To Continue the Hat Trend…

Here are some of the classic hat patterns we recommend when we aren’t recommending our in store designs! Basic Aran Hat Beautifully cabled and sized for the whole family. Adult Big Hat I have personally knit half a dozen of these. Quick to knit in a bulky gauge and sized to avoid hat-head! Knitscene Winter/Spring 2010 , Jocelyn knit the Recedere Hat in this issue out of our Victorian 2-Ply Wool ; color 300 shown. One skein makes 2 hats. Make the Ribby Toque on the same page out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for a luxurious washable topper. Scandinavian Caps for the Guys New from Cottage Creations; 11 traditional designs. Felted Helmet Hat Knit loose and felt up this flap cap. You will want more than one. Blackstone Tweed #288 Barbara knit up the Nutmeg hat in this Blackstone Tweed Pamphlet. 9 patterns in all including sweaters, a scarf, a wrap and a dress. Great bargain.

Products featured in this post: Basic Aran Hat Adult Big Hat Knitscene Winter/Spring 2010 Victorian 2-Ply Wool Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Scandinavian Caps for the Guys Felted Helmet Hat Blackstone Tweed #288

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New and Notable

Knitting Traditions Winter 2010 My favorite new addition to the shop! This special edition magazine published by Piece Work is chock full of amazing projects. Compiled from past issues, you will recognize many of these designs and enjoy reading the history of the techniques while planning which to start first. Noro Taiyo New for spring knitting, we just picked up the worsted weight version of Noro’s cotton blend: 40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool and 15% nylon. As usual, the colors are inspiring and uplifting and the blend is a dream. Don’t think you like cotton? Try this before you decide… DVD - Popular Wheel Mechanics 2 discs in this pack to help you finally choose the right wheel for you or make the one you have work better for you. Fundamentals, tips and hints to optimize your time at the wheel. Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece - Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Te This new book by Gail Callahan is a must have for anyone dyeing their own yarn and fleece. Step-by-step instructions in easy sequences of pictures. Techniques you will want to try with a whole section on color play and principles. Equally useful for novice and experienced dyers. Knitnotes Assorted Gift Enclosures (4) Perfect for the gifter; these gift enclosures say it just right. 4 to a package with space for fiber content and instructions. Eco Baby Book Now on the shelf. Another great collection of baby wear from Debbie Bliss.

Products featured in this post: Knitting Traditions Winter 2010 Noro Taiyo DVD - Popular Wheel Mechanics Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece - Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Te Knitnotes Assorted Gift Enclosures (4) Eco Baby Book

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Social Media, more than just a buzzword

OK, ok. We are all about hands-on fiber arts, and we don’t necessarily ‘get it’, this whole facebook twitter thingy… But, we have been know to get caught checking facebook, and perhaps it’s time to get with it after all… Because it’s fun!

SO, we’re going to be doing more with our facebook page and our twitter page, and for those of you who have fun with these sites too, you can now keep up to date by being fans or following us.

We’ll be seeing you in Web 2.0!

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Hats Off To Our Customers!!

So, here we go! We are kicking off our first Customer Appreciation Promotion for our 2010 Year of the Customer Extravaganza! February is Hats Off To Our Customers! It is the most dismal month of winter (in my opinion) and also the coldest. Plus, the Groundhog did see his shadow so I guess there is more to come.  To ward off the February dismals, we have been busily knitting and designing lots of new hat patterns to help warm you up in style. Order yarn for any one of these hats and you can order any or all of the patterns Free! Just add items to your cart, and enter this code at checkout: hatpatfeb2010 After you have chosen yarn, simply add the hat patterns to your order. They are all quick to knit and stylish; it won’t take you long to knit your way through the whole list! Hats Off To You for being the best customers in the world! Here are the new patterns paired with yarn: Boxy Boucle Hat, try it out of Como and/or Alpaca Boucle Alpine Topper, great in Como and Iro Como Roll Brim, go with Como Relaxed Beret, wonderful Kochoran   And here are all the patterns, including some old favorites: Boxy Boucle Hat Alpine Topper Como Roll Brim Hat Relaxed Beret The Family Favorite Hat The Como Cuddler The Como Cuddler Luxury Lace Noggin Topper Heidi's Hat Checkerboard Hat Cabled Hat

