Treat Yourself KAL Starts Today (and Sale Ends)

It's cast on time! The Treat Yourself KAL starts today in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. For the next six weeks, you're invited to join us as you knit yourself a special accessory or sweater.

Perhaps a new cowl? There's my newest pattern — Waverleigh — and lots of others to choose from. Just a reminder, all individual patterns in my Ravelry pattern store are 20% off through midnight tonight (Sunday) with the coupon code TREATYOURSELF.

Clockwise from upper left: Waverleigh, Singing Beach, Calliopsis, Birchleaf, Erste, and Cordulia

A number of knitters are making the Rowhouse Socks for the KAL. I can't wait to see how they look in different colors! If you haven't done stranded-color socks before, this would be a wonderful pattern to start with. After the colorwork on the calf is done, the knitting is quite simple.

Rowhouse Socks, by Bonnie Sennott

The Treat Yourself KAL lasts a full six weeks, ending on February 25. So there's plenty of time to delve into a shawl or sweater. Maybe a lace cardigan, like the Drafter's Cardigan, or a chic layering piece for spring, like the Mathews Street Vest? Both are available as PDF downloads from Interweave.com.

photo courtesy F&W Media/Harper Point Photography

photo courtesy F&W Media/Harper Point Photography

If you haven't got a lot of free time for knitting, then maybe a new pair of mitts might be perfect. (That's probably what I'm making.) Whatever you choose, I look forward to seeing you in the KAL!

The Blue Peninsula January sale ends midnight, Sunday, January 14!

New Pattern: Waverleigh Cowl and January Sale

Announcing my first pattern of 2018: Waverleigh, now available in my Ravelry pattern store. To celebrate its release, I'm having a BIG January sale! Save 20% on individual Blue Peninsula patterns with the coupon code TREATYOURSELF through Sunday, January 14. Use the code as many times as you like (ebooks and sets not included).

Crisp twisted ribbing flows effortlessly into an undulating lace-and-cables stitch pattern in this warm and feminine cowl. Knit in DK weight yarn, Waverleigh is long enough to wear as a single loop or doubled around your neck. It's worked seamlessly in the round — no grafting or seaming required.

Waverleigh requires 365 yds/333 m DK weight yarn. For the sample, I used a Rhinebeck find: Hudson Valley Fibers Moodna DK. This undyed yarn is American-made, a mix of 40% New York State Romney wool and 60% other U.S. fine wool. Moodna was a pleasure to work with; it has a satisfying, wooly halo yet also has beautifully crisp stitch definition.

Waverleigh would be a lovely project to cast on for the Treat Yourself KAL starting this Sunday, January 14. Any of my designs can be knit for this KAL, as long as you're making it for yourself. We have some delectable prizes, too. Get all the details and join the KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group.

I hope your New Year is off to a happy and peaceful start. Hope to see you in the KAL!

Treat Yourself Knitalong

Happy New Year! It's that time of year in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group — time to relax after the busy holidays and cast on something special just for you.

The Treat Yourself KAL is a chance to knit something beautiful that you needn't give away. Any of my designs is eligible for this KAL, as long as you're making it for yourself. Sweaters, socks, cowls, mitts, shawls — cast on what you'd like, in colors and yarns that make your heart sing.

We'll have prizes at the end, awarded randomly to finished projects — lovely yarns, teas, and bath salts (in keeping with the self-care theme):

A skein of the Fibre Co. Road to China Light in the Carnelian colorway, Mighty Leaf Ginger Twist Tea, and Valentina’s Naturals Sunny Outlook Mineral Bath Salts

Two skeins of Quince & Co. Owl in Abyssinian, Aura Cacia Clearing Eucalyptus Aromatherapy Mineral Bath, and Mighty Leaf Ginger Twist Tea

The Treat Yourself KAL starts Sunday, January 14 and ends Sunday, February 25. Although we're not casting on until the 14th, you can join the KAL now to start chatting about yarns, pattern ideas, and your favorite ways to treat yourself. 

If you're not sure what to make, maybe my next cowl design will inspire you? Called Waverleigh, it's a warm, long cowl (54 inches/137 cm circumference by 9.25 inches/23 cm deep) that uses 365 yds/333 m of DK weight yarn. Look for it soon — definitely before the KAL begins. 

Waverleigh Cowl by Bonnie Sennott - pattern coming in early January

I hope you can join us and cast on a sweater or accessory you'll treasure for years to come!

Solstice to Equinox Project

It's winter solstice, always a happy day! I love this day so much, because from this point onward, the days will grow longer. As a morning person — or more accurately, a very early morning person — I'm excited that in the weeks ahead the sun will rise earlier and earlier.

I'm also excited to start a new project: Solstice to Equinox — Out of the Darkness into the Light. Organized by the 100DayProject, Solstice to Equinox invites you to "study, document, journal, create, practice, explore, make, observe, or initiate something new each week. This is meant to be a weekly hands-on visual, written, or audio interpretation of whatever interests you during the 13 weeks between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Whatever helps bring you out of the darkness. . . ."

