Pins and Needles

EDIT/​I actually visited Pins & Needles a week or two ago, it just took me forevs to remember my pw for Unilocal.So although I talk about it like I just went there, that is why. /​EDIT
I just visited Pins & Needles for my first time today and had such a wonderful experience, and it is one that i can safely say I’ve never had at any yarn/​craft/​etc store. They have so many different kinds of yarns to choose from, good prices, but what really set them over in awesomeness was the customer service! When I first came in, she left me know where the different types of yarn were, etc. And I had later found a crochet pattern book with the darlingest (offish making that a word) patterns [if anyone is interested in that, it’s called Simply Crochet by Debbie Bliss] and fell in love with this dress pattern but it had only said something like you need 5 balls of X Brand of yarn. So this lovely woman that worked there looked up the X brand of yarn to figure out the yardage so we could convert it to a yarn of the same size that I did want. I can’t imagine anyone else going that above and beyond to help a customer in any of the other privately owned mom-&-pop type yarn or craft stores. Even though it’s in Princeton and I’m in New Brunswick, I’m totally going to stop in there after every acupuncture appointment teehee. I totally recommend going to this place, no matter what your experience level, she can help.

My favorite LYS! I went in for the first time a month ago, the staff was super friendly and helpful. It was very cozy and casual. The staff are genuinely curious about your creative endeavors and do whatever they can to help.

Popped in thursday night to grab some doublepoints, and ended up entranced by the selection and by the friendliness of the shop’s atmosphere. The selection is excellent and the extensive assortment of sample knits help to get a really clear sense of what yarns might do. Haven’t been in such a lovely LYS in a long time. Will definitely go back to get yarn (as if I need any more!) once my current project is complete.

My LYS! I love that Pins and Needles is only a few miles down the road from where I work, and I can easily zip in and out for supplies on my way home. Kathleen carries a very broad variety of yarns: every brand, color, weight, and texture you can dream of. Her own Princeton Alpaca Silk is a gem, check it out if you haven’t! :)

Super helpful ladies who work there and TONS of stuff to choose from! They also have a downstairs area where you can sit and work on a project, and they are super helpful if you have any questions or issues while you work. Love it.

Kathleen and her staff are so patient and delightful to work with. They make learning to needlepoint and knit fun. I have never seen a more limitless array of yarns. People come from all over to shop here. Their customers are loyal and come back regularly.

I have been shopping here for 10 years. Always a great selection of yarns and patterns. They stock the latest trends in yarns including exotic fibers and hand-​dyes. Also a lovely selection of needlework canvases and quality threads. Helpful staff. Willing to special order.

Very disappointed. I am visiting from out of town and drove quite a distance to come to this store. It was closed– no notice on the door, nothing on the website. The yarn looked beautiful from the windows. Too bad I won’t be able to shop there. Good thing we had a good lunch… Otherwise it would have been a total waste of a trip.

A wonderful and friendly knitting shop. One of my favorite! They have a wonderful selection of yarns ranging from moderate to high end yarns. The ladies are knowledgeable and helpful! I have taken several classes here and they have been fantastic. I really love this shop.

I love this yarn store. They have a great selection of high quality yarns you won’t find at any chain craft store and a really great color selection. The staff was extremely helpful and set me up with everything I needed for the project I had in mind. They even offered to help me if I get stuck with my project later. They offer knitting classes and all of the staff seemed very knowledgeable about the yarns and knitting in general.
They have needlepoint stuff too. There is a huge selection of fiber in every color imaginable and they will help you pick out the right fibers for your project. The selection of needlepoint canvases is good and they have lots of belt canvases but they also do special orders and have lots of Princeton themed projects. They had some finished work on display and the quality of the finishing on needlepoint is fantastic.

So sad and frustrating. I was here once before, back in 2010, and it was a great experience. To the point that another reviewer made, in 2010 I came in with my 75 year old mother and they treated her (and subsequently me) fantastically.
Visited the store again this past weekend during a lovely day trip to Princeton. Wanted to see what sort of needlepoint and embroidery selection they have. I’m fairly new to this craft and when I asked the salesperson for some help — could she help me put together a kit/​project? — she was neither helpful nor nice. It was actually almost like that scene in Pretty Woman when they don’t let Julia Roberts shop. The saleswoman (in a snooty voice) was like, «You know, this isn’t an inexpensive hobby,» and proceeded to tell me how expensive and high quality all of the hand painted needlepoint canvases are. But these were not informative comments. The message seemed to be that I might be in the wrong place. And then the phone rang and she just turned away from me abruptly and answered it. I turned and walked out.

