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.”