New SpaceCadet Fiber Triple Kits!

19JunJune 19, 2015 By Stephanie

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!

The Hardest Part of Creating a Colourway

15MayMay 15, 2015 By Stephanie

If I asked you to guess what the hardest part of creating a new colourway is, what would you guess? You might think it’s choosing the colours, but colour is everywhere and I can’t dye it all fast enough. If you think it’s formulating the recipe… well, that’s gets easier with time and now it feels almost like second nature. Nope, the hardest part might really surprise you (it does for me almost every time…)

The Hardest Part is Coming Up with the Names!

Seriously, it’s crazy-hard. You wouldn’t think it is, but I find myself turning the yarn over in my hands and struggling and struggling (and it makes me feel better to know that whenever I ask someone to help me, they have just as much trouble… phew!)

But latest colourways that we’ve chosen for full-size versions of Mini-Skein colourways were an exception. They were easy. It started with the sweater kit of the Ombre & Gradient Mix — this month, Jade and I decided to explore neutrals (something we haven’t done nearly enough. We went to the dyepots and started with a gentle progression through shades of stone, from the lightest silver to deep gray, and then highlighted each skein with washes of taupe and steel blue. Our goal was to create colourways that will blend and morph across your stitches to create something subtle yet truly stunning.

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^®‘s April Mini-Skein Colourways!

So the logical colourway name was MoonRock, right? But, y’know, that felt just not quite right, so I began thinking a little differently. I’ve always loved the name given to the dark patches on the Moon, the Lunar Maria… perfect!

The lunar maria are dark plains on the Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. Early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas and so called them maria, the Latin for “seas”.

Like an exploration of the moon’s surface, the Lunar Maria sweater kit works through shades of Stone from the lightest silver to deep gray, and each skein is highlighted with washes of taupe and steel blue. Blended together in stitches, these shades morph to create a beautiful study in neutrals.

(Where’s the order button? This kit is exclusive to April Mini-Skein Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!)

Finding that Perfect Name

But what about names for the other colourways on offer this month? Well, Lunar Maria led me to the Wikipedia list of the features of the Moon and there I discovered an absolute treasure trove of fantastic names! How about “Sea of Cleverness” (Mare Ingenii)? Or “Sea of Crisis” (Mare Crisium)? Or even the fabulous “Sea That Has Become Known” (Mare Cognitum)?!?

Aren’t they awesome?!?

So, ok, I’ll have to use those sometime in the future (how could I resist?!?) but, in the meantime, here’s what I’ve chosen for the other Mini-Skein colourways. You can see how perfect each one is for its corresponding colourway. And for possibly the first time ever, choosing colourway names was so much fun!

Early astronomers who mistook the dark plains on the Moon for actual seas and so called them lunar maria, the Latin for “seas”. The lunar Mare Undarum means “Sea of Waves”.

Moving from glowing blues to stunning violets, and from vibrant pinks to deep greens, the shades of Mare Undarum is an adventure from one stitch to the next!

Lunar Mare 3 is the third colourway from the Lunar Maria Sweater Kit, named for the dark plains on the Moon. Early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas and so called them maria, the Latin for “seas”.

Like an exploration of the moon’s surface, Lunar Mare 3 is a stunning mid-gray stone, highlighted with washes of taupe brown and steel blue. Blended together in stitches, these shades morph to create a beautiful study in neutrals.

Early astronomers who mistook the dark plains on the Moon for actual seas and so called them lunar maria, the Latin for “seas”. The lunar Mare Anguis means “Serpent Sea”.

A stunning combination of murky yellow-greens and soft cool grays that deepen into a rich charcoal, this colourway perfectly embodies the shades of a Serpent Sea, don’t you agree?

(Where’s the order button? This kit is exclusive to April Mini-Skein Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!)

Our Spring SpaceCadet One-of-a-Kind Special Event!

