General News

Welcome Blanket Knitting & Paint-a-Thon Fundraiser

Friday, October 20th, 2017 Posted in Current Issue, Events, General News, local news | No Comments »

Thursday, October 26th: Warm Welcome Knitting Party & Paint-a-Thon

Please join us for a fun day and a good cause!

Artist Maria Castellano-Usery of Brusnwick, Maine, is holding one of her fabulous Paint-a-Thon events to support the Welcome Blanket Project at Halcyon Yarn. We’ll also be hosting a drop in knitting party if you’d like to join us making Welcome Blanket squares, or get help joining squares you’ve already made. Enjoy complimentary hot cider and cookies too!

Paint-a-Thon

Maria’s joyful, color-drenched works are delightful, and so is she… Please come meet the artist, enjoy watching her creative process unfold, buy some beautiful local art, and help support a wonderful cause!

Maria will be setting up her easel at Halcyon Yarn and painting from roughly 10am – 6pm. She’ll also have a pop-up show of her work available for purchase. At the end of the day the completed painting will be raffled off and 50% of the proceeds will go to support the Welcome Blanket Project. Raffle tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10. Maria will also donate 10% of her pop-up shop sales for the day. See more details and share the event at Maria’s Facebook Event here.

Welcome Blanket Knitting

The Welcome Blanket Project is a nationwide community fiber art project. Knitters (and crocheters, and weavers) are making hundreds of handmade blankets to be distributed to recent immigrants. The collection of blankets will form a community art project which will be on display at the Smart Museum in Chicago before being distributed by resettlement organizations to welcome new Americans. Learn more about the project here, or read more on our blog here.

As the project wraps up (so to speak) we’ll be knitting and joining Welcome Blanket squares in the store on Thursday October 26th from 3 pm – 6 pm. You can knit or crochet squares ahead of time and bring them to join, or knit along with us in the store and get help joining your squares to others as we form a community-made Welcome Blanket. We’ll also be donating 5% of our in-store sales on Thursday to the Welcome Blanket Project. If you can’t make it to the event, but would like to make squares or a full blanket, please drop squares off or mail them to arrive at Halcyon Yarn no later than Thursday the 26th (finished blankets by the 30th), and we’ll mail the piece for you.

Join us Thursday for some knitting, grab a skein for your stash, pick up a painting, or or just stop by for some cider… Help celebrate making art, and making a difference together!

 

 

Mark your Calendars! Two great Maine art exhibits

Friday, October 20th, 2017 Posted in Current Issue, Events, General News, local news | No Comments »

Upcoming exhibits you won’t want to miss: SPARK! & Confabulations of Millenia

SPARK!

A new exhibition at Maine Historical Society 
explores contemporary creative expression in Maine. Opening Friday, November 3rd, on display through March 31st, 2018.

Maine has always been a home and a haven to artists and creative makers. 
From the earliest projectile points created by Wabanaki people from Mount Kineo rhyolite stone to contemporary artists who flock to Maine for our light, people are inspired to creativity by Maine’s natural beauty and unique lifestyle. A new exhibition opening in November at Maine Historical Society — Spark! Maine ART Stories — explores creativity in Maine and features sixteen contemporary Maine artists. Among them are Halcyon Yarn co-founder Hector Jaeger, frequent Halcyon Yarn instructor Barbara Burns, and Katherine Cobey who has graciously opened her knitting studio to our students in recent years.

More about several of these unique Maine artists can be found in the My Maine Stories forum at the Maine Memory Network.

“Spark! Maine ART Stories looks at the varied ways people in Maine express themselves today” says exhibition curator and MHS Outreach Curator Tilly Laskey. “The artists featured in this exhibition are diverse in their geography, their artistic mediums, and in what compels them to create. We’re exhibiting everything from snowshoes to neon artwork!”

