Fraternal Mitts with Dyed in the Wool Spincycle + Peeping For Gold skein

Friends, I will be inserting eye candy soaked in sunlight to offset my words.
​​​​​​​Drink up in the warm love we have for you.

Alfalfa Sock from Six and Seven Fiber

This is a tough season.  I find myself revisiting past Novembers, from my previous career to Cecily’s illness, life-changing events, and elections. Muscle memory with its internal clock is hitting especially hard these days. Just trying to navigate the present while waves of the past hit. Do you feel this too? Is Fall specifically a time for grieving universally or does grief have it’s own personalized section on everyone’s calendar? 

Merino Sport  from La Bien Aimee

Recently, an opportunity presented itself at a time I couldn’t see doing one more thing. But wow, did it spark joy! I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I felt joy. Honestly it was uncomfortable and so alarming to my system that I was questioning a mental break. I’m new to forty so is it about time for one? But this new joy meant something important. 

Tweedy DK Minis from Bella Filato

Over the past few years, my fervor for mental wellness has expanded beyond just being conscious of our own, but to include those responding to trauma and our children’s mental wellbeing. This picture cleared, defining ‘Bee Well’ as an extension of Wool & Honey’s passion for social-emotional support to local children and families. A place for creativity and imagination through play and making, deepening family bonds and strengthening mental wellness. I have been working with a magical unicorn named Tracy. The stars aligned and Tearwater T (@tearwater_t) is the perfect coordinator to bring this project to life. This is her area of expertise, her life passion and kiddos adore her. And for those of you who don’t know Tracy yet, just being next to her will make you feel lighter. ​​​​​​​

Mural leading to Bee Well by Nesta of 13 Point Painting, local illustrator and sign painters

This week with the election was hard for myself and many I have spoken with (and it comes with a big realization that there is a majority of folks in which this was a good week.) I have been hit with personal and political unrest. Yet, in the past day, the fog is lifting. Bee Well’s vision holds even more value to me now.  

A place where children can be open to explore in spaces that are safe for all ages, colors, languages, genders and parenting styles. An inviting place where little bodies can feel at ease and let play express their feelings. It’s a place that adults can feel seen and find the mental and physical rest needed to carry on. A place where magic can happen or be taken home to bloom there. 

How our children see themselves and others will change our world. This statement is no truer now than it was at the dawn of time, but it feels heavier this week. 

Things we can always do though, Bee Playful, Bee Curious, Bee Creative. 

Bee Well Friends, 

Liz and the Bees

Imagine a place where kids find magic they can bring home to create. To build, to draw, to read, to image, to Bee Curious. A place that is 100% for them to Bee Playful while offering activities to Bee Creative along with their grown-ups. A space for adults to be comfortable while kids are deeply immersed in imaginative play, making art, exploring books or playing games. Spaces to connect quietly with kiddos and a place to make friends. A place for play groups, unique gifts and creativity from wall to wall. 

It’s here. In Leelanau. Right in the sweet little town of Cedar.
​​​​​​​Three (3) ways to Bee Involved.

CHIP IN TODAY

Sign-up by September 30th

Join us for the Brume KAL this Fall and meet the upcoming cold season with a new sweater. We’re looking forward to this bunny soft sweater to live in all winter. A simple knit that’s casual and chic no matter what you pair it with–and how about some matching fingernail polish?

Gwen at Bella Filato Studio just launched her newest base—Feather DK—the same content as the original Brume was made in. We are so excited to bring this fluff into the shop but first, a knit-a-long!

Bella Filato Feather DK top left to bottom right: Never Too Bold, Out Of The Blue, Dancing Green, Olive Branch, Sol, Linen, Elderberry, Pen Pal, Royal, October

Prizes: The prize for finishers? A nail polish bundle (Nourishing Base Coat, 30 Second Top Coat, Natural Nourishing Soy Based Nail Polish Remover) that comes with a color matching your new sweater!–a $50 value–AND every single participant who completes their sweater will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Wool & Honey, a $50 Gift Certificate to Bella Filato Studio Online, and 3 Drea Renee Knits independently published patterns of your choice delivered digitally via Ravelry.

Bella Filato Feather DK in ‘Sol’ for the Brume KAL

We all fall in love with yarn‑‑shocking, I know. The colors, the fibers and the artistry no doubt. But you know it's a good story that really draws us in. What we don’t all see at first blush‑‑is what makes every member of this community even more precious to us. Aimée is the life force behind the one and only Parisian dye studio La Bien Aimée‑‑one of the most striking hand dyed yarn companies of all time. Her colorways are deep and light and happy (yes, all at the same time!), the bases are sumptuous and swoon-worthy. We love her heart, and what Aimée brings to the fiber community in terms of her humanity and her artistry‑‑we know you love her, too.

L to R: La Bien Merino Sport in 'Vintage Grellow' 'Doe' + 'Rose Quartz'​​​​​​​, Little Kumo in 'Fiori'

 

L to R: La Bien Aimee Little Kumo in 'Kokko', Cashmerino in 'Julia' + 'Harlequin' + 'Stephen The Merman', Neons & Neutrals book by Aimee Gille

 

Wild Dasiy, Botton D'Oro, Salvia Argentea and Dalia mYak Tibetan Cloud + The Hive Chain Row Counter in Pearl

Memorial Day marks not only summer's official start in Northern Michigan, but it's also our anniversary celebration. This is our Opal Anniversary, which means that 24 years ago, on a quiet little street in a sleepy little town, a happy little storefront opened its doors to the wool-loving public for the first time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Opal is thought to inspire love, purity and hope for the future. Our arms are wide open ready to receive such a wish over The Hive. HEAR, HEAR!

