Origami Stitchmarker Winner!

We had a great response to the Origami Stitchmarker Giveaway!  And no wonder — The Sexy Knitter‘s little vial of paper stars are just adorable.  And it was just so cool of her to give us one to give away.

And thanks to all of you for entering!  You guys are what makes these giveaways fun.

The Winner

And now, without further ado, the winner is….

Annethologist

Congratulations!  Please email me at spacecadetcreations (at) gmail (dot) com, with your full postal address, and I’ll have those stitchmarkers winging their way to you lickety split!

Win Cool Origami Stitchmarkers! And a Shop Update.

In a moment, I’m going to tell you about a delightful little giveaway, but first let me show you some yarns I’ve put in the shop this week.  I’m really excited about them because, before I held them in my hands together, I hadn’t realised what perfect compliments they are.  But they are!  They are absolutely perfect together.  The variegated yarn makes a wonderful accent against either the purple or the pink yarn and I am sorely tempted to keep them all for myself… But I’ve put them in the shop instead, and I think I shall have to go into the studio and see if I can recreate them instead.

Left to right: Estelle fingering weight yarn in Truth, Faithful, and Throb

The Sexy Knitter Origami Stitchmarkers Giveaway

I was so excited about the fabulous stitchmarkers that Sarah at The Sexy Knitter made for the members of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance (that’s them, there on the left) that I wanted to give everyone else a chance to nab some of her origami stitchmarkers too.  (Seriously, origami! Like you did in school — how cool is that?!?)

And Sarah immediately offered a set for me to giveaway to one lucky winner!  Squeeee!

So, here’s what you have to do to enter:

• First, make sure you are a subscriber to my blog.  All you have to do is click on the Subscription button there in the right-hand column.
• Then, just help spread the word about this contest by retweeting this tweet (if your twitter name doesn’t relate to the name you’ve subscribed under, please leave me a comment here helping me tie the two together)
  

And that’s it — you’re entered!

• And if you want an extra entry, just mention this contest anywhere on the web (on Facebook, on a forum, in a blog post) and leave me a comment here with a link that allows me to confirm the mention.

The giveaway will end on Sun 31 July, and I’ll announce the winner in the next blog post after that.  Good luck everyone!

Everybody loves smallprint: Sweepstakes opens when this blog post is published and closes on Sun July 31 2011 at 11.59pm EDT and all entries must be made before the close. All entrants will be verified, and must be a subscriber to the blog and then retweet the specified tweet in order for entry to be valid.  The valid entry must be completed for any ‘extra’ entries can qualify and ‘extra’ entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post which includes a link to verify the entry.  Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog after sweepstakes close and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. Odds of winning are dependant on the number of entrants. Retail value of prize is $5.00.   SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash.  Sweepstakes open only to entrants aged 18 years or older and resident in the United States or Canada.  A-a-and breathe out…

My Favourite Online Knitting Magazines (and the best giveaway yet!)

The thing that I love about knitting, the thing that calls me back to the needles time and time again, is the way knitting grounds me.   There is something about the warmth of the yarn, the feel of the needles, the gentle repetition of stitch upon stitch that makes the whole world slow down a little so that I can exist just in that moment.  And that incredible sense of calm is the way it’s been making other knitters feel too — for generations and generations.  Knitting is ancient, simple, essential.

So every now and again, when I stop and reflect on how the knitting world has changed in the last ten years, it blows my mind a little.  I use my phone to keep track of the rows I knit, I can check Ravelry to see how my pattern worked out for hundreds of other knitters, and I tweet back and forth with my favourite designers.  Knitting is still ancient, essential, and grounding   …but now it’s also all about the techno.  Yeah, sometimes that really blows my mind.

And one of the best things to come out of this techno-revolution is the rise of online knitting magazines.  Fresh, individual, quirky, and oh-so-vibrant — opening an online knitting magazine gives an instant virtual fiber rush.  It makes you want to cast on something gorgeous.  It makes you want cast on now.

Here my three hands-down favourites:

Did Knitty start the online knitting magazine craze?  Even if it didn’t, it did for me.  Knitty is the brainchild of Amy Singer, who launched her online magazine alllll the way back in 2002, and quickly became the starting point for thousands of new knitters and the launching pad for hundreds of new designers.

Filled with informative features that help new knitters find their feet and advanced knitters move on to higher planes, and offering instant access to a library of entirely free patterns, Knitty has revolutionised the concept of accessibility for a whole generation of knitters.

Twist Collective

The Twist Collective began with a mission: to treat designers and writers honourably by giving them a place  to display their talents and get paid fairly for their work, while still having the option to use and build on their work after publication.

