Welcome to Darn Knit Anyway

We love yarn, of course. Beautiful yarn in every price range, high quality tools and inspiring projects. But what makes this place special is the people.

When you're stuck halfway through a project and someone pulls up a chair next to you. When you've made the same mistake three times and nobody makes you feel foolish for asking once more. When you walk through the door convinced you can't do it, and leave knowing you can.

We see it every day. A crocheter who finally understands a pattern. A knitter who fixes a mistake they thought ruined everything. Someone holding up a finished sweater, baby hat, chemo cap, or Christmas stocking and realizing, maybe for the first time, "Wow! I made this."

Our team, teachers, and community make those moments possible. They're here to answer questions, share skills, offer encouragement, and celebrate every success along the way.

We know that making things matters. We know that people are more capable than they think they are. And we know that the right yarn store can help you discover both.

That's why we gather for classes, knit nights, Stitch & Stroll, Sweater Camp, Spin Camp, Knit the River, Sheep to Something, and so much more. Because we're crafting more than projects...we're crafting community. 

That's what we're creating in Stillwater Minnesota; a place where you can learn, make mistakes, ask questions, create beautiful things, and feel at home while you're doing it.

Come find us. In person on online. There is a chair waiting just for you.

The People Who Make It Happen

We're just a group of makers, teachers, and general fiber enthusiasts who show up every day and genuinely love this stuff. 

Aimee · Founder & Chief Instigator
Started Darn Knit Anyway because she couldn't find the store she wanted to shop in. Has been collecting great people and ambitious ideas ever since. Still hasn't stopped building it.

Carly · Social Media & Marketing
Has been part of DKA since day one. The stunning photos and graphics you see online are her work. She has an incredible eye and sees beauty everywhere, usually before the rest of us do. She teaches Knit 101 and spinning too, which means she's also very good at convincing people they can do hard things.

Beth · Education Administrator · Online Classes Teacher
The person making sure the classes you want are actually happening and that everything runs smoothly once they do. Makes knitting on camera look effortless. At home, she mills her own flour to make bread and crackers for her family of six, which feels perfectly on-brand for someone who can make complicated things look easy.

Carroll · Fiber & Spinning · Events & Special Experiences
If it involves wool in its most natural state, Carroll is your person. One of our longest-running team members, she teaches spinning, plans memorable adventures for our customers, and can usually be persuaded to talk about sheep, or her grandbabies!

Emily · Inventory Manager · Strategy & Growth
A former middle school band director and now a brand-new mom, Emily manages inventory, helps guide our growth, and still gets visibly (and audibly) excited when a shipment arrives from a new maker she's discovered. If you hear a loud laugh from across the store, that's probably her too.

Jeri · Purchasing & Ordering · Teacher
The reason your favorite needles are always in stock. Before she gets to the shop, she's already taken care of her alpacas. She teaches crochet, has excellent taste in stickers, and spent enough time in Texas that every now and then the accent makes a surprise appearance.

Julianna · Purchasing & Operations · Teacher
A knitter, teacher, special-order wrangler, and all-around fixer of things. If something needs to be built, repaired, or figured out, Julianna is usually a good place to start. She runs our book club, can pour concrete, build a wall, and knit a sweater, often in the same week. Prefers her wool Jamieson, her color green, and her television delightfully quirky and British.

Julie · Sales & Customer Experience · Teacher
Usually has dog treats in her pocket. May remember your dog's name before she remembers yours. Julie is everyone's biggest cheerleader, believes you can do hard things, and makes everyone feel welcome. Look for the person wearing gold and orange. That's Julie.

Lily · Sales & Customer Experience
Learned to knit with her mom at DKA when she was 12 years old. Not long after, she asked for a job. We told her to ask again when she turned 15. She did. We hired her! Whether you're into knitting, gaming, anime, cosplay, or all of the above, Lily will make you feel right at home.

Lori · Sales & Customer Experience · Teaching Tuesday · Teacher
Loves yoga, kayaking, and Minnesota summers. She's the friendly voice behind your Tuesday inbox. She's taught more hours at DKA than almost anyone. Some people sign up for classes specifically because she's the one teaching them. That's not a coincidence...that's Lori. 

Lynn · Sales & Customer Experience · Teacher
Volunteered here before we had our act together. Dating back to the years when payroll occasionally looked suspiciously like yarn. Makes her own clothes, dyes her own fabric, teaches classes, hosts our monthly Sunday Social, and once showed up wearing handmade shoelaces that matched her dress. Which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Lynn.

Marlo · Team Scheduling · Sales & Customer Experience
Learned to knit with us over a decade ago and stuck around long enough to become the person responsible for everyone's schedule. Has a career at the U of M, still jumps in for weekends and special events, and frequently matches her nail polish to her knitwear. Honestly, we're impressed by all three.

Meredith · Sales & Customer Experience 
Hair stylist. Mom of three. Maker of lotions and potions. Singer of whatever song happens to be playing in the shop. If creating things and taking care of people were an Olympic sport, Meredith would be a contender. Never met an Andrea Mowry pattern she didn't like.

Shana · Sales & Customer Experience 
By day she makes maps. By night (and some weekends), she's part of the DKA team. When she's not cheering at a sports ball game for her son or attending an orchestra concert for her daughter, she's probably tending her plants or teaching herself a new craft. Some people relax by watching television. Shana learns basket weaving or something.

Sue · Sales & Operations · Receiving
If there's a box waiting to be opened, Sue already has a box cutter in her hand. Originally a customer, she once saw us stickering yarn, asked if we needed help, and accidentally joined the team. Now she's our receiving expert, sample-matchmaker, cardboard-removal champion, and one of the most productive people you'll ever meet. Also a grandmother of five under five, and still manages to move faster than the rest of us.

Tom · Shipping & Fulfillment · Teacher
Wandered into DKA on the last day of his nursing career. We asked what he planned to do with retirement. He said he wasn't sure. We suggested shipping yarn orders. The rest is history. If you've ordered from us online, there's a good chance you've received a handwritten note from him. He keeps the shipping department running, the coffee stocked, and the birthday celebrations properly supplied with cupcakes. We dread the day he retires from retirement.