Creative Colour: Two Projects that Inspire

One of the things that I find so seductive about hand-dyed yarn is way it is just so full of possibilities.  Every knitter or crocheter looks at a skein and sees a completely different destiny for it — and no two people are ever going to create the exact same thing.  Even if they were to use the same yarn and the same pattern, their gauges will be slightly varied and so the colours will arrange themselves in different ways across the stitches…   With hand-dyed yarn, there is always that element of what-if, a kind of energy wrapped up in the colour and fiber and twist.  I find that so intriguing!

And so I get crazy excited to discover what SpaceCadet customers make with our yarn.  I loooove seeing finished your objects in the SpaceCadet group on Ravelry, or posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (make sure you tag me, ok? @spacecadetyarn or #spacecadetyarn).

You know how I much I love hunting out interesting ways to use SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins, right? (If you don’t, just check out the Mini-Skein Ideas board on Pinterest — some really amazing possibilities there)  Well, I’ve just got to share this one with you, because sometimes it’s the littlest thing that makes a project really come to life.

 

Using Mini-Skeins on Mini-Skeins

Now first, if you don’t know Martina Behm’s Hitchhiker pattern, let me show you:

Hitchhiker by Martina Behm

It’s a simple garter stitch shawl — easy to knit but intriguing because of its diagonal construction and fun sawtoothed edging.  So far, so good.

But now check out this little modification that Megan/Arthjarna made to her Hitchhiker — and what a massive impact it has on the finished product!

 

Hitchhiker in SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins

Megan used SpaceCadet Ombre Mini-Skeins so her Hitchhiker shifts from the intense rust of Headstrong at one end to a gorgeous shades of terracotta at the other.  But here’s the thing that I think is pure genius…  instead of having the colours blend into each other, Megan went bold and chose a contrasting Mini-Skein in a gorgeous chartreuse to highlight each colour shift.

She actually added a second Mini-Skein element to her Mini-Skein project.  How awesome is that?!?



Using the Start-Anywhere Gradient Mix

You remember last month I created Space-Cadet’s Start-Anywhere Gradient Mini-Skein Mix?  Here’s how it works:

The Start-Anywhere Gradient Mix, from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, June 2014

 

And I just have to share with you this gorgeous project, knit by my assistant Jade/jadeish.  It’s the Quaker Yarn Stretcher Boomerang by Susan Ashcroft and it’s got a very similar diagonal construction, but this time with the added texture of alternating knit and purl ridges.

What I love about about this is how the individual Mini-Skeins work together.  Look closely…  Do you see the gray flecks in the burnt-orange along the edge?  Those are there so that skein can blend back into the gray of the first skein if you wanted to start at another point in the Mini-Skein bundle.

 Quaker Yarn Stretcher Boomerang by Susan Ashcroft, knit in SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins. spacecadetyarn.com

But in this shawl, what it actually does is tie the whole thing together, by picking up the colour of the gray at the other end of the shawl, and making the whole piece come together.  Even though the first and the last Mini-Skein aren’t physically joined, there’s still a connection in the colour, and that brings the whole shawl full circle.

See what I mean?  So many possibilities in each skein of yarn!  So come on and show me — what will you make with yours?  I’m dying to see!


 

1.. 2… 3… Wait, 1.. 2…

Counting from one to five shouldn’t be tough, but this month I totally stumped my assistants Jade and Amy, and had them counting…  and then recounting…  and then starting over again.

They were bundling the June Mini-Skeins and, for the Ombre & Gradient Mix, the rule usually is that the most intense skein is number one, working to the gentlest skein at number five.  Easy, right?  But this month, I did something a little different.

But first, let me show you the Multicolour Mix.  June always feels like such a bright, clear month — no snow, bright skies, blazing sun — that it felt right to dye clean, clear, happy colourways.  Don’t they make you smile?

The SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, Multicolour Mix, June 2014

Now, which of these do you think I should do as Limited Editions?  The pink and green?  That happy yellow with pops of peach and green? Leave a comment and tell me which ones are calling your name!

But it was the Mini-Skein Club Ombre & Gradient Mix that was giving the SpaceCadet assistants pause…   You see, most months, the Mini-Skeins have a definite start and a definite end, and Amy and Jade know exactly where to start.

But this month, I did something a bit different.  I dyed five skeins that formed a complete circle, and all blended into each other.  So, instead of starting a project at Skein 1 and working through to Skein 5, you could start a project anywhere in the set, and the skeins will still all work together.

The Start-Anywhere Gradient Mix, from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, June 2014

Fancy that gorgeous Skein 3?  Start there!  It will blend into Skein 4, which blends into Skein 5, which blends into…  and here’s the trick… Skein 5 blends neatly back into Skein 1.  So you can start anywhere and still work your way right through the full bundle, creating a beautiful gradient effect no matter where you choose to begin.