26AprApril 27, 2015 By Stephanie

A few weeks ago, just after I’d mentioned on the blog that we were taking a wonderful collection of One-of-a-Kind SpaceCadet yarns to our spring shows, a customer emailed to ask if we could offer them on line for the folks who live too far away to come to our shows. We do a great deal of experimentation in the studio, which creates a ton of incredibly beautiful one-of-a-kind colourways, with layer upon layer of colour, but we rarely offer them for sale online simply because it takes so long to photograph and get them all up on the website. But that email got me thinking… I realised she was right, it would be great to occasionally offer our experimental colourways to all our customers, so I decided that once the shows were over, we’d do a something special.

Our Spring SpaceCadet One-of-a-Kind Colourways Special Event

So here it is — your chance to get your hands on all those lovely yarns that you don’t normally see in our shop! There are 65 skeins of Celeste fingering…

*sound of a record scratching*

Ok, wait, an amazing thing happened yesterday, but it kind of changes everything. So before I go any further, let me quickly explain. I had planned to open the One-of-a-Kind Special Event to the public this morning, but also decided to reward the folks who’ve joined our mailing list by giving them a one day’s advanced notice. Sundays are quiet in the online world, most people are busy and don’t check their email. I thought, it would be a nice, gentle way to ease into the Special Event…

Well… I was wrong! The folks on our mailing list went nuts for the One-of-a-Kind colourways and jumped straight in with both feet. It was amazing to watch the orders come flying in, knowing that each one represented a SpaceCadet customer who’d found a yarn they just LOVED! I have to tell you, I think getting to be that kind of a match-maker has to be one of the best parts of my job, but it does mean that a lot of the One-of-a-Kind skeins are gone. Now, there are some wonderful colourways left (including my personal favourite — any guesses which one it is?), but it turns out, you’ve got to be superfast to grab the ones that are calling out to you before they disappear!

Ok, so now that I’ve explained, let’s get back to our regularly scheduled programme…

There’s the summer-friendly Celeste fingering, our wildly popular Lyra sport, beautiful Elara bulky, and three kinds of laceweight — so you’re sure to find something that you love! But they’re available for only 10 days, so be quick.

Perfect for Mother’s Day!

Oh, and if you’re stumped for what to get your mother for Mother’s Day, pick a colourway for her and leave your gift message in the notes section when you place your order. Or you suspect your family might be planning to get you something… erm… disappointing for Mother’s Day, then share this post and drop some heavy hints — chances are, they’ll be grateful for the help!

Ready to get started?

It’s easy — just scroll down and click on one of the images below — fingering, sport, bulky, or lace — to see all the other colourways available. They’re all dyed and ready to go, so we’ll get your order packed and out to you quickly. Can’t wait to see what you pick!

So there you have it — the last 24 hours have been amazing and I’ve learned how much folks really love our One-of-a-Kind colourways. We never stop playing with colour and producing amazing yarns, so I think we might make this a semi-annual event to share our beautiful experimentations with you.

But the real moral of this story? It’s TOTALLY worth being on our mailing list! If you’re not already on it, click here and let’s get that fixed right now.

The SpaceCadet’s Pattern Picks: 3 Fab Patterns from Dark Matter Knits

20AprApril 20, 2015 By Stephanie

Finding our Pattern Picks is one of the most awesome parts of my job — I scroll through Ravelry, browsing gorgeous pattern after gorgeous pattern, and still get to call it “work”. But this time, the scrolling was over pretty quickly. Because I ended up on Elizabeth Green Musselman’s Ravelry page (you know her as Dark Matter Knits and from the Dark Matter Knits podcast) — and BOOM — I found three patterns that I just fell head over heels for. And I think you will too — check them out…

Bettina Cowl and Mitts

Now if I’m honest, I don’t usually recommend variegated yarns for lace patterns — most of the time, the colours hide the complicated stitchwork and the result is often not everything it could have been. But I have to admit, every time I look at the Bettina Cowl and Mitts, I just see it in the grey-blue-blacks of Blueshift, one this month’s limited edition colourways. Even though it’s variegated, I think here the stitch pattern would work with the colours, shifting them around to create an almost heathered effect. I love the little details: the buttons, the lovely leaf motif, and the way you wear the cowl three different ways. And if a variegated yarn doesn’t work for you, I think the stitchwork would look stunning in Lyra in a semi-solid like Feather or Dark Skies. Don’t you agree?

