It is hard to believe that the holidays and winter weather are just around the corner, but they are. And so this month, all sparkle yarn and metallic carry-along yarns are on sale at 20% off. We have sparkle yarns in a range of fibers, gauges and prices. Whether you need it for embellishments on things such as Christmas stockings or holiday crafts, or just want to knit a jazzy sweater, this is the time to come in and see the many yarns we stock.

If sparkly yarns do not appeal to you, we have some clearance yarns that may be just your thing! Plymouth's Homestead is an aran weight soft wool. It knits at approx. 4 sts. per inch. It will felt well too. Our sale price is $5.95 from the suggested price of $8.95. Buy 10 skeins and we'll give you an extra 5% discount. (This sale does not include Homestead Tweed.)

In our machine-washable area, we have Trendsetter Yarns' Merino 12 on clearance. This is a very soft chunky weight yarn that we used to knit our Man Hat model. Though the original suggested price was $16.95, we have been selling it for $13.95. Now it is $9.95, and again, buy 10 or more balls and we will give you an extra 5% off. (Helen is using this yarn to make a Christmas stocking. Ask to see it if you are interested, although it may be here only for the next couple of weeks.)

In the Maine Yarn area, we have a yarn line on sale at a clearance discount. We are not going to tell you what it is -- you will just have to come in to solve the mystery. We will tell you it is a bit luxurious and perfect to give as a gift -- even in the skein!

We had a few requests lately for an "infinity" scarf. We understand this as a cowl that gets wrapped around twice. One of our favorite cowls that fits this description is the free GAP-tastic Cowl. This is an extremely easy seed stitch pattern that uses chunky yarn. However, you can use any yarn to make it, just by doing a little math!

Our experience is that a double-wrap cowl should be a minimum of 52 inches around. Make a little gauge swatch and figure out how many stitches you get per inch, then multiply it by 52 to give you the number of stitches to cast on. (When using the seed stitch pattern, make sure you cast on an odd number of stitches!)

We knit a seed stitch "infinity" scarf with a new yarn from Lana Gatto called Bright. We used two balls and think it's great. If you add an additional ball of yarn, you would gain more depth if that's the look you'd like.

You are welcome to come in and try it on! We are selling this yarn at $9.50 a ball, and this month -- because it has a little sparkle in it -- it will be 20% off for $7.60.

Looking for a simple knit for a new baby? The Baby T-Shirt Vest is a free pattern we recently came across while browsing on Ravelry. The pattern only comes in one size, 6-9 months, but could easily be made larger using a heavier yarn or by doing more raglan increases and adding length. Our 6- to 9-month version used just over half a skein of Vintage DK, leaving plenty for a   Maine Baby Hat. Two buttons finish off the shoulder, making it easy to dress a squirmy baby. We used buttons from Betka Pottery ( find them on Facebook), made by our Friday employee, Liz. We are the only store in Belfast that carries her buttons.

One skein of Nebula yarn from Berroco will knit up into this lovely little shawl. The slightly asymmetric Solfege Shawl is straightforward and makes a great take-along project. This $4 pattern could work up to look different every time depending on the yarn used. If it's the colorful bias look that you're after, the Nebula works beautifully, and we carry five different colorways at $19.95. The pattern is fairly simple, but has just enough going on to keep it interesting, so you could visit with a friend or watch a show and still manage to work on holiday knitting. It's perfect for someone who is on the fence about wearing a shawl since it will wrap around much like a scarf.

On Saturday, 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 on the following weekend and we will happily honor your request and veterans!

Thanks to all the mermaids and fishermen, and those who helped make KnitMaine-ia 2017 a smashing success. Join in the knitting circles at St. Margaret's Church Library, located at 95 Court St., on the first and third Fridays of the month. Knitting and refreshments from 4 to 6 pm. Also, mark your calendars for the biannual Knit-A-Thon on December 9 at St. Margaret's. For more information, phone Sara at 978-325-0045, email Jillian at [email protected] or find them on Facebook.

Yoga with Amy Bird for grades 1-6 at Cornerspring Montesssori School. Movement, Meditation and Mindfulness, a six-week course, November 2-December 14, Thursdays from 3:30-5 pm. $120 for the full six weeks. Minimum enrollment of eight students needed, maximum enrollment 12 students. Includes a healthy snack. Contact the CASS office for busing information.

For more information, phone Cornerspring Montessori School at 207-338-5800, or email them at [email protected].

Join Belfast Flying Shoes on Friday, November 3, for an evening of contra dancing at American Legion Post #43, 143 Church St. in Belfast. The evening begins at 6:30 pm with a community dance called by Chrissy Fowler. The contra dance begins at 8 pm.

This month's caller is Belfast's own Chrissy Fowler. A founder and leading light of the Belfast Flying Shoes dance series, Chrissy spreads the joy of contra dancing also at schools, community gatherings and private events.

