Amazing service incredibly helpful owner. I am new in town and she was really terrific.

The service was outstanding and the yarn selection was great! The staff was very friendly and helpful!

Stopped in while in the Center, and LOVE this space. New outdoor sign going up soon, it's right next to Verizon on the corner where the new renovated housing is by Regent Theater. Gorgeous warm space, open knitting groups Weds and Sundays, and designed for community building. The yarn looks and feels amazing. I am super new to knitting and crocheting (bookmark-level!) but I will come back just to learn and chat. So great for Arlington and our surrounding metro Bos community! read more

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Every now and then life brings about a multifaceted experience that permeates deeper then expected. I am visiting from the West Coast awaiting the arrival of our granddaughter and was in need of knitting advice. The woman that answered suggested I walk in without hesitation. I had mentioned to my daughter that the woman sounded as if she was crying which gave me concern. Short story long ... the knitting expert had been treated very disrespectfully over the phone and yet she welcomed me and my daughter with open arms and had all the time and patience in the world to assist us. I'm already dreaming of returning and purchasing the gorgeous yarn with little sequins for my next project. The Minds Eye will always remind me that we should be kind to everyone - just as the sweet woman was to us !! read more

This is a great spot! Beautiful yarn, excellent people to help, will be returning! Value was also excellent.

This business is no longer located on White Street. Best to call ahead to see if they're still in business?

Wonderful shop in every way, great yarn, nice people, helpful owner, and plenty of models to try on. The yarn is top quality and the normal retail price. The owner took the time to show 5 people Ravelry and how to connect with other knitters and to pull up patterns in The time I was looking. I highly recommend stopping bye and starting a new project. Remember with out business these great small shops can't stay in business, so pls go out and buy a sweaters worth of yarn and knit away! Note that it's just across from the T so very easy access . read more

Mind's Eye Yarns - Knitting Supplies Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

My review would have been five stars except for one thing: I usually can't make it to the shop during its (in my opinion) limited hours when open for business. But today I was on vacation and it was their 25% off sale so the stars finally aligned for me! I love the cute house interior and am thrilled by the large selection of my favorite yarns: Malabrigo Caracol and Mecha. I have to admit that I buy a lot of yarn online. But I wanted to support a local business and it was a really nice experience. There were two employees today and they were both informative and pleasant. I will most likely be back as soon as the stars align again. There is something really nice about taking the skeins over to a window to choose the one with the best colors. That's one thing that can't be done online! They also have a self service winder which is a huge improvement over those establishments that make you pay for the service. read more

Mind's Eye Yarns - Knitting Supplies Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

This fantastic local yarn shop is under new ownership by a long-time employee. The space is clean and bright. The yarn selection is fantastic - lots of solids and multicolor options, from large brands (Berroco, Malabrigo, etc.) to indie dyers. The staff is friendly and welcoming to everyone - some yarn stores look at you funny if you're too old or young or male or goth or queer or whatever, but Mind's Eye will make you feel welcome. They are also great with wool allergies and can help you find alternative fiber options. If you don't know how to knit, check out the classes and private lessons. Minds Eye also excels at drop-in help when you get into trouble with a project. Highly recommended for knitters, crocheters and spinners of all kinds. read more

The staff are always helpful. The selection is fantastic but it's all middle- to top-shelf stuff. If you do ask for something that it turns out they don't carry but is probably in stock at the big-box craft store across the street, they are happy to point that out with no judgement or rivalry -- they're clearly crafters themselves and they get it. During the pandemic, I was mildly frustrated at first that they don't have a web store. However, the owner Annie has basically turned into a yarn sommelier. Tell her what you have in mind, she'll ask some clarifying questions, and then come back with several great recommendations. Maybe she was always like this but I didn't ask for recommendations before the pandemic because I prefer to browse. You can make a browsing appointment in the store, too, if you're comfortable with in-person shopping right now. read more

