Yarn Catalog XIV now online

We think you’ll love the ease with which you can now combine your Halcyon Yarn online and paper catalog browsing!

With Yarn Catalog XIV just out this week, we wanted to share the catalog with as many as possible. For those unfamiliar, the yarn catalog is a great way to see yarn colors and all the related items you’ll need, along with great pattern suggestions from staff and friends of Halcyon. Plus with the online version it’s easy to share pages with your friends.

We’re celebrating green and “eco” this year – a great time to start e-Publishing our print catalog. But, for some the print catalog is a requirement: It has truer color reproductions, and doesn’t require an internet connection. If you didn’t sign up yet to have a paper catalog and would like one please let us know here or call 800-341-0282 and it will arrive in the mail soon!

Now get busy planning and doing, stitching and weaving, There’s still plenty of time to create for the holidays.

Halcyon

p.s. and feel free to email your Santa some convenient links to your favorite pages too.

p.p.s. Now that we have this newest catalog online, we’re going back and make the Equipment catalog have the same interactivity. Let us know how we can improve the interface – suggestions are welcome!

It’s All About You, Small Businesses and American Express!

Saturday, November 26, 2011-Mark your calendar! It’s the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday sponsored by American Express and Halcyon Yarn is proud to participate both in store and online.

• Here’s the easy part for you:  register your eligible American Express card for the Small Business Saturday offer by calling American Express (see the customer service number on the back of your card).
•  and then go shopping!! You’ll get a one-time $25 statement credit when you register an eligible American Express® Card and use that Card for a purchase of $25 or more at a small business (like Halcyon Yarn) on November 26th. Registration is limited. Terms and Conditions apply.

Here at Halcyon Yarn, we will be open on Saturday November 26th from 9:00am-4:00pm and will record online orders from 12:01am-noon. Come out and support small business and get a jump start on holiday shopping done too!

The Best of Knitscene and Other New Books

Some great new books have made their way to the shelves here at Halcyon Yarn. Our new arrivals cover a range of fiber crafts. There are books for felters, weavers, spinners, rug hookers and knitters. Here’s a list of the latest and greatest, as well as an in depth look at a staff favorite, The Best of Knitscene  by Lisa Shroyer.

The Best of Knitscene

Let’s start with The Best of Knitscene, a collection of simple, stylish & spirited knits,  20 varied patterns from well known designers, like Cecily Glowik and Connie Chang Chinchio. Hats, shawls, mitts, bags, socks, pullovers and cardigans for real knitters and real people.  Imagine, chic knits that average knitters can create and patterns that put fashion at your finger tips. Many of these garments and accessories will become favorites to turn to again and again. It’s always nice to take a peek inside a book so we’ve chosen to highlight a few patterns from within its pages.

	Central Park Hoodie is a classic worsted weight design that would look great in Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed.
Lamb’s Pride Bulky provides a great selection of colors for the Heather Hoodie Vest.
	Cascade Eco & Eco Plus are the bulky yarns of choice for the Helleborus Yoke.
Cascade Eco & Eco Plus are also the bulky yarns of choice for the Berkshire Dolman Sleeve.

Felters will be amazed by the collection of juried works of art found in 500 Felt Objects: Creative Explorations of a Remarkable Material . This diverse group of items showcases the limitless possibilities of felt as an artistic medium.

500 Felt Objects: Creative Explorations of a Remarkable Material

From Felt to Fabric: New Techniques in Nuno Felting takes Nuno felting in a whole new direction by using nuno pre-felts Merino Prefelt - Dyed and multi-layering techniques.

From Felt to Fabric: New Techniques in Nuno Felting Merino Prefelt - Dyed

You’ll love the wonderful collection of everyday Swedish weaving from 1850-1950 found in Old Swedish Weavings from North to South . Each project includes in-depth drawdowns, charts, descriptions and diagrams.

Old Swedish Weavings from North to South

Color and Texture in Weaving – What  a great reference on mixing yarn types and colors to create woven textiles with modern flair! Appropriate for all weaving abilities. PRE ORDER NOW!

Color and Texture in Weaving

Learn to Spin with Anne Field covers all the basics for beginning spinners. The book is divided into four parts:  learning to spin, animal fibres, plant and manufactured fibres, and mixing and matching fibres.

Learn to Spin with Anne Field

Celebration XXI Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs , presented by Rug Hooking Magazine, shows 69 of the year’s best hand hooked rugs. Includes detailed photos, artist profiles and design inspiration.

Celebration XXI Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs

Take a look at the work of well-known Nova Scotia rug hooker Doris Eaton in A Lifetime of Rug-Hooking . Showing over eighty of her rugs as well as their inspirations, materials and techniques.

