Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I love about dyeing.  When I first started seven years ago, it was all about the adventure.  Mixing a riot of colours in the dyepot was wonderful fun and seeing their results on the yarn was even better.  Over time, I incorporated tonals and semi-solids to give SpaceCadet’s customers more choice and better options for complicated and lacey designs.  They’re  repeatable and realiable, and give a great palette for lots of beautiful patterns.

But deep in my soul, what I really love is creating amazing, unpredictable, adventurous colourways that fill my heart with excitement as I pull the yarn out of the dyepots.   You’ll find them in our One-of-a-Kinds, in our Limited Editions, and most of all, in our club yarns.  It’s there that I get to let my creativity run wild — but even better, because I know I’m dyeing for a community of friends.  As I put together the colours, I’m thinking of the club members I’ve gotten to know over the years, either at shows or through email or even through the notes and cards that drop through our letterbox.  Our clubs are really personal for me — and dyeing for our club members is all the more fun because of it!

And so I’ve been looking forward to today for sometime — it’s SpaceMonster Club opening day!  We give exisitng members early bird access and their renewals have been flooding in, so there are fewer spaces available but I’m thrilled to open the club new members today.  It’s always so exciting to have new members to meet and create those wonderful colourways for!  Will you be one of them?

Because we know you love big smooshy yarns, doncha?

There is nothing in the whole world like a skein of lovely, smooshy, thick yarn to make you want to pick it up, squish it… dive right into it! Big, bulky yarns call out to you, beg you to pick them up and press them against your cheek. And when you cast on, they always work up so fast! Big yarns are gorgeous.

All images shown here are of past colourways and are for illustrative purposes only. Yarns, colouways, and gifts for new subscriptions will be different (but still awesome!).

 

Ready to join us?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very Important: if you are giving a subscription as a gift, please remember to include the recipient’s postal and email addresses in the notes when you check out. We gotta have that to send the recipient their parcels!

Here’s what you’re getting…

As a member of the SpaceMonsters Mega Club, you receive:

• a fantastic parcel delivered to their door every other month, containing a beautiful skein of SpaceCadet^® yarn in worsted or bulky weight, hand-dyed in an exclusive colourway* created to bring out the best in thicker yarns.
• The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
• A fantastic SpaceMonsters gift tucked into every third parcel. We’re known for the great gifts we include in our club parcels — and for this club, we’re seriously upping the fab. You’re going love it!

All images shown here are of past colourways and are for illustrative purposes only. Yarns, colouways, and gifts for new subscriptions will be different (but still awesome!).

But bigger yarns mean bigger projects, right?

Don’t you worry — in this club, you can buy extra skeins! For a whole month after you receive your parcel, you’ll have an exclusive opportunity to order more skeins custom-dyed in the latest club colourway. You’ll receive an email with all the details about a week after your parcel goes out — and then all you have to do is pick your project!

All images shown here are of past colourways and are for illustrative purposes only. Yarns, colouways, and gifts for new subscriptions will be different (but still awesome!).

• a 6 month subscription (3 parcels) is only $99
• a 12 month subscription (6 parcels) is just $194
• Plus, you can choose a double subscription for two skeins in each parcel, or a triple for three, giving you the option to cast on your project as soon as you open the box!

Ready? Let’s do this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very Important: if you are giving a subscription as a gift, please remember to include the recipient’s postal and email addresses in the notes when you check out. We gotta have that to send the recipient their parcels!

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Six month subscriptions include 3 parcels; twelve month subscriptions include 6 parcels. Parcels will be sent out in early February, April, June, August, October, and December. Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US. Normal subscription openings/renewals will be available in June and December of each year. All club members are automatically subscribed to the club mailing list to receive email notification of club updates, special offers for extra skeins, and similar stuff. We never, ever sell or share your email with anyone. Because of the nature of the club set-up, we can accept returns or exchanges of club shipments for faulty yarns only. By joining the club, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. All images shown here are of past colourways and are for illustrative purposes only. Yarns, colouways, and gifts for new subscriptions will be different (but still awesome!). Any other questions? We’re here to help! missioncontrol@spacecadetyarn.com

I don’t know about you but, after a miserably hot couple of weeks, the weather in Pittsburgh has turned perfect.  I found myself starting my mornings with coffee on the front porch, a few minutes of knitting, and just watching the world wake up.  Today is no exception — but with the added bonus of a newsletter packed with fiber-arts news!  I’ve a had lot of fun putting it together so, if you’re ready to join me, let’s dive in…

image ©Purl and Loop, used with permission

Weaving seems to be growing in popularity by the day (at my trunk show just this weekend, I was chatting with some customers about how great it is for stash-busting) so, if you’re a knitter or crocheter who’s thinking of taking a stab at it, you might useful this article on a Weaver’s Guide to Wool Yarn.  Yep, you can use your knitting stash, but it’s good to know how weaving yarns differ and why.

