Monthly on the third weekend, alternating between Fridays, 7:30-9:30 pm and Sundays, 3-5 pm, at the upstairs mezzanine of Market of Choice, 250 NW Lost Springs Terrace in the Timberland Center

Would you like to join neighbors to work on your craft or just socialize? Eden Goodwin and her husband Nick organized Third Space to encourage people to express themselves creatively in some way. She believes that creating in community opens up connection.

She explains, “Third Space is a monthly meetup, open to the community, where people gather to socialize while working on crafts or creative projects. I have seen people work on all kinds of things, including knitting/crocheting, journaling, coloring, Lego building, collage, drawing, and quilting. Sometimes people come just to hang out even if they don’t have a project. Very often people who are struggling with a project are able to get help or learn a new technique.”

“I was feeling lonely a couple of years ago, and a good friend of mine pointed out that my work and my hobbies were very solitary. With our kids growing up, my husband Nick and I weren’t meeting as many new people. We felt the need for a Third Space—not home, not work—to enable us to connect with others and grow in community. We started by inviting friends and neighbors to our home, and then I expanded out to the Cedar Mill News Group to hopefully grow this! I am open to ideas on how to attract more people, and I always welcome people to pass on the information.”

Participant numbers range from 5 to 20 per session, about 60/40 women to men. They haven’t specified “no kids,” but it seems like most want to enjoy this activity without supervising children. Ages have ranged from 12 to 80+. Recently Eden loved seeing Steve, 48, help Jane, 79, read her knitting pattern correctly so her stripes lined up.

You can get in touch with Eden on her Instagram account: @edensrealm. Her Facebook name is Eden Glory. If you’re local, you can join the Cedar Mill News Facebook Group to get updates on Third Space and much more. The next meetup is Sunday, September 20, 3-5 pm.