A Wee Rhinebeck Sale: Katydid Cowl

Greetings, knitters! Are you headed to Rhinebeck this weekend (aka the New York Sheep and Wool Festival)? This year I won’t be going—but of course I’m excited to see everyone’s social media posts. Will the big maple be as bright and orange as ever? I hope so!

Although I won’t be there, you can see a beautiful new sample of my Katydid Cowl at Tidal Yarns. They’re in Building 30, Booth 7 this time. The pattern uses one full skein of her fingering weight yarn, plus four mini skeins.

To celebrate Katydid’s appearance at Rhinebeck, I set up a sale! Through October 31, you can take 20% off the pattern in my Ravelry, Etsy, and Payhip pattern stores. Use the coupon code SAVE20 (the code works in all three shops).

Katydid Cowl by Bonnie Sennott

Above is the sample I knit last year. Tidal Yarns chose to use a gorgeous grey-brown for their sample (below). I think the cowl looks equally good with either a light or dark main color. They have a lot of color options, so have fun choosing your colors!

Katydid Cowl sample knit by Tidal Yarns

Worked in the round on a circular needle, the Katydid Cowl requires no seaming or grafting. The pattern includes two sizes—a shorter length (quick to knit, perfect for gifts) or a longer version that can be doubled around your neck for extra warmth. Stitch patterns are provided in charts and in written, row-by-row instructions.

If you’re at Rhinebeck, I hope the forecast of rain doesn’t come true. There’s just nothing like wandering around the fairgrounds on a bright, sunny (but not hot) day, seeing so many beautiful handknits all in one place. And the sheep! Sometimes I think the sheep barns are my main reason for going. I can hear them baaing and smell the hay as I type this.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it’s a peaceful one.

Katydid Cowl Links

Ravelry
Etsy
Payhip

Pattern Release: Katydid Cowl

The seasons go round and round . . . just in time for Rhinebeck (aka the New York Sheep and Wool Festival), I’ve released a new cowl design knit with yarns I purchased last year at Rhinebeck.

Katydid Cowl by Bonnie Sennott

The Katydid Cowl is now available in my Ravelry, Etsy, and Payhip pattern stores. Use the coupon code KATYDID to take 20% off the pattern (the code works in all three shops).

A mix of lace and stripes creates beautiful textures and keeps the knitting fun in this infinity cowl. The pattern includes two sizes—a shorter length (quick to knit, perfect for gifts) or a longer version that can be doubled around your neck for extra warmth. The pattern photos feature the longer size.

The Katydid Cowl is worked in the round on a circular needle, so there’s no seaming or grafting. It uses five colors of fingering weight yarn—a main color and four contrast colors. Stitch patterns are provided in charts and in written, row-by-row instructions.

For my sample, I used naturally dyed fingering weight yarn from Tidal Yarns. I purchased one full skein and several minis from her at Rhinebeck 2022. They’re all so beautiful—it was hard to choose just a few. If you haven’t seen her yarns in person, be sure to stop by the Tidal Yarns booth!

The Katydid Cowl introductory sale ends Sunday, October 16 (the last day of Rhinebeck). I plan to wear Katydid at the festival—with predicted temps in the low 60s, it will definitely be cool enough for a cowl. (What a welcome change from last year’s warm weather!) If you see me, say hi—I love to meet Blue Peninsula knitters “in the wild!”

Katydid Cowl Links

Ravelry
Etsy
Payhip

Socktober Pattern Sale

Socktober—the annual celebration of the joys of knitting socks—is winding down. I was so busy with other projects (plus going to Rhinebeck), I didn’t finish a pair. I did, however, finish one leg and most of another—better than nothing, right?

Clockwise from bottom left: Hulst, Rowhouse, Couplet, Mill River, Tortoiseshells, Plumtree

If you had great plans for Socktober but life got in the way, and maybe you didn’t even get around to picking out a pattern, don’t feel bad. There are still a few days left, and no law says you can’t keep up your sock knitting beyond Socktober.

To end the month on an up note, I’m having a sale on all of my sock patterns. Through October 31, take 25 percent off any Blue Peninsula sock pattern at Ravelry and Payhip with the coupon code SOCKS2021.

Rhinebeck was fantastic, by the way. A bit too warm on Saturday, but nice and cool on Sunday—perfect sweater weather. It was so good to be back among our tribe, and get to pet yarns and sheep, catch up with friends, and enjoy an awesome lunch of Aba’s falafels.

Rhinebeck weekend was over too soon, just like Socktober. But it was joyful, in so many ways.

If October flew by for you, and you didn’t get around to any sock knitting, I hope you’ll enjoy this little sale. You can always cast on in November!

Mitts Season

With morning temperatures falling below 40F, the season for fingerless mitts is at hand (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!).

I confess, I love everything about fingerless mitts. They’re a great way to use single or partial skeins of yarn. They keep your hands and wrists warm but your fingers free. And, since they’re quick and easy to make, they’re ideal when a knitter needs instant gratification (always nice after a big project, like a Rhinebeck sweater). Plus, they’re terrific gifts!

I’ve just finished a pair of Indikon mitts, using handspun Cormo that I dyed with hickory nuts. I’m excited to wear them at Rhinebeck this weekend, because that’s where I originally got the fiber (from Springdelle Farm).

Indikon Mitts, by Bonnie Sennott

To celebrate mitts season, I’m having a pattern sale. All fingerless mitts patterns in my Ravelry store are 20% off with the coupon code MITTS20. Sale ends midnight EST on Tuesday, October 22.

The Indikon pattern provides instructions for two sizes. To make them, you’ll need 190 (225) yds/175 (205) m of sportweight yarn. They’re knit in the round on double-pointed needles. My handspun yarn was a little heavier than sport, but it worked just out fine. The textured stitches make these mitts especially warm and cozy.

Will you be at Rhinebeck? Are you knitting like mad to finish your Rhinebeck shawl or sweater? I’ve just got half a sleeve to go, so I feel pretty confident I’ll finish in time. I’m making the Green Leaf Pullover by Maureen Clark from At the Spinnery. Along with it, I’ll be wearing my new Catharus shawl (also in At the Spinnery). If you’re heading to Rhinebeck, be sure to stop by the Green Mountain Spinnery booth in Building 22D to see the book and the samples.

The weather forecast for Rhinebeck is looking perfect. Can’t wait!

LINKS
Indikon Mitts
Fingerless Mitts Sale
New York Sheep and Wool Festival

New Pattern: Catbird Shawl

Catbird — a new crescent shawl pattern — has winged its way into my Ravelry pattern store. I designed it especially for the Rhinebeck 2018 colorway of Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors sock yarn. (Isn’t the color gorgeous? I was thrilled when I opened the package of yarn last summer.) The yarn and the shawl will be at Rhinebeck this weekend — find them in Building A, in The Spinning Room booth. To celebrate, Catbird is on sale through October 24. Use the coupon code CATBIRD25 to save 25%.

I was honored when Karin of Periwinkle Sheep asked me to design something with her beautiful yarn. As always, her Rhinebeck colorway is exclusive to the festival, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. So get there early in the weekend, if you don’t want to miss out.

Catbird is worked from the bottom up, with short rows in the garter stitch section creating the gentle crescent shape. It’s the kind of shawl that spans seasons — carrying you from fall through winter and into spring with ease. It’s also a quick knit, making it a great gift idea. The lace is engaging but not complicated, and it’s provided in both a chart and written form. So if you’re not a fan of charts, you’ll be fine.

Here’s hoping for great weather this weekend. If — like me — you’re still knitting your sweater — good luck!

Rhinebeck Preview in Black and White

With only a couple of weeks left until Rhinebeck, my mind is occupied with almost nothing else. Today it’s sunny and in the 60s — really perfect weather for a day wandering around the beautiful Dutchess County fairgrounds. I hope we have exactly the same weather for Rhinebeck. Last year, it was far too hot for wearing wool sweaters, so fingers crossed we don’t have a repeat of that.

Secret Rhinebeck Shawl

This year Rhinebeck is even more exciting because I’ve created a new design just for the fair. It’s knit in the exclusive Rhinebeck 2018 colorway dyed by an indie dyer who will be there. Since I don’t want to spoil the surprise of the color, my photos are all black and white for now. But trust me, it’s lovely — really, really lovely — a soothing and calming color that goes with just about everything.

The yarn will be revealed and the pattern released during the days leading up to Rhinebeck. For now, I can share that it’s a garter stitch and lace crescent shawl, in two sizes. After working the lace, you transition to easy garter stitch short rows (very easy — you don’t even have to pick up the wraps, because they are hidden within the garter stitch). After the lace — which does require being attentive to a chart or the row-by-row written instructions — the project is refreshingly simple, perfect for taking along to a cafe or knit night.

The dyer and I both wanted this design to be a one-skein project. After knitting lots of swatches and trying out different lace ideas, I made my best calculations about yardage and cast on. And at the end, when I cast off, there were only a few yards remaining. Not ideal! So I wrote up the pattern for two sizes, one 60 inches long and the other about 66 inches. The smaller size definitely requires just one skein (or about 425 yards of fingering weight); the larger one calls for two skeins (475 yards). I did manage to squeeze the larger size out of just one skein, but it was a very close call and it’s possible the skein had a little extra yardage in it. I don’t want anyone to lose at “yarn chicken” when they’re nearly finished, so I’m recommending two skeins for the larger/longer size.

Will you be at Rhinebeck (or another fiber festival) this year? I’m getting more and more excited every day about seeing so much beautiful and inspiring knitwear all in one place, plus petting sheep, and goats, and alpacas, and bunnies. I can’t wait!

Sneak Peek: Ischnura Shawl

We're finally getting some fall color here in western Massachusetts. What a warm and late fall it's been! I got some lovely shots of Ischnura, my upcoming shawl, along the Norwottuck bike trail this morning. It brought back memories of the day last summer when I took photos of the Enallagma Shawl, the first design in my Dragonfly Days collection.

Then, it was warm and humid, and there was lots of Queen Anne's Lace and purple loosestrife by the fences on the trail. Today — red, yellow, and orange leaves, and cattails bursting. A completely different, but equally beautiful scene.

The pattern will be ready to publish just as soon as I edit all the photos and finalize the layout — probably later this week. 

In the meantime, here's just one of my Rhinebeck photos. It was bright and very warm at Rhinebeck on Saturday. I managed to wear my wool/alpaca sweater until lunch — then off it came. Because of the heat, there weren't nearly as many gorgeous knits to see, but still — better sunshine than rain, right? Once again, being there reminded me what a friendly and inspiring community the fiber world is. It was so much fun seeing all the beautiful sheep, goats, and alpacas, perusing yarns and spinning fiber (many from small farms), and meeting knitters and other designers. Can't wait till next year!