How disappointing to find they are open by appointment only. Remove shopping hours, if you are not actually open. This was my first stop on my trip from Manhattan, and was disappointed to find the place closed. There's no need for appointment only. A Covid mask is good enough for any other local business. You lost a good sale. I've never left a yarn store without spending in excess of $500. On to Mystic tomorrow. Hopefully that store will be open. read more

I absolutely love this yarn store, and miss it so much during the pandemic. It is so well-stocked with gorgeous, cozy yarns of all kinds. The staff are super quirky, knowledgable and helpful. The classes are incredible--very focused on helping you with your individual project. I just can't say enough positive things about this little, magical, mighty haven for creativity. I pray this store makes it through the pandemic so I can go back to my beloved knitting class. read more

The best experience ever! I couldn't ask for a more helpful staff. I think her name was Amy or Annie (couldn't hear well through the mask). She helped me figure out a pattern an d even wrote down instruction for me. For sure I will back. read more

This is such a beautiful place! Annie was in and answered all of my and my friend's questions very thoroughly and patiently. She is an amazing knitter and watching her work was a real treat. After going to Gather Here, which I also really like, and not finding almost any non-animal yarns I was beginning to think specialty stores would not have this option for those of use who don't want to use animal fibers. But, Mind's Eye has a very nice selection of cottons and acrylics! Also, they offer one-on-one classes for super cheap and you get to set your own schedule with them! Unlike Gather Here where classes are really expensive ($45++) and are set dates with more than 6 people - though that still makes for a intimate space. read more

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As a new knitter, I arrived in a state of complete frustration with my current project, they were patient and helpful, kind and encouraging. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! Thank you! read more

Great little yarn shop. It has a wide variety of colors and weights of yarns. No matter what your complexion or taste in color, you are going to find yarn here that you are going to be happy with (you don't have to have Nordic or Western European skin coloring to find yarn that will work with you... unlike other yarn shops). The staff is both knowledgeable and very helpful. This shop stocks indie yarns, from local dyers. I also like the fact this shop does have affordable, quality yarn. (If you really want cheap acrylic, go to Michael's.) The prices here are definitely reasonable, because the staff is attentive and professional. I'm an award winning hand knitter and generally do my own design work. I have not taken knitting lessons here, but have watched classes (as I was shopping). The classes are small and friendly. You will get individual instruction. The instructors are kind and patient Gotta go... I broke a needle and am on my way... read more

What a gem. Lovely local yarn store with a wide variety of materials and accessories for your next knitting project. Annie, the owner, is fabulous - incredibly knowledgeable and patient with beginners like me. I am so grateful for her help getting me over the hump with several projects. I stop in to shop here--and to soak up some of Annie's advice--as often as I can! read more

I was a quasi loyal customer of Mind's Eye when it was owned by Lucy. At the time, it had a small but high end selection of jewel toned yarns. Lucy really pushed you to buy things, but she took a real pride in her store and it showed through in the careful selection of goods she offered. Under the new ownership, the selection has changed drastically to a set of yarns I'm not as familiar with. I would look forward to exploring the new selection, but the new owner has put in a display of strongly scented soaps. When I say strongly scented, I mean the store is noxious. I don't view myself as someone who is sensitive to smells, but the store reeks more than a Yankee Candle shop. I can count on having a headache within 5 minutes of entering. I mentioned the smell of the soaps was bothering me to the new owner on more than one occasion, who showed zero sympathy or apology. My friends have left this store because do the smell as well. My question to the new owner - is this a yarn store or a soap store? Are you willing to sell significantly less yarn because your soap drives yarn customers away? In short - if artificial smells bother you at all, stay away! A simple fix would involve wrapping the scented soaps in plastic. read more

