhasset
516-562-9665

The Knitting Place
191 Main St., Port Washington
516-944-YARN

The Open Door to Stitchery
87A Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck
516-487-9442

The Knitting Store and More
232 Rockaway Ave., Valley Stream
516-561-7200

Yarns on Berry Hill
39 Berry Hill Rd., Syosset
516-364-1514
yarnsonberryhill.com

Suffolk:

Keep Me in Stitches Yarn and Bead Boutique
77 Smithtown Blvd, Smithtown
631-724-8111

Knitting Cove
218 E. Main St, Port Jefferson
631-473-2121
theknittingcove.com/yarn.php

Knitworks/Weaveworks
174 Park Ave., Amityville
631-264-1304

Now and Zen Fiber Art Gallery
15 Front St. Suite 3, Greenport
877-477-2585
nowandzenyarns.com

Purl by the Sea
34 S. Erie Ave., Montauk
631-668-7875

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