As a reminder, before we get started with projects, for the holidays we offer complimentary Gift Cards to place in your gift order. Just let the person taking your order know you would like a Gift Card and in the package it will go!

We also offer Gift Wrap during the Holiday Season. The first gift wrapped box to one address, which may contain one or more items, is only $6. Additional boxes in same shipment to the same address are $3.50 each. Any gift wrapped boxes to additional addresses incur the same charges. Again, just let the person taking your order know you would like gift wrap and we will wrap it up!

Last but not least, want to get the crafter in your life something special but can’t decide what? Give them a Halcyon Yarn Gift Certificate. Gift Certificates can be purchased in any amount and sent to any address. Call us up @800.341.0282 or go online. Now, to the projects…

If you are still stumped for holiday weaving ideas, I have three for you to ponder this newsletter.

1. Handwoven Fans:  Dig up your Handwoven Sept/ Oct 2009 issue and if you haven’t already, get your warp on for the cover scarves. They are made out of the beautiful and luxurious JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk .  A single one pound cone of black will get you warp for 4 scarves, allowing a 3 yard warp length per scarf. Pick and choose among the vast number of colors for your weft and get weaving. You will have VERY happy gift recipients on your hands. Plus, this issue is chock full of money saving weaving ideas for weavers on a budget this season, including the Stash Reduction Placemats on page 28. If you don’t have stash (Ha!) get some  Homestead 8/2 Cotton and Taffy and whip them up. The pattern calls for 2 strands of cotton slub; with our Taffy you only need 1 strand! Also check out the Twill and Tencel Scarves on page 40, which will set you back a mere $33.50 for the two cones of 8/2 Tencel for two amazing scarves. We have a great selection of solid colors to choose from. Order the Tencel now and save $5.00 on shipping through the end of the year! Use promo code HW09.

2. The book  Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson is a good Project Idea Book to keep on your shelf. It has 17 projects for the rigid heddle loom ranging from scarves and slippers to bags, mats and pillows. You will find plenty to do with great instructions and technique. In the back there is a glossary, a warping checklist and a project planning sheet to help you with the math!

3. The book  Time to Weave by Jane Patrick is not your ordinary weaving book. Jane focuses on the use of natural, vintage and recycled materials using innovative weaving techniques that you may not even need a loom for! There are 16 projects to get your creative juices flowing including rugs, lamps, cards and baskets. Looking for a unique gift idea to weave? Or a great book to give a weaver? This is the one!

Products featured in this post:

Handwoven Sept/ Oct 2009

JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk

Homestead 8/2 Cotton

Taffy

8/2 Tencel

Weaving Made Easy

Time to Weave

For those of you itching to use your hooks for holiday gifts order the book Crochet in Color by Kathy Merrick.  Our resident crochet artist and crochet teacher Annalee can’t get enough of this book. A veteran of the crochet hook, she is inspired and delighted by the projects in this book. The projects focus on color work crochet techniques with lots of help and how to’s. What you will see as you flip through the book is an updated contemporary look to the garments with design details often lacking in the world of crochet patterns. Her use of color is truly extraordinary and I promise with Crochet in Color you will be inspired. Buy the book now and you can call back to order the 2 skeins of Malabrigo Merino Worsted you need for the Clover Hat on page 79. (shown right)

Amigurumi World and Amigurumi Two! are not brand new books but they are worth a second look. The investment is minimal when you consider the all year long gift giving projects and ideas. Annalee also loves these books (she owns them both) and has filled our shop with the critters because she can’t stop making them! Whatever your gift recipient loves or collects, there is an Amigurumi  pattern for all! Check out my store blog for pics of what we have hanging here at the shop…

Products featured in this post:

Crochet in Color

Malabrigo Merino Worsted

Amigurumi World

Amigurumi Two!

Five Fabulous in-house designed Halcyon Yarn patterns are on offer FREE from now until Christmas…. With any order, include the item numbers of the patterns you would like to receive and we’ll pack ‘em up! They all fit the quick to knit for the holidays bill so Check it Out! (Add patterns to your regular order – At checkout enter the code HW09, discounts will be taken before your card is charged)

Simply Organic & Sublime Cowl This beauty takes 2 balls of  Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK

Romantic Silk and Mohair Scarf Also a 2 ball project; perfect accessory for elegant evening wear Douceur et Soie et Amis

Ruffled Neck Wrap and Cowl . This pattern is a two-fer: make a cowl AND a wrap with just one skein each of Malabrigo Silky Merino and one skein of  Noro Silk Garden .

The Family Favorite Hat . This pattern covers all your hat gifting bases: sizes toddler to adult large, make with or without ear flaps and ties, in a single color or two-color design; you decide! Each hat takes 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Como .

The Como Cuddler . Super soft and comfy hat with attached scarf; one size with lots of stretch to fit any head; takes 4 balls of Como and almost no time to make!

Mix and Match and you are sure to be loaded with wonderful gifts for the holidays in no time!

