Five Fabulous At-The-Very-Last-Minute Yarny Holiday Gifts

16DecApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

The holidays always sneak up on me. Always. Are you the same? And here we are, the shopping days slipping away alarmingly fast, and suddenly realising that it’s really, really late to be starting that gift shopping. What to do?!? Well, as I’m in that same boat trying to think of last minute gifts, let me share what I’ve come up with…

Five At-The-Very-Last-Minute Yarny Holiday Gifts

(to save your bacon!)

Choose a Craftsy Class

For any knitter or crocheter who enjoys learning new skills, Craftsy has a class to suit every skill level. And it’s not just yarny pursuits: Craftsy has classes on sewing, photography, cooking, woodworking, and tons more. With instantaneous delivery, this is a gift you can order on Christmas Eve and still be in the good books, but why would you wait? There’s a sale running right now, so grab a gift quick and save a little extra for yourself!

Click here to give a Craftsy class

Gift a Knit Edge Magazine Subscription

A subscription to Coop Press’s Knit Edge magazine is a delight for any knitter. Not just for the beautiful patterns they’ll receive, but for the all trend-watching and fascinating articles that delve deeper into the fiber arts world we all love so much. Published three times a year, you can give a gift subscription right at the very last minute and the recipient will never be any the wiser. Even better, click here to order, enter the gift recipient’s name and email address at the top, and enter the code LASTMINUTE14 at the bottom of the screen to get a one-year, non-renewing subscription to KnitEdge for the price of one issue. Who can resist a deal like that?!?

Click here to give Knit Edge magazine

Give a SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club Gift Subscription

Know a knitter or crocheter who just loves big, smooshy yarn in glorious hand-dyed colours? We have the perfect, easy, last-minute gift! The SpaceCadet’s SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club is designed all around those lovely squishy bulky and worsted weight yarns, with 6 month or 12 month subscription options, the chance to buy more skeins for larger projects, and an awesome gift in every third parcel (we seriously love picking the gifts!). The SpaceMonster Club is open for subscriptions only until Dec 21 so you’ll have to hurry, but we’ll make everything about this gift super easy. Just click here to set up your gift subscription, be sure to note during check out that it’s a gift and who it’s for, and we’ll take care of the rest!

Click here to give a SpaceMonster gift subscription

Send Curls, the Book that Arrives Now and… Later

Hunter Hammersen’s designs are intricate, intriguing, and incredibly beautiful. And her latest book of patterns, Curls, focuses on an innovative wrap design curls around the body with a flattering drape. How does this make a great last minute gift? Well, unlike a regular book purchase, if you buy Curls at the last minute (or, right now!), your recipient will get an electronic copy of the book that they can start reading immediately, plus a beautiful hard-copy in the post that they can enjoy all through the new year. Perfect!

Click here to order Curls

Give a SpaceCadet Sweater Kit

Our Sweater Kits have been flying out the door this holiday season, but we have a few left and, if you order them quickly, we’ll get them in the post to your recipient straight away. Choose a kit in either fingering or sport weight, in colours ranging from the elegant Dark Skies Ombre to the sublime South China Sea kit to the eye-catching When Life Gives You Lavender Gradient Kit. What knitter or crocheter wouldn’t go mad to receive a whole sweater’s worth of gorgeous hand-dyed yarn this holiday season?!?

Click here to shop for SpaceCadet Sweater Kits.

So there you are — five great gift ideas that will make your last minute holiday shopping a little easier. And hopefully allow you to relax a bit in these last crazy days and get back to the things that really matter on these snowy winter days… curling up with your knitting and crochet!

The SpaceCadet’s Black Friday Weekend One-of-a-Kind Colourways!

28NovApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Hooray! The Holiday Season has begun!

And to celebrate, we’re doing something we’ve never done before: we’re taking all of our gorgeous One-of-a-Kind colourways that we usually reserve strictly for our shows, and offering them to all of our customers.These stunning yarns are completely unrepeatable and when they’re gone, they’re gone so grab the colours you love before they disappear. Maybe you’re choosing a gift for a friend, a Secret Santa surprise for someone in your knit group, or… maybe you’re nabbing a treat for yourself. No matter why you’re buying, these colours are going to make the holiday season that much brighter

There are so many yarns, that I actually couldn’t fit them all on one page(!), so browse and click any of the images below or…

click here for Laceweight
click here for Fingering & Sport
and click here for DK, Worsted, & Bulky

And all of us here at SpaceCadet wish you a wonderful and yarny start to your holiday season!

PS — oh my stars, I wish I could take pictures that do these yarns justice! Do you see that first picture of the Venus skeins right there below? Not only could I not capture the subtle sparkle in these skeins, but the light pops on all the skeins are a stunning pale sage/teal colour that looks amazing against both the blue and the rust. But could I do that justice?!? Noooooo I could not. Just know that, when you are looking at these yarns, there is a lot of exciting colour going on under the surface, ok? Wait til you see them in person!