One of the things I love most about knitting is how architectural it is (if you’re not following me, just turn a heel on a pair of socks) but for three-dimensionality, I think crochet has knitting beat hands down, and (warning: mature content, not safe for work) this design uses that particular element to hilarious effect.  I may just have spat my tea across my keyboard when I clicked the link.

Did you see my blog post the other week on Six (Good) Reasons to Swatch Besides Getting Gauge?  Well, that’s all well and good but we both know that getting gauge the best reason to swatch but it’s about much more than just hitting the numbers listed on the pattern.  In this article from Deb Gerish of Love of Knitting magazine, we learn advanced gauge techniques, including some lazy tricks for resizing your project.  Definitely worth adding to your repertoire!

Speaking of weaving, did you see the adorable gift (above) that our SpaceMonster Club members got in their latest parcels?  I was so excited to send them out!  It’s Purl & Loop’s Wee Weaver, perfect for stash-busting and customised with our adorable SpaceMonster’s grinning face.  I can’t wait to see what everyone makes with them!

The SpaceMonster Club Opens this Friday!

Last week, we sent out what I think is one of the most beautiful colourways I’ve ever dyed for the SpaceMonsters.  It was inspired by the deep, cool green of the leaves on the peony plants in my garden.  I absolutely love the way it came out!  And I also took inspiration from the peony blooms themselves for the companion colourway.  When I looked closely at the flowers, the layers of colour were just incredible, and I wanted to capture that range of pinks in this yarn.

The club has been closed for six months…  but it opens to new subscriptions this Friday!  The sign-up period is limited, so get on the club’s list to get an early-bird and the chance to join before anyone else.  Just click here to get your name on the list —  and then watch for an email later this week with instructions on how to get your spot!

Shop Update: July 7

While we were packing for a trunk show this weekend, I realised that Lucina — our wonderful (and wonderfully soft) sparkle yarn — has been selling pretty quickly.  Time to dye some more and do a shop update!  And maybe I’ll get the chance to play in the studio and create a special colourway.  The update will be next Friday, July 7 at noon (eastern).  Set a reminder on your phone and look for more info next week!

The Combining Yarns KAL is Underway!

Cast On Day was Friday and it’s been awesome to see everyone’s projects get underway!  Click here to see some of the awesomeness in action, or check out the hashtag #spacecadetcombingingyarnskal on Instagram.  My own Cast On Day did not go to plan (the whole day turned out be about a rather nasty stomach bug, someone in my family who wasn’t fast enough, and then hours of bleaching every surface between the bed and the bathroom, and five, yes five, loads of laundry) so I am casting on this week instead.  If you’re a little behind too, don’t feel bad — you can come and sit over in the corner with me!

I usually associate Fair Isle yokes with cosy winter sweaters, so I was just smitten when I spotted this cap-sleeve, fingering weight Fair Isle tee that’s got all the beautiful colourwork I love but is sweet and light enough for warmer weather.  Plus the colourwork is repeated again at the waist.  It’s a beautiful design and, as soon as I saw it, I thought of our Mini-Skeins.  They’re all fingering weight and give you the chance to work your Fair Isle in a striking ombre fade.  And July’s colours?  So summer.

I’m an absolute sucker for summer shawls, and this one is perfect for both our Combining Yarns KAL and for our Mini-Skeins.  I love the lace edging and the eyelet stripes, perfect offset to the serene expanses of stockinette.  Worked in a neutral with ombre stripes, it’d be stunning.  Or work the ombre across the stockinette with a coordinating neutral for the stripes.  Either way, it makes for a colourful summer!

