Meet Darrin Miller | Knitter, Crocheter, 3D Printer, & Linguist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Darrin Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darrin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started knitting as a hobby, and that first year, I made everyone in my family hats for Christmas. They were all really impressed and told me I should be selling them. My partner was very supportive and encouraged me to think about a website, a business name, etc., and the rest is history. I got an LLC and website the following year. So I definitely have my wonderful support system to thank for DM Knits!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I knit and crochet, but I also 3D print, and these media are a pretty good indication of the type of creative I am, compared to, say, painting or potting. I’m much more comfortable with an entire plan devised before I start. With knitting and crochet, either I find a pattern or elements of an existing pattern, or I create a pattern myself. With 3D modeling and printing, there’s a lot of freedom practice trial and error before actually printing a final piece. When I try something new, I go by the book 100%, but once I’m comfortable, I branch out and improvise. I love to take existing patterns or models and modify them to fit my needs or creative desires. If I have something in mind for a hat, for example, I’ll might pull elements from lots of different designs to get the brim, colors, and shaping the way I want them. I also love the fact that knitting, an ancient artform, and 3D printing, one of the newest, are the ones that chose me, and I’ve been toying with how I can integrate the two in a project. I hope to make that a reality soon! I would say the most important lesson I’ve learned is that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, especially with fiber arts. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The originality in things that you make comes from your individual choices of elements that have already been devised. In other words, art is derivative, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile or that originality is impossible to achieve.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely head to the square here in Denton. The Downtown Mini Mall and Recycled Books are staples, especially if you like classic, vintage items like I do. Even if you don’t find anything you want to buy, it’s like a free Americana museum. Thai Square and Rusty Tacos are both great places for lunch or dinner (¿o por qué no los dos?). Harvest House has a great beer selection as well as some excellent non-alcoholic options, and there’s usually some sort of performance going on. If we’re looking for a performance, though, Glitterbomb is the ultimate choice.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many! If I have to choose one, I would have to say my partner, Joseph. He puts up with my yarn stash exploding all over the house occasionally. He uses his IT and marketing prowess to help me with my website and social media. He is incredibly encouraging yet honest when I’m trying something new. He comes with me to markets and acts as my hype man to customers. He’s just the best.

Website: dmknits.com

Instagram: @dmknits

Facebook: facebook.com/dmknits