But beyond even those loftly ideals, what the Twist Collective ultimately achieves — through luscious photography and beautiful designs — is downright seductive.

KnitCircus

Starting out as a print publication, KnitCircus transitioned to an online format in 2010, and I’m so glad it did!  Another magazine with an emphasis on treating designers fairly, KnitCircus is also committed to supporting indie fiber businesses, which gives readers the wonderful opportunity to discover new dyers and fiber artists that they might not otherwise find.

I find KnitCircus an absolute pleasure to read, partly for the totally trivial reason that the pages flip by delightfully (just like a real magazine! go try it!) and mostly because the articles are absorbing, the photography is sharp and fresh, and the patterns are utterly lovely.

Enter to Win the Entire KnitCircus Summer 2011 Pattern Collection

And here’s the bit that’s got me crazy-excited: KnitCircus‘s editor, Jaala Spiro, has generously offered me three copies of the KnitCircus Summer 2011 Pattern Collection to give away!

Wait, what’s that?  Did I just hear you go squeeeee?!?  Oh yeah, I know you did!

Ok, here’s what you have to do to enter:

1. Click on the links the three magazines above and choose your  favourite pattern or article out of all of them (just one favourite, not three).
2. Then, come back here and leave a comment below telling me what your favourite is (and feel free to tell me why — I’d  love to know!).

Now, because this is such a fabulous prize, I’m going to give you a way to get two  bonus entries.  To enter up to twice more, all you have to do is:

1. Retweet this tweet on Twitter, and/or
2. Mention this contest in a post on Ravelry (anywhere except the SpaceCadet group board and the InterStellar Yarn Alliance board)
3. Then, make sure you leave a comment here to let me know you’ve done it (include your Twitter and Rav names).

And there you go — you’re in with three chances to win one of three copies of the Summer 2011 KnitCircus Pattern Collection.  And you can’t beat that with a stick stack of magazines!

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Rock the details: Sweepstakes opens when this blog post is published and closes on Mon June 20 2011 at 11.59pm EDT and all entries must be made before the close. All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry (that is, mentioning in a comment on this blog post a favourite pattern/article from one of the three knitting magazines) before completing the ‘extra’ entries (retweeting the specified tweet and/or mentioning this sweepstakes in a post on Ravelry). Please take note: completion of all entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post to qualify, and comments must include the commenter’s Ravelry or Twitter name (as applicable). Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog after sweepstakes close and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash. No geographical or age restrictions apply because knitting knows no barriers.

LAST CHANCE to enter for a $25 Gift Certificate!

The contest to win a $25 SpaceCadet Gift Certificate ends tonight, so — quick! — make sure you’re entered!  All you have to do is go the SpaceCadet Creations Facebook page and click the “Like” button right at the top — and that’s it, you’re in with a chance!

After that, you can earn up to four additional entries by:

• Share this contest with your friends on Facebook
• Tweet a link to this contest on Twitter
• Mention this contest in a post on Ravelry
• Subscribe to this blog, if you haven’t already.

And then leaving a comment to let me know that you’ve done it.

Full details on how to enter can be found in this post here.  Thanks for entering and GOOD LUCK!

The SpaceCadet’s Facebook Page — and Free Yarn!

Facebook is where you catch up with your friends.  And keep tabs on your workmates.   And feed your curiousness about your old classmates… and maybe your old boyfriends (but, ermm… perhaps it’s best if you don’t look up old boyfriends — let those sleeping dogs lie).

And now, Facebook is also where you can keep up with everything to do with the SpaceCadet!  The SpaceCadet Creations Facebook page is live at last and it’s filled with news, colours, fiber, and yarn, yarn, yarn.  Is there anything better than that?

Well, yeah…  there is.  Free yarn is better!   And so, to celebrate the launch of the SpaceCadet Facebook page, I’m giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner — and all you have to do to be entered is to like me.  What, you already like me?  Awwww, you’re so sweet!  But, hey, let’s make it official: go to the SpaceCadet Facebook page and click on the “Like” button (see the big red arrow in the picture below).  Everyone who clicks that button between now and Sunday 24 October will be entered to win!

(And if you’re already a fan and clicked that button, don’t worry — that just means you’re already entered!)

Once you’ve done that, I’m giving you four extra ways to earn additional entries:

• Share this contest with your friends on Facebook
• Tweet a link to this contest on Twitter
• Mention this contest in a post on Ravelry
• Subscribe to this blog, if you haven’t already.

And then leave a comment here to let me know and giving me your Twitter/Rav/Facebook name so I can tie it together.

So that’s five ways to enter — and the winner gets to pick $25 worth of SpaceCadet goodies to feed the fiber-addiction!  Hey, who loves ya?