Designed especially to make the most of variegated yarns, this shawl moves colour about in a way that breaks up any tendencies toward pooling or flashing and, instead, creates a mix of textures that bring out the best in full-of-colour yarns.  Is there a skein lurking in your stash that you’ve never found the right pattern for?  Reyna might be it!

images © the respective designers, used with permission

Well, I’ve got a busy day ahead of me — if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that my computer updated itself yesterday and suddenly I couldn’t print the postage labels for all the parcels that were supposed to out that day (that’s some of them, above).  After some help from an IT-pro friend, we’re up and running again, and it’s time to get them all in the post at last!   I hope you have an exciting day planned too, with a few key breaks to knit or crochet — always makes a day go better.  Until next time, all my best.

 

 

You know how you feel when there is so much going on that you are wildly excited about and yet you don’t even know where to start?  That’s been my life the past couple of weeks.

I think it started at TNNA, the industry tradeshow, a couple of weeks ago, where we saw so many exciting new knitting and crochet toys tools that I wanted to buy them all!  Then I was packing orders and spotted how many fantastic Celeste-and-Maia combinations we had hiding away amongst our One-of-a-Kind yarns and how perfect they’d be for our upcoming KAL, so I had a sudden brainwave to share them with you in a shop update.  Terribly last minute, I know, but they’re too beautiful not to share!  (Look for an email on that update at 10:30am today.)   And then we were packing the SpaceMonster club parcels and it hit me like a slap: with the excitement of the KAL and shows and all the stuff going on this month, I’d completely forgotten that it is time to open the SpaceMonster Club for new subscriptions!  WHAT?!?  Ok… ok…  deep breath, Stephanie…  remember the company is called SpaceCadet for a reason. More on that soon, but if you’ve been waiting to join the awesome SpaceMonsters Club, subscriptions openings are coming!

So there’s a lot of cool stuff to share with you today but, before we get to that, would you help me out with something please?  TNNA filled my head with a ton of great ideas: new colours, new yarns, new techniques…  so much cool stuff, it could keep me busy for a lifetime or two (and if your stash looks like mine, I know you know that feeling!).  But before I jump into All The Things All At Once, I’d be so grateful if you’d help me narrow my focus.  Please click here and help me get on the right track by answering a few quick questions.  I’d really appreciate your help!

 

My lovely friends Amy and Scooter from Ross Farm Fiber (awesome heritage-breed yarn) stopped by our booth at TNNA (always makes my day to see them!).  And I was thrilled to get a mention in their podcast, the Transient Wool Merchants, (even if they spent several seconds completely forgetting about me! Ha ha ha ha! Listen to the first few seconds as they keep saying, “Who are we forgetting…?”).  But I’m excited by how impressed they were with our Celeste and Maia pairings that we’ve been prepping for the KAL — they’re right, it’s amazing how differently those two yarns take the colour.  Are you joining us for the KAL?  Click here to read the guidelines and jump aboard!

Did you see this article on the way spies used knitting as a tool for wartime espionage?  So interesting!

Quick, before you do anything else, just grab and pen and draw a circle.  Now, look at how you drew it: from the top or bottom, clockwise or counter? This article is not at all about fiber arts but I found it fascinating nonetheless: the way we draw simple shapes is culturally conditioned and has a lot to do with what language we speak.

I chatted with a lot of designers at TNNA (so fun!) and the crochet designers all asked if I supported crocheters.  Even though I am personally more of a knitter, I enthusiastically said, “Yes!” because besides obvious (crochet is just as legit as knitting), I’ve always loved what crochet does with variegated yarns.  It moves the colour vertically as well as horizontally, and the result is strikingly different.  I loved how this article illustrates the way the same yarn comes out in knitting, crochet, and weaving.  So cool.  (And SpaceMonsters: you’ll find out soon why this is especially appropriate for you! :wink:)

Today is the Summer Solistice — the longest day of the year!  I used to live very near to Stonehenge, where the solistice is a really big deal, so I have a real soft spot for the 21st of June.  If you want to see what it’s all about, click here.

 

Our KAL Casts On on Friday!

I’m so excited — Friday is Cast On Day and it’s almost here!  Lots of folks have been busy sharing pictures on Ravelry and Instagram of their yarns as they come out of their parcels, and wound into cakes and even as they turn them into swatches.  With a KAL like this one — all about combining two very different yarns in one project — swatching is such a crucial step in really getting to know your yarn.

