Two Rhinebeck Discoveries and a Shop Update

Last weekend was Rhinebeck, otherwise known as the New York Sheep and Wool Festival and one of the best and most exciting fiber festivals in the country.  Or…  so I’d been told.  I’d never been to it before, but this year the stars aligned and I got my chance!

The Ravelry Meet-up at Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival

Rhinebeck was everything I hoped for.  Sheep, alpaca, llamas, kangaroos (seriously!), fair food, fine food, wine, spinning wheels, spindles, fiber, and yarn yarn yarnyarnyarn.  At the Ravelry meet-up (above), I got the chance to meet Laura Nelkin, a designer I’ve featured here before and whose work I’ve admired a long time.  I also ran into the delightful Ariane of Falling Stitches, my friend Julia of Knitterly Things, my friend Gwen of GwenErin Natural Fibers, and Ravelry’s own Mary-Heather and Sarah (wearing a fast-asleep Carlton).

But never mind all that, because I discovered two people whose products I loved so much that I really thought you’d want to meet them!


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First is Melissa Tompkins-Stahl, whom I liked right from the moment I met her but — more importantly for you — who also makes absolutely lovely ceramic buttons.   Seriously, they are like candy for knitters.  My friend Kristen introduced us and pointed out how beautifully the colours of Melissa’s buttons and colours of SpaceCadet yarns go together.  Kristen put several buttons against a cowl she’d spun with SpaceCadet fiber and she was right.  Melissa and I clearly share a colour connection, and if you’re ever looking for buttons for a project you’ve made with SpaceCadet yarn, it’s worth looking at her website

Melissa Jean handmade ceramic buttons for knitters and crocheters

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And the other person is Leah LaFera of Ulster Soaps.  I knew I needed to check out Leah’s stall even before I saw it — the smell of her soaps was tugging at me!  And when I got there and met Leah, I knew I wanted to tell you about her.  I’ve always wanted to try soapmaking (don’t you?), so I asked her a whole bunch of questions, and she answered them all so enthusiastically.  It’s clear she loves what she does!  I chose some soaps: Peppermint Delight, Lavender Dream, and Lemon Poppy Seed (nom nom nom!) and I knew I wanted to share them (and her!) with you too.

Ulster Soaps, handmade soaps by Leah LaFera


And of course, there was all that yarn — so much fun to look at it, to smoosh it, to pet it!  And it inspired me to do a shop update…

Clockwise from top left: Fingering yarn containing Bamboo in a Dept of Rocket Science colourway, Celeste in Cove, Estelle in a Dept of Rocket Science colourway, BFL yarn in Algae, Celeste in Cove, BFL yarn in Salmon.Shop Update of SpaceCadet Creations yarns for knitting and crochet

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is OPEN for Subscriptions!

I am so excited about this!  It’s the 2nd of September and that means…

(drumroll please)…

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions!

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What is the InterStellar Yarn Alliance?  It’s the SpaceCadet’s fantastic yarn club, and it’s a hell of lot of fun.  If you like SpaceCadet yarns, you’ll love being in the Alliance.

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Each member will receive an exciting parcel delivered every other month containing:

  • SpaceCadetTM Creations 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.
  • An InterStellar Yarn Alliance group on Ravelry where you can discuss WIPs, ask questions, and share FOs with fellow members.
  • The InterStellar Yarn Alliance newsletter with periodic special offers exclusively for members.
  • A 15% off coupon every six months

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Subscriptions: 6 months (3 parcels) $125; or 12 months (6 parcels) $235

Parcels will be sent out in late October, December, February, April, June, and August. Subscription openings will be available in March and September. Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US.

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Calling All Yarn Adventurers

There’s a lot of experimentation that goes on in the SpaceCadet studio — experimentations with new colour combinations, experimentations with new yarns and fibers.  And it’s a hell lot of fun (!) that produces a lot of wonderful yarns.  It also produces a lot of yarns that may be the start of something great or… that may be one-of-a-kind specials, never to be seen again.

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Merino/nylon fingering yarn in "Submerge"

And while most knitters and crocheters stick to the more tried-and-true colourways, there is a small, core group of my customers who really, really love this kind of yarn.  I think of them as Yarn Adventurers — customers who like to break new ground, who want to try new things, who love the possibility of knitting with a yarn that no one else may ever their hands on.

If you’re a Yarn Adventurer, I’m talking to you.  Later this week, I’m going to put a new button over there in the right-hand column.  Look for it — it will say something like “Yarn Adventurer” or “Yarn Voyager”, I’m not sure yet.  And when you click on it, you’ll get the chance to sign up for a new newsletter just for people who like you.  In this newsletter, I’m going to offer the first chance at some great experimental yarns.   You’ll see them before anyone else does.  You’ll see them waaaaay before they ever go into the shop — in fact, they may never even get into the shop.  It’ll be first-come first-served, and you’ve got to be on the list to know about it.  Watch for that button later this week!

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Merino/Nylon fingering weight yarn in "Half-Light"

There’s just one thing I ask for if you sign up for this new newsletter, and that’s feedback.  You are going to be one of the first people to try a new base, to see a new colourway.  You are my man on the ground.  And I need to know what you thought of it.  So, for any yarns or colourways I’m debating about, I may get in touch with you after your purchase to ask your opinion, to get your thoughts.  If you’re up for that, and you’re up for a little yarn adventure, then make sure you are on that list!

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Merino/bamboo/nylon fingering weight yarn in "Torment"

Now, let’s get to the yarns in the shop update this week!  Every one of them is the sort of yarn that will go in this new newsletter but, until it’s set up, I’ve put these in the shop.  First, there’s a pair of merino/bamboo/nylon yarns in a beautiful, luminous, almost oxidised green called “Torment”.  I’m crazy about this shade!

And then, the rest of the yarns are on a merino/nylon base that…  that I…   well, I bought it by accident.  Yeah, I know!  I just marked the wrong box on the order form and, well, there you go.  Almost ten pounds of the wrong yarn arrived a few days later and I faced the choice of owning up to my mistake and hoping the supplier would take the yarn back or…  just dye it.

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Merino/nylon fingering weight yarn in "Plunge"

So, I dyed it up (I mean, why not? I love to dye!) and you know, what?  I am so glad I made this mistake.  I think I’m a little in love with this yarn!  It’s an ordinary merino/nylon blend, smooth and quite light, but there’s something about it that I just love.  It’s the way it takes colour — it’s almost lustrous.  I love this yarn.  I’m soooooo glad I ticked the wrong box!

(Oh, by the way, the yarn in the first picture?  There are six skeins of it, easily enough to do a whole sweater, maybe a bit more.  If you fancy that, grab it up quickly!)

Shop Update: And Then There Was… One

This week, I dyed this.  Six gorgeous, luscious skeins of this…

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Estelle (merino, cashmere, and nylon) dyed in a colourway called Rescue …and I fell in love it with it.  Absolutely, deeply, madly in love with it.  I thought about keeping it for myself… and I was going to, I really was, but I talked myself out of it and decided to put it in the shop instead.

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But first, I emailed a picture of it to a friend.  And she emailed straight back with, “I want some!”  And five minutes later, another email, “I’ve checked my pattern — I’ll need five skeins.”

And just like that, I went from six skeins to put in the shop to only one skein.  But in that one skein…  Oh! Some of the most intense, gorgeous green I have ever dyed.

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(But if you love it as much as I do and want me to dye any more, talk to me…)

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And here’s a few other things going in the shop this week:

Lucina fingering yarn (with sparkles!) in Megan’s Blues

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Lusterous Silk/BFL fingering yarn in Megan’s Blues

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And, to warm things up a bit…

Estelle (merino/cashmere/nylon) in Engine No9

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Win Cool Origami Stitchmarkers! And a Shop Update.

In a moment, I’m going to tell you about a delightful little giveaway, but first let me show you some yarns I’ve put in the shop this week.  I’m really excited about them because, before I held them in my hands together, I hadn’t realised what perfect compliments they are.  But they are!  They are absolutely perfect together.  The variegated yarn makes a wonderful accent against either the purple or the pink yarn and I am sorely tempted to keep them all for myself… But I’ve put them in the shop instead, and I think I shall have to go into the studio and see if I can recreate them instead.

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Left to right: Estelle fingering weight yarn in Truth, Faithful, and Throb

The Sexy Knitter Origami Stitchmarkers Giveaway

I was so excited about the fabulous stitchmarkers that Sarah at The Sexy Knitter made for the members of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance (that’s them, there on the left) that I wanted to give everyone else a chance to nab some of her origami stitchmarkers too.  (Seriously, origami! Like you did in school — how cool is that?!?)

And Sarah immediately offered a set for me to giveaway to one lucky winner!  Squeeee!

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So, here’s what you have to do to enter:

  • First, make sure you are a subscriber to my blog.  All you have to do is click on the Subscription button there in the right-hand column.
  • Then, just help spread the word about this contest by retweeting this tweet (if your twitter name doesn’t relate to the name you’ve subscribed under, please leave me a comment here helping me tie the two together)

And that’s it — you’re entered!

  • And if you want an extra entry, just mention this contest anywhere on the web (on Facebook, on a forum, in a blog post) and leave me a comment here with a link that allows me to confirm the mention.

The giveaway will end on Sun 31 July, and I’ll announce the winner in the next blog post after that.  Good luck everyone!

Everybody loves smallprint: Sweepstakes opens when this blog post is published and closes on Sun July 31 2011 at 11.59pm EDT and all entries must be made before the close. All entrants will be verified, and must be a subscriber to the blog and then retweet the specified tweet in order for entry to be valid.  The valid entry must be completed for any ‘extra’ entries can qualify and ‘extra’ entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post which includes a link to verify the entry.  Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog after sweepstakes close and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. Odds of winning are dependant on the number of entrants. Retail value of prize is $5.00.   SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash.  Sweepstakes open only to entrants aged 18 years or older and resident in the United States or Canada.  A-a-and breathe out…

Dyeing the Angles (and a Shop Update!)

I want to show you something that I think is fascinating.  This is Translucence, a yarn I dyed — just playing with the colours, letting them lead me where they wanted — and then instantly fell  in love with.  Head over heels…

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Luna Laceweight silk/merino yarn in Translucence

When you first pick it up, you think it’s a simple blue-grey.  But when you look closer, you see the most incredible, delicate play of colours: yes, the blues and greys are there, but they’re mixed in with warm pinks, watery greens, and soft purples.  It’s an incredibly subtle and complex colourway.

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Subtle shades hidden in Translucence

(…You know what, I really should dye more of Translucence.  I think I will — soon.  If you like it as much as I do, keep your eyes open for it over the next few weeks.)

Ok, but here’s what I wanted to show you… Translucence is created from three colours that I mix up and then carefully apply to the yarn in a specific order: first one, then another, and then the third.  In my mind, I see these three colours as points on a triangle, which I approach from one direction and work my way around.

And I wondered what would happen if I approached that triangle of colours from another direction.  Are you ready?  Here it is…

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Luna Laceweight silk/merino yarn in Resplendence

The same three colours, the exact same recipe, just applied in a different order.  It’s incredible, isn’t it?  What a difference!

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The same colours as Translucence, dyed from a different angle

This is Resplendence and it’s got burnished pinks, gentle blues, and warm greens, all peeking through a beautiful golden yellow that acts as the (maybe) defining colour of the mix.  And, even though this is a variegated colourway and even though each of these colours is definitely holding its own against the others, it would still work beautifully for lacework — the colours blend so beautifully that they would work even with a complicated stitch pattern and you’d end up with one incredibly stunning result.

It’s as beautiful as Translucence, but completely different.  And all I did was approach the triangle of colours from another direction.  That kinda blows my mind.  Does it blow yours too?

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Shop Update

Here’s more fun stuff: new yarns in the shop!  I went for some seriously intense blues and greens.  Think of summer sunlight, think of cool water, think of gentle shade under a leafy tree…

knitting, crochet, yarn, sock yarn, hand-dyed, indie dyer, spacecadet creations, space cadet creationsClockwise from top left: Estelle fingering weight merino/cashmere/nylon yarn in Dry and Blue Sky, Tuesday Blue, Lost, and Cove