Fun stuff today! I’m going to announce the winner of the Sarah Jordan Shawl pattern giveaway!
But, before I do, I wanted to share with you a pattern I came across and just fell in love with because it’s just so whimsical and cool. And best of all, it’s the perfect for one of my favourite things… SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins!
(You know I love patterns like that, right? But, if you’re reading this first thing in the morning, may I suggest a good solid swig of your coffee before you read on. This colourplay is wild.)
I wasn’t lying, was I? It’s a colour explosion! You can see why I took one look at them and thought, Mini-Skeins. And whether you’d choose to knit them just a few inches above your ankle or right the way up to your knee, they change things up every inch or so, so you know that you’d never get bored. I think they’re adorable, fabulous, and so fun, and I just had to share them with you.
(Quick, another gulp of that coffee, ok? There you go. Better now.)
Want some more Mini-Skein Ideas?
Check out our Mini-Skein Ideas board on Pinterest! Jade and I get our kicks hunting out the coolest Mini-Skein ideas and collecting them all together. Some are patterns and some are just creative and interesting ways to use mini portions of yarn to add pops of colour to your knitting or crochet. Click here to get inspired!
The Winners of the Sarah Jordan Shawl Kit Giveaway
Ok, I know this is what you’ve been waiting for, so let’s get right to it. You’ll remember that a couple of weeks ago, I featured two of Sarah Jordan’s beautiful shawls, Embossed Lines and Margalit, which she’d designed in SpaceCadet yarn. And then she and I decided to make things even more fun by giving away each of the patterns with the yarn it was designed in to two lucky winners. So many of you entered — thank you all so much!
And now, without further ado, let’s announce the winners…
Congratulations! Please send us an email to missioncontrol(at)spacecadetyarn(dot)com, confirming the email address you used to enter and giving us your postal address, so we can get your prize out to you!
Even though I talk a lot about knitting and crochet, the truth is that I wouldn’t be a dyer if I hadn’t first become a spinner. It was spinning that really got me hooked on colour, and spinning that led to me meet all the dyers (both here in the States and in the UK) who inspired and influenced me. So spinning, and thus spinning fiber, are really very dear to my heart. So you’d think SpaceCadet would dye a lot of fiber, right? Well, I’ve always wanted to but, to be honest, we’re so busy with all the yarn we dye that we’ve never seemed to have the time.
But then I was talking with a friend of mine when I had an idea… Instead of one braid, what if we dyed three mini-bumps of fiber in separate coordinating colourways that are designed to work together no matter which way you spin them? Work them one after another for a dramatic gradient fade, spin them separately to ply into a barberpole, or use bits from each mixed all together for a soft blend with crazy pops of colour. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got to start dyeing it… and so the SpaceCadet® Hand-Dyed Fiber Triple Kit was born!
Packaging three separate mini-bumps was a bit of a challenge (how do you keep them together but still tidy?) until I thought of these cool reusable tins. Your fiber stays clean and neat until you’re ready to spin it. And — bonus! — you can still love all over the colour even when it’s safely packed away!
Three Fibers, Five Colourway Trios
We chose three types of fiber (to start with, at least… we may be adding more soon)
100% Fine Superwash Merino — Soft as clouds, a dream to spin.
50% Merino / 50% Bamboo — The merino takes the dye but the bamboo doesn’t, which makes for an incredible sheen as the bamboo “frosts” your yarn with a stunning icy shimmer.
65% Superwash Merino / 35% Silk — There is nothing so special as silk, and this combination of merino and silk creates a yarn just that special.
And these five awesome colourway trios. Each one is designed to coordinate and still contrast — so much fun to spin!
Flow Trio — A bump of spring greens, a second bump of dusty blue, and a third bump of intriguing blue-violets, tied together with pops of fuchsia and streaks of black.
Breeze Trio — A bump of barely-there blue, a second bump of soft lilac, and a third bump in a gentle lemon with touches of blues and lilac.
Fathoms Down Trio — A bump of smokey blues, a second bump of drizzle grays, and a third bump of turquoise-grays.
Temper Trio — A bump of warm red, a second bump of bold magenta, and a third bump of rich purple, all flecked with spots of black.
Thrive Trio — A bump of bright grass green, a second bump of soft aquamarine, and a third bump of electric pink, all with touches of gray, black, and stunning pops of rust.
Order for Tour de Fleece!
And with Tour de Fleece right around the corner, the timing couldn’t be more perfect! The Tour de France starts on July 4th and teams of spinners are forming all over Ravelry in preparation to spin along with the cyclists in the Tour de Fleece. Click here to place your order for in-stock fiber and we’ll get it out straight away — domestic orders go by Priority Mail and should arrive in plenty of time for the start of TdF; International orders go by first class and, depending on Customs, can be a little more unpredictable.
