The annual Early Bird Sale in downtown Belfast will take place on Saturday, December 7, 6-9 am.

As usual, we will not be getting up super-early. Instead, we will open at 8 am, and offer a 20% discount all day until 6 pm.

However, many of our fellow businesses have deals you may want to get up early for! There will be ads in all papers, plus radio, Web and TV ads.

If you haven't bookmarked it already, you may want to put Our Town Belfast on your Bookmarks tab. They keep their Web site very up to date with the latest happenings in downtown Belfast. We have made it a promise not to e-mail you more than once a month, so we sometimes miss some information you may want to have!

During the month of December, we will be offering the yarns in our "special cabinet" at 40% off. This cabinet holds our cashmere, silk and other special yarns. Why such a deep discount? We want to possibly do something different with that cabinet, and with a small shop, there is no place to put the stock while we rearrange, other than make it a great deal for you. Give a skein of these luxury yarns as a gift (even to yourself) or knit it as a gift.

Some of the yarns include:
Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere
Filatura Di Crosa Superior Cashmere
Noro Shiraito
Artyarns Silk Rhapsody
Louisa Harding Mulberry Silk
Maharashtra Silk
Ellyn Cooper's and Great Adirondack's merino/silk lace yarn

Also in this cabinet is our large selection of shawl pins. During December, they will be on sale at 20% off. Our prices range from $4.50 to $45.00, with the majority of the pins regularly priced under $20.00. Shawl pins make great gifts (even to yourself!).

In our last newsletter we featured the Astrakan Cape. But did you notice the hat?  It was a black super bulky hat with wool flowers knitted into one side. It was knit using leftover Garden Party yarn along with some Cascade Lana Grande.

We received many positive comments on the hat from people who saw it at the shop, so we wrote up the easy pattern:  Super Bulky Garden Party Hat. Since you only need a little of Garden Party, we split the skein in quarters, which sells for $12.95 for 16 yards (enough to make two hats).

Danielle is modeling one of our newest shop samples, the Slouchy Copy Cat Hat. It's knit from one skein of Cascade 220 (or the worsted weight yarn of your choice). It's deceptively simple ... no cabling required!

You know it's a good pattern when a fabulous hat results from using basic yarn. (Cascade 220 is a washable 100% wool yarn that retails for $7.95 for 220 yards.)

Versatile Hat, modeled by Kerenza, worn as slouchy beanie, watch cap and cloche

This Versatile Hat pattern is fabulous for two reasons: You want to knit a hat for someone but you don't know what style hat they wear. This hat pattern is the answer! The second reason this pattern is fabulous is that it lets you use that one skein of mohair you have hanging around that you didn't know what to do with.  

We will say that we love knitting with Berroco's Voyage in this pattern. It is not itchy at all and it makes a ribbing that is nice and stretchy.

Berroco is offering local yarn shop customers a special holiday treat. Here's how it works:

1. During the month of December, buy at least $10.00 in Berroco products from our shop.
2. Scan or photograph the receipt and e-mail it to info@berroco.com with subject line "shop LYS."
3. Berroco will then e-mail you a coupon code for a free PDF pattern from Berroco.com, a $6.00 value.
4. You have till Friday, January 10, 2014, to e-mail your receipt.

A big thanks to all who participated in the November Knit-a-thon for the GBAM Inter-faith Fuel Fund at St. Margaret's Church. Knitters throughout the day enjoyed snacks and great conversation in the cozy library as they knit various projects. The participants raised $575.00 for the Waldo County fund. Plans for a February Knit-a-thon are in the works, so stay tuned!

Organizers are now turning their energy to a hat and mitten drive for men from the local re-entry center. This is a wonderful opportunity to knit some prayers and love into hats to be worn by people who desperately need warm clothing and positive energy. Donations are being collected through December 5 at Heavenly Socks Yarns. For more information, e-mail Jillian Liversidge at jillianliver@gmail.com, or phone Sara Brand-New at 978-425-0045.

A new knitter shows off her completed work.

The Belfast Community Outreach Program in Education (BCOPE) is the alternative high school program serving youth in grades 10-12 in the RSU 20 area. As part of our commitment to nurturing the whole student, we have started a knitting group, complete with local "knitting superstar" Sara Brand-New as the instructor. We are seeking donations of yarn and/or bamboo straight or circular needles.

The BCOPE knitting group meets Thursdays during the school year from 12:30 pm-1:45 pm at our school, located at 19 Merriam Drive in Belfast. Donations are needed and appreciated, and if anyone has an interest in knitting with us, please call 207-338-0261 and ask for Mandie.

Shows each weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Saturdays and Sundays at both 12:30 pm and 3 pm. All movies are rated PG.
 