Since the new ownership has taken over the yarn selection has improved but the customer service went way down hill. I went in to the shop in October 2013 and tried to use a gift certificate that was purchased in December 2012. Because the new owner did not purchase the value of the gift certificates from the old owner she told me that she could not honor the gift certificate. I was surprised but that's within her right. She offered me a 10% discount which would've been about $3. I was trying to make up my mind about my purchase when the owner told me that she didn't have to offer me any discount and she was just being nice. Again she was right but it seemed a bit odd. Then she said that she wasn't sorry because this wasn't her fault. I was shocked. I had not asked for an apology. I had barely said anything. The owner was very rude and does not seem suited for customer service. She could've said "I'm sorry this happened" or said nothing at all. She also could've recognized that this wasn't my fault either. Instead she alienated me. I chose not to make a purchase that day and I won't be shopping there again. I like to support local yarn shops but Mind's Eye Yarn won't be one of them anymore. read more

Nice selection of yarn, but the folks who work at this shop have a strange relationship to customer service. My wife and I were in today to buy some knitting needles and yarn. The yarn we selected was wonderful, but they did not carry the needles we were looking for. Okay, no big deal. But then the owner and her employee get weird and make several random rude comments. I don't understand the logic of small business owners who go out of their way to alienate would- be regular customers. Stars are for quality of stock only. read more

Reading all the positive reviews on here makes me wonder if I a missing something. But I think the reviews are more illustrative of a dearth of LYSs in the Boston area. The woman working there when I visited was indeed nice and I saw her teaching someone to bind off, but that is not enough to merit a rave review for this place. First, the selection is small because the place is small. Cascade and Noro, but few other standards. No Malabrigo, no debbie bliss, no rowan, etc. At least they have a list available on their website so you can figure out before you go whether they'll have what they are looking for. There are many small yarn stores in NYC where real estate is also expensive, but those still tend to have a better selection. Second, the prices are on the high end. Most yarn appeared to be a full dollar or two more expensive than other yarn shops. A well priced yarn shop doesn't have Cascade 220 over $7. Third, it is a small store so there isn't a good spot to sit and work on a project. Remember I said the person working there was teaching someone how to bind off? Well she was doing this in the middle of the room, no table, people trying to get around to look at stuff and to get out the door. Fourth, this is a minor point but I like places that will wind your yarn for you. At least there was a ball winder for use I guess. Of course, when winding yarn there you are in the way of anyone trying to reach the register or the pattern books. They also using a cheap metal swift even though there are pretty wooden ones located around the store. The good things about this place were the friendly staff and the range of needles and other notions. If you like spinning, they had some supplies there. They also had a small basket of sale yarns. Very little was on sale though and the sale was small. I find that my favorite yarn stores tend to have good sales. All in all, there is not much calling me back there. I go to Boston periodically, but will not likely make the effort to return here when I am in town (saying a lot for me because visiting yarn stores is my top tourist activity). read more

Like another reviewer, I shied away from this shop because I was worried that the yarn shop exterior was merely a front for some sort of New Age crystal pawn shop. I finally went in when I heard through the grapevine that Lucy (the heroine of this review and owner of aforementioned store) gave lessons. Cheap lessons. Excellent, informative, cheap lessons. And let me tell you, this grapevine does not lie. Perhaps I should admit now that I have spent more on lessons than I have on yarn. The yarn selection is a bit limited by the space. It's very nice yarn. And it is plentiful. It feels like a conscious choice was made to have a good solid group of yarns--and enough of each type that you can go in and buy enough to make a sweater without hunting down extra skeins at other shops. You won't find any kind of wonky cashmohangorayak mix here that you might find at a larger luxury yarn shop, and you'll be finding your way back to Mind's Eye when you realize that the other shop only carries 60 yards of the stuff and you need 200 yards of something beautiful and dependable, and you need it yesterday. So I think that it was an act of consideration: there is not a multitude of yarn, but, if you're looking to make a big project, Mind's Eye provides. The yarn stash is also limited by the ginormous roving stash. Mind's Eye has more spinning fiber that I have seen in my Boston-yarn-shop-crawling yet. Lucy carries a lot of magnificent hand-dyed roving both from her own color concoctions and from local artists. There's also the spinning wheels, the couch in back, the rocking chair placed near a radiator in the front room. . . it's a small place crammed full of little considerations for the customer, not all of them yarn-related. Go, brave Porter Square parking, and take a look-see. It's worth it. read more

