# Yarn Shops in Alaska



## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

My husband and I are taking a vacation in Alaska this summer. Of course I want to find some yarn shops. We will have some free time in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Any suggestions?


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## mavies (Feb 16, 2011)

Hop on over to Kodiak, a great little yarn shop in the downtown area near the harbor full of commecial fishing boats with eagles hovering overhead.


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestion, that is too far away.


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## LenaS (Jan 1, 2012)

We have Inua Yarn shop which has lovely yarn , Northern thread yarn store and another one off College road, and I can't remember the name right now. Also can get quivit at the musk ox farm shop occasionally. Then there is a good Joann's and Michael's too. This is in Fairbanks, AK.


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## LenaS (Jan 1, 2012)

Just remembered the other, A Weavers Yarn. All of these places are great and there could be more too. Don't know about Anchorage.


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks for those suggestions. They are very helpful


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## sharonlee (Feb 13, 2011)

we were there last August and I shopped at Far North and
the Quilt Tree, both in Anchorage and very nice yarn shops


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks Sharonlee I will have to look up those shops


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## Gulfbreezeknitter (Apr 29, 2012)

If you get to Seward, which is about 120 miles south of Anchorage, there is a great yarn shop called The Flyin Skein!


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Not sure if I will, but thanks for that information


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## Gulfbreezeknitter (Apr 29, 2012)

Seward is one of the loveliest little towns in Alaska. We have a cabin there to escape from the Florida heat in the summer. I spend a lot of time in The Flyin Skein.


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## jean-bordergirl (Feb 24, 2013)

I have a sister who lives in Anchorage and I will ask her. I have been to several but can't remember the names. One of them is the Far North Yarn Co. Have fun it is a great city.


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## NanaDana (Jul 2, 2011)

Hi! There are three in the Anchorage area that I go to quite frequently! The Yarn Branch, Far North Yarn Co., and The Tangled Skein. The Tangled Skein is in Eagle River, 15 minutes away from Anchorage. If you have a little time, Fiber 'n Ice in Big Lake, AK is a fun shop -- lots of spinning supplies and handspun yarn, about an hour's drive from Anchorage through the beautiful Matanuska Valley. 

Each shop has its own atmosphere and each carry different things. All are great shops -- that's why I go to all three! Have a great trip to Anchorage this summer--we're all looking forward to summer ourselves up here!


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## jean-bordergirl (Feb 24, 2013)

do you belong to knitting group in Anchorage?


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks Nanadana, you gave me lots of places to visit on my trip. I know I will be knitting the whole way


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## mangosalsa (Nov 10, 2011)

When I was in Alaska we had a wonderful time at the yarn shops and the quilt shops. There were some gorgeous quilts with Alaskan themes and we did some shopping in both yarn and quilt shops.
I asked one of the ladies if what I heard was true....that if a woman was looking for a man to settle down with they would be very successful in Alaska. Her reply was, "the odds were good, but the goods were odd".
My friends and I have laughed over that many times.


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## jean-bordergirl (Feb 24, 2013)

that is what my sister who lives there says


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## mangosalsa (Nov 10, 2011)

jean-bordergirl said:


> that is what my sister who lives there says


It must be that those men who walk to the beat of a different drummer have worn a path to Alaska!


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## candybooth (Sep 16, 2011)

There is a yarn shop in Seward but they are a little more expensive. If you get a chance there is a wonderful shop in Anchorage called Northern Light. The people there are very nice and they have nice yarn and carry Knitters Pride needles. They even gave me some donated yarn so that I could make a project for charity. 

there is another yarn shop in Anchorage called OOMINGMAK. They carry the Qiviut yarn which is very expensive. You just have to visit the shop. I could not buy anything but the yarn is softer than cashmere. The yarn comes from the Musk Ox. It is the 2nd most expensive yarn in the world. 

I hope you have a great visit.

Candace3


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## immunurse (May 2, 2011)

We spent one night in Anchorage in September. We stayed at the Westmark, and there were two shops within a block. One is called the Quilted Raven, which <no surprise> is largely a fabric store, but they do have some nice local yarns. One brand is called Tree Hugger's Wife - hand dyed. They also have the Musk Ox yarn. It is $240 per hank for 100% and about $120 for a blend.

In the same block, same side of the street, down at the corner nearer the Westmark is a Japanese store (you can tell by the writing on the windows) that also had some yarn.

My DIL has a headband of 100% musk ox yarn and she has never been able to keep it on for more than a few minutes (in St. Louis in the winter) b/c it is SO WARM.

If you are going to be in Fairbanks with a land tour it will be hard to get to any of the yarn shops. I think the tour companies excursions pretty much fill up your day, and it's a bit of a walk from the hotel area to the shops. In Fairbanks our Holland America itinerary included a long riverboat tour and another trip to the pipeline and then to a gold dredge where we got to pan for gold. We would have had to miss one of the excursions to make time to shop. BTW, I loved those excursions.

Hope you have a great trip.


