Santa Monica Yarn Store Open Sundays: Wildfiber Studio

Wildfiber Studio, at 1453 14th Street, Suite E in Santa Monica, is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays. It opens on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm, and every fall and winter it fills its Wednesday evenings with a free-form social crafting hour from 5 to 7 pm. Metered parking is available on both 14th Street and Broadway, which matters in a beach city where a spot is half the battle.

The studio is at 1453 14th Street, Suite E, Santa Monica, CA 90404, close to Broadway. The shop's visit page points out that metered parking is available on both 14th and Broadway, so you can leave the car on the street instead of circling for a garage.

This part of Santa Monica sits inland from the pier, in the residential grid between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue. It is a quieter place than the Promenade, and that suits a yarn store.

The shop's Our Story page says Wildfiber Studio was founded in June 2014 by the creative duo Claudia Seizer and Teri Artinyan, and that its mission is simple: to cultivate an inviting, inspiring and comfortable environment where your creative spirit can flourish. The same page adds that the studio brings over 20 years of history on the West Side, and describes the shop as honoring traditional fiber arts while embracing new trends and techniques.

That mix is visible in what is on sale. The home page features Koigu hand-dyed yarn and Lana Grossa Eco Puno, along with a Lana Grossa lookbook, which tells you the shop leans toward carefully chosen European and hand-dyed fibers rather than bulk acrylic. The studio describes its stock as a carefully curated selection of high-quality yarns, tools, patterns and books, ranging from luxury yarns and natural fibers to artisanal hand-dyed skeins and beloved classics.

The Contact and Hours page lists the week as follows: Monday closed, Tuesday 10 am to 5 pm, Thursday 10 am to 5 pm, Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 2 pm. On Wednesday the shop opens at 11 am, and its closing time varies between the two pages that list it, so treat Wednesday as a late-morning start and plan around the evening crafting session instead.

The studio closes on January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving Day and December 25. It may also close at 3 pm on the day before Thanksgiving, on December 24 and on December 31. If you are in town for a holiday weekend, plan your visit for a different day and use the hours above as your guide.

The long Sunday-morning window is the big advantage. Most visitors from outside Santa Monica come on a weekend, and the shop's 10 am opening means you can start the day here, then head to the beach or the farmers market with a bag of skeins.

During the fall and winter months the shop hosts Social Crafting Time every Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 PM. The studio's own description calls it a delightful opportunity to meet fellow crafters, share ideas and enjoy some snacks and conversation in a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is the easiest way to meet the community around the shop without committing to a class.

The session is open to knitters, crocheters, weavers and anyone who brings a hand project. Bring something portable and in progress, because the point is to work next to other people, not to start from scratch. If you need a refresher on a technique, this is the room to ask.

Wednesday is the one night when the studio is working as a gathering place and not only as a store.

Wildfiber lists classes for knitting, crocheting, weaving, embroidery and specialty techniques. Weaving sits on that list next to the usual needle crafts, which gives you a way to go from skeins to cloth. The shop's navigation also lists a Join a Knit-Along section and a Classes and Events page, plus a calendar.

Ask about the level before you sign up: some sessions suit complete beginners, others assume you can already knit and purl.

If you are a traveler, the most useful thing to ask is whether a drop-in project is possible. A short-term visitor rarely wants a six-week course, and the staff can usually point you to a small project you can finish on a weekend trip.

If you want a keepsake, buy a single skein of the hand-dyed sock yarn and a pair of double-pointed needles. Koigu is the yarn the shop puts on its home page, and a skein plus a simple sock pattern is a classic first purchase.

I would not come here hunting for a bargain bin. The studio describes its stock as high-quality and curated, so spend your money on one beautiful project instead of a pile of filler. The shop sells gift cards as well, which solve the gift problem for a knitter whose stash you cannot guess.

A sensible route starts at the studio on 14th Street, then continues to Montana Avenue for coffee and boutique browsing, a short drive or bus ride north. The Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade are in the opposite direction, toward the ocean, and a good day pairs a morning yarn run with an afternoon at the beach.

Because the studio closes at 5 pm on most days and at 2 pm on Sunday, the efficient plan is to visit in the morning or early afternoon, then spend the rest of the day outdoors. On Wednesday, reverse the plan: go to the beach in the afternoon, and return for the 5 pm crafting session.

Wildfiber Studio is at 1453 14th Street, Suite E, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 am to 2 pm, Wednesday opening at 11 am, closed Monday. Social Crafting Time runs on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7 PM in fall and winter.

Metered street parking is on 14th Street and Broadway. Bring a project bag, small scissors and your measurements if you plan to start a garment. Ask Karpo APP for a nearby coffee stop or the next craft shop on your list.