Karida Collins and I started in the yarn industry around the same time, and we’ve been following each other for years. I’ve been a huge admirer of how Karida has grown her business over the years in a way that celebrates her community and values. As we’ve gotten to know one another better I’ve also come to respect her politics and passion for creating change, whether that’s by sharing her personal experiences as a Black woman in the yarn industry, hosting fundraisers for local organisations, creating an annual pride collection, or advocating for political action. Neighborhood skeins have made up a precious part of my personal stash and I’m delighted to help bring them to yours.
Neighborhood Fiber Co. began in the kitchen of a basement apartment in the LeDroit Park neighbourhood of Washington, DC. Stirred by her surroundings, Karida Collins set out to provide the world with hand-dyed yarns inspired by and named to reflect the natural beauty and diverse neighbourhoods throughout the US capital. Since then, she has added many more colours to reflect a multitude of neighbourhoods, both inside and outside of DC. Now based in Baltimore, MD, Neighborhood Fiber Co. continues to offer vibrant, one-of-a-kind colours inspired by urban landscapes. Their studio store is located in an old firehouse in downtown Baltimore and so we are thrilled to be able to become a flagship store in the UK for Neighborhood Fiber Co.
Our first batch has now arrived and we have:
Loft- 60% Kid Mohair and 40% Silk goodness
Rustic Fingering- 100% Superwash Merino (single ply)
Studio Sock- 100% Superwash Merino
Capital Luxury Sport- 70% Merino, 20% Cashmere and 10% Nylon
We’ve already been celebrating the arrival a little in the studio and hope you can’t wait to get to know Karida and her team’s beautiful hand dyed yarns.
If you’d like to hear Karida personally introducing the Neighborhood Fiber Co, check out this introduction video we made to welcome her to Ysolda.com:
Transcription of video:“Hi, My name is Karida Collins and my pronouns are she/her, I am the owner of Neighborhood Fiber Company. We are a hand dyed yarn company, based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and all of our colours are named for neighbourhoods. When I started the business in 2006 I wanted to bring a new kind of aesthetic and idea to the industry about what it would mean to have an urban yarn company and to have colours that are inspired by urban landscapes. I hope that people will see the vivid intense colours and maybe think in a different way about the beauty that can be found in cities and other unexpected places.”
If you knit socks, then learning how to darn a sock is a vital skill! Our free tutorial by Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou will teach you how to darn socks, sweaters, and any other knitwear that needs it.