This is pair of yarns I’ve chosen: the show exclusive we did for Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet (yep, I stole two skeins for myself!) called “Astronaut Ice Cream” and I just love it!!! Look how different the colourway comes out on the two yarns (and how shimmery that Maia is!).⠀

Shop Update TODAY at 11am:
One-of-a-Kind Pairings for our KAL!

I was hunting through the studio to fill some orders and realised a lot of our One-of-a-Kind Celeste and Maia would pair beautifully together for our upcoming KAL. I know it’s a totally last minute thing but they’re just to good not to share!

There’s only one of each pairing and it’s first come first served so, quick, do this:

1. have a look through the images below to find your favourite One-of-a-Kind pairing
2. then set a timer on your phone for 11am eastern
3. and click here when that alarm goes off and grab your favourite colourways before they disappear!

Ready to check out the colourways?  C’mon, here we go!

(By the way, this photoshoot was so fun!  First, tea and knitting just go together, right?  Second, apparently tea and photoshoots go together too — did you notice that the amount of tea in the cup keeps going down?  That was me.  Third, I totally got my steps in that day just going up and down the darned stepladder! See a behind the scene photo here)

 

Here’s another pattern that could be really intriguing as part of our KAL.  If you do the main body in Celeste for stretch and memory, and layer Maia as the floats for sheen and visual interest, I think the the effect will be amazing!  And even though it looks terribly complicated, I have it on good authority that the pattern is not hard, so you’ll look seriously impressive without actually making yourself go cross-eyed!

When I found out Melissa Leapman was designing in SpaceCadet Cressida (in Nine Stones, above) for Interweave’s Fall issue of Love of Knitting magazine, I let out a little squeal!  And the result is as beautiful as I’d hoped.  With plenty of length to keep you warm this winter, it’s the cabled detail in the edging that really catches my eye.  Not too much, just enough…  perfect!

 

As we get ready for the KAL, I discussed some great reasons to swatch that go beyond just getting gauge.  If you shy away from swatching (who doesn’t?), it’s worth reading!

Ok, well, the weather is perfect and I’ve got a busy day of dyeing ahead (oh, and I have to cake up my skeins for the KAL!), so I’d better get going.  I hope you have a wonderful day planned as well — don’t forget to check out the shop update at 11am (because One-of-a-Kind yarn is sure to make your day extra special!).

And until next time, all my best!

I am super excited by the response we’ve had as we prep for our summer KAL.  It’s all about exploring the amazing effects that you can acheive by combining SpaceCadet Celeste and Maia yarns and so many people have embraced the idea — I’m just over the moon!  If you’re in (or just thinking about it), here are all the details you need…

A Giveaway to Kick Things Off!

KALs are always the more fun with friends, so please won’t you help me spread the word?  And you’ll get a chance to win a $25 gift certificate and super-cute SpaceCadet project bag to use for the KAL!  Sound good?

Entering is easy!  Just follow me on Instagram and leave a comment on the giveaway post (click here to go to the post)

Plus, once you’re entered, you can get additional entries (woot!) by doing one (or both!) of the following :

1. Tag a friend in the comments of the Instagram post. Each friend tagged is one additional entry!
2. Repost the Instagram post with the hashtag #SpaceCadetCombiningYarnsGiveaway

I’ll announce the winner on June 16.  Good luck!

For full sweepstakes rules and alternative method of entry, click here and see “Official Rules for Combining Yarn KAL Kickoff Sweepstakes”

Today: Shop Update on Maia and Celeste

Next, let’s get some supplies for the KAL!  You’ll want Maia and Celeste to get the most out of this KAL, and you can work from stash or… we’ve dyed a bunch that’s going in the shop update today at noon (eastern)!   So when that timer gets down to zero, click here for Maia and here for Celeste to grab your favourite colours before they go.

Plus Limited Editions!

We have the most fun dyeing when we let our imaginations run wild, so we’ve created not one but two Limited Editions for this shop update — and they are bursting with colour and just gorgeous!  Scorch is saturated with the colours of fire and heat, and Deluge is shades of cool, refreshing water.  The same colourway looks so different dyed onto both Celeste and Maia and yet blends together perfectly.  Combined in one project — matte and sheen, vibrant and iced — the effect will be stunning!

