Heavenly Socks Yarns logo Heavenly Socks Yarns Newsletter
Creating Cozy Cowls
November 2011
In This Issue
Veterans Day Sale
Books, Patterns and Magazines Sale
New Items
Discount Bin
Fibonacci Poncho
Baby Cardigan in Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch Stripes
Judy's Tosca Blanket
Stash Buster Super Bulky Fun Earflap Hat
Mary Jane Mucklestone Update
Hats for Kids Calls for Hats and Mittens
Berroco Film Festival
Election Day Humor
Aarhus Gallery's Holiday Extravaganza Small Works Show
High Street Studio and Gallery Workshop and Class
Branching Out Residency Project Seeks Teen Artists and Mentors
Bielenberg's A Christmas Carol Moves to the Camden Opera House
Belfast Co-op November Schedule
Quick Links
One of our customers models the Short Scarf Cowl.
One of our customers models the Short Scarf Cowl.
What a lovely fall it has been! But inevitably, winter will follow. The up side of winter? More inside handwork time.

With the holidays arriving, many people are thinking about making gifts. So you may be wondering what is "hot" this year.  From all that we know, cowls are again popular this year. Part of the reason is that they are so versatile to wear and there is a lot of variety when it comes to making them. They can be knit simply with an interesting yarn or you can let your imagination fly and mix colors and textures. When mixing textures, please know that we have many very affordable novelty yarns to accent even the plainest yarns you may have lying around.

We have a few shop samples here with free supporting patterns (including the Short Scarf Cowl shown above). However, if you don't already know -- from our constant reminding -- please join Ravelry to see what is available. This is a free online knitting community that will never e-mail you or give your name to anyone. You can search for a free pattern or an idea of what to do with exactly the same skein of yarn you may have in your stash.

But if you need help or ideas from a person you can actually see and talk with, please come by the shop.
Maybe someday there will be a Department of Peace?
Maybe someday there will be a Department of Peace?
Veterans Day Sale
On Friday, November 11, 10% of sales will go to Maine Veterans for Peace or any other non-partisan veterans' organization of the customer's choice. (Maine Veterans for Peace is a non-partisan, non-profit humanitarian and educational organization dedicated to the abolition of war.)

If you cannot make it to the shop on Friday and would like to participate in this effort, please mention it to us anytime you are in the shop that week and we will happily honor your request and veterans!
Sally peruses Touching Elegance, one of our many knitting books.
Sally peruses Touching Elegance, one of our many knitting books.
Books, Patterns and Magazines Sale
All books, patterns and magazines will be 20% off for the month of November.

(Magazines make great, inexpensive gifts. Who doesn't like to read a magazine with a cup of tea by a woodstove on a snowy day?)
New Items
New items this month include Ella Rae Classic Superwash Chunky. This machine-washable yarn, with twenty-four heathered colors in the shop, is being offered at a good price -- $7.50 per skein. This yarn has a nice review on Ravelry, has 121 yards, and knits at 3 1/2 stitches per inch on a US #10.

SMC Select Merino Opera and Merino Color are two new DK yarns in our expanded Superwash (machine-washable) section. Merino Opera has subtle metallic-thread highlights, while Merino Color has long color changes. 136/142 yards per 50-gram ball, $8.50 per skein. One ball would make a great pair of fingerless mitts.

Universal Yarn Mohair Mountain is an acrylic/mohair blend. These giant, very soft skeins have long repeats of color. They sell for $22.00, but have 600 yards! You can make plenty of projects with just one skein.

We now have new colors of #10 cotton crochet thread, including metallics. This is great for holiday handwork.
Discount Bin
Lopi Lite has long been an affordable, lofty choice for Icelandic wool. But we find ourselves not recommending it for sweaters, only because we recommend Brown Sheep instead, a similar, American-made yarn. So, due to the lack of space, this yarn is being moved to the discount bin for $2.50. This yarn is worsted-weight, 50-gram balls (109 yards), and is also great for felting.

Also on sale are Kollage square circular knitting needles (double points are not included in this sale) at $8.00.
Fibonacci Poncho
Fibonacci Poncho
Fibonacci Poncho

If you want some easy knitting that you can do while visiting with company, you may want to try this poncho. The pattern is sized for a woman, but can easily be adapted for a child by simply starting with less stitches.

Ponchos have seemed to come back in fashion over the last year. You are likely to see Helen wearing this in the shop and around town!

The Fibonacci Poncho, designed by Connie Combers, was knit in Dragonfly Eye and Purple Purple by Good Karma Farm, handspun yarn by Scenic Turnout and dupioni silk in the color Dragonscale.

