Heavenly Yarns logo
Heavenly Yarns Newsletter
June 2018   
Maine Yarn Cruise
Maine Yarn Cruise
Yarn Cruise
The Maine Yarn Cruise has just begun and we have the bags and passports for you. (This is a shop hop, not a cruise on the ocean.) It's a good opportunity to explore the great state of Maine and visit a yarn shop at the same time. You can read more about the Maine Yarn Cruise in our May newsletter.


Strandwanderer Shawl _click to zoom_
Strandwanderer Shawl (click to zoom)
Swans Island Strandwanderer Shawl
Swans Island has a new yarn that Helen is just in love with! It is their dk washable merino (a certified organic superwash process) that is "dip-dyed" in 100-gram hanks, creating two new yarn lines. Unlike other handspuns that are dip-dyed with lots of color, this one is monochromatic. There is a large blast of color in the Big Dipper line and a little blast of color in the Little Dipper line.

Although Swans Island Company has nice pattern support for these two lines, Helen had her own idea. She was intrigued by the pattern, Strandwanderer, and needless to say, the yarn worked great with the pattern. (Though the pattern was written for fingering weight, we simply changed the needle size to a US 6.) You will use all of the 100-gram/270-yard skein for this pattern and will either want to use a second ball or get a 50-gram complementary color to end the shawlette. In this pattern, you can stop knitting the shawl at any time after reaching your desired size.

The pattern and yarn together are addicting and by the time you come to the shop, the Strandwanderer you see in the photo will have been given as a gift and replaced with a new colorway. The pattern is so easy that once you knit one stripe, you may not have to look at the pattern again!

Helen also is knitting the Rikke Hat pattern in this yarn because it is just wonderful to work with. This yarn is so new it isn't even on Ravelry yet!
Spring To It Cowl _click to zoom_
Spring To It Cowl (click to zoom)
Spring To It Cowl
There are six colors of Incan Spice and you might have trouble picking just two for this project. That being said, you could always work this lovely Spring To It Cowl (free pattern) in more colors or just a single one. We say go for the color ... it's fun! This little project was perfect evening knitting. Some quick ribbing and then the color-changing stripes. The lace is charted as well as written. If you haven't used a lace chart yet, this would be a great one to learn on. And guess what, two balls of Incan Spice will allow you to work TWO cowls if you make the second one just a bit shorter!
Schooner Dress (click to zoom)
Schooner Dress
What could be cuter? And fun to boot? Cheryl knit this sweet Schooner Dress -- designed by Swans Island Company -- using three colors of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

Cheryl said it was "so very pleasant to have in my hands ... never tired of this yarn running through my fingers." This is a great take-along project. Worked from the top down, do the short rows at home and then you are ready for the beach or the boat. There are just a few little interesting bits, and the fun of picking and working the color changes make for a great pattern.
Maine Fiber Frolic
Maine Fiber Frolic
Maine Fiber Frolic
The Maine Fiber Frolic is happening this weekend at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you haven't experienced this celebration of fiber, we encourage you to feel the love there!


Northeast Handspinners Association Gathering 2018
Northeast Handspinners Association Gathering 2018
Save the Date: Northeast Handspinners Gathering
The Northeast Handspinners Association Gathering 2018 is a fabulous fiber weekend being held in Nashua, New Hampshire this November 2-4. This three-day event is one of the most reasonably priced spinning, dyeing, weaving, felting and knitting retreats around. This year's mentors include Gail Callahan, Abby Franquemont,Terri Gurette and Bristol Ivy, along with a well-stocked vendor hall. For best choices in classes, renew, or sign up now, for your Northeast Handspinners Association membership (online membership registration available with PayPal). The Gathering 2018 sign-ups go out in the mail in June for a July 1 submission. For more information, email Meredith Toumayan, Treasurer of NHA, at mulberrymarshdesigns@gmail.com, or find them on Facebook.
Belfast Uke Fest poster
Belfast Uke Fest poster
Belfast Ukulele Festival
The 5th Annual Belfast Ukulele Festival will be held on Friday, June 1, 6-8:30 pm at Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping, and on Saturday, June 2, 10 am-4:30 pm at Steamboat Landing on the bay in Belfast.

Friday night: pot luck, meet headliner Gerald Ross, Uke Fest Jam. Sign-up requested. Saturday: Belfast Ukulele Festival. Saturday Evening: Informal Uke Jams at the campsite. Activities include free Introduction to Ukuleles Workshop, performances, vendors and raffles.

Costs: Friday Night Pot Luck and Jam Session: free, donations appreciated. Saturday: $5 adults, under 12 free. Workshops: $15 each.

For more information, visit Midcoast Ukes' Festival News page.
The Soul Benders
The Soul Benders
Soul Benders Concert at Crosby Center
The Soul Benders are an eminently danceable blues and classic soul band from Brooksville, with fans of all ages up and down the coast. The event will also feature a Silent Auction with many incredible items available for your bidding pleasure.