Such a simple change, and yet it has a really big impact on your project.  And I am so chuffed with the result!  Don’t you just love it?  So tell me, which skein would you start with?

The SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club, Ombre & Gradient Mix, June 2014

Wanna get Mini-Skein bundles delivered straight to your door?  Click here to find out more!

FAQ: But What Do I Do With Them?

Click Here to Learn More about the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club

Doing a show is always exciting and energising, but one of the best things is that I come away with a better understanding of what our customers want.  Just talking to the folks who walk into our booth is all it takes — when I hear the same question coming up again and again, I know it’s something that’s important to you guys.

“What Do I Make With Them?”

And so it was this weekend at the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival.  Everyone was drawn to the big bowl of SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins, but we kept hearing the question, “But what do I make with them?

Click for fabulous Mini-Skein ideas!

To be honest, I struggle a little to answer this question — not because I can’t think of an answer, but because I can think of so many.  The thing is, with Mini-Skeins, it’s not so much a matter of finding patterns for them as it a case of just finding inspiration, because Mini-Skeins don’t have to follow rules.  You can use them all together in one project, you can use one on its own to add an accent, you can go for matching colours or you can mix them all up.  Yes, Mini-Skeins are little bundles of yarn but, actually, I think of them more as yarn crayons that you use to add a punch of colour to your project in any way you fancy.  And when you do that, it’s a whole different way of approaching colour in your knitting and crochet.

Get Inspired!

So where to go for inspiration?  Probably the best place is the SpaceCadet Mini-Skein Ideas board on Pinterest.  Jade and I have curated a fantastic collection of project ideas to get you started — everything from gorgeous striped cardigans to quick hats and mitts to adorable amigurumi.  Some of the projects are constructed entirely from Mini-Skeins and many others are designed to use them as accents but, either way, there is a wealth of inspiration there just waiting to spark your imagination and get you thinking of creative ways to use Mini-Skeins in all kinds of different projects.

Click for fabulous Mini-Skein ideas!

(If you’re not already a Pinterest user, let me tell you, it’s possibly one of the most addictive places on the web.  But it’s one of the most useful as well.  Almost every image, or “pin”, links through to the original source — just click on the image to go to the webpage it came from.  And so as you pin images and build your pinboards, what you’re actually doing is collecting bookmarks   …Bookmarks that are beautiful to look at, easy to peruse, and wonderfully inspiring.  See how it could get addictive?  To start using Pinterest, click here to join and then start following us at SpaceCadetYarn!)

And your next stop, of course, should be Ravelry.  Add “mini skeins” to your pattern search, and it will give you all sorts of projects specifically designed to be made with these little bundles of yarny goodness.

Click for fabulous Mini-Skein ideas!

Oh, and I just have to share with you…  on the Singlehanded Knits podcast this week, my friend Mel and her sweet daughter Alana model their latest take on Mini-Skein creativity (fun spoiler: it includes pom-poms!).  I think it might be my favourite episode ever because, as much as I love playing with colour and dyeing up all these wonderful little yarn crayons for you guys, absolutely nothing compares to seeing the innovative ways that folks turn them into completed projects!

Got some SpaceCadetMini-Skeins in your stash? Fantastic!  Come over to the SpaceCadet group on Ravelry, and show us how you’ve used them to colour your world.  We’d love to see!

Exciting Changes to the Mini-Skein Club!

Y’know, sometimes I live up to the SpaceCadet moniker just a little too well (…I say “sometimes” mostly because it makes me feel better, but I suspect there are a number of people reading this who are thinking, “Really, Steph? Just sometimes?”).

But I digress. Sometimes I live up to the SpaceCadet name just a bit too much, and this week would be one of those times*.  Because early this week I sent out a pretty big announcement to the members of the Mini-Skein Club.  And then I happily went about my week — dyeing, twisting, packing for shows — and I totally forgot that I should probably tell the rest of you about it.

So let me put that to rights right now.  The big news in the Mini-Skein Club is….

Ombré & Gradient Mini-Skeins!

Three Ombre kits 2

I’m sure you’ve seen the ombré and gradient kits that have been flying out of the shop lately.  I absolutely adore dyeing ombré kits — not only are the results gorgeous but, as a dyer, the process is endlessly fascinating to me.  But it was when I was looking through Mini-Skein project ideas that I realised how perfect the two would be together.  Projects such as Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark’s Sweet Hexigon Cowl (below left) and Emily Ross’s Burano (below right) are just begging to be made in ombré and gradient yarns.

And really, so many Mini-Skein patterns would not just work beautifully in ombré and gradient colours but, in many cases, would work so much better, whether the bundles were used individually or as several months’ worth combined together.

ZL Hexagon281ZL Burano5281h

The more I thought about it, the more I realised that I would be much better serving the members of the Mini-Skein Club (particularly those who prefer a gentle colour mix) if I offered an Ombré & Gradient option.  I put a few feelers out on Twitter and Facebook, and the response was overwhelming: everybody said yes the ombré mix!

