Where Twin Cities Crafters Buy Yarn Now That JOANN Is Gone
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Where Twin Cities Crafters Buy Yarn Now That JOANN Is Gone
If you've driven past the Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, or Bloomington JOANN locations lately and noticed the darkened windows and empty parking lots, you already know: JOANN is gone. The chain that generations of Twin Cities crafters relied on for yarn, fabric, and notions filed for bankruptcy and closed every single one of its stores in early 2025. Today, joann.com redirects to Michaels — a jarring reminder that a decades-long staple of the American craft store landscape simply ceased to exist.
For thousands of knitters, crocheters, weavers, and fiber artists across the metro, this wasn't just an inconvenience. JOANN was the default. It was where you grabbed Red Heart before a road trip, where you picked up a pair of Susan Bates needles on a Tuesday afternoon, where you wandered the yarn aisle just to see what was new. Losing that — overnight, permanently — left a real gap.
This guide is for every Twin Cities maker who's been asking: okay, now what? We'll walk through every realistic option honestly, including the tradeoffs, so you can find what actually fits your crafting life.
What Happened to JOANN?
JOANN Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2024, attempted a restructuring, and then filed again — this time for Chapter 7 liquidation — in early 2025. Unlike a Chapter 11 reorganization, Chapter 7 means no comeback. The stores closed, the inventory was liquidated, and the website was eventually redirected to Michaels as part of an asset sale arrangement. The brand as a retail destination is gone.
The causes were a mix of post-pandemic shifts in consumer spending, heavy debt from a prior buyout, and the broader struggle of mid-market specialty retail in an era of online shopping. JOANN wasn't alone — craft retail has been contracting for years — but its scale made the closure feel seismic to the crafting community.
What this means practically: the coupons are gone, the loyalty points are gone, and the store-brand Yarn Bee and WE ARE KNITTERS exclusives are no longer available in a brick-and-mortar format you can browse in person.
The Big-Box Options: Honest Pros and Cons
The good news is that you're not without options in the Twin Cities. The less exciting news is that each alternative comes with real tradeoffs.
Michaels
Michaels absorbed the joann.com URL and has leaned into capturing displaced JOANN shoppers. Their yarn selection is real — Loops & Threads is their house brand, and they carry Lion Brand and a handful of others. Coupons remain a Michaels staple, and locations are spread across the metro in Brooklyn Park, Roseville, Eden Prairie, Woodbury, and elsewhere.
Honest pros: Convenient locations, frequent sales, familiar shopping experience, reliable stock of workhorse acrylic yarns.
Honest cons: The yarn section is smaller than JOANN's was. Fiber variety is limited — don't expect linen, alpaca blends, or anything specialty. If you're looking for natural fibers, recycled materials, or artisan yarns, Michaels is unlikely to have what you need.
Walmart
Walmart carries yarn — primarily Red Heart Super Saver and a small rotating selection of budget acrylics. For a crafter who needs a lot of yardage at low cost for charity blankets or practice swatches, Walmart is genuinely useful.
Honest pros: Low prices, accessible locations including suburban and exurban areas where other craft stores don't exist, no special trip required if you're already shopping there.
Honest cons: Extremely limited selection. You will not find anything beyond basic worsted-weight acrylics. No specialty fiber, no DK or fingering weight variety, no natural or recycled yarns.
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby has locations in the Twin Cities area and carries a reasonable selection including their I Love This Yarn house brand, plus some Lion Brand and Paintbox options. Their yarn section is comparable to Michaels in scope.
Honest pros: Regular 40% off coupons, decent selection of basic yarns, sometimes carries seasonal colorways.
Honest cons: Selection skews toward acrylic. Natural fiber options are limited. Like Michaels, you won't find artisan, fair-trade, or specialty yarns here.
Local Yarn Shops in the Twin Cities Metro
Here's what JOANN's closure has done for the indie yarn shop ecosystem: it has sent a wave of new customers through doors they might never have opened before. The Twin Cities has a genuine independent yarn shop scene — small, owner-operated stores staffed by people who actually knit and crochet, who can help you with your gauge swatch or talk you through a tricky pattern row.
We won't list specific shop names here and risk giving you outdated information — small retail is always in flux — but a quick search for "yarn shop Twin Cities" or "local yarn store Minneapolis" will surface the current options. These shops are absolutely worth visiting for several reasons:
- Expert staff. The people working the counter at an indie yarn shop are almost always crafters themselves. The help you get is genuinely different from a big-box environment.
- Curated selection. Local yarn shops tend to carry brands and fibers you won't find anywhere else — small-batch hand-dyed yarns, sustainable fibers, specialty weights.
- Community. Many local shops host knit nights, crochet circles, and classes. If you're newer to fiber arts or moving to a new style, that community is invaluable.
- You keep dollars local. Independent shops are owned by real people in your community. That matters.
The honest tradeoff: indie shops are typically more expensive than big-box, and their hours may be more limited. They may not carry the commercial brands you're used to. But for fiber quality and experience, they're often worth the premium.