Mind's Eye is a lovely little shop, bursting at the seams with yarn. But there are a handful of other yarn stores in the metro Boston area, and the selection here is not extraordinarily different than most. The difference? Spinning. Those wheels in the window are not just displays, and Lucy in her infinite patience will teach you how to use one. Or send you home happily with a spindle in hand and a bag of roving and well on your way to making yarn at home. It's the beginning of an addiction in the works. Her roving selection alone is worth stopping in for - silk, cashmere, and wool galore. Pamper yourself the old-fashioned way - 2oz of raw bombyx silk top to spin... read more

My friend of refined fiber tastes requested a hat made of natural fibers (acrylic yarn makes her eye twitch) but NOT WOOL because wool is itchy and cotton yarn is not soft enough. This was a puzzle. I had passed by the shop many times and decided to pop in to find a darn skein of appropriate yarn. It was a quiet evening and I had no trouble getting help with my plight. A staff member offered several suggestions and I found what I needed. Go for the service, but the selection is limited and the prices are steep. But then again, where else are you going to find quality yarn around here? read more

Before I knit, I had no idea of the wonders that lay inside Mind's Eye. Was it a new age store? How does that work with yarn and fiber? Now that I'm a knitter, I get it. If you're looking for yarn that's really unique, made with care and love, this is the place. There is as much yarn selection as the tiny shop will allow, with gorgeous colors and textures and some well-known brands, and bunches of sock yarn. There isn't a very extensive range of needles etc., but that's not really the star of the show here. That's the hand-dyed yarn, probably done by Lucy, the owner, who is hugely active in the fiber arts community. She's also very helpful, with a great sense of humor, and teaches both knitting and spinning. Lucy kindly called my twisted stitches a "design feature." No list of Boston-area knitting stores is complete without Mind's Eye. read more

Lucy is friendly and warm, and knows when you want to chat and when you want to be left alone to fondle fibers. This is key in a good yarn store employee/owner, and there aren't enough people who fit this bill in the Boston area (let alone larger world). Her newsletter is also informative and personal, so don't be afraid to get on the mailing list. The selection isn't huge, but you can tell that it has been chosen with care, and I prefer quality and intention over quantity anyway. Mind's Eye sells both yarns and roving, for those interested in making their own yarn. Her fiber selections in roving are diverse. The hand-dyes and local yarns make me happy, as well. It's always nice to have some one-of-a-kind selections at a yarn store. read more

This place is awesome. Acutally, I should say LUCY is awsome. I came in today with a pattern I saw on her website. She pulled out the finished product for me to try on and check out. Unfortunately, it was made out of cashmere, which is a little too spendy for me. Lucy helped me find a super soft silk blend for about half the cost. I also asked for some advice about another project and she was super helpful. Then we talked about our dogs for a while too! I will say that she might be a little more expensive than other stores, but she A. has a more convenient location B. will help with any problem C. is super knowledgeable Try and get all that at Michaels bitches! read more

So I bought some eco wool and noticed when I got home that I was charged significantly higher than MSRP. Over 40% OVER MSRP. Since I purchased other Cascade yarn there (higher quality yarn) at what I would call regular, average price, I thought this surely must be a mistake. I like Lucy and her store, so if it was a typo I wanted her to know about it. When I called I was surprised to find out that this is the price she charges for this yarn and "has charged it for years." I didn't call with a bone to pick or any desire to return the yarn, just to confirm and inform if this price was wrong. Lucy mentioned something about a "roof over her head", which I completely understand. No one is saying don't make a profit. However, I paid an exorbitant six dollars over the retail price for one hank of yarn. A whopping 40% OVER RETAIL. And that is not cool. Sorry, it's not. And about those needles, as another Yelper mentioned. I, too, needed longer needles and the brand Lucy supplies only has short ones. WTH? I'm sorry I didn't hold them before I got them, too. They have a cheaper, varnishy shine to them that makes them feel like plastic (hate em!). I love Takumi and Clover. These feel less natural to me -- and I won't use them. Other prices seemed fair and reasonable. But I have to yelp when I am paying 40% over retail. read more

