Yarn Day Trip – Bellingham
Caitlyn Wilson
Woolpack Contributor
I’m Caitlyn Wilson, and I’d like to welcome you to the Year of Yarn Exploration! In 2026, I’m focusing on visiting yarn shops that are further afield than my regular haunts. There are so many in the Puget Sound area, and when my daily activities crowd up around me, I never can make time to fit in anything new. So that’s the goal: fit in the yarn shops first and don’t let them get crowded out.
The last Saturday of every month this year is set aside for some yarn tourism. January started out with Bellingham! I had a large van and 10 ladies with me, plus a couple more who drove up on their own. The drive was so fun, with tons of great conversations all the way to the back of the van. I loved the chatter and my only regret was that I was driving while everyone else got to knit. Maybe in the future we can coax a non-knitter to drive for us.
We stopped first at Apple Fiber Studios. Their location is further out from the center of town, which made it the perfect first stop as we made our way in. They have dedicated parking, which was great for our big van! Andrew and his staff were so welcoming, and gifted us all with tiny stitch markers shaped like apples! The yarn selection is unrivaled, with plenty of fiber and color selections. One thing I noticed is their dedicated section of cotton yarns for the Knitted Knockers for breast cancer survivors.
They have a lovely class space and Andrew even let us tour the warehouse portion in the back. For those of us who remember the first 2 spaces Apple lived in, this large warehouse/shopping space is so exciting. We love the opportunity they’ve had to expand!
We stopped downtown for lunch at the perfectly-named Black Sheep Bellingham. Delicious tacos and cocktails made a great midday break. Their carne asada taco was excellent, and the atmosphere was a great vibe.
Luckily we found a street parking space right in front of our next stop, Northwest Yarns & Mercantile. The yarn tourism gods were smiling on us! It’s been a few years since I’ve visited this store, and I was impressed to see the expansion they’ve undergone. They have spaces for all types of fiber arts; weaving, sewing, embroidery, felting, spinning, plus the regular knitting and crocheting. They also have a coffee bar in the back of the shop. The shape of the building is irregular, which makes more space for tucked-away sections of seating, perfect for a small knitting break.
The samples of all craft types in this shop sparked my imagination. I started thinking about quilted coasters and sashiko embroidery (totally ignoring the 15 unfinished knitting projects I have at home).
Our next stop was walking distance, just the other side of the block. Spincycle Yarns has gained huge popularity in the knitting world, especially being featured in Andrea Mowry’s designs. Their small shop space managed to make us all feel welcome, even though we descended in bulk. They have the yarns laid out in square cubbies all along one wall, and the front window lets in lovely natural light so you can examine all the variation in their Dream State skeins.
They currently are starting a Knit-Along for the Happy Camp Sweater, and several of the gals in our group got great color advice from Ruby on staff as they examined the Dyed in the Wool skeins to pick perfect color combinations. This staff was excellent! They made us feel so at ease and had great advice for color and fiber selections.
Our time to leave for home was drawing near, but the gals at Spincycle recommended one last spot to try: Cafe Velo for a coffee pick-me-up before the drive back. This cafe was warm and colorful, with a great patio out front with a fireplace!
Downtown Bellingham has so much to see, and I’m glad I got to experience it with yarn friends. Part of the reason I chose to do Bellingham first was in preparation for the Puget Sound LYS Tour in May. A number of the ladies with me have never been on the tour, and I hope with this trip they feel more comfortable traveling/parking/visiting during the tour itself. Familiarity with the surroundings is huge for me to feel comfortable, and I hope to help provide that for people who want to see what the fiber world here has to offer.
Stay tuned for February’s expedition to Poulsbo!
