Pattern Release: Kindred Cowl

Happy New Year, dear blog reader! I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to turn the page. I hope with all my heart that 2021 is far less stressful than 2020. May the new year bring us all an abundance of happiness and good health.

I’m excited to share that my Kindred Cowl — first released as part of the annual Bare Naked Wools Red Scarf Fundraiser last fall — is now available exclusively as a Blue Peninsula pattern. To celebrate, I’m offering an introductory discount: save 20% with the coupon code KINDRED20 at Ravelry and Payhip.

Knit in sportweight yarn, the Kindred Cowl is worked flat, from one end to the other, beginning with a provisional cast-on. After blocking, the two ends are joined with a three-needle bind-off.

If you aren’t familiar with these techniques, the pattern has you covered. It provides step-by-step instructions for working the crochet provisional cast-on and for the three-needle bind-off.

These winter months call for warm, cozy knits — and cowls offer so much versatility. On coldest days, you can double a cowl up around your neck for extra warmth. Once indoors, you can wear it as a single long loop (and really let those cables shine). If you’ve been doing nothing but holiday gift knitting, maybe now’s the time to cast on a special project just for yourself!

The introductory 20% off discount ends Wednesday, January 6. Use the code KINDRED20 at either Ravelry or Payhip.

Happy knitting — and 2021!

Pattern Release: Bluetta

I’m pleased to share my last new pattern for 2020: Bluetta, a cozy, feminine scarf/shawlette to knit for yourself or as a gift. The pattern is now available in my Ravelry and Payhip pattern stores, where you can enjoy 20% off with the coupon code BLUETTA.

Named after a variety of blueberries, Bluetta combines easy garter stitch and a scalloped lace edging. Worked from one end to the other, it has a gently tapered crescent shape. And, it’s reversible! No worrying about getting the “right” side up when you wear it.

The pattern provides step-by-step instructions in written form and in a chart. A schematic helps you to visualize the progression of the knitting, the increase and decrease sections, and the piece’s overall shape.

There are two sizes — a scarf and a shawlette — as well as tips for shortening or lengthening the piece.

Any single or plied fingering weight yarn can be used. You’ll need 475 yds/435 m for the scarf and 550 yds/505 m for the shawlette. For the sample, I used handspun Three Waters Farm Rambouillet in the Blue Flourish colorway.

The introductory discount continues through Thursday, December 10, at Ravelry and Payhip. Use the coupon code BLUETTA to save 20%.

Thank you for your support during this year like no other. I couldn’t have gotten through it without you. I’m truly grateful for each and every pattern purchase.

Happy knitting—and happy holidays to you and yours.

Pattern Release: Mill River Socks

Just released and ready for your needles! The Mill River Socks are a fun and easy colorwork project, perfect for holiday gifts or to knit just for yourself.

Save 20% at Payhip and Ravelry with the coupon code SOCKS20. Sale ends this Sunday, November 22, at midnight EST.

The Mill River Socks feature easy-to-knit stranded colorwork on the upper leg, with another "bracelet" of color just before the toe shaping. They're worked top-down, but if you're a fan of toe-up socks, you can easily adapt them — the colorwork patterns are identical in both directions.

To make them, you'll need about 300 yards/275 m of sock yarn for the main color and 75 yards/70 m for the contrast color. For the sample pair, I used OlannGra Tommy 4-Ply Sock in the colorways November Skies and Pigeon Gray.

The pattern's named after the Mill River Conservation Area in Amherst, Massachusetts. The trails in the woods along the Mill River offer refreshing places to walk, sit and reflect, and knit or spin. It's a calming, restorative place, lovely in all seasons, and I'm grateful it's just a few minutes from home.

Find the Mill River Socks pattern at Payhip and Ravelry.

Pattern Release: Next in Line Wrap

Five colors of sock yarn, lots of soothing garter stitch, and a fun log cabin construction: meet the Next in Line Wrap, a striking unisex accessory sure to unleash your color creativity.

Next in Line Wrap, by Bonnie Sennott

The pattern’s available on Ravelry and at Payhip. Save 20% at either site with the coupon code NEXT20.

