Life and Work with Dani Wallace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Wallace.

Dani, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first started knitting and crocheting back when I was in college. One of my friends was making hats for the college ski club team, and I wanted him to teach me how. Jokingly, he told me he was not going to teach me since this was how he made extra money while in school. So, I told him I would teach myself, and once I started, I was hooked, literally. I love knitting and really anything fiber arts-related, and I made all sorts of pieces in my first years of making. I had a different business name when I was starting out which was Viridis Designs, meaning green in Latin.

As more friends and family kept asking me when I was going to start selling my pieces, I finally did my first artisan market three years ago in Fort Collins. I had so much fun talking to people about my pieces. This year, I finally decided to change my business name to I knit you knot, for easier name recognition, and to align more with my vision for where I want my business to go.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road to what I am doing has been so wonderful in some aspects, and extremely challenging in others. I love the making aspect and talking to new people, but there are so many other pieces to the puzzle of owning a business that are challenging. Granted, this is not my full-time job, but I hope it will be one day.

Honestly, the hardest part about owning a small business is knowing what to do about taxes and filling and all of the legal documentation. I still much struggle with it. Finding a mentor has helped, but I wish there were better resources available. Tax law in Colorado is very complicated, making it confusing for small business owners.

As far as advice I have for others, networking is your best friend. I have found so many other amazing makers and creators doing shows and markets, and that is what makes this all worth it. There are so many spectacular women in Denver hustling and working hard to make their business come to life. Find these people, surround yourself with them, apply for things you don’t think you could get into, and push yourself. No one is going to do this for you.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I make artisan-made knit fashion pieces, home decor, and accessories. I concentrate mostly on cold-weather accessories like knit hats and scarves. I also make purses from recycled t-shirt yarn, wall hangings, and earrings all with a heavy influence in the fiber art world. I am probably most known for my hats that have big puffy faux fur poms on them.

As a brand, one way that I would say I set myself apart from other brands that might be similar is that I exclusively only use merino wool for my wearable knit pieces. So many other clothing brands will use materials that I do not want to use. Merino wool is extremely soft, long-lasting, warm, and odor-resistant. So many other knit goods are made from some type of blend of materials, often with a high concentration of acrylic yarn being used. Acrylic is a man-made fiber, made from petroleum products. I try my best to stay away from those types of yarns when it comes to my wearable pieces. It’s better for the environment and will last longer if cared for properly.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
In the knitting world, it is honestly pretty heavily dominated by women. Being a female in the fiber world probably makes it a bit easier to be accepted. Knitting is usually seen as something that women do, not men. However, I am so happy that more and more men are being recognized in the knitting and yarn world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/IKnitYouKnotByDani
• Email: iknityouknot19@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iknit.youknot/

Image Credit:
Emerald Boes

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