Sharing the Flying Shoes stage with Chrissy will be Catastrophe, with Kyra Bleicher, fiddle; Dana Hartshorn, keys; Ness Smith-Savedoff, drums; and Bethany Waickman, guitar.. This super-talented, super-energetic young quartet is tearing through the Maine contra dance circuit, leaving a trail of happily exhausted dancers in its wake. The forecast is for powerful and sustained grooves, irresistibly driving rhythms, and flashes of melodic inspiration.

Sound by Eric Weest Johnson.

Also: Weekly Contras

New session starts November 2. Thursday evenings, 5:45 pm for teens, 7 pm for all, at the Belfast Dance Studio. Email Chrissy at [email protected].

For more information, phone 207-338-0979, email [email protected], visit Belfast Flying Shoes or find them on Facebook.

Acrylic Painting Workshop: Photos as Inspiration takes place November 4, 10 am-4 pm at the Susan Tobey White Studio, 134 Church St., Belfast.

Learn innovative ways to use photographs as inspiration for your paintings. Bring your own photos. $125 materials list upon registration. You may register by phoning 207-322-1699 or visiting Susan Tobey White Fine Art.

You're invited to a free Community Supper on Saturday, November 4 at 5 pm at the Belfast United Methodist Church, 23 Mill Lane, East Belfast (Mill Lane is beside the Big Apple across from Perry's Nut House). Enjoy turkey, gravy, potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce, carrots, rolls, beverages and pie for dessert.

Join them in their celebration of God's loving kindness. They want to pass it on! For more information, phone 207-338-5575.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is coming to the Colonial Theatre on Sunday, November 5 at 4 pm. This 2.5-hour touring event includes 12 of the festival's finest films ranging in length from one to 25 minutes. Get inspired by these moving documentaries of environmental activism about individuals speaking up to protect wild nature and creatures in and near their communities.

The South Yuba River Citizen's League (SYRCL) in California created the Festival, the largest of its kind in the US, as a way to explore environmental issues and promote community building. The festival on tour is a condensed version of the annual five-day event that features over 110 award-winning films, plus speakers, celebrities and activists who bring a human face to the environmental movement. The tour continues to develop as an effective tool for bringing a community together around local and global issues, and to inspire action. Visit Midcoast Conservancy, the event host, to purchase tickets in advance.

If memory loss is affecting you or someone you love, you don't want to miss this free information-packed half-day symposium. This event offers a one-stop opportunity to learn the, latest information on Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of memory loss. Experts in the field will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, community resources and caregiver support. A complimentary breakfast, boxed lunch and Resource Area are included, all for free.

Date: Wednesday, November 8.
Time: 9 am-1 pm.
Doors open at 8 am for check-in and free continental breakfast, presenters will be available to talk with attendees till 1:30 pm.
Location: Waldo County YMCA, Lincolnville Ave., Belfast.
Cost: Free.
Register: Phone 207-338-2332 by Monday, November 6.
Speakers include: Heidi R. Wierman, MD, director geriatrics, Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center; Lee Pennington, LCSW, manager of Helpline Services, Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter; Trida Payson, LCPC, family caregiver specialist, Spectrum Generations; and Brenda Hamilton, LCSW, social worker, MaineHealth Care at Home.

The Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library opens its doors to host a Make Shift Coffee House on Wednesday, November 8 beginning at 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to all. The Belfast Free Library is located at 106 High St.

A Make Shift Coffee House is a place where people with different views gather to exchange and consider diverse perspectives through a moderated conversation.  The topic to be discussed at this Coffee House is What's Up With The Political Divide?

The event will be moderated by Craig Freshley of Good Group Decisions located in Brunswick, Maine. A professional meeting facilitator, Freshley will manage a civil exchange of ideas as a neutral third party. The evening will start with a coffee house atmosphere including coffee, tea and snacks, live music with the Pinwheel Brothers and time for small group discussions. The facilitated conversation starts at 7:15 pm.

For more information, phone the Belfast Free Library at 207-338-3884 ext 10.

	The Home Road

Portland-based filmmaker Tonya Shevenell will be at the Colonial Theatre, 163 High St., Belfast, on Monday, November 13 to screen her film The Home Road. $12 members, children and students, $15 non-members.

In 1845, 19-year-old Israel Shevenell left his home in Canada and walked nearly 200 miles to Biddeford, Maine. He found work and built a new life in an American boomtown being transformed by the Industrial Revolution, and is recognized as the city's first permanent French-Canadian settler and French voter.

In 2015, his 74-year-old great-great-grandson, Ray Shevenell, retraced the pioneering journey, walking from Compton, Quebec to Biddeford.

Proceeds from this screening will benefit the Penobscot Marine Museum photo archives.