Sneak Peek: the Latest Yarn Alliance Parcel

22SepApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

A couple of weeks ago, we sent out the final parcel of the last Yarn Alliance subscription period, and I was so excited about this colourway that I just have to share it with you!!! The inspiration struck me like lightening, and I knew not only the colours to dye, but also the perfect yarn to put them on.

(Spoiler Alert! If you are a Yarn Alliance member* and you haven’t yet received your parcel, look away now if you don’t want to ruin the surprise! In fact, here’s a neutral image to act as a buffer…)

Ok, you still with me? Great! Let me introduce you to…

Storm Clouds, the Yarn Alliance Colourway for Sept 2014

There may be no relief so welcome as that of a thunderstorm that rolls in, fresh and forceful, to push away the heavy heat of summer and replace it with that delightfully cool that always carries the delicious smell of wet earth. Inspired by turbulent summer weather, Storm Clouds captures the majesty of the storm as the clouds move in fast, tumbling over one another – gray and blue and tinged with purple — and the light behind making them almost glow.

But how to capture that amazing glow? I realised it would come from the yarn itself – from Maia, the SpaceCadet’s new 80% bamboo, 20% superwash merino yarn — and from the way the light seems to almost float around and through that glorious sheen.

Do you love it as much as I do? I was over the moon with the result — exactly what I’d hoped for. Now I just have to see if I can snag a skein for myself before all the extra skeins are sold out! Mmmmm… what to make? What to make?

The Yarn Alliance closes TONIGHT

We’ve got a few spaces left in the SpaceCadet’s InterStellar Yarn Alliance, but the subscription period closes tonight at midnight PST. We have a ton of fun in this club so if you’ve been thinking about joining but haven’t reserved your spot yet, click here and grab it quick!

And don’t forget the Mauna Kea Giveaway!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of a member of the SpaceCadet community (who purchased a Mauna Kea kit specifically for us to give away!), you’ve got an awesome chance to win your spot in the Mauna Kea Knit-Together.

To enter, simply click here and leave a comment on last Friday’s post, telling us what you like best about the Mauna Kea design. Entries close on Thursday, and we’ll announce the winner here on the blog.

And then once you’ve done that, won’t you please pay it forward by sharing this giveaway on social media? When one of our community has been this incredibly generous, I think the best way we can show gratitude and share the love is to spread that generosity as far and wide as possible. Don’t you agree?

Share it!

For Twitter: Woot! The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny #MaunaKeaGiveaway

For Facebook: Woot! The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny #MaunaKeaGiveaway

For Ravelry: The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click here to enter: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny

*This can be confusing, I know, so just to clarify: this yarn shown here was the last yarn for existing members of the Yarn Alliance, before the current subscription period opened on Sept 9. If you have just joined (between Sept 9-22), your first parcel will be in November — and while it won’t be this colourway, I promise, it’ll be seriously awesome too!

Giveaway: the Generosity of Knitters & Crocheters

19SepApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

It is a fairly commonly held belief that knitters and crocheters are just really “nice” people. But I have to admit that, when I hear that, I sometimes find myself cringing a bit. It seems too simplistic, too stereotyped. I mean, it’s also a commonly held belief that we’re all little old grannies who knit or crochet because we’ve got nothing better to do — and we all know that’s not true! So when I hear about this fabled “niceness” of knitters and crocheters, it often feels just as cliched.

But while I hate the stereotype, I do have faith in the people. The truth is that knitters and crocheters are simply people, with good days and bad, good points and bad — no different to any other people. The stereotype is built on silly assumptions, but the truth comes from what they do. When knitters and crocheters are nice, by gum, they really are nice. So nice that I find myself taken aback…

#SimplyShare with Mel

My friend Mel, of the With Mel podcast and the designer of the Mauna Kea sweater, blogged this week about a wonderful way for knitters and crocheters to share a little kindness with someone in need. Here’s what she says,

“A Medical Team dedicated to helping local community centers in Haiti will be leaving my hometown in a few weeks. They sent out a request for washcloths: “You can grab an old towel and cut it in to small squares for washcloths” it was said. My heart hurt at this request. My community of knitting friends and I can make a washcloth, a clean, fresh washcloth and share something much, much better…”

Each person who comes into the clinic in Haiti can receive a hygiene package, containing soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a washcloth. Basic hygiene is so important in areas that are recovering from major disasters, but can we take an opportunity to make this something more than simply basic?