These set will be available this weekend. From left: Citrine, Iridescent and Druzy sock sets

An unintentional rock theme here but we are feeling rather grounded these days. It's fitting. We are so thrilled to have our first order of Hue Loco here in the store for our Memorial Day celebration. We've admired the Hue Loco Team from afar and loved everything about the Scenic Trail Sundown club colorway they made for us. 

Arriving in this first batch are their gorgeous socks sets and an array of DK superwash in speckles and variegates. Stay tuned this weekend for all the celebration fun. There will be:

Hue Loco Yarns Summer KAL Sign-ups Prizes ** if you haven't been in for a few weeks **

NEW Bella Filato NEW Bohemian Fibers MORE Cocoknits The Hive Chain Row Counters ​​​​​​​(if we can keep them in stock)

Friday, May 24th: 10 am to 5 pm Saturday, May 25th: 9 am to 4 pm Sunday, May 26th: 11 am to 4 pm Monday, May 27th: closed

20% OFF LYS Weekend

It's rare for us to have discounted sales in the shop. Only once or twice a year and next weekend is one of them! All shop items in store and online will be 20% OFF, all except our LYS Day featured items. From Friday, April 26th - Sunday, April 28th. 

COUPON: LYSLOVE

LYS Day featured items - Bohemian Fibers Trunk Show, The Hive Chain Row Counter in Multi-Agate, Bee Linen Lavender Bags Embroidery KitFriend of the Honeybee Enamel Pin

This Local Yarn Shop Day is about as local as we have ever been! We will have Addie of Bohemian Fibers here Saturday, April 27th for a trunk show. If you know this area you might know of Bohemian Rd outside of Maple City. Another treasured area with the rolling hills and farms that winds all way down to the water . . . just magical. 

Bohemian Fibers has alpacas and angora goats with some animals making the tour around the county and right back across the road from their original roots at Sprouse's alpaca farm. This yarn comes in a few weights and nearly every natural color. There are blends of alpaca/merino and angora/merino blends. These Bohemian Fibers are not just spun into yarn. Addie has chocolatey brown dryer balls and boot inserts that can be cut to size. Socks aside, you can also snuggle your feet on cozy warm alpaca. Your wellies are going to need something for this cold rock hunting season. 

Save the date for April 27th and keep an eye out for more details each week. This LYS Day will be full off fun like each and every year. You know we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your love of yarn, fiber and community. What a wonderful job you give us!

Additional Skeins of D.H. Day Barn

We are thrilled to announce the May installment of the Sleeping Bear Yarn Club: D.H. Day Barn. Dyed exclusively for us by the wonderful Holly & Dan of Blue Barn Fiber in Colorado (we can promise we did not pick them for their name). This colorway is light yet rich with thoughts of spring. The iconic barn is set in the most magical nook of our county where all the colors bounce off its creamy white building.

​​​​​​​* pre-order by May 20th *

May’s delightful little package will include a skein of Blue Barn Fiber Duo Select (80% superwash Merino wool, 20% recycled nylon‑‑399 yds, 100 g), an Amethyst stitch marker and your choice of the Spindrift Shawl, Seed Pod Socks or Baby Crown Tee pattern, as well as the free gifts for NEW 12-month members, Thank You gifts for Year Two members and Leelanau Lifetime Members for those in Years Three through Eleven.*

In a future life
I want to be 
a maker of color –
Inks, paints
dyes for fabric.
I’ll spend my day
like a Goddess
conjuring chroma
Driving the nothing
back to shadow and light
while every imaginable hue
dances on human made objects
blending their existence
into the natural world

‘Chroma’ by Mimi DiFrancesca​​​​​​​

Almost eleven years ago, we launched our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and there is simply no way we ever could have conceived what it is today. The dyers we’ve met, the colors they’ve created, the relationships that have grown‑‑the impact of this club in our lives‑‑personally and professionally‑‑is beyond our wildest dreams. (And just wait until we tell you about Year Eleven! Next month.) 

Manitou Passage, our March 2018 selection. 

Because our club continues to add new members every month, there are many, many customers who’ve only just joined us‑‑and have missed out on some of the previous months. And almost everyone has said that they’d love to get their hands on at least one more skein of one colorway or another. 

So. We’re opening up the opportunity for everyone who has been hoping to get another go at one‑‑or more!‑‑of our exclusive yarns. We reached out to the brilliant dyers who’ve produced colorways for our Sleeping Bear Yarn Club and asked them to dye a limited edition run for the spectacular colors from the first ten years: The Colors of Leelanau.

This year we are bringing The Colors of Leelanau to you in a new way – a curated collection. Every year our list of dyers grows and grows and the options are simply overwhelming. Let’s make it more manageable for choosing what sweaters to make and socks to gift. We want to feature our dyers in a more concentrated light. Each coming year will be a mystery to see what colors come back from the recent and not so recent past. We have to say, it is mighty hard to narrow down these amazing colors. We keep telling ourselves, there is always next year.

Star Thistle Honeyour October 2015 selection.

Club memberships are available for 3, 6 and 12 months, with the ability to pay monthly, quarterly or in full.

A current membership of any kind will grant you access to the Colors of Leelanau.

Not a current member? Sign up HERE.

Already a member? Click HERE to order the Colors of Leelanau.

We’ll be taking pre-orders for the Colors of Leelanau for a VERY limited time‑‑through March 31st only.

Orders will ship with the May 2024 packages.