A Lifetime of Rug-Hooking

You’ll find the cutest booties, socks and slippers to knit for babies and kids in Knitting for Little Feet: 40 Booties, Socks, and Slippers for Babies and Kids . Choose from forty different patterns. What a value – 40 patterns for only $22.95.

Knitting for Little Feet: 40 Booties, Socks, and Slippers for Babies and Kids

Knits to Give: 30 Knitted Gifts Made with Love is a collection of knitted gifts from well known designer Debbie Bliss, a classic collection of great knitted gifts to make for friends and family. Patterns include shawls, scarves, a ladybug back pack, a zebra and more.

Knits to Give: 30 Knitted Gifts Made with Love

Designer Jenny Watson does it again with Noro City Girl ! The floral displays and scenery of a northern English town inspired this lovely collection. Be inspired by the beauty too! Features stylish wraps, cardigans, vests and pullovers.

Noro City Girl

My Grandmother's Knitting  is filled with wonderful stories and patterns that helped inspire knitters like Norah Gaughan, Teva Durham, Leigh Radford, Meg Swanson, Jared Flood and other popular contemporary knitwear designers.

My Grandmother's Knitting

Fun and quick to knit hats, caps, berets and cloches for the entire family abound in Weekend Hats .

Weekend Hats

If you’re looking for the perfect portable reference book, look no further than  Visual Quick Tips Knitting . Easy to find information on knitting at your fingertips. 230 pages of great information in a compact – fit in your bag – format.

Visual Quick Tips Knitting

Knitting Pleats  teaches you to understand and use pleats in your knitting to create 17 original garments and accessories. Includes patterns for stoles, hats, vests, bags and sweaters.

Knitting Pleats

Internet and Phone Customer Prizes: Great loot from our Open House

Halcyon Yarn’s Annual Open House and our special event “A Day with Richard Ashford” have come and gone. Both were a great success due in large part to the support of our customers. We’d like to extend a big thank you to all who were able to come and participate. For those of you from afar we’d like to offer an opportunity to experience some of our 40th Anniversary fun.  Take a peek at pictures below from our two events and enjoy door prizes from the comfort of your own home!

That’s right, we are offering door prizes, or perhaps we should call them “order prizes”, for our phone and internet customers.  Starting tonight, Wed, October 19th at midnight, every 40th order placed at Halcyon Yarn will receive a surprise door prize. Supplies are limited, so order soon. These are the same great door prizes we gave away at our Annual Open House. You might win Noro books and yarns or cashmere yarn and tote from Skacel. All you have to do to be eligible is place an order. Good luck!

Last Call for Halcyon Yarn Annual Open House

Halcyon Yarn’s Annual Open House will be upon in just a few short days! Come celebrate with us and take advantage of great savings. It comes just once a year, so you don’t want to miss it. Here’s everything you need to know…

When?

This Saturday, October 8th from 9am-4pm.

Where?

It’s held right here at Halcyon Yarn, 12 School St. Bath Maine.

What’s Happening?

We’ll have on-going demonstrations in weaving, spinning, felting, rug hooking, knitting and crocheting. Come see it all. Ask questions. Engage in conversations. Sign-up for a class.

Savings! All purchases that day will receive an additional discount of 10%-25% off. One lucky customer will actually receive 40% off in honor of Halcyon Yarn’s 40th Anniversary. How does it work? At check out we will have a collection of little red bags. Each bag will contain a piece of paper with a specific discount. You choose a bag and open it to reveal your discount. Want an opportunity to choose a second bag and take the bigger of the two discounts? Well, visit all our demonstrators and we’ll let you do just that!

Even Deeper Discounts on special yarns and discontinued books.

Knitter’s and weaver’s “stash bags” filled with an array of different yarns and sold at an extremely low price. A great value. Come early because they sell out fast.

Door Prizes! You could be a winner just by simply coming to Halcyon Yarn’s Open House. We’ll be giving away yarn, books and products. Our giveaways feature names like Noro, Swan’s Island, Cascade and Skacel. Come on in and see what it’s all about. When you arrive we’ll greet you and hand you a card. This special card could be your ticket to savings. Hold on to it and present it when checking out. If your card has the special code – YOU WIN A PRIZE!

Book signing. Maine’s own Robin Hansen will join us from 11am-1pm to sign copies of her new book Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm. Be the first to own this great new book. Although not yet released to the public, Halcyon Yarn is lucky enough to have several copies for our special event.

As always, we’ll have seasonal refreshments on hand. So eat, drink and be merry.

Halcyon Yarn’s Open House is sure to be a great event.  So stop by for a quick hello or stay for the whole day. We hope to see you Saturday.

*Offer only applies to items purchased in store. Not valid on internet or mail order purchases. Bulk price 3, floor looms and special orders are not eligible.