“…I am not saying an old towel ripped up wouldn’t serve a purpose. What I am saying is: I do not want an old towel to take an opportunity away from me to do something kind!… So please consider the simple washcloth. A square. Knit it in garter with two strands of sturdy cotton held together and you can have it done over a cup of coffee…”

And here is where my faith comes into play. I know that Mel’s viewers and followers will come through. I know they will respond from the heart, grab their needles and whip out simple washcloths to send to people who are in need not only of hygiene kits, but perhaps of that personal touch as well. Want to be a part of it? Click here for all the details.

A Mauna Kea Giveaway!

And here is something that I didn’t expect but that has only served to increase my faith in our community. Just before the Mauna Kea kits closed earlier this week, an order came in with a note that read, “I just can’t resist [this], but this kit is not for me. I’d like to sponsor an anonymous giveaway.”

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

How amazing is that?!? One of your fellow fiber-lovers has been so generous as to buy a Mauna Kea kit simply to give away just so someone else can enjoy the fun on making it! Here it is, proof positive that when knitters and crocheters are nice, they are really really nice.

So, if you missed out on a Mauna Kea kit, here is your chance to join in on the fun! You’ll get five skeins of SpaceCadet yarn in the Dark Skies ombre colourway, the Mauna Kea pattern, and membership in the Mauna Kea Knit-Together, with access to an exclusive site with great community support, tutorials, and on-site helps. How awesome is that?!?

Entering is easy!

Simply leave a comment here on the blog post and tell me what most appeals to you about the Mauna Kea pattern (see official rules below).

And then, please take the opportunity to pay it forward by sharing this giveaway with your knitting friends on Twitter, Facebook, and Ravelry. I’m not getting anything out of it, the kit sales are already closed — but when one of our community has been this incredibly generous, I think the best way we can show gratitude and share the love is to spread that generosity as far and wide as possible. Don’t you agree?

Share it!

For Twitter: Woot! The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny #MaunaKeaGiveaway

For Facebook: Woot! The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny #MaunaKeaGiveaway

For Ravelry: The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click here to enter: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny

Yarn Alliance Closes on Monday

Don’t forget, the Yarn Alliance closes to subscriptions this Monday, Sept 22. If you haven’t got your spot, grab it now!

There’s always small print — official rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to entrants worldwide, age 5 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 p.m. EST on September 25, 2014. Official entry is made by commenting on the SpaceCadet blog post titled “Giveaway: the Generosity of Knitters & Crocheters” . Alternative entry method: send a postcard by September 25 2014, containing full name, address, and email address, with the words “Mauna Kea Giveaway”, to: SpaceCadet, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. Limit one entry per person. One prize, consisting of one (1) Mauna Kea kit in Dark Skies, valued at $135. Total prize value: $135. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Prize cannot be substituted. Employees and family of employees of SpaceCadet Inc are ineligible. A list of winners will be available on the SpaceCadet blog on or after September 26, 2014. Sponsored by SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. For full official rules, go to http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny

A Colourway for Languid Days

22JulApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

According to last night’s 11pm news, the temperature here in western Pennsylvania is about to get miserable: 92 degrees F (33 C) with humidity that you can cut with a knife. I’m no fan of hot weather and I know it’s not due to last long but, while it’s here, I’ll be taking shelter in the coolest spots I can find.

So, it seemed a perfect time to share with you the latest Yarn Alliance parcel, because the inspiration for this colourway is all about finding refuge from the hottest summer temperatures.

Inspired by a languid summer’s afternoon spent in the shade of a lush tree, its branches draping lazily above and letting the sunlight through only in little pools here and there. No matter how harsh the sun’s ray or how wilting the day, the shelter of that cool, dappled shade is the most refreshing place to be.

Y’know, if I’m honest, this is not a colouway that I feels natural to me — I am not often a yellow kind of girl — but the truth is that I just love this colourway! There is something about that just feels so summery and hot… a little singed around the edges… and yet with that wonderfully cool streak of blues and greens. I just cannot wait to see how this knits up!

