Halcyon Yarn

Coming In February…..

Thursday, January 29th, 2009 Posted in Events | No Comments »

February is the shortest month of the year, but it seems to have a lot packed into it!  The kids have a winter break, presidents are having birthdays, love abounds anew  and we will be launching the start of our new winter class schedule!!

February 14th, Marianne Dubois will once again be teaching, “Going To The Dogs” needle felting.  Come join her and learn how to make these sweet little guys for yourself or for fun gifts to give the ones you love…

Winter Break spans over February 16th – February 20th and we’ll be having a couple different kinds of fun classes for the kids.  ”Two Sticks and a String: Beginning Knitting for Kids and Teens“, will be February 18th, as well as, “Rock & Roll Felting” and “Felted Treasure Bags” on February 19th.  There will be two different sessions on each of those days featuring each class, so call and schedule soon before all the spaces are filled!

Spinning Fever has hit the scene with our “Intensive Beginning Spinning” class instructed by Rudy Amann.  The man, the myth, the spinning guru… well, his class in February filled up so fast we asked if he’d be available for another before his next scheduled class in May and he has agreed!  So, mark your calendars or call soon and book your space for another offering on April 20th & April 21st; a Monday/Tuesday class for all you newby spinners.  Don’t let “Intensive” scare you off… it should read, “complete”, “overall”, “absolute”… Sign up soon… you won’t be disappointed!

Two at a Time Socks – Live and in Person!

Thursday, November 20th, 2008 Posted in Events | No Comments »

We wanted to give you all plenty of “heads-up” time for this class, because we think it will be fun, and will fill up quickly: Melissa Morgan-Oakes, who wrote “2-at-a-Time Socks” will be giving a class here on Saturday, May 16, 2009.

Join Melissa to learn the secret of knitting 2 socks at once on one circular needle.  Just imagine, two socks started and finished at the same time.  They’re still portable, still fun, but no “second sock syndrome”.  With Melissa’s guidance, students will create their own miniature sample socks using the technique outlined in her book. It’s a revolution in sock making!

Glomitts and Gauntlets: Updates on our Knit-A-Long

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 Posted in Events, General News | 7 Comments »

As those of you who read our early July newsletter may remember, we had put out a call for our first ever knit-a-long (KAL). We were prompted to start the KAL at the request of Malta Phelps, a Maine mother who’s son, Sgt. Mike Wall, is stationed in Afghanistan. Mike reminisced with his mother (who doesn’t knit) about the hunting and fishing mittens his grandmother had made and requested some for his unit. Malta called us with a request for help and we passed that request along to all who were interested.

The response has been wonderful. We had some great introductions and discussions in our KAL forum, and have been awed by the wonderfully crafted donations of Glomitts and Guard’s Gauntlets that have come in from all over the US and even from the UK! So far, we have had over 40 pairs sent in and we know that there are more on the way.

Sgt. Wall’s parents recently visited us here at Halcyon Yarn, and they expressed their heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed. Malta said that she was overwhelmed by the response: “It’s just unbelievable and amazing, thank you so much”.  She also couldn’t wait for the supplies to arrive in Afghanistan.  Sgt. Wall will be there through June so they’re really gearing up for a long winter.

The experience has certainly made the events in Afghanistan more immediate to us here at Halcyon Yarn. It has been wonderful for us to hear updates on Sgt. Wall’s unit. The photos above of Sgt. Wall are from his unit’s newsletter. In these photos he’s entertaining local children by juggling and by drawing cartoons in the sand – a duty which he loves, but which makes him miss his own son as well. We hear news and updates from Sgt. Wall’s parents (shown here, L to R, Beth Hood, Beth Quivey, Halcyon Blake, Malta Phelps, and Richard Wall). We also have had some great posts in the forum for the KAL, where you can see the great diversity of people who have been moved to help.

It has also given us a better understanding of the work of another soldier who is in our thoughts: Nolan Hood. Nolan is the son of our designer and customer service representative, Beth Hood and her husband Jack. Nolan helped Beth to modify her Guard’s Gauntlet pattern when he was home visiting over the summer. We will be including a shipment of Glomitts and Guard’s Gauntlets to his unit as well. Nolan saw a recent article published in our local paper about the KAL, and gave us some encouragement from the field: “You guys have all done a wonderful thing. When we get them I will get some photos for you guys”. We can’t wait, and will share them when we get ‘em!

