Moo Dog Knits

Halcyon Blake is founder and owner of Halcyon Yarn in Maine, a comprehensive yarn and fiber arts business which began in Denver, Colorado. Blake opened the store in 1971 after she graduated from Stanford with an MBA in marketing – and a passion for weaving. A signature feature of her company is the “Yarn Store in a Box™” launched as a way to bring yarn to customers throughout the Rocky Mountains.

“Halcyon is a family name – it was my grandmother’s and my aunt’s name as well,” she explained. “The origins of the name and the term ‘Halcyon Days’ are found in Greek mythology. Halcyon, daughter of the god of the wind, was the wife of Ceyx who drowned at sea. Grief stricken, the widow threw herself into the sea after him. The gods took pity on the couple and transformed Halcyon and her drowned husband into kingfishers. Together they made their nest on the water during the brief period of calm surrounding the winter solstice. These few days of calm winds and gentle seas are known as the halcyon days and the kingfisher is their symbol, so we’ve adopted this beautiful bird as our symbol too. Doing the kinds of things that we all love, like knitting, relaxes people.”
The founder and president of Halcyon Yarn, now located in Maine, and her staff have planned all sorts of events for the 40th anniversary.
“We’re doing all kinds of fun things centered around ruby and red colors – contests, promotions until Dec. 31, 2011.”
That includes an Earthues: Ruby Botanical Natural Dye Kit, developed by Michelle Wipplinger (color artist and friend of Halcyon’s) to commemorate the anniversary. Explore nature’s rich ruby hues – lac, madder, and quebracho red. Iinstructions, mask and gloves and the corresponding fixatives (mordants) to dye approximately four pounds of wool, silk, alpaca, mohair or other protein fiber.
Editor’s note: Coming up, the story about favorite yarns, inside the store and more about local artisans work featured there, along with other details.