Look for More Colourways in the Future
It’s been tons of fun to dye this fiber — I forgot how much I enjoy it — so we’ll be adding more colourways (and more fiber too?) in the coming months. In the meantime, I’m just so excited to share this with you. And I can’t wait to see all the creative ways you guys spin up your mini-bumps of fiber!
The SpaceMonster Club Closes on Sunday!
If you love big, smooshy Worsted and Bulky yarns, the SpaceMonster Club is the place for you! It combines gorgeous colourways, delicious yarns, and fabulous gifts, but it’s open for subscriptions only until this Sunday, June 21. Click here for all the details or click below to grab a spot before they’re all gone!
Working with designers is one of the coolest parts of my job. While I get happily lost in the colour we’re layering onto our skeins, designers take our yarn and elevate it to the next level, turning it into a stunning finished design. It amazes me how our colourways can be interpreted so many different ways, and I absolutely love being part of that collaboration.
I met up with a bunch of my favourite designers at TNNA a couple of weekends ago, and I’m super excited to tell you we’ve got some fantastic projects in the works. But it doesn’t take a huge tradeshow to put together a wonderful collaboration — sometimes everything you need is right here at home.
I met Sarah Jordan a few years ago at a local yarn shop, when I admired her spinning on Ravelry and asked if she could help me improve my technique — I learned a lot just by watching her. Turns out, she designs as beautifully as she spins, so when she used SpaceCadet yarn for a couple of her patterns, I knew I wanted to share them with you!
Sometimes simplicity is everything. The beauty in this minimal design is the way the light hits the alternating knit and purl sections, creating subtle shadows that highlight the simple texture and lovely yarn. Sarah chose SpaceCadet Lucina Yarn — to add a gentle touch of sparkle — in our elegant gray colourway, “Drizzle”
This delightful shawl uses open stitchwork and an unusual touch of cabling to create a lovely feature border. Knit in SpaceCadet Aurora yarn for its dreamy cashmere softness, Sarah’s choice of our “Tickled” colourway makes turns Margalit into a bold statement.
Win a Sarah Jordan Pattern and a Skein of SpaceCadet Yarn!
And here’s the best news… Sarah and I have created two shawl kits to give away! One has a copy of the Embossed Lines pattern and a skein of Lucina in Drizzle, and the other contains a copy of Margalit and a skein of Aurora in Tickled. Entering is easy: just click here, give us your name and email address by June 17, and then we’ll draw two winners at random to each receive one of the kits. Check back on June 19 to see if you’ve won!
(see official rules at the end of this post).
WAIT! Sharing is Good Karma!
You know that, for every share you make, the Universe will send you a cosmic wave of good luck, right? It’s true! Click below to show your friends Sarah’s lovely patterns and get yourself some cosmic karma while you’re at it!
For Facebook: Awesome! SpaceCadet is giving away two fabulous shawl kits! Click here to see the patterns and enter the giveaway: http://ctt.ec/k54RF+
For Ravelry: SpaceCadet is giving away two fabulous shawl kits! Click here to see the patterns and enter the giveaway: http://ctt.ec/k54RF+
The SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club is Open for Subscriptions NOW
Our SpaceMonsters love big, smooshy Worsted and Bulky weight yarns, and that’s what this club is all about. Open for subscriptions only twice a year, you can grab your spot until June 21. Click here to get all the details and get IN!
There’s always small print! Sarah Jordan Shawl Kit Sweepstakes Official Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to US residents only, age 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes begins on June 10 2015 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 17 2015. Official entry is made by entering name and email address here . By entering, contestants agree to join the SpaceCadet, Inc mailing list and be contacted via future emails — we NEVER share your email with anyone else. Limit one entry per person. Alternate method of entry can be made by sending a postcard marked “Sarah Jordan Shawl Kit Sweepstakes” and including entrant’s name and email address to SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241 by June 17 2015. Two prizes, each consisting of one (1) Sarah Jordan knitting pattern and one (1) skein of SpaceCadet® yarn. Total prize value: $72.00. Winners will be selected by random drawing. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash. Prizes cannot be substituted. Employees and family of employees of SpaceCadet Inc are ineligible. A list of winners will be available on the SpaceCadet blog on or after June 18 2015. Sponsored by SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. For full official rules, go to http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-26Y
Oh my stars, this is one of my favourite days! Our clubs open only twice a year and I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see new members come flooding in to join the fun. We love dyeing for our club members and I know folks wait and wait to grab their spot, so the day we fling those doors open to new members is one of my favourite all year.
BUT I GOOFED!!! Last weekend we were away at TNNA and were so busy with all the stuff going on with that, that I totally forgot to publicise the club opening. I usually run ads on Ravlery and announce on social media when the club is opening, but this time… oh crud! Club opening day totally snuck up on me!
