Annoucing the Love Actually KAL

01FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I’ve been dyeing(!) to tell you about this… and hinting about it on Twitter and Facebook… and now, at last, it’s February 1. Today is the day!

This is knit-designer, and my lovely friend, Sara Bench. And that fantastic cowl is Love Actually, her new pattern that was released on Knitty last week.

Isn’t it gorgeous? Double-knit, so it’s thick and warm, and totally reversible — the hearts that you see on one side appear (with the colours reversed) on the other side. How cool is that?

So I was thinking… a pattern like that deserves celebrating! And what better way to celebrate a knitting pattern than a Knitalong?

The Love Actually KAL

With Valentine’s Day coming up, this is the perfect quick (yet interesting) knit to keep your fingers flying through those cold February days.

And here’s the best bit: Sara is going to do the KAL with us, and guide us every step of the way. So even if you’re unsure about colourwork, or have never done double-knitting before, you can join with confidence. Not only will you have all your fellow knitters there to help you, you’ll also have the designer knitting right alongside you!

Oh! And there are giveaways! Each week of the KAL, everyone who posts a picture of their progress will be entered in a random drawing to win some really great swag. That’s right — free stuff… just for knitting!

C’mon! Wouldn’t you love to make one with us?!?

The Details

Here’s everything you need to know:

The cast-on date is Valentine’s Day, February 14, and the KAL will run through March 14.
To join the KAL, just click here and leave a message telling us you’re in! Please, no chit-chat in that thread, so that it’s easy for us to keep track of who has joined — just give us your name and your Rav name, and we’ll make sure we’ve got you in.
The KAL will be coordinated by Natalie (peacethrufiber). If you’ve ever come to see us at a show, then you’ve met Natalie: she’s the one whose hands are always knitting — she knits while she chats, answers questions, helps you choose your yarn… She’s an amazing knitter! So if you have any questions during the KAL, either about how it runs or about the knitting, she’s another great resource to go to.
Click here and meet your fellow KALers! Tell us about yourself… who you’re making your project for, what yarn you’re going to use, what you’re looking forward to about the pattern. Don’t forget to include where you’re from and if you’ve ever done double knitting before. And, hey, while we’re at it, tell us what the world looks like outside your window right now (it’s snowing here and looks ever so wintery!).
Make sure you tag your project on Ravelry with “LoveActuallyKAL” so all your fellow KALers can find it.
Spread the word! Let others know about the Love Actually KAL by sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, and maybe posting about it on Ravelry. The more we have in the KAL, the merrier it will be!
Tweet #LoveActuallyKAL
Grab your Love Actually pattern here.
Choose your yarn! You’ll need two skeins of DK yarn in two colours. You can buy fresh yarn, choose from your stash or… or….

SpaceCadet’s Love Actually KAL Kits

…Or you can choose the yarn we’ve dyed especially for this KAL, in the most perfect-for-Valentine’s-Day colours. And as a special thank you for joining the KAL, we’re even knocking 10% off the price!

There’s Tainted Love, a gorgeous grey and red combination, where the grey is gentle and the red is bold. But look closely, there’s a lot of depth of shade there — see how the colours move and change through both skeins? These ain’t no flat colourways! And life in those colours are going to look amazing in Love Actually.

Or go for the Chocolate & Roses combination! These are the colours from our popular Beguile colourway, pulled out into two separate skeins specifically for this KAL. The first shade is the deep rich brown — Valentine chocolates, anyone? And the second is a beautiful vibrant pink that would make the most perfect rose. Together, they are simply stunning.

For now, I’ve dyed only 20 kits. If they sell out, I may dye more, but time is short so there are no guarantees. If these colours are calling to you, click here to grab yours — at 10% off and before they’re all gone!

January Brings… Lots of Exciting News!

18JanApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

2013 has started off with a bang! We’ve been so busy getting ready for all the great stuff we’ve got coming up that I’ve hardly had a chance to stop and tell you about it.

Which is totally dumb, because what is the point of having all kinds of cool stuff in the pipeline if I don’t share it with you? Let’s fix that right now!

SpaceCadet is at the Loopy Ewe!