Products featured in this post:

Simply Organic & Sublime Cowl

Sublime Organic Merino Wool DK

Romantic Silk and Mohair Scarf

Douceur et Soie et Amis

Ruffled Neck Wrap and Cowl

Malabrigo Silky Merino

Noro Silk Garden

The Family Favorite Hat

Debbie Bliss Como

The Como Cuddler

It was wonderful to have so many needle felters order up the felted Santa Kits: Father Christmas Needle Felting Kit and  Santa & Elves Needle Felting Kit that I mentioned in the last newsletter! If you need more to felt, for wonderful gifts and decorations, make sure and grab the felting kits  Backyard Birds Needle Felting Ornaments (4) and Backyard Birds Too (latest and greatest). Each kit has four different birds and they will look gorgeous nestled in your holiday tree…or in that of a friend.

Products featured in this post:

Father Christmas Needle Felting Kit

Santa & Elves Needle Felting Kit

Backyard Birds Needle Felting Ornaments (4)

Backyard Birds Too

If you have it in mind and haven’t started already, order your  Halcyon Christmas Stocking Kit NOW!! Optimism abounds! You will have time to finish it!! If you are looking for a contemporary look to a traditional stocking look in your copy of Mason - Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines on page 114. This Christmas Stocking is so beautiful and fun – done in the round, you will get it done lickety-split! Order one skein each of Peace Fleece in color numbers 001, 009 and 036 for the same bold look. We also sell a line of Made in Maine Stocking Kits you will love.

If you really are going to run out of time for a full-size stocking, knit up some of these miniatures  Mini Christmas Socks , Felt Christmas Ornaments to use as decorations! They might even double as gift card holders…

Products featured in this post:

Halcyon Christmas Stocking Kit

Mason - Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines

Peace Fleece

Mini Christmas Socks

Felt Christmas Ornaments

I am presently still lost in Peruville. I finished my gorgeous burnt orange mittens with nary a problem. They are WARM and fabulous. So fabulous in fact that my daughter requested a pair of her own. (after I had already asked her if she wanted me to make her a pair and was told no…) So I have started a pair in bright red for her. Here is a funny picture of the first one.

I also (finally) cast on with the apple green Peru I bought back in August. I am making a free vest pattern off of knitty.com called Boogie. Designed by Maine’s own amazing Amy King back I don’t know when, it is a fabulous knit. Made more fabulous by this terrific yarn… It shows all the details of the cable to full advantage. Looks like it is going to take 6 balls for the largest size and with only the two side seams to finish, it is QUICK. Quick and gorgeous free pattern in a luxury washable yarn in amazing colors. What’s not to like?

Stay tuned for Beth’s February Lady Sweater knit with Lana Bamboo and a tidbit of my latest foray into Swans Island; I went off the deep end with an 8 ball purchase…

We have the Addi-Click - Addi Interchangeable Needle Kit in stock and ready to ship NOW! And the best part is we are selling them to you for the old price of $149.95! Really! The price went up to $169.95 when they revamped the carrying case so any sets we sell after the first of the year will cost $20.00 more! Gift yourself or your best friend with the hottest selling (and best ever) interchangeable needle set around-at a discount price!

My new personal favorite knitting gadget is the Chicken Tape Measure from Lantern Moon. It is a fact that crafty fiber people love chickens. I don’t know why but it’s true. So I had Susan snag these cuties for holiday stocking stuffers… We won’t have them for long.

Stay tuned for the 4 Weeks To Go! Newsletter where I will be highlighting more books, luxury yarn and some groovy equipment to give to your talented fiber loving friends…

Products featured in this post:

Addi-Click - Addi Interchangeable Needle Kit

Chicken Tape Measure

When I got going on my Einstein Coat, Beth wasted no time casting hers on in an equally beautiful Noro yarn and word of our Noro versions got out to the Sit and Knit Group. They were very interested because not too long ago, they did an Einstein Coat knit-along of their own. So when Beth and I finished our coats, she sent out an email to the Group telling them to bring their coats on Monday night so we could all have a show and tell. Here is a small representation of the finished coats. 4 coats couldn’t make it, mostly due to being out of town on the backs of lucky recipients. (that’s how generous this Group is – knitting Einstein Coats for        gifts…)

While I was there, I snapped some pics of other projects they had on tap. This vest came from the book Folk Style and Debbie knit it out of two colors of Malabrigo Worsted. She is known in the group for her tendency to knit complicated color work sweaters, to keep from getting bored!

These slippers were made by Dottie who is usually busy filling up a chest with baby articles for as yet unborn babies. Seems like she has started a trend; there are now more than a few knitters in the group manifesting grandchildren with hand knits!

This last pic is an in-progress hand punched rug that Tammy is making out of our Halcyon Yarn Rug Wool. Tammy made her Einstein Coat out of Lambs Pride Bulky and is on her way to becoming an intrepid knitter with the help of her knitting group.

So here’s to the many talented and kind-hearted knitters we are lucky to host here on Monday nights. If you are a local, please come by and meet them first hand for some time on the needles!

So! Get your more time consuming projects on the loom or on the needles now. If you need inspiration, buy one of these titles and get the juices flowing! We will see you back here in two weeks for our ‘6 Weeks to Go!’ check in with some quicker ideas and free patterns.