Featured artists: Titi de Baccarat, Gina Brooks, Brendan Bullock, Barbara Burns, Katharine Cobey, Decontie and Brown, Ayumi Horie, Hector Jaeger, Karen Jelenfy, David Johansen, Daniel Minter, Geo Neptune, Edmond and Brian J. Theriault, and Ian Trask.

SPARK • November 3rd through March 31st

Maine Historical Society • 498 Congress Street, Portland, Maine

 

Confabulations of Millenia at MECA

The ICA at Maine College of Art (MECA) presents Confabulations of Millenia. The show brings together the works of 19 contemporary artists who take direct inspiration from the 18th and 19th centuries. On display now through December 8th.

Using established styles, techniques and objects perfected in the 18th and 19th centuries, the 19 artists assembled deploy history as a springboard in order to speak to the intricacies and inconsistencies of modern life be they social, political or aesthetic. The show especially caught our attention for including the works of Erin M. Riley and Vadis Turner. Riley’s detailed tapestries represent the tension implicit in the show’s theme by using fine traditional craftsmanship to explore challenging and graphic images of modern life and sexuality. Turner’s richly textured pieces are constructed of hand stitched quilts and draw on a series of interviews Vadis conducted with women in her community. Both artists prompt the viewer to reflect on the often-held notion of textiles as simply safe or decorative domestic expressions.

Featured artists: Martha Arquero, John Brauer, Joey Chiarello, Emily Diaz Norton, Douglas Goldberg, Jeremy Hatch, Beth Katleman, Ryan Wilson Kelly, Melora Kuhn, Livia Marin, Oscar Sancho Nin, John O’Reilly, Erin M. Riley, Richard Saja, Anthony Sonnenberg, Ryan Swanson, Vadis Turner, Julia Whitney Barnes, Kehinde Wiley

Confabulations of Millenia • October 6th through December 8th

Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA • 522 Congress Street, Portland, Maine

 

Ready to Weave? Classes available now!

Friday, October 20th, 2017 Posted in Current Issue, Fiber Arts Education, General News, local news, Weaving | No Comments »

This is the year to learn weaving!

Whether you want to work on a little rigid heddle loom or advance your skills on an 8 shaft floor loom, we’ve got a class for you! Our spacious and well-equipped classroom studio is a wonderful space to spend a few days learning to weave. Plus, if you’d like to keep working on your project after the class we make the studio available to students for the week following the class. In the case of rigid heddle looms, you can rent the loom following the class so you can continue to work at home. Materials are included and all equipment and tools are either provided or available to rent. Please call or email for more details or with questions.

Plus, as the holidays approach stay tuned for quick and fun fiber arts “make it, take it” days, and make this a handmade holiday!

Here’s what’s coming up:

Intro to Rigid Heddle Weaving • Saturday & Sunday, October 28 & 29 • $195.00

Weaving 101 – Weaving on a Floor Loom • Fri, Sat, Sun, December 1st – 3rd • $295.00

Next Steps in Weaving • Fri, Sat, Sun, December 8th – 10th • $295.00

Tapestry Weaving: Beginning and Beyond • Fri, Sat, Sun, January 26th – 28th • $275.00

 

Maine Fiber Jobs

Friday, October 20th, 2017 Posted in Current Issue, General News, local news | No Comments »

Maine Fiber Jobs

Two very different (yet both wonderful) companies we work with at Halcyon Yarn are hiring. The fiber and textile community is quite close-knit in Maine (pun fully intended), and we’re proud to work with these nearby businesses, so as a courtesy to our colleagues we’re passing along these job opportunities.

Interested parties, please contact these businesses directly, we’re just the messenger. We cannot reply to or forward your information!

Jagger Brothers Mill (Springvale, Maine)

Jagger Brothers, Inc. established in 1898 is a family owned worsted yarn spinning mill located in Springvale, Maine. The Company is seeking a qualified person for the position of Sales Manager. This position will be responsible for continuing to support and grow our customer relationships, brand building and marketing efforts. In addition to working directly with suppliers to purchase raw materials, watching fiber supply market trends to maximize our purchasing budget and ensure necessary stock is on hand.

