Heavenly Socks Yarns logo Heavenly Socks Yarns Newsletter
Sock Yarn Sale
October 2013
In This Issue
GAP-tastic Cowl, Knit in Luxair-Print
Elis Cowl in Swans Island Yarn
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests
New Yarns
Discount Yarns
Click Your Knitting Needles Together to Prevent Infant Abuse
Community Knitting Projects
Hats for Kids
Quilts by the Bay
Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County Benefit Auction
Sticks, Stones and Bones at Aarhus Gallery
Creatura: In Limbo at the Betts Gallery
Eve Mosher Artist Talk and MEADLab at Waterfall Arts
Waterfall Arts Starts Up Printmaking Classes and More
Belfast Flying Shoes with Midnight Toast
Belfast Co-op October Schedule of Events
Quick Links
Crock-O-Dye is a fabulous sock yarn made of 65% superwash wool/20% nylon/15% silk. It is distributed by Knit One, Crochet Too, a Maine company.
Crock-O-Dye is a fabulous sock yarn made of 65% superwash wool/20% nylon/15% silk. It is distributed by Knit One, Crochet Too, a Maine company.
During the month of October, all sock in our sock yarn area will be on sale at 20% off. Our sock books and patterns will be on sale at 20% off too.

We have a range of sock yarns -- from fingering to worsted, in solids, tonals and self-striping. We stock 100-gram balls and skeins in a variety of colorways and fibers, and 50-gram balls of solid colors. This past week we added 50-gram balls of Regia's Design Line Random Stripe -- a self-striping sock yarn in a perfect put-up for a pair of fingerless mitts or baby hat and socks. We also added Pediwick by Knit One, Crochet Too (a Maine company). This sock yarn is made up of 66% bamboo and 34% nylon, and it is replacing a bamboo sock yarn we carried for years. By its nature, bamboo tends to be a little "splitty," but we think that due to the way this yarn is spun, splitting should be minimal. As always, we welcome your feedback.

If you don't like to make socks -- or if you just don't want to -- consider using this yarn for other projects. We have patterns for you for using this machine-washable yarn to make baby items, hats, scarves, mitts and more!
GAP-tastic Cowl, knit in Luxair-Print
GAP-tastic Cowl, knit in Luxair-Print
GAP-tastic Cowl in Luxair-Print
Luxair-Print by Schulana is a chunky-weight alpaca/wool/poly/nylon blended yarn that is very soft and lightweight with a metallic thread in its core. It has a subtle shading of color.

We used two balls of it knitting the simple GAP-tastic Cowl pattern and using #11 needles, and we think it is absolutely perfect! Come in and try it on, and we think you will agree. The yarn retails for $13.95.


 

Elis Cowl in Swans Island Merino Silk, modeled for us by Hannah
Elis Cowl in Swans Island Merino Silk, modeled for us by Hannah
Elis Cowl in Swans Island Yarn
We are pleased to have Swans Island Yarn on our shelves again. This time we are stocking their Merino Silk, which provides a sport-weight option in our Maine Yarns section. This incredibly soft, well-plied yarn is dyed with natural dyes right here in Northport, Maine! The yarn is made from 50% merino wool and 50% Tussah silk, and each 50-gram skein contains 175 yards.

Liz had a new experience knitting the Elis Cowl, using one skein of Swans Island Merino Silk. The pattern has an interesting and clever "Indian cross stitch" that she had never done before. Although it is not difficult, she recommends the pattern to advanced beginners/intermediate knitters.
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests
We love to offer free patterns at the shop, and many of our store models are made using them. However, we found a pattern that we think people would like to buy and use over and over. It is Pure and Simple's Baby Vests. This pattern uses 3-18 months sizing and most sizes can be made with a skein of Encore or similar yarn.
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests, our version
Pure and Simple's Baby Vests, our version

We knit the boy's version with one skein of Encore Tweed, and we knit the girls' version using one skein of Dream in Color's Classy.