 

Baby Cardigan in Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch Stripes
Baby Cardigan in Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch Stripes
Baby Cardigan in Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch Stripes
Baby Cardigan in Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch Stripes is now a shop model. This is a great pattern for filling two needs:
-- to use with multicolor yarn (which often "pools" in stockinette stitch), and
-- for the knitter who doesn't know how to purl or doesn't like to purl.

We used three skeins of Universal's Cobblestone yarn -- a DK, machine-washable merino -- and one skein of Plymouth's Encore DK for trim.
Judy's Tosca Blanket
Judy's Tosca Blanket
Judy's Tosca Blanket
This is a versatile pattern. We wanted to share it with you after our customer Judy came in with her fabulous throw knitted in Lang's Tosca Light, a machine-washable (55% wool/45% acrylic), DK yarn that has long color changes.

Click Generic Mitered Square Blanket for the free Ravelry pattern.


 

 

Stash Buster Super Bulky Fun Earflap Hat
Sorry for the broken link in last month's e-mail newsletter. Please click Stash Buster Super Bulky Fun Earflap Hat for our free shop pattern.
Mary Jane Mucklestone Update
Mary Jane Mucklestone's book is here. However, Mary Jane has had a change in her schedule and now it seems our celebration of her book and book-signing event will not take place till January. We promise to hold the event during some daylight hour then with some food treats. In the meantime, we will continue to offer her book to you at 20% off. You can be enjoying her book and then bring it to be signed in January!
Hats for Kids Calls for Hats and Mittens
Thanks to all those who have submitted hats, but there is still a need, so we have been asked to rerun our request.

It will soon be getting cold. Hats for Kids collects hats and mittens for our many children in Waldo County who need warm clothing. Hand-knitted and crocheted hats and mittens, made by kind and generous people from near and far, are distributed by Ellie Weaver, the school nurse at Troy Howard Middle School. Smaller-sized ones are sent home for younger siblings or passed on to elementary school children.

Many thanks again to those who have donated so many beautiful and fun hats and mittens in previous years. Your creations are appreciated and put to good use. Last year Hats for Kids collected sixty-five wonderful hats and thirteen pairs of cozy mittens!

Donations can be dropped off here at the shop, or mailed to Hats for Kids c/o Judy Kao, 20 Commercial St., Belfast, ME 04915; preferably before December 1. Please include your name and address so you can be personally thanked. Call Judy at 207-338-1945 if you would like your donations picked up or have any questions.
The Berroco Film Festival includes short videos that feature yarn or knitting.
The Berroco Film Festival includes short videos that feature yarn or knitting.
Berroco Film Festival
How does yarn inspire you? Maybe you're attracted to the variety of textures, the beautiful colors or the endless possibilities of what you can make. Artists, designers, and even advertising agencies in a wide range of fields are drawn to yarn for the same reasons. Berroco has pulled together a collection of their short videos that feature yarn or knitting in unexpectedly creative ways. Grab a bucket of popcorn, dim the lights, click the YouTube links and enjoy!

The Little Red Plane: An adorable stop-action animated video featuring a little boy and his cat on a wild adventure. Watch for incredible knitted objects and backgrounds throughout.

Natural Gas Commercial: A popular commercial from Belgium takes full advantage of yarn's comforting texture and warmth. A soft and cozy knitted world looks so appealing.

The Last Knit: An animated video takes a comical approach to what might happen if you just can't stop knitting.

Dot: A stop-action animation video made using a amazingly tiny camera. The miniature heroine saves the day by using knitting needles.
Election Day Humor
The knitting-themed Page-a-Day Calendar by Workman Publishing for Tuesday, November 2, 2010, said, "You know you knit too much when you have asked all of the political candidates running in your local election what their fiber-related policies are and were stunned when they didn't have any." Can you relate?
An enticing array of  Maine-made artwork and crafts at Extravaganza 2010
An enticing array of Maine-made artwork and crafts at Extravaganza 2010
Aarhus Gallery's Holiday Extravaganza Small Works Show
The annual Holiday Extravaganza kicks off early this year and runs from November 4 through December 24. This jam-packed show features smaller artworks and a wide range of creative craftwork priced with gift giving in mind. Over sixty talented Maine artists from throughout the midcoast are represented in a dazzling variety of mediums, including pottery, poetry and painting, collage, etching and photography, woodblock prints, turned wood, fiber, assemblage, cards, calendars, ornaments, new Glass Plate images, jewelry, music, chocolates and more!
 
