Heavenly Socks Yarns logo Heavenly Socks Yarns Newsletter
Ten Terrific YearsJune 2013
In This Issue
Sweet and Simple Baby Hat
Reversible Cable Cowl
Kerr Cowl
Maine Fiber Frolic
Second Annual Crank-In at Good Karma Farm
Pleasant Mountain Fiber Arts Workshops
Tank Tops Party at Belfast Boathouse
Belfast Garden Club Announces Eighth Annual Open Garden Series
Aarhus Gallery Celebrates Sixth Anniversary
Inside/Outside, Group Exhibit at Betts Gallery
Nurture Your Family's Inner Musicians
Belfast Flying Shoes Features Elixir
June 2013 Belfast Co-op Events
Quick Links
Heavenly Socks Yarns storefront in June 2003
Saturday morning, workers were opening up a doorway on the Main Street side of the Masonic Building in Belfast. Helen Sahadi of Thorndike plans to open a yarn shop in that space in mid-June. Working on the project are, from left, Ken Dyer, Tim Dyer and Ron Jackson. (Louise Shorette photo, original caption from Page 31, The Waldo Independent, Thursday, April 24, 2003)
This Month We Celebrate Ten Years in Business!
And wow, it's been a wonderful ten years. We opened in 2003 with less than half the shelving we have now and the back-up stock of yarn on the top and bottom of the in-store shelving. We didn't even have a traditional aran (fisherman's) sweater pattern when we opened! With your support, we were able to grow to the point that the shop is sometimes a little too crowded with stock. We thank you for your continued support and we hope to serve your yarn needs in the future.

We will be having an open house from 5-8 pm on the evening of Friday, June 7. This is an "art walk" night. Stop in, say hello, and enjoy some refreshments.

During the month of June, every time you make a purchase, you can enter your name into a drawing for a prize. We have been given many great prizes by our vendors to give away during this month-long celebration. We will begin drawing names on June 7, and will draw one to two names each day till June 30!

Again, THANK YOU and on to the next ten years!
Sweet and Simple Baby Hat
Sweet and Simple Baby Hat
Sweet and Simple Baby Hat  
Probably every knitter has knit a baby hat. Often it is the project we start the new knitter on. During this busy summer season, we have linked a one-page baby hat pattern, Sweet and Simple Baby Hat, that includes three weights of yarn. Put a bag of scrap yarn together with some 16-inch circular needles and have a "grab and go" project ready for your day of traveling or relaxing on a deck with family and friends.

We knitted a striped baby hat out of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece. This yarn is 80% cotton/20% merino, machine-washable, dk/light worsted yarn -- and it is made in America.

To make this easy knit a little more interesting, we practiced making "jogless" stripes. After watching this video, How to Knit Smooth Jogless Stripes in the Round, you will never NOT use this simple technique when striping! (The only other change we made was to add 3/4 inch of ribbing instead of a rolled edge.)
Reversible Cable Cowl
Reversible Cable Cowl
Reversible Cable Cowl
Yearling by Juniper Moon Farm is a bulky-weight 60% merino wool/40% cotton yarn. The most positive quality of this yarn is that we can not detect any bit of "itchiness" in our cowl, which we knit with one skein. It also has nice stitch definition, without knots or shedding, and we are able to offer it at a great price -- $9.95 for 109 yards.

We loved this cowl pattern and had it knit in another yarn. We retired that model and knit it up again in Yearling and love the results. The only adjustment to this reversible cable cowl pattern (Swampfield Cowl) is that we cast on 96 stitches using a #10 needle.
Kerr Cowl
Kerr Cowl
Kerr Cowl
We are refreshing our shop samples and knitting new projects for many of our stock yarns. For Berroco's Borealis yarn, we knit the Kerr Cowl, designed by Berroco's yarn rep, Andra Asars. This cowl knits up quickly using two skeins of Borealis and #11 needles -- and it makes a statement!
MerLin skeins
MerLin skeins
Discount Bin
Merlin is a 60% linen/40% merino plied yarn by Louet. Although the label says "sport weight," this yarn knits at 5.5 sts per inch. (We have a model in-house for you to see the knitted fabric!) Regularly priced at $19.95 for 250 yards, now $12.00 per skein.
Maine Fiber Frolic logo
Maine Fiber Frolic logo
Maine Fiber Frolic
This year's Maine Fiber Frolic takes place on June 1 and 2 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine.


 

Circular sock machine
Circular sock machine
Second Annual Crank-In at Good Karma Farm
Come to Belfast on June 23-24 for a Crank-In. Learn how a circular sock machine knits socks. All experience levels are welcome. Good Karma has an antique sock machine as well as a brand-new state-of-the-art machine. If you already have a csm, join them to crank out some socks. Here is a chance for hands-on time with a csm. They will have people to help you with any problems with your machine or knitting, or just a nice group of people to hang out with and share stories and patterns.

Schedule:
Friday: Meet-and-greet at the farm, starting at 5 pm. Please bring your favorite beverage.
Saturday: Cranking starting at 9 am, hand-painting yarn all day. Coffee, tea and dessert provided. Please bring a savory potluck dish or salad to share.
Their kitchen can be open for reheating or simple preparation.
Sunday: Cranking starting at 9 am. Coffee, tea and dessert provided.

Space is limited to twenty-five machines. Old and new machines are welcome. Come and learn how to operate these machines or share what you already know. Checks can be made payable to Good Karma Farm. Their address is 67 Perkins Rd., Belfast, ME 04915.

Please RSVP [email protected] if you are planning to attend. For more information, phone 207-322-0170 or visit Good Karma Farm.
Pleasant Mountain Fiber Arts Workshops logo
Pleasant Mountain Fiber Arts Workshops logo
Pleasant Mountain Fiber Arts Workshops
Three days of fiber workshops will take place at the Brownfield Community Center, 90 Main St., Brownfield, Maine. Come immerse yourself in fiber arts classes with knowledgeable instructors in a country village setting. Relax and enjoy the "Lakes Region" of Southern Maine while you learn new skills and make new friends.

The schedule includes:
Donna Kay (Tree of Life Designs) -- Twined Knitting, Twisted Stitches of Austria, Introduction to Fair Isle
Nancy Dorian -- Nuno Felted Scarf, Cobweb Felted Scarf
Rudy Amann -- Beginning Spinning, Mixing Fibers and Colors at the Wheel, Plying Singles
Consuelo Stacy -- Friendship Slippers -- Knitted and Fulled Clogs, Leftie Scarf
Jackie Ottino -- Carding Textured Art Batts, Spinning Textured Art Yarns
Michelle Delucia -- Natural Dying
Beth Acker -- Working with Angora
Karen Tompson -- Locker Hooking
Rikki Gallagher -- Bears
Sue Black -- Weavette, Inkle Weaving, Lucet Braiding
Kendra Rafford -- Malleable Felted Bowl, Jelly Roll Trivet
Janet Conner -- Mixed Media Rug Hooking, Punch Needle Miniature Hooked Rugs
Roberta McClellan -- Basket Making
Melanie Moore -- Bunting Dolls
Rose Ann Hunter -- Log Cabin -- Go Crazy!, Wool Jewelry
Lydia McCrady -- Wild Fabric Scrap Carpets
Ellen Hedglin -- Folk Dolls
Linda Whiting -- Tapestry Weaving, Photographing Your Work
Anna Low -- Buttonhole Books, Three Books -- Intro to Bookbinding
Julie Yarbrough -- Pin Up Pup and Friends -- Felted pins

For more information, visit Pleasant Mountain Fiber Arts, phone 207-452-2687 or e-mail [email protected].
Sample tank top for Thanks But No Tank
Sample tank top for Thanks But No Tank
Tank Tops Party at Belfast Boathouse
Come to the Belfast Boathouse on Thursday, June 27, 5:30-8 pm for the TBNT Tank Tops Party and Silent Auction. There will be an auction of handcrafted tank tops, food, entertainment and a raffle drawing. The event is fun for all ages and free. Celebrate the grassroots spirit that helped to defeat the tank and help to pay the bills at the same time! Thank you to all who have put their care into making knitted, crocheted, sewn, embroidered, woven or painted tanks.

All monetary proceeds will benefit the community activities of Thanks But No Tank (TBNT). TBNT's mission is to support and protect the upper Penobscot Bay region's balance of economy, environment, scenic character and quality of life.

