Time For Change

Here at Neighborhood Fiber Co., you may have noticed that we aren't exactly shy about our beliefs. We were all stunned to the point of paralysis after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. With Karida out on maternity leave and Stitches West quickly approaching (more on both of those below), the decision of what to do got pushed to the back of our brains. Well, now we're back and we're ready to do something.

On April 20, 1999, I was one of millions of high school students across the United States who felt their safety shattered by the Columbine High School Massacre. For me, it felt like one of those moments where everything changes and nothing can ever truly be the same again. Before I graduated from high school, there were school shooting or bombing scares that raised all manner of hue and outcry against the availability of guns and bomb-making materials. But nothing really changed. In recent years, I’ve watched the aftermath of so many school or mass shootings, that I felt myself becoming desensitized to them. Until February 14, 2018. Watching the students at Stoneman Douglas High School flee their school buildings, hands in the air, as police and EMTs pooled around them, I was horrified, but I was also really scared. For the first time, I experienced a school shooting through the lens of a parent. As many of you know, I recently gave birth. My son, Kai, was still 6 days from being born, but the brother that I have been raising for the last 3 years was still at school. Many of you are parents too, and even if you’re not, I know that you share my horror at the events in Parkland. Watching the young people who have come of age in this climate of fear rise up to make a change has given me hope that I haven’t felt in long while. These young people are the victims of these school shootings. The adults have failed to protect them, so they are demanding what we should have been able to give them. Now is the time to give them all of our support. - Karida

Because we are yarn dyers, of course we turned to color.
Parkland will be available until March 24 with all proceeds going to March For Our Lives so that more young people can join the fight and have their voices heard. It's working and we want to keep it that way. 

New colors and patterns!

We've been doing weekly posts in our Ravelry group highlighting patterns and color combinations. One of our favorites (and one we were anxious to share with the whole world), is the Separate Wayspattern from the newly released Interpretations Vol. 5 collection. Joji Locatelli designed a stunning new take on her very popular Boxy featuring our yarn! We developed 4 new colors for her and took inspiration from her theme (ground) to name them for historic Baltimore markets. From left to right: Broadway Market, Cross Street Market, Hollins Market, and Lexington Market.
We have them available in sweater bundles and as individual skeins.

In other news

As previously mentioned - Karida had her baby! The Neighborhood Fiber Baby (as we've dubbed him) was born on February 20th. Mom and little one are happy and healthy and resting up at home. Everyone - meet Kai!

The same day Kai joined the outside world, Kristen was flying out to California for Stitches West. We had amazing booth help, as always, and very much enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones. Despite the less than warm weather (where did the fabulous California sunshine go?!) and various things that went wrong (there's always something), we were all smiles even by the end of Sunday. Our customers truly are the best. Thank you!!!