November 30 and December 1: Turbo
December 7 and 8: Despicable Me 2
December 14 and 15: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
December 21 and 22: Free Birds

Carols at First Church in Belfast
The First Church of Belfast, UCC, invites you to their 2nd Annual Advent Vespers, "Goin' to Bethlehem," on Sunday December 1, at 3 pm. Join them for an afternoon of traditional carols and other songs of the season. Featured performance of the The First Church Choir and Friends, directed by Dr. Ron Dow and accompanied by Barbara Kemp.

Handel's Messiah: Pen Bay Singers
On Saturday, December 7, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 8, at 3 pm, the Penobscot Bay Singers will present Handel's Messiah, conducted by Richard Dostie with Chamber Orchestra at Union Hall in Searsport.

Suggested donation: $15.00 adults, children free.

Donations will be accepted for the Soap Closet, a non-profit organization that distributes soap and toiletries to local food banks. Please consider bringing a bottle of shampoo, laundry detergent, a bar of soap, toothpaste, etc.

For more information on these and other local events, visit Belfast Creative Coalition.

Please join Aarhus Gallery for an evening of chocolate tasting, browsing music and conviviality on Friday, December 6 from 5-7 pm. They'll provide samples of Dean's Sweets' delicious hand-dipped chocolates, and young entrepreneur Kate McAleer will be sharing samples of her handmade, all-natural, flavor-packed Bixby Bars which she produces right here in Belfast. Tom Luther's unique hybrid blend of original music, as well as his take on some traditional seasonal pieces, will spice up the nooks and crannies and stimulate the mind, helping you to immerse yourself in the 2013 Extravaganza of small artworks and crafts.

Luther will be using a digital keyboard and laptop computer with several different kinds of software in combination with his own jazz-rooted improvisation to produce reflective musical soundscapes, touching on both the familiar and unfamiliar. Luther describes this work as being "somewhere between Herbie Hancock and Brian Eno."

Dean's Sweets, winner of a 2011 Best of Portland Award will tantalize your taste buds at the tasting table with a sample or two of chocolates with flavors including Brandy, Maple, Cayenne and Salted Caramel truffles. Dean's chocolate bar flavors will include Brandied Orange Peel, Mocha Latte and Maine Potato Chip. The Bixby and Co's white, milk and dark chocolate bars each feature uniquely satisfying combinations of exotic spices, pure chocolate, healthy nuts and dried fruits.

The jam-packed Extravaganza show features smaller artworks and a wide range of creative crafts priced with gift giving in mind.

Aarhus Gallery is located at 50 Main St., Belfast and is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 am-5:30 pm, Mondays by chance, Friday nights till 7 pm for the month of December, and will close at 3 pm on December 24. Please visit Aarhus Gallery for a list of the artists and a slide show of the current show, or call 207-338-0001 during business hours for more information.

The 2013 Holiday Gala featuring small works by thirty artists will show at Betts Gallery at The Belfast Framer November 29 through January 15. An opening reception will be held Friday, December 6 from 5:30-8 pm.

The works selected for this show offer a unique variety for the art-lover and serious collector alike, all in time for the holidays. Included are sculpture, painting, collage, monoprint, encaustic, collagraph, fiber art, wood, graphite, photography and more.

Participating artists include: Karen Adrienne, Daniel Anselmi, Sandi Cirillo, Kenny Cole, Susan Cooney, Bob Delio, Charles Dufour, Gregory Dunham, Lynette Gaslin, Betsy Headley, Beth Henderson, Betty Heselton, David Hurley, Tony Kulik, Marc Leavitt, Karen MacDonald, Kathleen Mack, Petrea Noyes, Christine Olson, Donna Parkinson, Dina Petrillo, Joan Proudman, Alison Rector, Denise Remy, Dyan Ross, Carol Sloane, Lesia Sochor, John Squadra, Gilbert Welch and James Wolfe.

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.

This year, Waterfall Arts' annual holiday saleable art exhibit is Rusty Bits, a show and sale of work by metal artists, including jewelers, fabricators and sculptors. The show opens Friday, December 6 with a reception from 5 to 8 pm. Rusty Bits replaces the organization's Handmade show and was inspired by the wonderful array of tools, fixtures and gadgets housed at the Liberty Salvage Company. The show/sale offers a combination of large and small new works in metal, assemblage, paintings and handmade jewelry, as well as "rusty bits" -- interesting, affordable metal objects selected from the collection of the late renaissance man David McLaughlin, who ran the Salvage Company for thirty years.

Also on display and for sale are paintings and drawings by Belfast artist Sandy Balmforth. Harry "Sandy" Balmforth, largely self taught, was a 1971 graduate of Belfast High School, and briefly attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He created moody seascapes, landscapes, animal portraits, academic exercises and paintings with religious overtones that some describe as "disturbing" or "outsider art." His paintings, mostly oils, were tucked in closets in the Balmforth family's home. The Belfast Lions Club was given the contents of the home, and donated the paintings to Waterfall Arts.

Original and digital prints of Richard Norton's Belfast photographs taken in the 1970s and '80s are also available for purchase.