For more information, or for donated tank top submission forms, please contact event organizers Betty Schopmeyer, [email protected], 207-548-2230 or Tara Hollander, [email protected], 207-567-3219, or visit Events page at Thanks But No Tank.
A beautiful shade garden at the Anthony-Greeley home, Open Garden Days June 21, image courtesy Annadeene K Fowler
A beautiful shade garden at the Anthony-Greeley home, Open Garden Days June 21, image courtesy Annadeene K. Fowler
Belfast Garden Club Announces Eighth Annual Open Garden Series
For eight consecutive years, Belfast Garden Club has presented Open Garden Days, a Friday garden tour series, which will feature eleven gardens in the Belfast area this year. From backyard experimental plantings and ornate Master Gardens, to cooperative gardens and vegetable plots, visitors can expect to see brilliant blooms, unique and rare plants, sculpture, exquisite views and ponds. Several gardens will feature special presentations by the gardeners, and at least two will have farm stands to peruse. While many of this year's gardens are new, several of the past years' favorites are returning to the tour so that viewers will be able to see what changes have taken place.
 
Belfast Garden Club's Open Garden Days begin Friday, June 7 at Bahner Farm, 153 Augusta Rd. (Route 3) in Belmont. Michael and Christa Bahner will share their family farm, which grows five acres of MOFGA-certified organic salad mix, fresh herbs, head lettuce, radishes, summer turnips, kale and chard, as well as a half-acre of raspberries and strawberries. Enjoy visiting their hoophouses where summer's favorites, tomatoes and cucumbers, are getting started for the year. The Bahner Farm Farmstand will be open with fresh vegetables, local cheese, sweets and other treats.

One garden will be open to the public 10 am-4 pm, each Friday from June 7-August 23, plus the first Friday of September. Tickets can be purchased at each garden on the day of the tour for $4.00 or $15.00 for a five-garden ticket. Proceeds from the 2013 Open Garden Days will benefit the Club's civic beautification projects.
 
For more information, phone Diane Allmayer-Beck at 207-338-3105, e-mail [email protected] or visit Belfast Garden Club for the season's full schedule.
L to R: Richard Mann, Wesley Reddick, Kevin Johnson, Willy Reddick, Mark Kelly
L to R: Richard Mann, Wesley Reddick, Kevin Johnson, Willy Reddick, Mark Kelly
Aarhus Gallery Celebrates Sixth Anniversary
In celebration of their sixth anniversary, the Aarhus Gallery invites the public to join them for an Anniversary show reception on Friday, June 7, from 5-8 pm. Come meet and converse with local artists and art appreciators.

The show runs from June 4-June 30 and features artworks by Aarhus partners: Kevin Johnson, Mark Kelly, Richard Mann, Wesley Reddick and Willy Reddick.

Toussaint St. Negritude, Jazz and Poetry
Toussaint St. Negritude at the Belfast Free Range Music Festival, photo by Annadeene K. Fowler
Toussaint St. Negritude at the Belfast Free Range Music Festival, photo by Annadeene K. Fowler
Aarhus Gallery is happy to welcome Belfast musician and poet Toussaint St. Negritude on Saturday, June 1 at 7:30 pm.

Jazz poet and Maine coast resident Toussaint St. Negritude conjures all crossroads of folk, blues, and the Afro-Atlantic experience, via the lone-road elegance of his bass clarinet and the alpine declarations of a voice well worth the view. Performing his own works, this poet/composer, bass clarinetist further orchestrates his song by way of a variety of reed and string instruments, including his own handmade stringed-heron, a fretless, four-string banjo/cello-like instrument based on the Ekonting of coastal Senegal.

Toussaint St. Negritude has been published and recorded broadly, and will continue with a forthcoming book of new poems this fall, published by Poets Coast Press.
 
Suggested donation $7.00, light refreshments included. Toussaint's CDs and unique handcrafted hats will be available for sale.

Aarhus Gallery, 50 Main St. Belfast, will resume summer hours with their anniversary show starting in June and will be open Tuesday through Sunday 11 am-5:30 pm and Mondays by chance. For more information, visit Aarhus Gallery or phone 207-338-0001.
Hammock, by Alison Rector
Hammock, by Alison Rector
Inside/Outside, Group Exhibit at Betts Gallery
Betts Gallery is kicking off its 2013 season with Inside/Outside, a group exhibit consisting of twenty artists working in many mediums. Paintings, prints, sculpture, photography and mixed media will be on display. The Inside/Outside theme will be handled in as many diverse interpretations as the diversity of the artists participating.