So, before we get to the good stuff, I want to ask for your help. Will you please help me share the SpaceMonster Club opening on social media? It’d help get me out of a pickle and I’d so appreciate it!
For Facebook, you could say something like: Woot! The SpaceMonster Club is now open for subscriptions! Click: http://ctt.ec/s8N97+ to check it out.
And if your Ravelry group would like to know, I’d be so grateful if you’d share with them
Ok, and now let’s get on to the good stuff. I’m delighted to announce…
The SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club is open for subscriptions!!!!
Woot! It’s SpaceMonster time!
You love big smooshy yarns, doncha?
This is the club for you!
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.
SpaceMonsters, the SpaceCadet’s Mega Yarn Club
Specially designed for those who love working with thicker yarns!
So, whaddya get?
As a members of the SpaceMonsters Mega Club, you receive:
a fantastic parcel delivered to your door every other month, containing a beautiful skein ofSpaceCadet® yarn in worsted or bulky weight, hand-dyed in an exclusive colourway* created to bring out the best in thicker yarn
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
A fantastic SpaceMonsters gift tucked into every third parcel. We’re known for the fabulous gifts we include in our club parcels — and for this club, we’re seriously upping the fab. You’re going love it!
*guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet website for at least 6 months
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 a few days after your parcel goes out — and then all you have to do is pick your project!
And the price is pretty exciting too:
a 6 month subscription (3 parcels, starting in August) is only $99, and
a 12 month subscription (6 parcels, starting in August) is just $194
…Wouldn’t you love to receive a right-to-your-door supply of gorgeous, smooshy yarn?
But subscriptions are open only until June 21and spaces are limited… so you’ve gotta be quick!
Ready to join the SpaceMonsters?
Click on one of the buttons below to grab your spot in the SpaceMonsters Mega Yarn Club
Very Important: if you are giving this 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!
Six month subscriptions include 3 parcels; twelve month subscriptions include 6 parcels. Parcels are sent out in 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. The first parcel for new subscriptions is the August parcel. Normal subscription openings/renewals will be available in June and December of each year. 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 here are examples of past yarns/colourways/gifts — please note that new members will not receive the same items, but will receive yarns/colourways/gifts of approximate equal value and fab-ness.
Any other questions? Ask us! missioncontrol (at) spacecadetyarn (dot) com
I passionately believe that knitting and crocheting make people happier — that kind of deep-down happiness that comes from being settled and content. Even in times when nothing seems to be going right, working with yarn and needles can create a small sanctuary of much-needed peace.
And I also believe that knitting and crochet can help us to become friendlier, kinder, more generous. I’ve seen it time and again: when I step out of my comfort zone to ask a stranger what she’s crocheting, when folks at knit night make a new member feel completely at home, and even when one of our customers was so generous as to pay for an entire year in the SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club for us to give away (that one blew me away!). I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised when these random acts of kindness and spontaneous generosity happen, but they are always heartwarming.
The designer Mel Ski is a member of our fingering-weight yarn club, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance, and she used her March skein of Aurora to knit the Sanctuary Shrug, a sweet little thing to go round your shoulders on summer evenings when the air starts to cool. Originally designed for her Outlandish Clan Kit, which used SpaceCadet Lucina and Oriana yarn (as you’ll see in the photos of the blue and brown version), it’s a pattern that would work with almost any Yarn Alliance colourway or SpaceCadet fingering weight yarn. I love the delicate lacework — so like the summer vines climbing up our porch railings. It’s the kind of practical and beautiful knit that I just adore: lovely to wear but also quick to work up… so you can get to the wearing all the sooner.
The pattern is available on Ravelry here, but here’s the best bit… because Mel is a member of the Yarn Alliance and loved knitting this pattern in a club yarn, she has decided to share it with all the current members of the club as a free bonus club treat. Isn’t that wonderful?!? I really do love the way knitters and crocheters can be so generous about sharing their passion — and I am delighted that Mel has included her fellow club members this way!
If you’re a member of the Yarn Alliance, look for an email later this morning with a download code so you can get the Sanctuary Shrug on your needles straightaway. And if you’re not a member, click here to read more about the Yarn Alliance and — most importantly — get on the club mailing list. We won’t bombard your with messages, but you will get advance notice and early-bird sign-up when the subscriptions open up again in September!
Speaking of clubs opening up, I can’t believe it’s almost June (whaaattt?!?) and nearly time to open subscriptions to the SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club, our bulky-and-worsted weight club. We are dyeing yarn now (it’s so gorgeous!!!!) and prepping the gifts for the last shipment for current members before subscriptions open on June 5. If you’re not in the club but you love smooshy big yarns, click here to read all about the SpaceMonster Club and get on the mailing list!