Frankenfingers

How could I not share these with you?!? They’re so adorable! Designed originally for self-striping yarn, Frankenfingers would work perfectly with SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins. And what’s more, using minis lets you choose your own colour sequence! Use our Gradient Mix to morph from colour to colour or to create an ombre fade. Or pick our Multicolour Mix and go for something eclectic and fun! They’ll work in almost any of SpaceCadet’s fingering weight yarns, but choose Celeste or Ester for light and easy knitting.

Balinese Cardi

Now, this is just breathtaking! Created with a self striping gradient yarn cleverly combined with a semi-solid colourway for the main body, you can create the same effect with our Ombre & Gradient Mix Mini-Skeins — March’s minis would look stunning paired with coordinating semi-solids in Drizzle. Or, if you’re really adventurous, go completely off-trail and knit this in a SpaceCadet Gradient Sweater Kit. I’d love to see it in our favourite gradient colourway: Fervent!

But you know what? Even though the first thing you notice about the Balinese Cardi is the amazing colour, it’s a really beautiful design in its own right. The stitch detail down the sleeve and front placket is just delightful, and the shaping is flattering. If bright colour isn’t your thing, knit it in a semi-solid Sweater Kit and let those design details shine!

Limited Editions Close on Saturday

Don’t forget that the Limited Editions of our March Mini-Skein colourways close on Saturday. And it’s so exciting because this month’s selections are stunningly beautiful!if you’re in the Mini-Skein Club, you have access to all of our colourway picks but, even if you’re not, we’ve got a few for you too. Click here to see the colourways and grab a few skeins for yourself!

Full-Skeins of March’s Mini-Skein Colourways!

10AprApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

A customer recently emailed to tell us that she loved all our Mini-Skein bundles but wanted to tell us that “some months they are outstanding”. We put so much enthusiasm into each month’s dyeing that I just can’t tell you how much that meant to me. And I have to say, I think March’s Mini-Skeins fall right into that category of “outstanding”. Check them out:

Are you drooling over any of them? I am particularly drawn to the Gradient Mix this month (on the left). There is just something about those intense jewel tones mixed with subtle grays and blacks that get my fingers itching to cast on! And if you’re feeling the same, here’s some great news…

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^®‘s March Mini-Skein Colourways!

Each month, we pick our favourite colourways from both the Multicolour and Gradient Mixes, and offer them to you as full skeins and sweater kits on a selection of SpaceCadet bases. Some are exclusive to the Club members and some available to everyone, so you can order one skein or a sweater’s quantity — it’s up to you — to make a gorgeous, full-sized project with those fantastic Mini-Skein colourways!

Ready to see this month’s full skein picks? Here they are!

Blueshift — from the Gradient Mix

A Blueshift is a shift in the lines of an object’s spectrum toward the blue end, indicating that an object is moving toward the observer.

Blueshift is a stunning combination of blues, grays, and blacks that swirl and shift across the skein. Reminiscent of the deep night sky and available on three different bases, it creates a dramatic look for anything from shawls to cardigans to capes.

Spring Tide — Members’ Only Multicolour

The Spring Tide occurs only when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in a straight line

Dyed in sublime shades of soft grays spiked with sunbeam golds and oranges, which blend together to create touches of beautiful sea-greens. Available on three different bases.

(Where’s the order button? This colourway is exclusive to March Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!)

Aurora Polaris — A March Multicolour

The Aurora Polaris is the aurora of the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the Northern Lights

Drenched with the luminous greeny-blues and vibrant yellows of the Northern Lights, Aurora Polaris creates a colourplay that welcomes spring with abandon. Available on three different bases.

