Wordless Wednesday

The doggies were showing off their new bandanas from the groomer's tonight. Aren't they cute?

Happy Wednesday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Blackberry Brambles Collection

Remember I mentioned that I finished up a Blackberry Brambles Hat. Snowboarder helped me take a few pictures so that I could finish writing up the pattern.


Knit in The Plucky Knitter MCN Worsted, in the colorway Honey Wilkes.


Here's my favorite part of the hat!!!


Umm. Snowboarder?!! That is my hat. Mine. I secretly hate that he looks good in just about any hat, but love that he wants to model pretty much anything I knit :) And yes, he watched me knit four (!) hats this week (more pictures to come I promise), and none of them were his black Koolhaas. Soon. I promise.


Littlest Snowboarder wanted in on the photoshoot too!!





The pattern for both the hat and cowl set are written up and all ready to go!

Pattern: Blackberry Brambles Hat and Cowl Set

Yarn: approximately 115-125 yards of worsted weight yarn for the hat and 160-175 yards of worsted weight yarn for the cowl. Pattern shown in The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted, 1 skein Honey Wilkes for the hat; 1 skein Doris for the cowl

Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) or size needed to obtain gauge, either DPNs or circular for both cowl and hat; hat also requires US 6 (4.0mm) or one size smaller needle used to obtain gauge

Gauge: ~18 sts = 4"

Size: women's average/medium

Finished Measurements: hat 8 1/2" width, 7 1/4" height; cowl 10" width, 8" height




And! The Blackberry Brambles Collection is also now available!

This collection includes both the Blackberry Brambles sock pattern and the Blackberry Brambles Hat and Cowl Set and is offered for a reduced price. (btw, if you purchased the Blackberry Brambles sock pattern prior to the end of October and are interested in the hat and cowl set, email or PM me on ravelry so we can work out the discount)

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Happy Halloween!

Lucky Aunties!! Since Halloween was on a Saturday this year, we headed up to Folsom to hang with Lil' Guy on Halloween! So much fun.

Where to start though....



My brother goes all out in decorating the house.



I discovered easy ways to torture Lil' Guy...hehehehe.



He didn't want to necessarily sit by the baby zombie, but he was able to show me where the baby zombie was.



And read the book to baby zombie.



And showed baby zombie the cement truck. hehehe. Cruel auntie, I know. But if you have a baby zombie on your lawn, well, your kid has got to be desensitized, right?!



There were yummy cupcakes.




And puppies. I know, Bailey looks concerned.



And the cutest fireman I know.



The fireman later almost became vampire food. Note the lipstick blood on his arm. Lil' Guy loved it!



And my brother and SIL took advantage of auntie babysitters and headed out to a party. Can you believe their costumes?!! Awesome!!



My SIL made them both! And lots of the items she got from the thrift shop! I'm having her make me a costume someday!!

And while Boondock Saint and Lil' Guy's Mom were out partying, and Lil' Guy slept, I figured out how to make this (more details to come!).

Happy Halloween!!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

For the Girls

I finished "the girl version" of my Uncle Frank socks.



Only one had been finished for the pattern photo shoot, remember?




My sister had no problem volunteering to model these, red is one of her favorite colors! I think she's a bit in denial about them being a bit too long for her.



Such a gorgeous red!

Pattern: Uncle Frank (women's size)
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon fingering, colorway Tracy Lord Haven
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)

Happy Friday!! Hope you all have a great Halloween weekend! We'll be in Folsom celebrating Halloween with Lil' Guy!!! Don't worry, they'll be lots of pictures!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

What are you up to Wednesday?

Well I've been up to lots of things lately, I just haven't had a chance to blog about them! Nothing too exciting, just busy. Where to start?

1. I knit up a Blackberry Brambles cowl.


In the yummy Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted, colorway Doris.