Such a great idea! I already have a daily art practice in the form of a stitch journal, "Presence/Absence" (learn more about it at my Patreon page). So I don't want to add another art project to my already-full days. But one thing I would like to make more time for is swatching. Trying out new-to-me stitch patterns or combinations, or new-to-me yarns, is how nearly all of my knitwear designs come into being. Swatches are essential to keeping design ideas flowing. The more robust my "swatch stash," the better.

Plus, swatching is just plain fun!  I love discovering how a stitch on the page of a stitch dictionary looks "in real life." So with the goals of fun, creative play, and developing new designs, I'm going to swatch as much as possible in the 13 weeks of Solstice to Equinox.

Some of the yarns I want to swatch with, from left to right: Stitch Sprouts Crater Lake, Periwinkle Sheep Purpose, Bartlettyarns, Inc. Sport, and Bare Naked Wools Breakfast Blend fingering.

There are no rules for the Solstice to Equinox project, other than doing something hands-on with your project at least once a week. So it's not as high-pressure as a daily project — you have some breathing room in when and how much you work on it. 

I'm also doing a personal yoga project. I'll be focusing on one pose a week, studying it in my various yoga books, trying variations, watching videos, and making an effort to learn the Sanskrit name (I'm pretty bad about that).

This week I'm starting with Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose). It seemed appropriate because these 13 weeks will be a bridge from fall, through winter, into spring. And also because I tend to avoid Bridge, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'll figure that out in the coming week!

Are you joining the Solstice to Equinox Project, or the 2018 100DayProject? Have you done a 100DayProject in the past? I'd love to hear how it went, or what your upcoming project(s) will be.

Happy Solstice!

Yarn Giveaway

Instagram yarn giveaway! I have two pairs of 100-yard mini skeins of American Sock by Pigeonroof Studios to give away -- the lovely yarn I used for the contrast colors in my new Rowhouse Socks.

To enter, head to my Instagram feed and follow the instructions on the yarn giveaway photo. (Don't leave a comment here on the blog -- only on Instagram.) Good luck!

Rowhouse Socks by Bonnie Sennott

New Pattern: Rowhouse Socks

New in my Ravelry pattern store: Rowhouse Socks, a sweet colorwork design to brighten your winter knitting.

A pretty row of houses circles the calf in these top-down socks knit in three colors of fingering weight/sock yarn. If you've never done colorwork before, the Rowhouse Socks are a great project for getting your feet wet (sorry about the pun — I couldn't resist!). The colorwork pattern is an easy 8-stitch repeat, and you never use more than two colors in any round.

I knit them with yarns hand-dyed by Krista McCurdy of Pigeonroof Studios. The main color is her High Twist Sock (100% superwash merino) in the Picholine colorway. The two contrast colors are her American Sock (also 100% superwash merino), chosen from a mini skein set of six one-of-a-kind naturally dyed colors. Krista's colors are rich and vibrant, really perfect for colorwork knitting.

The pattern's now in my Ravelry pattern store. As always, you can save 20% with my Create Your Own Collection promotion: purchase four individual Blue Peninsula patterns at the same time to automatically receive a 20% discount on all four patterns (no coupon code required).

Thanks very much for reading, and happy sock knitting!

Sneak Peek: Rowhouse Socks

Kitchener stitch — do you love it, or hate it? When I first learned to knit socks, grafting the toes with kitchener stitch made me nervous. Incredibly nervous. I'm not sure why, because if you take your time and follow the steps, it's not difficult. Maybe it was just a big fear of "messing up." 

Anyway, I grafted the toe of a sock yesterday — and it went without a hitch. I have no nervousness whatsoever about kitchener anymore. So if it makes you feel queasy, hang in there! As with many things in life, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

The sock in question is my next pattern, the Rowhouse Socks. They're knit in hand-dyed superwash merino by Pigeonroof Studios (the same indie dyer whose gradient set I used for my Purlish Mitts). For this design, I tweaked the little houses from my Rowhouse Hat so they'd work top-down, and jazzed it up a little by using three colors instead of two.

These socks require focused attention at the beginning, but once you're past the colorwork, the knitting is easy. That makes them a great travel project and perfect for taking to knit night or work. They also make good walk-and-knit projects, if you're so inclined. As you can guess from these photos, I love to walk and knit — as long as it's not freezing cold. 

The pattern's written and edited, and the socks are blocked. All that's left is a photo shoot. So they'll be ready for release soon — probably next week!

Indie Design Gift-a-Long: From Neck to Toe

Cowls and socks — it's hard for me to imagine getting through winter without them. I wear both around the house — as well as out and about — nearly every day in cold weather. They're fun to knit, they're warm, and they help me keep my heating bills in check.

Cowls and socks also make thoughtful gifts! So on this last day of the Indie Design Gift-a-Long Sale, I thought I'd highlight some of the cowl and sock designs you can find among my sale patterns. The sale ends at midnight tonight — use the coupon code giftalong2017 for a 25% discount on these and other patterns.