The wrap’s two ends are knit separately and then joined with garter stitch grafting. Never done garter stitch grafting before? Not to worry — the pattern provides complete, step-by-step instructions.

What colors will you choose for your Next in Line Wrap? Once you cast on, be sure to share your progress on Instagram with the hashtag #nextinlinewrap. You can use that same hashtag to see progress photos I posted as I knit the wrap.

Don’t forget, the introductory sale ends at midnight EST this Sunday, November 8!

P.S. If you’re shifting from Ravelry to Payhip, use the link below to browse my patterns. To make it simpler, I’ve organized them into collections (garments, shawls, etc). Click the blue “follow” button to receive an email whenever I add a pattern to Payhip — it’s an easy way to stay on top of what’s new!

LINKS
Next in Line Wrap - Ravelry
Next in Line Wrap - Payhip
Bonnie Sennott: Ravelry Designer Page
Bonnie Sennott: Payhip

Anything Goes KAL and Pattern Sale

Summer is always a great time for a relaxed, low-pressure knitalong — the kind where you can pick up your project when you’ve got a free moment, let it be when you don’t. Last summer in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group, we knit socks.

This summer — Anything Goes! Hats, shawls, mitts, sweaters, scarves, cowls, socks: you can knit what you like in this leisurely two-month KAL starting Sunday, June 14.

Now through the start of the KAL, I’m having a sale on all patterns and ebooks in my Ravelry store. Everything is discounted 20%. You don’t need a coupon code — you’ll get the discount automatically at checkout. With this sale, I am raising funds for the Loveland Foundation, which provides therapy support for black women and girls. Ten percent of every pattern purchase through June 14 will be donated to the foundation. I hope you'll join me in supporting their important work.

The Anything Goes KAL starts Sunday, June 14 and ends Sunday, August 16. For extra incentive to finish your projects, there will be prizes (of course!) — I’ve ordered lovely yarn from indie dyers Kim Dyes Yarn and Seven Sisters Arts.

Based in Maine, Karen of Seven Sisters Arts creates gorgeous colorways inspired by nature. A weaver, spinner, knitter, and dyer, she’s been dyeing yarn since the 80s and knows color inside and out. Learn more here.

I discovered Kim Dyes Yarn while browsing the new BIPOC in Fiber website and was immediately smitten with her stunning variegated colorways. Based in Virginia, she has created a Kim Dyes Yarn Community Matters program to assist local yarn shops impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more here.

For the Anything Goes KAL, you can knit whatever you’re in the mood for. Indulge yourself with a lacy summer shawl, make a cozy new pair of socks for fall, or even get started on your Rhinebeck sweater. We'll have fun chatting and sharing our progress all summer long. Hope you can join in!

LINKS

Anything Goes KAL
Bonnie Sennott: Ravelry Designer Page
The Loveland Foundation

New Pattern: Falling Water Shawl

Easy but elegant lace — not too much, just enough to keep things interesting — balanced by soothing garter stitch: doesn’t that sound like the ideal knitting project during this stressful time filled with all kinds of difficulties and uncertainty?

Falling Water Shawl by Bonnie Sennott

During the past month or so, the Falling Water Shawl has kept me (relatively) sane and (relatively) distracted from excessive worrying. It’s been exactly the right project for this unusual spring — fun and not at all stressful. Now that it’s finished, the pattern is available on Ravelry, where you can take 20% off with the coupon code SPRING.

Fun fact about this shawl: you can make it as long (or short) as you like, because the final section of knits and purls can be worked over any number of stitches. My sample is a generous 68 inches/173 cm along the top edge — the “wingspan.”

The Falling Water Shawl features the lace motif I used in my Falling Water Scarf, modified to fit nicely within the shape of an asymmetrical triangular shawl. I’ve also updated the scarf pattern with a new sample, new photos, spruced up instructions, a new chart, and additional sizes. You can use the SPRING coupon code to save 20% on the Falling Water scarf as well as the shawl. This introductory sale ends Sunday, May 3.

Or, purchase both patterns together in the Falling Water ebook set and save even more!