I brought a friend of mine from Canada to this place to snag some yarn and Lucy was more than helpful as she spun away at her spinning wheel. Not only did she have a beautiful selection of yarns including homespun and hand-dyed, she CURED MY KNITTING CURSE! Since I learned to knit 6 years ago, I have always crossed my stitches, so my knits look like little Ys instead of Vs. I noted to her that I have trouble with lace because crossed stitches close yarn-over holes. She showed me how to correct my problem, said if I concentrated on it for a few rows the correct way would come naturally, and I have been knitting Curse Free ever since! I even went home and immediately made lace tie-backs for my bedroom curtains, and they came out great! THEY HAD HOLES! HALLELUJAH! WEEEEE thank you so much Lucy for teaching me your magical technique remedy! read more

As a Boston-area resident of 60+ years with experience taking 'creative' classes from figure drawing to knitting, baking to sewing, can confidently rank Mind's Eye Yarns and its staff with a 5 out of 5 in excellence of instruction and high quality of curated products. As an explorer/frequent beginner, I'm especially appreciative of the welcoming attitude toward newbies, and friendly patience of all its staff with pop-in customers needing a (literal!) helping hand solving knitting bloopers. Truly an inclusive shop in all senses of that word. read more

Kindness and brilliance rule here. Quite simply, an adorable, small shop, with extraordinarily helpful staff, wonderful little community, and one of the few shops that carry the tools and fibers for spinning your own yarn. She's got some fun and intersting workshops, and there is just a wonderful atmosphere about the place. Its true, she doesn't have an extensive selection, but she has alot of wonderful things that you might not find elsewhere... there aren't many "yarn store standards" present, and that's one of the things that makes her store so special. read more

I learned to knit with lessons at Mind's Eye and I feel like I can never say enough about what an amazing teacher and person the owner, Lucy, is. She adapts her lessons to your learning style and goals and I feel like I can make anything I want now! - Oh, and if I mess up - she can help me get out of a jam, too. I call her the Knitting Ninja as she whips those needles back and forth and then hands me back my fixed work and patiently explains the issue(s). I've called the shop in a panic before too and Annie, who works in the shop, had me email her the pattern and then she gave me phone support as I figured things out. Annie is SUPER! I love the yarn and accessories at the store as well. I'm a real snob about these things and Lucy carries a wonderful assortment of inspiring yarns. read more

This is one of my new regular LYS. My boyfriend is an avid crocheter and I'm avidly knitting/crocheting and we always find something here. This is basically a yarn store in a small house. The rooms are categorized by yarn weight/type. The middle room has mostly lace/sock/fingering yarn with a wall of worsted on the right hand side. The front room has mostly worsted yarn. The back room carries heavy worsted/bulky/super bulky yarn. The yarn winder is in the back room. There is no room here to sit and knit/crochet that I know of. One of my favorite things about this store is they have a good wall of classic yarn. Barlettyarn is a yarn company from the middle of nowhere Maine (literally central Maine, a small town called Harmony, Maine) and they have been spinning the same kind of yarn since the 1800s. I was able to get three skeins of their "Dark Sheep Grey" here. I haven't seen this brand sold in any other LYS in Massachusetts or Philadelphia, and I love it! I currently have it on my lap and I'm knitting a Victorian inspired shawl. The yarn was about $1 above retail but I don't mind supporting this local business. Cambridge is super expensive, so I'm sure the prices are a little on the higher side because of this. If I had one suggestion, it would be to make the store a little more crochet friendly. They have a sparse collection of crochet hooks/notions and sometimes are out of stock on any crochet hooks, so my boyfriend has to go across the street to Michaels when he'd prefer a nice wood hook. read more

Lucy is very helpful. She has a good selection of yarn and I like most of the colorways that she has available. I came to Boston from Seattle and have been fairly disappointed by the LYS here. While Mind's Eye is small ( about 1/8 the size of my old LYS in Seattle) it uses the space it has available effectively. All that said, I am not a huge fiber snob. I will not for any reason knit acrylic, but other than that I am not too picky. In my opinion, it doesn't get better or more versatile than Cascade 220. read more

