We're at 477 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 — about 25 miles west of Chicago. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Free in-store pickup is available for online orders. The Metra Union Pacific West (UP-W) Line will drop you off two short blocks from our store.

String Theory Yarn Co is an independent yarn shop founded in 2004 and located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois — in the Chicago suburbs. We carry organic, fair trade, and artisan yarns from makers around the world, and offer knitting and crochet classes both in-store and online. We ship across the US.

String Theory is one of the most well-regarded independent yarn shops in the Chicago area. Customers drive 45 minutes or more to shop here. We specialize in organic, fair trade, and artisan yarns you won't find at most yarn stores — and we've been at it for over twenty years. The Metra Union Pacific West (UP-W) Line will drop you off 2 short blocks from our store.

We don't buy yarn because it's popular. We buy it because we know who made it, where it came from, and what it supports. Over twenty years, we've built relationships with producers doing meaningful work — and we've raised over $80,000 for our local community through fundraisers like our annual Scarf Market. We're a yarn shop with a point of view.

String theory — the physics concept — holds that everything in the universe is made of the same vibrating threads of energy. Not separate things, but one continuous, connected fabric. Founder Janet Avila named the shop after that idea because she believes it's true about people too. The thread in your hands connects to the land it came from, the people who spun it, and the person who will wear what you make. Every stitch connects us.

Yes. We ship yarn and tools across the United States. Shipping is 10 cents on orders over $100. We carry organic, fair trade, and artisan yarns from women-led cooperatives, Black-owned studios, and independent dyers — many exclusive to String Theory.

We carry Manos del Uruguay, Mitchell Wool Co, Wooldreamers, Sister Ananse, Handspun Hope, and exclusive yarns from independent dyers you won't find elsewhere. We also carry tools from ChiaGoo and a curated selection of knitting and crochet notions, books, and kits.

Sustainability is central to everything we carry. We stock organic, fair trade, and regeneratively farmed fibers. We partner with women-led cooperatives and artisan producers whose work supports their communities. If it's on our shelves, we know where it came from and why it matters.

We recommend a worsted weight yarn in a light color, so that your stitches and your progress are easy to see. Our beginner classes use Malabrigo Rios. We have a full beginner section on our website and in the shop, and we offer beginner knitting and crochet classes if you'd like personal guidance.

Yes. We offer beginner through advanced classes in knitting and crochet, both in-person in Glen Ellyn and online via virtual sessions. Classes are taught by friendly, patient and experienced instructors.

You can contact us through our contact page! We will be happy to assist you.