Gorgeous Pattern Picks for Firebrand, the Yarn Alliance’s Latest Colourway

09DecApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

(*spoiler alert* Close your eyes if you don’t want to see the latest Yarn Alliance colourway!)

When I first started dyeing, I worried a little that I might run out of colours. Seriously, I did. I mean, Roy G Biv is only seven letters… There can only be so many combinations, right? And I kind of wondered what happened when you get to the end of the list.

I know. I know!

Five years later and colour is still a fabulous cosmic adventure. Take the latest Yarn Alliance colourway — I knew I wanted to use it to explore reds, but I didn’t want it to be flat or monochromatic. I wanted to let red bloom from pink, from plum, from rust and from yellow. I wanted to let the colour do its thing and just see where it led. And I loved, loved, loved the result! This is “Firebrand”…

Isn’t it gorgeous?!? Now, before we get to Jade’s fantastic pattern picks for Firebrand, let me quickly just share with you the gift we included in the parcel, but I’m over the moon about it. How adorable are these little buttons custom-made for us by Remember Wynn? I can’t wait to see what our club members make with them!

Jade’s Pattern Picks for Firebrand

Speaking of things to make, Jade has put together a fabulous collection of pattern ideas for this yarn. Such beautiful designs! Which one is your favourite?*

Nineteen Twenty Shrug – Liisa Nieminen

With just a touch of lace and beautiful all-over drapey fabic, this pattern is perfect for showing off the Firebrand Colourway of this month’s Yarn Alliance parcel. The glowing ember tones and floaty drape of the Celeste make the perfect fiery cocoon – two skeins will be enough to ward off the winter chill.

Magpie Cowl – Judy Marples

This month’s ISYA colourway was actually a bit of a challenge for me to pick a pattern. The colors are gorgeous and glow-y and vivid, but they need just the right amount of showing off… The Magpie Cowl delivers, with an interesting, but easy, lace pattern to bring out Firebrand’s variegation and the perfect amount of yardage for one smooshy skein of Celeste. (And check out your shiny – it even calls for buttons to close!)

Dark Pearl – Carol Feller

If cowls and shrugs aren’t quite what you’re looking to knit, or you’re more in the mood for a show-stopper, try Carol Feller’s amazing Dark Pearl cardigan. It has it all – a fitted silhouette, smooth stockinette to show off the vibrant variegation of Firebrand, and a stunning lace front panel that can be draped open, or worn closed with your SpaceCadet buttons! And because Celeste has such great yardage, you’ll only need 3-4 skeins for the whole sweater, depending on size.

(*I love all three but I think my favourite is Dark Pearl. Such intriguing construction!)

Want to Get in on the Fun?

If you think being part of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance looks like fun, you are so right! Now, the Yarn Alliance isn’t open again until March but its sister club, the SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club, is open for subscriptions right now.

And it’s an awesome club! Focusing on smooshy worsted and bulky yarns, it’s a fantastic adventure for these cold winter days — or the perfect holiday gift! The SpaceMonster Club is open until Dec 21, so click here now for all the details and to grab your spot.

Never-Ending Gradients! And Yarny Gift Ideas too.

03DecApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

You guys you guys you guyyyys, I’ve been dying to show this to you!!!! We did something so cool with the November Mini-Skeins and I’ve had to keep quiet about it but I am just bursting!…

(SPOILER ALERT if you’re in the Mini-Skein Club and don’t want the surprise ruined, look away now…)

You remember that a few months ago we developed the Start-Anywhere Gradient Mini-Skeins? Here’s an image of the July bundle in case you missed it:

The idea, of course, is that the last colourway flows back into the first colourway, so that you can customise your gradient to start with any yarn you choose. So far, so cool, right? Well, we’ve kept that sweet little feature and, in November, we added something that is just crazy-exciting. Are you ready?…

So the last skein of October’s Mini-Skeins blend into the first skein of November’s. And this month, the last skein of November’s Minis will flow right into the first of December’s… and on and on, each bundle adding to the Never-Ending Gradient as the colourways morph and change from one month to the next.

Use the bundles individually or together. Work them in their colour changes or mix them up in stripes. Let the colours flow or contrast. Use a few to create something small and sweet or gather a bunch of them for a project that’s dramatic and eye-cathing. The possibilities are endless!

(Want to get in on the Mini-Skein action? Click here to join the club)

Jade’s Mini-Skein Pattern Picks

Now, do you need a little help picking a project? Don’t you worry — our Jade has got some fantastic ideas for you!

Leventry – Sarah Jordan

This shawl literally stopped me in my tracks when I spotted it in the wild at the Pittsburgh Indie Knit & Spin, and it’s beautiful with two coordinating colors. But…it would be absolutely amazing with the Never-ending Ombre Minis! Work it in a straight up ombre for amazing color and a subtle stitch texture, or put two of the bundles together with a contrast color for the garter ridges and border, and it would just POP!

Loop – Casapinka

Now, this one’s a bit different. It’s meant to feature a variegated yarn against a plain background, but I think it would be stunning in reverse as well. Can’t you just see the stockinette background cycling through a set of ombre or gradient minis, and the ‘loops’ in a highly contrasting color? Depending on the yarn base, one bundle of minis and a contrasting color is all you’d need!

Helix Mitts – Sybil R

When I saw these mitts on the pattern suggestion thread on Ravelry, I thought they looked like so much fun to make! The garter stitch attach-as-you-go construction is exciting but not too complicated, and shows off the colors beautifully. They’d be great in either this month’s gradient or a bright set of multis, and they use only a little bit of yarn. You could even get 2-3 pairs out of a bundle… great for any last-minute holiday gifts you need!

Need More Holiday Gift Ideas?

Two easy gift ideas for yarn lovers (or for… you!). Order one and the rest is easy — no waiting in line, no wrapping, and all that yarny goodness is delivered straight to the recipient’s door!

The Outlandish Clan Kit

Three gorgeous accessory patterns, four breath-taking yarns in exclusive colourways, and a project bag handmade in the Scottish Highlands, and tons more goodies, the Outlandish Clan Kit is just what you need to see in the next season of your favourite show. Kits are available until Dec 5th only, so click here to grab yours quick before they sell out!

The SpaceMonsters Mega Yarn Club

SpaceMonster Club Dec 2014 525x237 for MailChimp

The SpaceMonster Mega Yarn Club all about bigger yarns and is perfect for those who love to work bulky. Every other month, you’ll receive a skein of worseted or bulky yarn in an exclusive SpaceMonster colourway, and a fabulous gift in every third parcel (we’re known for our awesome gifts!). Open for subscriptions from Dec 5 – 21, click here and get on the mailing list for early-bird registration!

October Mini-Skein Pattern Picks — and 20% Off!

31OctApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I have a really special place in my heart for projects made with yarn from the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club. I think it’s because every single month, I develop ten new colourways — some soft and sublime, some screaming and wild — and, after the planning and test runs and dyeing are done, I find myself just itching to see how those gorgeous colours will look in your projects. The dyeing is just the first chapter and it’s almost like I really want to see how the story finishes, y’know?

And as my assistant Jade and I go through patterns on Ravelry to add to our Mini-Skein Ideas Pinterest board, the colours from each bundle are popping into head. Ooh, this one would be perfect for this month’s Gradient skeins! And Jade is replying with, But wait, wouldn’t the Multicolour skeins look amazing in this pattern?

So this month, when I asked Jade to pick her two favourite patterns for October’s Mini-Skeins to share with you guys, she jumped at the chance. This month’s Minis are gorgeous — wonderful sea-colours in the Ombre&Gradient mix, and amazing pops of colour in the Multicolour Mix. Here’s what Jade chose for both of them…

Jade’s Mini-Skein Pattern Picks

Sea Dragon Shawl by Ambah

As soon as I saw this month’s Gradient Mini-Skein colours, I knew they’d be perfect for this pattern – the blue-gray-greens just scream ‘sea monster’! Pair 1 mini-skein bundle (or 2 bundles for the large) and a contrast color to make your very own Sea Dragon. The sea-greens and blues of the Gradient minis would pop against a bright green like Fizz or a glint of gold like Honey, and the pattern would work equally well with bright multis and Dark Skies.

Seashore by Isabell Kraemer

If you’re looking for a bigger project, this fingering weight pullover by Isabell Kraemer is a great way to use 2 bundles of Mini Skeins and 2-3 skeins of a contrasting color. It would look stunning with two gradients that flow into each other for the stripes… or for something really exciting, try an ombre effect with the main color as well – maybe choose Dark Skies, Drizzle, and Sliver against some bright minis like the deep purple Gobsmack Ombre from a few months ago or the stunning Autumn Leaves Gradient we dyed in September.

20% off the Sea Dragon Shawl!

And guess what? To make these picks even more exciting, Ambah is offering you 20% off the Sea Dragon Shawl until November 9^th! Download your copy of the pattern from Ravelry and use the code spacecadet to get your discount!

SoCal, Come to the SpaceCadet’s Trunk Show!

I am so crazy-excited to being doing a SpaceCadet Trunk Show on the YarnOver Truck during the month of November! We’ve chosen four yarns — Celeste, Oriana, Maia, and Thebe — that are perfect for SoCal knitting and crocheting, and dyed them in amazing colours. There are wild brights, sublime semi-solids, warm southwestern spice colours and… a special collection of amazingly gorgeous one-of-a-kind colourways that you may never see again!

Click here to get the YarnOver Truck’s schedule and then head over to see the coolest trunk show on wheels!

Variegated Yarns: Fabulous Resources for Pattern Ideas

12SepMay 17, 2015 By Stephanie

This weekend, I’ll be doing a trunk show at KNOTS in Chardon Ohio and, along with a huge pile of yarn, Mini-Skeins, and Ombre Kits, I’ll also be taking a stash of some really amazing one-of-a-kind colourways. They are the result of several weeks of pure colour-play, experimenting with the dyes and seeing what happens when I just follow where the colour takes me. Some are moody, some are intense, some are wild — all of them are stunning.

But when I take yarns like this to shows — yarns that resulted organically rather than by careful design — I always find a few customers who pick them up and are completely stumped. They turn the yarn over in their hands and, especially if it’s highly variegated, look at it in frustration and say, “But what would I make with it?”

The key to using a wildly multicoloured skein is to find a pattern that manipulates the yarn to use those colour shifts to their best advantage. Sometimes a colourway is so beautiful that straight stockinette can do that, but more often, a pattern that uses slipped stitches, dropped stitches, or other techniques that move the colour vertically as well as horizontally will create amazing results. And multicolour yarns also really shine paired with a semi-solid yarn in a pattern that alternates between the two.

We are such a fans of variegated yarns here at SpaceCadet, and of all the possibilities they hold (so many awesome possibilities!), that we decided to create two wonderful resources for our customers who need inspiration for those amazing multicoloured yarns they’ve just fallen in love with.

The SpaceCadet Variegated Yarn Project Ideas Board on Pinterest

We’ve curated a wonderful collection of variegate pattern ideas to wander through. The idea here is not so much to choose a pattern (although you might find the perfect one — just click on the pattern’s image to find it on Ravelry) as to immerse yourself in possibilities. Scroll through interesting stitch patterns, new techniques, and innovative ideas that you can try with that beautiful new colourway you’ve bought. Here, why not grab a nice cup of tea and click here to wander through it yourself?

The Variegated Yarn Pattern Suggestions Thread on Ravelry

What’s better than a Pinterest board full of stunning project images? A collection of pattern ideas that YOU can help create! Our Variegated Yarn Pattern Suggestions thread on Ravelry is put together by our fans and customers — people who love SpaceCadet yarn and know what works beautifully with it.

The ideas our group shares are fantastic and the rules are simple: (1) every pattern suggestion has to include an image and (2) chatting is encouraged but when you post a reply to the thread, you have to include a new pattern and image as well. The result? A fun, interactive lookbook of variegated project ideas. Click here and come join in!

Last Few Days to Order a Mauna Kea Kit!

Don’t forget this weekend is your last chance to order a Mauna Kea Kit and get in on the KnitTogether fun! Worked in either stripes or a gradient fade, Mauna Kea features raglan shaping, 3/4 sleeves, and incredibly flattering rib detailing down each side.

The KnitTogether starts Oct 31st, and orders close on Monday Sept 15. Click here to grab your kit!

Join In on Our Idea Bank!

12AugApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We are all busy this week prepping the August Mini-Skein Club bundles (and I think they’re going to be a real treat this month, whether you’ve picked the Ombre&Gradient Mix or the Multicolour Mix — really fun colours coming your way!).

But I wanted to quickly share with you something wonderful that’s been happening in the SpaceCadet group on Ravelry! Now, we love collecting Mini-Skein project ideas for our club members on our Mini-Skein Ideas board on Pinterest — there are just so many fabulous and creative ways to add colour to your projects and scrolling through our Pinterest board is downright delicious.

But then I had a brainwave! As well as our collection on Pinterest, why not make this collaborative, and have all of you guys add your ideas too? So I started a thread on Ravelry — a place to share Mini-Skein project ideas and create a gorgeous look-book of patterns, an idea bank that we all contribute to. And it has become absolutely magic!

There are just two rules, and they are simple (and pretty fun too!):

Every suggestion has to include an image. Whether it’s a pattern on Ravelry or your own project, the idea is to create a visual idea book — and to be visual, it’s gotta have images! (and links are great too)
Chatting is welcome BUT you MUST also include an image and pattern idea in that same post. So, you can post a comment or reply to someone else’s post, but then you also have add in a pattern suggestion (and image) of your own in that post.

Want to join in the fun? Click here to check out the thread. And, hey, why not share your best Mini-Skein idea while you’re there?

Coming Soon

I’m crazy excited but I can’t say much, except to share this sneak peek…

…and these two key words: gorgeous new pattern and fabulous new kits! Mark your calendars for August 29th, and make sure you’re on the mailing list to be the first to hear about it!

Closing Soon

There’s less than one week left to order your fantastic SpaceCadet yarn bowl and mug from Pawley Studios. The orders are flying and it’s been so much fun! Don’t miss the chance to grab yours before they close on Aug 18! Click here to order or learn more.