Blackberry Winter Gradient Sweater Kit

Blackberry winter refers to a cold snap that often occurs in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom.

This colourway moves from a deep lavender through vibrant raspberry before descending into a deep grays and blacks. Available on three different bases, it would be stunning in a full sweater, and equally beautiful paired with a contrasting colour for gradient stripes.

(Where’s the order button? This kit is exclusive to February Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!)

Here’s how it works:

If you are a member of the Club that month, you have access to all the colourways we are dyeing that month, including exclusive access to

The Full Gradient Mix as a Sweater Kit!
Each month, our gorgeous Gradient Mix is available as a full sweater kit exclusively to the Club members who received a bundle that month. If you’re in love with the Gradient Mix’s wonderful colour shift and are itching to use it in a larger project, you can order it as a breathtaking five-skein sweater kit.

One Multicolour Mix Colourway as a Club Member Exclusive
You know the Multicolour Mix is an explosion of colour! Each month, we pick our very favourite Multicolour Mix colourwayand make it available exclusively to our Club members who received a bundle that month.

If you’re not a member of the Club that month, you’re still in for a treat!

One Multicolour Mix Colourway as Full Skeins Each month, the Multicolour Mix is an adventure in colour and we never know how many of its colourways we’re going fall head over heels for. We pick one that we really enjoyed dyeing and offer to dye you some more!

But you’ve gotta be fast! They’re available for two weeks only!

Because we’re always getting ready for the next month’s dyeing, these full skeins will be available for a very limited time — two weeks only — to allow us to get them dyed, prepped, and out to you as quickly as possible. So make sure you’re watching the blog or — even better — get on our mailing list so you never miss the release of new colourways!

What to get access to all the colourways next month? Join the Club!

Working with mini-skeins is like drawing with yarn, and each little bundle of colour becomes a new and exciting addition to your palette! The SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club is a wonderful way to discover all the amazing, creative things you can make with these gorgeous little skeins — delivered straight to your door! Click here to learn all about it.

Announcing… Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of Mini-Skein Colourways!

06MarApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

The Mini-Skein Club is always wonderful fun for us at SpaceCadet — we love coming up with exciting colours for the Multicolour Mix, and developing the next step in the Never Ending^™ colour story of the Gradient Mix. I know how much you guys enjoy it, because you share your wonderful projects with us on Ravelry, but I have to tell you, it’s just as fun for us creating the yarns for those projects.

But what we hear the most from Club members and other customers is how much they’d like to be able to buy larger skeins of some of the Mini-Skein colourways. And I agree — there are some fabulous colourways in those little bundles of yarny goodness! It wasn’t something we could accomplish last year (some day I will tell you the saga of moving into our new studio… and it is a saga) but, now that we are moved into our new space at last, we have a lot more freedom to bring you all those amazing colours. And so I am delighted to announce …

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^® Mini-Skein Colourways!

Each month, we will pick our favourite colourways from both the Multicolour and Gradient Mixes, and offer them to you as full skeins and sweater kits on a selection of SpaceCadet bases. Some will be exclusive to the Club members and some available to everyone, so you can order one skein or a sweater’s quantity — it’s up to you — to make a gorgeous, full-sized project with those fantastic Mini-Skein colourways!

Here’s how it works:

If you are a member of the Club that month, you have access to all the colourways we are dying that month, including exclusive access to

The Full Gradient Mix as a Sweater Kit!
Each month, our gorgeous Gradient Mix will be available as a full sweater kit exclusively to the Club members who received a bundle that month. If you’re in love with the Gradient Mix’s wonderful colour shift and are dying to use it in a larger project, you can order it as a breathtaking five-skein sweater kit.

One Multicolour Mix Colourway as a Club Member Exclusive
You know the Multicolour Mix is an explosion of colour! Each month, we’ll pick our very favourite Multicolour Mix colourway (or perhaps two?) and make it available exclusively to our Club members who received a bundle that month. The Multis are always so much fun — which one will we choose for you this month?