We also think you can extend the sleeves and make a long-sleeved cardigan. It is simply your "go-to" easy pattern that can be easily modified!
Ear Flap Hat #20178, crocheted using an L hook
Ear Flap Hat #20178, crocheted using an L hook
New Yarns
We put new yarns out all the time, but in the knitting world, there are two seasons of yarn: spring and fall yarns. This fall, there seems to be a trend toward more chunky yarns. We have put these new ones out this week:

Brio by Berroco  is a super bulky (2 sts = 1" on #15 needles) single-plied yarn made of wool, acrylic and metallic threads. It is multi-colored and comes in unique colorways. We weren't sure what to knit up with it at first until we looked on Ravelry and saw Ear Flap Hat #20178, crocheted in Brio. We had to have one ourselves. The 109-yard ball retails for $14.95.

Kodiak by Berroco is a chunky baby alpaca/nylon/merino blended yarn that knits at 3 sts per inch. It has a "brushed" look and is lightweight. It also has fabulous pattern support in Norah Gaughan's newest book as well as a free shawl pattern called Navarra.

Sara just started knitting Navarra as a scarf, using 30 stitches, and is expecting to use three balls to complete it. If you are interested in seeing it in the next couple of weeks before it is finished, just ask. The 125-yard ball retails for $12.95.

Milford by Shulana is a subtly tweedy yarn that is made from wool, alpaca, acrylic and silk. The distributor describes Milford as "a luxury tweed that rides the fine line between rustic and upscale." We think it will be best used as an aran weight (4 sts = 1"). This beautiful and soft yarn retails at $10.95 for 109 yards.
Discount Yarns
We had a lot of discounted yarn in the shop for the month of September. However, this month we are offering another: Dream in Color's Baby.

Baby is a heavy lace/light fingering-weight superfine Australian superwash merino.  Each hand-dyed, 4-ounce skein contains 700 yards. We hate not to stock this yarn, but with limited space, we need to let go of something when we bring new yarns in. Liz enjoyed knitting the Citron Shawl with Baby. Regularly priced at $24.00, now $14.00.
A CLICKforBabies purple cap
A CLICKforBabies purple cap
Click Your Knitting Needles Together to Prevent Infant Abuse
Knit or crochet caps using any newborn baby cap pattern. Caps should be made using any shade of soft, baby-friendly purple yarn, be at least 50% purple in color, and free of straps, strings or other potential choking and strangling hazards. For baby boys, please remember to include blues, browns, grays and other "boy-friendly" colors in your cap designs.

Your knitted or crocheted caps will be given to baby boys and girls in November and December to help educate parents about the Period of PURPLE Crying, a normal but frustrating period of increased crying all infants experience in the first few weeks and months after birth.

Send your PURPLE newborn baby caps, as many as you like, to be received no later than October 21, 2013 to:
Patrick Walsh                                                            
Broadreach Family and Community Services
5 Stephenson Lane
Belfast, ME 04915

For more information, phone 207-338-2200, ext. 109; and for more information  and resources, including patterns for caps, tools to spread the word, and FAQs, visit CLICKforBabies.
Community Knitting Projects
Community Knit-A-Thon for Fuel Assistance
Get out your needles and join the fun! The Knit-A-Thon will take place at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church from 8 am to 8 pm on Saturday, November 9, and is a fundraiser for the Interfaith Fuel Fund. The Interfaith Fuel Fund (IFF), which is part of the Greater Bay Area Ministerium, helps Waldo County residents in need of fuel during the winter season. All knitters, crocheters and other fiber artists are welcome to join the effort. Participants are invited to a Native American "Food of the Americas" Potluck the same evening at 6 pm. Bring a dish to share and a friend! The event is sponsored by the Women of St. Margaret's. For more information, and other details on how to participate and a sponsor form, visit St. Margaret's Church.

Three Little Kittens Project Still Seeking Mitten Donations!
Please consider donating a pair of mittens to kids in Waldo County. Clean, gently used, store-bought or hand-crafted mittens are welcome. Collection boxes are located at Belfast City Hall and Heavenly Socks Yarns. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Hats for Kids
Many thanks to those who have already knitted up some great creations this year! Hats for Kids is off to a good start but still has a ways to go, and cold weather is not too far away.
 