Book Signing for Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm

Maine’s own Robin Hansen will be joining us at Halcyon Yarn’s annual Open House, Saturday October 8th from 11am-1pm to sign copies of her latest book, Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Knitting Patterns to Keep You Warm. If you’d like a signed copy, but aren’t fortunate enough to be able to attend Halcyon Yarn’s Open House, don’t worry. All copies ordered during October will be signed, including online orders.

Having already written several knitting books, including Knit Mittens and Favorite Mittens, as well as the children’s books Sunny’s Mittens and Ice Harbor Mittens, it’s safe to say Robin is a mitten expert. It’s a distinction further reinforced by her latest work, Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm. I must say it is a beautiful book filled with great mitten patterns.

The collection of mitten patterns featured in Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm vary in style, technique and degree of difficulty. Whether it’s the place of origin or the traditions surrounding it, each mitten in this book has a story to tell and Robin tells it well. She combines a wonderful story with the technical information needed to knit each mitten. You’ll find traditional patterns with origins in places like Scandinavia, Poland, Lithuania and the Canadian Maritimes. Different knitting techniques include stranded, twined, stuffed and fleece lined mittens. It really is the “ultimate” collections of mitten patterns.

So stop by the shop this Saturday to meet Robin Hansen and get a first hand look at her new book, Ultimate Mittens 28 Classic Patterns to Keep You Warm.

For those of you unfamiliar with Halcyon Yarn’s location, we are at 12 School St in Bath Maine.

Ashford Day – Monday, October 10. Don’t Miss it!

Come to our classroom at our store in Bath, Maine, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm to meet the Ashfords.

What’s all the excitement? Demos of Ashford products. Try them yourself! Ask questions. Engage in informal discussions. And of course, take advantage of special in-store savings.

Bring your own wheel if you want – any make. If needed we will give your wheel a quick tune-up and make minor repairs to Ashford wheels*. We’d also like to make it clear that you needn’t be proficient at any particular fiber craft to enjoy this event. Feed your curiosity about any of the fiber crafts for which Ashford makes equipment- spinning, weaving, felting.

There is no charge for this special day.

To read more about Ashford Handicrafts pick up the latest issue of Spin•Off,   Spin Off Fall 2011 , in which you’ll find a wonderful article titled “Behind the Scenes:  At Ashford Handicrafts”.

Spin Off Fall 2011

*repairs taking more than 15 minutes will need to be scheduled for another time.

A Day with Richard Ashford of Ashford Handicrafts

On Monday, October 10th, Halcyon Yarn will be hosting a “don’t miss” event for all fiber enthusiasts. Richard Ashford of Ashford Handicrafts of New Zealand will be with us for a day long event. He’ll be joined by his wife Elizabeth and Cindy Howard-Gibbon, head of US distributions for Ashford products. So come to our classroom from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm to meet them, see demos of Ashford products, try them yourself , ask questions, engage in informal discussions and take advantage of special in-store savings.

Try out a wide range of Ashford spinning wheels, looms, carders, and other fiber equipment. Bring your own wheel if you want – any make. If needed we will give your wheel a quick tune-up and will make minor repairs to Ashford wheels*. We’d also like to make it clear that you needn’t be proficient at any particular fiber craft to attend. This is a great time to simply feed your curiosity about any of the fiber crafts for which Ashford makes equipment- spinning, weaving, felting.

Founded by Richard’s father, Walter, in 1934, Ashford Handicrafts is a world leader in the manufacturing of textile craft equipment. They have been recognized by the New Zealand government with awards for excellence in design and exporting. For over 75 years they have taken pride in creating affordable quality fiber equipment that is easy to use. Ashford’s range of products includes spinning wheels, weaving looms, carders, fibers, dyes, yarns and books. And who should know more about the business and its products than Richard Ashford. After all he grew up in the business and now runs it together with his wife, Elizabeth. We’re so pleased to have him join us here at Halcyon Yarn and hope many of you will be able to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

Although there is no charge for this special event, we respectfully request you call to register, 1-800-341-0282 so we can appropriately handle all who have an interest in attending.

If you’d like to read more about Ashford Handicrafts pick up the latest issue of Spin•Off,   Spin Off Fall 2011 , in which you’ll find a wonderful article titled “Behind the Scenes:  At Ashford Handicrafts”. Those of us who have taken a peak at this issue think it’s a great. There are articles on troubleshooting your spinning, scotch tension, the future of custom wheels, spinning silk carrier rods, the Stansborough Grey sheep, making a wine-cork orfice hook, as well as some beautiful knitting projects for scarves, a shawl and a snood.

Spin Off Fall 2011

*repairs taking more than 15 minutes will need to be scheduled for another time.