Greenpoint Yarn Store and Studio: Brooklyn Craft Company

Type "yarn store near me" in North Brooklyn and the answer with the pink sign is hard to miss. Brooklyn Craft Company, at 165 Greenpoint Avenue in Greenpoint, is a modern craft store and DIY workshop space that pairs a well-chosen yarn wall with a busy calendar of beginner-friendly classes. It also stocks fabric, embroidery and needlework supplies, but knitters and crocheters make up much of its crowd. This guide covers how it began, what to buy, which workshops to book, when to go and a short neighborhood walk.

Brooklyn Craft Company started in 2012 as Brooklyn Craft Camp, a one-day event that founder Brett Bara organized in the basement of a church in Greenpoint. The response convinced her that adults wanted crafting to feel fun and approachable rather than fussy, and the event turned into a permanent studio.

That first studio lived in an old pencil factory loft, where the company ran workshops for three years. When the lease came up for renewal, the team changed course and opened a retail store a few blocks away on Greenpoint Avenue. The move turned a class-only business into a shop where people could buy supplies on the same visit as their lesson. Today the storefront is easy to spot thanks to its pink signage and neon window, and it runs a full schedule of workshops alongside retail sales in person and online.

The yarn selection leans toward soft, saturated colors and fibers that are easy for newer makers to enjoy. Malabrigo anchors the wall with Worsted, Chunky, Mohair, Sock, Rios Solidos and Ultimate Sock Minis. Wool and the Gang brings chunky, fashion-forward options such as Crazy Sexy Wool, Alpachino Merino, Take Care Mohair, Shiny Happy Cotton, Big Love Cotton and the paper-like Ra-Ra Raffia.

Kelbourne Woolens is well represented, with Keystone, Perennial, Germantown DK and Mojave. Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash cover the workhorse needs of sweaters and blankets, and Quince Chickadee offers a crisp 100 percent wool for colorwork. Hoooked Ribbon XL Neon is on hand for bold baskets and bags, and Katia rounds out the range.

The item to put first on your list is Community Garden Yarn, the shop's own label, which has also appeared in a Lemon colorway tied to the Brooklyn Yarn Crawl. It is a souvenir that actually gets used. The store carries fingering through super bulky weights, in wool, merino, alpaca, cotton, mohair, raffia and lyocell, so most patterns have a match somewhere on the shelves. Beyond yarn, the shelves hold fabric, sewing notions, embroidery materials and needlework supplies, which helps when a knitted gift needs a lining or an embroidered label.

Classes are the heart of the business, and the knitting and crochet list is built to move a beginner from a first stitch to a finished project. Knitting 101 and several Crochet 101 sessions, including Lil' Bag, Lil' Scarf and Chunky Cowl, teach the basics through a small, wearable piece. Next steps include Crochet 102: Granny Squares, Crochet 102: Tom-a-tote!, Tunisian Crochet, Filet Crochet and Knitting 102 projects such as a Chunky Seed Stitch Cowl and the two-part Halle Hood. Group workshops on the official site are priced from $45 to $85.

For a problem that a group class will not solve, the shop offers private knitting and private crochet lessons at $60 an hour. Outside of yarn, the calendar spans sewing, embroidery, weaving, dyeing and lettering, along with kids classes and private parties, so a knitter can bring a friend who sews. Kids classes make it possible for a parent and child to learn side by side on separate tracks, and private events turn a birthday or team outing into a group project with everyone leaving holding something they made. Readers who plan their weeks in the Karpo APP can save workshop dates there and line up a full series.

The store opens at 11 am every day, which makes weekday mornings the quietest time to browse and to ask staff about substitutions or gauge. Evenings are longer than at most yarn shops, with Monday through Saturday hours running to 7 pm, so an after-work stop is realistic. Sunday closes earlier, at 5 pm.

Workshops share the space, so expect bursts of activity when a class lets in or out. Keep bags close to your body in the aisles, and avoid crowding the worktables while a session is in progress. Bring your pattern, needle size and gauge so staff can point you to the right base quickly. Handle skeins gently, return them to the same bin and keep dye lots together if you are buying for a sweater. If you book a class, arriving a few minutes early leaves time to pick out yarn before the lesson starts.

After shopping, walk to McGolrick Park, a 9.1-acre green space bounded by Nassau and Driggs Avenues and Russell and Monitor Streets. The city acquired the land in 1889 and opened the park by 1891, first calling it Winthrop Park. It was renamed in 1941 for Monsignor Edward J. McGolrick, the longtime pastor of nearby St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church.

The highlight is the Shelter Pavilion, a classical brick and limestone structure built in 1910 by Helmle and Huberty, designated a city landmark in 1966 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Look also for the 1923 bronze winged victory statue by Carl Augustus Heber, which honors Greenpoint residents who served in World War I, and the sculpture The Monitor and the Merrimac, which recalls the Civil War naval battle. The park's benches make a good place to wind a fresh skein. From there, pass by St. Cecilia's on the way back toward the subway.

Brooklyn Craft Company is at 165 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222, between McGuinness Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue. Official hours are Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

The nearest subway is the Greenpoint Avenue station on the G train, just under a block from the shop. Walking from the station, look for the pink sign and neon window a few doors along Greenpoint Avenue.