FiberWild!, Galena

Love this store. Every time I am in Galena, I make a point to stop here. Have bought wonderful yarn and kits here, as well as a gorgeous woven shawl. It was made by a local fiber artist. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. They carry hand spun yarn as well. It was such a beatiiful yarn and worked up into wristlets that I was proud to wear. The yarn was by a talented local woman named Suzy the Shepherdess. I would recommend this place to everyone that loves to knit as I do. They had several other fun items like artisan needles and shawl pins. Even if you don't knit, stop in to see a wide array of finished products for sale also. Can't wait for my next trip!

The kits were nice, there was a large selection but the customer service was horrible. I brought in my children and I have encouraged them to touch fiber. I dye fiber for my career and it is all over our life. They touched, they put back. They were quiet, they were polite. First we were not even greeted upon our arrival, I asked the lady behind the counter how she was doing as she just stared at us. 4 adults, 3 children in our party, avid knitters, crocheters, spinners and fiber artists. The demeanor of the single staff was not welcoming at all. We were hovered over without any conversation and followed through the store. There were enough other people in there that we didn't have to be followed. At one point my dear 3 year old who hadn't said a word or touched anything was pretending to "feed" a Styrofoam head with her little plastic spoon. The hat had fallen off and as I slid it back on I stared at the woman hovering over this little girl. We do not raise our children under an iron fist. They learn and are independent. I was on the other side of the table from her watching her as she quietly entertained herself. She didn't need a stranger hovering over her. When I told the lady she was just pretending to feed it, she then said that my little had dented the Styrofoam figures face and I stopped here there. If she did, so be it, I apologized. I didn't see it but she was determined to ruin our entire store experience and she did. I will not go back, I do not encourage anyone to waste their time there with a selection you can get at most yarn stores. I prefer custom unique exciting experiences with people working there that are excited to see us and the next generation of fiber artists. I give it two stars for somehow surviving in Galena with customer service like that and one more star for good luck.