If you’re not a member of the Club that month, we still have something wonderful for you! How about this?

One Gradient Mix Colour in Full Skeins There’s always one colour out of the Gradient Mix that we pull out of the dyepots, gasp, and think, “I want a whole sweater in this colour!” And if you do too, then great news: we’re going to pick our favourite and offer it in full skeins! It might be exclusive to the Club members or it might be available to everyone — we’ll refine this as the months go by — but it’s always going to be mouth-watering

One Multicolour Mix Colourway as Full Skeins Each month, the Multicolour Mix is an adventure in colour and we never know how many of its colourways we’re going fall head over heels for. We’ll pick one (or occasionally two) that we really enjoyed dyeing and offer to dye you some more!

But you’ve gotta be fast! They’re available for two weeks only!

Ready to see this month’s full skein picks? Here they are!

Parallax Aphelion — Gradient Colourway #3

A parallax is a displacement in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight.

The Aphelion Sweater Kit shifts from a deep-space purple through to a rich sun-gold, and where the two come together, it forms this amazing colourway. We let the hues run over and into each other where-ever they like, which creates pockets of unexpected — and unpredictable* — colour that will turn your knitting or crochet into a multi-chromatic adventure!

*Please note: this is one of those very unpredictable colourways — we had many skeins come out like this one, and several come out with a beautiful rose tinge to them. We’ll do our best to reproduce the colour you see here but, if you buy this colourway, be prepared to go into it with a sense of adventure — which is truly the essence of hand-dyed yarn!

Cetus — Members’ Only Multicolour

Cetus is a constellation named after a sea monster in Greek mythology.

Dyed in intense shades of deep blues and blacks, with undertones and wild pops in pinks and rusts, Cetus reflects something unexpected that may rise from up from deep waters — or out of the deepest night skies.

Where’s the order button? This colourway is exclusive to February Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!

Flare Star — A February Multi

A flare star can undergo unpredictable dramatic increases in brightness for a few minutes.

A wonderful combination of soft gray contrasted against vivid magenta, Flare Star will create stitches that play with colour right in your hands, as they bounce back and forth between the sublime and bright. The result is a project that is not only tons of fun to work on, but a eye-catching to wear as well.

Aphelion Gradient Sweater Kit

Aphelion is the point in an object’s orbit when it is furthest from the Sun.

The first is our Gradient Mix Sweater Kit. Shifting from a deep-space purple through to a rich sun-gold, it morphs into some amazing hues along its journey. Breathtaking in a full sweater, it would be equally stunning paired with black or a contrasting colour for gradient stripes.

Where’s the order button? This kit is exclusive to February Club members. If that’s you, look for an email arriving shortly with your members-only link!

The Hardest Part is Coming Up with the Names!

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet® ‘s April Mini-Skein Colourways!

Finding that Perfect Name

Our Spring SpaceCadet One-of-a-Kind Colourways Special Event

Perfect for Mother’s Day!

Ready to get started?

Limited Editions Close on Saturday

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet® ‘s March Mini-Skein Colourways!

Ready to see this month’s full skein picks? Here they are!

Blueshift — from the Gradient Mix

Spring Tide — Members’ Only Multicolour

Aurora Polaris — A March Multicolour

Blackberry Winter Gradient Sweater Kit

Here’s how it works:

What to get access to all the colourways next month? Join the Club!

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet® Mini-Skein Colourways!

Here’s how it works:

Ready to see this month’s full skein picks? Here they are!

Parallax Aphelion — Gradient Colourway #3

Cetus — Members’ Only Multicolour

Flare Star — A February Multi

Aphelion Gradient Sweater Kit

What to get access to all the colourways next month? Join the Club!

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^®‘s April Mini-Skein Colourways!

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^®‘s March Mini-Skein Colourways!

Full Skeins and Sweater Kits of SpaceCadet^® Mini-Skein Colourways!