I needed professional help as the store i usually go to has funky summer hours that would not work with my work schedule. The Ladies set up a private lesson for me the DAY I called, no wait, no fuss! I got there and they were very patient with all my projects I have going on lol and gave me great ideas for new ones. I’m super excited to get these all going and am so happy I found a spot close to work! Life savers and such such sweet ladies!!! xoxo

I wandered into Pins and Needles last weekend just after saying good-​bye to my college freshman daughter. I was sad, but being surrounded by beautiful yarns and friendly knitters made me feel better immediately!
The high quality yarns were arranged in a beautiful and organized way. I need that in a store. Some brands I have coveted in other yarn shops, but other brands quite unique. Couldn’t resist getting a beautiful hand dye (Delaware and raritan) in, of course, Princeton colors.
The staff was the perfect balance of nice, helpful and knowledgable. I wish I lived closer, but will definitely be back next time I am in town!

This shop is what you would expect from an Ivy League town! First rate quality products and wonderful customer service. Highly recommend!

I stopped in during a quick weekend visit to Princeton. This is a cute store with needlepoint canvas and yarns and lots more knitting/​crochet supplies/​books on two levels (well, more like a level and a half). Yarns and scarf projects are nicely displayed. So much so that I was seduced into buying yarn to make a scarf that was hanging up. Decent selection of yarns, but seemingly not enough quantity of any one yarn to make an entire sweater.
The two employees working there (neither were the owner, I learned) were very friendly and helpful and allowed me to browse without me feeling like I was unwanted — that is, until another customer came in. Then there was lots of gossipy talk between the three of them. Luckily, we four were the only ones in the store and I could hide in the lower level and not have to listen to them so much. As I was trying to check out, the gossiping continued and I even had to edge my way around the other customer to make my presence known — like, here’s my money! Please take it! It was disappointing. When the other customer left (without having bought a thing) the two employees reverted to treating me nicely. So, customer service: inconsistent.

I just had a bad experience here. I came for buttons and the lady (blond with perhaps a French accent) was so rude! I asked for some help locating the buttonholes that I had made and I was looking over the pattern to see where I should look for them and she said, Well you did them wrong. When I asked her when the knitting clatches were she said she didn’t know and then later when I asked another woman who was working there, she obviously did know. I’ve been in before and had very nice experiences but they need to watch out that their employees (or maybe it was an owner I have no idea) try to rein in their bad moods. Certainly was not made to feel welcome and if I had another local place to go to I would certainly be trying them out now instead. What made it even ruder was that I had bought the yarn for that sweater at the shop and have been a repeat customer!

There aren’t many places to get needlepoint stretched and made into pillows in my area so I was happy to find this place. They have some needlepoint kits but primarily it’s a yarn shop. They don’t sell counted cross stitch patterns and fabric, which was disappointing but my main gripe came when I went to get my finished pillow and the material that was used for the backing had scuff marks on it.
The fabric was supplied by one of the seamstresses they work with and I didn’t have a chance to see it until it was sewn onto my needlepoint.
Naturally I was disappointed to pay $ 94 and have it come back flawed. The person who handled the transaction seemed annoyed when I pointed the spots out to her, unlike her warm and pleasant attitude when I brought the piece in to her. To her credit, she offered to take it back and have it redone but I didn’t want to have anything more to do with a place that doesn’t seem to appreciate my business.

Adore it.
The shop is located on a small side street near Palmer Square and its associated parking garages, making it convenient even if you don’t live within walking distance. The shop itself is fairly small but they have yarn crammed EVERYWHERE– sometimes even hanging from the ceiling! I really could spend a whole afternoon here very, very easily.
Prices, while not cheap, are commensurate for value received and where I’ve been able to check they are no higher than the MSRP for a given item. For example, Rowan Kidsilk Haze sells for the per-​ball price recommended on the Rowan website. Not cheap, but you’re getting quality material here.
If you knit, crochet, or are interested in maybe starting, definitely check this place out if you can. Big-​box craft stores may stock an okay selection of yarn for beginners, but this stuff is really a cut above. LOVE IT.

Great little (but big!) yarn shop! Really warm and friendly atmosphere, and a great selection.

Pins and Needles is located a few blocks along the heart of downtown Princeton. The town is adorable and full of cute shops, both independent and cookie-​cutter– it’s a great place to spend an afternoon, especially in the fall when you’re gearing into knitting mode.
Pins and Needles is a great local yarn store– they have TONS of yarn, which is mostly of the high-​end variety (Noro, Debbie Bliss, etc) but they also have a good selection of embroidery and buttons for your crafty whims.
The staff is so sweet and helpful– they also have knitting groups (more info on the website) and send you out with your purchases in adorable turquoise shopping bags. The sample knitted items around the store are labeled, and the staff is always more than happy to copy a pattern for you or you can purchase a copy.
I’m sorry I’ve moved away from the area– I’ll miss their sale corner the most, though it might warrant a weekend trip!