• Dyeing (4 classes)
• Felting (6 classes)
• Knitting (5 classes)
• Rug Making (4 classes)
• Spinning (4 classes)
• Weaving (4 classes)

How will you make time for all of those interesting opportunities? Well, unfortunately we can’t get you your summers off… But we hope most folks can swing an afternoon or day to get in on some learning fun! How can you resist this:

Beaded Silk Scarf

Meets: Fri, July 25

Elements of Knitting: Seams So Easy

Meets: Fri, July 18

Felted Treasure Bag

Meets: Thurs, Aug 7

Having a Ball with Blending

Meets: Sat, June 14

Indigo Day

Meets: July 8, or 22, or Aug 5 or 19

Intensive Beginning Spinning: Wed & Thurs, July 9 & 10 or Aug 22 & 23

Introduction to Rug Braiding

Meets: Wed, Aug 13

Learn to Knit

Meets: Fri, July 11

Light Work: Handweaving a Transparency: Sat & Sun, July 26 & 27

Multi-Fiber Class

Meets: Sat, Aug. 2

No Calorie Fruits & Pastries: Introduction to Needle Felting

Meets: Mon, July 28

Noodling with Nuno

Meets: Mon, Aug 4

Painting with Wool for Kids

Meets: Thurs, July 17

Punch Needle Rug Hooking

Meets: Sat, July 19

Rock ‘n Roll Felting for Kids

Meets: Wed, July 16 or Aug 6

Sweet and Simple: Side to Side Knitting

Meets: Sat, July 12

The Supported Spindle

Meets: Sat, Aug 30

Weaving 101

Meets: Thurs, Fri, Sat,  Aug 14-16

Weaving Rx: The Weaver is In

Meets: Thurs: July 17, Aug 21

You Can Knit Socks!

Meets: Fri, Aug 1 & 8

Hey now, these yarns are PERFECT for summer, and they’re on SALE. How convenient is that! Both are oh-so-soft, and oh-so-breathable. And durable. Run your fingers across a skein and you’ll have a hard time holding yourself back - they positively scream “Make me into some summer/fall socks!”. These are wonderfully high quality fibers, and the colors just make us happy. Now at this price, they’ll make you happy too!

Regia Bamboo item 051 - Regularly $8.95, now only $5.50!

Sock yarn item 052 Regia Silk - Regularly $9.95, now only $6.00!

But that’s not all we also have some newly added Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweeed Chunky on sale, regularly $14.50 now only $8.00!

And we have a few colors of Hempathy and Kureyon left over from last week too. Now that’s a yarn sale.

$16.00/ea, get one today!

From Sunny Southern California:

“Hundreds of people visiting the Huntington Botanical Garden and Library in San Marino California Saturday June 14 were surprised to see eighteen people sitting in the beautiful Herb Garden knitting, spinning, weaving, kumihimo-ing, and dyeing with the garden plants. They had stumbled upon the Ninth Annual Fiber Arts Event with the South Coast Weavers and Spinners Guild (Orange County) and Saturday Spinners (Los Angeles County). What a delightful setting! And what fun to see so many ladies of all ages enjoying sharing their craft.” -Margaret Carlberg.

Keepin’ outta the heat, KIP-in’ in Florida:
To the left you can see how these folks in Florida found a great way to keep cool while knitting in public, head to the mall! Thanks to Pat for sending along some great photos.

Then there are those who like a little sun after a long northern winter, WWKIPD in Cohoes NY:

“BeauKnits Yarn Shop is located in Cohoes, NY. All of our area yarn shops participated in the event. We decided to hold KIP outside each of our shops rather than in one central location because of the high cost of gasoline. [This] is a photo taken outside of BeauKnits, Ltd. on KIP Day.” -Barbara Hildreth

I know a little Cafe in Frenchtown…

“Our group started with two people, Carol Esch and Judy Serbinski, who had knitted together at a yoga studio in Frenchtown and decided to meet in The Bridge Cafe in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Each Wednesday as we knitted, more and more women walked in, or found out about the group from friends, and it has now grown to a weekly group of more than 35 knitters. Meetings are open at The Bridge Cafe in Frenchtown, NJ from 9:30 to 12:00 every Wednesday and you can even stay and have a wonderful lunch! Members range from an emergency medical technician to a Grammy Award winning harpist, a gardening author and expert, a knitwear designer, several artists, teachers and very warm, welcoming and talented women. ” -Carol Esch, Frenchtown, NJ.

Knitting in New Mexico:

The folks at the Unravel Yarn Shop and Gallery in Las Cruces found a great place out of the hot southern sun but in the public eye. What a pleasant way to spend an afternoon! Photo by Greg Thomas, submitted by Deb Thomas.

Makes you want to Knit in Jersey:

John Dalton took some photos of his wife Denise and friends knitting in Hoboken, NJ. Despite the beautiful and bustling location, Denise reported “This year, no one asked us what we were doing or in fact even gave us a second look, so maybe WWKIP Day has succeeded in freeing any man, woman and child in Hoboken to knit in public.”