Artists who have shown at Aarhus over the past year will be featured, along with some newcomers and the usual Aarhus partners. Artists include Vincent Abaldo, Katia Ancona, Suzanne Anderson, Jes Anthonis, Bernice Arthur, Kate Bauman, Dan Beckman, Jolene Bryant, Phyllis Buchanan, Michael Buckley, Nancy Buckley, Linda Buckmaster, Anne-Claude Cotty, Mj Viano Crowe, Heidi Daub, Dean's Sweets, James Deane, Liz Deane, Gabriella D'Italia, Ingrid Ellison, Carole Ann Fer, Sallie Findlay, Kathleen Newton Foote, Annadeene Fowler, Free Seedlings Band, Elizabeth Garber, Harold Garde, Carol Gater, Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni, Gawler Sisters, Ellen Goldsmith, Frances Hodsdon, David Jacobson, Jeffrey Jelenfy, Karen Jelenfy, Kevin Johnson, Jody Johnstone, Judd Jones, Paul Jurutka, Mia Kanazawa, Mark Kelly, Michelle Kelly, A. C. Kulik, Valerie Lawson, Betsy Levine, Joel Lipman, Richard Mann, Barbara Maria, John McAlevey, Kate McLeod, Holly Meade, Cathy Melio, Metaphor Bronze, The Montville Project, Hanako Nakazato, Nire Art, Novel Jazz, Petrea Noyes, Toki Oshima, Leila Ostby, Ben Potter, Rebekah Raye, Abbie Read, Wesley Reddick, Willy Reddick, R. Keith Rendall, Judy Rock, Betty Schopmeyer,  Erin Seegers, Lesia Sochor, Karin Spitfire, Prairie Stuart-Wolff, Tandem Glass, Mary Trotochaud, Troy Howard Middle School Garden Project, Nance Trueworthy, Larry Unger, Walter Ungerer, Simon van der Ven, Glen Veevaert, John Vincent, Ellen Wieske, J. Fred Woell, Seth and Tyler Yentes.
 
Come join the fun, meet the artists and help kick off the fourth annual Holiday Extravaganza with an opening reception on Friday, November 4, from 5 to 8 pm.
 
Aarhus Gallery is located at 50 Main St., Belfast, and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am-5:30 pm, Mondays by chance, and Friday nights till 7 pm for the month of December, and will close at 3 pm on December 24. Hours will be posted for the late winter and spring seasons. Visit Aarhus Gallery for links to the artists and notice of special events, or call 207-338-0001 during business hours for more information.
High Street Studio and Gallery Workshop and Class
Acrylic Painting Workshop, taught by Susan Tobey White on Saturday, November 12, 10 am-4 pm. Become familiar with the basic techniques of acrylic painting. $75.00 with your materials, $125.00 with painting kit. Lunch included.

Ongoing Acrylic/Watercolor Class, for those with some experience, Wednesdays 10 am-12 noon starting November 9. $20.00/ class with your materials.

For more information, phone 207-338-8990, e-mail [email protected], write to or stop by High Street Studio and Gallery, 149 High St., Belfast, ME 04915 or visit High Street Studio and Gallery.
Rachael Kahn photographing at dawn during Branching Out 2010. Photo by Chuck Hamm
Rachael Kahn photographing at dawn during Branching Out 2010. Photo by Chuck Hamm
Branching Out Residency Project Seeks Teen Artists and Mentors
Waterfall Arts is looking for artist mentors and teen artists for the next Branching Out residency project. Annually, the arts organization matches area youth with practicing artists of similar interests for a twelve-week mentoring program where the teams work together in their chosen disciplines, making artwork based on an environmental theme. The mentors provide some direction, technical expertise, advice and encouragement. The residency culminates in a collaborative public exhibition in the Clifford Gallery in Belfast. Media can include sculpture, painting, photography, animation, movement, fiber, performance, installations and more.

This year's theme, water, provides many possible topics for the artwork, including water conservation, water as a resource, and preserving the beauty and value of aquatic landscapes, among others. The launching point for the artist/mentor pairs is embedded in Waterfall Arts' mission: creating community in harmony with nature through the transformative power of the arts. A small stipend for materials is available. The program inspires willingness in both the mentors and young artists to dedicate many hours to their investigations of the theme, creating pieces which bring the idea to life.

