A Wee Spring Sale

It might not be obvious from the weather, but spring is finally here! I find my knitting inspiration is shifting from warm winter shawls and cowls to lighter knitting projects, like scarves and socks. How about you?

A year ago, my Winter’s End Scarf was released as part of the “My Place” competition sponsored by Kate Davies Designs. To celebrate its anniversary, I’m having a wee sale: Save 25% on the Winter’s End pattern with the coupon code SPRING25 at Ravelry, Etsy, and Payhip.

Winter’s End Scarf by Bonnie Sennott

I knit Winter’s End with Milarrochy Tweed, a fingering weight blend of wool and mohair that produces a light, airy fabric when worked in lace. But you can substitute any fingering weight yarn—you’ll need 650 yds/595 m (which includes the amount needed for the fringe).

The pattern gives step-by-step instructions for cutting and attaching the fringe. It’s added after you’ve finished the knitting, using a crochet hook.

Ready to cast on a new lace scarf for spring? The Winter’s End sale ends on March 31.

Happy spring—and happy knitting!

Winter’s End Links

Ravelry
Etsy
Payhip
”My Place” Designs and Essays

New Year, New Pattern: Leucania Shawl

Happy New Year, friends! I’m excited to begin 2022 on a positive note—with a new pattern added to my Ravelry, Etsy, and Payhip shops: an all-season textured shawl called Leucania.

Save 20 percent on the Leucania Shawl pattern at either Ravelry or Payhip with the coupon code NEWYEAR. You can also save 20 percent at Etsy, where no code is needed. The sale continues through January 9 in all three shops.

Knit in fingering weight yarn, Leucania is an all-season piece—it’s perfect for casual wear (wrapped around your neck, it will keep you warm on winter hikes!) but equally suited for weddings and other special occasions that call for a light and elegant accessory.

Named after the Obscure Wainscot Moth (Leucania obsoleta), this triangular shawl is worked top-down from a garter stitch tab cast-on (instructions provided). The upper part of the Leucania Shawl is worked in a wide rib pattern, creating a light but warm fabric. The knitting goes quickly, and before you know it, you’re at the ornate stitchwork border. The design ends with an easy-to-knit scalloped edging.

Do you recognize the edging? I used it on a much earlier shawl design—the Peppernut Shawl that I published back in 2013, using the same yarn (the beautiful Stone Soup Fingering by Bare Naked Wools). An an extra bonus, I’ve set up a sale for Peppernut as well—save 20% at Ravelry or Payhip with the coupon code NEWYEAR (or, at Etsy, with no code), also through January 9.

We’re having a rather gloomy New Year’s Day here in western Massachusetts—foggy and rainy. I like to take a long walk on New Year’s Day and I think I’ll continue the tradition today in spite of the poor weather. After all, that’s what umbrellas are for! The weather was much more amenable a couple of days ago, when I went on a rambling walk on trails around the Mill River and Puffer’s Pond (below).

Do you have a New Year’s Day tradition (other than sleeping late)? However you are spending the day, I hope your 2022 is off to a peaceful start.

Puffer’s Pond, Amherst, Massachusetts

LINKS

Leucania Shawl
Peppernut Shawl
My Ravelry Designer Page
Payhip
Etsy

Indie Design Gift-A-Long Sale

Tis the season - the Indie Design Gift-A-Long (GAL) has begun! This annual event is a way for knitters and crocheters to come together and support each other as they tackle their holiday gift-making lists.

The GAL starts with a big pattern sale—you can save 25% on patterns by many indie designers (including me) with the code giftalong2021 on Ravelry. Hop to my Ravelry bundle to see my sale patterns. See all the participating designers here.

If you are not on Ravelry, I've got you covered: you can save 25% on patterns in my Etsy shop (no code needed there) and in my Payhip store (use the code GIFTS25).

This holiday sale ends on November 29 on all platforms. After the sale, the GAL fun continues with games and prizes over at the Ravelry GAL group, to keep you motivated as you do your gift knitting.