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Small print: Contest begins on 11 October 2010 at 00.01am and ends 24 October 2010 at 11.59pm. All entries must be made during that time to be valid, with the exception that “Likes” made previous to the start date will be considered valid as well.  All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry (that is, clicking the Like button on the SpaceCadet Creations Facebook page) before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Completion of ‘extra’ entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post to qualify, and comments must include the commenter’s Twitter or Ravelry name (as applicable). Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash.

The SpaceCadet's Facebook Page — and Free Yarn!

Facebook is where you catch up with your friends.  And keep tabs on your workmates.   And feed your curiousness about your old classmates… and maybe your old boyfriends (but, ermm… perhaps it’s best if you don’t look up old boyfriends — let those sleeping dogs lie).

And now, Facebook is also where you can keep up with everything to do with the SpaceCadet!  The SpaceCadet Creations Facebook page is live at last and it’s filled with news, colours, fiber, and yarn, yarn, yarn.  Is there anything better than that?

Well, yeah…  there is.  Free yarn is better!   And so, to celebrate the launch of the SpaceCadet Facebook page, I’m giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner — and all you have to do to be entered is to like me.  What, you already like me?  Awwww, you’re so sweet!  But, hey, let’s make it official: go to the SpaceCadet Facebook page and click on the “Like” button (see the big red arrow in the picture below).  Everyone who clicks that button between now and Sunday 24 October will be entered to win!

(And if you’re already a fan and clicked that button, don’t worry — that just means you’re already entered!)

Once you’ve done that, I’m giving you four extra ways to earn additional entries:

• Share this contest with your friends on Facebook
• Tweet a link to this contest on Twitter
• Mention this contest in a post on Ravelry
• Subscribe to this blog, if you haven’t already.

And then leave a comment here to let me know and giving me your Twitter/Rav/Facebook name so I can tie it together.

So that’s five ways to enter — and the winner gets to pick $25 worth of SpaceCadet goodies to feed the fiber-addiction!  Hey, who loves ya?

.

.

Small print: Contest begins on 11 October 2010 at 00.01am and ends 24 October 2010 at 11.59pm. All entries must be made during that time to be valid, with the exception that “Likes” made previous to the start date will be considered valid as well.  All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry (that is, clicking the Like button on the SpaceCadet Creations Facebook page) before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Completion of ‘extra’ entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post to qualify, and comments must include the commenter’s Twitter or Ravelry name (as applicable). Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash.

Trade Winds — Help Me Choose the One

I dye because I love playing with colour.  And when I free myself from the (usually self-imposed) requirement to create a specific hue or shade, and instead just let myself be drawn into pure experimentation, I find real joy in the process.

Last week, I did just that.  I created a basic colour recipe, and then tweeked it, and tweeked it again, and then once more…  and dyed one skein in each, just to see how they’d come out.

The Trade Winds Clockwise from top left: Westerly, Northeasterly, Southeasterly, and The Sea Below

Trade winds blow great ships across the sea, their sails billowing, their hulks lying heavy in the blue and green waters, laden down with trunk upon trunk of brightly coloured silk fabrics, and barrels filled with the warm shades of precious spices.

Because the recipes (and the resulting colourways) are so close, I’m going to choose only one colourway to dye for the shop in future.  But… I’m not sure which one to pick.   And so I’d like to ask you, dear readers, for your help.  Which one would you pick?  Please tell me!

And, just to add a bit of fun, I’ll give a $4 credit on your next order from SpaceCadet Creations to everyone who leaves an answer in the comments here before midnight on Friday.  Howzat then?  Sound good?

So, go on then!  Tell me which colourway you’d pick!

Small print:  Comments must be left on this blog post before midnight on Fri Oct 1 2010.  Limited to one $4 credit per household.  Comments must name a colourway chosen from the four listed to be valid.  Multiple comments will not count for multiple credits. Commenter must list a valid email address when leaving the comment and then use that same email address when placing the order with SpaceCadet Creations, in order to be properly credited. The $4 credit must be claimed via the message section when placing the order on Etsy, in order to be properly credited.

Last Chance to Enter the Giveaway!

It’s the last few days to enter the giveaway to win a skein of SpaceCadet Creation’s hand-dyed Sock Yarn or two 2oz braids of hand-dyed fiber!  The giveaway will come to a close at the end of Monday (11.59pm on May 31st to be exact) so, if you’re not entered, make sure you get entered before the end of the holiday weekend!

All you have to do is put your email address in the subscription box over there on the right, just above the SpaceCadet’s head.  And, once you’ve done that, there are six ways to earn extra entries — for all the details, click here.

