Highland Park to get new knitting, craft shop

Nayima started knitting to pass the time when her then-husband left Iowa for a medical fellowship in 2014.

• As an introvert with extra time on her hands, she turned to YouTube tutorials and fiber blogs and found joy in creating something with her hands.
• Over time, she branched into sewing, embroidery and mending.
• "It really gets you into that flow state, and it closes down your brain for anything else," Nayima says.

Zoom in: The 900-square-foot space will stock high-quality yarns, as well as fiber art kits, embroidery supplies and crafting tools.

• She wants to host workshops and collaborate with other Highland Park shops, like a crafting book club hosted with The Little Book.
• She's also planning a kid-friendly craft corner for younger makers, including her daughter, Lucy.

The intrigue: Nayima is opening next door to her sister, Jamie Nicolino, who owns The Collective.

The big picture: The name Black Sheep is personal — it's both a nod to wool and to feeling like an outsider.

• "I just feel like a little bit of a weirdo all the time and I think a lot of people feel that way, so I identified with it in that regard." Nayima says.