Looking for a different way to share the fiber arts, Candice English, owner of Farmer’s Daughter Fibers, launched the Craft Collective.

They’d been offering knit nights for a long time, but English “wanted to do something different to cultivate and nurture a fiber and crafting circle.”

The collective includes gatherings of fiber makers at the downtown Farmer’s Daughter Fibers shop and also around the community to create different social experiences.

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English said she wants to take some of the events out of the shop since when she’s there, she’s working.

The goal of the Craft Collective, she said, is to create a positive space to gather, “learning and growing and practicing fiber arts.”

The collective has already hosted gatherings at The History Museum and a hot cocoa bar at FDF.

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Some gatherings will have fees, some will have participants pay their own tabs and some will be free.

Craft days at FDF will continue in the mix for the collective and when it’s warmer, English is planning to get out and hike and knit.

“I think there’s a lot of really nice hidden gems” in the area, she said.

In March, the collective has a gathering at Buffalo Blanc coffeeshop and a tea party at the Grand Union in Fort Benton in April.

English said she’d love to welcome the military community into the collective since, “when I was a military wife, it was tough to meet people and make friends.”

The COVID pandemic was a boost to crafting and fiber arts, but “for a lot of women, there’s never enough time.”

But recent months have brought more reminders of what really matters, English said.

Watching the fires in Los Angeles, she said, had her “thinking about what I’d take with me if there was a fire.”

People are also looking to stay off social media and English said knitting is something she can take anywhere and it helps keep her hands busy.

“I think a lot of people want to, it’s just taking the step to actually do it,” English said. “We’ve all wanted new hobbies that are going to make us more mindful.”

Many people think about their grandmothers knitting, but English said there are more designs and fashions in the fiber arts now.

“If you learn and push through it, can take your knitting to the next level,” she said.

In the fiber community, English said “there’s room for so much growth and I would love for some people to help facilitate that growth forward. I think there’s a lot of younger makers in town and that’s an area I want to grow.”

All ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate and there’s no requirement to use FDF materials, but English said purchases at the shop help them do more activities and programs.

Upcoming Craft Collective events:

• March 8: 12-3 p.m. at Buffalo Blanc | meet up to craft with other fiber loving friends at the neighborhood coffee shop
• March 22: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at FDF| craft with other makers
• April 27: tea party at the Grand Union in Fort Benton | signups open March 1, fee is $40

English also established Sister’s United, which has opened the DreamKeepers Scholarship to support indigenous students pursuing higher education beyond traditional timelines.

The scholarship is designed for indigenous students who have already graduated from high school and are seeking to further their education at a college, university or trade school.

Applications are open through April 15 and recipients will be announced May 1.

Funds will be sent directly to the institution to assist with tuition costs.

Applicants must identify as an enrolled member or descendant of a federally or state-recognized Indigenous tribe.

Photo courtesy Farmer’s Daughter Fibers