Official KAL Guidelines

Structure is the spice of life    …have you ever heard that phrase?  No?  Oh.  Well, anyway, a KAL is always more fun with a few guidelines to keep everyone on the same page.  Here’s how the Combining Yarns KAL will work:

• To get the most out of the KAL (and to be eligible for prizes), you must combine two different SpaceCadet yarns in one project.  We’re suggesting Maia and Celeste (because they’re awesome together) but you can get creative and combine any two SpaceCadet yarns you like.  It’s all about exploring the way different yarns combine!
• Choose any pattern you like, so long as you can combine yarns in it.  Large or small, from a cloak to a shawl, they’re all welcome.  I recommend striping patterns because the yarn changes are build right in, but you can pick whatever suits your fancy as long as you’ve got a plan for incorporating both yarns.  Need pattern ideas?  Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered in the next section.
• We’ll be casting on on Friday June 23 and binding off on Sunday August 27.  You can work at your own pace but if you want to be eligible for the grand prize at the end of the KAL, you’ll need to be bound off (and posting your finished object photos) by Aug 27.
• Swatching is highly encouraged ahead of time!  It’s worth it to get to know the two yarns before you launch into your project, because they can sometimes give unexpected results.  Use your swatch to play with striping, test your project’s trickier stitch patterns, get to know the yarns’ textures and, of course, get gauge.
• Project updates and discussion will be in the SpaceCadet group on Ravelry.  Look for progress threads to go up there regularly during the KAL and then jump in with your photos and updates.  We’ve got a great community of folks who’d love to see them!
• But I’m on Instagram more often than I’m on Ravelry, so please share quick updates with me there too.  Tag me @spacecadetyarn and use the hashtag #SpaceCadetCombiningYarnsKAL so everyone else can find your updates too!
• There will be giveaways and prizes along the way!  We’re still working out the details, but we’ve got fun stuff planned — from gift certificates to yarn to swag.  And we’ll finish with a grand prize for a project voted on by all the participants, so make sure you’re giving us updates and lots of photos along the way!

Pattern Suggestions

Ok, so are you starting to think of pattern ideas?  We’ve got a whole thread on Ravelry dedicated to sharing great pattern suggestions for the Combining Yarns KAL!  Click here to browse it, and here are my own favourite picks from it:

Shawls

• Ardente by Heather Zoppetti
• Sea Grass by Janino Kallio
• Cameo by Paulina Popiolek

Sweaters

• Elfe by Astrid Schramm
• Nothing But Stripes! by emteedee
• Saco Stripes by Pam Allen (this one is a favourite of the whole SapceCadet crew!)

My Tips for Working with Maia & Celeste

And finally,  here are my top tips for working Maia and Celeste together:

Go for big needles. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with customers who’ve picked up a fingering weight yarn and said that they don’t like working with little needles.  But don’t be fooled — just because the yarn is fingering, that doesn’t mean you have to use tiny needles.  In fact, both Maia and Celeste do amazing things on bigger needles.  Try them on size 8s (US) and you’ll find they create a wonderfully light and airy fabric that drapes beautifully and feels just so summer-y!

Think about different textures.  The two different yarns lend themselves better to different types of textures, so think about that as you choose your pattern.   Both of them work beautifully in stockinette stitch, so you’ll never go wrong with that.  But consider Celeste for garter or any area that needs good stitch definition.  And Maia’s smoothness makes it perfect for lace or any area that needs great drape.  The short answer?  Swatch first to test the yarns out in the textured sections of your pattern

Aim for contrast.  These two yarns are so delicious together when they’re used in a way that highlights the differences between them: the matte vs sheen, the bold colour vs soft.  So choose a pattern that creates a lot of play and spotlights the contrast between the two yarns.

What to Do Next

Ok, if you’re ready to jump on board, here’s your next steps:

1. Come over to the Ravelry thread to let us know you’re in the KAL, say hi to everyone, and to give (or get!) pattern ideas
2. Set a reminder on your phone to check out the Shop Update at noon today (eastern).  Then, when the time rolls around,  click here for Maia and here for Celeste to get your favourite colourways.
3. And make sure you enter our giveaway for some awesome  SpaceCadet swag!

See you in the KAL!