New Pattern: Plumtree Socks

Summer's just about here—always a great time for knitting socks. They're light and portable and don't involve large amounts of wool (which is never too comfortable on hot summer days).

So I'm pleased to announce a new sock pattern for the start of the summer season. Worked in the round from the top down, my Plumtree socks feature an appealing mix of lace and knit-purl textures. They're now available on Ravelry.

When I ordered the yarn months ago, I wanted a color that said, "summer," and when the skein arrived I was thrilled. To my eye, this Elderberry colorway of Altair sock yarn by Luna Grey Fiber Arts really embodies the sweetness of warm weather and sunny days. A blend of superwash merino, nylon, and Tencel, Altair has great stitch definition. The purl stitches and decreases are nice and crisp and the stockinette is beautifully even. I love when I take a chance on a new-to-me yarn and discover a new favorite!

Like Hulst and Pomeroy, these socks are named after a street in my hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts. We shot the photos at one of my favorite Amherst spots, the Mount Pollux conservation area (you may recognize it—it's also where I shot Pomegranate and Wonderberry). It's a quiet, peaceful place with lots of trails, meadows, apple trees, and beautiful views of the surrounding Pioneer Valley and nearby Mount Norwottuck. I always feel refreshed after spending time there.

Check out the #plumtreesocks hashtag on Instagram to see Plumtrees in other yarns and colors. I'm really grateful to the test knitters who responded to my call and enthusiastically knit up the socks! (Their speedy knitting confirmed these socks are really a quick knit.)

I'm also grateful to my sister Jackie for being such a terrific sock model and to Jenny for editing the pattern. Another Sennott Sisters production! And a shout out to Betsey, too—she and Jenny are both knitting their very own Plumtrees (you need to be logged on to Ravelry to follow these links to their projects).

Since the socks have plenty of yarn overs, they're a perfect project for this summer's Yarn Over KAL. Join the fun in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group—you can cast on anytime between now and July 30.  We have some lovely prizes—including a skein of the same yarn and colorway I knit Plumtree with. 

Thank you very much for reading. I hope your summer is off to a beautiful start!

Countdown to the Yarn Over KAL

Are you up for some relaxed summer knitting among friends? The next Blue Peninsula knitalong starts in a week, with a focus on lace. For the Yarn Over KAL, you can knit any of my designs with a yarn over in it.

Socks, sweaters, shawls, scarves, cowls, mitts—all qualify for this KAL. The dates are Sunday, May 28 through Sunday, July 30.

There will be some lovely prizes, too. One is a skein of Luna Grey Fiber Arts Altair sock yarn, a blend of merino/nylon/Tencel. I'm knitting my next sock design with this yarn and am so pleased with its striking color and stitch definition, I decided to order another skein for a KAL prize.

Another prize is two skeins of Stitch Sprouts Yellowstone, the sport weight wool/silk blend that I used for my Meadow Road pullover. Yellowstone works beautifully for lace, so it seemed like a natural choice for a prize. Two skeins are enough to make many of my cowl or shawl designs; see my Ravelry designer page for ideas.

I'll be announcing one more prize later this week in the KAL discussion thread. You can join now or anytime during the KAL, and WIPS are welcome, too. So if you started a sweater or a shawl a while ago and need incentive to finish up, this KAL is for you. 

Hope you can join us! Thanks for reading—and have a beautiful day.

New Pattern: Sweetdrop Cowl

On this gorgeous New England day—so bright and full of color—I'm excited to announce a new pattern that's just perfect for these crisp fall days. The Sweetdrop Cowl is now available in my Ravelry, Etsy, and Craftsy pattern stores, as well as at LoveKnitting.

Pattern: Sweetdrop Cowl by Bonnie Sennott

Yarn: Luna Grey Fiber Arts Zeta

You can make this cowl in one of three sizes—I made the smallest circumference, 24 inches; the other options are 32 and 48 inches. For each, you'll need 200 (275, 400) yards of DK weight yarn. For the sample, I used Zeta, a DK weight, hand-dyed wool/silk blend from Luna Grey Fiber Arts. The colorway is called Harbor, just one of many subtle, beautiful colors available from Luna Grey, where the pattern + yarn are available as a kit. I absolutely loved knitting up the cowl in Zeta. It is fabulously soft and the color—reminiscent of a shimmering lake—kept me entranced.

Sweetdrop is worked in the round on a circular needle—no seaming or grafting required. Featuring a pretty, easy-to-work textured stitch, it knits up quickly. Depending on the color you choose, it could easily be a unisex design—great for holiday gifts!

This is the fifth and final pattern in my All You Need Is One collection, featuring designs that require just one skein of yarn (the others are On the Other Hand, Conklaree, Hulst, and Hop Brook). I had fun putting this collection together throughout 2015 and trying out some new-to-me yarns like Luna Grey Zeta. I hope you've enjoyed it, too!

Credits and thanks go to:

• Jenny for editing the pattern (superb work, as always!)
• Jackie at Luna Grey Fiber Arts for offering the pattern as a kit. I hope you'll go take a look at her colorways and give Zeta a try. (Check out all the other kits, too!)

Thank you very much for reading.