The Falling Water Shawl begins with a cast-on of just three stitches and gradually grows longer, with a column of lace flowing up the right side and garter stitch on the left. Yarn overs worked on the left side create the shawl’s triangular shape. The shawl is knit flat, but a circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches. Stitch patterns are provided in charts and also are written out, line by line — so whichever you prefer, you’re covered.

For the sample, I used O-Wool O-Wash Fingering, an organic, 100% merino yarn. It was a splurge last fall at Rhinebeck — and I'm so glad I didn't hesitate to get it! It's been a pleasure to have on the needles and has a lovely drape that's really perfect for lace. Another fun fact: O-Wool will be a vendor this weekend at the virtual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The “real” festival had to be canceled, but they’ve come up with a nifty online event to keep everyone connected.

One of my favorite (and local) annual fiber festivals, the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair — held every year at the end of May at the Cummington Fairgrounds — also isn’t happening, due to COVID-19. Lately I’ve even been wondering whether there will be a New York Sheep and Wool Festival this October — what a shame if it has to be canceled! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, right? We’ll just have to wait and see what the coming months bring and keep our fingers crossed that big gatherings like Rhinebeck can safely happen again.

In the meantime, keep on knitting, support healthcare workers and first responders, thank the staff at supermarkets and gas stations and pharmacies etc. etc. for being there for you — and above all, be well and be safe everyone.

LINKS
Falling Water Shawl
Falling Water Scarf
Falling Water Ebook Set
Bonnie Sennott: Ravelry Designer Page

Designs in Progress (and a Wee Sale)

Looking for a relaxed-pace knitalong to join as you shelter in place during the coronavirus pandemic? Mason-Dixon Knitting has announced they’re having an MDK March Mayhem KAL — and you can knit any pattern that’s been in any bracket — from 2017 to this year. That means you could join the KAL to knit Downy, which was in last year’s bracket.

To celebrate, the pattern is on sale in my Ravelry pattern store for the next two weeks. Save 25% on Downy with the coupon code MAYHEM. The sale ends midnight EST on April 1.

And don’t forget to vote in the MDK March Mayhem bracket! See this year’s 64 patterns here.

Downy Hat, by Bonnie Sennott

I am home for the time being — Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker has ordered nonessential businesses to close and has issued a stay-at-home advisory. I’m using this time to take a lot of online yoga classes, go outdoors for walks as much as possible, and work on upcoming patterns (of course!)

I’m rewriting and reformatting my Falling Water scarf pattern — the first I ever published, back in 2006 — and knitting up a new sample, using O-Wool’s O-Wash Fingering. The chart and pattern layout will be upgraded to my current pattern format, and the instructions will be expanded to include the original narrow scarf and a wider version, too.

There’s also a Falling Water Shawl coming — an asymmetrical triangular shawl similar in size and shape to my Notch Shawl. I’m knitting up the sample in O-Wool’s O-Wash Fingering in a very pretty color called Pasture Rose. I plan to release both Falling Water patterns at the same time — look for them later this spring.

I’ve also taken the opportunity of unexpected free time to start a log cabin wrap inspired by my Next in Line afghan, using fingering weight yarns in my stash. Clockwise from lower left, the yarns are Into the Whirled Pakokku Sock in Stark, String Theory Caper Sock in Canyon, Anzula Squishy in Hippo, Luna Grey Ariel in Goldenrod, and The Fawn and the Fox Otter in Let’s Stay Home (such an appropriate name!).

I’m using the Next in Line pattern as a jumping off point, but modifying it quite a bit. What I envision is two log cabin ends with a striped section between them, joined by grafting (or three-needle bind-off, if you really hate grafting). I will likely put out a call for testers, once I’ve finished knitting (and writing) one half of the wrap. If you’d be interested, please watch the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group for an announcement.

Every day brings new changes and challenges, and I’m so thankful to have knitting to focus on and keep my mind from going into full-on worrying mode. I’m not sure which of these new patterns will be ready first, but I’m definitely working on them every day.

How about you — are you doing more knitting? Have you joined a knitalong? Wherever you are, I hope you and your loved ones are well and safe. Keep calm — and knit on!

New Pattern: Fine Morning Mitts

Longer days and morning birdsong tell me spring is on its way. Naturally, my mind turns to knitting fresh accessories for spring — especially delicate lace in lighter weight yarns. With that in mind, I’ve designed the Fine Morning Mitts, a sweet pair of fingerless mitts perfect for spring.

Fine Morning Mitts by Bonnie Sennott

The pattern is live on Ravelry, where you can save 20% with the coupon code MITTS20, through Friday, March 6.

The Fine Morning Mitts feature a column of delicate lace at the outer edge of each hand, set off with simple stockinette stitch. They’re worked in the round on double-pointed needles with fingering weight yarn. For the sample, I used Hudson + West Co. Weld, a soft blend of merino and Corriedale wool in the Fawn colorway. One skein is more than enough for a pair; the two sizes require 135 (150) yds/125 (138) m fingering weight yarn.

You’ll find complete information on sizes, gauge, dimensions, and needles on the Fine Morning Mitts Ravelry pattern page.

In the past week, I’ve seen daffodils pushing up out of the ground and heard the cardinals singing their “purdy-purdy” song in the early mornings. Spring is almost here — I can’t wait! I really want to drop everything and cast on spring accessories. How about you?

New KAL for the New Year: Winter Oak Cowl

January 1 marks the start of a new year as well as a new decade. I feel ready for both — how about you? I have ambitious plans for new knitting patterns, new artworks (I’ve got a show coming up in April!), a quilt made entirely by hand, and some personal knitting too (this shawl is at the top of the list).

Winter Oak Cowl by Bonnie Sennott

January also brings the first Blue Peninsula knitalong of 2020. The Winter Oak Cowl KAL starts in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group on New Year’s Day, but you can pop in and join anytime after that. Knitters are already chatting about yarns and colors — and some are going to try making it in fingering weight yarn (I designed it with sportweight). I can’t wait to see everyone’s color combinations and yarn choices — it’s going to be fun.

And don’t forget, there’s a sale! Through midnight EST New Year’s Day, you can save 20% on the Winter Oak pattern with the coupon code COWL20.

As I look back at 2019 and all the changes and challenges it brought, I’m so grateful for your support for my patterns. I’m always thrilled when I see knitters posting FOs they are excited about on Ravelry or sharing photos on Instagram. It’s an honor to be able to help others knit garments and accessories that give them joy.

I hope 2020 brings you many opportunities to make things you love, and if the Winter Oak Cowl calls to you, I hope you’ll join us in the KAL.

Happy knitting — and Happy New Year!

LINKS
Winter Oak Cowl pattern
Winter Oak KAL
Bonnie Sennott - Ravelry designer page

New Pattern: Winter Oak Cowl

As 2019 draws to a close, I’m excited to share just one more pattern with you—the Winter Oak Cowl. Inspired by the colors of oak leaves and bark in winter, Winter Oak is worked in the round with three colors of sportweight yarn. I knit up the sample in flyWHEEL by Harrisville Designs, a cushy, tweedy 100% wool yarn.

The pattern gives you two options for this cowl — a longer version with three lace bands (maximum warmth) and a shorter one with two lace bands (quicker to knit). Through January 1, you can save 20% on the Winter Oak pattern in my Ravelry pattern store with the coupon code COWL20.

On New Year’s Day, we’ll kick off a Winter Oak KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. Feel free to join us anytime before then to chat about yarn possibilities and share your color ideas. I really can’t wait to see how the cowl looks in other color combinations. I chose a warm palette, but I can imagine this cowl would also look terrific in cooler colors — maybe light gray, deep blue, and teal? Or perhaps a trio of neutrals — beige, nut brown, and dark brown? Each knitter’s cowl will be different, an expression of their unique, personal style and creativity.

If you’re still working on holiday gifts, I hope you get everything done in time with a minimum of stress. Have a beautiful holiday season — and see you in January for the Winter Oak KAL!

LINKS
Winter Oak Cowl
Winter Oak Knitalong
Bonnie Sennott: Ravelry Designer Page