The artists in the exhibit are Daniel Anselmi, Kenny Cole, Ann Fernald, Linden Frederick, Jay Gibson, Betsy Headley, Stew Henderson, Charlton Hudson, Karen MacDonald, Kathleen Mack, Edward McKenzie, Petria Noyes, Dina Petrillo, Alison Rector, Denise Remy, Dyan Ross, John Squadra, Gilbert Welch, James Wolfe and Peg Worth.

The opening reception is Friday, June 7, from 5:30-8 pm. The show will run from June 7-29. Betts Gallery is located at 96 Main St. in Belfast. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm. For more information, phone 207-338-6465 or visit The Belfast Framer.
Chloe Jumping (courtesy Bottega Photography)
Chloe Jumping (courtesy Bottega Photography)
Nurture Your Family's Inner Musicians
Jessica Day and Midcoast Music Together announce a summer-full of opportunities to make music with your family!
 
Three Music Together™ mixed-age family music classes, designed for newborns to 5 years of age and their parent or caregiver, will be held in Rockport and Belfast starting in July. Up to twelve children and their caregivers participate in a guided group class, which will include singing, moving, chanting, listening, watching and exploring musical instruments. The whole family is welcome to participate at their own comfort level during this important group music experience. The five-week summer session will begin July 9 and 11 and run through the first full week of August. Classes will be held from 9:30-10:15 am and 10:30-11:15 am in Rockport at Bay Chamber Music School on Tuesdays and Thursdays with teacher Jessica Day, and in Belfast at Waterfall Arts on Tuesdays at 9:30-10:15 am with teacher BJ Kopishke.
 
Children ages 5-8 are invited to a three-day workshop titled Music, Movement and Drama at Sweet Tree Arts in Hope. Join Jess Day and Caitlin Schick to explore elements of music, movement, art exploration and drama through instrument play, drumming, singing, music, acting, rhythm games and art. The workshop will be held July 1-3 from 9 am-noon. For more information, visit Sweet Tree Arts.
 
In addition, Jessica Day will be visiting Belfast and Rockland libraries this summer to offer family music and movement programs. Keep your ears open for these opportunities to come and play music!
 
Some scholarships are available for classes. For more information about Midcoast Music Together offerings, tuition costs and to register for a class, visit Midcoast Music Together. Please register for summer classes by June 24 to reserve your spot. Curious about what Music Together is like? If you are interested in experiencing a class before signing up, please phone Jessica at 207-593-6645 to schedule a free visit.
Elixir
Elixir
Belfast Flying Shoes Features Elixir
On Friday, June 7, Elixir, a high-energy dance band with horns is scheduled to play at the American Legion Hall Post #43, 143 Church St., Belfast.

Performing tightly crafted dance music, Elixir draws on a wide range of styles and evokes a variety of moods. Elegant melodies evolve into raucous Dixieland horn riffs, transcendent harmonies and playful improvisations, while rock, swing and reggae-inspired rhythms weave in and out of traditional and original Irish, French Canadian, and New England tunes. Elixir blends superb calling and fiddle and guitar playing with the rich texture and rhythmic excitement of a full horn section.

Band members include trombone player and singer Nils Fredland, fiddler Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, trumpeter Jesse Readlynn, clarinetist Anna Patton and guitarist Owen Morrison.

The evening begins at 6:30 pm with a community dance led by Chrissy Fowler and music by the All-Comers Band, led by Tom Fowler, Phyllis Buchanan and Jennifer Armstrong. All musicians are welcome to sit in.

The main contra dance begins at 8 pm and runs till around 11 pm. Admission for the community dance is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. For the main dance, the price is $10.00 for adults over 20, $7.00 for ages 13-20 as well as adult All-Comers, and $4.00 for children. As always, anyone who brings a box fan for the windows gets a dollar discount. For more information, call Chrissy at 207-338-0979 or visit Belfast Flying Shoes.

Related events include:
Saturday, June 1: Nat Hewitt Memorial Fundraiser Dance
Congregational Church in Falmouth. Raucous dancing, playing, calling, and lively remembrances of fiddler Nat Hewitt. Remembering one of our favorite fiddlers and raising funds for the Country Dance and Song Society. (Nat was regularly on staff at CDSS camps.) To donate online, making note that your contribution is in memory of Nat, visit Country Dance and Song Society. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit Down East Friends of the Folk Arts.

