MAJOR color inspiration from yarn and yarn shops in general. haven't been to Purl, though. i'll have to drop by.

don't forget the other branch of purl up the street, which is devoted to gorgeous fabrics and other supplies for quilting.

My SO purls, and knits for that matter. We will have to stop by next time we are in the city.

Purl also has a great blog: purlbee.com

personally, I'm not a big fan of purl. they have beautiful stuff and gorgeous displays, but their prices are OUT OF CONTROL, even by manhattan yarn price standards. I've also been put off by how crowded it usually is, and how the people who work there tend to only pay attention to the women who are buying armloads of the priciest stuff.
I suppose that's what happens when you run a yarn shop out of soho...

anyway, when I've been there, it's usually to get an idea of which yarns I might like; then I just buy them online.

were I a contestant in the Color Contest, I would cite yarn as one of my major inspiration sources!

as a knitter, I love all of the wonderful colors and textures you can find out there. also, you really know how you feel about a colorway after you take the time knit a sweater in it...

Brittany, i am a contestant in the color contest (or will be once my entry goes public on the site), and i totally forgot to say yarn! it was so hard to think of that second favorite resource, too! duh, yarn...

I agree with JR. The store is absolutely beautiful and definitely inspiring, but I too am a little put off by how the staff seem to pay attention only to those women buying boatloads of the expensive stuff.

My experience is that they also don't care to help you unless you are hipper than thou and know everything about knitting in which case you don't need help from the staff anyway.

their sister fabric store is fantastic
it's geared toward quilting, but with reproduction fabrics that aren't all twee or gingham countrified
so, great for any lightweight cotton you need

I found the staff to be perfectly nice, and I only grab a yard or two of fabric at a time . . .

I used to go there when it was a dreary brown laundromat (which I miss, believe it or not). I'm not a knitter but I always appreciate the brightness of Purl when I walk by. I especiaaly appreciate that they didn't rip up the old tile floor.

Yarn- how I love thee. still waiting to go check out this gem.

Have to weigh in here and disagree with JR and knitcrazy. I'm not a great knitter, and I usually go in and buy the least expensive yarns, sometimes the ones in the sale bin. There are two sales people, one named Whitney and another whose name is escaping me at the moment - they are both so helpful. I go in with questions and they sit and help me. Also, in terms of price - they are about on par with other knitting stores in the city, at least that's what I've found.

Ah my favourite kind of porn - yarn porn - Purl is the best for those wonderful displays of yarn and colour - fabby shop!

I agree with JR.. definitely a gorgeous store, but I was not treated well there. Out of control pricing, too. It was a big disappointment when I visited (I'm not from NY) because it had been so hyped up to me by others.

i wonder if the complaints about Purl don't have to do with the fact that posters are from other cities or are comparing them with online alternatives? i've had the same general issues with every yarn shop i've used in the city (especially Downtown Yarns, they're the worst!). whereas when i've picked up yarn in Chicago and New Orleans, the yarns were far cheaper, the staff was extremely helpful, and the general atmosphere wasn't downtown knitting scenester but more like your cool artsy auntie who wants to teach you crafts.

i can't speak to every yarn store in the city (and i've never been to any of the shops in brooklyn), but it's something that seems to go with the manhattan retail territory. things are more expensive, salespeople are less warm and fuzzy. c'est la vie.

Purl is a short walk from my office and I was very excited when it opened. They certainly have one of the most beautiful inventories of any yarn shop in NYC. My experience with the staff, however, has been mixed. Sometimes they're professional and kind, but just as often I've been completely ignored and then resentfully helped, so I don't go much. And yes, prices are steep on some lines, but they tend to stock high-end fibers. Some of the more basic yarns are priced competitively.

Good yarn shops are like good independent bookstores. They reflect the sensibilities and tastes of the owner(s). With the plethora of choices in NYC right now, stores are competing as much based on the vibe their customers get as on their stock. Knitty City, a relative newcomer (79th St near Amsterdam), is my new fave.

But no one comes close to Joelle's gorgeous color sense and aesthetic gifts.

Dear Apartment Therapy,
Thank you so much for this lovely post about our shop!

For those of you who find our shop to be expensive, please know that we keep our prices as low as we can for our crazy SoHo rent! We do happen to stock a lot of fibers which are simply expensive (cashmeres, fine merinos, hand dyes etc), but we also have some very economically priced yarns. Please don't hesitate to ask our staff to point these out to you on your next visit.
Joelle

I actually just finished a Knitty.com project ('Fetching') on yarn purchased at Purl on a NYC trip last year. I only bought one skein, but I remember the staff being helpful and nice - quite unlike every experience I've ever had at the Yarn Co on the Upper West Side. I do remember, though, that their ball winder was busted, and when I stopped in Knit New York after for coffee, they offered to wind it for me - so a plug for them as well.

Purl is, as noted, quite tiny, but it's visually one of the most appealing yarn shops I've visited anywhere - if nothing else, press your face against the glass the next time you're by.

I love this store and work close by so i stop in fairly often in cold months. Unfortuantely, i've found their staff to be a little snooty and not the most helpful but I go and browse and buy anyway. Yes they are expensive but its great quality stuff.
Also, a shout out to BROOKLYN GENERAL in Carroll gardens which I absolutly LOVE. They have similar yarn, are less expensive and its run by some cool ladies. take their classes- they're great! (I guess its not my little secret anymore ;)