Selfish Knitting Month

10JanApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

It was Brenda Dayne — she who creates the fabulous podcast Cast-On (you do listen to it, don’t you? Don’t you?!?) and who just knit this hat with SpaceCadet yarn — who introduced me to the concept of January as “Selfish Knitting Month”.

For knitters and crocheters, the months leading up the holidays are almost always about making things for other people. All our own projects come to a screeching halt as we realise there’s only a few months left(!) and begin to work like mad on our gifts instead. And then, come January, all that is over. And it is time to return to our own projects, our own knitting and crochet. The idea of Selfish Knitting Month magically turns January from cold and dull into something welcome, warm, and cosy. Time to knit for ourselves again!

And I have really taken the Selfish Knitting concept to heart in 2012, in two ways. The first was actually at the end of December, as I was coming up with the newest colourway for the members of InterStellar Yarn Alliance. I wanted to create a something that would be a real treat for the members… to welcome in the new year with something so luxurious and indulgent that it would single-handedly banish January’s cold and grey post-holiday funk.

I saw cold days ahead and they transformed into a warm, moody plum; I felt a bitter wind, and it was a streak of blue-purple; the welcome respite of a cosy fireside became a rich vein of copper gold; and the whole colourway shot through with dramatic streaks as dark as the blackest night. And to make it extra special, I laid all these colours down over the sparkles of Lucina.

The colourway, in honour of the month, is called “Selfish”. …Well, would you give it away?!?

And the other way that I took Selfish Knitting concept to heart? Well, it wasn’t voluntary, and it wasn’t so much me as my body that made the decision. After a December which was just insanely busy and in which everyone except me seemed to come down sick, my body decided enough was enough. This past week, I’ve been sliding ever-so-slowly downhill, until finally this weekend, I succumbed to cold chills, shakes, and muscles that made my neck and shoulders seize up solidly. I have spent the past two days mostly in bed, propped up gingerly on pillows, moving as little as humanly possible.

Except, I could knit. And as painful as my shoulders and neck were (oh, and they were!), it’s been a truly welcome respite to just sit quietly and knit — without having to stop for work-demands or family-demands or… well, not for anything except for another round of painkillers. Selfish or what!? Yep, deliciously so, and it felt great. I took my skein of Selfish and cast on Karrie Steinmetz’s Walnut Grove. When I can sit up well enough to take photos, I’ll let you see how it looks.

So, Happy Selfish Knitting Month! What are you doing to celebrate? Have you cast on something fresh and new, just for you? Leave a comment and let me know, or even link to you project on Ravelry — I’d love to see!

Oh, there was supposed to be a shop update today, but — for obvious reasons — it will have to come a bit later this week. Keep your eyes open for it. And if you liked the look the of this yarn and would like get in on the Yarn Alliance yourself, spaces will open sometime around the end of the February or beginning of March. Make sure you’re on the mailing list to be the first to hear about it!

…And if you’re in the Alliance, your exclusive email with a chance to get extra skeins of Selfish will be coming soon, so watch your inbox!

The Best Resolution of the Year

06JanApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Fresh new year. The first week of a fresh new year and it holds so much possibility. Sparkling and brand new. Beautiful, perfect… like freshly fallen snow.

And we try to fill the space of those possibilities with resolutions. I will lose weight. I will read more. I will stop smoking. I will pay down my debt. I will… I will… I will…

The thing is that, while also those resolutions promise to lift us to a higher place, they start the year out by reminding of the things we most dislike about ourselves. It’s a strange way to set out into the newly fallen snow.

My friend Natalie and I were discussing resolutions last week. Mine were all of the usual sort, the sort that pulls you down before bringing you back up by kicking you in the backside. And her resolution… well, it stopped me in my tracks. “I’m going to knit something green each month of 2012.”

Green is Natalie’s favourite colour — favourite like an obsession. She says, “You know my green sweater?” as though anyone could know which green sweater she might mean. So it wasn’t that that surprised me. It was the simple positivity of her resolution. Her resolution is about doing something she loves, in a way she loves, more often. Now that a resolution that feels worthy of the brand spanking new year.

So y’know what? I’m rethinking my own resolutions. Maybe I can afford to ditch all the self-improvement ones (because, really, they’re on the cards already regardless of the time of the year). My life is so busy that I rarely get the chance to sit down and knit as much as I’d like. So maybe I could resolve to… just knit more. To just knit when… well, when the knitting calls to me. As resolutions go, it actually feels pretty radical.

And pretty uplifting. The way resolutions should.

