About YAK
First and foremost, YAK is run by people who are obsessed with the knitting world. We love nothing more than to geek out about fibres and different knitting techniques.
We are as excited about your next project as you are. Facilitators, enablers, whatever you want to call us, we are here to help you join the dots and find the perfect yarn and tools for your next project.
We specialise in high quality natural fibre yarns and we believe that natural fibres are the most sustainable choice. We value your time and the effort you will be putting into your craft and so we want to provide the best quality materials.
We want you to feel good about the materials you are using. This is why we make sure to pass on all of the information which is available to us about the products we stock. No type of fibre production is perfect so we will never green wash our products. We want you to be able to make an informed decision about the materials you are using based on the factors that are most important to you.
YAK’s Values
Guidance
We are also committed to making sure we supply as much information as is accessible to us about the products and brands we stock so that you can make informed decisions about the materials you are using.
Natural Fibres
And it’s not just wool, we love plant based fibres and we are always on the look out for interesting bases with more and more vegan options becoming available.
Welcoming
We are committed to creating an environment that is welcoming whoever you are. We are here to enthusiastically inspire and encourage creativity and help you to build confidence in your craft, whatever your background or ability.
Meet the Team
We are a very small but highly knowledgeable team. We are ready to welcome you in store and online. Your success is our success so we will always ready to help and if we can’t we will try our best to point you at further resources. We are available for advice during shop hours via phone and email.
Take a Look Back
![Unwind brighton 2014 | yak](https://yarnandknitting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/unwind-brighton-2014-360x210.jpg)
Kate with Nicole & Cordula from Dye For Yarn at Unwind Festival in July 2014
YAK started out as a one woman show. Kate saw a gap in Brighton’s creative scene and decided to put her love of yarn to the test and open a yarn shop.
It would be another 8 months until Brighton got its local yarn shop but in the meantime YAK opened online and had a stall at Unwind Festival.
Kate’s friend Sarah was kind enough to let her store her stock in her attic room while the hunt for premises continued. Kate packed orders on the floor and loved sending packages all over the world.
![Shop exterior 2015 opening party | yak](https://yarnandknitting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Shop-exterior-2015-opening-party-360x210.jpg)
Grand opening party January 2015
16 Gloucester Road became YAK’s bricks and mortar home in early 2015. Located in the heart of Brighton’s historic North Laine, we created a welcoming and cosy atmosphere.
We started working with some great tutors who have taught hundreds of people to knit and crochet in the shop. At Knit Night (Thursdays 6pm – 8pm) beautiful friendships have been forged and crafters have been inspired by each others’ creativity.
![New website front page yak history 2023 | yak](https://yarnandknitting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/New-website-front-page-yak-history-2023-360x210.jpg)
We launched a brand new website! We really hope this will make it easier to shop online with us. We have incorporated a lot of great feedback we’ve had from customers and we really hope you enjoy browsing.
Even if there is no real substitute for squishing yarn in person but we have done our best to give you the best online shopping experience we can!