In the same way that yarn weaves together a scarf or cozy blanket, common threads connect the community. That’s the philosophy that Natasha Ibrahim has lived by since she founded The Local Stitch as a pop-up to sell supplies and gather the knitting community for workshops in 2025.

Now, she’s letting the same sentiment guide her into her next chapter, a brick-and-mortar fiber arts shop in Fells Point.

After a year and a half of preparation, The Local Stitch opened on April 17 at 1910 Fleet Street, offering an array of yarn and other materials fiber artists can use to knit, crochet, weave, and more. In keeping with Ibrahim’s mission, the space will also serve as a homebase for her frequent community art meetups.

Ibrahim’s love for crafting was inspired by her grandmother at a young age. Starting her own small business came years later, as a reaction to weakened social ties in the post-pandemic world.

“As a society, we lost the muscle memory that is needed to bring people together,” she says. “That connectivity, seeing people in person, creating events and reasons for people to unite—that’s really important right now.”

Her community focus also extends to the shop’s shelves, which—unlike commercial craft stores—do not feature products owned by private equity. The store sources yarn from Baltimore-based companies Neighborhood Fiber Co. and Plied Yarns, along with Kelbourne Woolens from Pennsylvania, Harrisville Designs from New Hampshire, and Meridian Mill House from North Carolina. Those are just the shop’s domestic brands, though, as it also carries Icelandic yarns in store.

“As a fiber art shop, we want to be supporting other local fiber artists,” Ibrahim says. “If you’re making something in Baltimore City, I’m going to prioritize supporting you over anyone else. Because this is my home, this is my city. I care about you and I care about your success.”

In addition to outsourced brands, Ibrahim hand-dyes her own line of fibers sold in the store. A portion of sales from one of her custom-dyed red yarns is currently supporting the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights.

It’s an unsurprising fundraiser, as fiber artists have been known to use their craft as a means to rally around political causes for years. (Think: the Pussyhat Project that originated in 2016 as a way to advocate for reproductive rights in the wake of President Trump’s first election.) When the Trump administration increased the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis earlier this year, knitters created viral patterns on the popular online database Ravelry as handmade symbols of resistance, with proceeds donated to immigrant relief organizations.

In addition to donations to Amica, The Local Stitch is teaming up with fellow local craft club Craft & to support those in need with an upcoming “Stitch for the Feast” knit-a-thon at the Creative Alliance on May 9. Proceeds will aid Baltimore-based nonprofit Moveable Feast, which provides meals to people living with chronic illnesses.

“People who take the time to sit with themselves and make something with their own hands—I think those are actions that foster empathy,” Ibrahim says. “Fiber art is a pretense for bringing people together.”

Baltimore is famous for its many festivals. Artscape. AFRAM. Pride. But the grandmother of them all is undoubtedly the city’s beloved Flower Mart. The Mount Vernon tradition began in 1911, established by the local Women’s Civic League, which was founded to help beautify Baltimore.

Throughout the 20th century, the group promoted home gardens for residents, planted trees on neighborhood streets and vacant lots, and hosted this outdoor floral fête, inspired by the national “City Beautiful” movement to improve communities through public design.

A century later, that legacy endures on the first weekend of each May. This month, Flower Mart will celebrate its 115th anniversary, making it the oldest free public festival in Baltimore—and an ongoing reminder of the importance of natural beauty in the urban landscape.

And the event is especially welcome this year. After months of bitter cold and brutal snowstorms, Baltimore residents need an augur of the better weather that spring and summer promise. That’s why Lance Humphries, executive director of the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, which took over the Flower Mart in 2019, expects a massive  turnout this year.

“People in Baltimore have a very strong emotional attachment to Flower Mart,” says Humphries. “Because it’s been such a lousy winter and we had cold snow that lasted forever, people are really ready for spring this year—more ready than normal.”

Throughout the years, this annual event has served as an unofficial rite of spring. Residents can browse flower bouquets, smell fresh herbs, and purchase pots full of various plants or vegetables to grow in their own homes.

Flower Mart draws more than just those interested in gardening, though. With a mix of local vendors selling art, crafts, food, and drink, as well as free workshops and family-friendly activities, Humphries says it brings out “the best of Baltimore.”

“We feel like, in our own small way, we’re supporting the economy in Baltimore,” he says. “We can always look for new things that add another little niche.”

But by far the most beloved attraction is the famous lemon stick—a tart, sweet treat made up of a halved lemon and peppermint-stick straw. Last year, the Conservancy sold 7,200 lemon sticks. This year, in expectation of larger crowds, they will come prepped with 8,000 treats, all ready to sell.

For more than a century, Flower Mart has been run by a team of volunteers—some 150 of them—who give the event its community feel and charm.

“Everyone enjoys it,” says Humphries. “They feel like they participate in something really wonderful.”