All interested artist mentors and teen artists are encouraged to apply by visiting Waterfall Arts or Facebook to download an application form, or by calling the office at 207-338-2222. Applications are due November 19. The matched pairs begin the twelve-week mentoring/collaborative work period on December 8, and the Branching Out: Water exhibit is scheduled to open in March 2012.
Bielenberg's A Christmas Carol Moves to the Camden Opera House
Warm, wonderful and filled with holiday spirit, this adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by Belfast resident, theater director and designer John E. Bielenberg, will have you rethinking your own bah-humbugs. True to the story but with an innovative twist, this musical delight will be presented at the Camden Opera House on December 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 7 pm and on December 18 at 2 pm, for the benefit of Everyman Repertory Theatre. If you missed this production last year in Belfast, make a date to see what many have called their "favorite Christmas Carol ... ever!" online at Everyman Repertory Theatre or buy a ticket at Bella Books, 135 High St., Belfast.
Afterlife, by Eric Leppanen
Afterlife, by Eric Leppanen
Belfast Co-op November Schedule
November Featured Artist -- Eric Leppanen
"Afterlife," abstract paintings by Belfast artist Eric Leppanen, described by the artist as "Artist giving old paint a new purpose and life."

Senior Discount Day
Every Tuesday customers 62 years young and up receive a discount if they inform the cashier of their eligibility. Belfast Co-op members receive a 10% discount; non-members: 5%.

Wine Tasting and Art Opening -- November 4
Friday, 7-9 pm, Co-op Cafe -- free monthly wine tasting of highlighted seasonal wines, gourmet cheeses and crackers and the opening of Eric Leppanen's exhibit of paintings, titled "Afterlife." Peg Laurita of Wicked Wines and Co-op wine manager, Ron Poirier, will be available to answer questions. Featured wines are 10% during the tasting. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Belfast Winter Farmers' Market -- Fridays through December 23 (except November 25)
Friday, 9 am-1 pm, Aubuchon Hardware, 231 Northport Ave./Route 1, Belfast -- Featuring twenty vendors with: produce, cheese, baked goods, chicken, lamb, beef, water buffalo, preserves, chutney, apples, cider, honey, yarn, soap, crafts and more. For more information, visit Belfast Farmers' Market.

Common Ground Radio -- November 4 (first Friday/month)
Friday, 10-11 am -- Live and call-in radio program on WERU with MOFGA 89.9 FM and WERU.

The City Dark, One-time Screening with Filmmaker Ian Cheney -- November 6
Sunday, 5 pm, Colonial Theatre -- A feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky. Five dollars suggested donation. Special appearance by filmmaker Ian Cheney, co-creator of King Corn. After moving to New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks a simple question, "Do we need the stars?" To learn more about the film, visit The City Dark. Sponsored by the Belfast Co-op.

Building a Natural Fountain of Youth Seminar -- November 7
Monday, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library -- Free presentation by David Termine and Chris Matheson, of New Chapter. Learn how you can use safe, natural, time-tested approaches confirmed by research to help fend off the damaging effects of unchecked inflammation on our bodies. Free product samples and a $5.00-off coupon. Sponsored by the Belfast Co-op.

Local Foods Cooking Class -- November 9
Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 pm, Waterfall Arts -- Hands-on local, seasonal-foods cooking class with natural-foods chef Pam McKeen. Pre-registration required; $10.00 materials fee; twelve-participant limit. Participants will create and eat: quinoa-stuffed squash, cranberries and chard; brussels sprouts with apples and turnips; and kale with sweet potatoes and walnuts. Bring your own plate or bowl and utensils. Pre-register at any register in the Belfast Co-op or call 207-338-2532 to pre-register with a credit/debit card. Sponsored by the Belfast Co-op.

Third Thursday Donation Day -- November 17
Every third Thursday of the month, the Belfast Co-op donates 1% of the day's sales to a nonprofit community organization whose work helps build local resilience. The Belfast Soup Kitchen, which serves a hot meal five days a week, has been selected to be our November 17 recipient.

Quarterly Member-Owner SuperSale Day -- December 1
Thursday -- Member-owners receive 10% off all store purchases except beer, wine, tobacco products and periodicals.

Planning, Designing and Building a Root Cellar -- December 1
Thursday, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library -- Learn the details of building both simple and long-lasting root cellars at this free presentation with Jim Merkel, an adjunct professor at Unity College who has taught courses on root cellaring and fall harvest and storage. He will discuss varieties that store well, and procedures for harvesting and curing produce, along with what not to put in root cellars. Sponsored by the Belfast Co-op.
Heavenly Socks Yarns, 82 Main St., Belfast, ME 04915, Tel. 207-338-8388.
Shop hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 am-6 pm; Friday and Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sundays 12 noon to 4 pm.