So what are your resolutions for the new year? Do you have any that you’re especially excited about? Or one that is just simple and uplifting and fibery?

Pattern Roll-Call: Tea Cosies! And How to Make (Me) the Perfect Cup of Tea

23DecApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

These are cosy days. Here we are at the end of December, mid-way through Hannukah, with the Winter Solstice just yesterday, and Christmas only a few days away. And the days are cold, and the nights are so long, and crisp, and sparkly. We are all tucked up indoors, with fires crackling and twinkly lights all around. These are cosy days indeed.

And to me, days like these call for tea — copious cups of steaming, fragrant, soothing tea. Tea to warm the fingers and toes, tea to warm the soul. A cup of tea, I have always felt, puts everything back in its right place. So long as that warmth remains — in my fingers, down my throat, warming me from the belly out — all is right in the world.

So long as that warmth remains…

If cosy days call for tea, then these chilly days call for tea cosies — little teapot-shaped jackets that keep the warmth in the pot and keep the world right longer. And what could be better than that? Well, this could: tea cosies are often one-skein wonders, and the most exciting ones call for mini-skeins. Here are a few of my favourites…

I love the Tea Mitten by Elisabeth Kleven. I love the simplicity of it, the way it perfectly hugs the teapot, and the fact that (if you poured very, very carefully), you’d never have to take it off.

And this is a classic tea cosy shape… The Kureyon Kosy by Emma Crew is like a warm blanket that your teapot can snuggle down into. Hot tea, happy teapot — perfect!

(I haven’t actually checked this with the designers, but I feel really confident that either of these designs would also work on teapots in colours other than brown.)

And if you’re making a single cup of tea? Well, it deserves to stay toasty warm too. Check out MK Carroll’s Mug and French Press Jacket. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I love the big, fat button, the rich cable detailing, and… oh, just the adorableness of it!

And here’s something super-cool: if you’re more about coffee than tea (what?!? WHAT?!?), this pattern fits a French Press (cafetiere) as well.

How to Make (Me) the Perfect Cup of Tea

Now, I know there are a whole host of tea-making traditions in the world and probably a bazillion opinions on how to make the perfect cup of tea, but I am steeped in the tradition of English tea-making — four, six, ten times a day — and so this is how I think the perfect cuppa is created…

(“steeped”… ah hahahaha! I love a good pun!)

First, start with English Breakfast tea. I do love a cup of Rooibos and just lately I’m a little bit in love with Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green tea, but there is nothing nothing nothing so restorative as English Breakfast.
The best tea is loose-leaf, of course, but I won’t turn my nose up at a teabag. One is Sunday Best, and the other day is workaday.
Put the kettle on, bring that water up to a happy, busy, rolling boil. Please, never ever make tea with just hot water. Get it rollin’!
If you’re using a teapot, warm it first by putting a bit of the boiling water in for a minute or so, and then chucking that away. You need to keep the tea happy with a nice, warm, cosy pot.
Tea goes in — either loose into a pot or a bag into a cup — and then the water must go in after and hit the tea. The water must hit the tea. That’s the only way. Food-service workers of America, please take note: great tea cannot be made by dunking a cold bag into a cup of (vaguely) hot water! It’s got to be boiling water, plunging right down into the tea.
Let it steep for… how long? Until you get that perfect colour. I can’t help you here — you just know it when you see it. And, if you’re making a pot — the phrase round here is ‘mashing a pot’ — again, I can’t tell you how long, but you know the colour when you see it. (Actually, it’s a little like dyeing in that respect!)
Sugar and milk, thank you very much. Not cream (too rich), not half-and-half — just plain milk. How much milk? Well, about that much… Just until you get that perfect shade of mid-brown (I’m really not much help, am I?). And though my dentist long ago made me wean myself off the sugar, this is my perfect cuppa, so it’s got a teaspoon of sweetness in it. No honey, thank you. No lemon, please! Sugar and milk… hot sweet tea… the perfect shade of gentle, warm brown… mmmm…

And then, gather up your knitting, and sit back and enjoy — so long as that cup is warm in the hands, all is right in the world.

Ooh, just one more thing before I go… As we are smack in the middle of so many mid-winter celebrations, I want to take a moment to wish all of you the most blessed and happiest of holidays. And that amid all the hustle and bustle of the season, there are quiet moments of peace, love, and joy to all of you!

And tea. The best moments come with tea.

Something Important I Want to Share

16DecApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

This is not going to be the post I had planned today, but there’s something important I want to share with you. No pretty pictures today, no big announcements… Just something I really need to say.

Yesterday I did a video interview with Johnny Vasquez of Fiberstory.tv and, while I suspect I blathered on like a complete numpty through most of the interview, there was one question that sparked such a moment of clarity for me that I just have to tell you.

Johnny asked what made me start my two yarn clubs (the InterStellar Yarn Alliance and the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club). And as I rambled my answer (and rambled and rambled…), I found myself talking less about why I started the clubs and more about how much fun I have doing them. Not just creating the colourways for the Yarn Alliance, but also coming up with the goodies for each parcel, and pulling together colourways for the Mini-Skeins club… I mean, those are fun — great fun — but it’s more than that.

Sure, it started out being about doing the yarn club stuff, but it quickly changed…

And the reason it’s changed is because of you guys. No seriously, look… This past Monday, the Mini-Skein parcels went out and within two days, I was reading this:

On Twitter: “LOVE my miniskeinclub shipment!!! I cannot WAIT to use these.”

And on Ravelry: “My mini-skeins arrived today and, Wow! They are lovely! Beautiful colors!”

“I had to open them in parking lot at work since i couldn’t wait to see what colors.”

Do you guys have any idea how happy it makes me to read this stuff? When I choose the colours and put together the mini-skeins, and I pack them in the boxes and send them out… I’m just hoping you all will like them. And then I get feedback like that. Oh man!

And you know I released the SpaceCadet’s ebook last week, Launching Into Hand-Dyed: a basic guide to knitting and crocheting with hand-dyed yarns. And the feedback was equally heartwarming. Here’s what I was reading:

“What a helpful guide! I learned a bunch of new things… Thank you!”

“Love the ebook! …Love all the drool-worthy photos too.”

And I even got a Christmas card this week from a customer who’d asked me to create a custom colour for her. I sent off the yarn with my fingers crossed that I’d created the shade she’d been seeing in her mind’s eye. And she’d actually send a card just to tell me how happy she was with the result!

And then, when I go on Ravelry, and see all the fantastic stuff you guys are making with SpaceCadet yarns… Ohhh, it just makes me want to squee! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous projects! You guys have no idea how much I love seeing what you all create with the yarns I send out to you.

So there I was answering Johnny’s question about why I do the yarn clubs and, as I was fumbling to say something clever (or just plain coherent), I began to realise that the real answer has absolutely nothing to do with yarn and nothing to do with clubs.

The real reason is actually about you guys, and how much it means to know that you love the yarns and colourways that you receive.

So when I sat down to write a blog post today, I knew I had to scrap what I’d planned and write this instead… You guys are great customers. Your feedback and your support mean the world to me. And as we near the holidays, I just wanted to take a moment and tell you all that. You guys are what make all make all this worthwhile.

Orbiting the Fiber Universe, 16 Nov 2011

16NovApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Some of you may have seen me post and tweeting about sending out a package of 40 pounds — that’s right, forty pounds — of yarn that we recently sent off to fibre space in Alexandria VA. fibre space is one of the coolest LYSs in the country, and I am deeply honoured to have SpaceCadet yarn in their collection.

But I didn’t get a chance to tell you about the super cool write-up they did to introduce SpaceCadet Creations to fibre space’s customers. It was a lot of fun being interviewed by Veronica for it! Click here to check it out.

And then I thought of all the other great stuff that ‘s been coming through on my Twitter feed lately, and thought I’d share some of it with you here. So here’s a quick wrap-up of the stuff that caught my eye…

I loved this piece of advice from designer @GlennaKnits: “Is there a knitting pattern you’ve really enjoyed? Consider sending the designer positive feedback! It helps us to know what knitters love.”

And speaking of designers, the very lovely Carrie Keplinger, who is right this minute editing my ebook (so exciting! watch this space!), has put her entire Like Clochework Collection of adorable crocheted hats on sale for $14.99 until November 26. Go, quick, get a copy!

You know it and I know it and every knitter and crocheter in town knows it, but now the New York Times has cottoned on: Capes and Wraps are Hot!

You only work on one project at a time, right? No?!? Ok then, you might enjoy this post, where Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches does a quick run-through of some basic storage options for WIPs.

This one is just for my sister, who has gone crazy for knitting — as in, garter stitch only — but has yet to learn to cast on, purl, or bind off…. Karrie at KnitPurlGurl.com has done some quick videos that explain the very basics of knitting for beginners. Got a friend who keeps asking you to knit for her? Smile sweetly, and send her here!

And finally, did you see this? A crocheted spare tire cover. Fantastic!!! Wear your crafting with pride!

The SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club Goes LIVE!

10OctApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Last week I mentioned to you that I was about to launch a new website. And I said I was excited but I know well enough that I was probably the only one who was really interested in it. But now I want to ask you to do me a favour, please — a personal favour. I thought I was excited, I really did, but the truth is I had no idea how excited I really would be when the site launched. And here’s why: I built it myself! Myself!!!

Six weeks ago I didn’t know CSS from HTML from my elbow (and, truth be told, I probably still don’t!) but I found some great resources, got focused, worked my backside off, and… and… well, this is the result.

…Can you hear me squeeeeing from there?!?

So will you do me a favour please? I know website lauches never really matter much to anyone except the launcher (me!), but please get excited with me! Jump to the comments and give me a WOOT! — because, seriously, who ever thought I could build a site like this?!? And I am just so fired up!

The SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club Goes Live!

Ok, that’s enough of the exciting-for-me stuff (and, hey, thanks for getting excited for me too). Now let’s get to the exciting-for-you stuff…

About a month ago, I came across a tweet that mentioned a word I’d never seen before: hexipuffs. And I was thinking, “What the heck is a hexipuff?!?”

Hexipuffs knitted from SpaceCadet Creations yarn — These, as it turns out, are hexipuffs. Very cute... Very addictive!

And then all of a sudden, within a week, it seemed like mini-skein projects were everywhere… The BeeKeeper’s Quilt, the Babette Blanket, the Sock Yarn Blanket… (Oh man, I looove that Sock Yarn Blanket!). See what I mean? Mini-Skein projects are hot!

So then I realised, what would make a mini-skein project even more fun? Getting a surprise box of wonderful mini-skein colours each month to add to your project!

The SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club

Join the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club and every month you’ll receive an exciting parcel containing a hand-picked selection of gorgeous Mini-Skeins, perfect for adding to (or starting!) your project. You can choose your subscription level: Single (five 20g skeins), Double (ten 20g skeins), or Triple (fifteen 20g skeins). And you can cancel your subscription as soon as you have enough Mini-Skeins for your project.

(But the question is… can you ever have enough Mini-Skeins…?)

And here’s the really cool thing: the skeins are a mix of all the SpaceCadet’s beautiful yarns. Some are Celeste and Stella, there’s a touch of cashmere with Estelle, and the subtle sparkle of Lucina. And perhaps even some of the more unusual yarns from the Dept of Rocket Science — a bit of silk, some alpaca, maybe some bamboo or BFL… If you’ve ever wanted to try the different SpaceCadet yarns, the Mini-Skein Club is a GREAT way to do it!

Subscriptions are limited — Join Now!

Mini-Skein FAQs

What sorts of colourways can I expect in my parcel?

Each parcel is made up of a selection of SpaceCadet colourways, hand-picked to work together, with at least one contrasting colourway to add some zing! You can choose between

the Gentle Mix, which contains mostly Semi-Solids or Gently Variegated yarns, and

the Wild Mix, which is made up mostly of those exciting Wildly Variegated yarns.

All together, they look terrific and will be a great addition to your project.

What are the different subscription levels?

There are three levels, to cover you for the month no matter how fast you knit!

The Single Mini-Skein Subscription is five 20g skeins for $28

The Double Mini-Skein Subscription is ten 20g skeins for $54

The Triple Mini-Skein Subscription is fifteen 20g skeins for $78

(Shipping costs are exactly the same as in the SpaceCadet shop: $4.49 for the Single subscription level, and $1.49 for each additional level.)

When will my parcel arrive? And when will payment be taken?

All parcels go out on or around the 10th of each month, and the deadline for new subscriptions to be included in that shipment is midnight on the 1st of that month (every Mini-Skein is wound by hand, so we need a bit of notice to get your parcel ready!).

Domestic deliveries are sent by Priority Mail, which usually takes about 2-3 days. International deliveries are sent by USPS First Class mail.

Your payment will be processed on the day you subscribe, and will automatically repeat on the same day each month of your membership.

When does my subscription end?

You can end your subscription whenever you have collected enough Mini-Skeins for your project (or, any time you like). And it’s easy to unsubscribe! Just click on the Unsubscribe button on the Mini-Skein Club page.

Anything else I should know?

When you join, you’ll be added to the Mini-Skein Club mailing list, which we use only to easily let you know of any important information or changes to the club in the future.

Oh, and once you’ve joined, please do come over to the SpaceCadet Creations group on Ravelry and tell us all about the project you’re making or planning to make. We’d love to hear about it and see your progress!

Who is the SpaceCadet?