Mauna Kea: Pattern, Kits, & Knit-Together

28AugApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Sometimes I find it hard to wait. When I think of an exciting new idea, I want to dive into it right NOW (hence my stash of 15 million started-but-never-finished knitting projects). When my friend Mel (of the With Mel podcast, formerly Singlehanded Knits) showed me her design ideas for the gorgeous Mauna Kea, I was dying to share it with you guys, but the timing wasn’t right. Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep quiet about such a stunning pattern?!? It was SO hard!

But some things are worth waiting for. Take a look at this…

Knit top down with raglan shaping, Mauna Kea features laid-back styling and ribbed 3/4 sleeves. But my favourite thing is the shape, created by some incredibly flattering rib detailing down each side.

Choose to make it in stripes using a SpaceCadet Ombre Kit (as shown here) for a sublime monochrome effect. Or pick a Gradient Kit for eye-catching stripes with real impact! And if stripes aren’t your thing? Skip them, and use any of the Ombre & Gradient Kits in order to create a sweater with colours that gently morph from top to bottom.

The Mauna Kea Knit-Together!

What’s even better than a fabulous new pattern? A Mauna Kea Knit-Together! Join Mel for a lively and fun knit-together from Oct 31 to Dec 5. There will be a support forum on Ravelry, video help for knitters, and lots of great camaraderie!

Important: The Mauna Kea Kits listed here are available for pre-order and will be dyed once the orders close on Sept 15. Delivery will be in mid-October, in plenty of time for the Knit-Together cast on day.

You can see why I was struggling to keep it a secret, right? It’s one of those designs that make you just itch to get started!

Kits are available until Sept 15th only — click here to order yours!

All the Important Details

The Yarn

Lyra is a beautifully spoingy yarn that’s a joy to use, with a cabled 8-ply construction gives it strength and durability.

Fiber Content:100% Superwash Merino; 8-ply
Weight: Each skein is approximately 3.5oz/100g, and the yarn contains approximately 270 yards per 100g

The Kits

Each kit includes five skeins of Lyra and a download code for a FREE copy of the Mauna Kea pattern (the code arrives in the parcel with your yarn).

A lively knit together begins on Halloween for Mauna Kea, with a support forum and video helps for knitters!

The Colourways

There are five colourways available:

Dark Skies Ombre — grays to create the perfect monochrome effect
South China Seas Ombre — sublime blues for the ultimate in laid-back casual
Gobsmack Ombre — from deep purple to the softest lilac
Fervent Start-Anywhere Gradient — this gradient morphs from deep gray > rich eggplant > stunning fuscia > bright orange > brick red > back to gray. Designed so you can Start Anywhere, it works perfectly as either a gradient or for stripes.
Zing Gradient Ombre — this gradient morphs from dark gray > vibrant purple > cobalt blue > zesty lime > back to gray. Designed so you can Start Anywhere, it works perfectly as either a gradient or for stripes.

Sizing

For striping sweaters:

For sizes S/M/L: use 1 kit
For sizes XL/XXL: use 2 kits (due to the way the stripes use the colours)

For ombre/gradient fading sweaters:

For all sizes: use 1 kit

Delivery

Kits will be dyed after the ordering period closes on Sept 15 and parcels will be sent out mid-October, in plenty of time for the Knit-Together cast on date of Oct 31.

Ready to join in? Click here to get your Mauna Kea kit!

Introducing Maia, the Stunning New SpaceCadet Yarn

15AugApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Are you ready to squeeee with me? I’m over the moon to introduce you to the SpaceCadet’s newest yarn… You are in for a treat!

Introducing Maia, with Shine and Drape to Die For!

Named after the fourth brightest star in the Pleiades, Maia is a very special yarn. Spun with 80% bamboo, it has a simply amazing sheen that takes on colour with an incredible icy luster. That shine you see in the pictures? It’s no trick of the camera — Maia really is that luminescent!

And the way Maia drapes? It’s just stunning. This yarn is wonderfully soft* and light to the touch but, do you know, it hangs as though it were almost heavy. The effect is just beautiful.

Perfect for light late-summer knits, its lustrous sheen and icy colours carry through to elegant shawls for winter festivities. Maia is the yarn to choose for your most stunning and eye-catching creations.

The Details: Maia

Fiber Content: 80% Bamboo, 20% Superwash Merino; 4-ply

Weight: Fingering; Each skein is approximately 3.5oz/100g, and the yarn contains approximately 400 yards per 100g

How does this yarn take colour? Because bamboo does not take on the colour from acid dyes, colourways in Maia are much, much softer than our other fingering yarns, and the sheen gives them a wonderful “iced” look that adds to its unique look.

Currently in stock in Breathless, Cove, Crush, Dark Skies, Feather, Headstrong, Honey, Mars, Oxblood, Sage, and Tickled. It is also available to order for custom dyeing in any of our other SpaceCadet Colourways.

Click here to see Maia in the SpaceCadet shop!

The Fascia Shawl, designed for Maia

When I sent two skeins of Maia to designer Amy Maceyko, she shot back, “OMG the drape!” And I knew immediately that she was going to use it to design something wonderfully flowing and elegant.

And didn’t she just? This is the Fascia Shawl — a design created to show off the beauty of Maia, but with little details that are simply delicious. Oh do you see that lovely edging? So beautiful!

*with a yarn as lustrous as Maia, you might think it wouldn’t be very nice to handle, but look at that last image just above — do you see the fuzzy halo on the edge of the shawl? For all its icy sheen, Maia really is deliciously soft!

Click here to see Maia in the SpaceCadet shop.

So Cool! SpaceCadet Yarn Bowls & Mugs!

31JulApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

When my assistant Amy gave me my first Pawley Studios yarn bowl a few years ago, I fell head over heels. I admit, I’ve always been a sucker for hand-thrown pottery, but Amanda Pawley’s bowls are something really special. Delightfully fat and round, with a hint of those gentle ridges that give evidence to the hand-throwing process, and finished with the most deliciously vibrant glazes, I find Pawley yarn bowls very very hard to resist.

So I was hoping the custom yarn bowls that Amanda and I put together last year as a gift for the SpaceMonsters Club would be popular. And were they ever! Not only were the SpaceMonster members over the moon, but emails came pouring in from other customers asking how they could buy one. Now those SpaceMonster bowls were exclusive to the club, but I am super-excited to announce that Amanda and I have been secretly planning little something for everyone else…

The SpaceCadet Collection from Pawley Studios

SQUEEEE!!!!! How gorgeous are these?!? Amanda has created a wonderful little collection, all featuring our cheeky little SpaceCadet’s front and center. The yarn bowls come in two sizes — regular and the adorable mini — and the mug is satisfyingly chunky and generous, and they are all available in three glazes: deep and dark Starry Night, vibrant Arizona Sunrise, and the delightful Sweet Pea glaze.

And I can’t believe how much I love seeing the SpaceCadet’s goofy face grinning away on them! Click here to get yours.

Available to order from Aug 1 to Aug 18 and Amanda will make each bowl and mug by hand once the order period has closed. (The listing in the shop says “dyed to order” because it’s usually referring to yarn but, y’know, it really means “made to order”).

Delivery of these beautiful hand-made items will be in late September to early October.

The Collection and Colours

The Regular Yarn Bowl is shown is Starry Night and is 6″ wide and 4″ high
The Mini Yarn Bowl is shown in Arizona Sunrise glaze and is 4″ wide and 2″ high (if you’ve seen the SpaceMonster yarn bowl, this is the same size)
The Mug is shown in Sweet Pea glaze and holds 12-14 oz, and is microwave and dishwasher safe.

I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and I am just so excited to share these gorgeous yarn bowls and mug with you at last. Don’t forget, we will close the listing on August 18, so if you love these as much as we do, click here to grab yours quick!

Sweater Kits and KALs

30AprApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

When we went to our Spring shows this year, we brought a huge pile of Sweater Kits. They were something of an experiment — I hadn’t really announced them or talked about them ahead of time — but they were a big hit! I loved watching customers digging through all the Sweater Kits to find the one that was just right. And tons of you emailed and tweeted to ask, would the Sweater Kits be available in the shop? Could you get them even if you can’t get to the shows? The answer is yes, but in the rush of all the stuff that was going on after the shows (including this!), I never got the chance to put the kits in the shop after we got home.

Sweater Kits for the Hana Hou KAL

But then I realised the other day that KAL for Singlehanded Knit’s fabulous Hana Hou is starting in just a few days — remember that lovely slouchy cardi that you knew you’d wear for just forever? Yeah, I suddenly realised I should make those Sweater Kits available for anyone who’d still like to join the KAL. We’ll have more kits in the works soon, but if you want to get in on the KAL, click here quick and grab one of the ones we’ve got in stock!

(And if you fancy knitting in it an Ombre or Gradient colourway, there’s a few of those left too.)

Sari Cardi KAL Starts, More Kits on the Way!

And May 1st sees the start of the KAL for Jenise Reid’s gorgeous Sari Cardi. The Sari Cardi is knit in Thebe, our wonderfully airy Silk-Linen 2-play, and is an intriguing knit that incorporates unique shaping to create its beautiful sari-like draping. Now you know that we sold out of the Sari Cardi Kits super fast, but we have more stock coming in and will be dyeing up additional kits to send out as soon as possible. If you’d like to get on the waiting list for a kit and join the KAL when they’re ready, click here to order your Sari Cardi Kit!