Check out our Fabulous Spring Show Specials!

11MarApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

The weeks right before a show are always a weird mix of wildly excited and crazy busy, all at the same time at the same time. And, as we prep for the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival this weekend (March 14-16, click here for a map) and HomeSpun Yarn Party next weekend (March 23, click here for directions), it feels like there are a million things going on at once.

I have a full-scale mock-up of our booth in my living room right now (even though it doesn’t actually fit in my living room), there are bags of yarn everywhere, and I am trying to keep track of no less than five separate to-do lists at the moment.

But we are bringing so many cool things to our Spring shows this year that it’s worth all the chaos. Wanna see what’s in store?

The SpaceCadet Show Exclusive Colourway

I think creating our Show Exclusive Colourway might be my favourite part of show-prep. This is a one-of-a-kind, non-repeatable colourway that is available exclusively at our Spring shows.

This year’s colourway is called Northern Lights and, just like its namesake, it is a swirl of ethereal and intense colour. When Jade was twisting it up, she called it “mesmerizing”, said she couldn’t stop looking at it. I know it’s going to go fast — make sure you get to the booth quickly!

Ombre & Gradient Kits, perfect for Pau Hana!

I love watching people discover our Ombre & Gradient Kits, so we’re bringing a bunch of them. These are the full-skein kits, enough to create an adult sweater with that gorgeous colour-morphing effect.

And the beautiful Pau Hana from Singlehanded Knits was designed specifically for our Ombre & Gradient Kits. Do you love it as much as I do? We’ll have the pattern available right alongside the yarn that inspired it!

Mini-Skein Bundles

We’ve got tons of SpaceCadet Mini-Skein bundles to bring to the shows. Think of them as yarn crayons and let your imagination run wild! If you’ve been coveting the recent Mini-Skein Club parcels, or if you’ve ever fancied trying SpaceCadet yarn but didn’t know where to begin, these little skeins are the perfect place to start!

Hana Hou Kits

I am blown away by Hana Hou, the newest design from Singlehanded Knits. To support the KAL that will start in May, we’ll be offering Sweater Kits of Lyra, perfect for Hana Hou. Buy one of the kits and we’ll give you the pattern for free so you’re all ready for the KAL when it starts. Come and pick your favourite colourway!

The gorgeous Asola Stole

And we’ll have the gorgeous Asola Stole by Pittsburgh designer Amy Maceyko. Designed in SpaceCadet yarn and constructed with an intriguing oval shape, this is one design you’ll really want to see in person! Amy will be teaching at Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet and stopping by our booth between classes — do come and say hello!

The very best part of the show

But for all the great stuff we’re bringing to the show, the very best thing is something we actually can’t pack… I cannot wait to see so many of our customers in person! It is truly the best part of every show we do — seeing your projects, putting faces to names, and really getting to know you guys. I love it, and I leave every show on a high that lasts for days.

So please, come to the show and introduce yourself. We can’t wait to see you!

Help Me Choose the Best Mini-Skein Colourway!

07MarApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We are crazy busy at the moment prepping club parcels and getting ready for our upcoming shows (Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet 14-16 March; HomeSpun Yarn Party 23 March; are you coming?), but I just wanted to quickly share this with you…

The Multicolour Mix

These are February’s Mini-Skein Club parcels and I think they may be some of favourites ever. First, let me show you the Multicolour Mix. Now, when I dyed it, I was just having fun — playing with the kind of wonderfully intense colours that I crave in the depths of winter. Bright and cheerful, I think they perfectly fit the bill.

But when Amy saw them, all twisted and gathered into bundles, she picked one up and held it up, so I was looking at it end-on. “You’ve dyed the Olympic Rings!” she declared. And she was right! Well, sort of. But there we were, right in the middle of the Olympic Games, and I’d unconsciously dyed a red, a green, a yellow, a blue, and… well, it’s actually a deep purplish colour, but it almost looks black. The Olympic Rings, in yarn form.

Maybe I’ll make it a reoccurring theme, every two years or so. …But, erm, in a completely not-copyright-breaching kind of way. It’s just, y’know, yarn.

The Ombre & Gradient Mix

Now let me show you the Mini-Skein Club’s Ombre & Gradient Mix, and I’m really excited about this one. This is a gradient set, meaning that the colours don’t fade as in an ombre set, but instead morph gently from one colour to the next across the set. Do you see how it moves from a lavendar into a gray and into a lemon colour? Imagine that gentle colour shift across the rows of your project — so lovely!

This is the Mini-Skein version of a colourway I’d asked you to help me name a few weeks ago. Do you remember that? We had tons of fabulous suggestions in emails, in blog comments, on Facebook… And my favourite came via Twitter from Amy at Ross Farm Fibers, who suggested a play on the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I really loved that idea, and the colourway is called… When Life Gives You Lavender.

Tell Me Your Favourite!