Products featured in this post: Boxy Boucle Hat Alpine Topper Como Roll Brim Hat Relaxed Beret The Family Favorite Hat The Como Cuddler The Como Cuddler Luxury Lace Noggin Topper Heidi's Hat Checkerboard Hat Cabled Hat

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New and Notable

Fibersphere Yarn Balls ( 5" Clear Fibersphere Yarn Ball 5" Pink Fibersphere Yarn Ball 7" Clear Fibersphere Yarn Ball 7" Pink Fibersphere Yarn Ball ). These plastic yarn ball holders turn ANY bag into a knitting project bag. Pop one open, insert yarn ball, close it up and toss it into whatever bag you are carrying for an instant project bag. Your yarn ball will no longer snag, tangle or otherwise turn into a disaster. Plus, the company donates 5% of every pink fiber sphere sold to breast cancer research. Choose between 5″ and 7″, pink or clear. Ashford Wild Carder was designed for spinners who want to make fabulous, fun, and funky art yarns. The extra long teeth, packer brush, 6:1 carding ratio, and adjustable drum clearance allow you to create unique blends with differing fibers, fabrics, ribbons , feathers, noils, paper, and more. It’s small, portable, weighs only 7 3/4 lbs. and is lacquered and assembled. Doesn’t it sound like the carder of your dreams?! The Haapsalu Shawl . This is a crazy amazing Antique Coffee Table Worthy version of a lace compendium. The photography will knock your hand-knit socks off as you leaf through and read about the history and techniques of this traditional regional lace. Vogue Knitting - Shawls & Wraps . A new compendium from Vogue Knitting of popular shawls and wraps. Great for the pattern library. If you read my blog, the huge yellow shawl I am knitting comes from this book… The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques . This book is recommended by Lucy Neatby and touches on every possible approach and technique related to working with and combining color. The amount of info in this book is a steal for $29.95.

Products featured in this post: 5" Clear Fibersphere Yarn Ball 5" Pink Fibersphere Yarn Ball 7" Clear Fibersphere Yarn Ball 7" Pink Fibersphere Yarn Ball Ashford Wild Carder The Haapsalu Shawl Vogue Knitting - Shawls & Wraps The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques

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New Shopping Cart for halcyonyarn.com

Hi from Amos, tech-nerd at Halcyon Yarn. I have made some changes to halcyonyarn.com, and hope that you like them! One dramatic recent change is that we have changed the way you checkout by developing new shopping cart software. I would LOVE some feedback as you check out these new features:

1. You can now see volume-discounts in the cart! Did you know that if you buy 5 or more books, you get a discount? That most yarns (and fibers) have three prices, and the more you buy the cheaper it is? Well with our old cart it was not possible to show these discounts at check-out, and now we can!

2. You can now add gift certificate codes, and discount codes to your order and see the correct total. Keep an eye out as we add discount codes to up-coming newsletters!

3. Web 2.0 goodness – you can add items without a page reload, the cart can update qty totals without a page reload, the cart keeps track of the page where you added an item so you can get back to it later and more!

4. Provides a platform for future improvements! Most importantly it is flexible, so we hope to add more features incrementally.

Please give it a try, and feed back is WELCOMED! Please also do send me an email at mis@halcyonyarn.com and let me know what you love (and more importantly don’t love) about the new cart. There may be the odd bug out there, and I can only fix them if I hear back… Suggestions for new features are welcome too – I’m looking forward to an exciting year of developments at halcyonyarn.com, and I want to focus on what is important to all of you! Thanks much! Amos.

