design

Delighted to Announce…

By Stephanie

I was so excited when Sharon Silverman, crochet designer and author of Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting, asked if she could use my Luna Laceweight yarn in a new design.   And I was delighted to dye a brand-new colourway for her to work with.

And now, I am absolutely thrilled to present her stunning Moonmist Shawl and the yarn I’ve created for it, Luna Laceweight in Evening Fog.

© Sharon Silverman, Used with Permission

The Moonmist Shawl pattern is worked out from the center back in one direction and then the other, to create a delicate piece of lacework so light that it fairly floats across the shoulders.

When she first described to me the design she had in mind, I saw it draped delicately over a beautiful evening gown.  I imagined holiday parties, sparkling lights, glasses of champagne…  I wanted to create a colourway as ethereal as the Moonmist Shawl itself…

Luna Laceweight in Evening Fog


As day slips away and the light grows soft, the Evening Fog rises up out of nowhere and gently transforms the world with a veil of translucent blue-grey.

This is over 100g of wonderfully smooshy Luna Lace Weight yarn, a 2-ply blend of Silk and superfine Merino wool that is amazingly light and soft to the touch. Where there are multiple skeins pictured, each is sold separately.


Fiber Content: 20% Silk, 80% Merino Wool
Weight: Approximately 3.6oz / 100g (approximately 1300 yards per 100g)
Colourway: Evening Fog
Care Instructions for the final item: Hand wash in tepid water, Lay flat to dry.

Each item is individually hand-dyed by the SpaceCadet, using professional grade acid dyes which are mixed by hand from primaries. Please be sure to buy enough for your project as the colours may not be able to be reproduced exactly.
SpaceCadet Creations is a smoke-free, pet-free environment.
Please remember that the colours in pictures may vary depending on your computer monitor. The colours in the photos are as accurate as possible.

Dyeing for a New Design

By Stephanie

Do you remember the fabulous crochet patterns I featured last month?  Do you remember this shawl by Sharon Silverman?

© Sharon Silverman, Used with Permission

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Sharon is the author of Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting and the creator of some really beautiful patterns.  She and I got talking, and it turns out she admired my yarns as much as I admired her designs.  And I was so flattered when she asked if I would create a colourway for her to use in a new design!

(I think this is the thing that I like most about the fiber arts community: the way that people work together — and really want to work together — to create beautiful things.  Fiber people are great people.)

I began to think about colours — I wanted to give her something really special to work with.  In my mind, I was seeing something lovely to drape around the shoulders, over a beautiful evening dress…  something as soft as mist…

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Sharon sent me a sneak peak at the design this week, and it’s as light and as gorgeous as the yarn it’s made for.  I can’t share the design with you yet, but I can give you a quick glimpse of the yarn.

This is Evening Fog, a delicate mix of soft greys and the lightest misty blue, in Luna Laceweight 80% merino/20% silk yarn.  And, if you like it, it will be in the shop in time for the pattern’s release.

Pattern Roll-Call: Something Gorgeous Around Your Shoulders

By Stephanie

Y’know, even though it’s still August and that usually means high temperatures and hot days, the weather has taken on a slightly cooler tinge this week, and that’s got me thinking about autumn.  I’ve been day-dreaming about turning leaves, that crisp smell in the air, and lovely lovely autumn knitting.  Is there anything better?  And the first thing you need as the weather starts to change is something gorgeous to drape around you to keep that chill at bay.

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Abby by Amy Singer

©Amy Singer, Used by Permission

I’m crazy about cowls.  They’re so easy — there’s no tying, no arranging, no fussing or adjusting…  they just pop over your head and perfectly fill up the space around the top of a jacket to keep you toasty warm.  Abby by Amy Singer has a beautifully simple stitch pattern that will work perfectly with any yarn from a Semi-Solid to a Wildly Varigated.  I think it would look amazing knitted up in the gentle blues and purples of Mountain Mist.

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Mirth by Stefanie Japel

©Stefanie Japel, Used by Permission

The lace pattern on Mirth is gorgeous, just gorgeous — what could look more elegant draped around your shoulders on a cool autumn day?  But the real beauty of Stefanie Japel‘s pattern is that it’s written in both text and charts, and the size of the shawl can customised by completing as many chart repeats as the knitter likes.  The allover lace pattern will really shine in a Gently Varigated yarn such as Pink Autumn or Desert Wine.

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Eventide by Laura Nelkin

©Laura Nelkin, Used by Permission

Now here is a pattern that makes you want to grab that crazy-gorgeous yarn that’s been calling your name and just cast on.  The long criss-cross floats of Laura Nelkin‘s Eventide really showcase the colours a variegated yarn such as the cool blue/green/purples of Midnight Swim or the gentle pinks and olive-greens of Bramble Rose.  And the beautiful openwork creates a pattern that is perfect for those not-too-warm, not-too-cool days that autumn brings.

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So, yeah, I know…  it’s still August.  And the sun in still high in the sky and we’re all still wearing our summer clothes.  But one of these days, the weather is going to change suddenly and summer will be gone…  And now is the perfect time to cast on so that, when that happens, you’ll have something gorgeous to see in the autumn.

Beautiful One-Skein Knitting Patterns for Hand-Dyed Yarns

By Stephanie

One of the most exciting things about buying yarn from small, indie dyers like SpaceCadet Creations is that each skein is hand-created and unique, dyed on its own or in a very small dyelot, and not like any other skein in the world.  But now and again, someone will look at my shop and then contact me to say that they love my colours but… what can be made with yarns from such small-batch dyelots?  What can be knit out of a single skein of yarn?

Now, there are legions of addicted sock knitters who could probably jump in with an answer that question (“Socks!”) but, in reality, there are just so many beautiful projects that can be created from just one or two skeins of hand-dyed yarn!  Let me share a few patterns that have caught my eye…

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Simple Things by Mary-Heather Cogar

© Mary-Heather Cogar, Used With Permission

This beautiful shawlette was designed to show off the colours of a of a single skein of sock yarn.  Mary-Heather chose simple stitchwork  to compliment the colours of even the most wildly variegated colourway, such as those in Sunset over a Stormy Sea, and the regular increases help reduce the chance of pooling.  The shawlette looks fantastic tucked into the top of a jacket — stylish and functional at the same time.  And I think it’s a perfect first project for anyone who is experimenting with hand-dyed yarns.

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SweaterBabe.com’s #87 One Skein Lace Fingerless Gloves

© SweaterBabe.com, Used with Permission

I fell in love with these the minute I saw them!  The lace pattern is delicate without being fussy, and the gloves look warm and lady-like at the same time.  Using just a single skein of yarn, I think this pattern would look stunning knit up in an autumn colourway.

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Dalia by Ariane Caron-Lacoste

© Ariane Caron-Lacoste, Used with Permission

This little cowl is so sweet, so perfect, that I every time I see the picture I just want to cast on for it RIGHT NOW.  It’s always at a moment when I’m busy dyeing or blogging and so I can’t cast on but… still, as soon as I see it…  I want to start it RIGHT NOW!  I love the simplicity of it, how quick it would be…  how it would be a little gift just for me.  I’m seeing it in a warm colourway such as Bramble Rose.  You know…  I really am seeing it.

In fact, I may just have to stop blogging and go cast it on.  Right now.