Wool and Company — Local services in South Elgin

A girlfriend of mine (who doesn’t knit or crochet) told me about “this beautiful looking yarn store” in downtown St. Charles and because she knows knitting is my zen, she told me I just had to check it out....is she crazy? That’s an 80 mile round-trip for me! ...fast forward to last Saturday....not much going on & the weather was my kind of weather, knitting weather! Chilly & dreary....anyone else feel the guilt sitting inside knitting on a picture perfect day? ☀️😀....made the trip...found it ...right off the river ..the exterior of the building itself would attract anyone who knows anything about beautiful fiber...as soon as I walked in I knew that Wool & Co was in trouble, the good kind of course 😊....and so was my bank account ❤️... not only the beautiful yarns, but how they were displayed had me in awe... the boutique is hands down, first class...stunning interior!!! You know right off the bat a lot of hard work & love went into making it what it is today, THE purveyor of fine yarn!!!

I immediately introduced myself to Laura & Maureen...talk about servicing their clients!! Stellar!! Told them I was already thinking about Christmas because my sister fell in love with my fade ...they jumped right in...pulling all sorts of yarns, mixing and matching colors, whatever I needed....I couldn’t be more pleased... I ended spending a couple hours with them & $$$$$ - I can’t walk into a LYS without buying for myself 😊....And wonderful Laura wound how many hanks for me? 😍. And Maureen even casted on 80 stitches for me (anything more than a 5 CO is just ick to me) onto my new Lykee’s ❤️

When I asked who the other woman was working there, Laura & Maureen told me it was Angela, the owner... we struck up a great conversation & she was telling me about all the new things coming up...new colors for my go-to malabrigo, etc..I’m so glad my girlfriend told me about your heaven on earth!!

Wool & Co is the BEST LYS I’ve ever stepped into ...already thinking about my next visit....thank you ladies! ...

This has been the worst experience I've ever had buying anything online from any company.

6 weeks ago I placed an order and their website said that the yarn I wanted would take 1-2 weeks to ship.

4 Weeks ago I hadn't heard anything from them and didn't have the yarn. So I left two voicemails and sent two emails. Everything was ignored. Finally that Friday I get an email from Zendesk (which is the customer support software that they use) saying that my support ticket was closed without a response. I responded to that email asking why my messages were being ignored. They finally responded with "While typically Cascades special orders take around 1-2 weeks, it can take longer due to manufacturer availability." I wish I had known that they were having issues with manufacturer availability but it took 4 weeks, 2 voicemails and 3 emails to get that knowledge.

Its week 6 now and still no yarn. Who knows if they'll respond to my email I sent today.

Honestly this has been the worse customer experience I've ever had and I don't say that lightly. How can a company take my money, give absolutely no updated, ignore multiple messages and leave customers in the dark waiting.

Awful experience. Shop ANYWHERE else.

Update: 2/27 - They refunded me because they still haven't received the yarn. Oh and the yarn in question still says 1-2 weeks on their website. So...

I've been shopping at Wool and Company for decades, where I would bring my young children to the cute little house in St. Charles, and now bring my grandchildren to their store in South Elgin.

The selection of different types of yarn is enormous and beautiful, and the customer service is impeccable, from the moment you enter to when you check out. The very knowledgeable women at the Help Desk have guided me through some tricky stitches with patience and kindness. Thank you so much for that!

The store is very big, but do not let the size scare you. The design of this large space (if that's important to you) was done so well, that it has a cozy atmosphere. Wood floors, warm lighting, and nice spacing around the displays. There is a corner of the store where you can come, sit and knit with comfy seating and a suspended false ceiling to make it feel even more cozy.

They do have a small selection of synthetic yarns for those who are allergic to animal fur and/or hair. It would be useful to increase the choices of beautiful, quality synthetic yarns for those who knit, but have allergies, or knitted gifts for those who can't wear anything other than synthetic material.

All in all, I would absolutely recommend Wool and Company to anyone interested in crocheting, knitting or any...