Here in Pittsburgh, Spring has sprung at last and it feels like there is so much to do. There is nothing like the sudden arrival of good weather to get my creative juices flowing! Are you the same?
And that seems to have flowed over into my newsletter creation this week. There’s a ton of cool things to share! Including our yarn bowls back in stock and fun news about shipping — which I realise might sound like four of the most ridiculous words you’ve ever heard strung together, but trust me on this. So grab your cup of tea or coffee, curl up some place comfortable, and spend 5 minutes relaxing with this week’s fibery goodness!
I make a lot of lists (a semi-successful attempt to tame my spacecadet brain!) but I’ve never been good at being really systematic with them. So this caught my attention as soon as I spotted it: Stacey Trock, the crochet designer at FreshStitches, created a printable weekly planner for herself and then made it available to the rest of us too… for free! Click here to see more.
You and I both know that knitting and crocheting is not just for grandmothers (but the press never seems to get that… *sigh*). And we also know it’s not just for women (I know a bunch of male knitters and crocheters, maybe you know a few too?), but the rest of the world is maybe not ready to accept that. This article (warning: not all that safe for work) explores the “feminine” things men would do if they weren’t judged. This line made me splutter my tea: “I’d knit so hard, bro.”
Knitting for recreation is all good and well, but I absolutely adored reading about this movement to use knitting and crochet to get kids (especially girls) into math and science. “I was tired of trying to convince girls that robots were cool,” says Professor Sarah Kuhn, a psychologist and member of the Social Science Advisory Board for the National Center of Women and Information Technology at University of Massachusetts Lowell. She calls handicrafts such as knitting and weaving “a STEM opportunity hiding in plain sight.” I couldn’t agree more! Click here to read the article.
SpaceCadet Yarn Bowls & Mugs Back in Stock!
I love having the SpaceCadet grinning up at me as I drink my morning cup of tea, and knitting is always nicer when my yarn is sitting in such a beautiful bowl, so I am super-excited to announce that our SpaceCadet mugs and yarn bowls are back in stock — and just in time for Mother’s Day! If you’re looking for the perfect gift, know someone who needs a good hint(!), or just want to treat yourself, click here.
Hand-thrown by Amanda Pawley, the yarn bowls come in two sizes — regular and the adorable mini — and the mug is satisfyingly chunky and generous. And they are all available in three glazes: deep and dark Starry Night, vibrant Arizona Sunrise, and the delightful Sweet Pea glaze. The last time we got these lovely pieces in, they went super-fast, so don’t delay to see what’s in stock.
New Shipping Pricing!
Hey, I get it — this might not sound so exciting. But it is! Our shipping pricing has been set up the same way ever since SpaceCadet first opened as an Etsy shop. And whereas Etsy made me charge a little extra shipping for every item on the order, we actually ship domestic orders by Priority Mail, which is priced by the pound. That means that there’s no extra shipping cost whether you’re shipping 4oz, 8oz, or a full pound.
So this week, I updated our shipping costs to reflect that! Now, order up to three skeins and your US shipping charge doesn’t go up. If you’re ordering a sweater quantity and want to throw in a couple of extra skeins, your US shipping charge doesn’t go up. We don’t pay extra until the parcel goes over the pound mark — and now, neither do you. See? I told you it was exciting!
Limited Time: FREE Shipping on Orders over $99!
Even more exciting news about shipping (you didn’t think shipping could get any more exciting, did you?). This is something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time and, since I was updating our shipping anyway, I went ahead and set it up. For a limited time, you get FREE shipping on US orders over $99. And my favourite thing about this? I discovered an awesome little bar that sits at the bottom of the screen to let you know how close you are. It’s super-dorky of me but I totally love it. Seriously, click here and just try adding something to your cart and see what I mean!
Basalt Columns by Heatherly Walker
There are so many things I love about these socks. First, they’re designed by the delightful Heatherly Walker, who does simply amazing things with intricate stitchwork. Second, they’re about Basalt Columns, which are rock formations I’ve been a fan of (wait, can you be a fan of rock formations?!?) ever since I saw Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Third, they’re designed in SpaceCadet’s wonderful sparkly yarn, Lucina. And fourth, as Heatherly discovered, it’s really really hard to capture those sparkles in pictures (tell me about it!) so, instead, she incorporated sparkles right into the image — I love that! These socks are part of Heatherly’s year-long collection called “Stonework” — you can get this pattern on its own or collect the whole set.
And good news! I just checked the shop and we’ve got plenty of Lucina in stock. It’s a beautiful merino sock yarn with 20% nylon for strength and subtle sparkle that’s soft on your skin. Click here to check out all the gorgeous colourways!
Earthbound Misfit by Barbara Benson
Whoa — talk about a headturner! I absolutely love these textured stripes of Earthbound Misfit. If you’ve got a stash of SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins, go through and pick out your favourite bundle, then grab a skein of fingering to contrast with it, and cast on for a stunning spring wrap.
And if you’re not in the Mini-Skein Club… every month, we dye a set of gradient colours that flow into the next month’s colours and into the next and the next. The result is a Never Ending Gradient that is just gorgeous! Click here to check it out.
We’re in the process of planning some fun events for summer and I was wondering to myself, what sorts of events do folks here enjoy the most? And when I mentioned it to the team, they said, “Why don’t you ask them?”
Well, there’s a good idea! So my question to you this week is pretty straightforward:
What kind of knitting & crochet activities do you like to participate in?
Click the link and share!
Ok, before I go… something to look forward to: later this week, I’m going to introduce you to one of the most interesting patterns ever designed in SpaceCadet yarn. I can’t wait for you to see it! So be sure to keep your eyes on your inbox for that, later this week.
But that’s for today. I’ve got a busy day ahead at the studio, so I’d better finish my cuppa and get down there. And I hope you’ve got a wonderful day planned as well!
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