This job is perfect for someone who not only has strong customer service and sales background but someone who has a background with fiber and spinning or textiles generally. This job has a lot of technical parts to it and we can train the right person and for that person it is an amazing and very unique opportunity.

Jagger Brothers Sales Manager Job Description PDF

Christmas Cove Designs (seasonal work from home)

A well-established local cottage industry in midcoast Maine seeks experienced machine knitters to produce wool Christmas stockings for the upcoming holiday season. This position requires a bulky knitting machine and ribber. Piecework to accommodate working at home. Graphs, basic instructions, and yarn provided. Please email Christmas Cove Designs at christmascovedesigns (at) gmail.com or call (207) 350-1035.

 

New Handwoven Magazine Nov/Dec 2017

Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 Posted in General News, Magazine, Weaving | No Comments »

Handwoven November/December issue – just in time for holiday weaving!

Prim Rose Table Runner, in 10/2 Pearl Cotton, by Norma Smayda and Ann Rudman.

As a perpetual lover of overshot, I was instantly drawn to by Madelyn Van Der Hoogt’s article The Draft: Overshot Threading Then & Now. It’s a wonderful guide on how to use overshot patterns no matter how they are written. She demonstrates how a single overshot pattern can be written twelve different ways, depending on the weaver, the publication, the time period in which it was written, whether it’s balanced or unbalanced, and the manner in which it’s treadled.

Deb Essen’s article, Record Keeping, discusses the importance of taking good notes as you weave and having a standardized method of recording information. She includes the types of information that are relevant to record, as well as how to use technology like cameras and computers to store valuable weaving data. Tom Knisely tells us about his recent trip to Hartland, Michigan, a town rich in little known weaving history and Norma Smayda talks overshot and how she unknowingly became the owner of 270 handwritten weaving drafts by Weaver Rose. The story gives me goosebumps!

Combinatory Play Miniature Table Runner, in 10/2 Pearl Cotton and tapestry weight wool, by Krista Richey.

The issue also includes 10 projects for rigid heddle, 4-shaft, and 8-shaft looms. They range from a Goose-Eye Baby Blanket by Nanette Mother (inspired by Mary E. Black, author of A Key to Weaving), to a Finnweave Runner and Oven Mitts by Marty Benson (inspired by David Xenakis), to the Combinatory Play Miniature Table Runner by Krista Richey (inspired by Bertha Gray Hayes), an 8-shaft pattern that actually combines two overshot patterns into one project by threading one on the first four harnesses and another on the the last four harnesses. The only thing better than one overshot draft is TWO overshot drafts! I may need to get an 8-shaft loom…

Finnweave Runner and Oven Mitts, in 5/2 Pearl Cotton, by Marty Benson.

The rich history of weaving is what continually draws me back into the craft and it is inspiring to see new weavers using historical drafts and patterns as jumping points to design contemporary projects. Be sure to grab yourself a copy of this Handwoven issue, you won’t want to miss it!

P.S. For help with record keeping we offer great Project Worksheets, available for download. If you’re looking for things to make for the holidays, or to put on your wish list, the annual Gift Guide is a treat too!

 

 

Related items of interest:

• Weaving Magazines
• Multi-Craft Equipment

Incredible Indigo

Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 Posted in Dye, General News | No Comments »

Incredibly Easy Indigo!

Indigo dyed bed linens from the book Natural Color, by Sasha Duerr.

It’s easy to fall in love with the distinctive blue hues of indigo. It’s also surprisingly easy and incredibly fun to turn your favorite yarns and fibers blue with this ancient dye. At our Open House this year we’re celebrating this wonderful blue dye with a community indigo dye vat. It looks like magic, but it’s surprisingly easy to explore indigo on your own too!

Detail of an indigo dyed cotton wall hanging, by Barbara Goldberg,  from the book Shibori, The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing, by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, Mary Kellogg Rice & Jane Barton.

Indigo is an anciant natural dye, derived from the leaves of the indigo plant. Known for the beautiful shades of blue it produces, Indigo can be used on both protein (animal-based) and cellulose (plant-based) fibers. This unique dye offers a world of possibilities, and evidence of its rich history can be seen all over the world. Safe and non-toxic, this is a great dye for clothing, or try it for table linens or curtains, you name it and we promise it’ll look good in blue!

Detail of an indigo dyed garment by Virginia Davis, from the book Shibori, The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing.

If you’d like to try your hand at indigo dyeing here are some items we recommend:

 

 

For some great books that feature natural dye techniques and fascinating indigo and natural dye lore:

 

Caring for your indigo dyed goods, and a note about crocking…

The way Indigo works is by building up dye materials and bonding onto the surface of the fibers. That means that sometimes a little friction may cause a little bit of blue to rub off. Ever end up with blue legs after wearing a new pair of jeans? This is called crocking, and it is completely normal. Indigo is quite colorfast as soon as it hits the air out of the vat and oxidizes, even when it crocks. If your fingers are a little stained after knitting with some Indigo dyed yarn, don’t worry – it’ll wash right off.

While it isn’t always necessary to give your newly dyed fiber a thorough wash, this step will help keep that lovely blue from transferring onto lighter colors. How to wash your fiber depends on what you dyed:

PROTEIN FIBERS (Wool, aplaca, silk, etc.)

Before washing, try letting it soak for an extra 30 minutes or so in cool water with a generous glug of white vinegar to neutralize the remaining dye solution and help protect the fibers. Hand wash your fiber in cool to lukewarm water using a mild detergent. Do not agitate, just swirl it around gently for a minute or two. Rinse in lukewarm water and hang or lay flat to dry. Tip: Be super gentle, especially when dying unspun roving! The pH of the Indigo vat has made this fiber very delicate and more prone to felting!

PLANT-BASED FIBERS (Cotton, linen, hemp, etc.)

Yarn: Hand wash gently in lukewarm to warm water using a mild detergent, no need for the vinegar rinse. Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry.

Fabric/clothing: Hand or machine wash by itself. Dry as desired; hang dry is recommended.

 

 

Related items of interest:

• Dyeing Kits
• Dyeing Dyes
• Dyeing Books
• Weaving Books

Open House Sale this Saturday – October 7th!

Friday, October 6th, 2017 Posted in Events, General News, On Sale | No Comments »

Annual Halcyon Yarn Open House, In-store & Online!

Halcyon Yarn Open House – Saturday only!

Saturday October 7th, 2017 • 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Halcyon Yarn Retail Store • 12 School St. Bath, Maine 04530

Join us for our huge annual open house sale and celebration at Halcyon Yarn! Every October we welcome visitors from all over the country for a giant yarn party – we hope you’ll join us this Saturday for a fun-filled day of fiber arts. The day includes prizes, demonstrators, refreshments and great savings all day!

Please note that telephone customer service will not be available Saturday. Feel free to leave a message (no orders please) and we’ll return your call when we’re back to business as usual next week!

Open House is online too, until midnight Saturday:  HALCYONYARN.COM

Can’t make it in person? Shop online until midnight Saturday and save! All orders placed online between midnight EST Friday and midnight EST Saturday will receive the same great savings you’d receive in person. You’ll get at least 10% off, plus we’ll draw a mystery discount for your chance at 15%, 20%, 25% or even 30% off your order! You’ll receive a special fall coupon with your order on Saturday too. Please note, discount excludes Floor Looms, Gift Certificates, special order items, and bulk price three.

What to look forward to in the shop!

Everything in the shop is at least 10% off, plus when you get to the register, you have the chance to draw a higher discount out of the basket. Your total discount could be up to 30% off! There are plenty of additional items on sale too. Enjoy great savings and fiber arts demonstrations, plus free refreshments – including local cider and snacks served all day!