So, from the September parcels onwards**, the Mini-Skein Club is going to change.

  • The Gentle Mix will become the Ombré & Gradient Mix — five Mini-Skeins that morph gently from dark into light or from hue to hue.
  • And the Wild Mix will become a Multicolour Mix — essentially very similar to what it is now: an assortment of variegated and semi-solid yarns that work together and yet still provide exciting contrasts.

Isn’t this exciting?!?  I think it’s going to be great fun for all the club members and I can’t wait to see the projects they come up with.  I am already searching Ravelry for patterns that will work beautifully with the two new mixes (have you seen something that would be perfect? Do tell!).

Click Here to Learn More about the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club

And, maybe most of all, I’m kinda really relieved that I finally remember to tell you guys…

*sigh*   SpaceCadet indeed.


 

*Really, Steph? Just one…?

** Is this a permanent change or temporary?  I’m not sure, but we’ll try it for a while and then change it later if that feels right.  The Mini-Skein Club has always been something of an adventure of discovery, so let’s just go with it and see!

The Questions I Love to Answer

At Knitters Fantasy the other weekend, a customer was looking through the bundles of gorgeous, adorable mini-skeins that we’d brought to introduce people to the Mini-Skein Club.  She was completely lost in them, studying each one intently as she moved her hand from bundle to bundle, looking for exactly the right colours.

Mini-Skeins from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club for knitters and crocheters

The mini-skeins have sold like hot-cakes at every show we’ve taken them to.  There’s something irresistible about hundreds of miniature skeins of SpaceCadet yarn all piled up together!

And even though we normally sell the mini-skeins exclusively through the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club, I love taking them to shows.  Why?  Because it’s so much fun to watch people suddenly spot them, come rushing over to look more closely, and then — just like the customer at the show the other weekend — get totally lost in finding their perfect combination of colours.

Hexipuffs made from one mini-skein from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club

And the mini-skeins start so many conversations.  “What do you use them for?” (answer: here) “What could I make with them?” (answer: here) And my favourite, “So, what is this club you do?”  I love that one because it gives me the opportunity to explain how the club works. Each month, club members receive a parcel of mini-skeins in colours that I’ve chosen for them (as a complete surprise!).  The mini-skeins are made up of a variety of SpaceCadet fingering yarns, so you get a chance to try the different yarn types. And that the best thing is that you can cancel your subscription as soon as you have enough Mini-Skeins for your project.  See what I mean?  It’s a great club!

 

After looking carefully every single bundle, my customer finally chose a favourite.  And, as she walked over to me to pay for it, she clutched it in front of her chest with both hands.  She had a huge grin on her face and light in her eyes that told me she had just found herself some treasure.

More mini-skeins from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club for knitting and crochet

“So,” she said, as she reached into her bag for her credit card, “what made you start this club?”  She had set the bundle of mini-skeins down on the table, but one hand rested lightly on them — protecting them,  laying claim to them.  I smiled to myself.  If she could see herself in a mirror, the answer to her question would be obvious.

The shine in her eyes… her hand on the yarns… the little moment of joy they’ve already brought her and all the joy her new mini-skein project will bring her when she gets home…  

That is why I started the Mini-Skein Club.

 

Click Here to Learn More about the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club

Win a Bundle of SpaceCadet Mini-Skeins!

All day today, I’ve been making Mini-Skein bundles in preparation for HomeSpun Yarn Party this weekend (hey, are you coming?).  I love putting them together — picking the colours, arranging the skeins and tying them all together.   Mini-Skeins are just so cute and, oh, so much fun!

Seriously adorable bundles of yarn from the SpaceCadet's Mini-Skein Club

We took Mini-Skeins to Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet to introduce the idea to customers who hadn’t seen them before and… they sold like hotcakes!  I mean, it’s one thing to see them online, but I think it’s completely different when you meet them in person.  I loved seeing the customers pouring over each and every bundle, trying to decide which one (or two …or three!) that had the colourways they loved the most.

And the very best part?  So many of those customers have came back in the weeks after the festival to join the SpaceCadet’s Mini-Skein Club.  Seriously, I don’t think there’s any better compliment than that!

So, the Mini-Skeins are coming with us to HomeSpun Yarn Party this weekend.  And if you’re going to be there, do be sure to come by the booth early before they disappear!

Or Win a Mini-Skein Bundle

So, what if you’re not going to HomeSpun? (or if you just can’t wait…)  Well, don’t you worry because the lovely folks at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet festival are giving away a SpaceCadet Mini-Skein bundle in their latest newsletter, along with a copy of Sarah Core’s Mini-Mania Scarf pattern.  Just click on this link before March 30, and scroll down to the bottom for all the details on how to enter.

Win a SpaceCadet Mini-Skein bundle from Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet!

And then you can sit back, cross your fingers, and wait for your own little bundle of Mini-Skein goodness to arrive in your mailbox.  Hooray!