2. It matches these Toasty gloves that I don't think I ever posted about.



3. I also knit up a hat in the same pattern, but I haven't had a chance to take photos of it or write up the pattern notes. But it is in Plucky's Honey Wilkes color....a gorgeous gorgeous honey color!

4. I finished the girl version of my Uncle Frank socks (the red ones....only one was done for the photo shoot/pattern, but one of the sisters is going to get this for Christmas so I needed to finish them...yeah, I know they read the blog, but really, I think they just look at the pictures, so perhaps they won't even read this....hehehehe). Still haven't taken the photos yet.

5. I've also knit two other hats. Again, must take pictures. Why is it always so dark when I get home?!

6. I need to cast on something new but can't decide what. Suggestions??

7. I'm distracted tonight by this. And this. What to do? Knit? Cook? Bake? Knit? Read?

8. And Friday Night Lights is back (thanks DirectTV!). Amen to Coach Taylor and Tim Riggins.

9. Speaking of TV, did any of you watch The Biggest Loser last night and cry buckets of tears like me??!! I thank Disco for turning me on to this show last year...so inspiring!

10. Its almost-almost Friday!!

What are you up to this week?

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Uncle Frank

My Great Uncle Frank loved the hip-hips (what my Great Aunt Mimi calls country songs).



He always brought home friends for dinner and said to his mother to just give them his (it was the Depression, but his mother always made sure to make enough go around).



My Great Aunt also tells me the Irish favor their boys, and favored he was, she says.



He died fighting during WWII. He received the Purple Heart Medal.



I never met my Great Uncle Frank, but from the stories and memories, he is an important part of my family.


(Thanks Boondock Saint for the modeling! But you still can't have dad's socks. Maybe for Christmas, maybe.)

These socks were knit in his honor.

Pattern: Uncle Frank

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock. Sizes are provided for either a men’s sock with sport weight yarn or a women’s sock with fingering weight yarn. Written instructions are included and charts specific to each size are provided on the last pages. Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Yarn: 300-350 yards of sport weight yarn for men’s/sport size. Shown in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock heavyweight, 350 yds/skein; 1 skein colorway Manly yes, but I like it too! or 350-380 yards of fingering weight yarn for women’s/fingering size. Shown in The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon, 385 yds/skein; 1 skein colorway Tracy Lord Haven

Materials: Needles Size US 4 (3.5mm) or size to obtain gauge for men’s/sport size; or Size US 2 (2.75mm) or size to obtain gauge for women’s/ fingering size; cable needle, stitch markers

Gauge: 24 sts = 4” over st st for men’s/sport size or 28 sts = 4” over st st for women’s/fingering size

Size: men’s average/medium or women’s average/medium

Finished measurements: 7” foot circumference relaxed, up to 11” stretched; 6 ½ ” approximate leg length for men’s or 6” foot circumference relaxed, up to 9 ½” stretched; 6” approximate leg length for women’s

Pattern is on sale until the end of October for $4 (the October challenge in the Sock Knitter's Anonymous group over on Ravelry is to knit men's socks, so you've still got time to join us and cast on!). Pattern is available here.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com

Happy Knitting!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Photo Shoot!

Woohoo!!! The Uncle Frank socks are done and I'm just putting the final touches on the pattern!



After Apple Hill last weekend, I tortured Boondock Saint and Lil' Guys' Mom (aka brother and SIL) with helping with the photo shoot! Don't worry, no one fell in!

More pictures soon!!
Happy almost Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Apple Hill

This past Sunday my sister and I went up to Apple Hill in Placerville, CA with my brother, SIL, and Lil' Guy! We had a great time!



There were sheepies!


One seriously cute lil' guy!!


Pony rides!


Lil' Guy and his girlfriend :)


Apples! Lots of apples!

Hmmm...I seemed to have forgotten to take pictures of all the pies (apple berry pie, apple pumpkin pie, apple pie, etc!) that came home with us and are now tucked in our freezer for the holidays!!

Hope you are having a great week!
xoxo Irishgilrieknits