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Advancing the Warp Begins!!!

Hello, I’m Mike. I teach many of the weaving classes here at Halcyon Yarn. Gwynn has been holding the fort (or pen) in blog-land while I’ve vacillated about doing the blog thing for all you weavers. Looks li ke I said ‘Okay I’ll give it a go!’

At this time of the year something new is much easier to sneak into my routine. Usually I start the new year in fall but as I get older I do get slower and expect that my new year may soon begin in March. Which will then put me on the Roman yearly cycle.

Before when I started my new year in fall (and now in January), I find myself looking ahead and trying to establish a plan for the year with an attached structure which allows me to get things done. My first choice is to set up a workbook; “the dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind” or so I’ve been told. Quad ruled composition notebooks are the perfect place to get weaving ideas planted and then have room to grow. The graph paper is a natural place for threading, tie-up and treadling notations. Also, cut and paste entries make for easy editing and organization of printed materials.

Here in New England winter is a serious season. Seed catalogues have started coming already so spring is on the schedule. I think of my workbook as a seed catalogue and planner. Everything gets parked (or planted) inside.

So! Here is the customer question for this blog entry:

One of our customers called awhile back. She has a Swedish style loom and doesn’t like tying repair heddles. Her question was about using the flat steel repair heddles instead. Nope was the short answer. The question was the seed, I planted it in my workbook and what follows is what I sent her.

Elin’s Universal Repair Heddle

1.Use any size insert eye heddle.

2.Cut off both the loop ends, needle nose pliers are good and they usually have a section to snip wire. Cut just below the twisted section.

3.Now turn the straight length of the heddle, bring the cut end near the eye of the heddle. Use the needle nose pliers to twist the cut end around the section just above the eye. Repeat for the other half. When you are done, you will have a “mini” wire heddle.

4. To use, add a folded length of carpet warp to each end of the mini. Start by tying the upper half the heddle to the upper heddle bar. Line up the repair eye with the one next to it then tie the lower string. Use a bow knot to make removal recyclable or just cut it out when done.

These heddles can attach to any style loom; you control length with the carpet warp.

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Loose Ends

I have some business to take care of with this blog: Announcements and things we have been up to.

Things we have been up to:

We have all been designing and knitting like crazy to come up with a slew of new hat patterns for all of you for a special February promotion, which will start next week. Here are two I have been working on: an adult Como roll brim hat and a children’s Kureyon roll brim hat. These and MANY more will be available next week – watch for your newsletter.

Announcement 1:

On Monday February 1 from 2-8 pm we will have Linda Cortright in the shop. She is the founder and publisher of Wild Fibers Magazine. (If you haven’t seen it, you don’t know what you are missing. Published here in Maine and about all things fiber; Amazing Photographs!) She also founded Keep the Fleece as a celebration to honor the United Nations International Year of Natural Fibres in 2009. She started a project called the World’s Longest Scarf in 2009 to promote the importance of natural fibers by creating the world’s longest scarf made from natural fibers. It is now nearly 1000 feet long! Each row in the scarf represents one dollar donated to Heifer International which provides fiber animals to poor families to enable them to become self-supporting. She needs help sewing it up!! SO she will be here at the shop with all these yards of scarves and we need recruits to come and help stitch them together. Come if you are local, call a friend or two; it should be great fun. At the very least, read up about it. It is a great cause for fiber awareness.

Announcement 2:

I have finally gotten Michael to agree to a blog post for all the weavers out there! (I simply talked him to death until he had to agree. He called me a car salesman and I tried not to be offended.) He is starting with one post a month and I have warned him he may need to do more depending on interest and feedback. He will have his own spot on the homepage where you can click and get right to his post which is called ‘Advancing the Warp’. He will be talking about what he is working on, what he is planning and answering FAQ’s from weavers and anyone else who has one! Be sure and tune in….

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