I love seeing what our Mini-Skein Club members make with each month’s parcel — there have been some amazing projects (have you seen this?!?). But I suspect there are a few members who love those adorable little skeins but then are at a bit of a loss as to what to make with them (is that you?).
We have a wonderful Mini-Skein Ideas board on Pinterest, of course, and it’s chock full of inspiration. Each one illustrates a really cool way of incorporating Mini-Skeins into a project but, as intoxicating as all those pictures are, you might not spot exactly what jumped out at us about that picture. So, here, let’s go step by step through the ideas (plus pattern suggestions!) that we love most for using SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins.
Mini-Skein Idea #1: Ombre or Gradient Fade
Ok, I know, this one’s obvious and it’s the one that everyone ‘s mind jumps to first, but for that very reason, we have to include it — it is the quintessential Mini-Skein technique. Take your Mini-Skeins and arrange them in order by either colour intensity or rainbow order (or whatever makes visual sense to you) and then just work them into your project in that order. You can choose a pattern specifically designed for multiple colours, or you can take a plain vanilla pattern and simply change colour at regular intervals. Or, you can take a pattern that was designed for a single-skein gradient and work it in Minis! The advantage? With Mini-Skeins, you are totally in control of when the colour changes happen!
Combining a Gradient with a Solid: The Balinese Cardi by Elizabeth Green Musselman was created with a self striping gradient yarn cleverly combined with a semi-solid colourway for the main body, but you can create the same effect with two bundles of our Ombre & Gradient Mix Mini-Skeins.
Adapting a Solid-Colour Pattern: So here we have an example of a pattern that was designed for a solid colourway, but looks stunning in a gradient fade using SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins: Eyeblink by Heidi Alander. My assistant Jade knit this with one bundle of our Ombre & Gradient Mix Mini-Skeins combined with a coordinating semi-solid skein for a breathtaking summer shawl, showing just how stunning Mini-Skeins can be even in a pattern that wasn’t originally designed for them.
Mini-Skein Idea #2: Stripes Combined with Solids
This one is lovely, because there are so many options and so many ways to customise it. Anytime you see a striped pattern on Ravelry or on our Pinterest boards — especially a two-colour striping pattern — imagine it instead done in a series of ever-changing Mini-Skeins contrasted against alternating stripes in a solid yarn. And it can work beautifully whether the stripes are wide or skinny, and whether you chose to work it in crazy, contrasting shades or work gently through a gradient fade.
Stripes are such a treasure trove of possibilities that I could hardly narrow down the choices! Check out alllll these great pattern ideas…
Using Simple, Straight-Forward Stripes: I love Justyna Lorkowska’s Carly, because it’s the perfect laid-back sweater. But look at this pattern with fresh eyes and, instead of two colours, imagine the smaller stripes in alternating Mini-Skeins in a riot of different shades. Personally, I don’t think I’d even I’d worry about coordinating them — I’d just dive into my stash and go with whatever gorgeous colours I grabbed first!
Going for Bold Stripes: Take a simple shape and use eye-catching, chunky stripes to make a bold statement — and Kate Jackson does it perfectly with her Madeline Shawl. The knitting is easy but the impact is huge.
Stripes that Shake It Up: You don’t have to be straight-laced! Pick a pattern that keeps things interesting with a cheeky wiggle. Nikki Jones’s Cuba Street hat is a perfect choice, whether you keep it all in one colour family or pull in the whole rainbow!
Versatile Stripes for More Choice: When I look at Anna Stasiak’s Simply Stripes shawl, I see a plethora of possibilities. Knit it in two main colours as Anna has, and you can use a Mini-Skein to make that central stripe really pop. Or use a set of gradient Mini-Skeins to gently move the one colour from dark to light (or vice versa) and watch how that contrast changes the intensity of the second solid skein. Or just go wild and contrast a solid skein against a different Mini-Skein for every new stripe — a riot of colour!
Try Stripes that Aren’t Stripes:Justyna Lorkowska’s Masgot shawl creates a sublime background in alternating 2-row stripes of garter stitch and then uses short rows to add in pools of colour — innovative stripes that aren’t stripes but which give you no end of ways to incorporate a rainbow of your Mini-Skein colours. Go for soft or go for bold — Masgot will be stunning either way.
Ok, so there are two great ways to use your Mini-Skein stash, and I hope it helps you to look at the patterns on Ravelry and our Pinterest board with fresh eyes. But there are lots more ways to work with Minis, so keep your eyes open for Part 2!
I wasn’t lying, was I? It’s a colour explosion! You can see why I took one look at them and thought, Mini-Skeins. And whether you’d choose to knit them just a few inches above your ankle or right the way up to your knee, they change things up every inch or so, so you know that you’d never get bored. I think they’re adorable, fabulous, and so fun, and I just had to share them with you.