Clockwise from top left: Cordulia, knit in Foxhill Farm Cormo DK; Calliopsis, knit in two colors of The Fibre Co. Meadow; and Singing Beach, knit in Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II.

Clockwise from top left: Tortoise Shells, knit in Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere; Couplet, knit in Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors Sock 75/25; and Plumtree, knit in Luna Grey Fiber Arts Altair.

Are you making any projects for the Gift-a-Long? I've cast on the Hermia Hat by Sarah Jordan (see my last post). I'm not sure if it's a gift or for me, though — that's TBD! 

I'd love to know what you're making — please leave a comment, with a link to your project(s) or the pattern(s). It's always nice to be introduced to new designers and patterns.

Though the Gift-a-Long Sale ends at midnight tonight, the GAL continues through December 31. There are threads in the forum for every category, with lots of chatting and, of course, games and prizes. Hope to see you there!

Indie Design Gift-a-Long: Hats

A five-day weekend means I have plenty of time to browse the patterns in the Indie Design Gift-a-Long on Ravelry. So much to ooh and aah over! So many great choices! I find I'm especially drawn to hats — they make great gifts for kids, women, and men, and they're quick and easy to knit. 

Here are a few that have caught my eye so far:

Hermia, by Sarah Jordan. This one has already landed in my Ravelry library — I purchased it as soon as the sale began. I love the simplicity of the design and how it makes such elegant use of twisted stitches. It's perfect for those special skeins of sock yarn in my stash. (And if you like fingerless mitts, check out the matching Hermia Mitts, also on sale!)

Leah B. Thibault's Woodland Hat would be a thoughtful gift for nature lovers or hikers on your gift list. It's knit in two colors of sportweight yarn, with several sizes ranging from child to adult large. Even better — there are matching mittens (also on sale)! 

Another great colorwork hat is Jennifer Dassau's Bubble Tea. Isn't it fun? Such an original design, and one that will look good in pretty much any color combination. Plus, it's worked in worsted weight yarn, so the knitting will go fast.

The GAL definitely includes more knitting than crochet patterns, but crocheters are by no means left out. Crochet queen Sara Delaney's slouchy Sweet Clementine beret features spiraling bobbles and crisp ribbing on the brim. It's a great stash-busting project because you can make it in fingering, sport, or DK weight yarn.

Another design with great texture is Amy van de Laar's Beeswax Hat. I love everything about this close-fitting toque, from the color to the clever mini cables. Another plus — the pattern gives instructions for working them without a cable needle. If you like the hat, you might fall equally hard for the matching cowl, mitts, and scarf.

Lastly, for the men on your gift-knitting list: I Can't Control My Brain, by the endlessly inventive Barbara Benson. Knit in sport weight Stitch Sprouts Yellowstone, this unisex hat has a super deep brim to keep ears toasty warm. Best of all, it's perfect for all of us Ramones fans.

These and other gift-worthy designs by independent designers are on sale for 25% off through November 28 with the coupon code giftalong 2017. After the sale ends, the GAL continues through December 31 with lots of games, prizes, and general knit and crochet merriment.

Are you making any hats for holiday gifts? Please share your favorite patterns in the comments!

LINKS
Indie Design Gift-a-Long
My GAL Sale Patterns

New Pattern: Mount Pollux Pullover

Sweater weather is finally here! There's been a delicious crispness in the air in recent days, and I'm so excited to finally break out my hand-knit cowls, fingerless mitts, hats, shawls, and sweaters. As I type this, I'm wearing a brand-new sweater design, just released on Ravelry: the Mount Pollux pullover.

This roomy tunic-length pullover is named after the Mount Pollux Conservation Area in Amherst, Massachusetts, where the photos were taken. It's designed with a comfy, relaxed fit (shown here modeled with about 10 inches/25 cm positive ease).

To celebrate its release, I'm having an introductory sale: through Sunday, November 19, save 25% on Mount Pollux in my Ravelry store with the coupon code MTPOLLUX25.

Mount Pollux is worked mostly seamlessly. After the split hems are worked flat and joined on a circular needle, the body is worked in the round to the armholes. The upper front and back are worked separately and the shoulders are seamed. Stitches for the sleeves are picked up around the armholes and the sleeves are worked from the top down in the round. I love this method of knitting sleeves because you can try them on as you go to get exactly the length you prefer.

Knit in worsted weight yarn, Mount Pollux features a satisfying mix of knit-purl textures, garter stitch, and lace. For the sample, I used Quince & Co. Owl, a wool/alpaca blend. This was my first time knitting with Owl, and I fell in love with its softness and lovely halo. It knitted up effortlessly into a sweater that's incredibly warm — perfect for chilly winter days ahead.

I loved knitting this sweater — it was one of my favorite projects of 2017. And I love wearing it even more. I hope you enjoy it, too. Thanks very much for reading!