This month, all buttons will be 20%-40% off. We have a large selection, with more buttons arriving this month. All buttons are 20% off, and those buttons labeled from JHB or Blumenthal are 40% off!

Two classes are available; please sign up for one.

Dates: Tuesday, November 5 or Saturday, November 9.

Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Class size: Limited to eight people.

Cost: $25 per person.

Instructor: Reah Janise Kauffman.

Unlike lace, cable and colorwork knitting, there is not a quick and easy way to define sequence knitting. Reah Janise will explain this new approach to creating knitted fabrics, explain how to read the charts, and offer some examples of when to use it. This is a hands-on class, so bring needles and yarn, and be ready to work your own fabulous sequence swatches! Also, she will start everyone on a hat project using one of the techniques.

Skills required: Ability to knit and purl in the round.
Skills learned: Sequence chart reading, three sequence knitting techniques. Materials:
    For hat: Approx. 219-328 yards worsted weight yarn; US #5 and US #7 16" circular knitting needles (or size you prefer).
    For swatches: Stash yarn and appropriately sized needles.
Homework: Begin hat using smaller needles and work 1x1 or 2x2 ribbing for two inches.
    For 16" child head, cast on 88 stitches.
    For 18" small adult head, cast on 96 stitches.
    For 20" adult head, cast on 104 stitches.
    For 22" large adult head, cast on 112 stitches.

It's getting to be that time of year ... yes, you know what we're talking about! Cheryl has wanted to make this stocking all year and a shop sample was the perfect opportunity to cast on. Ours is worked in Briggs and Little Tuffy worsted weight yarn (75% wool, 20% nylon).

If you need to make a beautiful decoration or a very special Christmas stocking, this is the pattern for you. There is something sweet and rustic and a bit old-fashioned about this stocking. A different yarn choice could boost it into the elegant category. Anne Hanson designed this pattern and has just recently added the Inishmore Stocking to her long list of beautiful patterns, just in case you need two similar, but different stockings!

We looked around one day and noticed that we were a little shy on hats, so we got busy.

We have a lovely yarn -- one of Cheryl's favorites -- that often gets overlooked by the brilliant colors of neighboring yarns. Ieva knit the free Hinagiku Hat pattern with it. It is Rowan's Kid Classic, and it is one of those yarns that is soft and warm and just looks great in classic styling. We retail it at $11.95 for 153 yards of soft, lightweight warmth!

Jason's Cashmere Hat (click to zoom)

We combined a Maine yarn with the free and popular Jason's Cashmere Hat pattern. This classic look is easy and fun. If you have never cabled before, this is a good one to try. We used one skein of Swans Island's All American Worsted (75% USA Rambouillet wool, 25% alpaca), which is a soft wool against the skin. (Don't be deceived by the pattern name -- this hat looks good on both men and women. Come check out our faux-fur pom-poms for a different option.)

	Northport Avenue Hat (click to zoom)

If you like to crochet and haven't seen our Northport Avenue Hat at our shop, here it is. It is a free pattern with the purchase of yarn, available only at our shop at this time. We used Swans Island's All American Sport (75% USA Rambouillet wool,25% alpaca), which again, is a soft wool against the skin.

With hats still on needles, you will see more next month!

It is said that the woolly face of a Babydoll Sheep will always make you smile. This statement proved to be true when we visited a flock of Southdown Babydoll Sheep at Two Chimneys Farm in Falmouth in October.

Read more about our visit at Fiber of Maine's blog.

Huge thanks to the knitters, models, organizers, set-up crew, cleaners, supportive local businesses, musicians, photographers and videographers, and our enthusiastic audience, who all made KnitMaine-ia a spectacular event. Together we raised two thousand dollars for New Hope for Women. Donations are still coming in. Check out the entire show on Belfast Community Media, at KnitMaine-ia 2019.

