Pattern Release: Nightbloom Cowl

Textures and lace combine in my newest pattern, the Nightbloom Cowl. It’s now available on Ravelry and Etsy. Take 20% off the pattern in both shops with the coupon code COWL20.

This cozy cowl can go casual or dressy and offers multiple styling options—wear it long, for dramatic effect, wear it doubled around the neck for extra warmth. Nightbloom’s knit-purl textures and easy lace make for an engaging knitting experience—not as simple as garter stitch but not complicated, either.

Nightbloom is worked flat in fingering weight yarn; after blocking the two ends are joined using the three-needle bind-off to create a continuous loop. Instructions for the provisional crochet cast on and the three-needle bind-off are provided. The stitch patterns are provided both in written, line-by-line, format and in a chart.

The pattern provides two size options, 8.75 (13.75) inches/22 (35) cm wide by 59 (64) inches/150 (163) cm circumference. The photos show the wider/longer size. You can modify the size by working more or fewer repeats of the Lace Pattern, but keep in mind that if you make it wider or longer, you’ll need more yarn.

I used ElsaWool Cormo woolenspun fingering in Silver for the sample. It was perfect in every way—light and lofty, with a lovely drape and soft texture. I highly recommend a woolenspun yarn for this design—but of course, you can substitute any fingering weight you like or already have in your stash.

The introductory sale ends Friday, April 5—just use the code COWL20 to take 20% off. Happy spring!

Pattern Release: Arquerite Scarf

Happy New Year, everyone! I’m excited to share that my Arquerite Scarf pattern is now available in my Ravelry and Etsy pattern stores. And it’s on sale: take 25% off through Sunday, January 7. The discount is automatic—no coupon code is needed.

Arquerite Scarf by Bonnie Sennott

Knit in worsted weight yarn, Arquerite will keep you cozy and warm all winter. Knits, purls, and yarn overs team up to create a striking geometric design in this big rectangular scarf. The pattern provides two size options, 9 inches/23 cm wide or 13 inches/33 cm wide. Either one makes a thoughtful gift or a warm accessory just for you!

To knit Arquerite, you’ll need 525 (750)yds/(480) 685m worsted weight yarn and US #6/4.00mm needles (or size needed to get gauge). The stitch patterns aren’t difficult—just knits, purls, and yarn overs—so the knitting goes quickly. They are provided in both a chart and in written, line-by-line format, so whichever you prefer, the pattern’s got you covered.

I hope 2024 brings you lots of time for knitting and much joy in all of your creative endeavors. As always, thanks so much for reading my blog and knitting my designs. I love to see your finished projects on Ravelry and Instagram! Best wishes for a safe, warm, and wooly New Year.

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.

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!

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

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.

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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!

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