But remember, those extra entries will count only if you’ve subscribed to the blog using the subscription box right over there at the top of the right-hand column.  While I am sincerely grateful for all my followers, I can’t see the people who subscribe through other feed aggrigators (such as Google Reader, Bloglines, etc) and so I’m afraid those subscriptions can’t count as entries.  If you prefer to follow me through another feed aggrigator, please go ahead and do that, but also subscribe through the blog just for a few days, so your entry can be counted for the giveaway.

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed and entered so far.  It’s been so exciting to “meet” all of you!  Now go out there and tweet, post, follow, and friend your way to extra entries.  And GOOD LUCK!

What a Response!

The response to the May Giveaway has been phenomenal, and it has been exciting and so much fun for me to see the response!  I love making these yarns and fiber, dreaming up the colours in my head and then mixing and coaxing them out of the dyepot — that’s why I started dyeing — but absolutely nothing beats the thrill of getting feedback, learning how to be a better dyer by getting other people’s opinions on my work.  And this week, people have been signing up to the blog, tweeting about SpaceCadet Creations and — most importantly to me — sharing about their favourite items, their projects,  and the yarns they love in the comments and on Ravelry.  As a dyer, usually working all on my own, it has been just wonderful. Thank you all so much!

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Now, I want to show you a new colourway I put in the shop yesterday.  It wasn’t what I intended at all, but I just love the result.  It started out as purples blending into pinks — and, when you look at the photos, you might think that’s what it is — but when I pulled it out of the dyepot, I just didn’t like it at all.  It was too  sugary-sweet, too bright and girly…  Not what I’d intended!  So I quickly mixed up a deep, rich orange and poured it over part of the yarn and — voila! — the yarn changed moods completely.  The colourway has real depth now.  I think it’d would be wonderful knitted up as a triangular shawlette, peeking out from the collar of dark coloured coat and casting its warm tones onto the face.

Fingering Weight Yarn in Superwash Merino, in Sunset over a Stormy Sea

A evening storm over the sea is a spectacular sight but, after the winds have died down and the palm trees have stopped swaying, as the sun begins to sink beneath the water on the horizon, its rays reach up and turn the sky into a blaze of wild pink and orange, streaked with the deep purple clouds, now spent and tamed.

Each skein is approximately 100g of Superwash Merino in a wonderfully soft 3-ply, fingering weight yarn. Two skeins available, sold separately.

Fiber Content: 100% Superwash Merino
Weight: Approximately 3.65oz / 100g (approximately 490 yards per 100g)
Colourway: Sunset over a Stormy Sea, 100425-002
Care Instructions for the final item: Hand or Machine wash, 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.

A Giveaway for May!

It’s May!  It’s May!  And May brings so many glorious things — lovely warm days, evenings that seem to stay light so late, and the start of the fiber festival season! — that I thought I’d add a little gloriousness of my own.

Do you subscribe to this blog?  No?  You silly Earthling!  Being a subscriber means you’re always up-to-date on all things SpaceCadet — and it’s completely free!

Ok, here’s the deal:   If we can get my blog subscribers to reach 75 by the end of the month, I’m going to give away a skein of my sock yarn — that’s 100g of soft and smooshy 100% superwash merino hand-dyed goodness — to one randomly-picked winner, and two 2oz bumps of beautiful, hand-dyed, soft-as-clouds BFL fiber to two runners up.  All you have to do is put your email address in the subscription box over there on the right, just above the SpaceCadet’s head.  And if you subscribe already, don’t worry — that just means you prebooked your entry!

Once you’re subscribed, you can earn up to six additional entries by doing the following:

• Go take a peek at my shop, pick your favourite item, and then come back here and tell me what it is and why
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Tweet a link to this contest
• Join the SpaceCadet Creations Ravelry Group
• Mention SpaceCadet Creations in a post on Ravelry
• Friend me on Ravelry

Just leave a separate comment here for each that you do, and be sure to include your Twitter and/or Ravelry name so I can tie them together (and remember, you have to be signed up for a blog subscription for your additional entries to count).

So, that’s seven ways to enter!  And, best of all, free yarn and fiber to three lucky winners!  So get the word out — and when the subscriber numbers hit 75, everyone’s in with a chance.

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Contest ends 31 May 2010 at 11.59pm. Prizes will be awarded only if SpaceCadet’s email subscriptions reach 75.  Subscriptions must be via the email subscription form at the top of the right-hand column on this blog — subscriptions through other sources (such as online readers) are not visible to the SpaceCadet and so cannot be counted as entries.  All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry (that is, subscribing to the SpaceCadet Creations blog) before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Comments must include the commenter’s Twitter or Ravelry name (as applicable) in order for ‘extra’ entries to be included in the contest. Invalid entries will be disqualified.  Winner will be contacted by email for further details and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash.