Most of us have spent more time outside with friends in the last six months than we have in years. I’ve been seeking connections with my friends since the lockdown began in March and finding places that we can meet up outside feels much safer than inside a restaurant or bar. Providing a place for friends to connect has always been a big part of the function of fibre space, so over the summer I began to hatch a plan to expand our outdoor park space and recreate the lounge area that we once hosted inside. A few weeks ago, we accomplished just that when we launched our new parklet, an expansion of the existing park that sits in front of our shop at the corner of Commerce, Prince, and West streets. Now several parking spaces to the side have been taken over with a variety of comfy seating - bistro tables, lounge chairs, a soft sofa, and more. The space is completely open to the public, so whether you knit or not, please stop by! Grab an ice cream from Goodies on our block and gather in the space to catch up with an old friend.  And while you are at it, be sure to peek at the expanded mural on the other side of our building. Fibre Girl now sits just outside a yarn universe complete with yarn planets in orbit, a sheep astronaut, and a rocket ship. The design was done by Shelli Martinez, a local graphic artist who creates some of the amazing yarn themed enamel pins and project bags that we sell at our shop. Her style was a perfect match for our logo and the Fibre Girl mascot already on the wall. Local muralist Matthew McMullen installed the artwork for us. You can see his work at other area businesses like Chop Shop Taco and Nicecream.  And if being in a well-ventilated indoor space with friends is something you are open to, our in-person knitting and crochet classes have resumed as well! Since March, the small intimate classes at fibre space have been on hold. Many of you picked up kits and used our YouTube channel to get started on a new stress-relieving craft during the pandemic and stay at home order. Now we are delighted to announce that our in-person classes have resumed, but with some important changes:

• • We will hold fewer classes at the same time, to reduce the number of people in the store.
• • We will open the many windows in our second-floor learning space to provide for clean, fresh air.
• • We will utilize our larger event space for six person classes to allow for spacing between students.
• • Our smaller classroom space will be used for only three person classes.
• • Everyone must wear a mask at all times.
• • We will take temperatures of both students and instructors before starting classes.
• • Your instructor will sanitize before and after touching your needles and yarn.

We hope to see you soon in one of our community spaces, with or without yarn and needles in hand!