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## immunurse (May 2, 2011)

candybooth said:


> There is a yarn shop in Seward but they are a little more expensive. If you get a chance there is a wonderful shop in Anchorage called Northern Light. The people there are very nice and they have nice yarn and carry Knitters Pride needles. They even gave me some donated yarn so that I could make a project for charity.
> 
> there is another yarn shop in Anchorage called OOMINGMAK. They carry the Qiviut yarn which is very expensive. You just have to visit the shop. I could not buy anything but the yarn is softer than cashmere. The yarn comes from the Musk Ox. It is the 2nd most expensive yarn in the world.
> 
> ...


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## Joycie48 (May 17, 2011)

There is the Muskox Farm in Wasilla which is a little north of Anchorage. You can see the Muskox and I bought some quivet blends there. Of course, the quivet is expensive, but there are some other yarns there also. The shop is part of the house.


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## NanaDana (Jul 2, 2011)

Hi! I haven't joined a knitting group here in Anchorage yet. I have gone to some classes and a couple two day workshops though--really fun, held in Wasilla. The yarn shops here encourage people to come in and sit and knit--all of them hold classes. Lots of interest in knitting up here--guess because we can wear our woolly things for 7-8 months a year!


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## NanaDana (Jul 2, 2011)

Yes, quivet yarn and knitted items are available in many shops through south central Alaska, the Muskox Co-op in Anchorage is also fun to visit. It's quite a success story when quivet was discovered to be so wonderful when spun into yarn, a cottage industry was born. The items for sale are designed and knit by women in bush villages as a source of income. I recently purchased several of the original designs used to make a quivet smoke ring which is like a cowl. Beautiful things-- feel like you have nothing on your neck-- very soft and light, with varying shades of gray and taupe-- thus the name smoke ring


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Can't wait to see this yarn. I have heard about it.


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## Joycie48 (May 17, 2011)

you have to feel it.


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

I will


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions.


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## jopaul (Mar 3, 2013)

http://www.knitmap.com/locations/map/

this is a handy website to use when traveling...


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions.


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## candybooth (Sep 16, 2011)

The most expensive is from South America, I think. I forgot but my friend told me about it.

Candace


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## PittyPat (Jul 2, 2011)

I was in Alaska in Sept and visited Seward, went to the Flying Skein 2 times and the owner was delightful. Pittypat


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## bettyirene (Apr 5, 2012)

I am also going to Alaska in June, and I just Googled "yarn shops in Alaska", and found lots.


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## Gulfbreezeknitter (Apr 29, 2012)

She has taught me everything I know! She is wonderful!


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## andreah (Apr 27, 2011)

howesfam said:


> My husband and I are taking a vacation in Alaska this summer. Of course I want to find some yarn shops. We will have some free time in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Any suggestions?


Wonderful LYS in Anchorage called Far North Yarn. Its across from the Bear Tooth Theater and Chillcoot Charlies in Spenard area. The owner and he daughter are very friendly, helpful and not at all insistant that you buy from them to get advice. Love the shop. There is another less personal one on Benson with a good selectio n of yarns and books but I much prefer the Far North. Have fun on your trip!


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you for your input. I am really looking forward to our trip. I am really excited about visiting a few of this shops.


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## candybooth (Sep 16, 2011)

That is the one I went to. I am from Baton Rouge and met a lady that took the same Afghan class as I did while she lived in Baton Rouge. 

The people are very nice.

Candace


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## CharleenR (Feb 21, 2012)

Seems to me I went to the Far North in Anchorage when I was there. You might also check out the Qiviut Co-op on H Street in Anchorage. They don't sell yarn by itself but do sell a hat kit (it is a rare fiber and is not cheap) and the finished articles and info about the musk ox fur that is spun into fiber is fascinating. They have a small show room but it is worth a stop into, and you don't have to purchase anything.


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## CharleenR (Feb 21, 2012)

I have heard about that farm. How far north is Wasillia from Anchorage? If I can drag my traveling companions back to Alaska sometime soon, will put that on the list of must sees. I was last in Alaska ten years ago.



Joycie48 said:


> There is the Muskox Farm in Wasilla which is a little north of Anchorage. You can see the Muskox and I bought some quivet blends there. Of course, the quivet is expensive, but there are some other yarns there also. The shop is part of the house.


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## sharonlee (Feb 13, 2011)

our family (10) were there in august, took the grands on a
dog sled ride through the woods at Wasilla then the hit of the
trip was a helicopter ride to punchbowl glacier and spending an
afternoon with the dogs and trainers and going for a dog sled
ride across the glacier. HOW GREAT WAS THAT!!! 
I came home with a skein of 50% quivit, silk and cashmere
ohhhh so soft, but not cheap $142 a skein. made a beautiful
scarf for myself.

Have a wonderful visit, there is sooooo much to see and do


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## Joycie48 (May 17, 2011)

I think it took us less than an hour from Anchorage. At one time the place gave tours, etc., but all it had when we went was the shop and some musk ox out in the fields. Still worth seeing IMHO.


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## candybooth (Sep 16, 2011)

They still give tours of the Musk Ox farm. I got to pet one of them through the fence. It was great.

Candace


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## howesfam (Jun 24, 2011)

I hope I can get to that farm


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