I’ve kept quiet about this for a couple of months now because… ooooh, I was afraid if I said anything, maybe it wouldn’t come true. But it has! I am so excited to announce that SpaceCadet yarn is now available at The Loopy Ewe. Sheri is well known for her fantastic customer service, her free shipping on orders over $75, and her ability to create a collection of the most amazing indie dyers out there. I can’t tell you how excited and deeply honoured I am to be part of that collection!

And the most amazing thing about this? Sheri told me she’d first heard about SpaceCadet from her own customers, who were asking her to start carrying our yarn. So thank you for that — it’s proof positive that I have the most awesome customers a girl could possibly ask for!

Now please, go and buy some SpaceCadet from The Loopy Ewe, and show Sheri and her team that you guys were right!

Exciting Mystery KAL with Laura Nelkin!

Here’s something else to go squeeeeeeee about: the fabulous knit designer and Craftsy teacher Laura Nelkin has asked me to create the kits for her exciting new mystery knit-along! Now, I’ve seen some of the sneak-peeks of her design and it’s so gorgeous I wish I tell you all about it but… well, it is a mystery, so I can’t say much right now. But her last KAL was such a runaway success, I just cannot wait to see this one get started!

What to be the first to hear when it goes live? Make sure you’re on her mailing list, in her Ravelry group, or following her on Twitter or Facebook. And then… just you wait, you’re going to love it!!!

New Intense Colours on the Way

I don’t know what it is about January, but as soon as the holidays ended and the new year began, I was suddenly craving some seriously deep, intense colours. And even though I have a ton of other dyeing to do, I took a couple of days and just indulged myself in some wonderful, soul-enriching colour experimentation.

The result is such intense colour that I just cannot stop looking at it. And honestly, I can’t seem take a picture that does it justice. But believe me, that blue on the right there? It almost pulsates with colour!

I’ve never explored colour this intense before and, suddenly, I cannot stop exploring it. I am totally inspired, and you are going to be seeing the results that inspiration popping up all over the place soon! Keep your eyes open.

And if you’re in the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club, you’re going to get some of the first tastes of this experimentation. Not to spoil anything but… well, the “wildness” of this month’s Wild Mix colourways is less about variegation and more about deep, intense, gorgeous colour. I know it’s a bit of a departure from the norm, but I think you’re reallllly going to like it!

And if you’re not in the club but you love these kinds of colours, now is one of the best times to join, because the Mini-Skein Club is the place where I really let my imagination come out to play! One-of-a-kind colourways, experimental yarns, and a good mix of SpaceCadet favourites too… all wrapped up in the sweetest little tiny skeins. It’s a great way to see what all the fuss is about!

So tell me… what do think of them?!?

After A Long Winter’s Nap

04JanApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

The first day back to Real Life after the holidays can be like waking up from a long slumber. And sometimes it’s a gentle start to the new year …and sometimes it’s not. 2013 has started with a bang! There’s tons of stuff to look forward to and I can’t wait to tell you all about it in the coming weeks. But first, let’s start with this…

It’s Yarn Alliance parcel time! You know what? The first club parcel of year might just be my favourite. The depths of winter are such an inspiration… the new year is always so full of promise… and, after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s so nice to sink comfortably into Selfish Knitting Month.

On A Winter’s Eve

Selfish knitting should be sheer pleasure, so I started with the luxurious cashmere softness of Aurora — this is a yarn you really have to feel to believe. And I layered onto it the colours that were calling to me — deep purple-blues of a cold winter’s night and the soft silver-greys of the stars above, and the snows that reflect them. And as they dyed, I let the colours mingle together, creating a gentle undulation from one shade to another.

I really, really love this colourway.

Now, the gift! I’m excited about this. I met Kristine Keller at TNNA two years ago, just after, Stormy Blue, her lovely yarn-and-pottery shop opened in Murrysville PA, and I liked her straight away. She’s down to earth and fun, so I was delighted to run into her again a few months ago at Indie Knit & Spin, where she was selling her gorgeous yarn bowls.

And as I was looking at her booth, I spotted these lovely hand-made shawl pins — every single one completely unique — and immediately thought of the Yarn Alliance. I phone Kristine a few weeks later and asked if she’d make some custom SpaceCadet shawl pins and she was totally up for it. I love them!

So, now that the holidays are over and all your gift-knitting is finished, how will you celebrate Selfish Knitting Month? C’mon, it’s time to make something luxurious and wonderful …and all for yourself. What will you cast on?