The Gorgeous, Intricate Designs of Hunter Hammersen

08NovApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

One of the best things about my job is getting to meet our customers and to see what they create with SpaceCadet yarn. We’ll be getting to do just that next weekend at Indie Knit & Spin, and I am sooo looking forward to it.

And one of the other best parts of my job is collaborating with some really fabulous designers (really, sometimes I have to pinch myself when I look at the collection of designs that have been created for SpaceCadet yarn!). And I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to a designer whose work I think you’re going to love..

I had been a fan of Hunter Hammersen‘s stunning botanical knits for a long time before we met. You can see why, can’t you? I’m captivated by the intricacy in her stitch patterns and the delightful details of the construction. Each nature-inspired pattern seems more beautiful than the next.

So I’m afraid went all fan-girl on her when she came into our booth at a show and introduced herself. She handed me her card and, before she even had a chance to say her name, I practically shouted, “You’re Hunter! I LOVE your stuff!” Fortunately for me, she was all grins at that.

Turns out, she’s pretty keen on SpaceCadet too! And to my absolute delight, she’s used our yarn for the very first design in her brand-new book, Ne’er-Do-Well Knits, a delicious little collection of patterns that are both quick and intriguing — perfect for holiday gifts!

(And if you’re in the Yarn Alliance, you’re in for a treat! The parcels went out this week so, as tempting as these patterns are, you just sit tight until your parcel arrives, ok?)

And here’s something to really get excited about: right now, Hunter is running a super fun giveaway –a skein of SpaceCadet Astrid DK yarn in your choice of colours! All you have to do is go and leave a comment on her blog, telling her which SpaceCadet colourway you’d choose for your yarn, and you’re in. But hurry, because entries are open only until the end of today — and you don’t want to miss your chance!

Take a Look: The Latest Yarn Alliance Parcel

13SepApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I have so much fun dyeing for the clubs that, every time I send out the parcels, I’m always itching to give you guys a sneak peek. And I think most of the current Yarn Alliance members will have received their September parcels by now, so it’s safe to share some photos.

But if you’re in the Yarn Alliance and haven’t received your parcel yet, look away now if you don’t want spoilers!

Ok, here we go… Now, normally the process of dyeing club yarns starts with the inspiration for the colourway. But this time, it came about completely differently — this time, it all started with the gift.

The Capsule (the latest addition to the KnowKnits range) was making a big splash at TNNA (read Knitty’s review of it here) and I was immediately smitten. I loved its mix of practical functionality with funky fabric and bold stitching. And I knew straight away that I wanted to create a a special SpaceCadet Capsule just for the members of the Yarn Alliance.

To my delight, Jennifer Lippman-Bruno, the owner of KnowKnits, was as excited at the possibility as I was! We discussed colours and materials, and how to personalize the custom Capsule with SpaceCadet. Finally, we decided on on a clean black and white exterior, with a pop of bright turquoise for the interior, and that feisty orange KnowKnits tag on the side.

And here’s the thing… Once those sweet little Capsules arrived, I realised I wanted to use those same colours for the yarn as well. I mixed the dyes and tested the yarn… Ker-pow! The perfect mix of bold and exciting colour!

I can’t wait to see what the members of the Yarn Alliance make with it!

The Yarn Alliance will close to new subscriptions and renewals on Mon Sept 16, and there are just a few spaces left. If you’ve been considering joining, now is the time to grab your spot! Click here to get all the details.

This is the Way Every Work Day Should Be

06SepApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We are leaving shortly for a weekend of shows (details below) but before I leave, I just wanted to share this with you. This week, we packed up the September Yarn Alliance parcels on what had to be one of the most beautiful days of the year. The temperature was so mild and the breeze was deliciously fresh so, instead of hiding away inside, we set everything up on the porch.

First, we built a wall of boxes at one end.

Then, we began filling them with delicious SpaceCadet Yarn Alliance yarn. This colourway is a real eye-popper — I can’t wait to hear what the members think! (The image, of course, is black and white — can’t give away the surprise)

And working there on the porch, in the dappled light and cool shade of the trees, it had to be one of the most pleasant work environments I’ve ever experienced. Oh, for every day to be like that day!

Dying to know what that colourway will look like? Only the club members will find out! But the InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions right now, from Sept 1 to 16. It’s a fabulous club with gorgeous yarns and lovely little gifts. We’d love to have you aboard!

We’re doing two shows this weekend. If you’re in the Central PA or Baltimore area, please come and see us. You get the yarn in person, and we’d love to meet you!

Knitters Day Out
Sept 6 & 7
Central Pennsylvania College, Harrisburg PA

PLY Party (Peace, Love, Yarn)
Sept 8
at Lovelyarns
3610 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21211

Plus, I’m bringing all the new stuff I’ve been experimenting with lately, including a whole bunch of Ombre Kits, Mini-Skein Kits, those fab little Zoom Looms, and some gorgeous new colourways… including this one called Firewalker.

You’ll have to be fast to grab it. Hope to see you there!

Seven Weeks Later…

30AugApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I’ve just gotta share this with you because, this week, we have been doing the happy dance — a lot. As you may recall, we had a slight disaster midway through the summer when a big (biiiiiiiiigggg) storm rolled in and dumped approximately 25 feet of water in 15 minutes (or maybe a little less) which completely overwhelmed our drain and so the water surged in under the door instead and partially flooded our family room. If you never saw it, all the sorry details are here.

Fortunately, the damage didn’t reach the levels of a lot of lower lying areas around us, and I was able to get most of our stuff up and away from danger, but the carpet was a complete (uninsured!) write-off. And the asbestos flooring we discovered underneath it meant that the room was wholly unusable until the carpet could be replaced.

That was seven weeks ago. Seven weeks ago. And it’s taken this long to get the room dry, the carpet ordered, and the installation booked. But on Wednesday….

…on Wednesday, THEY INSTALLED OUR NEW CARPET!!!!!!! Wooooot!!!! I know it’s only our family room we were missing but, somehow, it feels like we have our whole house back again. Things that have spent the last seven months in the wrong place are finally able to go back to where they belong. And we are able to sit in the family room again of an evening, have a cup of tea, and discuss the day just like we used to do. I know we could do that anywhere in the house, but somehow it feels so much more right now.

And all I want to do, every time I see that lovely expanse of fresh, new, clean, lovely carpet is to cheer. Hoooooooray!!!!

Speaking of cheering, here’s something to make some noise about. If you’ve been waiting for the InterStellar Yarn Alliance to reopen for subscriptions, your wait is almost over. The SpaceCadet’s premier yarn club opens this Sunday Sept 1 (actually, midnight on Saturday) until Sept 16. Spaces always go really quickly, so be ready.

And for those of you who’ve clicked here and got yourselves on the Yarn Alliance mailing list, I may just open up subscriptions a wee bit early for you. …Such are the perks of reading all the way to the bottom(!).

Straight from the Sandy Beaches of Hawaii

16AugApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’ve been a fan of the Singlehanded Knits podcast ever since I first discovered it. I mean, Mel records right on the beautiful beaches of Kauai, with the waves rolling in and palm trees swaying — what’s not to love?

And I knew she’s been a member (and huge fan) of the Mini-Skein Club almost since it first began as well, so I felt comfortable asking her to share her thoughts on it in a new video for the Mini-Skein Club page. Here, come escape to Hawaii for a few minutes and sit on the beach with Mel and chat about yarn. (I don’t think it can get any better than that, can it?)

As you can tell from the video, Mel is an absolutely lovely person — warm and genuine, and with a positive attitude that’s just infectious. Watching her podcast is always a surefire way to bring a little sunshine to any cloudy day.

So I was startled to find myself with tears in my eyes as I read this beautiful blog post she wrote about her dear friend Miss Carol, and the money she is helping to raise for the MARSOC foundation in Miss Carol’s memory. The response from the knitting community has been swift… and incredible! But there is still a way to go to hit the goal, so I urge you to click here and read Mel’s story about Miss Carol for yourself.

Ohhhhhhhhh…. did I mention there are prizes? Oh yes there are! Lots of wonderful yarny prizes to encourage you to read and donate, including a SpaceCadet Gift Code worth $40. So seriously… Go. Click. Read. Give. It’s all good.

And now something I just have to share with you guys… I was stunned — stunned! and thrilled! — to discover that SpaceCadet was featured in the latest issue of Knit Simple magazine, in a round-up of their favourite yarn clubs. Go look — it’s on page 12. Or here, wait, have a look here…

Isn’t that exciting?!? I’m over the moon! Squeeeeee with me!!!!!

And hey listen, the club that Knit Simple mentions there, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance, opens for new subscriptions next month for two weeks only, from Sept 1 to 16. This is the club that everyone talks about — beautiful hand-dyed yarn, fantastic SpaceCadet gifts and loads of fun! Spaces are limited and last time they went incredibly fast, so if you’re not already on the mailing list, click here to get on it and be the first to know when it opens!

The Yarn Alliance is Open for Subscriptions!

08MarSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

Ok, you know what I’m about to say and I am just sooooo excited it’s here at last! So many of you have been emailing me and sending me messages about it, that I can’t wait to say…

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions!!!

The Yarn Alliance is the SpaceCadet’s fantastic yarn club, and Spring subscriptions are available from March 8 to March 24 only.

And why am I so excited? Because, probably more than anything else I do in this job, I love creating the yarn and coming up with the gifts for this club. This is my chance to really connect with you guys, to get to know you in the forum and through your projects. And when I dye the exclusive club colourways and come up with those fabulous SpaceCadet gifts, I’m doing it all with real people — with you guys! — in my mind.

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

SpaceCadet^® Creations yarn (fingering 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

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

Ready to join the fun? Spring subscriptions close in two weeks and spaces are limited so grab yours quick!

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. 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..
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(at)spacecadetcreations(dot)com

The Yarn Alliance is the SpaceCadet’s fantastic yarn club, and Spring subscriptions are available from March 8 to March 24 only.

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

Ready to join the fun? Spring subscriptions close in two weeks and spaces are limited so grab yours quick!

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