Across the pond, Knitting in NEW England:

“Well I was at the Frog Pond on Cohasset Common at 1 pm, as listed. Over the next thirty minutes, three more knitters arrived and we had a great time. I learned about the Ravelry website and worked on socks as did several others - easy to carry. It was fun!” -From Judy O’Neil, Massachusetts, the knitter all in yellow!

Across the BIG POND, from fiber friends in Brighton, Sussex, England:

No word on where they found a pattern for those HUGE knitting needles, but this big group found a super scenic place to KIP: “Here is a group of intrepid knitters on the beach in Brighton, England - a little bit more windy than we would have wished for - but, hey , it wasn’t raining!!!” -Kathleen Reeves

OK, drum roll please….

So, what an honor to have shared in the excitement of WWKIPD! Thanks to all who sent along photos and stories. Each was unique, and gave us a glimpse of the fiber world beyond our borders. After long hard deliberation, we awarded a Halcyon Yarn Tote Bag and Discount Certificate in our two categories, as follows:

In the category of best “WWKIPD Photo of Knitting”, the prize goes to Kathleen Reeves, for her photo of the “intrepid knitters on the beach”.

in the best “WWKIPD Photo of Fiberarts Other than Knitting” category the prize goes to Margaret Carlberg, for her beautiful, verdant photo of a diverse group of fiber artists including two folks spinning in public.

Congratulations to Kathleen and Margaret, and thanks again to ALL! We hope to “see” you again next year.

All images in this post are released under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial- No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please contact Amos if you need further information regarding individual images.

Michael has been in the area for ages now, having moved here with Margaret (wife), and Joshua (son), in ‘75. He’s established strong ties. Mike’s first career was as an RN in intensive/emergency care. Wow you say, how do you transfer from that high intensity environment to the weaving studio (his current occupation)? “Actually, I started weaving while working in intensive care; it was a great non-stress activity” says Michael. Before opening his current studio, he also worked full time at Halcyon Yarn for several years. While Margaret keeps after Michael to keep up with his chores (”when are you going to weave me that yardage I need for my sewing project!), Joshua is just as happy to leave his fiber ties untended (”Joshua has limited his ‘fiber’ history to having a small flock of Montadale sheep while in the 4H” says Mike).

Michael is more than just a master weaver too - interested in a course in spinning, dyeing, or Kumihimo? He’s your man, able to explain time tested techniques and cutting edge experiments with equal parts skill and humor.

Outside of weaving, Michael enjoys “music and ADHD style internet surfing”. Luckily for us he frequently finds time to stop by Halcyon Yarn outside of classes too - A great opportunity for us to try to “stump the master” with anything weaving related… Though, truth be told, we haven’t succeeded in stumping him yet!

Be sure to keep an eye on the classes page, and sign up for one of his great classes! Also, keep an eye out as we develop a series of online video tutorials with Michael… More to come soon!

[UPDATE: OK, the patterns are available in our forum. Feel free to download them and get started. Also, feel free to join the forum so that you can talk with others from all over about this project!]

A couple of months ago, we received a call from Marla Phelps in Tenants Harbor, a fishing community on the St. George Peninsula, gateway to Maine’s beautiful Penobscot Bay. Marla’s son Sgt. Michael Wall, is a career soldier stationed in Afghanistan, where the winters are very cold — perhaps even colder than Maine winters. Remembering the warm woolen fisherman mittens his grandmother used to make, Sgt. Wall asked her to make 16 pairs for his unit. Unfortunately, Mrs. Wall doesn’t knit any more and couldn’t remember the pattern she used … so Michael’s family asked Halcyon Yarn for help.

Well, we knew right away we wanted to do something. Not only were we moved by the story, and intrigued by the challenge, but we also already have ties to the region. Halcyon had organized a the donation of a container load of fiber and knitting supplies to Afghanistan. Finally, our own Beth Hood’s son, Nolan, is also stationed there, so the impact of events abroad has been brought home in a very real way.

Based on the classic Maine fisherman mitten, and incorporating other features requested by Sgt. Wall, we’ve designed a mitten we’ve named the “Soldier’s Glomitt”. It’s made from warm, durable 100% wool yarn, and the top flips back to reveal fingerless gloves for detailed tasks.

Halcyon Yarn and Michael’s mother Marla are asking for your help in achieving Michael’s goal of 16 pairs of glomitts — or even surpassing it!

The glomitt pattern can be downloaded from our website, along with suggestions for yarn and finishing ideas. We do request that you use 100% wool yarn — no synthetics, please — in subdued neutral colors — black, dark green, grays, or browns. You may personalize them if you wish — perhaps with some subtle striping or patterning, adding texture or cabling.

The first 16 pairs will go to Sgt. Wall and his unit, but we hope we’ll receive enough to send to other troops in Afghanistan as well.

As a special thank you, the names of all the knitters who send us glomitts for Afghanistan will be entered into a drawing for a Halcyon Yarn $50 Gift Certificate. But the greatest reward, of course, is knowing that you’ve doing something positive to help our troops.