And every Yarn Alliance parcel comes with a gift and, this time, it was a perfect match for the colourway. When those long, languid days turn into perfect summer evenings, there is nothing nicer than sitting out in the cooling air with a beer (or, in this case, a cool English cider). Renee from Knerd made us these custom beer cosies with the idea of “cold beer, warm hands, dry knitting”.

And y’know, no matter how hot and miserable the day, I think that just has to be the perfect way to end it. Don’t you agree?

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance will open in September for new subscriptions. Want to be the first to hear when it does? Click here to get on the mailing list and get early-bird notification of the opening dates!

Help Me Choose the Best Mini-Skein Colourway!

07MarApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We are crazy busy at the moment prepping club parcels and getting ready for our upcoming shows (Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet 14-16 March; HomeSpun Yarn Party 23 March; are you coming?), but I just wanted to quickly share this with you…

The Multicolour Mix

These are February’s Mini-Skein Club parcels and I think they may be some of favourites ever. First, let me show you the Multicolour Mix. Now, when I dyed it, I was just having fun — playing with the kind of wonderfully intense colours that I crave in the depths of winter. Bright and cheerful, I think they perfectly fit the bill.

But when Amy saw them, all twisted and gathered into bundles, she picked one up and held it up, so I was looking at it end-on. “You’ve dyed the Olympic Rings!” she declared. And she was right! Well, sort of. But there we were, right in the middle of the Olympic Games, and I’d unconsciously dyed a red, a green, a yellow, a blue, and… well, it’s actually a deep purplish colour, but it almost looks black. The Olympic Rings, in yarn form.

Maybe I’ll make it a reoccurring theme, every two years or so. …But, erm, in a completely not-copyright-breaching kind of way. It’s just, y’know, yarn.

The Ombre & Gradient Mix

Now let me show you the Mini-Skein Club’s Ombre & Gradient Mix, and I’m really excited about this one. This is a gradient set, meaning that the colours don’t fade as in an ombre set, but instead morph gently from one colour to the next across the set. Do you see how it moves from a lavendar into a gray and into a lemon colour? Imagine that gentle colour shift across the rows of your project — so lovely!

This is the Mini-Skein version of a colourway I’d asked you to help me name a few weeks ago. Do you remember that? We had tons of fabulous suggestions in emails, in blog comments, on Facebook… And my favourite came via Twitter from Amy at Ross Farm Fibers, who suggested a play on the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I really loved that idea, and the colourway is called… When Life Gives You Lavender.

Tell Me Your Favourite!

Now, I would love to hear which of these Mini-Skein colourways is your favourite. Is there one that you think we should offer as a Limited Edition? Or maybe as a permanent addition to our shop colourways? Let me know! Just click here to vote in the poll and join the conversation on Ravelry (use the numbers at the bottom of each picture). I’d love to know what you think!

Join the Yarn Alliance! 1-16 March

Don’t forget the Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s fabulous yarn club — is open for subscriptions right now and closes on 16 March. Spaces have been going fast — click here to learn more and join today!

Hana Hou Winners …and Gifts for Everyone Else!

19FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

We’ve been super busy lately developing some fab new colourways, but I wanted to quickly pull myself away from the dyepots to give you the news that I know a ton of you have been waiting for…

Last week I announced that Mel of Singlehanded Knits had generously given me seven copies of her gorgeous new pattern, Hana Hou (perfect for SpaceCadet Lyra!) to give away to seven lucky readers. So, without further ado, the winners aaaaare…

Andrea (SeCoWi13 on Ravelry)
Dianne (cdccj on Ravelry)
Grace (tully on Ravelry)
Laura (tastefldiversns on Ravelry)
Dawn (Knithemiptera on Ravlery)
Dvora (dvorag on Ravelry)
Robin (pookiemonk on Ravelry)

Congratulations! Mel will be sending each of you your pattern shortly.

So You Didn’t Win? No Worries!

Even if your name’s not up on there in that list, I’ve still got a couple of treats for you! But hurry, they’re for today only.

First, if you click here to join the SingleHanded Knits mailing list today, and Mel will give you $2 off your own copy of Hana Hou. Which is pretty fabulous, and gets you halfway to getting cast on!