Happy pattern shopping and gift knitting! If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a relaxed and beautiful day with your friends and family.

LINKS

Blue Peninsula Ravelry Sale Patterns

Etsy

Payhip

Indie Design Gift-A-Long

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!

Tour de Fleece Wrap Up

Here we are, on the other side of the Tour de Fleece. Everybody spun every day, or almost every day, with the simple goal of challenging ourselves and having fun. Did you have fun? I know I did, even when it rained, even when it was so humid I questioned my sanity for handling wool. One thing is certain: many more yards/meters of yarn exist in the world than back on June 26, when the event began.

I filled up my two Turkish spindles with Amethyst mixed BFL from Greenwood Fiberworks. Some days I spun out on my deck, after morning yoga; other times, I spun at a shady spot along the Mill River. By the last weekend, I was ready to ply, and ended the Tour de Fleece with another skein of yarn for my future Journey of Mind cowl.

I didn’t finish a skein for my other project — BFL in the Rainy Day Man colorway from Three Waters Farm. But that’s OK! I love this colorway so much, I am not in any hurry to have it off my spindle (I’m using a Bosworth mini).

The Three Waters Farm TDF team was just as much fun as it was last year. I highly recommend them! Whether you’re a new or experienced spinner, there’s lots to learn and everyone is very encouraging. And there are so many photos of spinning in progress to ogle! If nothing else, being on the team helps you get a feel for how Mary Ann’s gorgeous colorways look when spun.

I’m eager to start knitting my Journey of Mind cowl but must be patient. A design deadline looms! I can’t show you what I’m working on, but can say that I’m looking forward to revealing this new design in the fall. The yarn — a blend of merino, cashmere, and silk — is a dream to knit. And the color is … perfection.

I have to admit, I’m in awe of the wheel spinners who produce numerous skeins of yarn during the Tour de Fleece. How do they do it? But the main thing was to have fun, and I certainly did, baking scones along the way and taking plenty of walks in the early mornings, before the heat of the day set in. On one walk, I discovered Ghost Pipe coming up in a spot where I hadn’t seen it before. Strange and delicate — a sight I look forward to every summer.

Did you meet your TDF goals? Spin anywhere out of the ordinary? Whatever you spun, I hope you had fun.

Maple-Walnut Scones, from the Kripalu Kitchen cookbook

Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

LINKS

Tour de Fleece (Ravelry link)
Three Waters Farm
Greenwood Fiberworks

Countdown to Tour de Fleece

Get your wheels and spindles ready! The Tour de Fleece starts tomorrow, Saturday, June 26. During this annual event—which runs concurrently with the Tour de France—spinners of all levels challenge themselves to spin every day (except on the two rest days).

The beauty of it is that you’re not competing with anyone but yourself. You set your own goals and try to meet them. A new spinner, or someone with only a little time to spare, might aim to devote just a few minutes a day to spinning. A more advanced spinner, or someone with a lot of spare time, might aim to spin up a sweater quantity of yarn. It’s all fine—the only rules are to challenge yourself, spin, and have fun (Ravelry link).

You can spin solo or join teams, if you like. They’re a fun way to keep yourself motivated and learn from other spinners’ projects. Plus, you get to ogle lots of beautiful fibers and colorways.

This year, I’m spindle spinning on two teams. For the Three Waters Farm team (on Ravelry), I’ll be working on a WIP of some lovely BFL in the Rainy Day Man colorway. My goal is a minimum of ten minutes a day, hopefully more.

I’ll also continue spinning my WIP of heathered BFL in the Amethyst colorway for the Greenwood Fiberworks team (they’re on Facebook—the group is private but you can request an invite). I’ve already finished one 2-ply fingering weight skein of this colorway; during the TDF I hope to finish a second skein, or at least get close. My goal for this project is also a minimum of ten minutes a day. So I’ll be spinning at least 20 minutes a day, more on the challenge days.

Are you participating in the Tour de Fleece (TDF)? If you are, drop me a note in the comments. If you’re posting on Instagram, I’d love to follow you. For me, one of the best things about the TDF is learning from observation—seeing how other spinners prepare fiber for spinning, or wind their cops, or ply a skein.

I used to be an off-again, off-again spinner. Last summer, being on the Three Waters Farm team helped me become a devoted daily spinner. I’ve missed very few days since then, and now I look forward to those quiet moments each day when I set everything else aside and simply watch the spindle twirl round and round.

Below is the project I’ve been knitting with the Three Waters Farm Targhee I spun during last year’s TDF. The colorway is Rocks and Sand, which I spun randomly, without aiming for any particular outcome. I’m really pleased with how it’s worked on the yoke of this sweater (Branches and Buds Pullover by Carrie Bostick Hoge, with modifications, which you can read about here).

If you’re spinning, have a fun and productive Tour de Fleece!

LINKS

2021 Tour de Fleece (Ravelry link)
Team Three Waters Farm (Ravelry link)
Greenwood Fiberworks Team (Facebook link)

Art + Nature at the Fruitlands Museum

Now that life is back to normal—or something closer to normal—here in Massachusetts, I find myself wanting to get out and explore new places, and revel in the freedom of wandering about mask-free (I’m fully vaccinated). Ours is a small state, but so rich in art, culture, history, and natural beauty that you can live here a long time (for me, 25 years) and never exhaust the possibilities.

One of my first post-COVID explorations was a day at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Though the name suggests otherwise, the Fruitlands is not an orchard but a former Transcendentalist farm founded in the 19th century by Charles Lane and Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women). Their experiment in subsistence farming lasted less than a year, though, and in the early 20th century the property was opened to the public. Today it includes the original farmhouse, a Shaker House, a Native American Museum, an Art Museum, and a network of trails criss-crossing a varied landscape of more than 200 acres.

View of the farmhouse at the Fruitlands Museum

Trail head at the Fruitlands Museum

My sister Betsey and I met up at the Fruitlands primarily to see the exhibition Piecework: Resistance and Healing in Contemporary Textile Art. But after a nice lunch on an outdoor terrace at the cafe, we decided to explore some of the trails first. I highly recommend them! There’s a nice mix of mown paths traversing wide-open meadows and shady woodland trails, with remnants of a farm along the way. You can walk a lot or a little, depending on your energy or the weather. Having discovered that this beautiful place is just a little more than an hour from home, I will definitely be going back to further explore the trails. (It’s sure to be gorgeous during fall.)

At one point, we rested on a bench near this old tree and contemplated its life. It’s lost one large branch on this side, and on the other side it looks like it’s been hit by lighting or lost more branches to bad weather (like the famously tree-damaging heavy snows we get). This tree is another reason I must go back and bring my sketchbook. I would like to draw it both close up and from a distance—it has a curiously flat top (the tree is to the right of the Shaker House in the photo below).

The Piecework exhibition did not disappoint. The contemporary artists in the show “build upon the traditional mediums of needlework and quilting to offer constructive responses to the topics of Indigenous land rights; the representation of Black people, by Black people; capitalism; and environmentalism, respectively.” There’s much to see and learn; we spent quite a bit of time with the work. I was especially intrigued by the self-portraits embroidered with hair by Leslie Schomp.

The Art Museum also had many historical textiles on display, everything from handmade rag dolls to embroidery samplers (I loved the sheep cleverly rendered with French knots). We were unable to visit the Shaker House, as it wasn’t yet open for the season. So there’s another reason to go back!

Rag doll (likely owned by the Alcott sisters) and stuffed bunny (possibly Shaker)

French-knot sheep

Patchwork segment (1860–1910)

If you visit, be sure to pick up a copy of Art + Nature: An Exploration Journal (it’s available for free). This little book juxtaposes creativity prompts with quotations and sketchbook images by Massachusetts artist Polly Thayer Starr. There are plenty of blank pages for your own sketches, poetry, or journaling.

We ended our day sitting alongside a refreshing fountain, enjoying the breeze and the views the spot afforded of a incredibly peaceful landscape. I knit a bit on a sock and continued to regret not bringing my little red landscape sketchbook. Well, I’ll just have to go back and be sure to bring it with me. I have a feeling I’ll be revisiting the Fruitlands Museum often!