Now, I would love to hear which of these Mini-Skein colourways is your favourite. Is there one that you think we should offer as a Limited Edition? Or maybe as a permanent addition to our shop colourways? Let me know! Just click here to vote in the poll and join the conversation on Ravelry (use the numbers at the bottom of each picture). I’d love to know what you think!

Join the Yarn Alliance! 1-16 March

Don’t forget the Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s fabulous yarn club — is open for subscriptions right now and closes on 16 March. Spaces have been going fast — click here to learn more and join today!

The Yarn Alliance is OPEN!

28FebSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

We are super excited to announce…

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is Open for Subscriptions!

If you like SpaceCadet^®yarns, then
you’ll love being in the Yarn Alliance!

The Yarn Alliance is the SpaceCadet’s premiere yarn club.

What do you get when you join?

…beautiful yarns, colourways you might never have dared try but suddenly realise you love, and some seriously fabulous gifts!

Members of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance receive fabulous parcels delivered to their door every other month, containing:

SpaceCadet^® yarn (light to medium weight) in an exclusive Yarn Alliance colourway (guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet^® website for at least 6 months)
A great Yarn Alliance gift tucked into every parcel!
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
The InterStellar Yarn Alliance newsletter with periodic special offers exclusively for members.
A 15% off coupon every six months

New for this year: Extra Skeins!

One gorgeous skein just isn’t enough? Now you’ll also 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!

A 6 month subscription (3 parcels) is $135
and a 12 month subscription (6 parcels) is $249.

Ready to join the fun? We’d love to have you on board!

Click below to choose your subscription:

The Yarn Alliance is now CLOSED until Sept 2014.

Get on the list to be the first to hear when it opens!

Six month subscriptions include 3 parcels; twelve month subscriptions include 6 parcels. Parcels will be sent out in early January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US.. Normal subscription openings for the InterStellar Yarn Alliance are two weeks only in March and September of each year.

Got questions? We’re happy to help! info@spacecadetyarn.com

Hana Hou Winners …and Gifts for Everyone Else!

19FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We’ve been super busy lately developing some fab new colourways, but I wanted to quickly pull myself away from the dyepots to give you the news that I know a ton of you have been waiting for…

Last week I announced that Mel of Singlehanded Knits had generously given me seven copies of her gorgeous new pattern, Hana Hou (perfect for SpaceCadet Lyra!) to give away to seven lucky readers. So, without further ado, the winners aaaaare…

Andrea (SeCoWi13 on Ravelry)
Dianne (cdccj on Ravelry)
Grace (tully on Ravelry)
Laura (tastefldiversns on Ravelry)
Dawn (Knithemiptera on Ravlery)
Dvora (dvorag on Ravelry)
Robin (pookiemonk on Ravelry)

Congratulations! Mel will be sending each of you your pattern shortly.

So You Didn’t Win? No Worries!

Even if your name’s not up on there in that list, I’ve still got a couple of treats for you! But hurry, they’re for today only.

First, if you click here to join the SingleHanded Knits mailing list today, and Mel will give you $2 off your own copy of Hana Hou. Which is pretty fabulous, and gets you halfway to getting cast on!

And then, to get you the rest of the way to casting on, I’m giving you a coupon code for $5 off SpaceCadet Lyra — the perfect yarn for Hana Hou — which means your Hana Hou pattern is essentially free when you make it in SpaceCadet yarn!

We’ve got a ton of Lyra tied up and ready to dye, but you have to hurry — this is a spur-of-the-moment thing that I just thought of, so the code is good on orders placed today only. To get your $5 off, just click here to choose your colours, and enter the code LyraForHanaHou during check out, and the rest of your Hana Hou pattern will be on me!

New Colourways

And you know I said we’d been hard at work in the studio developing new colourways? It’s a really long process — first there’s the original colour idea, then the development of the recipe, then dyeing up test batches and checking quality, the photography and image editing, and then finally getting the new colouways up on the website.

But our new colours are slowly making their way into the shop, one by one — and I’ll be working on putting a few more of them in later this week and over the weekend. But for now, have a look for fabulous four new shades in Lyra. And, hey, leave a comment and let me know which is your favourite — I’d love to know!

The Yarn Alliance Opens in March

Are you signed up for the Yarn Alliance mailing list? Available to new subscribers only twice a year, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s premiere yarn club, known for fabulous fingering yarns, gorgeous colourways, and awesome gifts — will be opening again in March for two weeks only. If you want to be the first to know when it does, click here and get on the Yarn Alliance mailing list!

Hana Hou: A Giveaway!

14FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Is someone giving you roses today? Maybe a huge box of chocolate? Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful bright spot in the depths of winter but if, like me, you aren’t likely to get something from a sweetheart, then let me step in and give you a sweet little treat of my own…

My friend Mel of Singlehanded Knits has just released Hana Hou, a gorgeous new cardigan design that I just love, absolutely love. Knit in sport weight yarn and perfect for SpaceCadet Lyra, it features an asymmetrical style with a really beautiful border detail on the placket and cuffs. It’s just the kind of knit you find yourself itching to get on the needles…

But there’s something more about Hana Hou that knocked my socks off. Rather than simply put together a regular pattern, Mel has turned Hana Hou into a stunning look book, each page filled with the most incredibly luscious photography alongside the pattern instructions. Every image makes you feel like you are falling right into the page and changes Hana Hou from a simple pattern into something that feels more like an escape to the islands. I can’t stop scrolling through it on my iPad…

Win a Copy of the Hana Hou Pattern & Look Book!

So how about a copy of your own? You got it! Mel has very generously given me seven copies of Hana Hou to give away to seven lucky winners!

All you have to do is:

go to Ravelry (click here) and add Hana Hou to either your favourites or your queue
and then leave a comment here on the blog telling me which Lyra colourway you’d choose for your Hana Hou (don’t forget to mention your Ravelry name)

That’s it! Once that’s done, you’re in with a chance to win your own copy of the gorgeous Hana Hou pattern look book! But hurry — the giveaway closes on Monday Feb 17 at 11.59pm EST, and I’ll announce the winner on the blog on Tuesday.

But hey, what if you just can’t wait to get your hands on Hana Hou? Yeah, we’ve got you covered — click here to join the Singlehanded Knits mailing list, and Mel will send you a $2 discount code for an instant download.

Pssst! The Yarn Alliance Is Opening Soon!

Available to new subscribers only twice a year, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s premiere yarn club, known for fabulous fingering yarns, gorgeous colourways, and awesome gifts — will be opening again in March for two weeks only. If you want to be the first to know when it does, click here and get on the Yarn Alliance mailing list!

There’s always small print — official rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to entrants worldwide, age 5 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 p.m. EST on February 17, 2014. Official entry is made by commenting on the SpaceCadet blog post titled “Hana Hou: A Giveaway!” and by favouriting and/or queuing Hana Hou on Ravelry. Limit one entry per person. Sponsored by Singlehanded Knits and SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. Seven (7) prizes, each consisting of one (1) copy of the Hana Hou pattern and look book, valued at $7. Total prize value: $49. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Prize cannot be substituted. Employees and family of employees of SpaceCadet Inc and/or Singlehanded Knits are ineligible. A list of winners will be available on the SpaceCadet blog on or after February 18, 2014. For full official rules, visit https://spacecadetyarn.com/2014/02/14/hana-hou-a-giveaway

Which is the Best Mini-Skein Colourway?

04FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Spoiler Alert: If you’re in the Mini-Skein Club and haven’t seen your January bundles yet, look away now!

One of the things I love most about the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club is that it’s designed to fit whatever size project you are making — you can join at any time, and then stop your subscription whenever you have enough yarn for your particular project. So we have a few new members each month (love it when they come to the Raverlry group and share their excitement!), and a few who’ve collected all the Mini-Skeins they need for now. And whenever someone leaves the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club, I always send an email to ask for their feedback on what we’ve done right, and their ideas about how we could make it better.

The answers are always so interesting and helpful. And the idea that’s been coming through the most lately is that folks would really love to be able to order full-sized skeins of their favourite Mini-Skein colourways. Such a fab idea! So I tested it out last month with three Mini-Skein colourways I offered as Limited Editions and…

WOW! You guys really meant it! We’re elbow-deep in the process of dyeing up all those orders right now (the studio is a sea of Malachite at the moment), but your amazing response has really got me thinking… You know that dyeing for the Mini-Skein Club is when I get really play with colour. I experiment, try new colour cominations, work on different dyeing techniques, and just let my creative juices flow. And the results can be amazing.

Now, sometimes the colourways are repeatable and sometimes they are not, but I thought, hey, why not ask you guys which are the best from each month’s bundles? After all, it’s your opinion that matters the most!

The SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, Ombre & Gradient Jan 2014 — Clockwise from top left: Colourway 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

The SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, Multicolour Jan 2014 — Clockwise from top left: Colourway 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10

So here are January’s Mini-Skein bundles (Ombre & Gradient, and Multicolour). And I’d love it if you’d answer two questions for me:

Which one colourway called out to you the first — the one you loved as soon as you saw it?
And which one do you think would be the best to become a permanent addition to the SpaceCadet line-up?

(I know for a lot of you, those questions sound exactly the same, but they’re actually quite different. One cals for a gut-feeling kind of answer and the other for a more careful and strategic response. But if you have the same answer for both questions, I totally get it — some colourways are just like that!)

Click here to share your answers on Facebook , or click here to join the conversation on Ravelry. I know which of these colourways is my favourite… I can’t wait to hear which is yours!

Love those Mini-Skeins? Want to get in on the action? Click here to join the Club!