Indigo – New this year, we’ll have a community indigo vat that you may dip yarn or finished fabrics and small garments into. Dipping is free, you just need to bring something you want to turn blue! Dips will be from 11:00-noon and again from 1:30-3:00. White yarns and cloth will be available to purchase, or you can bring your own!

Demonstrations include: tapestry weaving, rug hooking, spinning & fiber blending, weaving, lucet braiding, warp painting, lamp-work glass. Woven rugs by Hector Jaeger will be on display with an opportunity to meet the artist.

If you haven’t been to the store recently you’re in for some surprises! We’ve made some fun renovations and we’ve made even more room for amazing yarn, fiber and tools. Come by to see what’s new…

A great time to visit Bath, Maine!

Not only is our annual Open House a terrific day, there’s a lot of great stuff going on in Bath, so why not make a weekend of it! Whether you’re from around the corner or traveling many miles… Bring friends and family (even non-yarn-loving ones!) for a beautiful New England weekend. There’s plenty of parking at the store and getting here is easy. It is peak foliage season and October 7th is also Bath’s annual Autumnfest so there are plenty of activities for the whole family right here in our charming downtown. Located less than an hour from Portland, or Rockland/Camden, and less than three hours from Boston, the Bath area makes a great weekend trip if you want to experience fall in Maine!

Click for more Autumnfest details and Bath area visitor information.

Whether you’re here for Open House, or planning to visit another time, we’d love to see you here in Bath! Just because summer is winding down doesn’t mean visiting season is over. The Halcyon Yarn retail store is located in downtown Bath, on Coastal Route One in Midcoast Maine. We’re open 7 days a week and we love welcoming visitors from all over the world to our shop and to our community. Take a class, test drive equipment, sign up for a lesson, or just enjoy browsing over 6,000 square feet of distinctive yarns, fiber, books, and equipment! Bath is also home to great B&B’s a lovely waterfront downtown (a Great American Main Street winner!), as well as being close to many beautiful Maine coast attractions – here are a few area highlights:

• Downtown Bath: Shopping, dining, art galleries, historical architecture, and beautiful city parks are all found in our friendly and easily walkable downtown, along the picturesque Kennebec River.
• Maine Maritime Museum: Bath is know as the City of Ships, and the nationally acclaimed museum’s 20 acre waterfront campus, next to the Bath Ironworks shipyard, offers visitors a unique look at the culture and history of the region’s maritime history. With galleries, including the newly opened “Into The Lantern: A lighthouse experience”, trolley tours around town, and river cruises on the Kennebec, there’s something for everyone at the museum.
• Reid State Park, Fort Popham & Popham Beach State Park are both within a half hour drive from the shop and offer sweeping ocean views, sand beaches, hiking, and excellent wildlife viewing.
• Freeport: Home of L.L. Bean & outlet shopping is also less than half an hour from us. Stock up on classic bean boots to compliment your handknit socks!
• Portland: Less than 40 minutes south is Maine’s biggest city. A vibrant food and art scene, with a small port-town feel. Check out the great dining, shopping, and cultural offerings or take a cruise on Casco Bay!

 

See you at Open House!

 

 

New Pattern! All Down the Line rug wool jacket

Friday, October 6th, 2017 Posted in General News | No Comments »

 

All Down the Line is heavy, dense and warm.  Knit to a very tight gauge, this fabric is truly meant for outerwear.  I designed this jacket to be knit in pieces and sewn together for two reasons: seams help add structure and stability to a garment, which I definitely wanted for this jacket.  The other reason was simply because as this project gets bigger it would be far too heavy and awkward to manage all in one piece.  That said, I chose to pick up stitches for the sleeves for the same reason – until shoulder pads come back into fashion (and it will happen, mark my words), less bulk around that area is usually better.  I’m also admittedly terrible at lining up sewn on sleeves and will avoid it whenever possible.

 

 

Related items of interest:

• Our yarns
• Super Bulky weight yarns
• Wool yarns
• Knitting Patterns
• Crochet Patterns