Spinning Along

Time for turtles — the fiber kind. Today I thought I’d share progress on my long-term project of spinning yarns for a Journey of Mind Cowl (Ravelry link to the design by Diana Niedobova).

The Amethyst Heathered BFL from Greenwood Fiberworks has turned out to be a real joy to spin. It flows onto the spindle quickly and easily. At this point, I’ve finished two spindles of it and plied them onto a Golding drop spindle. The result is just what I hoped for — a 2-ply light fingering weight yarn that should be perfect for knitting the cowl.

Now I’m spinning an equal amount of undyed mixed BFL onto the two Turkish spindles. At this point, I’m nearly done. Soon I’ll be ready to begin plying it. And then the knitting can begin! I’ll continue to spin more yarn after I get started knitting the cowl.

I love how portable these Turkish spindles are. it’s easy to keep one in my bag, so that anywhere, anytime, I can spin a little if there’s an opportunity.

We’ve had days of rain here, and more coming tomorrow. So when I saw the forecast of sunshine for today, I decided to hit the Mill River trails just a few minutes from home. There’s a special spot there next to the water where I like to stop and spin (see the “heart place” highlight in my Instagram Stories). And just a few minutes further on, there’s Puffer’s Pond, one of the prettiest spots in Amherst. An hour’s walk in the woods always puts me in a peaceful frame of mind — something that’s more important than ever now that I’m partially furloughed again.

When will the stress and uncertainty of the past year end? While I love having a morning free to spin and walk in the woods, I hope that soon I’ll once again have the stability of a full-time, permanent job. I have a lot of irons in the fire and am hoping for positive news soon. Fingers crossed!

Puffer’s Pond, Amherst, Massachusetts

Socks, Seedlings, Sale

It’s a season of endings and beginnings: the Mill River Socks I began on New Year’s Day are off the needles and on my feet. And the seeds I planted back on May 1 are sprouting: nasturtiums, marigolds, and zinnias, two pots of each. Hummingbird Cafe 2021, here we come!

To celebrate new seedlings and new socks, I’m having a sale: Take 25% off the Mill River Socks pattern at Ravelry or Payhip with the coupon code MILLRIVER.

Mill River Socks, by Bonnie Sennott

I knit this pair with a sock set dyed by OlannGra—the colors are Mercy and Raspberry. Laura conjures up really beautiful flecks of contrasting color in her speckled yarns. I love the tender greens and berry colors in the Mercy colorway. The base is 75/25 superwash merino/nylon, so the yarn is incredibly soft (especially after blocking), and thanks to the nylon the socks will hold up well to washing and wearing.

I feel like I’m seeing the colors in these socks everywhere—even in the pansies I spotted in downtown Amherst yesterday.

Aren’t they lovely? It’s so refreshing, after a long winter and a very hard year, to witness color bursting forth and feel new possibilities on the horizon. I hope you’re feeling renewed hope and optimism, as well. Happy sock knitting!

LINKS

Mill River Socks - Ravelry

Mill River Socks - Payhip

Look Up at the Sky

Today was Look Up at the Sky Day. And the weather here in Massachusetts was perfect for it — blue skies and gorgeous clouds.

I had a lot of errands to do, so I was able to look up pretty often. My heart was so happy to see the trees just starting to leaf out against the blue sky. The grand season of greenness and growth is here at last.

Of course, I wasn’t able to look up at the sky all day. Doing a couple of loads of laundry meant looking down at the stairs on my way to the basement laundry room. And spinning meant mostly looking down at my hands, the fiber, and the spindle.

My foray into spinning with a Turkish spindle is going well. I’m really loving this heathered BFL dyed by Greenwood Fiberworks. The color changes are stunning.

When I looked up at tonight’s sky at dusk, I felt like the sky’s colors were mixed right into my spinning.

From morning to evening, it was an excellent day for looking up at the sky. Did you have a chance to?