Join the Women of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church at the cozy church library on Saturday, November 9, 8 am-8 pm, 95 Court St., Belfast, for another bi-annual Knit-a-thon. Bring any knit or handwork project, a potluck item if you are inclined, and enjoy camaraderie for all or part of the day. Get sponsors by the hour or any size donation, or a non-perishable food item to benefit the school backpack program, sending food home with local kids. Sponsor sheets at Heavenly Yarns.

For more information, contact Sara at 978-325-0045 or Jillian at jliver@gmail.com.

New artists have joined Belfast Fiberarts! Be sure to see the stunning work of Valerie Schurer Christle, and fiber from Betsy Alspach, Eagle Lake Fibers.

Needle Felting Workshop
Saturday, November 9, 10 am-noon. Learn needle felting with Sharon Fischer. Use wool fiber to create a pumpkin, an acorn and colorful autumn leaves, perfect accent decor for your Thanksgiving celebrations. Cost: $50.

Punch Hook Pillow Workshop
Saturday, November 16 and Saturday, November 23, 10 am-2 pm. In this two-day workshop, Jolene Corey Doran will guide you in creating this delightful 17" x 9" punch-hooked pillow, with sunflower pattern. On the first day, you will use wool yarn and learn to hook the front of the pillow. The second day will be for constructing the back and stuffing the pillow. The fee includes supplies and materials for your pillow. The frame and hook will be available for sale separately. Cost: $175.

Ongoing
Drop-in ornament-making sessions on Sunday afternoons, 1-4 pm, $15 per person. First project: Swedish snowflakes.

Spin Group on first and third Wednesdays, 4-6 pm. Experienced or novice spinners are welcome.

Belfast Fiberarts is located at 171 High St., Belfast, at the mini-mall next to the Colonial Theatre. To sign up for classes online, visit Belfast Fiberarts/Classes.

Artist Louise Bourgeois said, "Art is restoration: The idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life, to make something that is fragmented -- which is what fear and anxiety do to a person -- into something whole."

Discover the power of art -- join the Artivism movement. Artivism is art in action bringing diverse people and resources together to address impossible problems and to emerge with viable, arts-centered solutions.
 
Friday, November 1, starting 6 pm
Welcome Vijay Gupta, an esteemed performer, communicator and citizen-artist who has been lauded for his work as the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, a non-profit organization providing arts and musical engagement for homeless and incarcerated communities in Los Angeles. After receiving a MacArthur Fellowship in 2018, he was profiled on NBC Dateline and PBS. Vijay will be joined by local musicians, artists and performers. This inspiring presentation will be at the United Farmer's Market Center in Belfast. Doors open at 6 pm for music and special interactive art exhibit. Tickets for Friday evening are $30 per person.

Saturday, November 2, 8:30 am-5:30 pm
Register for a full day of Artivism Action and Community Engagement workshops and more, in partnership with the University of Maine Hutchinson Center, on Saturday from at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast. Using the tools of writing, visual arts, performance, theater and music, creatives, educators, and interested people from all disciplines and sectors will consider the opioid epidemic through the powerful lens of creative expression. Workshops include: Civic Empathy, Writing for Action and Activism, A Visual Voice and Music for Change.

Sunday, November 3, 10 am-1 pm
Imagining Solutions Brunch at the Belfast Maskers Theater, 17 Court St., Belfast.

For more information, and to register, visit Belfast Creative Coalition.

The Women of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church invite you to join them on November 16 for their annual Tea. From 11 am to 2 pm, the Parish Hall will be transformed into an English tearoom, complete with scones, tea sandwiches, mince tarts, sweets and steaming cups of England's finest.

In addition, the Bake Sale table will feature an array of delicious baked goods to take home. The popular Jewelry Boutique and White Elephant tables will be open, and a Silent Auction table will feature a variety of specially selected items.

You won't want to miss this yearly event. so mark your calendars now and join us at Tea! Adults $12; children 12 and under $10.

The Belfast Free Library features ongoing programs for all ages, art shows and presentations on a wide range of topics. See their November calendar for details.

For more events happening in Belfast in September, please see Our Town Belfast's events page and the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce's November calendar.