It just doesn't help matters that All About Yarn is on the neglected side of a neglected strip mall (it has JoAnn Fabrics as the anchor). It seems like a secret, really. Which is too bad, because AAY has a wide range of yarns, needles, and anything else you might need for a knitting or crochet project. They probably have the best selection of Encore yarn anywhere in the city. While no one is going to be wowed by their sock yarn selection, they do have some, as well as reinforcement yarn. They stock Brown Sheep and a wide range of yarns for every budget. No Manos though.

CLOSED

At Farmhouse, they're flying under the radar. The place seems small from the outside, but there are four good-sized rooms of non-stop yarn. They have huge collection of Anny Blatt and, supposeably the largest selection of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, as well lots of high-end to-die-for yarns. Interestingly, outside of the Anny Blatts and the sock yarn, yarns are arranged by color, which I admit I love and find frustrating at the same time. The place is tremendously comfortable, practically demanding that you sit and knit: by the fire, on the front porch, at the table, and the owner is very helpful.

Knitting Bee is located in West Union Village at the corner of 185th and West Union Rd. The shop is across from Rose City Ceramics and between Teriyaki Woo and Bubble Tea (yum!). There is also an Albertson's at the center.

It's a cute, though pricey, yarn shop. They do have budget yarns, just artfully hidden. Ask and you'll find the Brown Sheep and Plymouth Encore.

Back in the days, not so long ago, when we had two yarn stores in Portland proper, I used to make the drive down to Molehill Farm on a regular basis. It was my favorite store.

While us Portlanders are spoiled now by such a rich and diverse assortment of stores in town, Molehill Farm is still a great store. Friendly, helpful, and just head-to-toe with great yarn. They have lots of basic wool, and if you're looking for a bargain, be sure to check out their bathtub.

A tiny but gorgeous high-end store. Staff are very friendly, and folks drop by to knit and sit in their comfie chairs.

Unfortunately, the owner is not friendly, or at least, she was rude to me. Maybe I didn't look affluent enough? She asked if there was something I was looking for, and I said I'd just like to look around, and she then began to follow me around. So I asked her about baby yarn, and she began leading me to washable but not machine drying yarns. And then, she asked again if there was something I was looking for, this time more impatiently.

I usually buy something in every yarn store in which I'm the only customer at that time, but I couldn't do it there, though she had some lovely stuff.