Online Yarn Shopping: What's Changed and What Works
JOANN's online store was never the strongest version of itself, but it offered something valuable: the ability to check stock before driving across town, and the option to ship directly when stores didn't have what you needed. With that gone, online shopping has become more important for Twin Cities crafters than ever.
The major online options range from massive marketplaces to small independent shops:
- Amazon carries a wide range of yarn brands, but quality control is inconsistent and you can't always verify dye lots or gauge swatches before buying. Useful for well-known brands where you know exactly what you're getting.
- Etsy is excellent for hand-dyed and artisan yarns. Expect longer lead times from small sellers, and read shop reviews carefully.
- KnitPicks and WeCrochet (the same company) offer a broad range of their own yarns at competitive prices with detailed product information. Popular with budget-conscious fiber enthusiasts.
- LoveCrafts is a UK-based platform with wide brand selection and international shipping.
Yarn World: A Minnesota Option Worth Knowing About
We're a bit biased here — we're Yarn World, after all — so we'll be straight with you about what we are and what we're not.
Yarn World Haven is a family-run online yarn shop based in Andover, Minnesota, run by our family. We specialize in specialty and natural fiber yarns, with a particular focus on recycled and sustainable materials. Our recycled sari silk yarn is one of our signature offerings — a material you genuinely cannot find at Michaels or Walmart, made from reclaimed silk sari fabric from South Asia.
Because we're based right here in Minnesota, our shipping to Twin Cities customers is fast. We're not a warehouse in New Jersey or a dropshipper from overseas — we're neighbors. Orders typically move quickly, and when something's wrong with an order, you're talking to an actual person who cares.
What we're not: we don't stock Red Heart Super Saver by the armful or carry every commercial brand. We're not trying to replace the JOANN bulk-acrylic experience. If you need 10 skeins of basic workhorse yarn for a charity drive, Michaels or Walmart will serve you better on price.
But if you're looking for something with more character — natural fibers, recycled materials, yarns with a story — we think we're worth a look. Browse our full yarn collection, and if you're newer to working with specialty fibers, our beginner kits are a good place to start. We also publish free patterns regularly through the free crochet patterns section of our site.
Side-by-Side: Comparing Your Options
| Option | Yarn Variety | Specialty Fibers | Price Range | In-Person Help | Ships to MN Fast? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michaels | Moderate | Limited | Budget–Mid | General retail staff | In-store only |
| Hobby Lobby | Moderate | Limited | Budget–Mid | General retail staff | In-store only |
| Walmart | Very Limited | None | Budget | No | In-store / ships |
| Local Yarn Shops | High (curated) | Often excellent | Mid–Premium | Expert crafters | In-store only |
| Etsy / Hand-Dyed | High (artisan) | Excellent | Mid–Premium | No | Varies by seller |
| Yarn World | Specialty focus | Yes (sari silk, natural) | Mid–Premium | Via email/chat | Yes — MN-based |
A Few Thoughts on Making the Transition
Losing JOANN was a disruption, but it's also pushed a lot of Twin Cities crafters to discover options that are genuinely better for certain projects. A number of people who've come to us since the closures have told us they'd never tried specialty fiber before — sari silk, cotton ribbon, hand-spun textures — and found a whole new dimension to their work.
Our Yarn Journal blog covers fiber types, project ideas, and buying guides if you want to keep learning. And if you have questions about any of our yarns or aren't sure what fiber is right for a project, our FAQ page is a good starting point — or just reach out directly.
The crafting community in the Twin Cities is resilient. JOANN's absence created a real void, but the indie shops, online sellers, and specialty makers filling that space are doing genuinely interesting work. This might be the moment to discover your next favorite yarn source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did JOANN sell its inventory to Michaels?
Michaels acquired certain digital assets from JOANN's bankruptcy, including the rights to redirect joann.com to their own site. This was an asset purchase, not a merger — Michaels did not acquire JOANN's store leases, physical inventory in bulk, or product lines. The redirect can be confusing, but the two were and remain separate companies with different product assortments.
Can I still use my JOANN rewards points or gift cards?
No. JOANN's loyalty program and gift cards are no longer honored anywhere. When a retailer liquidates under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, gift card redemption and loyalty programs cease. This is unfortunately a common outcome in retail liquidations and there is no recourse for outstanding balances.
Are there yarn shops that ship quickly within Minnesota?
Yes — and this is one area where shopping with a Minnesota-based retailer has a real advantage. Yarn World ships from Andover, MN, which means packages move quickly to Twin Cities addresses and across the state without the longer transit times that come from buying from warehouses in other regions. For time-sensitive projects, that matters.
Where can I find specialty yarns like recycled sari silk near Minneapolis?
Specialty yarns like recycled sari silk are rarely carried by big-box stores. Your best options are local independent yarn shops (worth calling ahead to check stock) and online specialty retailers. Yarn World carries recycled sari silk yarn and ships from right here in Minnesota. Etsy is also a good resource for artisan and specialty fibers from small producers.