Year-end Pattern Sale

Greetings from a dark, blustery day here in western Massachusetts. If all this rain were snow, we’d really be buried in it!

As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for supporting my work as a designer. It’s always a joy to see new projects posted on Ravelry or on Instagram and witness your creativity. As a gesture of my appreciation, I’m having a big year-end sale—25% off all individual Blue Peninsula patterns on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop. Just use the code THANKS2023 to get the discount (ebook sets are not included). The sale ends at midnight EST on December 31.

A few of my favorite scarves and shawls, clockwise from bottom left: Streusel, Ischnura, Mayblossom, Wonderberry, Hop Brook

Mitts, hats, cowls, sweaters, socks, shawls, and scarves are all included in the sale. You can use the coupon code as many times as you like, so it’s a great time to stock up on patterns you’ve had your eye on!

Bottom row, left to right: Couplet, Shallows, Exit 4
Middle row, left to right: Notch, Golden Valley, On the Other Hand
Top row, left to right: Purlish, Singing Beach, Journeyer

Winter’s End Scarf

Downy Hat

Next in Line Wrap

The year-end pattern sale ends on December 31, and so will our 2023 Next in Line Blanket Instagram knitalong. I’m still working on mine (but getting very near the end). Quicker, more focused knitters have finished theirs, and it’s been great fun watching their blankets grow (use the Instagram hashtag #nextinlinekal or look at projects on Ravelry if you want to see them). We had three giveaways of yarn, project bags, and stitch markers, too—all in all, it was a fun and inspiring KAL. Thanks to everyone who participated!

My Next in Line Blanket in progress

I hope this month brings you joy and many happy moments spent with friends and family. Best wishes for a beautiful New Year!

Bonnie

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LINKS
Ravelry
Etsy

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

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!

Pattern Release: Winter's End Scarf

As we move into spring (in fits and starts) here in New England, I’m excited to share a new design that’s perfect for transitional weather: the Winter’s End scarf.

The pattern is available at Ravelry, Payhip, and Etsy. Use the coupon code BROOKFIELD when checking out to save 20 percent.

Winter’s End Scarf, by Bonnie Sennott

Winter’s End is knit with Milarrochy Tweed from Kate Davies Designs and is part of her My Place project featuring accessories by independent designers. It was inspired by a place near and dear to my heart—the Brookfield Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts. My essay about the scarf, my design process, and the farm appears on the KDD blog. You can also see all of the My Place designs in the KDD Ravelry group.

Knit in fingering weight yarn (six skeins of Milarrochy Tweed), Winter’s End is a wide, rectangular lace scarf. It’s worked flat, from one end to the other, and after blocking, fringe is added. (Never made fringe? Don’t worry—pattern provides step-by-step instructions for adding fringe with a crochet hook.)

The lace stitch patterns are provided both in written, line-by-line, format and in a chart. So whichever you prefer, you’re covered.

I’ve shared lots of photos of the farm and how I arrived at the scarf’s design over at the KDD blog. It means a lot to me to celebrate the farm I’ve loved for the past 25 years as part of the My Place project. I’m honored to be included among such a talented group of designers who have created such beautiful designs inspired by places meaningful to them.

The Winter’s End introductory sale ends at midnight EST on Sunday, March 28.

Happy knitting, and happy spring!

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

Pattern Sale, and a Spinalong/Knitalong

Where did October go? I can hardly believe it's already November!

I’m excited to announce a big sale, and something fun for spinners — a spinalong/knitalong (SAL/KAL) in the Three Waters Farm Ravelry group. You can cast on one of my patterns using TWF handspun in your stash, or you can start spinning some TWF fiber to use for a Blue Peninsula design. (Or both, I guess, if you’re ambitious or fast!)

I’m honored they’ve organized this event around my patterns, and to celebrate I’m holding a pattern sale. All Blue Peninsula patterns and ebooks are 20% off on Ravelry through Sunday, November 8, with the coupon code TWF20. If you don't use Ravelry, you can also get the discount with the same code in my Payhip store.

I'll be working on the Bluetta Scarf (upcoming pattern, below) that I'm knitting with fingering weight singles I spun using Three Waters Farm Rambouillet in the Blue Flourish colorway. Hope to see some of you over in the Three Waters Farm SAL/KAL!

November’s going to be a busy month — while I work on finishing Bluetta, I’ve got two additional new patterns almost ready to release. Watch for the Next in Line Wrap in the next week or so, and later in November, a new sock pattern. More soon!

Coming soon: Next in Line Wrap

Wrap and Turn (Bike Wheels, That Is)

It’s the time of turning — from summer to fall. From long, hot days to shorter, cool ones. From daylong birdsong to just an occasional racket of jays trying to scare off a hawk. From nights filled with crickets and katydids to ever-increasing silence (except for the coyotes).

Time to say so long to the hummingbirds and monarchs and wish them well on their journeys. (How I wish I could magically fly along and see where they go!) Most days it’s hard to find anything positive to say about the coronavirus pandemic, but there have been a few blessings. Being home so much over the summer meant getting to see the hummingbirds much more than I usually do.

The annual “hummingbird cafe” I grow in pots on the deck outside my living room had lots of visitors every day this summer. It was a joy to see them. Any day now they’ll depart, and then the long season of waiting for their return will begin.

This is a knitting blog, not a nature blog, so I guess I should share some knitting content, right? During the summer, I mostly worked on two new designs that will be published later — one in the fall, and one in 2021. They’re secret for now, and I can’t wait to show you them when the time is right.

I also knit quite a lot on a log cabin wrap inspired by my Next in Line Afghan. The afghan was worked in four colors of worsted weight wool, but the wrap uses five colors of fingering weight or sock yarn. Like the afghan, the wrap employs a log cabin construction and stripes to create a striking geometric design. There are two identical ends — I’ve finished those, yay! — that are joined by a center colorblock section (I’m working on that now). Look for the pattern this fall.

I’ve got a colorwork sock pattern in progress, too — something fairly simple I can take with me on bike rides this month. The yarns were a set I purchased over at OlannGra on Etsy; the colors are November Skies and Pigeon Gray.

I’m riding both indoors and outdoors this month as part of the virtual WillBike4Food fundraiser for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Cyclists of all ages and abilities are riding to raise funds for emergency meals for those in need in our community. So far I’ve ridden 17 miles and raised $225 — I’m only $25 away from my goal of $250! If you’d like to donate, just visit my donation page.

This is another unexpected positive of the pandemic — the usual one-day ride can’t be held, so they’re doing this monthlong virtual event instead, making it possible for casual riders like me to join the effort. A daylong ride up and down hills isn’t my cup of tea, but I can definitely manage 25 miles in smaller rides. Plus, it’s great to choose my own terrain and scenery, and to ride indoors on a stationary bike, too.

I’m taking the sock along with me whenever I ride. To follow my rides and progress on the sock, follow me on Instagram.

I hope you’re enjoying these late summer days. It’s been beautiful and peaceful here in western Massachusetts, but every day the news reminds me that’s not the case out on the West Coast. The destruction of communities and rising number of deaths caused by wildfires are just heartbreaking to witness. So many have lost their homes and possessions or are dealing with poor air quality; and all this suffering is happening during a pandemic.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless, but you can make a difference. Wear a mask and social distance; donate funds or your time to groups that are helping others; and, above all, exercise your right to vote this fall!

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