And then, to get you the rest of the way to casting on, I’m giving you a coupon code for $5 off SpaceCadet Lyra — the perfect yarn for Hana Hou — which means your Hana Hou pattern is essentially free when you make it in SpaceCadet yarn!

We’ve got a ton of Lyra tied up and ready to dye, but you have to hurry — this is a spur-of-the-moment thing that I just thought of, so the code is good on orders placed today only. To get your $5 off, just click here to choose your colours, and enter the code LyraForHanaHou during check out, and the rest of your Hana Hou pattern will be on me!

New Colourways

And you know I said we’d been hard at work in the studio developing new colourways? It’s a really long process — first there’s the original colour idea, then the development of the recipe, then dyeing up test batches and checking quality, the photography and image editing, and then finally getting the new colouways up on the website.

But our new colours are slowly making their way into the shop, one by one — and I’ll be working on putting a few more of them in later this week and over the weekend. But for now, have a look for fabulous four new shades in Lyra. And, hey, leave a comment and let me know which is your favourite — I’d love to know!

The Yarn Alliance Opens in March

Are you signed up for the Yarn Alliance mailing list? Available to new subscribers only twice a year, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s premiere yarn club, known for fabulous fingering yarns, gorgeous colourways, and awesome gifts — will be opening again in March for two weeks only. If you want to be the first to know when it does, click here and get on the Yarn Alliance mailing list!

Hana Hou: A Giveaway!

14FebApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

Is someone giving you roses today? Maybe a huge box of chocolate? Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful bright spot in the depths of winter but if, like me, you aren’t likely to get something from a sweetheart, then let me step in and give you a sweet little treat of my own…

My friend Mel of Singlehanded Knits has just released Hana Hou, a gorgeous new cardigan design that I just love, absolutely love. Knit in sport weight yarn and perfect for SpaceCadet Lyra, it features an asymmetrical style with a really beautiful border detail on the placket and cuffs. It’s just the kind of knit you find yourself itching to get on the needles…

But there’s something more about Hana Hou that knocked my socks off. Rather than simply put together a regular pattern, Mel has turned Hana Hou into a stunning look book, each page filled with the most incredibly luscious photography alongside the pattern instructions. Every image makes you feel like you are falling right into the page and changes Hana Hou from a simple pattern into something that feels more like an escape to the islands. I can’t stop scrolling through it on my iPad…

Win a Copy of the Hana Hou Pattern & Look Book!

So how about a copy of your own? You got it! Mel has very generously given me seven copies of Hana Hou to give away to seven lucky winners!

All you have to do is:

go to Ravelry (click here) and add Hana Hou to either your favourites or your queue
and then leave a comment here on the blog telling me which Lyra colourway you’d choose for your Hana Hou (don’t forget to mention your Ravelry name)

That’s it! Once that’s done, you’re in with a chance to win your own copy of the gorgeous Hana Hou pattern look book! But hurry — the giveaway closes on Monday Feb 17 at 11.59pm EST, and I’ll announce the winner on the blog on Tuesday.

But hey, what if you just can’t wait to get your hands on Hana Hou? Yeah, we’ve got you covered — click here to join the Singlehanded Knits mailing list, and Mel will send you a $2 discount code for an instant download.

Pssst! The Yarn Alliance Is Opening Soon!

Available to new subscribers only twice a year, the InterStellar Yarn Alliance — the SpaceCadet’s premiere yarn club, known for fabulous fingering yarns, gorgeous colourways, and awesome gifts — will be opening again in March for two weeks only. If you want to be the first to know when it does, click here and get on the Yarn Alliance mailing list!

There’s always small print — official rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to entrants worldwide, age 5 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 p.m. EST on February 17, 2014. Official entry is made by commenting on the SpaceCadet blog post titled “Hana Hou: A Giveaway!” and by favouriting and/or queuing Hana Hou on Ravelry. Limit one entry per person. Sponsored by Singlehanded Knits and SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. Seven (7) prizes, each consisting of one (1) copy of the Hana Hou pattern and look book, valued at $7. Total prize value: $49. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Prize cannot be substituted. Employees and family of employees of SpaceCadet Inc and/or Singlehanded Knits are ineligible. A list of winners will be available on the SpaceCadet blog on or after February 18, 2014. For full official rules, visit https://spacecadetyarn.com/2014/02/14/hana-hou-a-giveaway