City Stoffer & Garn: A haven for yarn lovers in the heart of Aarhus

By Signe Hansen | Photos: City Stoffer & Garn

More than 45 years after opening its doors, City Stoffer & Garn continues to thrive when many similar shops have long since disappeared. What began as a fabric shop has evolved into a vibrant physical and online yarn and fabric mecca, shaped by experience, adaptability, and a familiar approach to service. Today, founder Mariann Therkildsen still works on the shop floor, while her daughter Camilla helps manage the business.

Set in the heart of Aarhus, City Stoffer & Garn has a unique standing among its customers. Some people have been coming for decades, and occasionally a grandmother will come in with her daughter and grandchildren, simply because they have always done so. “After a couple of hours on the shop floor, a new employee once asked me: do you really know all your customers, Mariann?” Therkildsen recounts with a small laugh. “And I actually do. Even though we have a lot of people coming through, I know nearly everyone – in our day and age, that’s pretty amazing.”

While the store started out with fabric, over the years yarn has taken over an increasing share and has gradually become the main focus. Today, shelves are packed with a wide spectrum of colours and qualities and a range that reflects a careful balance between established favourites and newer trends. From Norwegian and British yarns to smaller, independent brands and hand-coloured yarn, the selection is guided by quality and experience. “If we don’t think it’s good enough, we don’t bring it in. We do knitting tests to ensure that everything is the right quality,” Therkildsen explains. With 14 employees, all knitting enthusiasts, the business is busier than ever.

City Stoffer & Garn: A haven for yarn lovers in the heart of Aarhus

In 2022, Camilla Therkildsen joined the company, bringing a different perspective to the business. While her mother remains rooted on the shop floor, Camilla focuses more on the web shop, trends and buying. “We complement each other,” she says. “My mother has an incredible eye for what works, and I follow what’s happening in the market.”

The sense of familiarity extends beyond the family itself. Many employees have been part of the shop for decades, and customers can follow them and their knitting projects on the shop’s buzzing social media channels. But beyond this personal atmosphere, the shop’s continued success rests on the owner’s incredible know-how, ensuring that no customer leaves without finding what they need. “It’s a shop that has everything,” stresses Mariann Therkildsen.