Hats for Kids will appreciate receiving hat and mitten creations for elementary-school-age children. Ellie Weaver, the school nurse at Troy Howard Middle School, distributes them for us. Your handmade hats bring warmth and a spirit of kindness to deserving children in our community.

Donations can be mailed to Hats for Kids c/o Judy Kao, 20 Commercial St., Belfast, ME 04915; or dropped off at the above address or at Heavenly Socks Yarns, 82 Main St., Belfast, ME 04915.

For more information, phone Judy at 207-338-1945 or e-mail her at [email protected].
This quilt done by Pat Burns is just one of several quilts that are based on the original designs of Dianne S. Hire and made for her book App is for Applique.
This quilt done by Pat Burns is just one of several quilts that are based on the original designs of Dianne S. Hire and made for her book App is for Applique.
Quilts by the Bay
The Quilts by the Bay quilt show will take place on Friday, October 18, and on Saturday, October 19, from 10 am to 4 pm on both days. The venue will be the Boat House, 34 Commercial St., Belfast. Admission will be $4.00.

Features will include quilt raffles (large and small, 50+ mini-quilts), vendors (The Busy Thimble, Nancy's Sewing Center), refreshments (soups, sandwiches, desserts) and door prizes.

The show is sponsored by Friendship Sampler Quilters of Belfast, a chapter of the Pine Tree Quilters Guild, a non-profit quilt guild promoting the art and appreciation of quilting in Maine.
Hospice Auction poster
Hospice Auction poster
Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County Benefit Auction
You never know what you will find at the Benefit Auction for Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County.

The date is Saturday, October 19. Silent Auction, 5-7 pm, Live Auction, 7 pm, with auctioneer Rosey Gerry, at UMaine Hutchinson Center. Live music and hors d'oeuvres. Suggested donation $5.00-$10.00.

For more information, phone 207-930-2677 or find them on Facebook.
Artists, L-R: Barbara Andrus, Kevin Johnson, Abbie Read
Artists, L-R: Barbara Andrus, Kevin Johnson, Abbie Read
Sticks, Stones and Bones at Aarhus Gallery
Aarhus Gallery steps into in the autumn season with a show entitled Sticks, Stones and Bones. Please join them for an opening reception Friday, October 4 from 5-8 pm.

These days, we can hardly turn our heads without its involving some sort of electronic device. But up till a few centuries ago, we survived by making things from basic and accessible materials harvested from our immediate environment.

The upcoming show at Aarhus will display a wide variety of artworks that involve or interpret these most basic ingredients. The show runs from October 1-27.

Artists showing work will be: Barbara Andrus, Joe Ascrizzi, Brendon Bullock, J. T. Gibson, Kevin Johnson, Mark Kelly, Hannah Kreitzer, Peter Madd, Richard Mann, Ben Potter, Abbie Read, Wesley Reddick, Willy Reddick and Andy White.

Aarhus Gallery, located at 50 Main St. Belfast, is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 am-5:30 pm, Mondays by chance. For more information and a slide show of the current exhibit, visit Aarhus Gallery or phone 207-338-0001.
Twisting Quince, by Dina Petrillo
Twisting Quince, by Dina Petrillo
Creatura: In Limbo at the Betts Gallery
A sculptor, printmaker and designer, Dina Petrillo will be exhibiting works from her Creatura: In Limbo series at the Betts Gallery October 2-November 2. An opening reception will be held Friday, October 4 from 5:30-8 pm.
 
Petrillo has been exhibiting and teaching in the midcoast since moving to Maine from New York City in 2000. She holds a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic, an MA in Arts and Art Education from Columbia University, and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College.
 
Creatura: In Limbo is a series of monoprints which vary in color and imagery. Each is a fusion of photographic body imagery with one of six botanical collagraph plates, including Hydrangea, Nasturtium, Wisteria, Quince and Beech. The resulting monoprint has a distinctive complexity, embossed texture and subtle color palette. Petrillo says of her series, "My gaze settles on different features as foregrounds and backgrounds seem to go in and out of focus. It's a perceptual experience that's ambivalent -- tentative, shifting between revealing and concealing something about the human and botanical forms. I have an urge to fuse them -- humans and plants -- to mend, heal something in these ... like printed prayers. I imagine the ink, images and paper pressing a warp and weft, making a tapestry celebrating and cautioning our conjoined fates."

Betts Gallery is located at 96 Main St. in Belfast. The gallery is open Monday to 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.
Artist Eve Mosher
Artist Eve Mosher
Eve Mosher Artist Talk and MEADLab at Waterfall Arts
On Thursday, October 3, at 7 pm at Waterfall Arts, leading environmental artist Eve Mosher of New York will give a free talk about her work, High Water Line, and the power and impact of community art within the environmental movement.

Mosher's works use investigations of the landscape and raise issues of involvement in the environment, public/private space use, history of place, cultural and social issues and individual understanding of the urban ecosystem. More information can be found at Eve S. Mosher.

On Friday, October 4, Mosher will lead MEADLab at Waterfall Arts, a day-long fast-paced workshop to take a fresh look at ways to address food equity -- the idea that access to fresh produce and healthy food options should be universal. Even in abundant Waldo County, many people have limited resources, especially in light of the economic downturn. Advancing food equity makes good environmental and economic sense as it promotes localized food production and distribution, reducing transportation costs and emissions.

The workshop is free, and lunch will be provided, but registration is required. To register, e-mail Waterfall Arts Director of Programming Martha Piscuskas at [email protected].

Mosher's talk and workshop are part of MEAD (Maine Environmental Art and Design), a collaborative effort of Waterfall Arts, Unity College, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art and other organizations to celebrate elegant solutions to environmental issues. Mosher's visit is funded by the Maine Community Foundation and the NLT Foundation.

Waterfall Arts is located at 256 High St. in Belfast. For more information on current exhibitions, classes and events, visit Waterfall Arts or phone 207-338-2222.
Shawn Brewer demonstrates an alternative printing technique
Shawn Brewer demonstrates an alternative printing technique
Waterfall Arts Starts Up Printmaking Classes and More
Waterfall Arts has a new printmaking studio!

Two new adult printmaking classes start the week of October 14. The first, Impressions: Explorations in Printmaking Techniques, begins Monday October 14,  6-9 pm, and runs through December 2. Tara Law will teach dry point, monotype, transparency, ghost images, silhouette, dendrites and new textures. The second, Intaglio for Beginners to Advanced begins Tuesday, October 15 through December 3. Classes will run from 5-8 pm and cost $225 plus a $25 materials fee. Jeffery Jelenfy will be the instructor.

Open studio time will be available to participating students in blocks of $15.00 for three hours.  

Also at Waterfall Arts will be Beginning Painting and Beyond, held on Wednesdays, October 16-December 4, 6-8 pm. In this class, Karen Jelenfy will explore the fundamentals of painting.

Printing Extravaganza, a class for kids age 9 to 14, begins October 24 and runs five weeks through November 21,  4:30-6:30 pm. Russell Kahn will teach relief, intaglio and other printmaking techniques.  

Waterfall Arts is also offering exciting Saturday workshops this fall. Intermedia Storytelling with Tara Law will be held on Saturday, October 26, 10 am to 3 pm. This adult one-day workshop will explore storytelling through the senses. Another Saturday workshop is scheduled for November 9 from 10 am to 3 pm. In Screen Printing without a Darkroom, Shawn Brewer brings cutting-edge methods of alternative screen printing techniques and applications to Waterfall Arts. This adult workshop will introduce methods of screen printing that do not require a darkroom, exposure unit or photo-sensitive emulsion.

