Harmony Society

Radiant floor heating turn browsing this awesome place into an all day «beat the winter blues» experience. Best to go when snowing for maximum heated floor effect. Floor angels make everything better.

I was just sitting in my car on High Street in Carlisle minding my own business when my wife comes running out of what I thought was just a yarn store and announced «You have to go in and check that place out. They have a shirt I think you’ll love.» It was snowing or raining or doing some sort of weird mixture of the two and the last thing I wanted to do was to leave the warm car for a yarn store. But begrudgingly I did.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into Harmony Society was the smell. Patchouli, no chaser. The second thing I noticed was how clean and spacious the store appeared. The owner had done a nice job of tastefully arranging what she was selling. I could clearly see everything and wasn’t forced to go through a lot of unnecessary perusing to find what I wanted. I immediately got on with my mission, finding the shirts located on a rack right in the middle of the store. I went over and… Holy Moses on a shoe shining stool! Was that an awesome purple shirt donning a keystone shoved full of famous Pennsylvania icons such as the Amish, soft pretzel and Charles Bronson? I sort of geeked out. I looked for a place to try on the shirt and only saw what looked like an empty closet with a light at the top. You know the scene in movies where the criminal is being interrogated in a small, dimly lit room? That’s what I thought about this room. So I asked the store owner if that is where people go to try on their t-​shirts. She confirmed my initial thoughts. The shirt fit and it was the softest thing I had ever felt. It also smelled of patchouli. These three factors must’ve gone straight to my brain because before I had even taken it off I was heading up to the register to buy it. The cost? A whopping 25 dollars. I have a problem buying t-​shirts for half that. What was I doing? I never did come to my senses and now, if you see me wearing a purple shirt wrapped in bubble wrap, you’ll know why. I gotta protect that investment.
Aside from the locally printed (Hog Island Press) t-​shirts that are Pennsylvania themed, Harmony Society sells jewelry, yarn, vintage clothing, soaps and colognes and craft books. They offer knitting classes, tarot card readings and other community gatherings throughout the month. Despite popping 25 big ones for a t-​shirt, I left feeling that Harmony Society was doing it right. They sell locally relevant items, embrace creativity and offer a bit of community in a time when a lot of us are losing that feel.
I should also mention that the owner was pleasant and had no problem making jokes with me the very first time I visited. I liked that.