Pattern Preview: Mayblossom Shawl

I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on a new lace-and-texture shawl pattern. Just a few photo editing and layout tasks remain — the pattern will be released early next week.

Named Mayblossom after blooming hawthorn branches, this asymmetrical triangular shawl is worked in DK weight wool. I used three skeins of Purl Soho Good Wool, a soft, squishy woolen-spun yarn.

Mayblossom is knit sideways, from just a few stitches, gradually growing longer and wider as you knit. It’s a generously sized shawl, really perfect for wrapping yourself up in, whether indoors or out. There are two sizes, with wingspans of 71 (77) inches/180 (195) cm along the longest edge. I can’t wait to share the pattern with you — it won’t be long now!

New Pattern: Catharus Shawl

I’m excited to have a design in At the Spinnery, a beautiful new book of patterns featuring Green Mountain Spinnery yarns. There’s a print edition, for all of us who love to hold a book in our hands and savor its pages. You can order it from either the Spinnery or the publisher, One More Row Press. There’s also a digital version, which you can get on Ravelry.

Catharus Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott (photo: Gale Zucker)

Catharus, a triangular shawl worked in fingering weight yarn, features a wide rib flowing gracefully into sculptural lace, ending with a scalloped edging. I named it after the state bird of Vermont, the hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) — as a tribute to the Spinnery’s home state (they’re located in Putney, Vermont).

Catharus Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott (photo: Gale Zucker)

The shawl is knit in two skeins of Green Mountain Spinnery’s Forest, a fingering weight yarn that combines the warmth and bounce of Targhee fine wool with the gleam of Tencel® Lyocell (from trees). It blocks beautifully, creating a light, airy fabric.

See all 12 patterns in At the Spinnery on Ravelry.

In other news: I’m putting the finishing touches on my Bay Road Mitts pattern. The mitts, a companion to the Bay Road Cowl, will be released very soon. The two designs will be available as individual patterns and as an ebook set. Stay tuned!

Countdown to the Treat Yourself Knitalong

Get your needles, yarns, and patterns ready! The Treat Yourself KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group starts a week from today. There’s just one objective: make something special for yourself, in yarns and colors that make your heart sing.

The Treat Yourself KAL starts Monday, January 14 and ends Monday, February 25. That’s six full weeks of knitting and camaraderie with fellow Ravelers. What better way to get through the cold winter months?

You can make any of my patterns for this KAL — anything that makes you happy. You could treat yourself to learning a new technique, like working cables or reading a lace chart. Or indulge in a luxurious yarn like cashmere for a really special one-skein scarf. Or knit up a colorful hat or pair of socks to help yourself get through the winter!

All week, I’ll be sharing pattern ideas here on the blog and in my Instagram Stories. if you’re inspired to cast on, hop over to Ravelry and let us know what you’re going to make!

Treat Yourself Knitalong Ideas: Scarves and Shawls

Ischnura Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott

Pattern: Ischnura
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Quarry, 3 skeins

When you’re wrapped up in Ischnura, you’re experiencing the ultimate in hygge. The knitting goes quickly because this shawl is knit from the bottom up in bulky weight yarn. It’s got cables, lace, garter stitch, and lots of cozy warmth.

Hop Brook Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott

Pattern: Hop Brook
Yarn: Elsa Wool Cormo Woolen Spun Fingering, 1 skein

Worked from one end to the other, Hop Brook offers a pleasing combination of garter stitch and lace. It’s a great choice for that special skein of fingering you’ve been saving for just the right project.

About Town Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott

Pattern: About Town Shawl
Yarn: Three colors of fingering weight yarn (see pattern page for specific amounts)

Let your creativity shine as you choose your colors for an About Town shawl. It’s a great stash buster, and a lovely late winter/early spring accessory.

Skipperling Scarf, by Bonnie Sennott

Pattern: Skipperling
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Luxury Sock, 1 skein

Spring and Skipperling go together! With its pretty scalloped ends and lace like butterflies, this scarf is one of my personal favorites. I wear it with everything — and my neck is so, so happy to be wrapped in ultra soft merino and cashmere.

Tailwind Shawl, by Bonnie Sennott

Pattern: Tailwind Shawl
Yarn: Berroco Remix Light, 2 skeins

Wide enough to function as either a shawl or a scarf, Tailwind is a brand-new design just published in the spring 2019 issue of Knitscene. Easy lace stitches worked in DK weight yarn make the knitting go quickly and smoothly. And — it’s got fringe!

Coming up next: socks and mitts ideas for the Treat Yourself KAL.

LINKS

Treat Yourself KAL

Bonnie Sennott: Ravelry Designer Page

Bonnie’s Scarves and Shawls Ravelry Bundle

New Pattern: Tutti Wrap

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the coldest months of the year are just ahead, and that means it's time to wrap yourself in warm, woolly knits. I've got a new design that will help you do just that: the Tutti Wrap.

Tutti Wrap by Bonnie Sennott

Tutti is a big rectangular wrap that epitomizes hygge — the Danish quality of comfort and coziness. It's on sale for 20% off in my Ravelry pattern store with the coupon code TUTTI20.

Tutti is one of six designs in a new Stitch Sprouts collection featuring their Crater Lake yarn, a soft bulky weight merino with great stitch definition. The collection also includes a shawlette by Barbara Benson, a cowl by Mindy Wilkes, a hat and mitts by Heather Zoppetti, and a pullover by Jennifer Dassau.

When the call for submissions went out early this year, I was struck by the architectural details in the photos of barns in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: metal bands encircling a silo, diamond-shaped hinges on barn doors, weathered windows. I pulled out my graph paper and began playing around with geometric motifs and knit-purl textures. I landed on a sequence that brought all of these elements into play, and the result was Tutti.

The Ravelry Tutti sale continues through December 31. The pattern is also available in my Etsy shop and from Loveknitting.

Thanks very much for reading!

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!

Pattern Release and Yarn Giveaway: Wonderberry Shawl

How much I enjoyed knitting up this Wonderberry shawl! From start to finish, it was a relaxing, meditative project. The new garter and eyelets edging really appeals to my love of simplicity, and the new yarn — Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II in Rose Quartz — is so soft, and so pretty. I'm not sure I'll ever take this shawl off.

The expanded and updated pattern is now available in my Ravelry pattern store, where it's 15% off with the coupon code WONDER15.

The Wonderberry pattern offers instructions for three sizes and two different edgings — the new garter and eyelets option, as well as the original beaded scallops. If you've never knit with beads before don't worry — it's not hard at all, and the pattern gives complete instructions for the crochet hook method of adding beads to your knitting.

If, like me, you're smitten with the lovely Rose Quartz colorway of the Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II yarn, I have really good news for you. Karin has donated two skeins for an Instagram giveaway! See this post in my Instagram feed for details. I'm so happy that a couple of lucky knitters will get to try this sumptuous yarn for themselves. If you can't wait to get your hands on some, head over to Karin's shop, right here.

The Wonderberry pattern sale continues in my Ravelry store through Friday, August 17.

Thanks very much for reading!

Tips and Techniques: How Many Yards Are Left in That Skein?

If you're buying new yarns for a multicolor project like the About Town Shawl, you can simply choose colors you love and get started without being too concerned about yardage, as long as each skein has at least as many yards as the pattern says you'll need. 

But what if you want to use up some of those partial skeins of yarn in your stash? You'll need to be sure you have enough of each color. It's not difficult to figure that out, and in this post, I'll explain how.

You'll need a scale that allows you to weigh in grams (I use a simple kitchen scale), a calculator (or Excel, or old-fashioned pencil and paper and your awesome math skills), and the yarn label. Don't have the label anymore? Look up the yarn on the yarn company's website or in Ravelry's yarn database. (If you aren't sure what yarn it is, can you remember what project you used it for? You may have recorded the yarn on your Ravelry project page, so check that.)

From the yarn label or other source, gather two key pieces of information: 1) how many yards are in a skein, and 2) how many grams does the skein weigh. Write those two numbers down and let's get started!

As an example, I'll use the leftovers from a skein of The Fawn and The Fox Badger sock yarn, in the Fantastic Mr. Fox colorway. The label says the original skein weighed 100 grams, and had 464 yards. To calculate how many yards remain, first divide the number of yards in the original skein by the number of grams in the original skein. In my example, 464 yards divided by 100 grams equals 4.64. Now I know that there are 4.64 yards per gram.

Next, weigh the partial skein, then multiply its weight in grams by the number of yards per gram. The result is the number of yards left in the partial skein.

My yarn weighs 26 grams; 26 grams x 4.64 yards/gram = 120.64 yards. See how easy that is? 

Now you're all set to go stash diving and see if you already have some lovely yarns with enough yardage to make the shawl. Have fun!

Just a reminder — tomorrow's the last day of the introductory sale on the About Town Shawl. Save 25% in my Ravelry pattern store with the coupon code SHAWL25. The sale ends at midnight EST April 19.

New Pattern: About Town Shawl

Attention, shawl lovers: here's a new pattern perfect for spring!

Worked from the top down in three colors of fingering weight yarn, the About Town Shawl showcases a striking mix of knit-purl textures, garter stitch, and lace — plenty of variety to keep the knitting interesting. Make it your own with colors that suit your style — subtle neutrals, or bright colors that pop — it’s your choice!

The About Town Shawl is on sale in my Ravelry pattern store for 25% off through Thursday, April 19 — use the coupon code SHAWL25 to get the discount.

I designed this shawl to match the About Town Mitts. The two patterns can be purchased together as an ebook set in my Ravelry pattern store for just $8.

For the sample, I used stash yarns, including some laceweights held together with light fingering weight yarns. The peach color was a skein of Tika Designs sock yarn that I purchased at Rhinebeck a couple of years ago and later dyed with red onion skins. It was really fun combining yarns and colors — I went with soft, gentle colors, but that's just one possibility. There are so many others — I can't wait to see the combinations knitters use! You can find a complete rundown on the yarns I used, plus yardage requirements for knitting your own shawl, on the pattern's Ravelry page.

The About Town Shawl would be a lovely project to cast on for the KATT (Knit All The Things) KAL. Find more info and join the KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. It starts this Thursday, April 19, and ends June 10.

Thank you very much for reading!

Things to Come

Hello, blog readers — I hope you're still around after my rather long absence! Just as the scilla and snowdrops are emerging around town, so I feel I am emerging from weeks of being buried in work (and not the fibery kind that's fun to blog about).

Fun, fibery things are indeed coming up, though. I recently bound off and blocked a new shawl (a companion to the About Town Mitts) and am very pleased with how it turned out.

Knit in three colors, with lace, knit-purl textures, and stripes, it's got plenty of variety to keep the knitting interesting. The pattern is coming very soon, but if you want to stash dive ahead of time, you'll need fingering weight yarn in three colors: Color 1 (which is peach in my sample, dyed with red onion skins) - 290 yards/265 m; Color 2 (cream) - 175 yards/160 m; and Color 3 (the lace section in the sample) - 135 yards/124 m. Total yardage, if you want to make it a single color: 600 yards/549 m. After blocking, the wingspan of my sample measured 58 inches/148 cm.

The About Town Shawl would be a great project for the next knitalong in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. The Knit All The Things (KATT) KAL starts a week from today, April 19. It's a leisurely KAL, lasting until June 10, so there's plenty of time to cast on and finish a large project like a sweater or a shawl. Of course, small projects are welcome, too!

Any of my designs can be knit for the KATT KAL, and if you want to finish up a WIP rather than start something new, that's fine, too. We have lovely prizes of yarn, free patterns, and other goodies, and as always there will be lots of friendly knitting conversation. Come join us anytime — we're already discussing possible patterns and yarns.

One project I've been working on during the past month involves this gorgeous Phantom Ship colorway of Stitch Sprouts Crater Lake, a soft and squishy bulky weight merino. The design must stay under wraps until later this year, but I loved the yarn so much I just had to share a peek with you.

I'll be back soon with the new About Town Shawl pattern. In the meantime, if it's spring where you are, I hope it's beautiful!

Spring color at the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden's annual flower show

P.S. If you don't already receive the monthly Blue Peninsula newsletter, now's a good time to sign up — the next issue will have something special just for subscribers.