Waterfall Arts is located at 256 High Street in Belfast. For more information on classes, costs, scholarships, open studio hours, volunteering, studio and short term rentals, visit Waterfall Arts, stop by the office or phone 207-338-2222.
Midnight Toast, L to R: Sue, Bruce, Glen, John
Midnight Toast, L to R: Sue, Bruce, Glen, John
Belfast Flying Shoes with Midnight Toast
The Belfast Flying Shoes Contra Dance series continues on Friday, October 4, at the American Legion Hall Post #43, at 143 Church St., Belfast.

The evening begins at 6:30 pm with a community dance led by caller Chrissy Fowler of Belfast and music by the All-Comers Band, led by Phyllis Buchanan and Jennifer Armstrong. Fun and simple dances will be taught, and both beginner and experienced dancers are encouraged to brush up on and learn new skills. All musicians are welcome to sit in.

The main contra dance begins at 8 pm, with music by Midnight Toast (John Pranio: fiddle, harmonica; Glen Loper: mandolin, banjo, percussion; Bruce Rosen: piano, guitar) and dances by Massachusetts caller Sue Rosen.

Driving piano, soaring fiddle, and bright, crisp mandolin come together to make music guaranteed to keep dancers' feet moving till the midnight hour. Sue Rosen, from Newton, Massachusetts, has called at dances and camps across the country, often with bands anchored by her husband, Bruce Rosen, on piano. Glen Loper teaches mandolin in Portland, Maine, and performs at dances throughout New England. John Pranio has played traditional music on the fiddle since he was a teenager in New Jersey, and he currently organizes the monthly contra dance in Whitefield with his wife, Toki Oshima.
 
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 those over 20, $7.00 for those aged 13 to 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, phone Chrissy at 207-338-0979 or visit Belfast Flying Shoes.
Veazie Dam, JoAnn Daigle photo
Veazie Dam, JoAnn Daigle photo
Belfast Co-op October Schedule of Events
October Featured Artist
Penobscot River Restoration Trust's photo exhibit Freeing a River: Maine Photographers Tell the Story of the Penobscot River Restoration Project will be on view in the Belfast Co-op Cafe for the month of October.

Round Up for Community Recipients
October 1-14: 4-H Camps and Learning Centers at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
October 15-3: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine

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%.

Wild Mushrooms: Foraging for Functional Food
Tuesday, October 1, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library: Free event with Maine mycologist and author Greg Marley, who will present an introduction to the best edible and medicinal mushrooms in the fall woods of Maine. Co-sponsored by the Belfast Free Library and the Belfast Co-op.

Wine Tasting and Art Opening
Friday, October 4, 7-9 pm, Belfast Co-op Cafe: Free monthly wine tasting highlighting seasonal wines and the opening of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust's traveling photo exhibit. Rodney Winchell of Wicked Wines and Jaap Helder of the Co-op's Wine Department will be available to answer questions. Featured wines will be 10% off during the tasting; must be at least 21 years of age to attend.
   
Freeing a River: The Penobscot River Restoration Project Presentation
Thursday, October 10, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library: Free presentation with Cheryl Daigle, community outreach coordinator for the Penobscot River Restoration Trust. The Penobscot River Restoration Trust seeks to restore self-sustaining populations of eleven species of sea-run fish to the Penobscot River watershed -- the second largest in New England -- by opening migration paths between the ocean and upstream habitat critical to rebuilding fish populations. For more information, click Freeing a River: The Penobscot River Restoration Project.

3rd Thursday Donation Day
Thursday, October 19: 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. The Howard Bowers Fund has been selected as their October recipient. To learn more about their work, visit About Bowers Fund.

How To Move Like A Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines From Plants
Tuesday, October 29, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library: Free presentation with Deb Soule, founder and owner of Avena Botanicals, who will share her new book, "How to Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants," which will be available for sale and signing. Co-sponsored by the Belfast Free Library and the Belfast Co-op.

Love LOCAL Day
Friday, October 27: Free product samples from a highlighted Maine vendor between 11 am-3 pm; lunch special highlighting local ingredients, 10% off all Maine-made products throughout the day.

For more information about Belfast Co-op events, please visit Belfast Co-op Store.
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.