We have set up a “Forum” for this knitalong, where you will be able to talk to others who have joined, introduce yourself, post pictures of your work, and ask for help or offer advice. We will also have two patterns available for download (for free, of course!). In order to join, please visit this page:

Sign-Up for Knit-A-Long

A heartfelt thanks to all you hardy knitters!

UPDATE: OK, the patterns are available in our forum. Feel free to download them and get started. Also, feel free to join the forum so that you can talk with others from all over about this project!

Well, getting in on the game late this year, we can’t really organize our own event effectively… but we want to share in the excitement, so we want to see your photos of your WWKIP day! We’ll post some of our favorites in a future newsletter, and we’re also rewarding the best photo with a sweet prize: A Halcyon Yarn Tote Bag (all the better to knit in public, my precious) and a gift certificate for 15% off any fiber that you purchase (to help you fill the bag with the fiber of your choice, redeemable when you are awarded your free prize bag)!

And that’s not all, we want to include all fiber artists - so, we’ll give an additional prize pack to the best “not knitting but still a fiber art in public” (NKBSAFAIP) photo! That’s right, this is a chance for all you crocheters, hookers, kumihimo-ers, felters, braiders, spinners, and (oh we hope!) weavers, to show your stuff in public!!

These photos are just our attempt to get in on the action during lunch today… a beautiful day to knit in public, and what really got us excited about this awesome event! We had a great time outside, got some funny looks from the Rt. 1 traffic, and helped to raise awareness about what we do. We’re looking forward to hearing back from y’all and seeing how you do it!

So, get your fiber out in public, agree to our contest rules (below), and then send your photos to our nerd-master (er, web-master) Amos at: mis@halcyonyarn.com . Entries will be accepted until a week from this Saturday (AKA, June 21st, 2008).

Contest Rules: All photo submissions must be your original work. By submitting your work you agree to allow us to display your work on our website or in print, and you acknowledge that you will receive no compensation from us (unless you win one of the prizes). You agree to allow us to distribute your work under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please give us your name so that we may acknowledge authorship if your work is selected for publication. Two prize packs as described above will be awarded; one will be for “knitting related” and one will be for “other than knitting” fiber arts in public photos. Judging and selection of photos in based on artistic merit and expressiveness of the spirit of World Wide Knit in Public Day. Judging is at our sole discretion and our decisions, while perhaps imperfect, are final. We try our best to be fair. Thanks and good luck!

Indigo - the color that made Levi Strauss rich!…Let us initiate you into the mysteries of indigo in our summer hands-on dyeing workshop where you will dye your prepared fleece, yarn, or woven fabric. Halcyon staff will set up indigo dye pots so you can dye your own fiber projects. Safe dyeing procedures will be emphasized and you will learn how to set up your own dye baths at home.

Cost: $20 one pound & under, $10 each additional pound.

Weaving RX: If you’re a weaver with questions and/or problems with a project or loom, or need assistance planning a new project, Halcyon’s master weaver is available to help on the third Thursday of the month. Bring your questions, projects, show & tell to the third floor classroom and receive a prescription for success! Access to Halcyon Yarn’s reference library is also available. Come for one, or come for all, it’ll be a good time every time! Thurs: June 19, July 17, Aug 21. At only $5 per session it is a learning bargain.

Knit for the Cure: Using Skacel’s limited edition sock kit featuring specially dyed “Pink Ribbon” Trekking XXL sock wool, knitters will learn new techniques while supporting breast cancer research. The sock includes a ribbon motif, cables and beaded accents, and is finished off with a “star” toe. All net proceeds from the sale of the kits will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Center. Participants should have mastered basic knitting skills and have experience knitting on double pointed needles. This class isn’t until later this summer, but we’re excited about it and wanted to get the word out early! Your very own kit is included in the class fee. Class is worked over two dates, Fri, Aug 1 & 8. Class fee: $75.00.

Annalee started here in September of 2007. While she’s not a “native Mainer” (hey, neither are people who were born here unless their great-great grandparents were also!), she been a local for quite some time: She moved from New York state in 1999. When first asked about being featured for the staff highlight she said “Oh, no, really? Everyone here is so talented with crafts and knits so beautifully, I have a lot of catching up to do”… Hmm, we’ll see about that.

It turns out that Annalee started crocheting in college. Though she hadn’t been actively crocheting when she started at Halcyon Yarn, she offered to hook up some samples from “Amigurumi World” for the store… Wow! Talk about bringing things to life, the adorable samples are a hit amongst kids and adults alike, and we can’t keep the display orderly as a result! Is that it for Annalee’s fiber interests? “I also enjoy embroidery, sewing and cross stitch… And I’m learning to knit since coming to Halcyon Yarn”… Whoa, watch out!

Outside of work and the fiber arts Annalee has two cats, Maya and Tess, and two daughters, Megan and Julie. She enjoys gardening and reading, and is a BIG NASCAR fan! And, she likes to head even farther north (or, east) for holidays and vacations to spend time with family in Nova Scotia.

Thanks Annalee!