Pattern Update: Golden Valley Shawl

Pattern update news! Golden Valley, originally published on New Year's Day, has been expanded to include both fingering weight and sport weight versions.

I knit the new fingering weight sample of Golden Valley in Anzula Squishy, a blend of merino, cashmere, and nylon. It's so light and airy—perfect for spring and summer.

If you've already purchased the pattern, not to worry—a new, expanded pattern PDF will appear in your Ravelry library, ready for download.

Golden Valley would be an ideal project for the upcoming Shawls Etc. KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. Not up for making a shawl? That's OK—knit a scarf or cowl instead.

The KAL starts March 15 and continues through April 20. In addition to several lovely prizes, we're going to have pattern giveaways on Trivia Tuesdays. Hope to see you!

Shawls Etc. KAL Starts March 15

Save the dates! We've got a new KAL starting soon in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group.

The Shawls Etc. KAL starts March 15 and ends April 20 — five full weeks to knit any of my shawl, cowl, or scarf designs. 

I hope you'll be able to join us. Pop over anytime to chat and see the prizes, including something new: Trivia Tuesdays!

Meanwhile, today I'm blocking the new fingering weight version of my Golden Valley Shawl, knit in the Hippo colorway of Anzula Squishy. Later this week, I'll update the pattern to include yardage, needles, and dimensions for both fingering and sport weight yarns. If you've already purchased it, you'll get a free pattern update in your Ravelry library.

Until then, have a great Sunday — and happy knitting!

Hottest Year on Record

The news today is bad: 2016 was the hottest year on record. For the third year in a row, Earth's temperature has soared past previous records.

Now I'm even more alarmed that on Friday a climate change denier who calls it "a hoax" will be sworn in as president. And Scott Pruitt, the president-elect's nominee to head the EPA? He's spent his career suing that very organization and challenging federal regulations that protect our environment. Things are not looking good (in so many ways!).

Please join me in supporting the Sierra Club, the nation's oldest and most influential environmental organization, in their efforts to oppose Pruitt. I will donate 20 percent of Ravelry sales of my Golden Valley shawl through this Friday—Inauguration Day—to the Sierra Club. Every little bit counts!

As an added incentive: I'm working on a fingering weight version of Golden Valley in Anzula Squishy. So if you prefer shawls in fingering weight yarns, you'll get your wish! If you purchase the pattern now, you'll automatically get an update later. An updated PDF with yardage, dimensions, and gauge for both sport weight and fingering weight yarn will be delivered to your Ravelry library when it's ready.

LINKS

Golden Valley Shawl

Sierra Club

Birthday Sale!

It's my birthday! To celebrate, I'm having a "buy one, get one" pattern sale in my Ravelry store.

When you place two ebooks or individual patterns in your cart and use the coupon code BIRTHDAY, you'll get the lower-priced item free. Sale ends at midnight on Sunday, January 15. There's no limit on the number of times you can use this code.

Just a reminder: 20% of proceeds from sales of my Golden Valley shawl between January 1–20 will be donated to the Sierra Club, to support their work fighting climate change and protecting our environment.

Happy shopping!

New Pattern: Golden Valley Shawl

Happy New Year! To welcome 2017, I'm releasing a new pattern: the Golden Valley shawl.

Golden Valley is a triangular shawl knit in Anzula Ava, a sportweight blend of merino, cashmere, and nylon. It's a big, cozy, warm shawl—just what you want to wrap yourself in during these cold winter months.

The pattern's name comes from a verse in Woody Guthrie's song, "This Land Is Your Land."

“As I was walking that ribbon of highway,

I saw above me that endless skyway:

I saw below me that golden valley:

This land was made for you and me.”

Golden Valley is knit from the top down with 635 yards/580 m sportweight yarn. The pattern provides complete instructions for techniques, including the garter stitch tab cast-on and picot bind-off. Stitch patterns are provided in charts.

The finished shawl measures 64 inches/163 cm wide across the top edge and 29 inches/74 cm long at the center. (If you'd like a smaller shawl, you can use fingering weight yarn and smaller needles.)

When you purchase Golden Valley, you'll join with other knitters to help protect the Earth's environment and preserve our wilderness: 20 percent of proceeds between January 1–20 will be donated to the Sierra Club, the nation's largest and most influential environmental organization.

Thanks go to Jenny Sennott for editing the pattern and to Amber Ladley for bravely modeling the shawl on a chilly day here in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts.

Thank you very much for reading!

P.S. If you'd like to knit something special for yourself now that the holidays are winding down, please join us for the Third Annual Selfish Knitting KAL. It starts today and continues through February 12. Any of my patterns can be made for this KAL.

Third Annual Selfish Knitting KAL

Mark your calendars!  January 1 will bring not only a new year but a new shawl pattern and the next Blue Peninsula knitalong. For the third year running, we're having a Selfish Knitting KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. After the busyness of the holidays, this is a chance to hang out with fellow knitters and make a special project just for you.

At the end of the KAL (February 12), some lovely prizes will be awarded, including this gorgeous skein of Madelinetosh Merino Light:

Also on January 1, I'll publish a new pattern, the Golden Valley Shawl:

For preview photos and details about yarns, needle size, etc., visit my Ravelry project page. And if you don't already get the Blue Peninsula newsletter, now is a great time to subscribe—there will be a special subscribers-only discount for Golden Valley in the next issue. 

Hope to see you in the KAL!

LINKS

Selfish Knitting KAL

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