Having heard good things about this LYS, I thought I'd check it out, and I was thoroughly disappointed. Firstly, I visited on a snowy day, and one of the first things that struck me was that there's yarn all the way to the floor, and nowhere to wipe your feet once you enter the store - this to me seems like a recipe for dirty yarn. Not a lot of variety, be it colorways, brands, fibers and most importantly price points. Plus it's more expensive than other LYS by at least a few dollars per item. There's nowhere to really be without feeling like you're in someone's way. The books and magazines are all at floor level - not so nice for the knees, and since the hardwood floors were covered with salty melted snow water sitting on the floor is out of the question. Another peeve: yarn magazines from as early as 2004 are being sold at full cover price. Needless to say, I expected better, and also expected a friendly person working, which is NOT what I encountered. read more

Mind's eye has a small but great selection of yarns, and very very helpful staff. The main draw of this shop is the owner, Lucy - she's a great teacher and a wonderful resource for those who need inspiration or are stuck on a pattern. I recently had a spinning lesson with her, and she's a fantastic teacher, very patient, and also really good at demonstrating new techniques. Of all the yarn stores in Cambridge/Boston, this is the one I would feel comfortable going to with a question about a project...and if I needed serious help I wouldn't hesitate to schedule a one on one lesson. (And they have great yarn too!) read more

I'm a new knitter, and was told 'come to Mind's Eye when you want to talk and want to build your yarn stash'. The owner, Lucy, was really friendly and knowledgeable. She guided me to just the right kind of needles I was looking for, and then let me be to look over the yarn for a while. She was also really encouraging - when I mentioned being a novice, she grinned, and said, "Don't worry if you drop a stitch occasionally. It'll be all right." The prices were fair, and overall? I will definitely be coming back. :) read more

I recently discovered Mind's Eye Yarns and quickly fell in love with it. It's now my new go-to yarn store in the Cambridge/Boston area. Love it! Noteworthy things about this place: (1) they carry an absolutely beautiful collection of yarns for yarn snobs like me, (2) the shop is CLEAN, well organized, and well maintained, and (3) Lucy - the owner - is super friendly and personable but will also leave you alone if you just want to browse. Other good things: (4) the shop has a cute/cozy atmosphere, (5) you can wind any yarn you purchase there into balls for free, and (6) the location is super convenient (just a few steps from the red line). Some negative things: (1) the prices are definitely not cheap, but I find that I'm willing to pay for the high quality yarns, comfortable environment, and great service, and (2) the selection is not outstanding - they don't carry some of my favorite lines, including Blue Sky Alpacas and Koigu. However, they do carry almost everything from Cascade, so if this is your thing, it's definitely worth checking out. Overall, this shop is great! I always come home with scrumptious goodies that I really enjoy knitting with -- a sign of a good shop, in my opinion. : ) read more

My fingertips told me to come here. Alright, Yelp told me. It was a small shop filled with rich, vibrant colors - I ended up with two skeins of heather grey yarn. It was a relaxed set up, like going over someone's house. The saleslady [who I can only assume is Lucy] was very nice and helped me get started on my merry knitting way. This'll be my go-to place. The Knitting Group meets Wednesdays from 7-9p. Spinning on Thursdays from 7-9p. Lessons are by appointment [during regular hours] and are $12 for a 45-minute session. Etsy site: mindseyeyarns.etsy.com Email: lucy@mindseyeyarns.com read more

I'm a complete a novice when it comes to knitting and thought I would stop in Mind's Eye Yarns for some basic supplies to practice different stitches. While I was there, I found that both the owner and employee were incredibly attentive, professional, and kind. After teaching me about the different characteristics of their wide variety of yarns, they set me up with the necessities and realistic project goals. The owner even took the time to go through the pattern I had brought and made some changes so that it would be feasible for a beginner like me to complete! I highly recommend stopping in for all of your knitting needs! read more