Amazing Threads

Did you know that Dayton's department store once had a Art & Needle department?  Read Bobbi's story about the beginnings of Amazing Threads!

"Knitting started for me again in the late 90's. I had knit and crochet as a child and adolescent. I took a few years off from knitting to raise children, work, get a PhD and enjoy sewing and other crafts.  My BFF (Best Friends Forever) started me knitting again and it was like riding a bike.  I remembered knits and purls and in no time was enjoying the process of knitting. I remembered how I loved the process and how it worked to calm my nerves and feed my soul.  I had also begun to share my renewed passion with friends. Voila, I was enjoying time with friends again while knitting; an activity I seem to have forgotten in the child rearing years. 

I took my knitting everywhere; children's sporting events, social gatherings and the like. I then went in search of yarn shops in the Twin Cities. Many had closed in the 80's and only 1 had opened in the 90's. There were only 8 shops and nothing in the NW suburbs.  I gathered data from knitters and looked at the demographics in Maple Grove and efore I knew it I was opening a small shop in Osseo.  The response from knitters was overwhelming. 

In 2002, Amazing Threads was the 9th store in the Twin Cities. Other women (and a few men) were looking for a place to share their common passion. It didn't take long for my part-time job to become a full time reality. Knitters needed a comfortable place to meet and enjoy their passion. It's funny, I remembered sometime in the first couple of years at my shop that my FIRST REAL JOB was in the Art & Needle Department on the 8th floor of Dayton's.  Knitting has been a passion since childhood.

In 2004, we moved to a bigger space in Maple Grove with a terrific classroom so that we could accommodate up to 24 knitters & crocheters at once. Our classroom serves our social knitting groups, classes and guest designers while providing coffee, tea, water, conference tables, and comfy executive chairs. Since 2004 our store has grown and expanded to meet the needs of our community of knitters. We carry base yarns, novelties, and 100's of brands along with commercial, specialty, and exclusive patterns.  We carry more yarns and brands than any store in the five state area.We have been touted as a "hand dyers heaven" by the Minnesota Knitters Guild.  In 2011, we became a Concept Store within a Store for Rowan, SMC Select and SMC Yarns. One of only two stores like this in the US. New customers are often awed by our depth and selection and our staff are always ready to assist in project selection. Amazing Threads specializes in yarn and color coordination for any project. 

We can't wait for you to enjoy our shop during the Shop Hop."