Website: https://moderndailyknitting.com/
Modern Daily Knitting, known as MDK, is a knitting community, content publisher, and online shop with a physical location in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner, the business combines daily editorial content for knitters with an online store selling yarns, kits, patterns, and books, plus a membership community. The founders introduce the site by saying, “We’re Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner. Thanks for being here. You’re the reason we created Modern Daily Knitting.”
Services
MDK publishes daily content for knitters and operates an online shop. The shop’s categories include Patterns, Yarns and Kits, and Books. The company describes its book line as a regular publishing effort: “Every few months, we publish a little book that explores the big world of knitting. Our MDK Field Guides each feature three or four patterns by designers we admire, with exquisite yarns that are available in the MDK Shop.” The site also promotes classes, such as an entrelac technique class, and sells yarns tied to its featured patterns and bestselling designs.
The business runs a membership program called the MDK Society. As the site describes it, joining brings “many valuable benefits for 12 full months” and supports keeping MDK’s daily content available to the wider knitting community. MDK also hosts in-person gatherings, including knitting getaways and events referenced as the Nash Yarn Fest.
About
According to the company, “We started MDK as a blog, on a lark really, in 2003. At that time, Ann and Kay were internet pen pals who had not met in person.” The site continues that the two did not meet in person until 2004, after signing a contract for their first knitting book. MDK describes itself as featuring “wonderful designers, great writers and teachers, and a community of knitters all over the world coming together with a shared love of knitting, yarn, and good design.” The founders note their working relationship: “Kay lives in New York City. Ann lives in Nashville. We talk on the phone daily and send each other hundreds of emails a week.”
Location & Contact
MDK maintains a physical shop at its Nashville headquarters. As the site states, “We’ve created a little shop at MDK World Headquarters, 441 Atlas Drive, filled with special things you won’t find online, plus our exclusive yarns, tools, and notions. Open Mondays and Fridays, 11-3 pm.” The company maintains a presence on Facebook and operates its online store through its website.
Additional Information
Beyond the shop and daily articles, MDK offers resources for newer knitters, pointing visitors to its book Skill Set: Beginning Knitting and describing it as “a perfect little book.” The MDK Society is presented as an online community of people who love to knit and gather together both online and in person. The website’s store handles orders directly, and the company invites Nashville visitors to come see the MDK Shop in person.
Profile compiled from the company’s official website (moderndailyknitting.com).