After A Long Winter’s Nap

04JanApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

The first day back to Real Life after the holidays can be like waking up from a long slumber. And sometimes it’s a gentle start to the new year …and sometimes it’s not. 2013 has started with a bang! There’s tons of stuff to look forward to and I can’t wait to tell you all about it in the coming weeks. But first, let’s start with this…

It’s Yarn Alliance parcel time! You know what? The first club parcel of year might just be my favourite. The depths of winter are such an inspiration… the new year is always so full of promise… and, after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s so nice to sink comfortably into Selfish Knitting Month.

On A Winter’s Eve

Selfish knitting should be sheer pleasure, so I started with the luxurious cashmere softness of Aurora — this is a yarn you really have to feel to believe. And I layered onto it the colours that were calling to me — deep purple-blues of a cold winter’s night and the soft silver-greys of the stars above, and the snows that reflect them. And as they dyed, I let the colours mingle together, creating a gentle undulation from one shade to another.

I really, really love this colourway.

Now, the gift! I’m excited about this. I met Kristine Keller at TNNA two years ago, just after, Stormy Blue, her lovely yarn-and-pottery shop opened in Murrysville PA, and I liked her straight away. She’s down to earth and fun, so I was delighted to run into her again a few months ago at Indie Knit & Spin, where she was selling her gorgeous yarn bowls.

And as I was looking at her booth, I spotted these lovely hand-made shawl pins — every single one completely unique — and immediately thought of the Yarn Alliance. I phone Kristine a few weeks later and asked if she’d make some custom SpaceCadet shawl pins and she was totally up for it. I love them!

So, now that the holidays are over and all your gift-knitting is finished, how will you celebrate Selfish Knitting Month? C’mon, it’s time to make something luxurious and wonderful …and all for yourself. What will you cast on?

For Cyber Monday: A Fantastic New SpaceCadet Club!

26NovApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

It’s Cyber Monday and everywhere you look, there are ads screaming at you about dealsdealsdeals! And it’s exhausting, isn’t it?

So, instead of joining in with all that noise, I decidedto give you something really special. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long, long time, and I can’t believe the day is finally here…

I am thrilled to announce…

SpaceMonsters, the SpaceCadet’s Mega Yarn Club

Specially designed for those who love working with thicker yarns!

There is nothing in the whole world like a skein of lovely, smooshy, thick yarn to make you want to pick it up, squish it… dive right into it! Big, bulky yarns call out to you, beg you to pick them up and press them against your cheek. And when you cast on, they always work up so fast! Big yarns are gorgeous.

Members of the SpaceMonsters Mega Club will receive:

a fantastic parcel delivered to their door every other month, containing a beautiful skein of SpaceCadet^® Creations yarn in worsted or bulky weight, hand-dyed in an exclusive colourway* created to bring out the best in thicker yarns.
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
A fantastic SpaceMonsters gift tucked into every third parcel. We’re known for the fabulous gifts we include in our club parcels — and for this club, we’re seriously upping the fab. You’re going love it!

*guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet website for at least 6 months

But bigger yarns mean bigger projects, right?

Don’t you worry — in this club, you can buy extra skeins! For a whole month after you receive your parcel, you’ll have an exclusive opportunity to order more skeins custom-dyed in the latest club colourway. You’ll receive an email with all the details a few days after your parcel goes out — and then all you have to do is pick your project!

And the price is pretty exciting too: a 6 month subscription (3 parcels) is only $99, and a 12 month subscription (6 parcels) is just $194. …Know anyone on your holiday gift list who’d love to receive a right-to-her-door supply of gorgeous, smooshy yarn?

But subscriptions are open only until Dec 16 and spaces are limited… so you’ve gotta be quick!

Ready to join the SpaceMonsters?

Click on one of the buttons below to grab your spot in the SpaceMonsters Mega Yarn Club

Six month subscriptions include 3 parcels; twelve month subscriptions include 6 parcels. Parcels will be sent out on or near the first of February, April, June, August, October, and December. Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US..
Normal subscription openings/renewals will be available in June and December of each year.
Any other questions? Ask us! spacecadetcreations (at) gmail (dot) com

Black Friday Weekend ONLY: Gift Subscriptions to the InterStellar Yarn Alliance!

23NovApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

It’s Black Friday weekend, which means all kind of gift-buying craziness. Now I don’t know about you, but I am not getting up early to fight the crowds — so here, back by popular request, is a fantastic way to give the gift of yarny goodness and mouthwatering colour… all without every getting out of your jammies!

Give the Yarn Alliance for the Smooshiest of Holiday Gifts!

Holiday Gift Subscriptions to the SpaceCadet’s InterStellar Yarn Alliance are available for one weekend only. Spaces are limited, so don’t wait!

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is SpaceCadet’s fabulous yarn club. If you like SpaceCadet^®yarns, then you’ll love being in the Yarn Alliance!

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance Holiday Gift Subscription includes two parcels delivered to the recipient’s door, containing:

SpaceCadet^® Creations yarn (light to medium weight) in an exclusive Yarn Alliance colourway (guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet website for at least 6 months)
A great Yarn Alliance gift tucked into every parcel!
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
The InterStellar Yarn Alliance newsletter with periodic special offers exclusively for members.

Black Friday Weekend ONLY!

This special Holiday Gift Subscription is $85 but if the knitter or crocheter on your list deserves more even more Yarn Alliance goodness, you can add on a 6-month membership ($199 inclusive) or a 12-month membership ($320 inclusive), and they’ll enjoy exclusive SpaceCadet yarny goodness long into the New Year!

Choose your subscription level by clicking on one of the buttons below:

SUPER IMPORTANT: If this is a gift, please do NOT forget to fill out the box for the recipient’s postal and email addresses. We gotta have them to make this work!

Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US.
Six month subscriptions include 3 parcels and are normally priced at $125; twelve month subscriptions include 6 parcels and are normally priced at $235.
Holiday Gift Subscription parcels will be sent out on or near Jan 1 and March 1 2013 . Parcels for the 6-month add-on will be sent out on or near the first day of May, July, and Sept 2013. Parcels for the 12-month add-on will be sent out on or near the first day of May, July, Sept, Nov 2013, and Jan and March 2014.
Normal subscription openings for the InterStellar Yarn Alliance are two weeks only in March and September of each year.

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance Through the Rest of the Year

When you include an additional 6 month or 12 month Yarn Alliance subscription to your Holiday Gift Subscription, your recipient receives all the benefits that other regular members enjoy! With the additional regular subscription, each member will receive an exciting parcel delivered every other month containing:

SpaceCadet^® Creations yarn (light to medium weight) in an exclusive Yarn Alliance colourway (guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet website for at least 6 months)
A great Yarn Alliance gift tucked into every parcel!
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
The InterStellar Yarn Alliance newsletter with periodic special offers exclusively for members.
A 15% off coupon every six months

Regular subscription prices: 6 months (3 parcels) $125; or 12 months (6 parcels) $235

Parcels will be sent out on or near the first day of November, January, March, May, July, and September. Subscription openings will be available in March and September. Shipping within the United States is included in the price; extra charges apply for shipping outside the US.

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance will not open again
for subscriptions until March 2013

Wait! Before you go, just wanted to let you know that there’s going to be another fabulous offer on Cyber Monday. Keep your eyes open for it!
(…But this offer closes at 11.59pm EST on Sunday. How’s that for a dilemma? **insert evil laugh**)

The Biggest News of the SpaceCadet’s Year

14SepApril 14, 2015 By Stephanie

This week, very quietly, the biggest event of the SpaceCadet year happened. It wasn’t a show, it wasn’t a big order, it wasn’t a feature in a knitting magazine. But it was something I’ve been working toward slowly — inch by inch — for a looooong time. And then this week, it happened. Quietly, and with no fanfare, just as if it was the most unimportant thing in the world.

And, y’know, to you, it probably is — but to me, it’s huge. So when I tell you what it is, please do me a little favour, ok? Just for a moment, give a little squeal for me — I am just so excited!!!!!

Ok, you ready? Here it is… See that shop link right there on the right? The one for the SpaceCadet shop? Last week, it took you to an Etsy shop. But today, when you click on it, it will take you to…

The Brand-New SpaceCadet Shop!!!!!

(go on, click it!)

I’ve designed this shop to give you everything I wasn’t able to give you before — and I am just so tickled about that. You can start by browsing all the yarns in one place on the Yarn Info page, where you can easily compare them by fiber content, weight, and yardage.

And there’s a lot to compare — the SpaceCadet’s fleet of yarns has increased from eight yarn types to… eighteen. Everything from laceweights (silk! sparkles! linen!) to bulkies. And in between, a beautiful array of choices. I’m sooooo excited — check it out!

When you’ve chosen your yarn, you can click through to see which standard colourways are in stock. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s a link to show you that yarn in all the fabulous experimental colourways in the Department of Rocket Science.

My goal is to make it as simple as possible for you to find exactly the yarn you need for your project. Or… if you’re in a mood to just wander through the yarns and explore until you find one that captures your heart, you can do that too!

There’s still improvements I want to make — little things to tweak here and there, and a few big things too — but even though I want to keep going until it’s perfect, I know that, really, it’s perfect enough. And so, after months and months of preparation, the new SpaceCadet shop is ready at last. And while it feels like a HUGE thing to me, I know I’m biased. But secretly, I am really hoping that it’s pretty darned exciting for you too. So… will you squeal with me?

(Now, at the moment, there are only a select number of yarns in the new shop. I’ll be doing a shop update on Wed Sept 19 — see the banner on the main shop page — but, for now, most of the yarns are coming with me to… )

A Trunk Show at KNOTS on Saturday Sept 15

As soon as I walked into KNOTS in Chardon Ohio (for a class with Brenda Dayne earlier this summer), I knew it was exactly what a yarn shop should be. Cosy, welcoming, and packed with fibery goodness, I was thrilled when Kate asked me to do a trunk show there!

I’ll be bringing a ton of yarn, including lots of wonderful experimental and one-of-a-kind colourways. So if you’re in the area, please do come. I’d love to meet you!

SpaceCadet Trunk Show from noon to 5pm at
Knots – Knitting on the Square
153 Main Street
Chardon, Ohio 44024
(click here to map it!)

Only 3 Days Left to Join the InterStellar Yarn Alliance

Subscriptions to the Yarn Alliance have been going like hotcakes and there are only a few spaces and three days left before subscriptions are closed. If you’ve been thinking of joining and haven’t subscribed yet, grab your place quick before it goes! Click here for all the details.

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is OPEN for Subscriptions!

01SepSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

It is officially one of the most exciting days of the year! So exciting that I left my knit group early — bolted right outta there — to get the website updated for the stroke of midnight. So, what is it that’s got me so excited?

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions!!!

I love everything about today. Everything! I love the weeks leading up to it when I can feel the buzz in the air, and everyone is asking what day subscriptions will go live. I get so excited as the new memberships come rolling in, and even more excited to see the current members renew. The tweets and the emails and the chatter on facebook… Ohhhh, it’s all so much fun!!!

And you know why I love it so much? Because I get to dream up the most fabulous (and exclusive!) colourways for you guys, and share my inspirations in the dyer’s notes. Oh, and I love putting together cool extra gifts for you! Most of all, I love getting to know all the members, and seeing all the different projects you guys create with your yarn. The InterStellar Yarn Alliance has got to be one of the best parts of my job!

And when I hear that the members love it too, it puts me over the moon…

All The Details

Members of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance receive fabulous parcels delivered to their door every other month, containing:

SpaceCadet^® Creations yarn (light to medium weight) in an exclusive Yarn Alliance colourway (guaranteed not to be offered on the SpaceCadet website for at least 6 months)
A great Yarn Alliance gift tucked into every parcel!
The SpaceCadet’s Log exploring the inspiration for each colourway.
The InterStellar Yarn Alliance newsletter with periodic special offers exclusively for members.
A 15% off coupon every six months

Subscriptions are for either 6 months (3 parcels) for $125, or for 12 months (6 parcels) for $235.

Want to join the fun?

C’mon! We’d love to have you! Click here to learn more.

The InterStellar Yarn Alliance is Open for Subscriptions

16MarSeptember 4, 2015 By Stephanie

Squeeeee! I am so excited I can hardly tell you! I’ve been counting down to today and it’s finally here — the InterStellar Yarn Alliance is open for subscriptions at last!

The Yarn Alliance is the SpaceCadet’s supercool yarn club. And it’s one of the most fun things I get to do in my job! Seriously. While I’m in the studio creating the colourways, or while I’m writing the dyer’s notes, or coming up with all the fab goodies, I’m always hoping the members will love the results as much I do. And do they? Well, check it out…

And, y’know, while I was putting together the new Yarn Alliance images for the website, I realised I was taking a trip down yarn club memory lane. So much luscious yarn, so many colourways I love!