Doors open at the Crosby Center at 6 pm on Saturday, June 2, for a reception and early viewing of auction items. The dancing will begin at 7 pm. Author of Sacred Instructions, Sherri Mitchell-Wena'hamu'gwasit will speak. Suggested entrance donation for the dance is $10 to $20. If you'd like to help or provide auction items, phone Lissa at 207-322-6553. For questions about the event, or to volunteer, phone Karin at 207-338-5634, or Peter at 207-722-3654.

Delicious refreshments will be available!

For more information about Healing Turtle Island and other opportunities to donate, find them on Facebook, or visit the events page at Sacred Instructions.
Stephen Norton processing a sediment core from Upper Hadlock Pond_ Acadia National Park
Stephen Norton processing a sediment core from Upper Hadlock Pond, Acadia National Park
Air Pollution in Maine
On June 5, at 6:30 pm, Friends of Sears Island and the Belfast Free Library will co-host a presentation on the history of air pollution in Maine by Dr. Stephen Norton. Humans have only been able to accurately characterize the chemical climate of Earth for about 50 years. To study pollution prior to the 1950s, scientists study the archives of pollution that are stored in soils, tree cores, museum collections of vegetation, ice cores from high elevation and/or high latitude, lake sediments, and peat accumulations in bogs. Dr. Norton's presentation will focus on what soil surveys and lake and peat sediments can reveal, including a discussion of research done at Sargent Mountain Pond in Acadia National Park, most likely the oldest lake in the state. He will cover other archives as time allows.

Steve Norton is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences at the University of Maine. He graduated from Princeton and Harvard University, earning his PhD in 1967. He joined the Department of Geology faculty at the University of Maine in 1968, where he taught and did research until his retirement in 2008. His research is in the field of aquatic geochemistry.

For more information, visit Friends of Sears Island.
Midcoast Bee Week
Midcoast Bee Week
Midcoast Bee Week
The Belfast Free Library, in cooperation with Dirigo Learning's Midcoast Bee Week, will offer two free programs for families.

Wednesday, June 6 at 4 pm: Micro-Habitat Make-and-Take workshop. Pollinator micro-habitats are easy to make and easier to maintain, and help promote healthy populations of native species. The workshop is intended for ages 5 to 12, but older community members are welcome to attend.

Friday, June 8 at 10 am:  The library celebrates Bee Week with a special storytime, with bee-themed stories, songs and a craft.

For more information about Midcoast Bee Week, contact coordinator Robin Huntley at dirigolearning@gmail.com or 207-441-7501. For more information about library programs, phone the library at 207-338-3884 ext. 24.
The First Church in Belfast
The First Church in Belfast
Frame Raising at First Church
The First Church in Belfast invites the town of Belfast and surrounding neighbors to help celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Frame Raising of the church on June 10. The festivities will include food, fun and music, all taking place on the front lawn of the First Church from noon-4 pm. The menu includes pulled pork, BBQ chicken, baked beans, mac 'n' cheese, vegetarian option, coleslaw, cornbread and peach cobbler topped with ice cream, plus a beverage, all for $12. Music will be by the Leaky Boot Jug Band. The fun will be in the form of family-friendly games on the lawn. The church is located on the corner of Spring and Church streets, is handicapped-accessible, and is an Open and Affirming church, where all are welcome. For more information, phone the church office at 207-338-2282 or find them on Facebook.
Bellabooks at their new location
Bellabooks at their new location
Bellabooks Reopening
Bellabooks is in the finishing stage at their new location. They are so excited, and are getting ready to open their new store on Friday, June 15! Their new address is 31 Pendleton Lane (right behind the Belfast Co-op).


The scene inside Local Color_ one of Belfast_s newest art venues
The scene inside Local Color, one of Belfast's newest art venues
Art Walks
Join the Belfast Fourth Friday Art Walks on every fourth Friday, 5:30-8 pm, on June 22, July 27, August 24, and September 28 (plus the holiday art walk in December 7). At every art walk, the streets of Belfast are transformed into a whimsical wonderland to celebrate the warm summer evenings. From 5:30 till 8 pm you may follow the sound of music, where on any corner a fiddler, crooner or cool jazz soloist will entertain, or across the way a lively dancer will leap and whirl, a persuasive poet will wax eloquent, and perhaps a mime can charm you with silent illusion.

Explore imaginative art galleries that brighten up downtown, featuring both local and nationally recognized artists. The Gallery List can be picked up at any participating gallery or the BCC table during the art walk. Begin at any participating venue. Most are within two square blocks in the center of downtown Belfast. And finally, look for the ever-changing and always enticing Farm to Gallery food tastings coordinated by Maine Farmland Trust.

For more information, visit Belfast Creative Coalition.
Heavenly Yarns | 133 High St., Belfast, ME 04915 | 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.