Thank you again to all who have contributed, you are really making an important difference in peoples lives!

We are still accepting Glomitts and Gauntlets. You can download the patterns here: Glomitt or Guard’s Gauntlet.

Please mail your finished items to:

KnitALong
Halcyon Yarn
12 School Street
Bath, ME 04530

Thank you for your help and support!

Weavolution Auction

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 Posted in Events, Notes | No Comments »

We have several items that will be available as part of a fundraising auction from weavolution.com. There will be several auctions, starting this weekend, Nov. 1st. Included items are: Waffle Weave Towel Kits, Newport Linen Classic Linen Towels Kits, and one of our Pearl Cotton Color Gamp Kits. The weavolution site aims to be a social network for weavers and is in the development phase. We look forward to seeing it develop!

Back to school – don’t be late for class!

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 Posted in Events | No Comments »

We have a great line up of classes this fall/winter and there is sure to be something you’ll enjoy! Come hang out in our cozy classroom, and by the time you calculate your savings from turning your thermostat down for the day, the class will pay for itself! (well, maybe…). Are you interested in:

• Crochet (1 class)
• Dyeing (1 class)
• Felting (7 classes)
• Knitting (6 classes)
• Multi-craft (1 class)
• Private Lesson (1 class)
• Rug Making (2 classes)
• Spinning (5 classes)
• Weaving (9 classes)

If you are interested in these crafts, be sure to give one of these fun, relaxing, informative classes a try!

Fall Open House – October 11th – Don’t Miss It!

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 Posted in Events | No Comments »

We really enjoy the annual Open House – the demonstrations, displays, and community camaraderie are something to behold. It is a real gathering of fiber artists from near and far, a chance to catch up, a chance to browse shelves overflowing, and, oh yeah, a chance to save on fine fibers! To see the enthusiasm reminds us why we love our jobs…

So come on over to 12 School Street, in Bath, Maine, on October 11th, from 9am to 4pm, and see what it’s all about!  We will have demonstrations of spinning, weaving, hooking, felting, knitting, and more, with opportunities to get “hands on” with fiber.

But this event is not just about browsing – we’ll be offering up discounts on every purchase. How much of a discount, you ask? Well, first I must know, are you feeling lucky? See, in celebration of the festive spirit of the day we offer discounts pulled out of a hat (or lollipop, as was the case last year). Minimum discount starts at a whopping 10% (hey, can’t go wrong, right?), and goes up from there… 15%…. 20%….. 25%…. whoa now, that’s some serious discountin’ action!!!*.

We hope to see you there! If you’re visiting from out of town (it is a great time to visit Bath and Mid-Coast Maine, by the way) check out accommodations and attractions at visitbath.com! In the mean time, check out this video from last year’s event:

Video of 2007 Open House.

* Discounts are in-store only, sorry no phone or internet orders, and do not apply to price level 3 or looms and special order items.

Take a Peek: Destination Bath Visits Halcyon Yarn

Thursday, August 14th, 2008 Posted in Events | No Comments »

Destination Bath visited us here in the store. It was great to work with a pro crew and we think that this video is a cool peek inside Halcyon Yarn, especially for those who don’t live close by. Check out their video: Destination Bath Video.

Summertime, and the learnin’ is easy…

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 Posted in Events | No Comments »

Well, perhaps summer isn’t all vacation for all of us (man, kids don’t know how good they have it!), but it is still a great season to be out and about… So why not mosey on over to Halcyon Yarn for a fun fiber class? We have a great line up and still some space available. And the range of topics is far ranging – there is sure to be something of interest for everyone. Here are some links to classes by topic:

• Dyeing (4 classes)
• Felting (6 classes)
• Knitting (5 classes)
• Rug Making (4 classes)
• Spinning (4 classes)
• Weaving (4 classes)

How will you make time for all of those interesting opportunities? Well, unfortunately we can’t get you your summers off… But we hope most folks can swing an afternoon or day to get in on some learning fun! How can you resist this: