The Latest InterStellar Yarn Alliance Parcel

07SepSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

Saturdays are always quieter on the internet. And beautiful holiday weekends that catch the last of the summer days are even quieter (who wants to be inside on a computer when there are rays to catch and burgers to grill?). So when I realised that the InterStellar Yarn Alliance fell on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, I really thought that sign-ups would be slow. Slow with tumbleweed; slow with crickets…

Crickey, was I ever wrong — you guys have blown me away! I been walking around with the hugest grin on my face to see so many people piling in to join the Yarn Alliance. It’s been incredible — and we are going to have a blast!!!

Wanna see what I mean? The latest parcels for the Alliance went out last week and, here, have a look…

First there was the yarn. I love the colourway and I’m really happy to report that, from the comments on Ravelry, the members did too. This is a colourway that’s all about summer: bright, happy, and bursting with colour.

And then, of course, there was the SpaceCadet’s Log, with all the details of the inspiration behind the colourway. (Shall I let you in on a little secret? This colourway was a total mistake — I was aiming for something else entirely but, as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to go with it!)

And then there was the gift. And I am super excited about this… Check it out — it’s a fabulous custom-made SpaceCadet notions bag! I absolutely love the idea of the Yarn Alliance members opening up their project bags to find all these little SpaceCadets grinning up at them!

(And there’s a very poignant story behind this gift — read it here and send my friend Amy some love)

Doesn’t it look great? The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions only until Sept 16 and space is limited. So if you want to find out more, be quick and click here for all the details.

Whatcha Up To This Weekend?

Come and see us at the PLY (Peace, Love, and Yarn) Party! Every year, Lovelyarns in Baltimore hosts a bunch of indie dyers for a seriously exciting celebration of hand-dyed yarn. If you’re anywhere in the Baltimore area, you do not want to miss it. Click here for all the details, and then come out and see us. And make sure you stop by and say hi to me — I’d love to meet you!

Fantastic New Colourways and Upcoming Events (cough …Yarn Alliance!)

24AugSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

I have been working like a mad woman — there have been trunk shows, and more coming up (see below for details), I’ve been dyeing for the next Yarn Alliance parcel and for some great new shops, and getting ready for Rhinebeck… Oh, and building a new online shop. Let it never be underestimated how much work goes into a new shop!

Y’know, I could say that again. Neverrrrrr underestimate. Never never never never…

But there’s good stuff in all that work too. One of the most fun: I’ve gotten to explore some fun new photography techniques to take some luscious new colourway pictures. What do you think to these?!?

A-a-a-and, if you know my colourways, and you’ve looked closely at that photo, you’ll have spotted that there’s a new one in there. It’s called Five Rings, and I created it for the latest bundle of yarns for the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club. The seed of inspiration was planted when Mindy at Clotheshorse magazine sent me one of their mood boards and asked me to dye a colour to go with it. And I just couldn’t stop! From that colour, I just kept mixing dyes until I’d created a whole new collection of gorgeous sun-baked spice colours, tempered with the cool of a silver-grey. And Five Rings is the one that ties all the colourways together.

This is one of the mini-skein bundles that went out to the Club members (clockwise from top left, they are: Five Rings, Burnt Clay, Mars, Drizzle, and Sun-Baked). Would you be understanding if I told you that I very very nearly didn’t send out the parcels this month? That I very nearly kept all the skeins for meeeeeeee?

Well, after all the bundles went out, I went into the studio and quickly dyed a whole bunch more, in at least five different yarn types. Look for them as soon as they are dry!

Mark Your Calendars!

If you live in the Baltimore/DC area, you do not want to miss the PLY party (Peace, Love, and Yarn) at Lovelyarns on Sept 9. It’s a hand-dyed extravaganza with fresh yarns from a ton of indie dyers. Make sure you’re there!

Just one week later, on Sept 15, we’ll be doing a trunk show at the fabulous KNOTS (Knitting On The Square) in Chardon Ohio. I was up there earlier in the summer for a fabulous class with Brenda Dayne, and I can’t wait to go back! Will you be coming?

And… Oh oh oh! Mark your calendars and set an alarm, because the InterStellar Yarn Alliance will open for subscriptions from Sept 1 to Sept 16! The Yarn Alliance is the SpaceCadet’s fabulous yarn club, full of gorgeous yarn, exclusive colourways, and fantastic goodies. Spaces are limited, so click here to check it out!

I’m Knackered, You Get a Shop Update!

18MayApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I had a fabulous blog post planned for you, full of great colourway combinations for maximum impact in some of this season’s hottest knitting patterns… but, oh!, I’m just too knackered. I don’t know what it is, but all week, I’ve felt like I could just fall asleep where I stand. I’ve gotten a lot of dyeing done — there is always wonderful, colourful dyeing to be done — but everything else has just fallen away.

I find I always need a few days to recover after doing shows — they’re so exciting and there are so many people to talk to, that they actually use up a lot more energy than I expect. Two weeks ago, I traveled to MDSW, which is such a fibery adventure, but simultaneously both energising and energy-draining. And then immediately turned around and did the SpaceCadet’s Grand Tour of Cleveland, back-to-back trunk shows.

And they blew me away. They were so much fun! Can I tell you, if you’re in Cleveland, go to River Color Studios in Lakewood or Soft n Sassy in Broadview Heights. Both of them are gorgeous, mouth-watering yarn shops. And both of them run by really lovely, warm people who made me feel right at home (Erika and her team at River Color: Rachael, Gretchen, Laura, Gail; Cheryl and her team at Soft n Sassy: Linda and Evelyn).

And at both of them, I met some of the nicest people I’ve ever got the chance to meet. They said lovely things about my yarn, which always makes me feel amazing. It was great weekend.

And it wasn’t just the trunk shows that made the weekend memorable. There was also lunch at a bakery decorated with… wait for it… flowers made from coffee filters. How cool is that?!?

There was the oldest microwave I’ve ever seen. For a long time, I thought it was a television in the corner of the office, before I realised what it was. Look at the size of it! Look at the dials! And… it still works just fine. Crickey!

Oh, yeah, and there was a Yarn Harlot too. People, there was the Yarn Harlot! She was absolutely lovely, and very very funny. And she bought a skein of SpaceCadet yarn! That blew me away totally.

Ohhh… and there was yarn. Lots of lovely, lovely yarn…

And after all that, I’m completely knackered. Cream-crackered. And so you don’t get the blog post I was planning. But I’m not going to leave you high and dry… you do get two things that are well worth having. One is some lovely Friday eye-candy in those photos up above.

And the other? I just mustered the energy to do you a wee shop update. Go on, take a look!

Psst… Wanna See the Yarn Alliance Parcel?

11MayApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

I was really nervous when I sent out the InterStellar Yarn Alliance parcels this month. Really nervous. I knew I’d taken a risk — I knew it — but I also knew I had dyed the colours that I’d had in my heart, the colours I needed to dye… And if the dyer follows her heart, that surely must be right. …Right?

But still, I was nervous. Because I know a lot of people buy hand-dyed because they love deep, rich, saturated colour, and this colourway was anything but that. I’d dyed a washed out colourway, of the sort that I’ve fallen head-over-heels for lately, where I gently swirl layer upon layer of colour into the dyebath, and then watch as it settles delicately onto the fibers. Watching it happen is breath-taking, the yarn it creates is beautiful. And the result when you cast on and begin to knit is ethereal, sublime …simply amazing.

Are you ready? Here it is…

It was exactly what I hoped it would be. From every angle, I was in love! I just wanted to grab it and smoosh it and… oh!

I just hoped the Alliance members loved it as much as I did.

In the SpaceCadet’s Log, I explained my inspiration — the colours in my garden as Spring arrived in sudden rush, then retreated and the cruel cold returned, and then Spring began anew. And so there are flowers in my garden both dying and blooming, and I wanted to capture the colours of Nature’s confusion.

And then…! And then there was the goody, and this I knew would be exciting. I’d asked Melissa of Melissa Jean Design to create some custom buttons for the InterStellar Yarn Alliance. And when the parcel containing them arrived, I was so excited, I spent a full five minutes bouncing up and down in my kitchen. They’re ADORABLE!

And what’s more, she did a bunch of different colours! Mix and match, everyone!

But the very best bit? I got to keep all the extra buttons that Melissa made — all her experiments and test runs. I love them! And I feel like I should make something wonderfully crafty and clever with them, but I don’t know what. What would you make?

Hey, don’t forget: this weekend is the SpaceCadet’s Grand Tour of Cleveland! If you’re anywhere in the northern Ohio/PA area, come on out and see us.

Friday, May 11 at River Colors Studio
1387 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107 (map it!)
(216) 228-9276

Saturday, May 12 at Soft N Sassy
8047 Broadview Rd.
Broadview Hts., OH. 44147 (map it!)
Phone: (440)746-9650

There will be lots of gorgeous yarns, fabulous SpaceCadet tattoos, tons of fun… and I’d love to meet you!

The SpaceCadet’s Grand Tour of… Cleveland!

04MayApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

For centuries, the well-to-do of Britain came of age by embarking on a Grand Tour of Europe, where they took in all the great art and architecture and history that the continent has to offer. It was a fine tradition that defined an era.

And so, in that vein, I am embarking on a Grand Tour of my own…

The SpaceCadet’s Grand Tour of… Cleveland!

with two Trunk Shows on Fri May 11 and Sat May 12.
If you’re in the Cleveland area, do come and join us!

Friday, May 11 at River Colors Studio
1387 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107 (map it!)
(216) 228-9276
(where the Yarn Harlot will also be teaching classes that day. Yeah, you read that right!)

Saturday, May 12 at Soft N Sassy
8047 Broadview Rd.
Broadview Hts., OH. 44147 (map it!)
Phone: (440)746-9650

It’s going to be a fabulous weekend filled with yarn, colour, and all manner of fibery goodness. I’d love to see you there — please come and join us!

It’s All in the Details… Melissa Jean Handknit Design

02MayApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Somehow….. somehow it turns out this weekend is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (MDSW). And even though I’ve had my hotel room booked for months, it has still managed to sneak up on me. Will you be going? If you will, please look for me — I’m not vending (I wish!) but I’ll be shopping and having the fibery time of my life! You can spot me by the SpaceCadet tattoo on my cheek and please stop and say hi — I’d love to meet you guys in person!

But listen, there’s someone else who’ll be at MDSW that I want you to meet, and even if you’re not going to be there this weekend, you’ll still want to get know her. Her name is Melissa Tompkins-Stahl and she creates beautiful buttons and knitting patterns as Melissa Jean Handknit Design.

I’d mentioned previously that I met her at Rhinebeck, but I love her work so much, I wanted to get a little more in depth with her and she was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Which came first, the buttons or the knitting patterns? And which do you feel is more your ‘true’ calling?

Knitting definitely came first. I was writing children’s patterns and making them up as kits. I wanted to write the patterns, dye the yarn and source the buttons. I met some potters who made buttons for me, but I had specific ideas of how the buttons should look, I decided to start making them myself. I worked for a pottery called MacKenzie-Childs and felt comfortable venturing out on my own…however, there was still a learning curve. I had to do quite a bit of research along with trial and error before my buttons were good enough!

As far as knitting, I knit a lot but have not released any new patterns in a few years. I am waiting for my youngest to go to school full time, which she will do this fall. I have 2 patterns to release this summer…Dublin Tee (pictured below) and Janey Pullover (a rerelease actually). With my kids in school, I feel I can better meet deadlines…pattern writing involves more than just me…test knitters, tech editors, photo shoots, and the public. Buttons making is much more solitary and I can fit it in as I can. I can’t wait to get more ideas out of my sketchbook and onto my needles.

So, tell me what you love about your job…

I love that I work in my studio at home…I can crank my music, or listen to podcasts and work. It affords me time to take care of my family while doing something meaningful to me. I also like the process of making buttons, working with my hands, with color. I love the element of surprise when I open the kiln and find shelves of color…that never gets old!

How crazy does it get for you before a big show like MDSW or Rhinebeck? How many buttons do you bring, and how long does it take for you to make them?

No matter how far in advance I start gearing up, the 2 weeks before Maryland and VERY busy. I bring about 5,000 buttons (I did not count) but there are a lot!

Where will you be located at MDSW this year?

I’ve changed from a tenter to a barn dweller this year. I will be hunkered down in Barn 4, booth 12.

What new or interesting buttons are you taking that we should be looking to nab at MDSW?

This year I’ll have very small buttons with shanks, I am very excited about. They lend themselves well to sock weight yarn. On the other hand, I will also have some very large buttons, great for bags, hats and shawls. I will also have a beautiful teal color and a deep red.

Where else can we buy your buttons and knitting patterns?

My website is www.melissajean.net Besides Maryland, I vend at Finger Lakes Fiber Festival, NY Sheep and Wool fest (Rhinebeck), Fiber Festival of New England, Yarn Cupboard Retreat. But keep an eye on my website’s event page because I may be adding a festival or three this year. As far as shops, I have not ventured into wholesale yet…..but hope to this year, so follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page.

Don’t you love her buttons?!? I do — and I’m going to buy a ton of them at MDSW so if you want them, you better get there before I do! I have a hankering to knit some lovely wide wrist cuffs and put Melissa’s buttons all over them. What do you think?

Oooh, and there’s one button up there in particular that’s really calling to me — ten points to the first person to guess which one it is!