Thursday, June 6: WERU Farm Fresh Live Radio Auction
89.9 FM (99.9FM in Bangor), online at WERU. 6-8:30 pm Farm Fresh Live Radio Auction to benefit WERU FM. Chrissy Fowler's debut as a live radio co-auctioneer, with experienced teammate Jim Bahoosh. Visit WERU for huge list of awesome and/or mouth-watering local ag items up for bid. For more information, phone 1-800-643-6273.

Friday, June 8: Sundog Solar Celebration and Contradance
Sundog Solar Store, 222 East Main St., Searsport. 5 pm Dance, calling with Perpetual e-Motion. Celebration starts at noon with educational opportunities and food vendors. Music starts at 3:30 pm with local band Sticky Fingers. For more information, phone 207-548-1100, visit Sundog Solar Store or find them on Facebook.

June 16-21: Maine Fiddle Camp
Chrissy Fowler will be at the MFC June week as a camper and a parent-of-a-camper, and will do some calling too. (Other MFC camps include two June weekends, and two August weeks.)
Painting by Ed Moffitt
Painting by Ed Moffitt
June 2013 Belfast Co-op Events  
June Featured Artist: Ed Moffitt
"Emerging pattern; emerging form" paintings on view in the Belfast Co-op Cafe during the month of June.

Member-Owner Super Sale Day
Saturday, June 1 -- Member-owners receive 10% off all store purchases except beer, wine, tobacco products and periodicals. Member-Owner Super Sale Days take place June 1, September 1, and December 1.

Senior Discount Day
Every Tuesday, Belfast Co-op customers 62 years young and up receive a discount upon informing the cashier of their eligibility. Co-op member-owners receive a 10% discount; non-member-owners 5%.

Wine Tasting and Art Opening
Friday, June 7, 7-9 pm, Belfast Co-op Cafe -- Free monthly wine tasting featuring highlighted seasonal wines, gourmet cheeses and crackers, and the opening of Ed Moffitt's show "emerging pattern; emerging form." Heidi Martin of South Portland Wine Co., Jaap Helder, of the Co-op's Wine Department, and artist Ed Moffitt will be available to answer questions. Featured wines are 10% off during the tasting. Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Maine AllCare Film and Presentation
Monday, June 10, 6 pm, Belfast Free Library - free screening of The Healthcare Movie (65 min.) followed by a moderated discussion with representatives of Maine AllCare, promoting universal, high quality, affordable health care for the people of Maine.

Coastal Farms and Foods Tour
Thursday, June 13, 1 pm, Coastal Farms and Foods -- Belfast Co-op sponsored tour of the midcoast's new food processing hub; includes opportunities to explore the food processing facility and meet the food processors currently utilizing the commercial kitchen, including Cheryl Wixson's Kitchen, Heiwa Tofu, Julie Ann's Outrageous! Foods, Bixby and Co., and Magic Dilly Beans. Pre-registration required; twenty-participant limit. Cost is $5.00. Reserve your place at any register at the Co-op, or phone 207-338-2532 with a credit card. Participants will meet at Coastal Farms and Foods.

3rd Thursday Donation Day
Thursday, June 20 -- Every third Thursday of the month, the Belfast Co-op donates 1% of the day's sales to a community organization whose work helps build local resilience. Cornucopia Institute, promoting economic justice for family-scale farming, has been selected as their June recipient. To learn more about their work, visit: cornucopia.org.

"Amazing Cultures, Amazing Foods" with John Bagnulo
Thursday, June 27, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library -- Free presentation with nutritionist John Bagnulo, MPH, PhD, looking at diet and lifestyle trends in long-lived cultures around the world, sponsored by the Belfast Free Library and Belfast Co-op.

Local Food Day
Friday, June 28 -- VitaminSea will share free samples of their Maine seaweed products between 11 am-3 pm; lunch special highlighting local ingredients, 10% off select Maine products throughout the day.

Eastside Shores Herbal Gardens Walk
Saturday, June 29, 10-11:30 am, East Belfast -- Walk with Bindy Pendleton among her medicinal and culinary herbal gardens while she shares tips for cultivation and use. Samples provided. Free, register at any register at the Belfast Co-op, eight-participant limit.

For more information about Belfast Co-op events, visit: Belfast Co-op Store, e-mail [email protected] or phone 207-338-2532.
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; Sunday and holidays, 11 am-4 pm.