The Gallery will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm through December 22 and by appointment; closed Monday. Waterfall Arts is located at 256 High St. in Belfast. For more information on the show/sale, classes, rentals and events, visit Waterfall Arts or phone 207-338-2222.

On Friday, December 6, at the American Legion Post #43, at 143 Church St., Belfast. David Millstone will be calling dances, with music by Riptide. The evening marks the 8th birthday of the Belfast Flying Shoes Dance Series, so wear your party hat!

"Formed on a rundown sidestreet in Portland, Maine, the men of Riptide have spent the past few years roaming the United States searching for barbecue ribs and bothering dance communities with strange chords and hollering. Featuring dance favorite Glen Loper on the mandolin, Irish-style fiddle player Alden Robinson, and Owen Marshall, Notary Public, on guitar, Riptide plays vivid, imaginative music that has been thrilling dancers throughout America." For more information, visit Riptide.

Caller David Millstone (from Lebanon, NH) started contra dancing in the early 1970s and has been calling dances for some 35 years. His monthly dance since 1980 has been with the band Northern Spy in Norwich, Vermont.

The evening begins at 6:30 pm with a community dance led by Chrissy Fowler 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 contradance 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 contras, the price is $10.00 for adults over 20, $7.00 for those aged 13 to 20 as well as adult All-Comers, and $4.00 for children. As always, $1.00 off admission for every box fan you bring for the windows. For more information, call Chrissy at 338-0979 or visit Belfast Flying Shoes.

Morning Glory Garden School invites families to an afternoon of fun, music and beauty of the season, a Family Contra Dance and Winter Spiral on Sunday, December 8 at the Belfast Dance Studio.

Starting promptly at 3 pm, the family contra dance will feature live music by John Pranio and Toki Oshima. This talented husband and wife duo delights dancers across the state with their lively interpretations of traditional tunes on fiddle and guitar. Local dance caller Chrissy Fowler will lead the dancing.

Immediately following the family dance, the Morning Glory Garden School teachers will introduce the Winter Spiral, a compelling and beautiful seasonal tradition for younger children at Waldorf schools. Evergreen boughs are laid on the floor to create a spiral with a lit candle in the center. One by one, the children walk into the spiral with an unlit candle and then bring forth the Light, as gentle music accompanies their slow procession.

Reservations for the Family Dance and Winter Spiral are not required, but are cheerfully encouraged. To RSVP, find them on Facebook, or phone them at 1-408- 903-3710. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children.

Special Notes: To help create the apple candle holders, arrive early at 2:30 pm. During the Winter Spiral, long hair should be tied back and children should wear close-fitting clothing (no flowing sleeves or skirts).

The Waldo County Humane Society will host their final rabies clinic of the year on Saturday, December 7, at the Lincolnville Center Fire Station, 470 Camden Rd. (Route 52), in Lincolnville Center, from 9-11 am.

The rabies shot will be free to animals residing in Waldo County.  Pets from other counties are welcome to come for shots for a small fee. Donations will be gratefully accepted. Please bring all animals on leashes or in portable pet carriers.
 
In addition to the rabies shot, coupon discounts toward the cost of having pets spayed or neutered can be picked up at any Waldo County Humane Society Rabies Clinic.
 
For information about Waldo County Humane Society's Rabies Clinics, phone 207-852-5033, or find them on Facebook.

December Featured Artist: Lily Piel
Groundbreakers photography exhibit of portraits capturing some of the people who have helped revive farming in Maine, on view in the Belfast Co-op Cafe for the month of December.

Round Up for Community Recipients
December 1-14: Waldo CAP Fuel Assistance Program
December 15-30: Belfast Soup Kitchen

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%.

The Inside Story of GMO Food
Thursday, December 5, 6:30 pm, Belfast Free Library: Free event with nutritionist John Bagnulo MPH, PhD about the health risks posted by GMOs in our food supply. For more information, visit John Bagnulo. Sponsored by the Belfast Co-op.

Wine Tasting and Art Opening
Friday, December 6, 7-9 pm, Belfast Co-op Cafe: Free monthly wine tasting highlighting seasonal wines and the opening of Lily Piel's photo exhibit. Karolyn Melino from Pine State Beverage, and Ron Poirier from 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.

Holiday Closing
Sunday, December 8: 3 pm early closing for Staff Holiday Party

Love LOCAL Day
Friday, December 13: Free product samples from Chai Wallahs of Maine between 11 am-3 pm; lunch special highlighting local ingredients, 10% off all Maine-made products throughout the day.

3rd Thursday Donation Day
Thursday, December 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. WERU Community Radio has been selected as their December recipient.

Holiday Closings
Tuesday, December 24: 3 pm early closing
Wednesday, December 25: Closed Christmas Day
Tuesday, December 31: 9 pm closing New Year's Eve
Wednesday, January 1: Closed New Year's Day

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